Experience Magazine Winter 2022

EXPERIENCE CA A

EXPERIENCE CA 1

In this ISSUE

04

TECHNOLOGY AT EVERY LEVEL

Class Notes 17 Academy News 30 Meet Chef Steph 44

Academy has been incorporating science and technology into the classroom for decades.

Today, students in every grade are learning to master the latest tools to fuel a brighter future for humanity. From the new Lower School Makerspace to 3D printing collaborations and award-winning robotics projects, CA students learn early and often that tomorrow is theirs to invent.

2021-22 Board of Trustees President Sandy Doyle-Ahern P’20 ’22 Vice President Bill Porter ’74

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Secretary Susan S. Williams, Ph.D. Treasurer Christine Freytag P’18 ’20 ’22 Immediate Past President Jonathan Kass ’85, P’19 ’21 Kevin Barney P’21 ’27 Tanisha Lyon Brown P’20 ’22 Ted Carlin ’89, P’17 ’22 Beth Fisher P’09 ’19 Dr. Ronda Gaiser P’19 ’22 Ching-chu Hu P’25 ’30 ’32 Karen Jennings P’22 Ramon Jones P’22 ’23 Paul Judge P’33 ’35 Kevin Malhame P’28 ’30 Jessica Chi Nimjee P’29 ’33 Niles Overly ’69 Jennifer Salopek P’24 Dr. Pankaj Tiwari P’22 ’25 Matthew Zeiger P’25 ’28

HANDS-ON PROBLEM-SOLVING

In 2021, Lower School debuted its Makerspace – CA’s third such workshop – thanks to a generous gift from the Jenks family. The Makerspace concept is built on a teaching philosophy that encourages young learners to think like designers and inventors. It's a powerful way to cultivate self-confidence as students develop their ability to solve real-world problems through hands-on projects.

Alumni Board Representative Dr. Scott Gurwin ’82, P’14 ’25 PACA Representative Jennifer Nester P’21 ’25

44 14

A HEART FOR HEALTH

TRANSFORMATIONAL INVENTION

Columbus Academy seniors Soham Joshi and Raaghav Malik recently invented a robotic glove that can teach sign language through guided motion. In a year’s time, they’ve received international acclaim and startup funding commitments to make their vision a reality that could transform the world for millions of deaf people.

2 EXPERIENCE CA

Learning how to feed 1,400 students, faculty, staff and guests five days a week requires serious resourcefulness — and a big heart. SAGE Senior Food Service Director/Chef Stephanie Campbell has both. And she used those qualities to encourage healthy eating during the pandemic by making at-home cooking videos.

Experience magazine is published by Columbus Academy.

4300 Cherry Bottom Road Gahanna, Ohio 43230-0745 Phone: 614-475-2311 Fax: 614-475-0396 Web: columbusacademy.org Editors: Erich Hunker ’81, P’16 ’20 and Bob Lee P’25 ’28 Contributors: Melissa Clarke Beckett, Emily Campbell, Jeremy Morgan and Bryane Roberts P’28 Photographers: Calabrese Studio, Cynthia Wilson P’87, Dr. Andy Morris ’85, P’16 ’18, Michelle Faciana, Ralph Schudel and Irish Eyes Photography Proofreader: Shannon Nelson Strategy, Design & Writing Services: Cognitive Marketing Inc. Printing: Watkins Printing Company

I

THIS IS THE ACADEMY E XPERIENCE was lucky enough to have dinner recently

So when our youngest students go traipsing off

with a few graduates in Boston. Two were

into the underbrush on frequently scheduled

sophomores at MIT, one was a senior at

days in the forest, they certainly follow logic in

Harvard, and all of them were focusing

scientific discovery but they are also dreaming

their studies on computers, engineering

about forts and how to design them out of

and math. As they began to get in the

recently felled branches. With not one piece of

conversational STEM groove about materials

technology in sight, they manage relationships

science, data infrastructure and the like, one of

with classmates as they ford streams, navigate

them spoke up about how her English exam was

the occasional bug bite and solve the riddle

going to be very taxing, and she was planning

of who lives in the burrows among tree roots.

to call forth her well-honed humanities skills

It could be some of the best early STEM

from high school, which made my heart sing.

training, but we know it is the practice that

Through the pages of this issue you will

fully developed young minds need to soak in.

be introduced to one of many real points of pride in the

Our devotion to a broad, intellectually distributed education

Columbus Academy curriculum: math, computer science

is so clear that even our math classes contain some of

and problem-solving. We are home to some of the strongest

the most nonlinear approaches to problem-solving. And

teaching faculty at the primary and secondary level I have

in history and English our students are studying the

ever encountered. In complete correlation, the school also

intricacies of international politics and trade while also

builds and attracts many students who thrive in these

producing white papers for small local businesses on

subjects in almost a flywheel effect of creating and sustaining

how they can attract more employees or customers.

excellence in instruction, creativity and performance.

