CHCA Eagles Eye 2017 by Debbie Shear

The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Magazine

Cover story:

Light the Way Becomes a Reality page 3

2017 Edition

2017 Eagle’s Eye Volume 21

Promise Statement Centered in the shared love of Christ, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is the college-preparatory, preschool through grade 12 independent school that inspires and challenges students to discover, hone, and steward their one-of-a-kind gifts as they come to know themselves as distinct and unconditionally loved creations of God. CHCA’s vibrant, multi-denominational family of learners creates a sheltering—but not sheltered— environment where, supporting each other and guided by expert Christian teachers, students wrestle with increasingly complex, timeless, essential questions in order to strengthen their minds and their faith. Beginning with the end in mind, CHCA graduates young adults fully prepared to succeed in college and beyond; to engage effectively and lovingly with different cultures, viewpoints, and ideas; and to achieve significant impact and influence with discerning wisdom, courageous curiosity,

Editor: Jennifer Murphy Assistant Editor: Tammy Rosenfeldt Photographers: Judi Alvarado Veronica Guerrero Dan Ledbetter Tammy Rosenfeldt Contributors: Adam Atallah ‘07 Cathy Andry Randy Brunk Julie Carnes Tim Hilderbrand Susan Jung Jim Lipovsky, PhD Amy Lutts Ben Panzeca ’16 Sarah Robinson ’09 Tammy Rosenfeldt Rebecca Sequeira Emma Shank ‘18 Mona Summers Christie Taylor ’11 Emma Treadway ’18 Eagle’s Eye Magazine Eagle’s Eye is published annually by Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Please send address changes to Diane.Taylor@chca-oh.org or 513.247.0900 Visit us on the web at chca-oh.org On the cover:

The transformation of CHCA’s Founders’ Campus (formerly Middle School) now includes Upper Elementary Grades 4-6.

and resilient Christian faith— where others pull back, they lean into life.

Follow CHCA on Facebook facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy Follow CHCA on Twitter @GoCHCA Follow CHCA on Instagram @GoCHCA

Table of Contents Dynamically Engaged

Light the Way Becomes a Reality 2 CHCA Upper Elementary Students Find Their Passion in Operation Impact 5 CHCA Students Design and Build a Living Water Fountain 8 Armleder Eyewitness News 10 Entrepreneurship Runs through our Veins 10 Armleder Students Lending a Hand 11

Resiliently Faithful

Forever Thankful: A Story of Faith and Hope SLEW: A Fresh Look at Worship

Refreshingly Insightful A Taste of the Ivy League The Talon Campus Highlights

12 14 15 15 16

Boldly Determined

CHCA Sports Performance: A Different Approach 18 CHCA’s Noyen: ‘It’s a dream come true’ 20 Highlights from 2016-17 Season 21 2016-17 College Signings/Senior Sports 22 CHCA Names New Athletic Director 23

Exuberantly Creative

Fiddler on the Roof 24 Fine Arts Office Stained Glass Window 26 “All the world’s a stage...” 27 Anthony Frederickson ‘20 on NBC’s “The Voice” 27 Scholastic Feature and Seniors Moving On 28 An Art Attack in Miracle Commons 29

Boundlessly Hopeful

Class of 2017 Commencement Overview A Bit About Our Val and Sal Graduation Reflections Class of 2017 Recognitions

Inspiringly Benevelent

Spare Change for World Change SDL Time Well Spent

Fully Prepared

30 31 32 33 34 36 36

Engaging Alumni: 37 CHCA’s Alumni Relations CHCA’s First Annual Alumni Showcase 38 Alumni Reflection: Christie Taylor ’11 39 Alumni Notes 40 Breaking Out with Andy Garrett ‘09: Q&A 49

Randy Brunk, Head of School

From the Head of School “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV God designed us to be in community. Simply stated, when we grow in relationship with others, we grow closer to Him. When I ask families what makes CHCA so special, a majority of answers always include the word, “community”. When I ask graduates what made CHCA so special, the resounding answer is “the community I experienced”. As students walk across the stage at graduation each year, I look upon the audience, and I see a community. Community is a thread that binds each of us together in a unique way, whether we walk into the doors of CHCA each day or whether we’re ministering halfway across the world. Each year, we’re presented with countless opportunities to come together to learn, grow, give, pray, serve, celebrate, and give thanks as a community. This past year was no exception, and some of that you will see highlighted in this edition of CHCA’s “Eagle’s Eye”. Of note was the First Annual Alumni Showcase last spring, when our alumni returned to share their talents, wisdom, business insights, and more with our CHCA seniors, and among each other. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is present whenever two or more are gathered together (Matthew 18:20). It is our plan and prayer that we take advantage of many more opportunities to come together as a community. Community is life giving, and it is essential to following Christ. Scripture also tells us that is because we are better and stronger together than we are alone (Romans 12:4–5). I challenge each of us to think about how we might contribute to making this community we call CHCA stronger, better, and more faithful than ever before. Invite a new family for dinner. Organize a family hike. Bless a large family with dinner or dessert. Have dinner with an old friend or past teacher. You will find within the doors you open and among the community you feed, that will be the very thing which brings you closer to life as God intended. Blessings,

Randy Brunk, Head of School

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Light the Way Becomes a Reality CHCA is now home to enhanced programming and curriculum, as well as an expanded preschool, new innovation labs, and collaboration spaces - all designed to provide a rigorous, engaging, academic, and faith-based education.

Robust new spaces include The Blake Lindner Thompson Early Childhood Learning Center, an expanded 22,000 square foot facility with open classrooms, an Atelier creative studio, an indoor Piazza and outdoor playscapes, learning gardens, and much more. CHCA’s Early Learning Program has expanded to serve children beginning at age two, with state-of-theart learning spaces and flexible scheduling options. Head of School Randy Brunk shared, “We believe that an expanded, strong early learning program will better serve families of our youngest children and will provide an even stronger learning foundation as students head into the primary school years.” An expanded Upper Elementary wing features new classrooms, new outdoor play areas, a new cafeteria, new science labs, and an innovation and collaboration space. With the retirement of Principal Mrs. Nancy Buckman, CHCA also welcomed a new Upper Elementary Principal, Mr. Steve Sideris.

The Upper School now features innovation labs and collaboration spaces that are designed to facilitate more hands-on learning opportunities. Students are able to study, research, and work in teams on projects in the new McSwain Family Collaboration Center at the MSL Campus (these spaces include ideation rooms, comfortable seating areas, and internet bars). The innovation spaces are already fostering creativity and leadership, where students and teachers can have lectures with dimensional learning and take risks in ways that stimulate discussion and creative thinking. The spaces are also being used to support CHCA’s Teacher Innovation Fund grant initiative, designed to empower teachers to inspire innovative high-engagement learning opportunities for students, while reaching their established benchmarks. continued on next page

Most notably, CHCA recently restructured programming to establish the Upper School as Cincinnati’s only Christcentered six-year college prep high school experience, serving students Grades 7-12. Grades 7-8 are being empowered with the tools, knowledge, and disciplines to flourish in the high school years. Upper School Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas introduced a written documentation to all families, “Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy’s Approach to Upper School: A Six-Year Christ-Centered College Preparatory Experience”* which outlines the key strategies and distinguishers behind the Upper School approach. With opportunities to take college courses in high school, pursue your passions via independent research, grow entrepreneurship skills, and cultivate your curiosity in every subject, CHCA’s Upper School truly offers a unique experience for our students. Dr. Nicholas shares in his overview, “Our changing world needs leaders. It needs people who are passionate critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. It needs people who can communicate well, whether by written or spoken word. It needs people who are motivated self-starters, with entrepreneurial drive. It needs people who can manage themselves and others. It needs people who can face adversity and and not be shaken. It needs people willing to serve those around them, putting the needs of others before themselves. Our world needs people who understand that all the world is God’s and that He is restoring all things, making all things new through Christ. Our Upper School is creating an environment to raise up young women and young men who will engage the world and shape the future. We are excited for what the future holds. We are excited for what our students will do.”

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Light the Way Becomes a Reality (continued)

In addition to these spaces, CHCA is also home to a new Environmental Sciences Center Greenhouse, which will not only enhance the school’s renowned aquaponics program, foster university level research opportunities, and provide additional labs, but it will also serve as an opportunity for CHCA’s youngest students to learn about the Greenhouse effect… in an actual Greenhouse! CHCA is equipped like never before to fully engage students at all grade levels. From 3D printers to zSpace to news programming to student-run businesses, everywhere you turn, this new generation of learners are taking advantage of opportunities that are expanding their experience both within and outside of the classroom walls. *For a copy of Dr. Dean Nicholas’ Upper School overview, please contact the school – 513.247.0900

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CHCA Upper Elementary Students Find Their Passion in Operation Impact Operation Impact came to light after Grade 5 Science Teacher, Ms. Jaime Robbins, heard about the idea at the ISACS conference in the fall of 2016. It was originally developed between Emerson School in Ann Arbor, MI, and DistinguishMe, an organization that works to develop students, helping them find their passion and acting on that passion in order to make them “stand out” to potential colleges and employers. Robbins was so excited about the idea that she brought Emerson School’s Middle School Director, Mr. Andy Zimmer, to share this idea with CHCA faculty at an in-service training. The excitement grew and Robbins, along with Grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Kristen Woock, worked together to create “Operation Impact” for Grades 4-6. The Operation Impact week began with the students being asked, “What makes you pound your fist on the table? What are you not okay with in your world?” They were asked to go from there and figure out how they could use their unique passion to help make an impact. The entire week was built around giving students space, time, and a framework in which to develop their own God-given passions, using those gifts to impact their world. Students explored how they

could make the world a better place through one of their interest areas-sports/fitness, art or music, creating a business, engineering or science, baking, computers...whatever made them excited. The goal was to help the students with the following: • • • • • • •

Gain awareness of passions and interests Gain confidence to make an impact on the world Learn how to give and receive productive feedback Learn how to bring ideas to life Learn how to fail and grow from it Learn to market an idea to others Influence the world!

Students began by writing down their passions. They asked themselves, “What can you not stop doing? What do you do when you have complete free time? What do you want to be when you get older? What do you love to learn about on your own? What do people tell you that you are good at? What are you good at without even trying? What are you good at because you care and try really hard? What good memories or experiences do you have?” continued on next page 5

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Operation Impact (continued) After answering these questions, they took time to connect with others in their class, finding things in common. The groups then thought about their answers and how they could uniquely come up with ideas to solve problems using their common passions. Through this, many students ended up working with peers they did not know well or even who were from other grades. In one case, a group of Grade 5 engineers designed a robot prototype, but realized they needed help with raising money to build the real thing. They “hired” someone from the film room to make a video of their robot prototype, then “hired” someone from the digital media room to make the website that would introduce their robot. Robbins observed, “A really cool moment of the day was when I was monitoring snack time. After giving the snacks, I gave the students choices of where to go–they could either stay in the cafeteria or go back to the room to work on their projects. The majority of the students went back to the room, even when asked by friends to stay. That’s when it hit me. We are giving them free time and they are choosing not to take it! They are electing to go work on something that we are not even grading or forcing them to do! What kids do that? It was one of those things that I knew could theoretically happen, but haven’t seen in practice yet!”

with the students. They presented mini-presentations and gave personal feedback to each of the student groups, Jon Adams ‘95, helped students who were interested in business. Dr. Vijay Easwaran, who is a research chemist at P&G, and Dr. Maura Easwaran, who works with the EPA, provided information from an environmentalist perspective that young scientists are facing. UC Biology Professor Heather Christensen also helped with those interested in science. Engineers Dr. Kris Gansle and Christy Hansell, as well as CHCA Technology Teacher, Adam Cool ‘01, provided their expertise with those designing projects. Crossroads’ Awaited producer Paula Rakestraw, Friends of the Groom actor, Tom Long, and Christine Shrum, who does film for The Underground, spent time discussing their passions for theater and film with students. Professional Christian rap/hip-hop artist and producer, Regis Jones, Crossroads’ Kids Club Director, Chris Stewart, and Ginger Johnson, who works with the Dance Education program at the Cincinnati Ballet, also offered their expertise for the students interested in the performing arts.

Zimmer came to CHCA to lead the students in a piloting workshop. After hearing his ideas, the students spent an afternoon storyboarding and prototyping their ideas. Many random items were in the building for the students to use as prototypes.

Cincinnati Enquirer author and editorialist, Peter Bronson, children’s book author, Julie Nicholas, and Paul Smith, author of Lead With a Story and Parenting With a Story, assisted those interested in writing and storytelling. Emily Vilardo, an artist who works at Restavek Freedom Foundation, explained how she uses art and graphic design to promote justice issues with children in Haiti.

Guest experts consisting of parents, alumni, alumni parents, and friends of CHCA were brought in during the week to work

One of the guest experts commented on how well the students asked questions and how well they worked together in groups. She

“This truly was a passion project of mine,” shares Robbins. “I was really emotionally moved at the end of the week to see the outcomes-not just with the projects themselves, but with the ways that the students now feel empowered to innovate and carry out an idea that they have.” pointed out that you often have one person doing all of the talking in groups, but these kids all graciously took turns and listened to each other. The ideas that came from the week covered a wide range of topics. A group of Grade 4 and 5 students created and programmed a robot called “BookBot” that could carry books for those with a broken leg or other injury. Two Grade 6 students figured out how to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and electric bill by replacing all of the lights with LED bulbs, calling their project “Light Right.” One student created a video game to help people with the issue of bullying. Another student is writing a graphic novel also on the topic of bullying. A group of Grade 5 and 6 girls are creating an app called, “Blue Whale” that will help people who face depression and anxiety. The idea behind it is to have helpful information (hints, hotlines, websites, service dogs, and ways to connect instantly with friends) on an app for easy access in the case of someone having an anxiety attack. One of the students behind this app, Grade 6 student, Abby Rosenfeldt shared, “My favorite part of this was planning what was going to be on the app, knowing that everything on here will have a purpose and can maybe save someone’s life.”

they had created. Many also chose to present to the entire Upper Elementary School and their parents in the gymnasium. Many of these students are still taking their ideas and pursuing them even beyond Operation Impact Week. Grade 6 students Avery Cox, Elise Irwin, Taylor Mitchell, Bella Pfister, and Lindsey Steele worked together to create coloring books with Bible verses in them and donated them to the Ronald McDonald House. Mitchell was excited to discover a way to use her talent of art to help her with her passion for children. It opened her mind to how the gifts she has can be gifts to others. A group of Grade 4 girls, Lauren Littlejohn, Kate Moran, and Carly Nix created a company called, “Cupcake Gals”. The idea was for people to be healthy, but still be able to enjoy cupcakes, so they came up with three recipes of cupcakes to bake and sell, with proceeds going to PAWS Humane Society. They even created their own website! “This truly was a passion project of mine,” shares Robbins. “I was really emotionally moved at the end of the week to see the outcomes–not just with the projects themselves, but with the ways that the students now feel empowered to innovate and carry out an idea that they have.”

