SUMMER
E A G L E ’S E Y E
THE CINCINNATI HILLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY MAGAZINE
09 LEARNING, LEADING & SERVING globally & locally
EAGLE’S E Y E
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
FEATURE STORIES
LEARN, LEAD AND SERVE
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Social studies teacher brings Jamestown to a DVD player near you, Into the Woods brings home Cappies, Girls on the Run brings healthy attitudes to Armleder, and more
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Raising globally-minded students, Tai chi and dim sum at the high school, Bestselling author visits CHCA, and more
EAGLE’S EYE 2009 | Volume 11
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EDITOR: Liz Bronson ‘00
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ASST. EDITOR: Stel Kirbabas
Alivia Johnson and Lindsay Trucksis
ALUMNI NEWS Updates from our alumni, plus CHCA’s first-ever Hall of Excellence induction
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Serve-a-thon 2009 hits Cincinnati with some love, the Class of 2009 hits the road, and more
STUDENT PROFILES
SUMMER
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER: Judi Alvarado
Above: Head of School Randy Brunk joined high school students, parents and Principal Dean Nicholas on the Winter Term trip to Israel this January. On the cover: Jimmy Fuller, Nathan Conway, Deeter Cessler and Josh Willmann spell out a shout-out to their home state outside a temple in Jerusalem.
EAGLE’S EYE IS PUBLISHED ANNUALLY BY CINCINNATI HILLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY. Please send address changes to Pamela.Bailey@chca-oh.org or call (513) 247-0900. Visit us on the web at www.chca-oh.org.
From the Head of School As you have surely heard, the world’s gone global! Gone are the days that borders were boundaries outside of which we had only limited concern. Kids today have only known the realities of outsourcing, instantaneous global communication, international markets and global interdependency. The United States is inextricably linked with other nations, and events that happen elsewhere in the world have a direct impact on our lives. This is a big shift in only a few decades. Rather than be intimidated or overwhelmed, we want our students to flourish in this new world. At CHCA, we wish to prepare our students to confront the downsides of globalization while teaching them to embrace the advantages. One benefit of an interconnected world is that it provides opportunities to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. When nations open themselves to ideas from other societies, Christian principles get their place in the marketplace of ideas, and the gospel can go forth. For most of the developing world, this new globalization also means economic opportunity for their people. Wouldn’t it be amazing if, in this realm of open markets and worldwide innovation, countries with perpetually impoverished people might experience thriving economies? Our students are in a unique position to be a part of this new world, and they must be well prepared. Here’s how we are doing that at CHCA: Through our Christian Studies classes and focus on service, we are equipping our students with a heart for God and knowledge of His word so they might enthusiastically take the gospel to all nations. Through rigorous science, math and economics
curriculum, we are equipping our students to be innovators who are competitive with the best and the brightest from around the world. Through excellent training in the language arts, social sciences and technology, we are ensuring that our students will be relevant and capable communicators as they reach out to other nations. Through mission trips and Winter Term experiences, we are helping our students connect with other cultures, catch a vision for using their privilege and skills to empower others, and making the world a smaller place so that they can confidently navigate and appreciate cultural differences. Through the fine arts and athletics, we are enabling our students to put their skills to the test, refining and building in each student genuine confidence and character that will shine brightly when they take those talents to college and the world beyond. In these pages, you will read stories of ways our students and teachers are learning, leading and serving both globally and locally. CHCA is deeply committed to preparing our kids to be relevant and successful in a world that seems to be getting smaller every day. At the same time, we recognize our need to help students understand and cherish the rights and freedoms they enjoy in America. We hope you enjoy hearing more about how CHCA is making a difference in the global age. In Christ,
Randy Brunk CHCA Head of School
Campus Highlights Taking a Road Trip through History Middle school teacher finds a cure for the common lecture Everyone, at some point in their life, has experienced this moment of panic: you’ve been taught something new by Mr. or Mrs. So-and-so in class, you took semicoherent notes, and then they gave you a homework assignment. Now you’re at home, it’s 10:00 p.m., and you have no idea what you’re doing. Everything you thought you knew about diagramming a sentence,
CHCA Middle School social studies teacher Kris Gilbert with daughter Bailey at the Jamestown settlement, Virginia.
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Ceasar crossing the Rubicon or cross multiplication has magically been erased from memory. And your notes look like they were written in Russian. By a four-yearold. Kris Gilbert knows this scenario. The teacher of 8th grade social studies at CHCA Middle School recognized that the traditional model of teaching had its flaws. “Soon you will go back to class and hope that the teacher uses the homework to answer questions or start a discussion, and maybe you’re hoping you won’t get called on at all since you probably got all the problems wrong anyway,” he says. “Most important, you hope that your teacher is fair and grades your homework based on completion, not on understanding or accuracy since he/she wasn’t there to help.” Gilbert decided to find a different way. “Two points of consensus among the education experts jumped out at me,” he remembers. “First, homework can be good and useful, whether for practice or for introducing new concepts prior to class. Second, students do have to get the basic facts for a course.” But with so many sources out there for those facts – the internet, film, magazines – using valuable class time to teach the basics seemed inefficient. “Spending an entire class lecturing does not allow a teacher the time to probe students for their understanding (or misunderstanding) of the content throughout the course of instruction,” Gilbert explains. He had a second epiphany last winter when Cincinnati was hit with a series of snow and ice storms, causing CHCA to miss several days of school. By spring break, he had found a technological solution that allowed him to take class outside the classroom: by uploading screencasts (PowerPoint presentations with audio narration) to the web, students could download a presentation at home, watch it, take notes, and bring their notes to school. Gilbert noticed a few things when his students returned to class after break. “The kids first remarked that they could fast forward, rewind, or put me on pause as needed during the course of a lecture. Students with difficulty taking notes could practice the skill at home without the pressure of trying to keep up in class. Some liked the fact that they could get the information without the interruptions or distractions that sometimes happen in class.” He realized he now had more class time to spend on activities that served the ultimate goal:
deeper understanding of the material. Once he saw how well the screencasts worked, Gilbert decided to take it to the next level. Researching colleges and grade schools alike, he found that while many teachers were streaming video lectures and podcasts online, they weren’t using technology to its full
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The larger hope is to make instruction that happens in class more meaningful and engaging.
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potential. His lament: college professors who simply podcast the same lecture they provide in class are just giving their students an incentive to sleep in. “The point of using technology – inverting the entire instructional approach – proved more elusive as I researched the issue. No one was doing it.” So Gilbert took matters into his own hands. In the summer of 2008 – in spite of record gas prices – he and his wife Karen packed up the minivan, buckled in their two young daughters, Ryah and Bailey, and hit the road. Armed with a camcorder, a laptop and a “very tight budget”, the Gilberts spent two weeks driving from Georgia to Pennsylvania, stopping at as many historical sites as time would allow. “From Jamestown to Independence Hall, from Washington, D.C. to Civil War battlefields across the Southeast, my wife and I shot video of the places where American history happened,” he says. “I would give short on-site lecture segments of what happened at each place. After returning home at the end of July, we continued shooting at locations closer to home, including Underground Railroad sites in Ripley, Ohio and the Henry Clay Estate in Lexington, Kentucky.” Gilbert spent the rest of his summer editing the footage into a documentary-style lecture series he dubbed “Discovering America.” By October, students were able to take home DVDs of colorful, engaging
instruction on American history, from the first successful English colony at Jamestown to the Constitutional Convention. On unit two’s disc, for example, Gilbert illustrates how the American colonies grew from a loose confederation of independent states to a united nation. In one segment, we see him at the Victory Monument in Yorktown, Virginia, the place where the commander of the British forces surrendered to the colonists at the end of the Revolutionary War. In another, he’s next to the Potomac River, a handy visual aid in a discussion about the complexities of early American interstate commerce. Then it’s over to Philadelphia for a cheese steak sandwich and a segment on the Constitutional Congress, who met there in 1787 to discuss issues the young country was facing – overwhelming debt, disagreements between states, and how to protect their citizens without quashing the freedoms they had fought so hard for. Using narration, music and a constant flow of video, photos, maps, historical documents and paintings, Gilbert brings the concepts to life. Students don’t just hear about Independence Hall, they see it; a lecture about the Northwest Ordinance filmed next to the Ohio River, once the boundary between free and slave states, makes the discussion more relevant. Gilbert, who says the videos are a work in progress, plans to continue his lecture series. “I’m currently working on updating and remastering the early episodes based on student and parent feedback,” he notes. “The hope is to have these available for commercial release and perhaps to have new episodes through the Civil War by this fall.”
Some scenes from Gilbert’s videos recorded in Philadelphia and Annapolis.
With this new teaching technique, is the classroom as we know it a thing of the past? Hardly. Gilbert explains that technology should be used as a supplement, not a replacement, to class activities. “The larger hope is to make the instruction that happens in class more meaningful and engaging, even as we use the technology to help build connections that last.”
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Campus Highlights Promise Campaign Update This year, our Edyth B. Lindner Elementary and Martha S. Lindner High School campuses saw the completion of building projects begun as part of The Promise Campaign. These spectacular new spaces are in use and have added much to the CHCA experience. As of June 2009, 84% of total Promise pledges have come in from our donors, a real blessing in such an unpredictable economy. Pledge payments continue to be made; these gifts fund the Tuition Affordability Endowment, which has helped many families afford rising tuition costs and will continue to do so for years to come. For a tour or answers to questions about your pledge balance, please contact anne.venters@chca-oh.org.
Middle School Fine Arts Wing
Snider Road Parking Lot
Martha S. Lindner High School Fine Arts Expansion, Science Labs, Classrooms, Stage Prep Area and Alumni CafĂŠ
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Edyth B. Lindner Elementary School Language Enrichment Classroom and Science Lab
Extreme Makeover: Website Edition This fall, CHCA’s website will be getting a facelift.
After months of research, planning, writing, linking, uploading and downloading, chca-oh.org will have a whole new look and feel. “It’s going to be better for communication between parents and the school, between kids and teachers, and between CHCA and prospective families,” says Jane Haslem, CHCA’s Website Redesign Manager. “This site will serve as an easy-to-use informational resource while employing some interesting technology to show everyone what’s great about our school.”
Enrichment Clubs a Hit at Armleder Armleder teachers wanted to offer their students a way to develop new areas of interest while breaking away from the day-to-day classroom format, and so at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, Armleder Enrichment Clubs were born. Every student picked a club to try, and one Friday a month gathered to get hands-on knowledge of things like chess, scrapbooking, ceramics, cooking, dance, tumbling, runway modeling, photography and more with help from teachers and parent volunteers. One club even traveled to UC’s campus to try sports like tennis, soccer, wiffle ball and rock climbing. Look for enrichment clubs to return to Armleder next school year.
Board Games Club
Ceramics Club
Entrepreneurship Club
Scrapbooking Club
Photography Club
Puppet Club
Some of the features to look forward to: A user-friendly organization of sections and pages A complete, centralized calendar of CHCA events An online system for payment of fees and pledges More stories about CHCA students and achievements Audio and video improvements including photo galleries, streaming and Flash animation Website features will roll out starting this fall.
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Campus Highlights Ready, Set, Run New Armleder club sets goals, teaches habits for a healthy lifestyle Being a girl isn’t easy. Social pressure, body image issues, relationships…it’s a whirlwind of confusion, and a lot of girls don’t realize others are struggling with the same questions. Armleder 5th/6th grade math and science teacher Emily Wemer knew her students and others like them would benefit from some kind of outlet, a place they could go to bond, learn to set goals and gain selfesteem. So starting a Girls on the Run club was a nobrainer. Girls on the Run is a national program designed to coach 3rd-8th grade girls through twelve weeks of training for a 5k (3.1 mile) race. Each weekly meeting features fun exercise activities, lessons on smart eating, and self-esteem boosting activities. (This year, participants received free New Balance running shoes, t-shirts, water bottles and other sponsor goodies throughout their training.) By the end, the girls are ready to walk or run the race, but more importantly, they have learned habits for a healthy life of self-respect. “It’s a good way to get girls in the middle grades active and thinking about how to have healthier bodies and mindsets,” says Wemer.
Girls on the Run participants included (front row, left to right) Drew Taylor, Mya Crim, Devin Taylor, Hyland Dill, Zoe Rains, Mackenzie Jones, (back row) Moriah Coman, Raven Hines, LeShawna Watkins, Makayla Jones, Arissa Freeman and Yiyara Greenlea.
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LeShawna Watkins and Mya Crim pause for a photo after the race.
On May 9, twelve Armleder girls (Moriah Coman, Mya Crim, Hyland Dill, Arissa Freeman, Yiyara Greenlea, Raven Hines, Mackenzie Jones, Makayla Jones, Devin Taylor, Drew Taylor, Zoe Rains and LeShawna Watkins) gathered at Paul Brown Stadium downtown for the New Balance Girls on the Run 5K. “The girls are just there to complete the 3.1 miles – not to sprint it. They can run, walk, jog or even skip,” Wemer says, emphasizing the goal of the program. “We just want them to have fun.” The race course began at Paul Brown, looped around Great American Ball Park and ended back at the stadium. All twelve girls finished the race and received medals. Looking back over the months that she spent with her Girls on the Run, Wemer, herself an avid runner for eleven years, sees a change in the group as well as in individuals. “For one thing, they’ve become better at interacting with each other in respectful ways. It’s all about becoming friends and respecting each other,” she notes. “They’ve also gotten a better sense of themselves and how they fit into the social arena at their school.” Completing their first race – a major goal for anyone – also had quite an effect. “Girls came to realize they could make it 3.1 miles even though that seemed far at first.” Learn more about Girls on the Run at www.gotrcincinnati.org.
CHCA Athletes Sign With Division I Schools BRIANNA ALVARADO signed with Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA on a soccer scholarship. Alvarado, a co-captain this year, has played varsity soccer for CHCA for four years. She plans to study sports medicine.
KATHERINE BULLING signed with James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA to play tennis this fall. Bulling, a nationally ranked player, has played for a state singles title all four years of high school.
MARGAUX ANDREWS signed with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN on a soccer scholarship. Andrews, also a co-captain, played varsity soccer for CHCA for four years. Andrews plans to major in journalism or marketing and communications.
BROOKE EBERLY signed with the University of Cincinnati on a soccer scholarship. Eberly played varsity soccer for CHCA her freshman and sophomore years, then played at the club level for Ohio Elite her junior and senior years. Eberly plans to study secondary education at UC.