All of the students presented their ideas in the classrooms, while other students and parents were able to stop by and discover what

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CHCA Students Design and Build a Living Water Fountain Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is home to many entrepreneurial ventures. One of CHCA’s students’ latest endeavors thoughtfully combined engineering, programming, and marketing. What began as a paper exercise to represent the culmination of a Fluid Mechanics Unit in AP Physics, CHCA seniors Mikey Taylor, Johnathan Sequeira, and Adam Rice were tasked to “think like an engineer” and design a decorative fountain. Applying Bernoulli’s equation and the fluid flow continuity equation (think back to your Physics days), they were instructed to detail the velocity, height, and range of the designed fountain stream. Among other design constraints, they needed to identify (in the building or from an external vendor) a source pump with a given volume flow rate. They exceeded all expectations and submitted their design of an animated fountain that would incorporate 97 programmable jet/valves for creating 3-D artistic fluid images. Moreover, if that wasn’t enough, these ambitious students asked if they could create a prototype, and then build it for full-scale installation on campus. Hence, the school’s first Senior Capstone Project was born on September 15th, 2016: Animated Fountain Capstone Engineering Project. They presented their idea to CHCA’s Head of School Randy Brunk, and were awarded a small amount of funding to get it up and running. A team effort. It wasn’t long into their work that the three students recognized they needed to expand their team. Taylor, Sequeira, and Rice were in need of several other support roles to make their vision become a reality. They enlisted an electronics/ programming team member Sebastian Rodriguez ‘18, teacher mentor Mr. Adam Cool ‘01, and marketing/fundraising team member Zachary Gunlock ‘17. They also solicited input from a local fountain expert Mr. Dave Zambenedetti, Owner/Engineer of Pond and Lake Inc. The students presented their designs to Zambenedetti, and he was so impressed by the advanced design and depth of their knowledge, that he volunteered his time to collaborate with them to bring the full-scale project to realization, providing input and sharing his professional expertise along the way. Student led, student designed and student built. Work quickly began on creating the prototype. On a ‘shoestring budget’ and within a very short timeframe, these students leveraged their expertise, materials, and a great amount of concept testing to get the fountain running properly, and as designed. This decorative fountain is an “animated fountain” with “jumping” jets around the perimeter and “dancing” jets in the interior. The prototype is up and running beautifully.

“Knocking it out of the park!” In the course of incorporating this system, Zambenedetti shared that these students “knocked this one out of the park!” He was so thoroughly impressed that he has been sharing his experience with counterparts across the country. He has shown their videos, stating, “…they can’t believe that high school students can and did do this! It’s very impressive.” Furthermore, Zambenedetti has been observing some of the features (lattice system, basin design) and noting that they could be useful approaches to their displays at Home and Garden shows (ease of portability/set-up). He added, “These kids are extremely creative and innovative! No other school is doing what you guys are doing.” Moving forward… How is this possible? CHCA has been fostering a culture of innovation, inspiring young people to dream big, think, and create. Born out of our FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics program (Beak Squad 4028, State Champions, and World-Ranked), these robotics student leaders translated the technical skills and soft skills back into the classroom, elevating the level of instruction. CHCA’s former Upper School Science Department Head and AP Physics Teacher Dr. Lu Taylor* shared, “The animated fountain is a tangible manifestation of our students’ wholehearted engagement and courageously creative spirit to apply their science/technology education to tackle real world problems. They are truly inspired.” Taylor also shared her vision for CHCA students and families moving forward. What will hopefully be located outside of CHCA’s New Research and Innovation Center (coming 2018), “…the full scale fountain will be foundational for future programs across all grade levels. Once this prototype becomes a reality, this is truly just the beginning. A science and innovation tool, students of all ages will be able to engage with it thematically, incorporating art, shapes, fluid flow, technology, and so much more.” Families and visitors will be able to benefit from this animated fountain as well - a truly inspirational, innovative, and educational endeavor for the entire community. *Best wishes and blessings to Dr. Taylor in her retirement! She will be missed!

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Armleder Eyewitness News STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY

As January 2017 quickly approached, we were ready to launch the new program that airs daily at 7:50 a.m. throughout all Armleder classrooms, as well as on YouTube.

Armleder has hosted a daily news broadcast for years under the amazing leadership of Mrs. Barb Bodley (retired in 2015) and in the last two years, Mrs. Alicia DuBois. As equipment started aging, dying, and losing relevancy in today’s fast-paced digital age, it became evident changes needed to be made. With the teamwork of John House (MIS), Mary Margaret Krause (CPS Auxiliary Clerk), Bob Scott (Armleder volunteer), and Jan Fresh (Instructional Assistant), it was determined that with new software and the use of classroom smartboards, we could make a major upgrade with little financial investment, and remove the old large televisions that were taking up valuable classroom space. This opportunity started taking shape over the spring of 2016, and plans went into full gear for the changeover and work towards a January 2017 relaunch of Armleder Eyewitness News. This included adding a green screen, creating a YouTube channel, rebranding the news, and opening news positions to students in Grades K-6. A contest was also held to rename the news from its original “Channel 7”. Leah Kindle had the winning entry with a play on the name “eyewitness” news. Mrs. LaGina Burton had the winning logo (pictured above). Students who were interested in being a part

Entrepreneurship Runs through our Veins STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY

of the news team had to complete an application, take part in an interview, and go through an audition process. Students also had to commit to arriving to the newsroom by 7:30 a.m. each day. As January 2017 quickly approached, we were ready to launch the new program that airs daily at 7:50 a.m. throughout all Armleder classrooms, as well as on YouTube. Many student leadership opportunities arose, including Grade 6 student Tyanna Nelson producing with the support of co-producer, TJ Nelson. Elijah DuBois, Owen Tuffendsam, and Bin-II Smoot lead the tech support staff. Erissa Lusain, who was in the newsroom by 7:00 every morning without fail, was the Production Manager which entailed getting the teleprompters started, proofing copy, getting the reporter chairs in order of appearance, and much more. These students and over 40 more participated over the course of the second semester. We learned a lot that first semester and have worked out many kinks, realizing that a lot can happen when you are on live television! We are definitely looking forward to a successful 2017-18 school year with the new team of Eyewitness News members. Stay tuned…

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Armleder Students Lending a Hand STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY

In the fall of 2016, Armleder was honored to host an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) weekly class, City Over Fifty. The University of Cincinnati’s OLLI program provides opportunities for lifetime learning and social interaction to the mature residents of Greater Cincinnati. The eight-week course had full capacity enrollment, and provided an opportunity for Armleder Achievers Program students to participate by greeting and chaperoning the OLLI class members to their Armleder classroom. Preschool students under the guidance of Mrs. Jan Fresh provided themed snacks based on the weekly topic (i.e. edible bone and worm dirt cups were the favorite for the archeology discussion). A team of students would set up the room for the class and then greet and chaperone the OLLI students to their classroom. Armleder Card Committee members would write a note the next day to thank the guest speakers and make sure they knew they were invited to visit again in the future.

the room, hallways, and entry doors, as well as training the student team. Training included reviewing how to greet a guest (eye contact, smile, firm handshake, and conversation starters). After a few weeks, these young marketingminded students determined in their weekly debriefing meeting that the team needed to have an official name. They agreed on calling themselves The Handy Helpers. At the end of the fall OLLI class, Caylen and Grade 3 student Chris Bailey were asked to be in the classroom at the start of the session and were given a card signed from the entire class, where they were applauded and informed that The Handy Helpers created a wonderful experience for the attendees. As a result of the positive feedback from the first session, a spring session was added in March, and another session was added in the fall of 2017. The Handy Helpers are very much looking forward to continuing to serve our community!

Among the student greeters and chaperones, it became obvious after two weeks that Grade 2 student, Caylen Murray, had a passion for this leadership role. Caylen was responsible for managing the set up of the room, including the hospitality table, cleanliness of

Our youngest students at Armleder have become quite the budding entrepreneurs. What started as the “Card Committee”, this special group of students continues to produce cards like crazy and is considering expanding its membership to meet the demand for their cards. To date (since January 2016), the Card Committee has sent more than 1,500 cards to leaders throughout the city, CHCA family and friends, faculty, and staff. They send cards for all occasions including birthday, thank-you, sympathy, thinking of you, congratulations, and holidays. On August 19, they had a very exciting opportunity to participate in the City Flea Kids Market. The City Flea is an event held annually in Washington Park, and the Kids Market was added

last year and was a huge success. This venue allows kids to showcase their wares, feel empowered, and for them to get even more exposure to what it’s like to own and run a small business. They’re very grateful for this opportunity and met over the summer to plan and prepare for it. The event was a huge success. The Card Committee prides itself on repurposing products and minimizing the items they have to purchase. For anyone who has items they’d like to donate, please consider upcycling to the Card Committee. To reach them, please contact at ArmlederCardCommittee@chca-oh.org or pamela.bailey@ chca-oh.org. 11

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Forever Thankful: A Story of Faith and Hope BY SARA ROGERS, CHCA PARENT TO ARSENIJS POGA ‘17

We first met Arsenijs in December of 2015 through an organization called New Horizons for Children. New Horizons works to connect Christian families in the United States with children who have been orphaned in the countries of Latvia, Ukraine, and China. Through New Horizons for Children, a family can host a child for five weeks over the summer or winter break. Some children come over too old to be adopted, such as Arsenijs, but others are still young enough to be considered for adoption. New Horizons hopes to connect some families with their future adopted son or daughter and for the children too old to be adopted, they hope to still connect them to a family who will show them the love of Christ for the five weeks of hosting and through a continued relationship with them once they return to their home countries. The hope is that through hosting or adopting, these children will find families who will invest in and love them for the rest of their lives. We picked Arsenijs up at the CVG airport on December 19th, the day before he turned 17 years old. My husband and I and our four teenage sons were so anxious and excited to meet him! We had only seen a picture of him from the shoulders up so when this 6’3” kid came walking towards us, we were a little intimidated. But immediately after we hugged him and fired a thousand questions at him, we could tell Arsenijs was a great young man. He had the sweetest, most disarming smile and answered all our questions as best as he could. He hadn’t slept or eaten much on his 24-hour journey from a village in Latvia to us. He only came with a small backpack with one change of clothes. We had gone through some training with New Horizons to prepare for some of the common ups and downs of hosting, but still that first night taking out his ill-fitting clothes from this little backpack was overwhelming. I had packed bigger bags for my kids to spend one night at their grandparents than Arsenijs had to travel to another country for five weeks. There are so many things that God did to get our family to the point of hosting Arsenijs. And so many things God did in Arsenijs’ life along the way to prepare him to be a part of our family. My husband was adopted as an infant. But as soon as we married (for each of us, our second marriage) we put away any idea of adopting because we already had four boys between the two of us. We each had two from our previous marriages, so we didn’t think we could handle any more children. Fast forward 11 years and here we were staring at a picture of Arsenijs and thinking we were getting in way over our heads! Our life was crazy enough with our four sons, but God was definitely lining things up for us in such a way that we knew He wanted us to host a child through this organization. Arsenijs’ picture kept striking a chord with us, which was strange because

he was so much older than all the other children we could consider hosting. But for some reason we couldn’t get past Arsenijs’ picture. His smile seemed so genuine and we were intrigued. In Latvia, God was blessing Arsenijs with perseverance and an extremely intelligent mind. He was motivated to stay in school while others were choosing not to go beyond the 9th grade. Arsenijs was officially orphaned at 7 years old when his grandmother, who was raising him, passed away. From there, he went from foster homes and orphanages to his birth mom and back to orphanages and foster homes. All the while, he was learning the English language far better than most, and accomplishing things such as winning science competitions and passing tests that would allow him to continue his education at a University. When we met Arsenijs, he was living on his own during the week in a city where he could attend what they called University (equivalent to what we consider high school). Then on the weekends, he would take an hourlong bus ride back to his foster home in a village where he worked on a farm with other foster children. In order to understand how God had His hand on Arsenijs, it’s important to understand that in Latvia, orphans don’t typically continue their schooling. Unfortunately, many are sold into sex trafficking or end up addicted to drugs and alcohol. And many end up picking mushrooms on mushroom farms. Arsenijs somehow learned to speak English and stayed in school, and even learned some things about computers through a cheap cell phone he had before coming to the United States. So after hosting and getting to know this exceptional young man for five weeks, we couldn’t believe it was already time to take him back to the airport to fly back to Latvia. Our whole family, including aunts, uncles, and grandparents, couldn’t bear to see him leave. In this short time, he fit in so well with our family that we felt like we were losing a family member. After we hugged him and said goodbye at the airport, my husband and I and our four sons sat in the car feeling completely depressed. We were not sure what God’s next step was for us but we just couldn’t believe that this was the end of the story for Arsenijs and our family. We had bought him a cell phone to take back to Latvia with the hope that we could text with him to keep in contact, and as we sat in the car, a text from Arsenijs came through that said “I miss you guys already”. The heartfelt message floored us because while he was so sweet, he was very guarded during his visit with us.

So when that text came through, I burst into tears. What was God’s plan? Arsenijs was too old to be adopted. We had no idea how to bring him into our family for good, but we all felt that our family was indeed where he belonged. When we got home, we immediately started researching ways to bring Arsenijs to the United States to live with us long-term. We quickly learned that he could come on a student visa, and that is where CHCA came into the story. We started praying and contacting schools who would be interested in helping us get Arsenijs here on a student visa. We called all of our local private and public schools in Northern Kentucky. We contacted local Catholic schools, public schools, and Christian schools. We even contacted NKU hoping he could just skip straight to his freshman year there. With doors closing, we quickly began to lose hope. Then my husband mentioned CHCA, because he knew someone with whom he worked whose children attended CHCA. We looked at CHCA’s website and got so excited about their International Student Program (ISP) and their mission to glorify God through their work with international students. But we were still not sure if we could even make it happen. We called anyway. The first person we spoke with ISP Admissions Director Kim Vincent. She was so kind and sincere and was genuinely interested in Arsenijs’ story. Though we were unsure because of the costs and logistics, we continued to pray and talk with the ISP staff. My husband John David and I started feeling hopeful that this may actually be where God was leading us. We could tell that both Kim and ISP Director Todd Bacon were sincere believers in God and truly had a passion for international students. One day, as I hung up the phone with CHCA, I remember bowing my head and praying. As a family, I knew we loved Arsenijs and wanted him to have a home with us, but I couldn’t see how we were going to afford two years at CHCA and four years at NKU. CHCA was our final hope because we had contacted every other school in our area even as far as Lexington and none seemed interested. A lot was riding on this. I bowed my head and prayed, “God if You want Arsenijs here, You are going to have to pay for it. We cannot afford it. We need You to provide $20,000 a year. I know that’s a crazy amount but You own the cattle on a thousand hills so what’s $20,000 to You?” I will never forget that prayer. Shortly after, Kim and Todd asked us to come in for an interview with them and Dr. Dean Nicholas. On our way up there, I looked at John David and asked him if we should even do this because we didn’t have the money to afford it. He said we should just follow this road and see where God takes us. The interview went so well. We left feeling that Dr. Nick, Todd, and Kim were such sincere, passionate Christians, even if this didn’t work out, it was so encouraging to see fellow believers involved in such an amazing ministry to students from around the world. Not too long after that interview and after many more emails, Todd called me and said that they thought they had found a way for Arsenijs to go to school there. That

a generous donor had contacted them and offered to help international students in need come to school there. This generous donor had offered a $20,000 scholarship. I still can’t tell this story without crying. I asked God specifically for $20,000 and this generous person - who we didn’t even know - would give Arsenijs $20,000 to go to school at CHCA both his junior and senior years of high school. God had answered us so specifically! We are still in awe of God’s amazing answers to prayer and we are still so thankful to EVERYONE who made it possible for Arsenijs to be here with us. There’s so much more to this story. We would need a full book to fully tell of God’s faithfulness and His mighty works to bring Arsenijs here to our family and to the amazing family of CHCA. Todd, Kim, Dr. Nick, everyone on the Robotics team, teachers, tutors, students, and parents of students loved on Arsenijs his junior and senior years in a way to which we could never give justice with mere words. Arsenijs loved his time at CHCA. God had brought this little boy who had suffered things we still don’t know from a little village in Latvia to a place of love and kindness and generosity beyond anything of this world. Only through the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ could this be possible. Through CHCA, Arsenijs enjoyed learning, competed on an amazing Robotics team, learned to fly, travelled to California, spent the night with the Sequeira family every week during Robotics, where he learned he loved Pop Tarts, had the most amazing graduation party through the generosity of the Gunlock family, was treated to a Latvian lunch through the international program, learned he loved Kings Island roller coasters when the international students went to Kings Island, went to plays, and incredible dinners, helped himself to snacks in Mrs. Vincent’s office every afternoon, learned so much more about his love of computers through Mr. Cool’s amazing teaching and kindness, and we could just go on and on. Everyone from the janitorial staff, to the students, to the teachers, to the parents, and to the whole staff of CHCA loved on Arsenijs in some ways even more than our family did during his first two years here. John David and I were so worried the first day we dropped him off at CHCA, because although we knew the staff and leaders of CHCA were kind and loved God, we feared he might not be embraced by classmates, but even the students at CHCA were so incredibly kind and gentle with Arsenijs. As a result, Arsenijs has changed so much from the guarded kid he was two years ago. He’s outgoing, hysterically funny, open, and kind. God has used everyone at CHCA to shape him into more of the amazing human being God created him to be. While we are excited for Arsenijs’ next adventure at NKU where he started this fall, we will miss CHCA so much. Everyone who knew and loved Arsenijs at CHCA will forever hold a very special place in our hearts. Through the incredible generosity of so many, Arsenijs knows the love of Christ through the family of God. We do not know how God will use Arsenijs in the future, but we do know that God has big plans, and has given him a very powerful testimony to the Lord’s ability to take what was broken and make it beautiful.

RESILIENTLY FAITHFUL

SLEW: A Fresh Look at Worship BY EMMA SHANK ‘18

Spiritual expression is a powerful thing. When placed in the midst of high school students, it can become even more moving. Many students and teachers were gripped by such emotional expression when our student body participated in Spiritual Life Emphasis Week (SLEW) this past spring. We were incredibly blessed to welcome alumnus, Darris Sneed ‘09 and his band to lead us in worship all throughout the week, and I think I speak for many people when I say that our worship experience changed a lot for the better. Students became shamelessly bold and joyfully unafraid to express a genuine love for God through praise and worship. As I reflected on the week, I consulted Mr. Kramer, Dr. Pohl ‘01, and Dr. Nicholas, who shared similar observations. As Mr. Kramer pointed out, simply allowing God’s presence into a chapel setting made worship much more expressive and open. Dr. Nicholas also reminded me that often, the biggest obstacle to God is ourselves and our preoccupations, but Darris’ urge for us to be open to God’s presence changed the way we worship. Darris and his band also held a worship service on Wednesday night of Spiritual Life Emphasis Week, and I agreed with Dr. Pohl when he shared what an immense joy it was to witness the courageous worship initiated by the energy Darris and his band emanated. The message for this year’s Spiritual Life Emphasis Week—the topic of race within our community—was a challenging, sensitive topic but one that I believe our student body handled quite well. The speakers during the week, Dr. Nicholas, alumnus Robbie Wilson ‘04, Armleder principal Mrs. Montgomery, and some of our very own students, forced us to make some tough realizations about ourselves and our community, and as Mr. Kramer, Dr. Nicholas, and Dr. Pohl all agree, as we grow closer to each other, we in turn grow closer to Christ. Dr. Pohl also pointed out to me something Dr. Nicholas mentioned on the first day of Spiritual Life Emphasis Week: if we can’t have a conversation about race within a community of Christians, where else might the conversation be had? That week of spiritual revival was very moving, but I have been wrestling with the question: how do we continue this type of spiritual growth in the future? Mr. Kramer pointed out that continuing this feeling starts with being open, honest, and even vulnerable in worship. Even though Darris’ team is not here to lead

us in worship every week, being open to God’s presence is really all we need to be bold in praise. Dr. Nicholas shared a similar sentiment, as he suggested that forgetting our worries, preoccupations, and anxieties is also key to focusing on God’s presence. Dr. Pohl reminded me of a really crucial point: worship is a lifestyle, not a fifteenminute segment in chapel. We can worship God in everything we do, and, when we do that, worship through song in chapel becomes much more natural. He also emphasized something very poignant of which Darris reminded us: “Our neighbor didn’t die for us; Jesus did.” When we concentrate on this seemingly obvious but significant fact, our focus is much more easily turned to God.

My personal hope is that students will remember this week and continue to fearlessly worship God and constantly grow closer to Christ with the assurance that this community is a safe place for this type of expression.

REFRESHINGLY INSIGHTFUL

A Taste of the Ivy League Upper School Latin students experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Princeton University. Led by CHCA’s Upper School Latin teachers, Dr. Jim Lipovsky and Ms. Toni Kraft, the group visited Princeton April 2-4 on a life-changing trip for the students. Lipovsky leads a group of his Latin students on this trip every other year. As guests of the Princeton Classics Department, they were considered Princeton students for a day. They were able to sit in on Latin and Greek classes and were able to speak for an hour with one of the professors. Lipovsky, who attended graduate school and received his doctorate at Princeton, began this trip over 30 years ago, while teaching at The Heights School in Maryland. While at The Heights School, he was serving on a Princeton committee and brought up the idea of his students visiting for a day, which the university whole-heartedly supported. After moving to Cincinnati years later and taking a position at CHCA, he reached out to Princeton again and continued the tradition. CHCA is currently the only school who is able to experience this rich opportunity. In addition to sitting in on the classes, CHCA students were also able to visit Albert Einstein’s house, who had stayed and lectured at Princeton for years. They were also able to visit many historical sites and tour the campus. The eight Latin students who went on the trip were Emma Treadway ‘18, Charlotte Lee ‘19, Bobby Stewart ‘19, Bree Wilson ‘19, Austin Parker ‘20,

Riley Cebulskie ‘21, Joshua Uterstaedt ‘21, and Connor Espenshade ‘22. Charlotte Lee shared, “I thought it was incredibly empowering to see that I could keep up in classics classes at an Ivy League school. It put into perspective for me how advanced I am in the language.” “The Princeton trip was a college visit unlike any other I’ve experienced,” shared Emma Treadway. “Essentially living as a student, I was able to make meaningful connections with professors who are global leaders in their field, debating over the minutia of the Latin language that gives it such beauty. Not only did I personally witness the benefits of an Ivy League education, I got an in-depth and personal glimpse of a campus that no college tour could boast. Overall, this trip was a priceless experience that I would highly recommend to any student, regardless of whether they have an Ivy League education in mind.” Lipovsky’s original intention for this trip was for his students to expand their horizons and to consider schools like Princeton a possibility for their future. By sitting in these classes, realizing they can do the work shows them that they are capable of doing great things. “As a Latin teacher, I sell dreams,” says Lipovsky. “I am a dream merchant and it’s a great dream to see.” Thanks to his passion for teaching and helping his students pursue their dreams, these CHCA students were blessed with a memorable trip.

The Talon

This past year, CHCA boasts a brand new student newspaper: The Talon. Putting out publications once a quarter, The Talon is designed to highlight students from all countries, grades, and perspectives in order to showcase both the talent and the diversity of the student body. In the newspaper’s May 2017 issue, exchange students Coco Zhang ‘18 and Jane Li ‘18 wrote an investigative piece on the lengthy library construction. Construction had become a source of student frustration and ridicule, yet Coco and Jane proved otherwise, showing how all the work was in no way pointless and was well worth the wait. In The Talon’s March 2017 issue, one of the frontrunners was the opinion piece focusing on President Trump’s Congressional Address. As opposed to a traditional one-sided view, the newspaper features both conservative and liberal perspectives, engendering a more informed, multi-faceted piece and avoiding bias. In addition, The Talon features a wide range of other outlets for student talent: a humor section known as the “Eagle Droppings,” sports news underlining athletic achievement, an ongoing serial short story, and much more. Emma Treadway (’18) and Laura Karrer (’18) have organized the publication as editor/designer and general manager, respectively, with Mrs. Howarth as teacher advisor. So far, the team has seventeen writers and has put out two publications. In the future, The Talon’s team hopes to expand the newspaper with an online version in addition to print, and it welcomes any student wanting to participate.

Campus Highlights

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CHCA Sports Performance: A Different Approach

CONTRIBUTORS: ADAM ATALLAH ‘07, BEN PANZECA ‘16

There’s something special about going to a CHCA football game on a crisp fall night, or enjoying the home opener of the soccer season, or the third set of a tense girls’ volleyball match. As fans, viewers, and parents of athletes – it’s easy to get caught up in the moment of game day, and to forget all of the work that occurs behind the scenes. But any successful athlete or coach will tell you that the work put in on an early weekday morning, or in the extra hours after practice, makes all the difference in the outcome of a season. A major part of how well an athlete will perform, is how they train and take care of themselves – their bodies, minds, and spirits. The parallels among academics, service, fine arts, and athletics take many different forms from school to school, but at CHCA, you will find excellence throughout. The difference with CHCA student-athletes: they are being challenged to think critically during an AP Chemistry block bell the same way they do at their 6:00 a.m. performance workouts. When you talk about committing to a culture of champions, look no further. CHCA student-athletes stay on top with high academic rigor, continual service, and championship caliber seasons. Under the leadership of Sports Performance Coach Adam Atallah ‘07, and Head Athletic Trainer Joe Lucas of Beacon Orthopedics, the CHCA Performance Program is an incredibly unique service to student-athletes. Their Sports Performance department has a full time staff who are dedicated to the treatment of each athlete’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Atallah and Lucas quote, “We are very much a college-prep academy across the board. That has been the vision from the beginning. Our athletic department and school administration believe in the vision and have backed us tremendously.” Apart from many other schools, the CHCA Sports Performance team bridges sports medicine in its programming resulting in optimal performance in sport, nutritional guidance, consistent sleep regimens, recovery protocols and injury prevention.

Atallah and Lucas hold down the fort daily for every need of a CHCA Athlete. Atallah pointed out that if an athlete spends two hours a day working with him on fitness, and two hours with the coach working on skills, then there are twenty hours left in the day that will have a significant impact on the performance of the player. Things such as nutrition, sleep, and stress maintenance, when controlled properly, can vastly increase the athlete’s potential. “We’re doing something different from any other local school – the technology, programming, recovery – all allow our coaches to coach smarter and better serve their student-athletes.”

The care provided to CHCA student athletes is at the root of their culture and cultivates a championship mentality. “Our athletes don’t care how much we know, until they know how much we care,” says Atallah. “That’s where purpose and passion meet. We are building eternal relationships - that is priority number one. If they know Jesus and increase their athletic ability while developing their hearts of servanthood – then we have succeeded as coaches! That is the standard we will always have as long as I’m here.” Joe Lucas has been the Head Athletic Trainer at CHCA for the last 13 years. His commitment to the athletes’ wellbeing is unmatched. Lucas will never take credit for anything, but Coach Atallah didn’t bat an eye when he said, “Joe is one of the most important parts of our athletic department, period. We can’t accomplish what we are doing without him.” This dynamic duo has made some significant updates to the Sport Performance toolbox by adding an arsenal of state-of-theart equipment to support their teams. “We looked into the best recovery methods used by teams in the NFL, NBA, MLS, MLB, and NCAA. They provide top notch options to their athletes and we try to mimic it as close as possible,” Lucas explains. Here are a few of the new tools available to CHCA athletes: Normatec Recovery System: Speeds up the body’s recovery process so athletes can recover as hard as they train. Matrix S-drive Treadmills: Self-propelled treadmills with a fixed incline position and the ability to increase resistance as well as work load. CHCA teams’ conditioning, force production, running mechanics, and acceleration training are on a completely new level. Athletes’ Lunch Special: Available to all students (athletes and non-athletes) multiple times a week in the MSL campus cafeteria. Supplying all the necessities for a well-rounded healthy eating option to fuel our athletes. The most exciting thing the team has integrated comes on the technology side. CHCA is the only high school program in the State of Ohio using a proprietary platform called ‘Kinduct’. Kinduct’s industry-leading athlete intelligence and management system enables us to turn data into actionable insights. Daily wellness journal texts are sent out monitoring pain/soreness, quality of sleep, academic stress, personal stress, hydration analysis, meals eaten, water consumed, as well as prayer requests.

A virtual body map diagram is a part of the survey and has been instrumental in injury prevention. Students pinpoint direct areas of soreness & pain, better aiding Lucas to do what he does best. “We are able to treat symptoms earlier before they become a more serious concern for the athlete,” Lucas says. “Having a better road map of each athlete is a tremendous resource, especially if they need to be referred to one of our Orthopedic Doctors at Beacon. These tools make all the difference.” The investment made by CHCA for a high level Sports Performance program is equipping Athletics like never before to carry out its mission of excellence. There clearly is a different approach going on at this school, which is feeding a culture of champions - a Christ-centered environment, high-level educators, beautiful campus, servant leadership, and state-of-the-art programming and resources... As Atallah would say, “Now that is something to ‘GET JACKED’ about!” As Atallah also stated, the relationships are what matter most. A majority of the student-athlete population interacts with Atallah and Lucas on a daily basis. We asked some current and former student-athletes, as well as coaches, about the Sports Performance program and team. Adam Baker, Football, Basketball, Track (‘17) Butler University Football Discuss your journey through injury and the process with Coach A & Joe. Coach A and Joe were awesome for me after I injured my shoulder. They pushed me to get stronger and healthier while keeping me in positive spirit. Their team spent so much time with me making sure I received the treatment and rehab I needed. They truly are a great asset to our program. I could speak for days about these guys. Jules Collado, Volleyball (’18) How has the volleyball team workouts helped prepare the team for the season? Workouts with Coach A have always been multidimensional for us. He opens up every lift explaining why our workouts will help us get stronger, help prevent injuries, and be better athletes. The physical effects have been obvious; our endurance is continually building in our bodies even during season. Our teams’ comradery has also grown by being in workouts together. It has been huge in bridging the gaps of grade levels within our volleyball program. This runs across different sports too since we work out with other programs in the summer. Many of our inside jokes as a team originated in the weight room, making it the beginning of our team-building experience, preparing us to play at a high level together. Griffan Smith, Baseball (’17) Ohio State University Baseball You are living out your dream of playing Baseball for the Ohio State University - talk about what it took for you to get there.