DRAKE BROWNE will play baseball for Furman University in Greenville, SC next year. Browne, a team captain and a three year varsity starter, will major in business administration or pre-law.
JOEL LEICHTY signed with Butler University in Indianapolis, IN to play baseball next year. Joel pitched for CHCA for three years and plans on majoring in business.
(Left to right) CHCA Athletic Director Cliff Hern, with student athletes Drake Browne, Margaux Andrews, Katherine Bulling, Brooke Eberly, Brianna Alvarado, Joel Leichty, and Martha S. Lindner High School Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas.
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Campus Highlights Flash Point Tech Teacher’s Work Helps Others Improve Instruction Out of a thousand applicants, high school technology teacher Janet Bremer was one of only 200 selected to present at January’s 2009 Florida Educational Technology Conference. Her work with Adobe Flash
Bremer, right, in class with students at Martha S. Lindner High School.
Students Recognized for Service Twenty CHCA students were awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award in May, in recognition for outstanding commitment to community service. Each student received a lapel pin, a certificate and a letter from President Obama. RECEIVING THE BRONZE AWARD: MSL High School students Abby Brown, Katherine Bohanan, Chloe Cucinotta, Cyle Cucinotta, Alex Dixon, Tyler Dixon, Morgan Feeney, Rachelle Reed, Casee Seibert, Austin Skoglund, Ashley Staarmann
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won her the coveted spot. The Flash product is commonly used to create or add animation to a website or presentation, and Bremer is considered an expert when it comes to its many uses in the education realm. She was named by Adobe Systems as one of 100 Adobe Education Leaders from the United States and around the world. Each summer she travels to Adobe headquarters in San Francisco to train with the newest Adobe products and make suggestions to the company based on her experience with them as well as what she’s hearing from colleagues. Bremer likens it to being “Adobe’s eyes and ears to the education world.” She began using Flash in her classroom about seven years ago. “Flash was becoming a major player in the education world around that time. [Armleder Technology Teacher] Barb Bodley was looking for clever ways to reinforce the academic skills the teachers were providing in the classrooms,” says Bremer. “Using Flash, my tech students created fun, animated projects that teachers could use to supplement work they were doing in front of the class.” Janet’s presentation drew more than 250 teachers, administrators and technology folks from across the nation and several countries. She posts her students’ Flash projects on a website which she gladly shares with conference attendees. “They go back to their schools and use our ideas to come up with lessons that are appropriate for their own students,” says Bremer. “It’s our small way of reaching out to other communities around the world.”
and Meg Weaver. RECEIVING THE SILVER AWARD: EBL Elementary 4th grader Sarah Bruns and MSL High School students Abbie and Philip Marosi. RECEIVING THE GOLD AWARD: EBL 4th grader Jessica Gruber, Armleder 8th grader Dajah Siplin, and MSL High School students Patrick Byma, Erin Lloyd and John Lloyd. Any student can apply for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Details on award criteria and service hour tracking can be found at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Into the Woods Snags Cappies Wins CHCA’s high school musical production of Into the Woods captured eight 2009 Cappies nominations and two wins. The Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, which features beautiful melodies and complex characters, weaves plotlines from Brothers Grimm stories together with original tales. The Cappies program recognizes the best in local high school theater each year at a spring awards gala. CHCA’s orchestra won for Best Orchestra (bringing them to four wins in the past five years), while senior Lindsay Trucksis brought home the award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. CHCA was also nominated for Props & Effects (Ian Daniher), Ensemble in a Musical (Chris Barger and Ben Scott), Female Vocalist (Hillary Henize), Comic Actress in a Musical (Meredith Stutz), Comic Actor
in a Musical (Chris Barger), and Song (“Agony”). Pictured, left to right, are nominees Chris Barger, Hillary Henize, Meredith Stutz, Lindsay Trucksis and Ben Scott. Not pictured: Ian Daniher.
Seeing Stars: Middle School Teacher Wins High-Grade Telescope In honor of the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first scientific use of a telescope (and the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing), the Cincinnati Observatory decided to award 40 telescopes to students, educators and community leaders around town. And CHCA will be lucky enough to receive one. Jared Treadway, 8th grade Christian Studies teacher and middle school Astronomy Club advisor, applied in March in CHCA’s name to receive one of the high-grade telescopes. “I found out about the program from two students, Connor Staarmann and Ben Wittkugel, who brought in an article from the Cincinnati Enquirer detailing the program,” Treadway remembers. He will be awarded the
Orion 8” Dobsonian Reflector at a ceremony this September. “In order to receive the telescope, I had to conduct at least two star parties with it and attend two training sessions at the Cincinnati Observatory,” Treadway says. He fulfilled those requirements by using the telescope with CHCA’s 5th and 6th grade classes for solar and lunar observation, with the Astronomy Club to view Saturn, at an Observatory event called “Sun Sunday”, and as part of the middle school Astronomy enrichment class this summer. Until September, the telescope is at the Observatory (located in Mt. Lookout), and Treadway must make reservations to use it. “I hope that it can eventually be used at every campus and grade level,” Treadway says of the telescope. “This is a wonderful instrument!”
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Campus Highlights Bear Market or Bull Market, 4th Graders are Stock Whizzes Buy, sell, put it all in T-bills… the stock market is a confusing realm even for your average business school grad. But some CHCA 4th graders proved otherwise this year, beating 200 teams from all over Ohio to win 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Stock Market Game. Each team invested $100,000 of artificial funds, meeting over lunch and recess for 12 weeks to learn about the fundamentals of the stock market and make trades online. The first place team (the Mad Money Makers), who finished with over $169,000, included Natalie Choo, Sean Clifford, Grant Egbers, Noah Faimon and Rachel Mangiaracina; the second place team (the Mega Money Makers) included Kennedy Bates, Zane Brownrigg, Antoneil Carter, Matthew Lautner and Griffan Smith; and the third place team (the M&Ms) consisted of Adam Baker, Christian Braun, Drew Fagaly, Meghan Lawlor and Kyle Nelson. The other four teams in the 4th Grade Stock Club finished strong among the large field of competitors in 19th, 22nd, 27th and 61st place. The club received guidance from parent volunteers Jill and Scott Braun and CHCA teachers Jean Rice and Dr. Carolyn Teague. The Stock Market Game is sponsored by the University of Cincinnati’s Economic Center for Education and Research to promote interest in the stock market among students in Ohio elementary, middle and high schools.
CHCA’s Stock Market Club
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Gold Medal Spirit at the Middle School
No need to go to Beijing, Vancouver or London for the Olympics when the Olympics come to you. Last year, CHCA Middle School was divided into four “countries” (with kids from all four grade levels mixed together) complete with their own names, flags, mascots, cheers, anthems and Bible verses, and each country was challenged to a series of events as part of the year-long CHCA Olympics. Think less serious athletic prowess, more wackiness and creativity. “Countries could earn medals for their team based on their skills, craziness, dedication, knowledge, spirit, service and whatever other criteria we came up with,” says Lance Webel, middle school Student Life Coordinator and the man behind the idea. Events sometimes happened during advisory time, for a few minutes during chapel, as an ongoing weeklong competition or for an entire Friday chapel. “It was a great opportunity for our students and teachers to connect with each other, use some creative energy, compete in a safe and fun environment, and build a more positive and encouraging culture throughout the year,” Webel adds. While the CHCA Olympics was a one time thing, Webel says he has plans for another similar all-school challenge for the 2009-10 school year.
Congratulations to CHCA Athletes Who Went to State This Year TENNIS: (singles) Katherine Bulling Sam Powel (doubles) Joel Campbell & Sean Smith Dominique Baxter & Kassie Faugno Julia Youn (not pictured) & Lena Tome
TRACK & FIELD: Lauren Luessen David Curtin Andrew Wallace
DIVING: Nathan Conway
SWIMMING: Michelle Feeney Brooke Eberly
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Campus Highlights Welcome, Matt New Athletic Director has big plans for CHCA
his duties so that he could focus on coaching, leadership and his vision for the program. In 2006, Matt and his wife Amy moved to Cincinnati to be closer to family. He took the Athletic Director job at Cincinnati Christian Schools, where he advanced the program in a positive direction and laid the foundation for them to have a successful program. CHCA Head of School Randy Brunk says that Matt was selected by the Search Committee for three reasons: first, Matt loves the Lord and being a follower of Christ affects what he does and how he does it; second, he is committed to good communication with parents, coaches, administrators and athletes; third, he possesses a unique depth when it comes to his passion and skill in working directly with coaches and student athletes. It’s clear why CHCA considered Matt the best choice for the job, but why did Matt choose CHCA? Eagle’s Eye sat down with the new Athletic Director to get the answer. Eagles Eye (EE): Matt, what attracted you to CHCA?
The new Athletic Director (AD), Matt Coleman, knows it will be no easy task following in the footsteps of CHCA’s retiring AD, the beloved Cliff Hern, but he is up for the challenge. And he will need to be as he takes on not only a new job but also the implementation of CHCA’s new athletic program philosophy: no longer will the AD only be concerned with high school sports, but instead will be responsible for all aspects of K-12 athletics. The good news is that Matt’s career history already includes K-12 experience. He began his career in 2001 after obtaining his Certified Athletic Administrator accreditation from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association. Matt’s first job was serving as the Athletic Director (with no support staff ) and part-time teacher for a K-12 school of 800 students. As a one-man operation, he dealt with every aspect of athletic leadership and performed all duties a director and his staff would do in the normal course of operations. His next role took him to Florida, where he served as the Athletic Director for a Christian school, population 1,500. There he had the full responsibility of the athletic program, but now had the ability to delegate more of the hands-on aspects of
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Matt: When we were looking to move up closer to Amy’s family three years ago, I did some research on schools in the Cincinnati area and saw that CHCA was a lot like the school that I had come from in South Florida. At that time, there were no openings available. When I was the AD at Cincinnati Christian, along with competing against CHCA I could tell that God was doing something special with the school and I wanted to be a part of it. EE: What will your top priorities be this year? Matt: My focus this year will be to watch and learn. I want to see the program in action this first year, finding out what works and what doesn’t. With that being said, though, there are some things I intend to do immediately. The first is communicating with the parents, CHCA community and staff. I’m a technology guy, and I plan to use it to the fullest extent to communicate. That includes e-mails, a new webpage, a CHCA Athletics blog, and Twitter. That’s right – we will have a CHCA Athletics Twitter page for anyone who wants to follow our athletes and their progress. The second thing is accountability with coaches. I plan to meet regularly with head coaches to ensure that processes are clearly communicated and
that everyone is on the same page with regard to our philosophy about athletics. Third, I will be using evaluations from coaches and surveys from parents and student-athletes to bring this program to the next level. Lastly, I will be rotating to different athletic events throughout the season because I want our students to know that every sport is important to me as the AD. EE: What is your philosophy when it comes to running the sports program in a K-12 school?
Athletic Director Retires after 17 Years After 17 years at CHCA, Cliff Hern is hanging up his whistle, but don’t expect him to trade it for a rocking chair. “I’ll probably take a year off to rest up and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life,” Hern says. “My future plans aren’t real crystal clear right now, but I will probably get back into coaching. I don’t think anyone ever really retires.” Hern began his career at CHCA in 1991 as a science teacher for grades 6 through 9. In 1995 he
Matt: Feeder programs are vital if your school is to be successful year after year. We will be more proactive with elementary sports and put more time and resources into our elementary program. We want to model this so well that other schools will ask to come and see what we do! Matt and Amy have two daughters, 8 year-old Britlyn and 3 year-old Avery, both of whom will attend CHCA this fall. We welcome Matt and his family, and look forward to seeing him take CHCA Athletics to the next level of excellence.
coached track, and along with former varsity football coach Mike Gims, put together CHCA’s first junior high football program. By 1997, the football program had grown to include a high school team, and Hern was named Head Coach. He remained in that position until 2002, at which time he was named CHCA Athletic Director. “The overall success of all of our athletic programs has been remarkable – many teams and individuals have had winning seasons at both league and state levels,” Hern says. Watching athletes progress beyond the high school level has been another high point. “It’s been great to see kids go to college on athletic scholarships, and many colleges have begun recruiting at CHCA based on our past success. That’s really something for a small, young school like ours,” he adds. “The whole CHCA community has been part of this success,” he says. “We have been able to rapidly progress to a point at which people all over Ohio know the CHCA name because of our great athletic program. It’s a God thing.” In addition to the possibility of coaching, Hern is looking forward to evenings with his wife. “Being an AD takes up so many of your nights. It will be strange not having to be somewhere every evening but I look forward to getting my nights back,” says Hern. He is even tossing around going back to school to take a course or two he’s never had time to pursue. “I just hope God can use me in a productive way,” he says.
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It’s a Small World After All How CHCA is learning the language of international relations, in school and out by Liz Bronson
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f the current global economic situation has taught us anything, it’s that an investor in Berlin can’t sneeze without giving a company in Sacramento a cold. Like the threads of a finely knit Italian sweater or intricately woven Persian rug, the United States is inseparably connected to the rest of the world. Luckily, CHCA is preparing students for this way of life. Time is spent at every grade level to acclimate students to the idea that there is a lot to learn from the rest of the world. From International Week and foreign language classes to outreach in Mexico and cultural immersion in India, kids are building the kind of knowledge of international relations that even some college grads don’t have. Dr. Dean Nicholas, Principal at Martha S. Lindner High School, looks at the need for global learning from a Biblical perspective. “God’s Kingdom is not a Cincinnati thing or an American phenomenon, but a global reality,” he says. “When Revelation shows the end of time, we see people of every nation, tongue, and tribe. If we want to understand God’s work, we have to understand that it is international.” High school Christian Studies teacher Jason Oden agrees. “It’s important for Christian students to gain a global perspective, because Christianity is a global faith expressed in variegated ways throughout the world,” he says. “The Christian faith began and developed in Asia, Africa and Europe for approximately 1,500 years before it came to the Americas. Today, the highest population of practicing Christians is outside the borders of North America.” Oden knows of what he speaks: this January, he will be leading the first ever Winter Term trip to Turkey. He and a group of high school students will visit the places where the Apostle Paul established the early church, where the Trojan horse was built, where early Christians hid from Roman persecution and more. (For more on the international trips CHCA students will be taking this year, see sidebar.) Developing knowledge of the global community is also a marketplace issue, Dr. Nicholas points out. “Our students are no longer just competing with students
down the street or across the country. As Thomas Friedman makes clear in his book, The World is Flat, they are competing with students around the world for the same college acceptances, scholarships and eventually, jobs,” he says. “We need to be aware of how our world is shrinking.”