In order to accomplish this dream, I knew that I needed to be the best version of myself. I was intentional about every aspect, including working hard in the classroom, weight room, and pursuing my savior - no time wasted. Coach A always made sure we were doing the exercises properly and there was no skipping workouts. The weight room atmosphere in general demanded success - this pushed me beyond my own limits to do things I did not think I could do. Brooklyn Dobyns, Volleyball, Lacrosse (’19) What parts of the program have been meaningful to your spiritual and/or personal growth? One of the things I love about working with Coach A is his way of incorporating all of our physical, mental, and spiritual needs. Whether it’s a short devotion, an encouraging verse on the board right next to the planned workout, or a helpful piece of advice, his love for Jesus shows through his actions. It’s cool to be physically mentored by someone who shares similar faith values and encourages you in other aspects of life as well, such as school, for example. Mark Lynch, Head Coach - Men’s Lacrosse How does our Sports Performance program at CHCA differ from other places you’ve coached? CHCA is the first place I have coached that has a designated Sports Performance department. Having two, full-time sports performance experts is an enormous boost to the lacrosse program. Adam and Joe help keep our kids healthy mentally and physically. Our strength, cardio, and athletic gains were clearly noticeable. Our rate of injury was low and our recovery time was significantly faster than my previous experience. I attribute this to the work Adam and Joe do with the boys. We are grateful for our Sports Performance team! Heather Wilkowski, Parent to four CHCA Eagle Athletes What has your experience been watching your son recover from his ACL injury? My son, Jack, tore his ACL at the start of the varsity lacrosse season. Within an hour of receiving the news from the doctor, Coach A, Joe Lucas, and Mark Lynch (lacrosse coach) were already meeting with Jack in person. They immediately put a plan into action to start the sixmonth recovery process to get him back to competitive play. This helped him stay focused on his goal of complete recovery. The morning of the surgery, Coach A called to pray with him. Post-surgery, they pushed him, coached him, and celebrated each milestone during his recovery. He came out of that injury stronger than he went in. He learned resiliency and the importance of community. As a parent, nothing means more than when someone is willing to invest in and love your kids like you do. I will forever be grateful for the way our Sports Performance team stayed so connected and supportive to my son and our family during the entire injury and recovery process.

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CHCA’s Noyen: ‘It’s a dream come true’ BY ADAM BAUM AS FEATURED IN THE FEBRUARY 3, 2017 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ARTICLE

In his fifth-grade yearbook under ‘Future Plans,’ Nick Noyen wrote down his dream. It wasn’t self-centered, or egotistical, quite the opposite, actually. Noyen wrote two words: Air Force. Nearly eight years later, Feb. 1, the Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy senior again wrote two words — this time his name — on an official letter of intent to play football, receive an education, and serve his country at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Noyen, a primary component of the Eagles’ last four football seasons that saw CHCA go a combined 46-5, wasn’t sure a little more than a month ago how his college career would play out. “I only applied to Mercer and then I applied to the Air Force Academy just as a student,” said Noyen. “So, I was still gonna debate whether or not college football was for me or if I had the opportunity to serve then just going that route, and seeing if I could play along the road. “Getting that offer was huge cause now I can do both and that’s been my dream since I was in the fifth grade.” Finding out what the Air Force offered him was an experience Noyen will never forget. “It was interesting,” he said, “we were driving home from Florida, our Christmas vacation, and we were just at Mercer (where Noyen was first committed) the week before in the gift shop buying stuff, at a basketball game ... so that’s where I was planning on going; I was showing my brother, just getting excited.” “Then, on the way home, the (Air Force) recruiting coach called me and said, ‘Our (offensive line) coach left and became the head coach at Furman. The new guy likes you a lot — he wants to offer you, so do I — we just have to talk to our offensive coordinator.’ He said we’ll give you an answer within 24 hours. We were driving home and I was just giddy because I wanted to know what the answer was, like yes or no, what’s it gonna be?” “The next day I was out and I was driving home and he was like, ‘Give me a call when you get a chance,’ so I pulled over and called him and he [told me] ‘You have an offer to the Air Force Academy if you wanna take it.’ So I called my parents, drove straight home, we celebrated, then I called him back and accepted it.”

Noyen said, “It was emotional, me and my dad were both tearing up over the phone. It’s been a long road, but it worked out in the end. It’s a dream come true.” The road was long, but Noyen’s resolve was unwavering. Growing up, Noyen’s grandparents had a home in Breckenridge, Colorado, not far from Colorado Springs — the Air Force Academy’s home. “One of the times we were out there, we went to the Air Force Academy, just the museum part, gift shop, we saw the campus and from that point on ... I think I watched ‘Top Gun’ at my house after that,” Noyen laughed. “I thought this looks interesting so I did some research, and I was like, ‘This is what I wanna do when I get older, regardless of football, I want to go to school and I want a career in the Air Force.’” A dream doesn’t need much to survive. It requires dedication and an unwillingness to cease in its pursuit, the same way a person needs food and water, a dream demands a steadfastness from its pursuer. Noyen has been nothing if not steady. “On the field, he’s tenacious,” said CHCA coach Mark Mueller. “He’s one of the meanest kids on a football field that I’ve coached in 23 years. As football coaches, you love that stuff. But, then off the field, he’s an incredible young man. He’s nice; he’s a gentle giant. “... That’s a kid that was thinking about going (to Air Force) without playing football. He’s wired to serve and he’s very good at it. He’s someone we definitely want protecting our backside.” On the last Thursday in June, Noyen reports for boot camp. “All I know now is the coach said you might get a small duffel bag of your favorite underwear, and then I just get dropped off,” said Noyen. “If I could be a fighter pilot, I’d love to. Anything with planes, if I could fly or be a technician, like a hands-on person, I’d do that. Then the new technology with drones is very popular and common now. Once I get there and just discover what I’m good at and where it leads me, then I’ll find out. I’m really excited for anything right now.” Noyen’s was also recipient of the National Football Foundation’s “That’s My Boy” Award — an honor his older brother, Johnny, won last year. “It’s also a dream come true to win this. I think it’s awesome representing CHCA,” said Nicholas Noyen. “Bringing it back for CHCA is something I take pride in.”

Highlights from Our Outstanding 2016-17 Season

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SUBMITTED BY: CHCA ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Baseball

MVC League Champions Won Section, District, and Regional OHSAA Tournaments State Semi-Finalists Tony Schulz, MVC Coach of the Year, Ohio All-Star Coach of the Year Max Ripperger, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Blake Sheffer, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Jack Vezdos, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Ethan Briggs, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Cayse Osborne, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Clay Brock, MVC Honorable Mention Colin Lutts, MVC Honorable Mention Griffan Smith, Ohio All-Star 1st Team, Pitched perfect game in sectional tournament

Basketball-Boys

Freshmen Basketball Team, MVC Tournament Champions Mason Barnhardt, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Michael Nelson, MVC 2nd Team Cole Fisher, MVC Honorable Mention Tanner Southerland, MVC Honorable Mention Grades 7-8 won Division 1 All-City Tournament

Basketball-Girls

Grade 7 MVC Champions Maddie Buist, MVC 2nd Team Malorie Wilson, MVC Honorable Mention

Cross Country

MVC Champions Jordan Kramer, MVC Coach of the Year Rachel Haslem, MVC Athlete of the Year, MVC 1st Team Laura Dykstra, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Maria Pancioli, MVC 1st Team Grade 7 Riley Jones, MVC JH Champion, placed 9th in State Cross Country Meet

Football

Scarlet Division MVC Champions Mark Mueller, MVC Coach of the Year Kesean Gamble, MVC Athlete of the Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio AllStar Offensive Player of the Year

Mason Bernhardt, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Receiver Ben Collado, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Linebacker Honorable Mention Nick Noyen, MVC 1st Team, Ohio AllStar Offensive Lineman Justin Peck, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Defensive Back Honorable Mention Cody Shiver, MVC 1st Team, Ohio AllStar Defensive Back Ryan Wichmann, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Offensive Lineman Darian Woods, MVC 1st Team Isaac Carpenter, MVC 2nd Team Kyle Renners, MVC 2nd Team Danny Vanatsky, Ohio All-Star Quarterback

Golf-Boys

Matthew Kadnar, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Jack Lindgren, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention

Golf-Girls

Bree Wilson, Ohio All-Star 1st Team, District 4th Place Malorie Wilson, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team, Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-City

Lacrosse-Boys

Mark Lynch, MVC Coach of the Year, Southwest Region Division II Coach of the Year Kyle Renners, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Mike Phillips, MVC 2nd Team Tyler Sikkema, MVC 2nd Team Ryan Wichmann, MVC 2nd Team Noah Harrison, MVC Honorable Mention Ryan Hunt, MVC Honorable Mention Grade 7-8 won Division 6 State Championship

Lacrosse-Girls

Hunter Stemple, MVC 2nd Team Colin Lutts, MVC Honorable Mention Will Stiles, MVC Honorable Mention

Soccer-Girls

Laney Huber, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Marie Ranieri, MVC 1st Team Amanda Donahue, MVC 2nd Team Shannon Riley, MVC 2nd Team Rosie Haunert, MVC Honorable Mention Mary Moffitt, MVC Honorable Mention

Softball

Camryn Olson, MVC Athlete of the Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Mady Shank, MVC 1st Team Ainsley Droege, MVC 2nd Team Emma Shank, MVC 2nd Team Abby Blink, MVC Honorable Mention Corinne Vanderwoude, MVC Honorable Mention

Swimming

Catherine Frazer, Elizabeth Schaefer, Julia Stotz, Anna Van Jura, MVC 1st Team 200 yard Freestyle Relay Anna Van Jura, MVC 1st Team 100 yard Breaststroke, MVC 1st Team 200 yard Freestyle Ryan Hunt, MVC 2nd Team 200 yard Individual Medley Grades 8 Anabelle Brock, MVC Champion 25 Butterfly Grades 8 Scott Burk, MVC Champion 25 Breaststroke Grades 8 Caleb Tomlin, MVC Champion 200 Freestyle Grades 8 Anabelle Brock, Ava Kraft, Matt Saxby, Caleb Tomlin, MVC Champion 200 Free Relay Qualified for Districts: Trevor Cebulski, Wyatt Droege, Catherine Frazer, Nathan Gibson, Rachel Haslem, Ryan Hunt, Carson Koporc, Elizabeth Schaefer, Julia Stotz, Anna Van Jura, Grace Vanderwoude, Hope Whiteside, Jennifer Wood

Noelle Van Den Heuvel, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team, scored her 100th goal this season on April 20th Brooklyn Dobyns, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Morgan Renners, MVC 2nd Team C.C. Southerland, MVC 2nd Team Alayna Petersen, MVC Honorable Tennis-Boys Mention Stefone Broaders, MVC 2nd Team Gabby Schmidt, MVC Honorable Singles Mention Luke Springer, MVC 2nd Team Singles Soccer-Boys Colin Keenan, MVC Honorable Chance Ashman, MVC 1st Team, Mention Singles Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Sidhu Thunga, MVC Honorable Jack Riley, MVC 2nd Team

Mention Singles Colin Keenan, Sidhu Thunga, Ohio-All Star Honorable Mention Doubles

Tennis-Girls

Noelle Van Den Heuvel, Anna Van Jura, MVC 1st Team Doubles, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Doubles Anna Abunku, MVC 2nd Team Singles, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Singles Sydney Day, Ella Hipsley, MVC 2nd Team Doubles, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Doubles Mady Shank, MVC Honorable Mention Singles Leanna Yuan, MVC Honorable Mention Singles

Track & Field-Boys

MVC Champions Jeff Timmers, MVC Coach of the Year Adam Baker, MVC 1st Team High Jump Alex Barnard, MVC 1st Team 300 meter IM Hurdles Kesean Gamble, MVC 1st Team Shotput, MVC 1st Team Discus, placed 12th in Shot Put at State Adam Baker, Alex Barnard, Kris Carnes, Julian Herman placed 15th in 400 Relay at State

Track & Field-Girls

Morgan Bradley, MVC 1st Team Pole Vault, placed 12th in Pole Vault at State, Ohio All-Star 1st Team Pole Vault Jayda Coleman, MVC 1st Team 100 meter High Hurdles Cameron Cooper, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Pole Vault Hannah Price, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Long Jump Grade 7 Riley Jones placed 3rd in the 800 and 3200 at State

Volleyball

MVC League Champions Lisa Schaad, MVC Coach of the Year Lexie Kuczinski, MVC Athlete of the Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio Alll-Star 1st Team Julianna Collado, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention Delaney Poore, MVC 2nd Team Gabby Schmidt, MVC 2nd Team Britlyn Coleman, MVC Honorable Mention C.C. Southerland, MVC Honorable Mention

BOLDLY DETERMINED

>> 2016-17 College Signings

Football

Volleyball

Track & Field

Football

Ben Collado, Centre College

Megan Kissel, University of Cincinnati

Adam Baker, Butler University

Kesean Gamble, Kent State

Morgan Bradley, Austin PEAY State University

Nick Noyen, U.S. Air Force Academy

Senior Sports 2016-2017 Hunter Arthurs 2016 Fall Boys Golf 2016/2017 Winter Boys Basketball Adam Baker 2016 Fall Boys Football 2017 Spring Boys Track & Field Madi Beal 2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading Morgan Bradley 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field Ethan Briggs 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Rachel Brink 2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading 2017 Spring Girls Lacrosse Isaac Carpenter 2016 Fall Boys Football 2016/2017 Winter Boys Basketball Lindsey Charles 2016 Fall Girls Soccer Ben Collado 2016 Fall Boys Football Laura Dykstra 2016 Fall Girls Cross Country 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field Kesean Gamble 2016 Fall Boys Football 2017 Spring Boys Track & Field Paige Gear 2016 Fall Girls Soccer Emma Grubb 2016 Fall Girls Volleyball

Mahkaylyn Harden 2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading

Brennan Metzler 2017 Spring Boys Lacrosse

Jack Riley 2016 Fall Boys Soccer

Rachel Haslem 2016 Fall Girls Cross Country 2016 Winter Girls Swimming/Diving 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field

Anna Mumma 2016 Fall Girls Tennis

Mady Shank 2016 Fall Girls Tennis 2017 Spring Girls Softball

Rosie Haunert 2016 Fall Girls Soccer Ella Hipsley 2016 Fall Girls Tennis Grayson Hodges 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Mackenzie Jones 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field Bryson Karrer 2016 Fall Boys Cross Country Mitch Kennedy 2017 Spring Boys Lacrosse Megan Kissel 2016 Fall Girls Volleyball Lexie Kuczinski 2016 Fall Girls Volleyball Meghan Lawlor 2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading Alana Lindenfeld 2016 Fall Girls Tennis Colin Lutts 2016 Fall Boys Soccer 2016/2017 Winter Boys Basketball 2017 Spring Boys Baseball