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Time is spent at every grade level to acclimate students to the idea that there is a lot to learn from the rest of the world.
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Step one of gaining awareness: go to class. Foreign language classes teach us to communicate. Social studies classes give a historical perspective. English classes read selections from other cultures. Christian studies classes examine the Church around the world as well as world religions. And outreach projects can have an international flavor too: Sue Collins’ first graders have been supporting a Haitian child; Cathy Andry’s kindergarteners raised funds to aid international adoptions; middle schooler Casey Ochs collects hair ribbons and barrettes for girls in Mexico; high school students have organized a series of Parents Night Out evenings to raise money for a college student in Kenya; and the list goes on. Students who have a yen for serving abroad or learning about another country can do so as part of their Winter Term assignments when they get to high school. “This past year students traveled to Costa Rica, Mexico, Israel, Italy and India; this year we will have our first trips to South Africa and Turkey,” Nicholas says. “On the Israel trip, students met Palestinian Christians, which changed many of their ideas about Israel and the Palestinians. Those students now watch the news very differently when stories come on about the Middle East.” Priceless lessons come from travel, but what about
when the world comes to you? Last year, CHCA hosted 38 students from fourteen countries as part of the International Student Program. “Exchange students are just here for a year or less for cultural exchange, but our international kids are here to graduate from CHCA and are an integrated part of our community,” says Wendy Easterday, a CHCA parent and Admissions Counselor who has been working closely with the program. “I think it adds to the diversity of our school and broadens the global perspective of our students. Everyone benefits from having students from another culture within our school community.” Nicholas couldn’t be happier with the influx of international students. “They have raised the level of academic excellence in our high school while raising new interests and opportunities in our student body,” he says. Another bonus: friendship. “Rachael Williams, who is friends with a number of our Korean students, began studying Korean and went this summer to visit Yujin Cho in Korea,” he adds. “I hope that is just the beginning of wonderful connections our students begin to have around the world!” Listen to the news, and the message is clear: the world is getting smaller, flatter and more intertwined. But our students are up for the challenge. Each day they are learning to be globally-minded citizens who are open to new ideas and can make a difference. “Christians often say things about changing the world,” Nicholas says. “I think we have the potential to do that at CHCA. But just as intriguing to me, I cannot wait to see how the world can change us!”
International Service & Learning Trips Scheduled for 2009-10 MONTERREY, MEXICO – mission (middle and high school) HIGH GATE, JAMAICA – mission (high school) LA CARPIO, COSTA RICA – mission & culture (high school) ISTANBUL, TURKEY – culture & learning (high school) PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – mission, culture & learning (high school)
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 15
Say “ni hao” to Chinese at CHCA
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Rhoda Weston illustrates Chinese characters for a class at the high school.
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By expanding their horizons, they are learning to use the tool of knowing another language and culture to understand globalization
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t’s a little after 11:00 a.m. at Martha S. Lindner High School and the Miracle Commons is abuzz with activity. Some students eat their lunch along the walls while others fit in some last minute studying before 5th bell. But today something unusual is taking place in the center of the atrium: five students and a slim woman in a colorful t-shirt are leaning, gesturing and stepping in unison, like slow-motion break-dancers. The woman, who calls out each step in Chinese as she guides the students through the movements of tai chi chuan, is Rhoda Weston, instructor of Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture at CHCA. Weston is energetic and buoyant, someone whose passion for teaching is apparent from the first moment you meet her. A native of Taoyuan, Taiwan, she moved to the United States in 1992 after teaching English in her home country and getting her formal training to teach Chinese at the Chinese Culture University there. After earning her master’s degree from Xavier University, she set out to share her knowledge with others. To her, helping American students understand the long and storied history of Chinese language and culture is not just a job, it’s a mission. “It’s not just a Western world anymore. East is meeting west,” Weston explains. “By expanding their horizons, they are learning to use the tool of knowing another language and culture to understand globalization, be in touch with others, know how to act in other cultures and not be intimidated by something that seems complicated.” What’s more, she’s using this platform to help her students get out of their comfort zones and re-think perceptions. In other words, they’re realizing that China is more than moo goo gai pan and Jackie Chan movies. “I want them to learn that Chinese culture is more than just food,” Weston says with a laugh. “When they try new things, they see that things they thought were hard – like tai chi – are not hard.” How does she do it? Weston takes a comprehensive approach: learning Chinese characters, for example, is not a matter of rote memorization. Instead, she shows her students the root of the character, how each one developed over thousands of years from pictogram to present. They see that the original symbol for “tree” actually looked like a tree, taking away some of the bewilderment most feel when they see Chinese writing. They then learn to trace the character and write it from
memory. She takes a similar tack when it’s time to learn the language: even saying “hi” becomes a lesson in cultural awareness. “The Chinese have ten ways to say ‘Hello, how are you?’” Weston notes. “This teaches them the intricacies of the relationship between host and guest.” Students also recite Bible verses in Chinese, learn to count to 100, and participate in an array of cultural activities, from calligraphy and paper cutting to Chinese opera and bamboo instruments. Weston’s goal is to give them not just a breadth of knowledge but depth as well, so that one day when they encounter someone from China or visit the country, they can do more than say their name and point to a menu. “I want them to get to the point where they see Chinese opera and don’t just go, ‘That’s neat’,” she says. “I want them to be able to say, ‘That’s part of their culture, and the colors of the face paint and garments mean…’.” Weston has made efforts to redefine the bounds of the classroom too. A traditional meal of dim sum introduces students to new flavors, tai chi in the commons teaches them a 700-year-old form of exercise, and recording themselves reading stories and singing songs on a webbased conversation tool (called VoiceThread) links them with other students learning Chinese at a Catholic school in Connecticut and a public school in Chicago.
Host Family Opportunity Ever wondered what it’s like to be a host family to an international student? Ask Tricia or Luke Pyles, parents of CHCA high school students Sarah and Jon and host to Alex Yan. Alex came to CHCA from China as part of the International Student Program. “This experience has been the best thing that has happened to our family,” Tricia says. “He was taken into our home not as a guest, but as an instant family member.” Tricia,
ni hao hello
tai chi chaun the Chinese martial art of movement for health and relaxation wu
laoshi
teacher
dim sum a meal consisting of small plates of several types of food, accompanied by tea The wu laoshi sums up her philosophy, saying simply, “I want them to want to know more.” It’s working: after taking the class, senior Cara Fratianne decided to major in Chinese at Miami University and will study in Shanghai her junior year. Weston will be teaching the high school class again for the 2009-10 school year and has added a class at the middle school for 6th graders, so don’t be surprised if you see a little more tai chi at CHCA this year.
Luke, Sarah and Jon looked at hosting as a chance to not only teach someone about life in the States, but to learn about another culture as well. “We wanted him to know that the learning experience was not one-sided,” Tricia notes. “That meant us learning a few Chinese phrases, eating regularly with chopsticks, shopping often at an Asian market, and knowing some cultural nuances that explained many of Alex’s responses, interests, and interactions with others.” The Pyles family now has a friendship that will last a lifetime, and Alex has a second family who will be there for him as he gets his education in the U.S. CHCA is always looking for families of high school-aged students to host an international student. Contact Wendy in the Admissions Office at (513) 247-9944 ext. 249 to find out more.
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 17
Your Computer is Ringing: CHCA Students Go Global with Skype Oprah does it. Ashton Kutcher does it. Even your Aunt Susie in Texas does it. It’s Skype, and since 2005, people all over the world have been using it to make voice and video calls via the internet. This year, technology teachers Barb Bodley (Armleder) and Jean Rice (EBL Elementary) used Skype to link students in their buildings with missionaries living abroad. Bodley connected Candace Schaffner’s 7th and 8th graders with Randy and Katy Smelser in Peine, Germany, while Rice assembled Linda Wylie’s 2nd graders for a chat with Nathan and Sam Muckle, missionary kids living in Spain. Bodley saw the opportunity to use technology to link something students were learning in the classroom (Schaffner’s students were studying Germany for International Week) with something in the real world, and seized it. “The kids got a feel for what it’s like to live in the country and what Randy and Katy are doing to connect with the people in their community,” she says. Schaffner and her students were inspired by their talk with the Smelsers, whom Bodley has known since she and her husband Raymond served alongside them in Europe 20 years ago. “Having a conversation with someone actually living in the country we were studying made our studies seem relevant,” Schaffner points out. “Skyping with Katy and Randy made the world seem a bit smaller and more connected.” Rice knew Wylie’s class was learning Spanish, so she saw Skype as a natural way to connect students with kids like them who were living and breathing the language. “Our second graders were intrigued by the fact that Sam and Nathan were talking to them from Spain!” Rice says. “The connection was terrific and projecting onto the screen in the lab was a great way to include everyone in the conversation.” For the non-Skype-savvy, it works like this: both users download free Skype software to their computers using a broadband connection. Plug in a headset or use the computer’s microphone and speakers for
sound; for video, each person needs to have a webcam. You then use Skype to “dial”, and voila, you’re connected for free calling around the world. (You can also use Skype to call cell phones and landlines, but you’re charged a fee and don’t get the benefit of video.) “I learned that Germans are not that different from us,” says Taylor Mosley, an 8th grader who Skyped with the Smelsers. “We are all really the same when you think about it.” Second grader Sophia Esposito enjoyed the chance to converse with kids in another language. “I thought it was really fun and interesting and I learned a lot about talking in Spanish,” she says. “Talking to kids in Spain was really cool!” “I’m always seeking new ways to use technology to advance our students’ understanding of the world. Skype was a tool we used this year to further that goal,” Rice says. “It takes global communication to another level, allowing people to see each other as they share information about culture, school, family life or on the personal level keeping in touch with loved ones who may be far away.” Bodley echoes that sentiment. “I’ll definitely be looking for more ways to incorporate Skype into our curriculum at Armleder,” she says. “We want to help students develop skills that will allow them to become part of the global community and also to see how those skills can allow them to reach more of the world for Christ.”
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 19
UbD + CHCA = A U
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Five years later, UbD is in place as CHCA’s curriculum framework. How does it do on its report card? by Liz Bronson
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ine years ago, Karen Smeltzer went to Florida for a conference on teaching and learning. Instead of spending a forgettable few days listening to dry presentations and drinking bad coffee, she had an epiphany. In one particular session, the presenters were discussing a new way of designing instruction called Understanding by Design (UbD for short). One of the major takeaways: regular student performance assessments were revolutionizing learning at other schools. And CHCA was missing this feature. “I realized we weren’t tapping into the variety of ways students can express their learning,” Smeltzer, who is Curriculum Coordinator for PK-12 Academics, remembers. This was the beginning of what would become an important process of changing the way teachers teach and students learn at CHCA. UbD is an intentional approach to creating units that do more than help students remember facts; they encourage a higher level of thinking and a holistic view of a subject. Teachers start with the end in mind: step one is identifying desired results (What do we want to learn?), step two is assessment (How will we show we’ve learned it?) and step three is planning learning experiences (How will we get there?). For example, if the desired result is “understanding the causes of the Civil War”, a teacher must decide what evidence will demon-
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strate that a student grasps the causes. After that, they begin to piece together the exercises, projects, quizzes and tasks that will enable students to express their understanding. Along the way, questions will be asked that connect events in the 19th century to events in the 20th and demonstrate patterns that occur in societies. The end goal of using UbD is teaching that gets students engaged in the learning process and promotes deeper understanding of the material. CHCA’s faculty was charged to go back to the drawing board to see how they could communicate concepts in this new way. First, teachers learned to redefine “understanding”: more than rote memorization of facts for a test, understanding became known as the point when a student would be able to explain, interpret, apply, have perspective on, empathize with and have self-knowledge of the material. In other words, students would not only learn the what and when, they would be able to recall the why and how. “Teaching for understanding promotes students to become efficient and wise in knowing how they learn and how to approach new learning,” Smeltzer says. “Identifying their learning styles and strengths allows them to make sense of new information in a broader context.” One of the main ideas in UbD is that different students learn in different ways, so CHCA’s faculty were also asked to provide learning experiences that fit with a variety of learning styles. For example, when learning about seeds in science class, one student may remember information after making a chart of the differences and similarities between a monocotyledon and dicotyledon; another may prefer to build models of a few types of plants; still another may want to create a poster that includes photos of plants and a list of characteristics. In the end, everyone should be able to get to the same conclusion (monocots have flower parts in multiples of three, whereas dicots come in multiples of four or five), but the way they get there can vary. Teachers went an extra step with the UbD approach to explore how Biblical concepts could be woven into each subject area. Using Cornelius Plantinga’s book Engaging God’s World as a guide, they were encouraged to formulate essential questions that urged students to develop a Christian worldview. The result was a theological integration that sparked discussion and deeper thought. How does The Great Gatsby intersect with the
belief of the image of God we see in Creation? How does the perfect design of a maple tree demonstrate the “goodness” of God’s creation? How does Michelangelo’s artwork reflect Christian themes of human hope and longing? Events in history that demonstrate a fallen world, characters in classic novels that face issues of redemption and salvation, elements of the natural world that give proof of God’s handiwork – all become part of the larger discussion of social studies, literature, science. As any teacher or school administrator can tell you, implementing any new curriculum framework is a daunting and overwhelming task. It requires reexamination of every lesson plan and syllabus, a renewed focus on goals and sometimes even a change in teaching styles and approaches. Suzanne Kloster, first grade teacher at Edyth B. Lindner Elementary, remembers experiencing some difficulties in the early days. “At first, I was very skeptical of UbD,” she recalls. “The book that we had to read over the summer was mostly written for higher grades, so it was very difficult to understand how to apply what we were learning to our grade level.” But the growing pains gave way to a big payoff. “[UbD] has helped our grade level deliver the same package to our students no matter which class they are in,” she says. “I am much more aware of what real learning looks like. I was good at teaching my students how to play the learning game, but now I am much better at teaching for understanding.” One key aspect that has helped UbD be a success at CHCA: faculty in each subject area meets regularly for “tuning sessions”, meetings where teachers share actual student performance assessments (projects, portfolios, video of debates, etc.) with their cohorts to see if goals of understanding are really being met. “This feedback allows teachers to refine the units and incorporate
resources or ideas from colleagues,” Smeltzer says. “UbD has brought the teachers a way to connect professionally while finding the best way to teach something for the highest effect.” So has it changed the way teachers teach at CHCA? Sandy Breitholle, Edyth B. Lindner Elementary Principal, has loved the way this instructional approach has encouraged her educators to strive for continual improvement. “Incorporating the principles of UbD is helping us become better teachers as we plan the vital parts of our lessons,” she claims. “It reminds us that we must continually ask ourselves, how will our students show that they are truly ‘getting’ the things we are trying to teach them? We find ourselves not settling for what we have always done but instead stretching to find the most effective, engaging ways to teach our young learners.” It has also changed the way students learn. “Recent studies of the brain reveal that information is more likely to travel into long-term memory when it is relevant to the learner,” Smeltzer says. “It is key for students to base their learning on experience and link new learning to previous experience.” Dr. Nancy Schaefer, who teaches Algebra I, Calculus and AP Calculus at Martha S. Lindner High School, agrees. “Students who have experienced true UbD-minded education are able to apply the skills and ideas they learn in one setting to another,” she claims. “For example, in mathematics, they would not only know how to do a procedure, they would know when that procedure is appropriate, when another process would be more efficient, and would also be able to explain how that process fits into the larger concept at hand.” Schaefer has also noted a difference in how students interact with their teachers and each other. “In the UbD classroom, students are asking higher level questions of each other and having discussions with each other about the topic at hand,” she says. “When you visit a UbD classroom, you should leave knowing what the students know, not just what the teacher knows.” Five years later, UbD seems to be on its way to longterm success. By turning the traditional classroom format on its head, the system has reinvigorated the instructional process at CHCA. Dr. Schaefer sums it up this way: “UbD classrooms are places where the students are active learners and own their knowledge, not places where the teacher performs while the students observe.” And that might just earn UbD an A.
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 21
Accidental Author, Intentional Message “I’m not a real author, no matter what they call me – I’m an accidental author.” It was one of the first things Paul Young said when he stepped onstage at Martha S. Lindner High School. So began the story behind the story: accidental or not, Young is the author of The Shack, a New York Times bestseller with over six million copies in print. The book follows Mack Phillips, a father who loses his daughter on a family trip and finds out later she may have been murdered at an abandoned shack in the woods. As he deals with unimaginable grief, he receives a note from God asking him to return to the site of his anguish. What follows is a challenging and eye-opening dialogue between Mack and his creator as they wrestle with the problem of pain in our broken world. Young was invited to spend three days in March sharing his story and the things he’s learned about God with CHCA’s high school students for Spiritual Life Emphasis Week. Before the book was printed in the millions and translated into 40 languages, before it was deemed the “Book of the Decade” in Croatia and touched hearts from Australia to Alberta, it was simply a gift. Young says he initially wrote the story in 2005 as a Christmas present for his children. “The weekend Mackenzie spends in the shack represents eleven years of stuff I went through,” he told the more than 400 students, teachers and staff members on the first day. “I wanted my kids to get an idea of who this God really is.” He distributed 15 copies printed at an Office Depot to his kids, some extended family members and a few friends. When those friends and family passed their copies on to others, the word spread: soon, requests for books were coming in from all corners of the country, so Paul and some friends printed additional copies. In the mean time, he was getting e-mails from all over the globe expressing heartfelt thanks and telling how The Shack had affected them. The media caught wind of this self-published phenomenon and Paul, still shocked by the way his story was spreading like wildfire, was invited to make the talk show rounds. “I’m on the Today show sitting across from Ann Curry, and halfway though I’m thinking, ‘Don’t they know who I am?’” Young recalled. “I realized God doesn’t care about a marketing strategy – He has decided to breathe something
22 Eagle’s Eye | 2009
into people’s lives.” High school Principal Dean Nicholas invited Young to speak to the student body after reading The Shack himself. “Everyone is reading and talking about this book,” Nicholas says. “We thought this was a great opportunity. CHCA is a learning community and a faith community, and we wanted to try and bring those two together.” In addition to speaking to the high school students, Young also held two evening talks open to parents and the community at-large. Over the course of three days, Young spent time telling audiences his own story too. Born in Canada to missionary parents, Paul and his siblings were raised in New Guinea among the Dani people, a tribe of stone-age ritualistic cannibals. Though he remembers some good times from a unique childhood, Paul experienced great pain as well. “In The Shack, Mackenzie’s dad is addicted to alcohol; my dad was addicted to the work of God,” he said. “My parents believed that if they just did the work God set out for them, He would take care of the details.
And to them, kids were the details.” Young, who said he was basically raised by the Dani, also told of abuse suffered at the hands of both his parents and fellow missionary kids. With no one to go to with his pain, Paul stored it internally and focused his life on achievement. “The shack is a house where you store how you feel about the world,” he explained. “My shack was a façade of performance holding in an ocean of shame. I spent 30 years trying to heal myself doing all the prayer, fasting, Bible verse memorization and learning I could, and nothing touched the shack.” Eventually, he realized he had to do something more drastic: “I either had to deal with my stuff and find healing or die,” he admitted. Lauren Schroeder, mom to CHCA students Maria and Garrett, sat in on one of the chapels. “It was very moving,” she says. “It was a good message for anyone to hear, and he put a lot of things in perspective.” Young’s message resonated with many, and Molly Packer (a junior at the time of the author’s visit) explains why. “The student body as a whole was open to hearing him because he was really easy to relate to,” she says. “He wasn’t some unreachable figure; he was just a normal guy who had a normal job.”
What a Difference a Dollar Makes Whereas most children would spend a dollar they earn at the nearest candy counter, that is hardly the case with CHCA's first graders. All year, these kids have been pooling their resources to support Arisant Aristen, a child from a distant land most six-yearolds have never heard of: Haiti. The Haiti Project, as it is called, began years ago when Ben Hoyer (a CHCA Class of 2005 grad) was in first grade. Ben’s grandparents, Ann and Dick Taylor, run the Foundation of Compassionate American Samaritans (FOCAS) ministry which sponsors the Haiti Project, as well as the Lord’s Pantry in Over-the-Rhine. With an eye on teaching children as early as first grade to lead and serve, the teachers emphasize the importance of earning the money. “Each child signs a contract at the beginning of the year, promising
“The only certainty in this world is in God’s character,” Young declared on his final day at the high school. “If you find yourself thinking ‘maybe I can try to get God’s behavior to be predictable by doing all the right things’, know this: God’s not into magic, He’s into relationships.” Closing with a song and urging students to stand if they were hurting, if they felt alone or to support one another, Young unified the high school as few chapel speakers have. “By the end of his song, almost the entire school was standing,” Packer remembers. Tears were shed and burdens lifted as friends stood together, laying bare their vulnerability and asking God for healing. “People were really on a high, and I think that feeling of spiritual revival has carried on,” she says. “Some students started a prayer group on Facebook, and I think everyone is just more open to talking about spiritual things with each other.” To those in the midst of wrestling with God like he had been years before, Young had this to say: “I used to say to God, ‘If you could just speak audibly to me, I’d believe in you.’ We have to open ourselves up to the idea that God speaks in many ways,” he insisted. “God is involved in every detail of our lives. He is not absent from us.”
that they will do chores to earn $1 each month which will go toward the Haiti Project,” says CHCA first grade teacher Suzanne Kloster. “The donation has much more meaning to our students when the kids have to earn the dollar, then give it away, instead of just asking mom and dad for the money.” In addition to the Haiti Project, the first graders also support Haiti’s Rain Catchers project, a mission that helps Haitian families build rain catchers on their rooftops that collect water, eliminating the need to walk miles every day to the nearest water source instead. Kloster sees the far-reaching impact the project has, not just for the child in Haiti, but in the homes of CHCA students. “The little brother of one of my students earned a dollar every month for support of our Haitian child, and another requested - and received - seed money from his church for the Haiti Project,” she adds.
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 23
Learn, Lead & Serve Congratulations to the Class of 2009!
Over the years, each graduating class at CHCA has established a reputation for itself. Some were so stacked with students who excelled in sports they were dubbed “the athletic class.” Others led the way in merit scholarships and full rides to college; they were labeled “the smart class.” Then came the Class of 2009, a distinct group of individuals who found common ground to become the community builders. “While every year we graduate a lot of talented, wellrounded students, the class of 2009 is unique,” says Martha S. Lindner High School Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas. “It isn’t the measure of the individuals though there were outstanding academicians, artists, athletes, singers and servant leaders that would rival any that we've matriculated - it was the power of the unity and closeness of this class as a whole," he contends. “The way this class obliterated all boundaries and cliques was inspiring! The random assortment of students sharing lunch together in Mr. Salkil's office every
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day was a perfect example of this. The sense of community created by the Class of 2009 changed the entire dynamic of the high school,” he adds. Powerful words from a principal who has seen many graduating classes come and go in his thirteen years at CHCA, and his sentiment for this class of seniors was shared by many. "This senior class embodies the essence of community unlike any I've seen before it," says Kevin Salkil, Chaplain at the high school. “Their connectedness through both extreme joy and overwhelming sorrow serves as a standard for underclassmen. It was a privilege to accompany them on their journey these four years… I will miss them greatly.” During their high school careers, the 117 students in the Class of 2009 have earned more than just a reputation for being a close knit group of internal community builders. They have volunteered at hundreds of organizations locally and around the world, providing 26,862 hours of service in four short years. Not to be overshadowed by previous graduating classes, they have been accepted to 142 colleges and universities, and many in this class are going to college on full or partial academic, athletic, art, and service scholarships, collectively earning over $5.5 million in scholarship offers. Each graduating class leaves a little part of itself behind when they depart, and the Class of 2009 is no different. Their contribution to the feeling of community at CHCA will be passed along to the classes that follow, a legacy that is intangible but no less enduring. Best wishes to the Class of 2009 in the years to come!
Valedictorian Elizabeth Mangels
Salutatorian Dana Hartsig
CHCA Commends 2009 Seniors Who Gave Above and Beyond
SENIORS WHO PERFORMED 400-699 SERVICE HOURS Patrick Byma, Andrew Shear, Austin Zekoff, Cara Fratianne and Taylor Beadle
SENIORS WHO PERFORMED 200-299 SERVICE HOURS Brianna Alvarado, Margaux Andrews, Rachael Arington, Lauren Barker, Russell Bowles, Emily Carroll, Megan Conway, Ian Daniher, Kyrie Eisenhauer, Sarah Eslick, Travis Geiger, Mercedes Godfrey, Heather Hess, Alivia Johnson, Scott Kelley, Lauren Luessen, Jeffrey McCormick, Andrew Pritchard, Lauren Prop, Connor Sagness, Janessa Sambola, Sean Smith, Darris Sneed, Paul Tepfenhart, Charnae Thompson
SENIORS WHO PERFORMED OVER 800 SERVICE HOURS Porsha Frazier, Alec Kirbabas and Sarah Cesler
SENIORS WHO PERFORMED 300-399 SERVICE HOURS Emilee Banks, Ethan Byrum, Katy Durham, Lindsey Evans, Hannah Frank, Austin Fritz, Joshua Goodwin, Dana Hartsig, Lauren Human, Elizabeth Mangels, Natalie Marks, Philip Marosi, Olivia Perez, Christopher Powers, Casee Seibert, Brooke Spicer, Lena Tome
SENIOR PRESIDENT'S SERVICE AWARD WINNERS Philip Marosi, Casee Seibert and Patrick Byma
2009 | Eagle’s Eye 25
Learn, Lead & Serve Five Seniors Named National Merit Finalists This year, seven exceptional CHCA high school students received National Merit recognition, with two honored as National Merit Commended Students (Katherine Bulling and Chris Lilley) and five named National Merit Finalists (Eric Carver, Hannah Frank, Dana Hartsig, Kathleen Hodge and Andrew Pritchard). To participate in the National Merit Scholarship competition, students first had to earn high enough PSAT scores to garner recognition among the 1.4 million high school entrants nationwide. To continue on for Finalist standing and a chance at scholarship money, the five had to have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be recommended by their high school principal, and score well enough on the SAT to confirm their earlier PSAT performance. DANA HARTSIG goes to Cornell University this fall where she will pursue Mechanical Engineering. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she may go for a Master’s in Engineering or Business Administration. Dana was also this year’s Salutatorian. “The biggest factor of my academic success was undoubtedly the support of my parents and teachers,” Dana says. “My parents
instilled in me a work ethic and sense of self-discipline that helped me to keep up with my studies and balance academics with extracurriculars. My teachers helped me develop an appreciation of the subjects we studied, and that appreciation motivated me to explore the quirks and intricacies of each subject beyond what was directly taught in the classroom, helping me gain a greater depth of knowledge.” ANDREW PRITCHARD is majoring in computer science when he heads to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall, but beyond that, his plans are up in the air. “Illinois has such a variety of interesting research opportunities that there is bound to be something there to catch my interest and lead into an advanced degree. Deciding which field to pursue will be the difficult part,” says Andrew. He jokes that his parents say his academic success is purely genetic, which he agrees with in part. “I have God to thank for making me a person who likes to learn, and the teachers and academic environment of CHCA have given me great opportunities.” KATHLEEN HODGE will begin her college career at Miami University and transfer to Cornell as a sophomore. She is pursuing a degree in hospitality management. “My family and my teachers were strong factors in my academic success,” says Kathleen. “They always encouraged me to do the best I could do and live up to my potential academically.” HANNAH FRANK will be attending Denison University in the fall, but is undecided as to what she plans to major in. In addition to being an outstanding high school student, Hannah was also a superstar in the area of service to others. She was very involved in Student Organized Services, helped start the Gifts that Give sale at Christmas, was part of the Serve-a-thon Student Philanthropy Group, and won the coveted Neyer Scholarship given to students who exemplify Christ’s love to their fellow students. She believes that the most important factors in her life contributing to her academic success are her “God-given ability and the mentorship of the phenomenal CHCA faculty.”
(Left to right) Andrew Pritchard, Dana Hartsig, Hannah Frank, Eric Carver and Kathleen Hodge.