Kyle Nelson 2016/2017 Winter Boys Basketball Nicholas Noyen 2016 Fall Boys Football Alex Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien 2016 Fall Boys Cross Country Joseph Paschke 2016 Fall Boys Cross Country Justin Peck 2016 Fall Boys Football Brady Pfister 2016 Fall Boys Football Delaney Poore 2016 Fall Girls Volleyball Hannah Price 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field Josh Pyle 2016 Fall Boys Football Maria Ranieri 2016 Fall Girls Soccer Kyle Renners 2016 Fall Boys Football 2017 Spring Boys Lacrosse Morgan Renners 2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading 2017 Spring Girls Lacrosse

Cody Shiver 2016 Fall Boys Football 2016/2017 Winter Boys Basketball Tyler Sikkema 2017 Spring Boys Lacrosse Griffan Smith 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Mitchell Stryker 2016 Fall Boys Football Azariah Tidwell 2017 Spring Girls Track & Field Zander Treon 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Jack Vezdos 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Max Vincent 2017 Spring Boys Baseball Hope Whiteside 2016/2017 Winter Girls Swimming/Diving Ben Whitman 2016 Fall Boys Soccer Maddie Will 2016 Fall Girls Tennis

CHCA Names New Athletic Director “I am eager at the thought of being able to lead and walk alongside students, athletes and staff in their journey with Christ. As the leader of CHCA Athletics, I will be committed to creating an athletic environment of excellence that would honor and glorify Christ.” Eric Taylor was named as CHCA’s new Athletic Director, bringing 17 years of experience and an impressive resume as an educator and coach. Most recently, he added Athletic Director to his resume when he left CHCA in 2016 to return to Deer Park, his Alma Mater, as Athletic Director and Head Varsity Football Coach. Under his leadership, this past year, Deer Park athletics rose to the next level, with many of its programs experiencing the most wins seen in years, or in some cases, exceeded or tied success in the history of the programs. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Northern Kentucky University and a Masters in Sports Administration from Xavier University. While at CHCA as Head Varsity Football Coach, his teams won four Miami Valley Conference Championships, made the OHSAA regional semi-finals six times and competed in the OHSAA State Final Four in 2014. Taylor was also recognized as Ohio AP State Coach of the Year 2013, Enquirer Coach of the Year (2008/2010/2013/2014), Bengals Coach of the Week (2008/2013/2014), Head Coach and winner of the East / West All Star Game (2008), speaker at UC Clinic (2011), and guided several players to the next level (Div. 1, 1AA, 2, 3 and Ivy League). Prior to CHCA, Taylor also taught and coached Football, Wrestling, and Track at various other local schools including Deer Park, Summit, Indian Hill, Wyoming, and Finneytown. Taylor’s experience highlights also include: planning, organizing, and directing multiple youth through high school camps and events, coaching, mentoring, and directing the Anthony Munoz Character Camp & NFL Play 60 Camp, helping to facilitate multiple fundraising events, and designing new school standards for Academic Eligibility. Upon hearing the news, CHCA’s former AD Matt Coleman shared, “It’s great to have Coach Taylor come home and take the reins of the athletic program. With his winning tradition at CHCA and the relationships he has developed, Eric will no doubt take our athletic program to the next level. We

are excited to welcome Eric and his family back to Eagle Nation!” Below is an excerpt from Taylor’s thoughtful and detailed response during CHCA’s search. When asked, “What draws you to CHCA as the place to express your passion for athletic excellence?” Taylor responded as follows: CHCA embodies excellence in all facets of Christian education. I truly believe that it is a unique environment where students can excel in academics, athletics, and fine arts - all while celebrating and growing in their walk with Christ. Spending eight years and raising my family in the CHCA community has had a major impact on my family and me. The opportunity to lead an athletic department in a Christ-centered school with disciplined student-athletes and a supportive community striving for excellence is exactly where I want to be. It is my desire to lead the development and design of an athletic program of excellence at CHCA. Taylor also shared, “I am eager at the thought of being able to lead and walk alongside students, athletes and staff in their journey with Christ. As the leader of CHCA Athletics, I will be committed to creating an athletic environment of excellence that would honor and glorify Christ.” CHCA Athletics is definitely on the move and one to watch in the coming years. Having hired several program builders and seeing the fruits of those investments in programs such as lacrosse (with successes this year such as MS Division VI State Champs and MVC Coach of the Year), and building a new Sports Performance program for all athletes Grade 6 and up, athletics at CHCA is aggressively raising the bar. Springing from that foundation, Taylor intends to optimize, build upon, and grow to new heights. Taylor, his wife Leah and two children, Averi ‘26 and Cael ‘30, have settled well back into the CHCA community. The CHCA Administration is thrilled to have him on board in this critical role, and look forward to great things to come.

EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE

“Fiddler on the Roof”:

A Remarkable Display of Talent and Impact The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Theater Department was proud to present “Fiddler on the Roof” last March at CHCA’s Lindner Theater. Directed by Susan Jung, the cast and crew of 60+ students in Grades 9-12 sang, danced, moved sets around, managed lights and sound, and acted in this classic tale. Based on Sholom Aleichem’s Tevye and his Daughters, Fiddler on the Roof is the beloved story of the small, traditionsteeped town of Anatevka, Russia, where Jews and Russians live in delicate balance. During the course of the show, the time honored traditions of Anatevka are both embraced and challenged by Tevye (Carter Jackson ‘17) and his colorful community, as they witness his daughters, Tzeitel (Katherine Abel ‘17), Hodel (Abby Cates ‘19) and Chava (Sarah Koopman ‘19), grow up and fall in love in a time of extraordinary change. The “Fiddler on the Roof’s” Broadway premiere became the longest-running Broadway musical in history, a title it maintained for almost ten years. It is a story that captures the essential human longings for love, community, success, freedom, family, and meaning. Fiddler features such iconic songs as the beautiful “Sunrise, Sunset,” the boisterous “If I Were a Rich Man,” and the classic “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.” From the moment The Fiddler (Bryson Karrer ’17) played his first notes, the audience knew they were about to experience something special. From Tevye and Golde’s (Caroline Rakestraw ’17) story with their daughters, to the lively Matchmaker (Haley Charles ’17) making her schemes, the musical beautifully interwove the story of family, love, and devotion to God. CHCA Fine Arts Director, Mona Summers, shared, “The show was phenomenal! The Directors, cast, student production team, orchestra, and parent volunteers spent countless hours preparing in order for our audiences to experience something wonderful. Our Director Susan Jung is very creative and always brings a fresh perspective to every show. When you put the team of Susan with her husband Jim Jung as the Set and Technical Director together, you can expect a show full of creativity!” “Our production of Fiddler on the Roof represented for me how good theatre can truly move people,” shared Director Susan Jung. “From the orchestra, cast, crew, and creative team, everyone worked together to create an experience that,

I believe, made a huge impact on our community. That is why excellence in artistry is so important to me.” Some central themes in “Fiddler on the Roof” revolve around traditional ways being shaken by new thinking, long-standing beliefs being challenged by young minds, families choosing between acceptance and rejection, and people being forced to leave behind their ideas, their homes, and each other. The cast reminded us that these are the same things that are challenging our world today with the opening and closing scenes of the show. Seeing Tevye and his family as refugees in a modern day subway system stirred the audience’s hearts to realize this is still happening today. Jack Paquette ‘18 (who played the Rabbi) gave a call-to-action to the audience, asking them to prayerfully consider helping refugees trying to find their way right here in Cincinnati. Because of his service with CHCA’s Student Organized Service (S.O.S.) program, he works closely with the Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio. He called the audience to consider a gift to Catholic Charities after the show. He shared that they could help Catholic Charities who serve refugees who come to the United States through the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These refugees come from extreme poverty, violence, or religious and political persecution in their homelands, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, CHCA was able to present $1,343.64 to Catholic Charities. Congratulations again to all for an outstanding performance and wonderful display of generosity!

EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE

Fine Arts Office Stained Glass Window

Class of 2017 students Lindsey Charles ‘17 and Rachel Kolar ‘17 did a year-long independent study stained-glass class with Mr. Hilderbrand and decided to create a masterpiece for the new Fine Arts office in the Lindner Theater Commons. Lindsey and Rachel took the first quarter to study design with Mr. Tim Hilderbrand and not only encompass all of the fine arts at CHCA, but also have a design that flows, is beautiful, is creative, and honors God. They started constructing the 6-foot window at the beginning of second quarter and finished around the end of the third quarter. The first quarter was spent studying design. “Your finished piece will never be better than your design, so make your design beautiful!” states Hilderbrand. The window can be viewed as you look up when you are walking

into the Theater Commons entrance. Some of the special features of the glass include the musical staff actually reading the song “How Great Thou Art” in addition to the warm orange glass around the cross being plated, which entails the artist layering glass to get the color they wish to achieve. This is somewhat similar to a painter mixing colors to achieve the color they wish to use. From beginning with preliminary sketches, to cutting the pattern and cutting and grinding glass, to using the lead came technique, and soldering, glazing, and polishing to finally installing, Rachel and Lindsey invested over 350 hours in creating this piece from start to finish. Hilderbrand stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of these young ladies. They created a stunning piece that will stand as a legacy to their creativity at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.”

“All the world’s a stage...” BY SUSAN JUNG

For many of our students, the stage and the theatre itself is “home” and many hours are spent making that home a place that brings them a sense of accomplishment and family. Often, these hours go unnoticed to most, who may not have an understanding of what goes into the production of a play or musical. I wanted to honor and commend all of these students in a way that didn’t bring about competition, but rather celebration. This is why we have reinstated our school’s troupe in the International Thespian Society (ITS), and in May we inducted 24 students into our chapter. ITS is an organization that recognizes achievements in all aspects and all

levels of theatre. Students earn points by participating both on and off the stage, and can accumulate them over their years, achieving growing levels of status within the society. Students also have the opportunity to travel to state and national conferences, where they can take a portion of a play or musical to be critiqued by theatre professionals, compete in technical challenges, and experience workshops in a variety of disciplines taught by professionals in their fields. ITS is a wonderful way to celebrate all of our students and their accomplishments and I am very much looking forward to seeing our involvement grow.

Anthony Frederickson ‘20 on NBC’s “The Voice” After submitting his audition video in late February, Anthony was notified that he was one of four finalists and chosen by coach Alicia Keys to be her finalist on The Voice’s Snapchat feature, Voicesnaps. When asked what inspired him to audition, Anthony shared that he enjoys singing and thought that “The Voice” would be a great learning experience for him. Anthony’s parents are supportive of his passion for singing and agree, “This is a great opportunity for Anthony to work with a vocal coach from ‘The Voice’.” Anthony’s parents shared the text from Alicia Keys immediately following another performance for which he received the Overture Awards Grand Prize for Theater. Of note, he was the first freshman and CHCA student to ever win the Overture Award for Musical Theater. It was quite a season for this talented young man! While Anthony did not win The Voice’s Snapchat contest, it was an honor to be a finalist and get featured on national television. We are sure to see much more from this rising star! 27

EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE

Scholastic Feature and Seniors Moving On MSL UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS Congratulations to our art students who received regional Scholastic Art Awards. Their award winning artwork was on exhibit at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from January 20 to February 3. An awards presentation was held at the School for Creative and Performing Arts on January 27. Below are student’s awards and title of artwork. David Woods, Gr. 12, Gold Key Looking Into My Future David Woods, Gr. 12, Honorable Mention Nigerian Journey Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Gold Key Plum Flower (See below) Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Honorable Mention Cheeseburger Maya Yates, Gr. 11, Honorable Mention Windows to the Soul Helen Zhang, Gr. 11, Gold Key Flower Grow Out of the Box

CLASS OF 2017 STUDENTS CONTINUING IN THE ARTS It is bittersweet when we say farewell to our talented seniors who were such a blessing to our community in their artistic endeavors. Yet is exciting to note how many of them are continuing their education in the fine arts this fall. We congratulate the following students and look forward to hearing from them as they pursue their goals: Katherine Abel, Northern Kentucky University – Musical Theater Haley Charles, Ball State – Acting Adele Enns, University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music – Music Education and Vocal Performance Lauren Jankowski, University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music – Commercial Music Production/ Song Writing

Josh Lake, University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music – Jazz Studies Johnny Mize, Miami University – Double major in Piano Performance and Computer Science; received a scholarship for Piano Performance David Woods, Columbus College of Art and Design - Illustration major Sarah Yang, Cleveland Institute of Art

Bryson Karrer, Indiana University – Double major in Violin Performance and an Individualized Cognate Area, with plans to attend medical school after graduation

Helen Zhang, Gr. 11, Honorable Mention Wonderland

Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Gold Key Plum Flower

EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE

“Art Attack in Miracle Commons” The Visual Fine Arts department decided to have a “Art Attack” in Miracle Commons this past spring. We made a “mobile mural” in the image of a large rooster - the rooster icon being a reminder from the Bible, “do not deny Christ”.

Class of 2017

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (Class Verse)

BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL

CHCA Celebrates the Accomplishments of the Class of 2017, by the Numbers: • We earned $11,311,940 in merit scholarships

• We were accepted at 155 colleges and universities

• Submitted 883 applications to 251 colleges and universities in 39 states, • • • • • • • • •

4 Canadian Provinces, 9 countries, and 4 continents We served 26,500 hours (that’s an average of 230 hours per student) We traveled 7,767 miles to build sustainable agriculture systems in Israel and Haiti We completed 287 Advanced Placement classes 100% of us completed 7 semesters of Christian Studies classes 90% of us participated in Athletics and Fine Arts 85% of us received Collegiate Merit Scholarships We competed on 25 athletic teams 13 of us earned National Merit recognition We visited 11 countries during Intersession 4 of us designed, programmed, and marketed a 97 jet animated fountain as our

• Engineering Capstone project 30

“It didn’t matter where they were going, as long as they knew who they were following.” - Dr. Eugene B. Habecker”

BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL

Valedictorian Alex O’Brien

Salutatorian Bryson Karrer

Dr. Eugene B. Habecker

Commencement Overview CHCA’s Class of 2017 Graduation Day celebration was one of notable challenge for these young adults to stay true to themselves, be people of character, and face change and transition with God as their guide. Salutatorian Bryson Karrer encouraged his fellow classmates that as each one of them carries their own identity, when they embark into this next chapter, they need to be true to themselves. He shared, “Do not be so quick to judge others…without getting to know them and their true character.” He reminded them that it takes courage to take off their own masks and show their true selves, as well as to refrain from the judgement of others. The charge was simply to go forth with that courage. Valedictorian Alex O’Brien shared that looking back at high school, it won’t be academics, rather it will be the relationships, that held meaning to their experiences at CHCA. He elaborated the point in a challenge to his classmates as they move forward in life, to ask themselves in their circumstances, “How did I make someone else feel, and how did they make me feel?” He further shared, “CHCA taught me that I couldn’t learn everything about myself, or even the world, in just the classroom.” He went on to explain how the different unique experiences he encountered at CHCA – intersession, serving, prepping for debate team late at night, performing abroad, etc. – all helped to grow and mature him. “There truly is something for everyone at CHCA. And we couldn’t be successful without our teachers. They are unique in how they invest in our experiences. They are our coaches, mentors, and friends.” He reiterated that at CHCA, students are able to try and discover unique skills and talents they didn’t know they had. And he encouraged, “As we move forward in life, let’s continue to try out new interests, keeping an open mind about ourselves and the world around us.” O’Brien ended his speech with a reminder about character. “CHCA has prepared us to be strong leaders and to change the world for the better. I’ve learned that being a good leader requires mutual respect, kindness, and encouragement. Years from now, people won’t remember you for what you accomplished, they’ll remember you for how you made them feel.”