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ERIC CARVER is heading to the University of Cincinnati this fall.
Hair Today, Wig Tomorrow How many ponytails does it take to make one wig? Just ask incoming third grader Holly Yakimow and she will tell you the ratio of ponytails to hairpieces is 10 to 1. She knows because she’s on a mission to grow all ten before her 18th birthday. To date, Holly has grown out, cut off, and donated two of the 10inch ponytails necessary for a single hairpiece.
Holly as a kindergartener after her first Locks of Love cut.
Holly as a second grader after her recent Locks of Love cut.
Senior Raises Awareness, Money for Invisible Children Brooke Eberly was a freshman the first time she heard about the Invisible Children. Still passionate about the cause three years later, she decided to get involved. Her interest in the subject began during a CHCA chapel, when one of the filmmakers responsible for Invisible Children: Rough Cut was invited to speak. The filmmaker had been one of three students from Southern California who in 2003 traveled to Uganda looking for adventure. What he and the others found instead was a war-ravaged country where children as young as five, many of whom were orphaned by the war, were forced to travel each night to safe houses to escape capture and death. Their documentary, as well as the non-profit they started (Invisible Children, Inc.) serves to raise awareness of the tragedies occurring in Uganda
She is doing it for Locks of Love, a non-profit that provides free hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. The first time Holly chopped her locks was in kindergarten. “She came home from school one day and said, ‘Mom, I want to cut my hair and I want to give it to the people who make wigs for sick children’,” says her mother, Karin Yakimow. “I have no idea how she got the idea in her head, but once she did she was determined to go through with it.” The second cut took place over last Christmas break at Kids First, where they braided and then clipped her 11-inch ponytail, promptly mailing it to Locks of Love. “It took her two years after the first cut to grow her ponytail back, so at two years per ponytail, she may change her mind about growing all ten,” her mom says. For now, Holly has no intention of rethinking her goal. “I like it when I get my hair cut short because it feels a lot cooler and it isn’t itchy on my neck,” says Holly. “But I don’t mind it being long because I want to help people who lose their hair and who can’t grow it back like me.”
and to address the need for access to education and economic development there. When the group returned to the Cincinnati area earlier this year, Brooke went with a friend to hear them speak. “They were throwing out ideas to get people involved and telling us about ways we could raise money for the organization,” says Brooke. “I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to do something to make a difference.” She settled on a fundraising dinner. In April, she solicited the help of three of her friends. They approached the owners of a local restaurant who agreed to donate all of the food for the dinner, which ended up raising $300. “When the organizers of Invisible Children came to speak, they told us that students can make a difference with very little effort if they just choose to take initiative,” Brooke says. “The money from our fundraiser went to a school in Uganda to pay a student’s tuition, so what we did hopefully changed that person’s life.”
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Learn, Lead & Serve Movin’ on Up: Scholarship Winners Come to High School This Fall In February, eighteen students were delivered some very good news: all would be coming to CHCA’s Martha S. Lindner High School campus this fall with scholarships. Twelve students were awarded CHCA’s second annual Learn, Lead and Serve Scholarships, while seven Armleder 8th graders were named Lindner Scholars; one student, Hope Dehner, was honored with both awards. Begun as a commemoration of CHCA’s vision, mission and values, the Learn, Lead and Serve Scholarship competition awards two types of scholarships (six Learn, six Lead & Serve) to students who wish to attend CHCA as freshmen. The Learn Scholarship award is based strictly on the student’s Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) scores, while the Lead & Serve Scholarship takes into consideration test scores as well as completion of a scholarship-specific essay on the ISEE and submission of a resume. The scholarships, which are merit-based, will be paid out to the recipients over their four years of high school at CHCA. The winners of the Learn Scholarships (the top six scorers on the ISEE administered at CHCA) are Matthew Tan ($10,000), Tyler Li ($6,000), Andrew Lindenfeld ($6,000), Cody DiFabio ($4,000), Aidan Ross ($4,000) and Lea Ghastine ($4,000). The winners of the Lead &
Serve Scholarships are Ben Wittkugel ($10,000), James Riley ($6,000), Maggie Brownrigg ($6,000), Emily Taylor ($4,000), Hope Dehner ($4,000) and David Moss ($4,000). Also honored were Lindner Scholars Kiyah Auguste, Hope Dehner, Jordan Jones, Diana Odhiambo, Dajah Siplin, Christiana Tait and Kyria Williams (Taylor Mosley was also recognized as an alternate). These seven Armleder 8th graders earn a chance to continue their CHCA educational experience through graduation. The Lindner Scholars Program is a $28 million scholarship fund created to support students in PK – 8th grade at the Armleder campus and to provide similar financial need scholarships each year for up to eight current and qualified Armleder 8th grade students who wish to attend CHCA’s high school.
Armleder School Principal Susan Miller with the 2009 Lindner Scholars
Martha S. Lindner High School Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas with the 2009 Learn, Lead and Serve Scholarship winners
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Academic Signing Ceremony Recognizes Top Seniors
On May 1st, students at Martha S. Lindner High School gathered to applaud the efforts of the Class of 2009’s top scholars. Twenty-seven earned high honors (a GPA of 3.75 or above) and marked the universal college decision deadline day by signing letters of intent to attend schools from Cincinnati to Scotland.
(back row, left to right)
(front row, left to right)
Sam Stecher, Andrew Pritchard, Peter Edwards,
Kathleen Hodge, Torri Tanner, Courtney Kust,
Austin Zekoff, Michael Morris, Josh Goodwin,
Stephanie Jack, Elizabeth Mangels, Morgan Grevey,
Jeff McCormick, Joel Campbell, Patrick Byma,
Lena Tome, Emilee Banks, Katherine Bulling,
Ian Daniher, Eric Carver and Chris Lilley
Erin Black, Lauren Barker, Hannah Frank, Dana Hartsig, Mollie Hesse and Cara Fratianne.
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Learn, Lead & Serve You Gotta Serve Somebody 1,400 x 50 agencies = a great day for Cincinnati From South Lebanon to Northern Kentucky, Price Hill to Terrace Park, they grabbed rakes, hammers, garbage bags and paintbrushes. They served the elderly, the young, the four-legged and Mother Nature. On Friday, April 17, CHCA hosted its second all-school Serve-athon, a biannual event in which over 1,400 students in grades Pre-K to 12, faculty, staff and some parents venture out into the community to lend a helping hand to those in need through practical works of service. Over 7,000 service hours and 50 agencies later, Cincinnati was a better (and bigger) place. Led by High School Outreach Director Karen Hordinski, the Development Office, and a team of parent volunteers, Serve-a-thon targeted organizations and schools including animal shelters, the Free Store FoodBank, Salvation Army, Cincinnati Public Schools, Habitat for Humanity, Cincinnati Parks, Otterbein
Armleder's K-prep class assembled bags of toiletries for the Mary Magdalene House
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6th graders (with CHCA parent and Student Support Services staff Jeanette Bowman) at Whittier Gardens in Price Hill
Retirement Home and many, many more. Some of the projects performed on April 17 included high school students building horse stalls for City Cure’s Horse Power program in Morrow; kindergarteners making blankets for the Bethany House; third graders making and delivering cookies to local police and fire stations; our Electric Jazz Orchestra playing at the Drop Inn Center downtown; sixth graders picking up garbage in Lincoln Heights with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful; tenth graders doing spring cleaning in Price Hill’s Mt. Echo Park; and eighth graders working with mentally and physically challenged children at Stepping Stones Center in Terrace Park. Students worked hard and left their service locations cleaner, more organized and ready to serve the needs of their population. “We accomplished in four hours what it would have taken them weeks to do,” said one student. Another remarked on the state of need in his city, something he hadn’t realized until coming face to face with it. “There is a lot of work to be done in Cincinnati,” he said, while another added, “What can we do now?” A fundraiser for CHCA’s operating budget, students were encouraged to get sponsorships for the day of outreach, similar to a walk-a-thon. As an additional way to give back, CHCA pledged to donate 10% of Serve-athon proceeds to an agency selected by the high school’s Student Philanthropy Group. (To find out who they picked, see sidebar.) “Our kids learned so much from Serve-a-thon,” says Karen Hordinski. “We can tell them things in class, we can teach them things in chapel, but it’s when they go
out and experience it firsthand that it means something to them.” Agency representatives were grateful for the extra help provided by CHCA. “We were privileged to have a busload of your students help us serve God’s people,” said the Healing Center’s Mary Mercurio. “My section, Food Pantry, received four students who were invaluable.” Bill Katz, Treasurer for Millcreek Habitat for Humanity, had
Local impact: Student Philanthropy Group gives $5000 to Project Connect When CHCA pledged to donate 10% of Serve-athon 2009 proceeds to a local non-profit agency, the high school’s newly formed Student Philanthropy Group got to work. The group of ten sophomores, juniors and seniors spent months meeting regularly, carefully researching agencies, reviewing funding proposals and getting coaching from expert money manager and CHCA alumni parent Tim Johnson. The group eventually decided they would make their gift to an organization that targets their efforts on children, hunger or homelessness. In April, the group selected Project Connect, an agency that covers all three: the organization was founded in 1996 to help homeless children stay in school through advocacy, support, tutoring and transportation assistance. They work on all aspects of a child’s situation – from free lunch program access to supplying them with pencils and school clothes – to remove any obstacles that stand in the way of their education. The need for their services is great: astonishingly, the average age of a homeless person is nine, and Project Connect estimates that homeless children change schools an average of 7-8 times per year. “We liked that [Project Connect] is concentrated in Cincinnati,” says Ariel Balske, a senior in the Student Philanthropy Group. “Our own community is suffering, and that’s easy to overlook.” Blaire Flory, a junior, was impressed with the way Project Connect’s efforts had the dual effect of helping those experiencing homelessness while enabling them to lift themselves out of it. “By helping kids
positive feedback for our 5th graders. “The kids and Mrs. Cox did a great job…one of this year’s Partner Families will have a shed floor made with great care and love. Just that floor alone, as made by the kids, will save the family about $150.00,” Katz wrote in an e-mail. “That can mean a lot when a family is trying to make a low-income budget stretch during these difficult economic times. May God bless them all!”
stay in school, they’re working to end the cycle of poverty. You can give a man a fish, or you can teach him to fish,” Blaire remarks. “That’s what they do.” Todd Bacon, a Martha S. Lindner High School Christian Studies teacher and attorney, advised the Student Philanthropy Group throughout their decision making process. “Overall, our goal for the students was to better understand responsible giving,” Bacon says. “Many of us are content with writing a check to a charity and that is certainly important, but we want to carefully think through all aspects of stewardship.” The Student Philanthropy Group presented a check for $5,000 to Project Connect representatives on May 28th; the money will specifically go to buy shoes for children to wear this summer and fall. Learn more about Project Connect at www.faceswithoutplaces.com.
The Student Philanthropy Group presents a check to representatives from Project Connect. Group members (advised by Todd Bacon, Karen Hordinski, Tim Johnson and Kourtney Klendworth) included Cecily Bacon, Molly Packer, Blaire Flory, Josh Willmann, Hannah Frank, Ariel Balske, Amanda Pritchard, Katie Horvath, Alysse Feldman and Kaitlin Beverly.
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Learn, Lead & Serve Please Don’t Eat the Hemlock: Chemistry Lessons in the Beehive State By Stel Kirbabas
CHCA student David Hughes working in the United States Department of Agriculture’s Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory
A year ago, David Hughes could not have imagined that the experience he is getting this summer was even possible for a high school student. This bright incoming senior is working on a unique research project alongside CHCA chemistry teacher Dr. Glenn Jordan at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory (PPRL) in Logan, Utah, 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Not only will David receive monetary compensation for his efforts, but the results of his and Dr. Jordan’s work may be published in a refereed journal and
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presented in August at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in Washington, D.C. In the scientific world, it doesn’t get any better than that. How a high school student landed a coveted research experience usually reserved for top level graduate students goes to show that who you know does matter. And Dr. Jordan knows a lot of people in the science community. When he made the decision to change careers (from P&G chemist to CHCA chemistry teacher) he called Steven Lee, an old friend from grad school, to share the news. Dr. Lee, a research chemist at PPRL, called him back with an interesting proposition. “Steve invited me to come to Utah over summer break to do research in his lab,” Jordan says. “We discussed extending this opportunity to a qualified CHCA student who would work with me, providing that student with hands-on experience in a government research facility where he or she would learn research skills to help prepare them for a future career in science.” The research that Dr. Lee and 20 other scientists and technicians (with backgrounds in chemistry, biology, physiology, toxicology, pharmacology and veterinary medicine) do at PPRL is focused on identifying poisonous plants and developing strategies to minimize risk to animals and humans who consume those poisons through the use of antidotes and other treatments. “We settled on three well-defined research assignments that could be completed in eight weeks, all involving the synthesis and characterization of several plant alkaloids,” Jordan explains. In layman’s terms, their research would entail identifying the toxins in a particular plant, isolating those toxins, then duplicating or making enough of that material in the lab to allow scientists to study the biological effects. Dr. Jordan submitted a proposal to Martha S. Lindner High School Science Department Chair Dr. Lu Taylor and Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas, outlining the research opportunity. Upon receiving an enthusiastic endorsement from school leadership, Drs. Jordan and Taylor began the process of selecting a student. “The individual we were seeking had to have a pretty strong science background and an interest in the subject; it also had to be someone who could live with a faculty member and his family. This was not going to be a vacation with luxury accommodations,” Dr. Taylor notes. (The Jordans, along with the student, would be sharing a two-bedroom space in
“
This kind of exposure to real scientific research so early on gives our kids a leg up when competing for college acceptances and beyond
”
the finished basement of Dr. Lee’s in-laws.) Coincidentally, David Hughes had just completed AP Physics and was looking for a summer job in research. “David is an exceptional student and catches on very quickly; we believed him to be the perfect candidate,” Taylor says. So with their four kids in tow, Dr. Jordan and his wife Beverly headed to Utah in early June, taking David with them. David would remain on the project for six weeks, while Dr. Jordan would stay the whole summer to complete the projects. Why the U.S. Government would spend so much money researching poisonous plants is no mystery to the scientists. “Think about out west where all the livestock are grazing,” Jordan points out. “The ranchers move their cattle from one region to another based on the growing season. The wild plants growing in the region contain toxins that are harmful to the animals. Of course, the animals don’t know that, and if there’s not enough green grass, they will eat the poisonous plants that grow wild and become very sick. If it’s a pregnant cow and she eats some of these bad plants, it affects the calf she is carrying which is often born with abnormalities like crooked front legs or spine. The calf won't live very long because it can't stand normally to nurse or follow its grazing mother. If the calf dies or is not marketable, the rancher loses a lot of money.” Dr. Taylor is thrilled that there are opportunities like this for CHCA students to get actual research and devel-
opment experience. “This kind of exposure to real scientific research so early on gives our kids a leg up when competing for college acceptances and beyond,” she says. But the benefits don’t end there, according to Dr. Jordan. “To get back in the lab and use the skills I was trained for is a unique opportunity for me,” he explains. “For CHCA, it means national exposure by inclusion of the school’s name in the published paper, and most likely, a mention during the presentation to the American Chemical Society in August.” What’s more, Jordan adds, Dr. Lee’s program benefits from their summer work and the lab gets to introduce young minds to government research. “It also affords us the opportunity to create a best-in-class science department at CHCA,” he says. Fortunately, the trip is not all work: David and the Jordans (including kids Addison, Katherine, Thomas and Logan) have taken time out to enjoy the beauty of Utah as well, spending a considerable amount of time hiking in the local parks. And while blending a teenager into the family could have made for an awkward six weeks, David has fit right in. “He’s like one of the family and goes everywhere with us,” Glenn assures. “He brought his mountain bike so he spends a lot of his free time exploring the area by bike.” David will learn a bit about Utah, a lot about why the gamma-coniceine in hemlock causes birth defects, and something about what a career in scientific research would be like. Glenn will get to sharpen his lab skills, spend time with his family, and make a contribution to the science community. Both will get a valuable experience that will educate, challenge and inspire them. Not bad for a summer vacation.
“
It also affords us the opportunity to create a best-in-class science department at CHCA
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Student Profiles alivia johnson A Major in Chemistry with a Minor in Salchows Alivia Johnson has had a passion for the ice since she was a child. While other kindergartners were learning to draw a figure eight on paper, Alivia was perfecting hers in the rink. Twelve years later, the Class of 2009 grad is a well-known figure skater whose talent has earned her a scholarship to college. Her rise to this level of skating has not been a cake walk, though. “During school I arrived at the rink at 5:00 a.m. and then got out of school early to go skating, but would only practice 10-15 hours a week because of homework,” says Alivia. “During summer I practice anywhere from 18-24 hours a week.” Her parents, Kim and Jim, have also had to make sacrifices on their daughter’s behalf. “We drove her to the rink for 12 years so that was a lot of driving for sure,” her mom says. Traveling was also a must. “We’ve traveled all over the country for her competitions, going as far as California,” Kim adds. But the sacrifices have been worth it. At age 18, Alivia has competed at the regional level, winning over 60 medals and earning too many titles to name them all. Today, the talented competitive figure skater can do many of the same moves one would see performed at the Olympics. “I’m definitely a natural jumper,” says Alivia. “I can land doubles, double salchows, double toe loops, axels, double loops, double flips and double lutzes. In college I will have to be landing my triples so I’m working hard on those!” she adds. Her natural talent as a skater was recognized early on. “When I was younger, I was involved in every sport possible: soccer, basketball, volleyball, the works,” Alivia remembers. “My mom thought figure skating could be a fun thing and at five I was the perfect age to start. After one class, my coach told my parents there was some talent there and encouraged them to sign me up for private lessons. From there I was hooked,” she says. Today, Alivia is a member of the Queen City Figure Skating Club and her passion for the sport has only gotten stronger. “Skating has never been just about winning. For me, it’s more than a hobby or a sport; it is a
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way of life,” she says. “Figure skating calms me down in ways I can’t even explain. Not only have I learned that with determination and hard work anything is possible, I have learned how to perform well under stress. Skating has made me a more disciplined worker and a truly better person, inside and out.” That discipline has enabled her to find time for more than just skating; she is also an excellent student and a regular volunteer. She has put considerable energy into her education, taking advantage of honors and AP classes. She serves at school by tutoring CHCA’s middle schoolers and organizing service projects like the Thanksgiving Basket drives. She also volunteers at her rink, using her talent to benefit others. “Every year since I was little, I’ve skated in a Christmas ice show benefitting Parkinson’s disease,” Alivia says. “I’ve also organized and been a judge for the Queen City Invitational, a local competition for younger figure skaters.” Her parents are very proud of the determination, dedication and hard work she has invested to get where she is today. “The best part of this sport to Alivia is that it was always hers. No one in this family has done it except for her and I think that is truly unique,” says Kim. “I am positive that God had something to do with this talent and Alivia has worked hard to perfect it. Alivia heads to the University of Cincinnati in the fall, where she will major in chemistry with a goal of becoming a pediatrician. She plans to continue skating in college.
lindsay trucksis From the Queen City to Music City Sure, she can play the piano with ease and taught herself the guitar, but Lindsay Trucksis’ favorite instrument may be one she carries with her at all times: her voice. The Class of 2009 grad has starred in CHCA musicals from 42nd Street to Into the Woods, sung with the Encore performing choir and Electric Jazz Orchestra, and wowed the high school by belting out a bit of opera during the last chapel of the year. All that performing should be exhausting, but not for Lindsay. “Just like any activity, whatever you put into music, you are going to get out of it in return,” she explains. “Through music I am able to attempt a repayment to the Lord. After any rehearsal, recital or performance, I am not alone. The company of the Spirit is an indescribable reward.” Bitten by the bug early on, Lindsay knew she loved music as soon as she started taking singing lessons with Edyth B. Lindner Elementary music teacher Kim Cassity in the third grade. After joining the first ever Melody Makers choir in fourth grade, she got a taste for musical theater when her class performed The Plane Truth About Christmas. Almost ten years and numerous productions later, Lindsay has earned two Cappies nominations for Lead Actress in a Musical (including a win for Into the Woods) and will be studying at one of the best music schools in the country this fall, Belmont University in Nashville. Quick to deflect any personal glory, Lindsay points to others as the force behind her success. For example, her parents Brad and Linda.“My dad has always demonstrated the motto, ‘You get what you work for, and it quadruples when your mind is set on Him,’” she says. “And my mom has shown me how to model grace under pressure. I know I am very blessed with her creativity and life guideline to never stay ‘in the box.’” CHCA’s high school Drama Director Susan Jung had an impact as well. “You know something’s right when you see a teacher in the hallway and you’re automatically drawn to give them a hug and say hi...I walk away with something different each time I see Susan,” Lindsay remarks.
Also influential were Vocal Music Instructor Sara Potts and Instrumental Music Director Dan Grantham, whom she calls “monumental musical directors in my life, for both Encore and EJO” adding, “I have been far too blessed here at CHCA in the arts.” Somehow, in between plays, lessons and practice schedules, Lindsay also managed to keep up in the classroom. “Music has helped me learn to apply myself and the importance of planning ahead. Similar to sports, I’m balancing numerous responsibilities simultaneously. Being involved in the performing arts has enabled me to think well on my feet and have a better handle on public speaking,” she says. Advanced classes have opened doors for Lindsay as well. “By taking AP Music Theory in my senior year, it led me to an additional appreciation and strong interest in the art of composing,” she adds.
As she continues on to Belmont this fall, where she will major in commercial music with a performance emphasis, Lindsay’s future looks bright. In addition to learning alongside other talented students and expert faculty (in Music City, no less) she will be able to explore music styles, develop new skills and work on things she has come to love, like songwriting. Whether it’s with her voice, the piano, a guitar or even a glockenspiel, it sounds like Lindsay will be making music for years to come.
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CLASS NOTES
Alumni News Class of 1995 ELIZABETH (BELL) YOUNG and husband Ryan had a baby boy, Moses Lee Young (pictured). Liz resides in Chicago. JASON BORN and wife Leslie had a baby girl, Shae Morgan (pictured), on September 5, 2008. KALI (THORNE) LADD and husband Billy had a baby girl, Brynn Eden Ladd (pictured) in March of 2009.
Class of 1996 DAVID CLABAUGH married Sarah Wilson on December 11, 2005 on Long Island, NY. They currently reside in Hoboken, NJ and love working in NYC, where David works for MetLife in their global operations group and Sarah works for JPMorgan Chase as a college recruiter. In expectation of their first baby this summer, they enjoyed a“babymoon” to Australia and New Zealand this past winter, where Sarah couldn’t hold enough koala bears and David tried bungee jumping. David and Sarah close on a townhouse in July, just a few days before baby boy Clabaugh arrives.
joyfully welcomed our daughter, Isabel Faith, into our family by way of adoption. She is a beautiful 2-year-old little girl who is finally home with her forever family and we feel truly blessed!” Tamara enjoys staying home full-time with Henry (5), Eli (3) and Isabel (2). ANNIE (BELL) ROSEN spends most of her time “loving on my hard-working husband, Robby (who just finished his first year at Northwestern) and our fun, spirited kids, two-year-old Lucy (who loves wrestling her brother) and one-year-old Jude. Jude just loves life and seriously is the easiest baby ever.” Pictured, Annie with Jude and Lucy. GREY HALL is excited to share the launch of her new business, The Painted Memory, which provides custom hand painted watercolors of a bride’s dress, bouquet, cake and church. Aside from painting your wedding day bliss, Grey offers a watercolor of your honeymoon destination for the complete wedding series. Grey has painted for numerous Cincinnati weddings, including most recently, Blake Lindner Thompson. Visit www.thepaintedmemory.com to view the sample gallery and other beautiful accessories including jewelry (designed by Page Hall class of ’96) and calligraphy invitations. Her brother Joe ’99, who is simultaneously designing websites for local business and Hollywood notables, is credited with creating the website. DAVID SNYDER and wife Jen had their first baby, James Dominic Snyder, on December 29, 2008. They currently live in Charleston, SC.
CHRISTI (RANKIN) OTEY and husband Jonathan are expecting a little girl this fall. Class of 1998 Class of 1997 TAMARA (MRUSEK) FLADUNG and family are still living in Minnesota, just south of the Twin Cities, where her husband Chris is a buyer for Target Corporate. “On March 4, 2009, we
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ERIN FORSTON is a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Medical University of South Carolina(MUSC) in Charleston. She graduated from Lee University as a psychology major (2002) and then earned a second degree in nursing at MUSC (2005). KRISTEN (HANTO) DOYLE (see sidebar at right)
JARROD REED is staying busy and is in the process of starting up his own kennel. His son Micah just turned three, and he and his fiancée, the love of his life, are planning on getting married in the near future.
Alumni Affect Their World: Kristen (Hanto) Doyle ’98 After getting married and taking a honeymoon in January, Kristen and new husband Brian settled into life in Chicago, IL. Then she found out she would have the amazing opportunity to travel to India without even having to pay for a plane ticket. Here, Kristen remembers the trip of a lifetime and a culture that taught her about reverence, extreme traffic survival and pride in spite of adversity.
JON AND JESSICA (MARTIN) SNYDER gave birth to another little girl, Emery Margaret Snyder on June 2, 2009. Emery joins sister Lucy (pictured), 2.
driving on the wrong side of the highway for a few miles with cars and trucks coming straight at us. Our driver barely even seemed fazed. I was praying in the backseat! With the widespread poverty in India, it is difficult to spend time there without wanting to reach out your hand and help the people. But even through their hardships they are still a culture full of life and joy. We were treated with the utmost kindness from everyone we came in contact with and were struck by how proud these people are of their country. India is not without its problems, but I fell in love with India in the seven days I was there and would go back in a heartbeat.