Commencement Speaker Dr. Eugene B. Habecker (Taylor University ’68), President Emeritus of Taylor University, pointed out to students that while all of them are facing levels of change and transition in their lives, we can be encouraged that we serve a God who understands change and transition. He shared several examples from scripture that illustrated the importance of faith and obedience to God in times of uncertainty. He pointed out the importance of having a relationship with a God who they knew they trusted - as in biblical times and it still rings true today - it didn’t matter where they were going, as long as they knew who they were following. He shared four guidelines for their journey of change and transition:

Let God be your guide. It’s difficult to get somewhere in this world without taking time to hear His voice.

Focus your vocational efforts on what brings you joy; not just what brings you power, position, and prestige.

3 Be prepared for the bumps along the way, when they come, not if they come.

4 Make your life and your words your sermon to the world. “As you leave this place, you will be new people, face new circumstances, encounter new opportunities, all while experiencing change and transition all along the way.” Dr. Habeker shared. “As you go, be encouraged by these four guidelines. God bless you in this day of celebration.”

BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL

A Bit About Our Val & Sal… Alexander Thomas O’Brien

Bryson Gabriel Karrer

Attending University of Michigan Earned acceptance into the Ross BBA Program

Attending Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Receiving the Premier Young Artist Award

“My CHCA teachers and coaches taught me the value of hard work and encouraged me to pursue what I enjoy. CHCA prepared me well for college and has equipped me to be a strong Christian leader who makes a positive impact.”

“Through my many experiences at CHCA, I have seen how the world works, both in our backyard and around the globe. The supportive and encouraging atmosphere created by the faculty and staff of CHCA allowed me to excel academically and be bold in exploring my passions.”

Class of 2017 Valedictorian

Alex embraced CHCA’s mission to “be prepared intellectually and spiritually to positively impact the world” since joining in kindergarten. Alex is the founder of the CHCA Organic Garden & Vineyard, for which he earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award and was a Distinguished Finalist in the state of Ohio for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Since 2014, Alex has donated more than 1,000 pounds of produce to the L.I.F.E food pantry in Loveland. On the academic side, Alex is a CHCA Cum Laude 90% Scholarship recipient and has completed 10 AP classes, as well as earning several “Student of the Year” awards. As captain of the debate team, he and his debate partner successfully qualified for State this year. Alex enjoyed playing tenor saxophone with the Electric Jazz Orchestra on various fronts such as Kenya, Branson, Pep Band, and the Pit Orchestra for “Anything Goes” and “Fiddler on the Roof”, the former which won a Cappie for Best Orchestra. Since beginning freshman year, Alex ran Cross-Country for 4 years, finishing as MVC’s #7 Ranked Male Runner and as one of the captains focused on mentoring the younger runners. He decided to join the Ultimate Frisbee team this year, having been inspired by Cross-Country’s many “Frisbee Fridays.” Alex valued the Intersession program which gave him opportunities to serve and experience different cultures in Peru and Kenya, and experience adventures in Utah and Texas. This past summer, he helped his family launch an artisan Hawaiian coffee business at the Loveland Farmers Market. Alex entered the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan this fall where he will pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration. 32

Class of 2017 Salutatorian

Attending CHCA since kindergarten, Bryson made full use of the opportunities offered, especially when he came to the Martha S. Lindner High School. Academically, Bryson thrived. Upon entering high school, he was awarded the Cum Laude Distinguished Scholar Scholarship. Additionally, he participated and held leadership positions in both the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, as well as being named a National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction with nine AP courses. Athletically, he was a member of the middle school football, cross country, and track teams. He continued running in high school, earning four varsity letters with the cross country team. Bryson’s fine arts experiences at CHCA were vast and varied. He began his freshman year as the only trombonist in Lab Band before spending the next three years as a member of the Electric Jazz Orchestra, traveling with these groups to Missouri, Wisconsin, and even across Kenya. Bryson also played violin—which he began studying at the age of three years—with the Symphony Orchestra and Cintered Electric Strings Orchestra. He performed in the award winning pit orchestra for the school productions of “Children of Eden,” “West Side Story,” and “Anything Goes.” In his senior year, Bryson tried his hand at acting by playing the part of the Fiddler in “Fiddler on the Roof” and participated in CHCA’s annual comedy show, “Academy Night Live”. Bryson is attending the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University to study violin performance with an additional emphasis on preparation for medical school.

BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL

Graduation Reflections BY MADY SHANK ‘17

As always, Diaspeiro was a special evening celebration among the Class of 2017 graduates, CHCA faculty and graduates’ families. As one of the last events of their CHCA experience, seniors are honored and they take time to share and encourage. Mady Shank did just that in her speech as shared below. Two years ago at this time, our school announced a change in structure that resulted in our new upper school which would include Grades 7 through 12. As a result, Mrs. Metzger would transition from being a high school history teacher to an Assistant Principal for Grades 7-8. With this drastic change in positions, I can imagine she had a lot of preparation and planning to do in a very abbreviated period of time. However, the moment after the school announced her new position, Mrs. Metzger drove to West Virginia to join up with 30 high school students hiking the Appalachian Trail for May Term. She exhibited her care for us, and, in doing so, demonstrated how valuable interruptions are, even in the seemingly busiest of times. In Matthew 4, Jesus calls the first disciples, and says, ‘Come, follow me…and I will make you fishers of men.’ It then states, “At once the left their nets and followed him.” At once. They did not wait until they caught their quota of fish or pause to contemplate the fact that they were leaving their nets, their livelihood, and possibly their families. They embraced this interruption. Jesus did not call these disciples because of their abilities; he called them because of their availability. Some of my most cherished high school memories are not times I accomplished a task, but times I accepted an interruption. This year Mrs. Bailey led a girls’ Bible study on Fridays during bell 5. Choosing to join, I knew this would interrupt 48 minutes I could devote to studying for Carter quizzes or eating with my friends. Not only was this an interruption in my school day, but this was definitely an interruption for Mrs. Bailey. I’m sure she had grading and planning to do during 5th bell, and she also had to create Bible studies at night when she could’ve been spending time with her family. However, Mrs. Bailey’s leadership in topics such as trust, patience, and love transformed how I lived out my faith on a daily basis. The fact that she made time for an interruption with a couple of high school girls showed how much she cares for us. A couple of weeks ago, alumnus Darris Sneed ‘09 held a worship night in this theater on a Wednesday night from 7:00-9:00. For some people 7:009:00 was the time scheduled to write an English essay; for others 7:00-9:00 was a sports practice; for some it was music lessons or work. But that Wednesday night, many said, ‘not right now’ to that scheduled task and chose to worship. I think each one of us felt God’s power working through our community that night, and had no regrets of the two hours spent off schedule. The second noteworthy aspect of Matthew 4 is Jesus calls fishermen. If I had to identify the best potential disciple,

I would not necessarily turn to skilled fishermen. I would predict that scholars and religious leaders best fit this description. But these mere fishermen did not question their qualification for the task of disciple. They trusted God when He called them to this interruption. From Jacob to Moses to Esther to David to others, the Bible is filled with unqualified people. What a relief that God doesn’t need us to be qualified. This Christmas, my contact at the Hearing, Speech, and Deaf Center of Cincinnati asked if I could bring some volunteers to serve at their Signing Santa party. Not only was this a significant interruption during finals time, but my group of three and I felt grossly unqualified. We were the only people at this party who did not know sign language. But God led us in expressing compassion and love to these kids without this means of communication. From this interruption, we grew in our understanding and respect of a culture different from ours. So fellow classmates, over the past four years, we have all worked hard in the tasks assigned to us, in our academics, athletics, and fine arts. I encourage you to continue this hard work in your next stage in life so you can use your abilities and passions for God’s glory. But in the midst of your efforts, remember that God works through those who are open and available at any time to let God use them. You are busy now; you will be busy in college, but don’t let your tasks be the master of your life. Be interruptible, and don’t discount yourself as unqualified for the task. 33

BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL

400-600 Service Hours

200 - 300 Service Hours

Class of 2017 Recognitions

Mayerson Service Leadership Award

Gold 34

Neyer Scholarship Award

Silver

1000 Service Hours

SOS Leadership Award

Bronze

Academic Signing Class of 2017

200 Service Hours: Katherine Abel, Adam Baker, Carson Brooks, Sarah Bruns, Ben Collado, Huijing Dang, Paige Gear, Alex O’Brien, Joe Paschke, Hannah Price, Morgan Renners, David Woods 300 Service Hours: Will Braden, Haley Charles, Jenna

1000 Service Hours:

Adele Enns, Johnathan Sequeira

SOS Leadership Award: Will Braden, Adele Enns, Meghan Lawlor, Anna Mumma, David Woods Mayerson Service Leadership Award:

Charles, Lindsey Charles, Laura Dykstra, Zach Gunlock, Meghan Lawlor, Alana Lindenfeld, Caroline Rakestraw, Grace Wells, Hope Whiteside

Anna Mumma

400 Service Hours: Kaylee Bennett, Rachel Brink, Maggie Harrison, Rachel Haslem, Ella Hipsley, YiChen Li, Mady Shank, Katherine Wilkins

Gold: Maddie Asrat, Eddie Byington, Johnathan Sequeria,

500 Service Hours: Eddie Byington, Anna Mumma, Kyle

Nelson, Devin Taylor

600 Service Hours: Maddie Asrat, Jessica Gruber 700 Service Hours:

Max Vincent

Neyer Scholarship Award: Mady Shank

Max Vincent

Silver: Rachel Brink, Anna Mumma, Caroline Rakestraw Bronze: Jenna Charles, Lindsay Charles, Adele Enns, Zach Gunlock, Rachel Haslem, Devin Taylor Dick Snyder Award: Megan Kissel, Maddie Buist, Adam Baker

Lifers Picnic

INSPIRINGLY BENEVOLENT

Spare Change for World Change STORY BY CATHY ANDRY

Each year, Kindergarten Preparatory students sort, count, and present their “Spare Change for World Change” to Lower Elementary Principal Mrs. Sandy Breitholle, Assistant Principal Mrs. Elaine Marsh, and Mrs. Emily Iddings, representative of the Restavek Freedom Foundation. This past year, these young students raised $213.00 by doing chores around the house, for grandparents, for neighbors, etc. just like the Restavek children do. However, instead of working for free, our students work for spare change donations. The Restavek Freedom Foundation was founded in 2007 by CHCA alumni parent and founding member Joan Conn, who has been tirelessly working to end child slavery

in Haiti ever since. Kindergarten Preparatory students have been serving Restavek Freedom Foundation since 2011, and have funded school tuition, books, and uniforms for approximately eight children to enter school who would not have otherwise been able to attend. These students and their teacher, Mrs. Cathy Andry were thrilled to be able to support Restavek Freedom Foundation again this year, and will continue to do so in the future. Andry shared, “Thank you Restavek Freedom for serving the children of Haiti. And, thank you boys and girls, and families, for serving as well.” Andry believes that even our smallest children can make the biggest impact.

SDL Time Well Spent A friend of the Brooks family, Colonel Cunningham, is serving and leading a company of soldiers for a stint in Afghanistan. Students and twin siblings, Jack and Jenna Brooks ‘22 (pictured) rallied their classmates together to write letters of encouragement to the Company during their Student Directed Learning (SDL) bell one day. After receiving the letters, Colonel Cunningham and his Company created a makeshift plaque including US and Afghani flags, and sent it to our students as a thank you. The students were presented with the plaque at field day this past spring. They shared that they were very happy and proud to be a part of the special project.

FULLY PREPARED

Engaging Alumni: CHCA’s Alumni Relations Who are we?

A collective group of CHCA alumni, representing classes spanning over 20 years, who volunteer time and resources in order to increase engagement among our alumni community.

What is our purpose?

Serving our alumni. These individuals are passionate about their community. They get involved because of their pride in their alma mater, their desire to stay connected, and mostly for their passion of connecting and serving their fellow alumni community in their adult life. Whether that be supporting alumni in their family life, connecting alumni professionals, or offering opportunities to entrepreneurs, it is about serving our alumni.

What do we do?

The board committee leaders meet bi-monthly to discuss and execute new opportunities to serve our Alumni community on and off campus, as well as locally and abroad. Within the Board, there are four sub-committees (Web Development, Events, Data, and Business Relations) who meet casually every 2-3 months to discuss ideas and progress.

What DON’T we want?

To be a source of stress or obligation. We never want to overstay our welcome if you have no desire for connecting. During the 2016-2017 school year, the alumni board decided to take on a new vision and execute it with one thing in mind; intentionality. We don’t just want to be a part of your past; we care about your present and we want to be a part of the success in your future! If there is a way that we can help you, we will use our countless resources to do everything we can. We do our best to keep you updated through our social media outlets. Your family’s investment in CHCA has a lasting return, and we want to ensure that we deliver on that promise. If you are an alumni who resonates with our vision and wants to add to the conversation, we have many opportunities for your involvement. Please contact us at alumni@ chca-oh.org to see where your gifts and passions would best benefit the growth and development of the Alumni Relations Board and the support we give our community.

What do we need?

Alumni engagement! We want to be a resource, a connector, cheerleader, and a source of home. We want to offer endless opportunities. Let us fill the gaps!

CHCA Alumni Relations Board

Back row – L to R: Billy Kissel ‘10, Grant Cooper ‘05, Natalie (Marks) Bowman ‘09, Front row – L to R: Andrew Perkins ‘10, Sarah (Eslick) Robinson ‘09, Zach Bohannon ‘02 Not Pictured: David Blessing ‘97, Kate Kersey ‘05, Kurt Kersey ‘08, Eric Loftus ‘04, Christina (Karam) Painter ‘07, Robbie Wilson ‘04

FULLY PREPARED

CHCA’s First Annual Alumni Showcase BY SARAH ESLICK ROBINSON ‘09

May 4, 2017 CHCA’s Alumni Board hosted the First Annual Alumni Showcase: “Beyond These Doors”! This event was created to take the position of previous years’ Alumni Chapels. While the showcase is still a chapel format, it now has an entirely new purpose-to spotlight our alumni successes. We are so proud of our alumni and have celebrated with them through many achievements and experiences, we decided it was time to share those as broadly as we can with our community. Through this spotlight, we want our alumni to shine their gifts, passions, creations, and businesses by giving them an annual opportunity to connect and inspire! This year, Andy Garrett ‘09 (Breakout Games), spoke with the students about their “Story,” and how each component ties into God’s story. He shared his personal journey and what brought him to this fruitful place in his life. It was challenging and moving for all students, alumni, and faculty and tied into our theme of “Beyond These Doors,” so perfectly. We also had the pleasure of “UpDog”, throw back alumni band from 2002, making a guest musical appearance, which was a good time had by the entire crowd. It was especially nostalgic for those of us who were true fans of the ‘02 band. They’ve still got it! 38

Outside the doors of the theatre was the “parade of businesses, and Art”. Space and tables were available for alumni to set up advertisement, products, and art. It was an opportunity to build into each other, as alumni provided as a vision to the upperclassmen. We envision this event to be a place where alumni can showcase and/ or sell their business. The alumni board wants you to know that we are ABOUT you, we are FOR you, and we want you to SUCCEED. Any way we can build into your success, we would love to! The upcoming school season is already under way and we are gearing up for a bigger and better showcase next spring. We want you to be a part of it! If you would like to reserve (no charge) a spot for Showcase 2018, please email sarah.robinson@chca-oh.org.

The Second Annual Showcase planning is already underway and we are gearing up for a bigger and better event. We want YOU to be a part of it!

FULLY PREPARED

STORY BY CHRISTIE TAYLOR ‘11

Christie Taylor ’11, dancer on a journey of faith, recently wrote a wonderful letter to several faculty members at CHCA, inviting them to “…join me in this mission as you continue to walk alongside me as witnesses to the fruit of the seeds you have sown.” Here is an excerpt from her letter to the CHCA faculty (shared with her permission): Four years ago, the Lord placed a vision on my heart to start a transitional fine arts boarding school for adolescents healing from trauma/ abuse. This school would use various art forms to help adolescents process their stories, receive counseling, and be restored to wholeness…. Two years ago, I responded to the Lord’s call to move to Houston and dance with Ad Deum, a faith-based modern dance company. Though I could not understand why the Lord would bring me here, I was confident that He had called me, and for that reason, I could not help but follow Him to Houston. Around this time last year, I emailed many of you asking for prayer as I discerned whether it was time to go to grad school or if I was to continue dancing with Ad Deum for another year. My decision to stay in Houston plunged me into a new level of trust with the Lord as I watched Him “clear the table” of my future plans, and re-set it in His perfect wisdom. At times, it is easy to doubt the Lord’s provision. The Lord is strategically equipping me for the vision placed on my life, through the opportunity to be “parented” in this calling. In the fall, the Lord brought me to Kalette, the founder of Beautiful Feet, an arts school dedicated to using various art forms as vehicles

for transformation, healing, and communion with the Lord. Upon meeting Kalette, it was clear that it was no coincidence that our paths would cross. Months later, the Lord directed me to join her in the establishment of this school, a dream birthed 14 years ago and now coming to fruition. I will never forget her words: “I want you to know that I am honored to have you join my team, and I want to be here to guide and mentor you in whatever ways you may need to start the school the Lord has placed on your heart.” As a member of Beautiful Feet’s charter team, I have had the opportunity to develop a curriculum for classes such as “Healing through Movement,” “Improvisational Engagement,” “Soft Pastels,” and “Painting,” which will use the arts as vehicles for healing and transformation. In the fall of 2017, I will be taking these classes to the “Freedom Place,” a safe home for trafficked women, and working alongside Kalette to restore these women to wholeness. As I serve and pour into her calling, I find the Lord multiplying the deposits placed into my own. I am convinced that where the Lord gives vision, there His provision will also be. As I continue to say “yes” to the Lord, I see Him expanding my territory; for “to those who are entrusted with much, much more will be given” (Luke 12:48).”

This summer, Christie took the next step forward in her calling….or many steps…..599 miles of steps to be more precise…and tackled the Pacific Crest Trail from June 27-August 5. This backpacking journey served as a Fundraiser for a new building facility, a 40 Day Prayer Journey for Beautiful Feet Studio of Dance & the Arts, and a time of Ministry as she embodied what it means to be the beautiful feet that go to the mountains to bring good news. She feels so blessed and amazed by the Lord’s creativity as He continues to direct her steps. Stay tuned as Christie’s story continues to unfold…

ALUMNI NOTES

1995

1 Carl Cordova and his wife, Sola, are currently living in Brooklyn, NY where they just celebrated the birth of their son, Harvey on June 3.

1996

2 Jennifer Petrey is currently a Professor of English for Central Arizona. She moved to the Phoenix area in 2016 from Barry University in Miami, FL. She is currently pursuing a second PhD in psychology and cognition. Over the years she has published several works on culture and trauma - focusing on diasporas and gender identity - and serves under-represented populations in borderland Arizona. In addition to her scholarly and professional pursuits, Jennifer breeds and shows Australian Shepherd dogs and German Warmblood horses. She is also currently working towards representing the United States in dressage at the next Pan American Games on her Holsteiner horse, LeDoux DFF.

1997

Erin Metzger Conn is currently a teacher at CHCA and is serving on the CHCA Alumni Board.

1998

3 Brian Garlock and his wife, Brittany, live in Mason, OH with their two sons, Colin (7) and Aiden (5). He is working for Mammotome, a medical device company in Cincinnati, on the leadership team of the North American Sales organization as Sales Operations Manager. Rebekah Sjogren Osypian is currently living in San Diego, CA where she owns a consulting agency that focuses on sales growth and strategy building.

1999

4 Kristen Stutz Barkimer married Greg Barkimer on April 22 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she attended college. It was an amazing day and the Lord blessed them by holding the rain off for their outdoor ceremony until just minutes after everything was finished! Kristen’s two sisters, Darah Stutz Kerpka ‘02 and Meredith Stutz ‘12, were the maids of honor. Dear friend and CHCA alum, Michelle Toy Warner ‘98 read Scripture and her daughter, Olivia, was one of their adorable flower girls. Kristen and Greg are loving married life and are enjoying living in Hyde Park, Ohio.

2000

2003

6 Michelle Pembaur Pater and her husband, Michael, welcomed Michael Robert Pembaur Pater on April 3, 2017.

10 Jon Beck has been in Santa Cruz, Bolivia working with World Gospel Mission as a volunteer since August 2016. While there, he taught Old Testament Theology, New Testament Theology, Hebrews/General Epistles, and Biblical Hebrew to the local university (Bolivian Evangelical University) and seminary in Santa Cruz. To say it has been a great experience would be a huge understatement! He concluded this term as a missionary on July 15, and is eager to discover what God has for him next.

5 Chad Leland is starting his 11th year as a coach for the CHCA middle school football program. This past year he started a new job as the employee benefits broker firm McGohan Brabender as a large account manager. Chad is involved in an awesome men’s small group, Inner Circle Cincinnati, which includes former CHCA football guys coming together to grow deeper in faith and to be honest and accountable for what living for Jesus really means. After 11 years of teaching at Edgewood Middle School, his wife Allison is working at home as a part time art teacher. They are celebrating their two daughters in every way as tea parties, dances, and ‘feelings’ are ever-present in their house!

7 Liz Bronson Rosenau and her husband Greg welcomed their first baby, Audrey Kathleen, on August 18, 2016. Life will never be the same and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Liz says, “I’d like to apologize for all the times I rolled my eyes when someone wanted to show me pictures of their baby... I get it now!”

2001

8 Matt Warren and his wife Allyson moved back to Cincinnati just over five years ago and have enjoyed settling into their life as a growing family in Loveland. They have two energetic boys, Declan(age 6) and Beckett (age 4). This past December, Matt and Allyson, along with their family, opened Brixx Wood Fired Pizza and a couple months later opened Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe in Deerfield Township.

2002

Zach Bohannon is currently living in Cincinnati where he works as a field director for Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the nation’s leading grassroots activists organization which supports economic prosperity, freedom, and opportunity through free market principles and principles of limited government. Wes and Dori Dostal Edmonson are living in Loveland, Oh with their two children, Oliver (5) and Henry (2). Ryan Scott has been working for the last 10 years at GE Aviation where he is an evaluation engineer. He has been working on the GE9X engine that will power the Boeing 777; so if you are flying from here to California, it is likely that he will be powering you!

9 Denis Beausejour and his wife Robynne are loving life in the suburb of Chicago. Denis is working at O.C. Tanner, which is a rewards and recognition company. They are currently attending Willow Creek Community Church. September 2016 they were blessed with a beautiful baby boy, Denis.

11 Kathryn Ashbrook Folkerth and her husband, Joshua are living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with their sons Max (4) and Linus (2). They are there on an international assignment with Joshua’s job (out of Geneva, Switzerland). Previous postings were North Carolina and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They are loving living inTanzania and having the opportunity to explore that corner of the world. Melissa Perkins Ruch proves you can successfully balance being a wife, mom, and having a full career! Shortly after graduating from Miami University in 2007, she started her career with the Nielsen company - a measurement company headquartered in New York. Melissa has held multiple roles within the company from sales to research management to HR leadership, where currently she helps lead the global employee engagement strategy across the organization. Melissa is actively involved with external branding and marketing for Nielsen, helping transform the internal employee experience for associates from the research and data insights collected externally. From a personal lens, after attending Miami University together, “Miami Mergers” Melissa and Paul Ruch were married in 2008. Paul is owner of Express Employment Professional in Cincinnati, a staffing company dedicated to helping people find jobs and provide workforce solutions to businesses. Together they have two boys - Caden (3) and Parker (1 yr). Both boys are great fun with lots of energy and smiles! They are currently living in Liberty Township, OH where they enjoy traveling, outdoor activities, and simply hanging out with family and friends.

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2 9

4 6

5 11

ALUMNI NOTES

>> 12

13 17

19 15

16 20

FULLY PREPARED

Cara Clausing Rupp married her high school boyfriend, Tony Rupp in 2008 and then graduated with an Engineering Physics degree from Wright State. She is currently a research engineer at WPAFB in Dayton, OH. Cara and Tony welcomed a cute little boy, Jackson, in 2014, who joins their fluffy cat to round out the family.

2004

12 Josh and Julie Baker were married in an intimate wedding in her parent’s yard with just a few family members in May of 2016 and are currently living in Indianapolis. Julie is a designer at Nelson jewelers. They opened a food truck “Tongue n Cheek” that specializes in hearty sandwiches. There latest venture is the 22nd Street Diner that has a classic diner feel serving comfort food to include family-style shared plates and classic sides like collard greens, cornbread, baked beans, and more. They were recently back at CHCA to celebrate the graduation of their “little brother” Adam, Class of 2017. 13 Courtney Clark-Rankin has nearly completed a post-bachelor degree in Business Informatics to better succeed in her new role as the Information Systems Administrator at Cincinnati Museum Center and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. She and her husband, Christopher, continue restoration work on their 97 year old historic home in Southgate, KY, and they are ecstatic to be expecting their first child in November. 14 Rachael Herrmann Martinez continues in her position as a Research Health Scientist for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She and her husband had their first little girl, Carlyn Kay, in June 2015, and just welcomed their second, Isabella Regina, on Memorial Day 2017. The Martinez family, including their two mini huskies, reside in Chicago. Nathaniel Sizemore and his wife, Erin, are currently living in Ft. Thomas, KY where he is the vice president and general counsel of Sizemore & Co., LLC 15 Brittany Wyche is currently living in inston-Salem, NC where she is a college counselor at Guilford College. In February, she and Chris Jacques became engaged and are planning for their January 2018 wedding.

2005

Jonathan Gaietto is living in L.A. and is a professional actor. 16 Ben Hoyer and his wife Shannon (Drumheller) were married in 2013 and reside in Anderson Township with their new son Blake Lee (born March 3, 2017). Ben gradu-

ated from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl Lindner Honors Plus Program in 2010 with a degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. Ben is the CEO of ClearShield Auto Glass operating in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. Shannon, a 2010 graduate of The University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce with a BS in Commerce, is Campaign Manager for 84.51 (formerly Dunnhumby). Ben is a proud Bearcat football supporter. Teddy Siegel is currently living in Cincinnati and is working as a Business Operations Assistant for the Cincinnati Reds.

2006

17 Dr. Michael Goebel graduated from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2014 and is currently an Emergency Physician. He married Meredith on September 17, 2016, and they are currently living in Cincinnati. Justin Jones can be seen this season on the sideline at Eagles varsity football games as he has joined the coaching staff. GO EAGLES!! Cathy Kwan and her husband, Jason Yoong, live in Seattle, Washington where she is Senior Designer for Vie Active. 18 Liz Stogner just graduated with her MBA from Sullivan University where she works as an Employer Relations Specialist for the career services there. She will be assisting at the Louisville Young Guns Dinner at the James Beard House again in the fall. 19 Carrie Campbell VanSlyke and Jeremy welcomed their first child, Thomas in August. They currently live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Jeremy is a music record producer and runs his own company called Leaf Music. Carrie currently teaches 45 little students private violin/viola lessons every week and continues to play viola in Symphony Nova Scotia. She plans to take three months off with the arrival of their little one to adjust to their new family life. They are very excited for this new adventure!

2007

20 Ryan Atkins married Stephanie Perry on November 19, 2016 at Old St. George in Clifton, OH. Ryan and Stephanie were in the same second grade class at CHCA Elementary in 1996. They continue to share their story at www.FlatOnMyFeet.com James Havey lives in Penang Kam, Cambodia where he continues to work doing anti human trafficking sociological research and LGBT advocacy with Maryknoll Lay Missions.

21 Amy Stevens Hendley and her husband, Tanner, have three children - Mary Evelyn (4), Rosalie (2), and Noah (born in Feb 2017). Commencement from Liberty University was shortly after Noah was born and both Amy and Tanner were graduating with their Masters. They were allowed to bring their newborn son on the field for commencement where President Trump was the speaker. Nathan Wallace is currently living in Columbus, OH with his wife, Claire.

2008

Adam Clark is currently living in Washington, DC and is working as an associate attorney at the campaign finance law firm, Utrecht, Kleinfeld, Fiori, Partners, LLC. 22 Todd Simmons just graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical University with his M.D. He was recently married to Nicole Thieman on May 6, 2017. Alumni Adam Simmons ‘05, Kurt Kersey ‘08, Austin Zekoff ‘09 and Nathan Lambert ‘08 were all part of the celebration. In June he began his psychiatry residency at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 23 Austin Wilson relocated to Nashville with his wife, Nicole, where he is currently on tour with Matthew West and loving it. During the stage shows, Austin steers cameras, makes giant video walls show the right things at the right time and other cool effects making the show come to life.

2009

Brianna Alvarado was recently invited to join the Women’s National Soccer Team to play goalkeeper for Puerto Rico. 24 Drake Browne married Claire in November 2016 and currently lives in the Atlanta area. He has been working at Perfect Game USA since graduation from Furman University in 2013 and was recently promoted to National Marketing Manager. While in college he played baseball for four years at D1 Furman University. 25 Sarah Cesler has been living in Denver since 2014 and was married there in September 2016 to Gavin Whitman. Sarah is currently a zookeeper at the Denver Zoo and cares for rhinos, tapirs, and elephants. 26 Hannah Frank Cisneros married Paolo Cisneros on May 28, 2017 and is currently living in Santiago De Queretaro, Mexico. There she is involved in education and community development work.