My company recently opened an office in India so when the opportunity presented itself to go there, I took the offer without hesitation. We spent time in Delhi (in the north) and Madras (in the south). India is a lot like the U.S. in that they have separate states; each has their own dialect or “mother tongue” and the terrain changes dramatically, so the landscape and culture are distinct from one state to the next. You can go to the mountains, the desert, the beach, float down backwater canals, and more all within this one country. India is the most culturally and religiously vibrant place that I have been. We got to visit Hindu, Muslim and Sikh mosques which were constantly flooded with patrons who are there to make an offering and pray. That was really neat for me because not only did we get to set foot in these beautiful mosques, we were witness to their traditions. In India you always have to take off your shoes and in some you have to cover your legs, arms and head. The sense of reverence that the Indian people have for their religious places is unparalleled. India is also hot, extremely crowded (an understatement) and loud. And the traffic is insane: on our way to see the Taj Mahal (which is the most beautiful and breathtaking sight I have ever seen) we found ourselves
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CLASS NOTES
Alumni News Class of 1999 KRISTINA (GRAY) BINDER and her husband welcomed another baby boy named Caleb Owen on September 19. Her stepson, Johnathan, started first grade and Kyle started playing soccer.“Sean went from baby to toddler in what seemed like a matter of moments. We thank God daily for a happy and healthy family!” Pictured, left to right: Sean (2.5 yrs), Johnathan (7 yrs), Kyle (3.5 yrs), Caleb (6 mos) HOLLY (O’KEEFE) COLLINS and husband, Travis, recently bought a new house in Cartersville, GA on New Year’s Eve. “Our one-year-old son, Grant, loves it, and has already started to take his first steps around the place.” Pictured, Holly with stepdaughter, Molly (7), Grant and Travis. KRISTEN STUTZ graduated in May with her MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. After a few weeks off to move to Cincinnati and do some traveling, she’ll rejoin the “real world” as an Assistant Brand Manager for one of Procter & Gamble’s health care brands. Class of 2000 LITA (HITCHCOCK) HOLMAN and her husband, Ryan, moved back to Cincinnati in December and are currently living in Deer Park. She and Ryan had their first child, a little girl named Grace Elizabeth, on February 1, 2009. MICHAEL FORSTON is a physical therapist at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, KY. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Kentucky. Michael is married to Kara and they have two daughters, Leslie (age 3) and Lucy (6 months). ED STOGNER was promoted to the new position of Engineering Manager of Sypris Technologies, Inc., Tube
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Turns Division. He has been married for 5 years to Anne, a special education teacher in Louisville. ALLISON VAN SICKLE is living in Seattle, where she is enjoying lots of coffee and great seafood. In addition to her day job as a case manager/therapist for in-home therapeutic family care at Ryther Child Center, Allison is spending lots of time at the beach, in the mountains, and in the kitchen: on the weekend, she helps out at a local bakery that supplies West Seattle with fresh, organic bread. Her next goal: to summit Mt. Rainier. Class of 2001 TIFFANY BOWDEN was accepted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for a PhD in Communications with full funding (this means she will not have to pay tuition). She finished her master’s degree in Media Studies at Ohio University in June. She is in the running for a Ford Foundation Fellowship valued at $20,000 annually, and also a Lagrant Communications Scholarship valued at $10,000. She will likely be interning with the AAAA Multicultural Advertising Internship Program this summer. KARA BUCZEK has been working as an attorney with the Law Offices of Robert D. Schwartz, P.A. The firm specializes in the areas of wills, trusts, and estate planning & administration. Kara has been assigned to manage the offices in St. Augustine and Palm Coast. She also has been working with prominent horse trainers in the pursuit of progressing in her riding career. PATRICK HEALY graduated from Chase College of Law in May 2008. He is currently practicing in Cincinnati at Markesbery & Richardson LPA, specializing in insurance defense, personal injury and wrongful death. KARAH JONES currenty lives downtown Cincinnati with her dauchshund mix Bri in a condo two blocks from her office. Since September 2007 she has been working at Bridge Worldwide, a digital advertising agency. Karah plans all the parties and big meetings for the company, which has been voted as one of the top 25
best places to work in America three years in a row. She also spends time volunteering at the 4th Street Boutique, a division of Dress For Success. JENNIFER (LAWLESS) KAUFMAN and her husband, Kyle, welcomed twin girls Elise Nicole and Avery Jade on June 16, 2008. She is staying home with her children as her husband continues as a resident physician with both Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Health Alliance. JACKIE (DOBBINS) MASON and husband Chris bought a historic home in Loveland in November 2008. Jackie is currently volunteering at Christian Life Center Church in West Chester helping to launch Precious Harvest Preschool. Chris is a videographer/editor for the Kroger Company and audio engineer at Eastside Christian Church in Milford. Pictured, Jackie with husband Chris and daughters Joy (3), Melody (2) and Samantha (1). ROBBIE SCHOMAKER has been the Special Teams Coordinator for the Trinity International University football team in Chicago for the last two years. (His head coach is Mike Gims, the former football coach at CHCA.) After starting for the Trinity football team as a defensive tackle for three years and earning his undergraduate degree in business, Robbie graduated from Trinity with his master’s in Culture and Communication this year. This summer he is getting married in Canyon City, CO to Annie Thulson, who he met in Chicago a few years ago. They will continue to live in Chicago as Annie finishes grad school and Robbie continues to coach football. SARAH (PRICE) STOKES and husband Jeff are expecting a baby boy in July. Pictured, Sarah with alumnae Jenn Dektas ’02 and Sasha Perks ’02. JARED SUMMERS is currently a project manager at
Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. Jared was a recipient of the 2009 Service to America medal. This is an award that recognizes a federal employee whose professional achievements reflect the important contributions that a new generation brings to public service. He has worked there for only three years and has already saved the Air Force over $200 million. JODIE (HENN) VAN DYKE and husband Bryan had a new baby girl, Kayla Jean, on December 8, 2008. Her older brother, Owen, age 2, is excited to have her home and can’t wait until she can play with him. Jodie loves taking care of her two children while Bryan is a self-employed tile setter. In the near future, they will be building a new house in Allendale, MI. Class of 2002 DORIAN (DOSTAL) EDMONSON and Wes Edmonson were married on December 20, 2008 in downtown Cincinnati. Many CHCA graduates were a part of the bridal party. Wes currently works at Fidelity Investments in Covington, KY and Dorian works at CHCA Armleder teaching Kindergarten Preparatory. They are excited to see what God has in store for their future! KAILA HARRIS married Jason Heath in Raleigh, NC on June 14th, 2008. Maid of Honor was fellow CHCA alumna Danielle Presley. Kaila and Jason met at Eastern Michigan University where they both attended college. The couple resides in Raleigh where Jason is Director of Operations for American Party Rental and Kaila is an Account Executive at a faith-based advertising agency, The Stone Agency. BRETT LOVELLETTE attended Grove City College in Grove City, PA and then went on to attend Pepperdine Law School. He spent a semester in London studying and graduated from Pepperdine
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CLASS NOTES
Alumni News this spring. Brett has accepted a position with Latham and Watkins law firm in New York City.
America in Connecticut. She teaches 5th grade in New Haven; she and her husband plan on staying in Connecticut for another year.
JAY MORELOCK is in Mexico working with Back2Back Ministries. He will start Divinity School at Vanderbilt University this fall. Class of 2003 ANNA (MYERS) BROWN graduated from BaldwinWallace in 2007 with a degree in Early Childhood Education, and went on to get her manager’s license in Cosmetology from the Paul Mitchell Ohio Academy. On August 2 of 2008 she married college sweetheart Dave Brown at Covenant First Presbyterian Church; the reception was at the Hilton Netherlands Hotel downtown. The couple is living just outside of Cleveland in Medina, OH. Anna is the assistant director of Richfield KinderCare Childcare Center. ANDREW CARROLL graduated from Vanderbilt in 2007 with a major in biomedical engineering. He is just completing his master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and started his new job as an Electrical Engineer with L3 Communications in Mason in June. He is living in Hyde Park. JENNIE DORL graduated from University of Cincinnati last June. She is currently working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in the Marketing and Communications Department. She will marry fiancé Ryan Vose in October. NICK FURTWENGLER graduated from the Lindner Honors-PLUS program at UC in June 2008 with a degree in finance and accounting. He moved to Chicago to begin law school at Chicago-Kent College of Law and will be externing with the supervising judge of the Cook County Tax Court this summer in Chicago. MEGAN (DINKELACKER) HENDY got married February 21, 2009 to Justin Hendy who she met while attending Miami University. Megan is completing her second and final year of teaching with Teach for
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TYLER MORELOCK is living in Pittsburgh, PA and working as an account manager for Ashland Chemical. MELISSA (PERKINS) RUCH graduated from Miami University in 2007 with her B.A. in marketing. At Miami she was a member of the sorority Alpha Chi Omega, and worked as a summer intern at Northwestern Mutual. She spent the second semester of her junior year studying international business abroad at Miami’s campus in Luxembourg. During her time there she was able to travel to 17 different countries in Europe. It was also at Miami University where she met her husband Paul Ruch, who is from Cleveland. She and Paul were married in a beautiful candlelight wedding ceremony on July 12, 2008 at Cincinnati’s Covenant First Presbyterian downtown. Her sisters Jennifer (’04) and Katy (’07) were her Maids of Honor; the reception was at the Manor House and the couple honeymooned in Antigua. Paul and Melissa happily reside in Cincinnati with their yellow Lab puppy, Louie. Melissa works as a Marketing Research Analyst for the Nielsen Company in Covington and Paul works as a District Sales Manager for Domestic Uniforms in Monroe. Class of 2004 JOHN DAVID BARNHART graduated August 2008 from Xavier University with an MBA in finance. He is currently completing a year-long study of higher level math, finance & economics classes at Xavier and this summer will be working with a Xavier professor on the school’s endowment. This fall he will attend UC to earn a master’s in applied economics. His future plans are to pursue a PhD. in finance/economics. ROBIN BESHEAR moved to Washington, D.C. for a public relations internship at the American Journalism Center after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in
strategic communications from Miami University last May. During her internship at the nation’s oldest media watchdog, Robin was able to write many articles about current events which were published on Campus Report Online. After finishing her internship in August, she began working at McCain Campaign Headquarters. Robin worked with key conservative and Christian leaders across the country in the social conservative coalition on the campaign. After the campaign ended, Robin got the opportunity to work in the White House in the closing months of the Bush Administration, helping with Christmas receptions and festivities in the White House Visitors Office. Robin is currently working at American Values, a conservative organization devoted to protecting life, marriage, family, faith and freedom. She currently resides in Arlington, VA. ROB BEDINGHAUS married Kate (Yoder), whom he met while a student at Taylor University, on June 29, 2008. They currently live in Upland, IN. Rob works as a homeownership counselor for the Affordable Housing Corporation in Marion, IN. They are moving to Bloomington in August where Rob will begin a master’s degree program in Hispanic linguistics at Indiana University, with hopes of becoming a college Spanish professor. RACHEL CHAIT completed the application process for graduate school and was offered positions at both Miami University and the University of Cincinnati. She was also invited to the University of Cincinnati’s Graduate Recruitment Weekend in which each program of the graduate school can invite four applicants to attend. She was selected as a recipient of the Gabbard Fellowship Award (which includes full tuition plus a stipend) and will be a Gabbard Research Associate next fall. This fall she will attend the University of Cincinnati, pursuing her doctorate in school psychology. WILL FORSTON graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a B.S. in finance and management and a B.A. in economics. He will be working in Rich-
mond, VA at Dominion Energy as a financial analyst. ALEX HUNTER graduated from Hanover and is working hard on getting into medical school. He is currently the Mason Jr. High Football Coach. Pictured, Alex with siblings Thomas ’07 and Libby ’08. ALEX KONTRAS graduated from Calvin College in 2008, then accepted a position at ELT as an English teacher for Chinese university students at Dong Dao University in Qinhuangdao, about 130 miles east of Beijing. He is absolutely loving it and having a wonderful experience. Alex has been traveling a bit whenever possible and enjoying the food and learning so much about the culture. Pictured, Alex at the Great Wall of China. MEREDITH LEGIN graduated from Elon University in May 2008 with a B.S. in Business Administration. She now works at Elon as an Admissions Counselor. She is also engaged to Kyle Smith, who graduated with her from Elon. He works as an accountant at KPMG in Greensboro, NC. They both live in Whitsett, NC and plan to be married on October 10, 2009 in Chapel Hill, NC. JENNIFER PERKINS graduated from Miami University in 2008 with her B.A. in Speech and Language Pathology with a minor in Child Studies. At Miami she was a member of the sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma, Greek Common Ground (Christian organization for sorority and fraternity members), Campus Crusade for Christ, NSSLHA (student organization for future speech and language pathologists), and Adopt-a-School. Jennifer received training in Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy and provided therapy for a young child for several years during her undergraduate work. She was also an intern
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Alumni News in the Children’s Department at Four Corners Church. Jennifer is presently in graduate school at the University of Akron where she is working on her master’s degree in speech pathology (as part of her acceptance into the Omni Program there, her graduate school is paid for in return for working in an Ohio school for 3 years postgraduation). She recently learned that she has been assigned to work in the Riverside School District in Logan County, Ohio this coming fall.
Service Board organization and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also organized community service work for his team with Habitat for Humanity. In his four year career he has been on teams that have upset ranked competitors from Clemson, Tennessee, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina and College of Charleston. He will be working in Washington, D.C. this summer.
AMANDA (PATTERSON) WILSON, husband Charlie and their 3-year-old Emily just bought their first house in Dublin, OH (near Columbus).
BECCA CHAIT will be attending medical school at Ohio State this fall.