ALUMNI NOTES

Alison Edwards graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader in 2016 from Xavier University and is currently living in Chicago where she is a Registered Nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Travis Geiger is currently living in LA and is a film director and most recently a producer’s assistant on the set of Robin Hood shooting in Budapest. His first experience began in chapel videos at CHCA. Alivia Johnson is currently living in Cincinnati, OH where she is the Corporate HR & Training Coordinator for Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment. 27 Captain Philip Marosi completed his captain training at Fort Lee Virginia and was the top student in his class from the Army Logistics University in May. He moved to Petersburg, VA in October 2016 after being on assignment for three years near Nuremberg, Germany. He and his beautiful wife, Megan, will be leaving for South Korea for two years at the end of June. They are excited to see what challenges lie ahead and are experiencing God’s goodness and faithfulness in the highs and lows. 28 Kelsie Pignone Nagel married Bobby Nagel on February 13, 2016 and they are excited to introduce their new addition, Vinny, born in April 2017. 29 Olivia Perez moved to Houston in 2015 with her boyfriend of five years, Kent Fisher. They both work at NASA Johnson Space Center and love it! In their spare time they love hiking, traveling, pub trivia, and taking their fur baby, Coney (2 yr. old mini dachshund) everywhere with them! If any CHCA people are in Houston and want a tour, let her know! 30 Chris Powers wed Joey Ausena on October 29, 2016 and they currently reside in London, UK. Andy Shear graduated from college with a degree in software engineering and is currently working remotely for a technology firm in Blue Ash, OH as a software developer creating anything from apps to web surfaces. In August 2016 he married Kelly and they relocated to New Mexico where they are living on a ranch and raising their three horses. Paul Tepfenhart is currently in Columbus, OH working as the Director of Sales for CrossChx, a biometric medical security company. He helped build the company from its inception four years ago to the nationwide security and automation company it is today.

31 Taylor Beadle Weber is currently living in West Chester, OH with her husband, Sebastian. Sebastian recently graduated with his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University and works at Prasco Pharmaceutical in Mason, OH. Taylor just finished her fifth year of teaching and is a 5th grade teacher at Sharonville Elementary. She is involved in a Munich Sister City Teacher Exchange and hosted a Kindergarten teacher for two weeks last April. In June, Taylor went to Munich, Germany for two weeks to learn about the culture and the school system in Europe. Recently she and Sebastian celebrated their five year anniversary in Jamaica.

2010

32 Erin Lloyd graduated from CHCA in 2010 and just finished her third year of medical school at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Michigan. In April of 2017, she was asked to address 2,000 high school students before a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park for their Class Outside Series. Prior to her medical tract, she had sustained a serious injury while playing collegiate level basketball. Through this injury and recovery she experienced first hand how essential it is to be treated by compassionate doctors. Her passion arose to pursue a career in sports medicine and get kids back in the game.

2011

Matt Alvarado is a member of “Public”, a band that also includes CHCA alumni John Handelsman ‘12 and Ben Lapps ‘12. They recently released their latest EP, “Sweet Lemonade” and performed in a show with Twenty One Pilots this past June. 33 Maddie Drees celebrated her one year anniversary of living in New York City in January! She and a few friends started their own small theater company called Artists Entrained. The debut production was successful, and marked the first of many. Maddie recently accepted a position with NY Kids Club and Preschool as an Assistant Location Manager. She continues to thrive in the “big city” life, but will always be a Cincinnati girl at heart. 34 Maya Traynham-Richardson McCollum and Adam ‘12 were married January 2016 and reside in West Chester, Oh. They were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Mila Marie, born in February. Adam is currently working for a data firm in Cincinnati and Maya is enjoying being a stay at home mom to Mila and their dog, Disney. Christie Taylor is currently living in Houston where she dances for a dance ministry

called Ad Deum. In addition, she teaches dance and art, with the long term goal of using the arts as a mechanism for healing. See the feature on page #

2012

Ted Andrews was recently drafted to play for the Chicago White Sox. 35 Samuel Becker recently started fulltime at a digital marketing agency in Orange County. However, over the last full year since graduating from Biola University he worked at a farm and then committed to work with a non-profit called Harvest Craft, helping to run their marketing. At Harvest Craft, they work to educate, equip, and empower under-resourced communities through sustainable food production systems. Working with this non-profit took Samuel to Cambodia and Japan. In Cambodia he partnered with a local pastor to design a sustainable farm for the new rehab center for rescued girls from the sex trade industry. In Japan, he learned and networked with recognized and impactful community shapers and sustainable agriculture innovators. Samuel wanted to give a special shout out to Dr. Savage for putting him onto this path and opening his mind to the ability to love others, serve God, and cultivate lasting change through sustainable agriculture and environmental care. 36 Hannah Grubb is currently living in Brooklyn, NY where she is working as the Executive Assistant to the President of The King’s College, her alma mater. Zach James could be seen this season on the sideline of the Eagles Varsity football as he has joined the coaching staff as Varsity Lineback Coach and JV Assistant Coach. GO EAGLES!! 37 Ann Marie Kadnar and James Riley ‘13 were engaged in December 2016, with a wedding planned for December 2017. Ann Marie will graduate in August 2018 from University of Kentucky with a Masters in Integrated Plant and Soil Science. She is working on her thesis which focuses on forage quality in cool season pasture grasses for equine nutrition and health. Tanner Kuremsky graduated from Virginia Tech May 2016 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. In August 2016 he moved to Baltimore and began as a formulator for CoverGirl cosmetics, specifically creating foundations. Tanner lives in the Canton neighborhood in Baltimore and stays busy with city wide intramural sports like kickball, softball, and corn hole (where he reigns supreme in corn hole after hailing from the Midwest).

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ALUMNI NOTES

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34 Adam McCollum See Maya Traynham-Richardson McCollum ‘11 entry. Courtney Myers recently graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration and is currently living in Greenville, South Carolina. She is working as a Financial Analyst for Lockheed Martin. Meredith Stutz graduated from Elon University and is now working as a multimedia journalist for WSAV Channel 3 News in Savannah, Georgia where she writes, shoots, and edits all of her material. 38 Jacob Thiel is living in Springboro with his dog, Derby. He is an Engineer for GE Aviation in Evendale. 39 Josh Thiel completed his MBA from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh this past May and is currently living in Liberty Township, OH. He is working in Covington, KY for TiER1 Performance Solutions as an Associate Account Manager on the Business Development/Market Service team. This is the same company he had interned with in Pittsburgh. 40 Emily Walton was recently selected to receive a 2017 National Security Education Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Fellowship. She will be taking a year off from her graduate studies to move to Riga, Latvia where she will study advanced Russian language and conduct independent research. Emily will graduate in Spring 2019 with a Master of Arts in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies from the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

2013

41 Abby Bowman graduated from Wheaton College in May with a double degree in Cultural Anthropology and Spanish after returning to the USA from seventh months living, working, and researching in Peru. She spent the summer outdoors as a director of ropes courses and wilderness treks at a summer camp in Maine. Abby and another classmate recently released a podcast, Dis(claim), and Abby will soon begin volunteering as an Outreach Ambassador for a newly developing blog project in Chicago. Wes Braden graduated in 2016 with a BA in Business/Economics from Wheaton College and is currently working as an Associate Account Strategist for Google in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kevin DeGroft was sworn into the Navy as part of their NUPOC (Nuclear Propulsion

Officer Candidate) program in March of 2015. His first orders were to finish his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cedarville University which he did on May 6, 2017. He reported to OCS (Officer’s Candidate School) on June 4 in Newport, RI. Joe Kabalin just graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He is going on to pursue a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. 37 James Riley See Ann Marie Kadnar’s ‘12 entry. 42 Kaity Venters just graduated from Saint Mary’s College Cum Laud with a B.A. in Global Studies with a concentration in Chinese. She is currently working as Marketing Associate for Acco Brands. (Lake Zurich, IL)

2014

Zach Alvarado is currently in the Philippines working with British American Tobacco. He is the head of digital marketing for their flagship vape brand, Vype. Adam Kohlan just completed his third year at Belmont University where he is studying Marketing. 43 Jimmy Kuroff is studying Nutrition and Food Sciences at University of Cincinnati. This summer he interned with alumni Adam Atallah ‘07 in CHCA’s Sports Performance Training Program. 44 Anna Mirlisena started interning for Thistle Farms, a Nashville-based, non-profit organization whose mission is to heal, empower, and employ survivors of prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. She is in her final year of college at Belmont University pursuing a BA. Casey Ochs is studying communications management and psychology at the University of Dayton. Caroline Schutte is attending the University of South Carolina where she is pursuing a B.S. in International Business & Marketing. She will be spending 2017 studying at the University in Santiago, Chile!

2015

45 Merrie Drees has just completed her sophomore year as a BFA Musical Theatre candidate at Kent State University. In the summer of 2015 she was the understudy for the part of “Penny” in Hairspray at Porthouse Theatre - Kent State’s professional

summer stock theatre in Cleveland/Akron. On campus at Kent State, she has been cast in three mainstage productions: “Thoroughly Modern Millie”, “Into the Woods”, and “Kiss Me Kate”. She was recently awarded the 2017 Charlotte Braun Scholarship for Outstanding Performance in Dance. This summer she made her debut performance with the Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre as ‘Kitty’ in “The Drowsy Chaperone”. Joshua Eckert is attending The Ohio State University were he is pursuing a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. He is actively involved in the Greek community where he is the founding father of Theta Chi and was elected as executive board member of both the chapter and the school’s Intrafraternal Council. 46 Gabe Hoyer is a Junior at Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee where he is earning a BFA in Musical Theatre. During his short time in Nashville, he has had many unique opportunities. One of these occurred fall ‘16 when he was cast in Nashville’s “Evita” where he joined several Broadway actors (Eden Espinosa, Ben Crawford, Anthony Crivello) in this breathtaking production. This summer he performed professionally at The Lost Colony in Manteo, Outer Banks North Carolina. November 10-12, Gabe was recently seen in the leading role of Tevye in Belmont University’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” 47 Zach Hoyer is a Junior at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he is majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Music. He is a member of the renown men’s A Capella group The Wittmen Crew and has performed in venues and competitions throughout the area. He continues to play his bass trombone as a member of the Symphonic Band. He returned to the stage this spring as Dan in Wittenberg’s musical production of Next to Normal. This summer Zach lived in Springfield where he interned at the National Trail Parks and Recreation District, a position offered through Wittenberg University’s Hagen Center for Civic Engagement. 48 Audrey Koob is studying at Miami University pursuing a degree in Finance. 49 Allie Kuroff headed to Hertford College, University of Oxford this fall to begin a year long study abroad experience. She was chosen to be enrolled as one of a few Visiting Students at Hertford. She will be studying with faculty in the archaeology, anthropology, and music departments.

ALUMNI NOTES

Molly McBrayer worked this past summer as an inventory planning intern at Takeda Pharmaceutical in Chicago, Illinois. This role will allow her to further develop her understanding of supply chain logistics. As a junior at Miami University, she will spend the fall semester abroad in the Netherlands at Maastricht University. She hopes to have the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and gain a more global perspective of both business and culture. 48

Reflection on My Summer 2015

Olivia Schwan “God is so good. This summer, he’s decided to include me in his Mazatlán, Mexico story, and I could not be more grateful. I’m currently interning with Back2Back Ministries, a global organization dedicated to holistic orphan care and addressing each child’s spiritual, physical, social, emotional, and educational needs. On a day to day level, my time is split between leading work projects at the homes and spending time with these kids. But on a larger scale, my job is to listen to the Lord and be obedient to him until each and every orphaned child knows they are loved by a Father who loves better than anything we know on earth. While interning here is amazing, it doesn’t happen without a solid team of supporters or the people who connected me with Back2Back in the first place. The first time I ever heard about this organization was in my 7th grade history class at CHCA with Steve McCollum, who is now with Back2Back staff. Watching his enthusiasm about tackling the orphan crisis around the globe as a 13-year-old rocked my world, and that’s a huge reason why I’m in Mazatlan this summer. I could talk about this great ministry all day long, so if you’re interested in getting involved, talking with me about it, or more information feel free to read my Mazatlán blog at www.oliviaschwan. wix.com/mazatlan or email me at olivia. schwan@gmail.com. Keep your prayers for these kids coming!”

2016

Zachary Bell just completed his first year at Miami University. He is working for Baker Concrete in IT Support to grasp the large company view of this field. 50 Vince Colyer completed his first year at the University of South Carolina where he is pursuing a degree in Business. He spent his summer as a merchandising intern for FC Cincinnati. Erik Kohlan completed his first year at Miami University where he is studying Marketing.

Phil Ochs just completed his first year at University of Cincinnati College of Music where he is studying Commercial Music Production. Chazz Powell enjoyed her first year at Washington University in St. Louis where she was very involved on campus through her business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and being a campus tour guide. This year she is enjoying being a peer mentor as well. This summer she interned at a PR firm, FleishmanHillard, at their headquarters in downtown St. Louis. 52 Kat Williams is a sophomore at Denison University majoring in Health and Exercise Sports Science with a concentration in pre med while also continuing her athletic career in basketball. She spent the summer as an intern with Joe Lucas and Adam Atallah ‘07 at CHCA as an athletic trainer while also interning at Mercy Hospital with a Physician Assistant specializing in sports orthopedics. Her goal is to get into PA grad school and become a sports orthopedic surgery PA.

51 Johnny Noyen will be starting his second year at Miami University where he is pursuing a major in Finance from the Farmer School of Business. He is also enjoying being a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity there. 52

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Breaking Out with Andy Garrett ‘09: Q&A BY SARAH ESLICK ROBINSON ‘09

How did Breakout get started? We started Breakout with the realization that real-life interactions still carry a tremendous amount of value. It’s a counter-cultural way of thinking but we really dug into the creation story and tried to identify what we (people) are created for. We quickly realized that we were created to be in community, so we’re constantly looking for ways to create that and Breakout just so happened to fit the mold.

Do you believe God has changed you throughout this process? How so? Yes, there have been a ton of ways but I think the biggest one has been learning to trust [the Lord]. There are so many variables that go into running a business, and at times it gets stressful. It’s been amazingly freeing when those times creep up, to simply be able to say “I trust you” and to not feel like the success/failure of Breakout is on our backs. We want a lot more of that :).

How many locations are there now? Did you ever expect it to be so successful? There are 43 total locations. Successful? I guess that’s a relative term. Honestly, we are still super hungry to keep learning and growing. We’re having a ton of fun with it.

It’s such a blessing to be able to find something you’re passionate about and make a career out of it. What wisdom would you want to pass on to someone struggling with their purpose as far as their career is concerned? For me the fear of failing didn’t add up to the fear of asking ‘what if’ at the end of my life. I am so much more interested in getting a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ than never knowing. If you’re passionate about something, go get your answer.

What led you to this industry? Our mission statement is to “Create space for people to experience relational depth and communal wealth.” We’re really passionate about having deeper connections and hosting communities of people who see the value in that. Breakout aligned so we said ‘yes’.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Entrepreneurs? Run into your fears, I guarantee that at the worst, you’ll learn something.

I’m sure it was a leap of faith to jump into a brand new industry. What role did your faith play in all of this? Yeah, you never know what’s going to happen. I can honestly say there have been plenty of days where all we could do was invite the Lord to lead and work alongside us. I don’t know how people run businesses without a community of people pushing them towards the Lord.

11525 Snider Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249

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