KYLIE ORCUTT is doing great in Charlotte, NC. She works for AIG as a claims representative. KAYLYN ROBINSON graduated this year from UC with a bachelor’s in early childhood education. In July of 2008, she had a baby girl named Addyson and was married in June 2009. She also completed her state board certification for cosmetology. She and her husband plan on finishing school and moving out of Cincinnati in the coming year. KEVIN SIMOWITZ graduated from the University of Virginia in May 2008, and now works as a community organizer in Charlottesville, VA. NANCIANN STROSNIDER graduated from Elon University in May 2008 with a B.F.A. in music theater and broadcast journalism. On June 20 she competed for Miss Ohio (Miss America Organization) in Mansfield, Ohio. She is currently a graduate student at Mississippi State University pursing her degree in Broadcast Meteorology and is employed with Cumulus Media (Warm98, WGRR, 96Rock, The Fox92.5 and Frequency 94.1) here in Cincinnati as an Account Manager. She resides in Hyde Park Square. Class of 2005 TOMMY ANDREWS graduated from Furman University with a degree in Political Science as well as finishing out his college baseball career. He was one of the team captains as well as a member of the Athletic
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AUBREY J. D. EDWARDS graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and psychology. Aubrey plans to stay in St. Louis to attend the George Warren Brown School of Social Work; GWB awarded Aubrey the Danforth Urban Scholarship for her service to the city of St. Louis. A four-year varsity track and field athlete, Aubrey threw the 18th best weight throw in the national this year. This year, Aubrey will be starting on her master’s in social work, taking the LSAT and filling out applications for law school. She was recently engaged to Danny Luce. ERIN BLAKE graduated in May with honors from Vanderbilt University with a double major in economics and communication. She has accepted a position with Teach for America’s New York City Corps and was chosen on the merits of leadership, achievement-orientation and perseverance. This is a two-year position where she will serve in the New York City elementary school system. Erin says she owes “much to CHCA for giving her the foundation of knowing the joy and rewards one can experience by helping the underprivileged.” KATLYN (KERSEY) DAVID graduated from Baylor University in Waco, TX this past December with a degree in speech communications and Spanish. Katlyn was blessed to have a great college experience as well as meet the love of her life, Brian David. Brian and Katlyn got married
July 2008 in Cincinnati. A few months ago they left Texas to move to Mason, OH. Katlyn is currently serving as the Communications Coordinator for Back2Back Ministries and Brian works for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. They are enjoying being back in the area and close to friends and family. BRITTNI LALLY graduated with a degree in marketing and communications from DePaul University this spring. She also played varsity soccer for 2 years at University of Alabama then transferred for 2 more years on scholarship at DePaul. KATIE LIPPERT graduated summa cum laude from Houghton College, NY, on May 9 with a degree in biology, with minors in both chemistry and equestrian studies. She was also named the Senior Biology Student for the year. Immediate plans include Spanish language training in Guatemala this summer, with an extended mission trip to Mission Lazarus in Honduras in 2010. Pictured, Katie with sister Kristi. DREW NEYER got married on May 24 to Jennifer Greer, his high school sweetheart of 6 years. Her father is the pastor of Grace Chapel and they met interning in Mexico with Back2Back Ministries. JOHN PATE graduated this year from Ohio State with a B.A. in Linguistics (minor in Philosophy) and an M.A. in Linguistics. In September, he’ll begin study at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics in a three-year PhD program. For his PhD, he will use computational modeling to try to understand what sources of information children use to learn language as well as what expectations about the structure of linguistic cues they are likely to have at the very beginning to facilitate language acquisition. COURTNEY SHELTON graduated from Spelman College on May 17 with honors and a degree in political science and pre-law. She was named a Bonner Scholar and was a Spelman Ambassador, a part of SSGA: Jr. Class Justice, Political Science Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, a Genesis Shelter Volunteer, a
Project Open Hand volunteer, a Women of Excellence Leadership Series graduate, part of the National Society of Leadership and Success, the 2007-2008 Spelman Government Association, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and Future Lawyers of Spelman. She was also offered a full scholarship to Loyola Law School and DePaul University Law School and looks forward to some day joining the political arena to continue the change for America with President Obama! Class of 2006 JARED ADLER will be a senior at Rice University in Houston, TX. He is working both at Apple Computers and for a non-profit educational technology research company. JENNIFER DEGROFT finished her junior year at Cedarville University and is majoring in nursing. This summer she will spend time on a nursing missions trip to Bangladesh through Cedarville University. After she returns she will start a ten week job at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Pictured, Jennifer with brother Brian ’08. DANIEL JEPSON is a junior at Baylor University majoring in electrical and computer engineering with a minor in mathematics. In his spare time he rock climbs and works at the rock-wall in the gym on campus. He is the vice president of the climbing team he started with several other students. This summer Daniel has an internship with National Instruments in Austin, TX and will specialize in Analog Hardware Design and Instrument Control Products. BRIAN PAINTER was elected Hillsdale College student body president in January 2009. He has also been serving as Sigma Chi’s vice president, participated in the Student Federation and was a resident advisor for his dorm. His major is economics. KAYLEIGH SMITH was heavily involved in theater and choral music while at CHCA. This year she
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Alumni Affect Their World: Brittany Wesson ’06 Brittany, who will be a senior at Lee University this fall, recently spent a semester studying abroad in Cambridge, UK. The public relations major saw breathtaking historical structures, toured Europe and did class work at the 800-year-old University of Cambridge. Having traveled to Greece, Italy and Kenya while at CHCA (and Russia as a Lee student), she is no stranger to international travel. But as she learned, each trip teaches you something different about yourself and other cultures. In her own words, Brittany tells of the impact her two months in England had on her. After undergoing interviews, presenting proposals for a course of independent study to conduct in Great Britain, packing and repacking, 21 of us set out for what would be the best semester of our college careers. Our months in the UK were peppered with visits all over the country. We saw countless churches older than our own country, climbed fells, kayaked on lakes, saw the packed market on Portobello Road, bought last minute tickets to West End shows, and enjoyed a chilly spring break in the hills of Ireland. In the midst of all of our touring we were also responsible for keeping up with class work and attending to our research projects. The two and half months culminated in travel throughout Europe: after flying to Rome as a group, we were handed a Eurail pass and instructed to strike out on our own with the plan to meet up in Paris two weeks later. Despite the busy, whirlwind nature of this trip, the moments that really stood out to me in these months were the quiet ones. In Cambridge there was a group of us who made a weekly trip to St. Paul’s Community Centre to serve lunch to elderly congregation members. On one of these visits I happened to meet a wonderful woman in her nineties named Margaret. Like anyone her age, she has some stories, but one in particular resonated with me: a former doctor, she told me how she moved to Nairobi,
Kenya just after the end of World War II to practice medicine. There I sat listening to her stories over fish pie trying to keep from crying. Just after my senior year of high school, I too went on a trip to Kenya that changed my life. I am who I am today because at a crucial point in my life, when I couldn’t see or understand God’s plan for my life, I went on a trip that tested my limits for pain and love. So I was astounded that even in my junior year of college, half a world away from CHCA, I could feel the resonance of the lessons I had learned there. The Winter Term programs I took and my trip to Kenya with the Electric Jazz Orchestra prepared me for living and learning abroad. I still miss going to the Cambridge market everyday and being able to hop on my bike and get lost in the city. I think what I miss the most is the diversity of the experience. Spending a semester studying and living in Europe is a far cry from cleaning orphanages in Kenya, but I have realized that God introduces diversity into our lives so we can learn from it and grow in faith. I came to understand that humility, discipline, love and quiet strength are things I must strive for. I have always been a firm believer in the power of travel as a teaching tool and I must say that these last few months of my life have been exactly that. I have learned far more than just history and culture. I have learned what I want from myself, from my faith, and from the world around me.
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Alumni News cally active Kyle has become a member of the Crew team at Tech. The program is well known along the east coast as one of the strongest with a couple of national championships on the record. Kyle competed last year as a Novice and rowed in an 8 boat that finished 3rd place at nationals. This season he is competing on the varsity squad in both the 4- and 8man boat. He just finshed with a Silver Medal in the 4man boat at the SIRA Regatta in Oak Ridge, TN. They will be competing for a National Medal in Philadelphia at the Dad Vail Regatta. Class of 2008 AARON ADLER will be a sophomore at the University of Utah. He is working this summer in Salt Lake City at the MLS soccer stadium and a valet company. Aaron and his brother, Jared, go home often to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, mountain bike, hike the mountains and rock climb. THOMAS BARNHART is majoring in finance at Xavier University where he has joined the Business Club. He is enjoying living on campus and following all the Xavier basketball games. Thomas plans on attending summer sessions full time to work on Xavier Core Values and business classes.
AMELIA GLENCHUR just finished her freshman year at Cedarville University. She is majoring in social work and will be shadowing a social worker this summer. She is looking forward to working with kids and the elderly when she gets into the social work program spring 2010. LIBBY HUNTER finished up her freshman year with a major in chemistry at West Virginia University. KYLE NEYER attends the University of Cincinnati in the Carl H. Lindner HonorsPLUS program, and is a member of the UC Track and Field team. He had a very good season this year, placing 4th in the 800m at two home meets. The highlight of the season was helping his team place 6th in the 4x800m relay at the Big East Championship, clocking the 3rd fastest relay time in UC history. Kyle says, “It was great to compete against [fellow 2008 grad] Nick Williams in so many meets because of how close Xavier is to UC. Although we only got to race each other in the 4x400m relay it was still a blast to interact with him at the meets.” This summer Kyle is interning with Chiquita in their Accounting Department.
ZAC CUCINOTTA is a freshman at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in the Honors Program Medical Education, a 7 year early-entry medical school program. He is studying biomedical engineering, has been named a Murphy Scholar in Engineering, and was granted a $4,000 research grant to advance his interests in the biomedical engineering field. Next summer Zac will be a research assistant at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, assisting with research on pediatric cochlear implants.
TYLER PETERS pledged Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and is now an active member. He also made the Dean’s List at Miami University.
BRIAN DEGROFT completed his freshman year at Cedarville University. He is a youth ministry major with a sports ministry minor. He is spending six weeks this summer as a camp counselor at Kings Domain Camp. (See photo in 2006 section.)
COURTNEY WETTERICH completed her freshman year at the University of Colorado at Boulder where she is majoring in psychology. Courtney is on the collegiate skating team and will spend this summer in Charlotte, NC performing in an ice show.
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RYAN ORCUTT was sworn in at The Citadel where he has received a full scholarship and will be commissioned into the Army upon graduation.
Alumni Affect Their World: Ricky Human ’07 Ask Ricky Human, and he’ll tell you Drew Carey was right: Cleveland really does rock. Now entering his third year of nursing school at Case Western Reserve University, the CHCA Class of 2007 grad is loving life in Ohio’s second largest city. From learning at one of the nation’s best hospitals to enjoying the endless possibilities of a vibrant college campus, he’s realized that “The Cleve” is way more than polka and pierogies. This summer Ricky has been working hard as a Nursing Assistant at Case Medical Center, a muchcoveted position that has him monitoring overall patient care, taking vital signs, charting intake and output, performing phlebotomy, measuring gastric pH, testing glucose, and doing electrocardiogram analysis in the hospital’s Hematology & Oncology Unit. That would be enough to do in one summer for most 20-year-olds, but Ricky will also be continuing research he began last semester with Case’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. “The two projects I’m assisting with examine life support systems, their economic and ethical implications, and how the health care system in the United States can better help families make decisions about prolonging the life of a family member,” he explains. Not to mention he’ll be taking a seminar class to free up his schedule for next year. It was at CHCA that Ricky was inspired to pursue medicine. “I actually chose nursing after going to Africa with the Electric Jazz Orchestra,” Ricky recalls. “To see the process of HIV/AIDS and how it affects people, along with knowing that one day I could potentially go back with an organization like Doctors Without Borders, was an exciting prospect for me.” Despite difficult classes and 5:30 a.m. clinicals, Ricky loves his major. “I really like people and nursing seemed to fit my personality,” he says. “So far so good!” After finishing a rotation at Cleveland
Clinic’s Cardiovascular Institute, he decided to focus on cardiac nursing. “My overall goal is to get my M.S.N. (master’s in the science of nursing) here at Case,” Ricky says. “With that, I can be an Acute Critical Nurse Practitioner, which means I get to do cooler things and prescribe patients medication.” It’s not all classes and clinics, though: Ricky has kept plenty busy on and off campus, enjoying everything from Greek life (he’s Vice President of Phi Kappa Psi) to great pasta (Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood is packed with authentic restaurants). He also makes the most of the abundant snowfall by hitting the slopes as much as possible each winter. Perhaps most importantly, in spite of two years spent among the rabid Browns and Indians fans native to northern Ohio, Ricky is still a dyed-in-thewool Cincinnati fan. “There is a lot of smack talk between me and a lot of the other people who go to Case,” he says, laughing. “But I have my Carson Palmer jersey pressed and ready to go for next season.” Wearing the jersey on campus invites its share of taunts, but Ricky gets the occasional “Who dey!” as well. Though he misses Cincinnati from time to time, he wouldn’t trade the long winters and tough schedule for anything. “I’m extremely happy with my decision to attend Case Western,” Ricky says. “I feel like they are preparing me for an awesome career!”
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Alumni News
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Six Inducted into Hall of Excellence First-ever ceremony honors coach, alumni, program supporters On April 9, three CHCA alumni and three supporters were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Excellence. At the inaugural ceremony, Amanda Holbrook ’98, Ryan Betscher ’00 and Audra Falk ’01 were recognized for their accomplishments in basketball, football and tennis respectively; Dr. Mark Snyder (alumni parent, former booster and team physician), Bob Gardner (former athletic director and baseball coach) and Ron Bell (alumni parent and former head of CHCA’s Athletic Committee) were honored with the Eagle Award for their contributions to CHCA’s athletic programs. The keynote speaker was NFL Hall of Famer (and CHCA founding parent) Anthony Muñoz.
“The purpose of the Hall of Excellence is to recognize those that have been blessed by God with extraordinary talent, skill, determination and commitment, and have utilized those gifts at CHCA while accomplishing distinction as an athlete, coach, administrator or as a contributor to the development and success of CHCA’s athletic program,” said Jon Adams ’95, a CHCA alumnus, current parent and Athletic Boosters committee member. The Eagle Award is presented to special contributors to the athletic program, including former boosters, principals, team physicians and athletic directors. Alumni are not considered for the Hall of Excellence until five years after they have graduated from CHCA. Criteria for induction includes athletic accomplishment, postseason honors and character endorsements. Each honoree received a crystal eagle trophy and a plaque placed in the trophy case at Martha S. Lindner High School.
(Left to right) Ron Bell, Ryan Betscher, Amanda Holbrook, Audra Falk, Mark Snyder and Bob Gardner at the induction ceremony.
We Want You! Alumni, we want to hear from you. New address, new job, new baby, new shoes (ok, maybe not new shoes)… let us know. We hope to see you on campus for the following Alumni Events:
August 8, 2009
ALUMNI SOCCER GAME High School Stadium 7:00 p.m.
August 15, 2009
CLASS OF 2004 5 YEAR REUNION Home of Ron and Mary Beshear 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Contact Robin Beshear at rbeshear@gmail.com for more information.
October 23, 2009
HOMECOMING WEEKEND High School Stadium 5:30 p.m. - Picnic and alumni social 7:30 p.m. - Homecoming football game
October 24, 2009
CLASS OF 1999 10 YEAR REUNION Location TBD Contact Kristen Stutz at kristenstutz@ alumni.wfu.edu for more information.
Check www.chca-oh.org for up-to-date information and contact Tracy Wolcott, CHCA Alumni Relations, with questions and updates at tracy.wolcott@chca-oh.org.
Alumni Parents Reaching Out, Staying Connected Just because your child graduates from CHCA doesn’t mean your relationship with the school has to end. The Parent Alumni Exchange, or PAX, was created two years ago to connect alumni parents with each other and with parents of soon-to-begraduated students. Empty nesters can share advice, alumni moms can gather to assemble care packages for college freshmen, and parents can plan group trips that don’t revolve around a school vacation schedule. “As each of our children graduated from CHCA, we realized that we wanted to keep in touch with the many friends and families that we were connected to as we took this important journey with our children,” says Sally Barnhart, mom of CHCA grads John ’04 and Thomas ’08. “It’s our time to give back to CHCA, while providing support for one another, as we walk uncharted territory with our adult children.”
Join the Parent Alumni Exchange for the following events in 2009-10: September 16, 2009 CLASS OF 2010 SENIOR PARENT WELCOME DINNER (Silver Spring House) October 2-4, 2009
GREENBRIER GETAWAY
October 11-14, 2009 CARE PACKAGES Assembled for the class of 2009 October 23, 2009
HOMECOMING, FOUNDERS’ DAY & CHCA’S 20 YEAR CELEBRATION
December 5, 2009
CHRISTMAS RECEPTION FOR ALUMNI MOMS (Vickie Gregory’s home)
February 20, 2010
CHCA’S CELEBRATION 2010 (The Manor House, Mason)
April 11, 2010
MURPHIN RIDGE DAY TRIP
April 2010
SENIOR PARENT DINNER (Montgomery Inn Boathouse)
For more information about PAX and upcoming events, please contact Tracy Wolcott at (513) 247-9944 ext. 210 or tracy.wolcott@chca-oh.org.
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CINCINNATI HILLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 11525 Snider Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy will unleash each student’s God-given gifts through Christ-centered academic excellence. We are devoted to developing the whole person, and instilling a lifelong passion for learning, leading and serving.