For our school, it feels good when current students are

Our potency in left-brain curriculum, however, does not mean

rewarded for designing robotic gloves that teach sign language

we underserve the right-brained demands of creativity, intuition,

and creating apps that assist individuals with autism. But

imagination and the arts. We have a deep and unwavering

seeing the wide variety of interests and abundance of success

commitment to educating children for their human potential

stories about Academy alumni in our Class Notes section

– as opposed to their working, testing or earning potential.

epitomizes the value of why we teach the way we do.

We are in the business of helping to grow young children in

To hear, in-person especially, how much this school

ways that make them most whole. Their sense of humor and

means to you is incredibly rewarding for me. I hope you

play, their compassion and honesty, their ability to engage

continue to share those thoughts with us as we have

with all sorts of problems and influence others to join them in

increasing opportunities to gather in the coming year.

those tasks are chief among qualities our curriculum cultivates in their daily work with us, no matter what their age.

Melissa Soderberg, Head of School

During a scavenger hunt on their Community Day in early October, second-graders visited the Head of School’s office.

EXPERIENCE CA 3

“TECHNOLOGY IS JUST A TOOL. IN TERMS OF GETTING THE KIDS WORKING TOGETHER AND MOTIVATING THEM, THE TEACHER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.” ― BILL GATES TECH EDUCATION AT COLUMBUS ACADEMY BRINGS TOGETHER THREE DIVERSE AREAS: coding, electronics and design/making. From the moment students begin their time here, they’re being 4 EXPERIENCE CA

OUR STUDENTS LEARN BOTH THE POWER AND THE PLACE OF TECHNOLOGY AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL

In

1962, Columbus Academy acquired its first computer: a six-volt Minivac 601 with six bytes of storage capacity. Even then, CA recognized the importance of mastering new technology.

way a student’s mind works. This approach also leads to confidence and poise in students when they have to stand before an audience and present their work – a skill they carry with them for ages to come.

This was, after all, the decade NASA launched Apollo 11 – the first spacecraft to land a man on the moon. And while the computer that drove that extraordinary feat was significantly more powerful than Academy’s original Minivac 601, it was still so very primitive. In fact, the smartphones we carry in our pockets today are 100,000 times more powerful than the one Apollo carried. Technology has advanced at lightning speed, but in the six decades since Academy acquired its first computer, Academy’s emphasis on technology education has been keeping pace.

CA’s technology department serves as the mainframe of resources. The tech team supports faculty and staff, helps students of all grades and collaborates on new initiatives to enrich the campus experience, as well as opportunities beyond. For instance, students benefit from a synchronous learning model, in which they can learn directly from any expert on any subject around the world – live and in real time. Ornithology. Foreign policy. Engineering. Performing arts. The web’s the limit.

At CA, students learn, in age-appropriate ways, that technology is a tool best mastered in the service of humanity. Tech literacy is simply a means to an end. Its real power is in giving people the capacity to tackle tomorrow’s biggest challenges.

One way CA cultivates this mindset is through the principles of Project Based Learning (PBL), a dynamic teaching approach that helps students gain deeper knowledge by taking on problems through complex activities rather than rote memorization.

PBL, along with the technologies students learn about in CA classrooms, not only adds value through technical mastery; it holds other lessons, too. Consider how the study of music or math contributes to academic excellence in other subjects. It’s not just about the discipline; it’s about how it enhances the

Closer to home, the QuestWorks program at CA is modeled after the Skunk Works R&D labs at Lockheed Martin. It provides grant money to upper school students to create, build or explore an area of personal interest that isn't tied to a specific timeline or grade. Past projects have included electronic skateboards to help cut down on automobile usage, an eco-friendly windmill and – as you’ll discover in this issue – a robotic glove programmed to teach people American Sign Language.

CA has also recently unveiled a third Makerspace, this one for Lower School, through a generous gift by the Jenks family. This space is designed to fuel young creators’ imaginations and instill in them that technology is more than a means to consume content passively. It’s a means for them to make something of their own. After all, one of the most powerful ways to gain experience is to create it for yourself.

FROM THE COVER

Dynamic duo’s super-powered ASL glove gets traction CA seniors Soham Joshi and Raaghav Malik have been getting applause from every corner for their invention of a robotic glove programmed to teach sign language through guided motions. Through their research, the pair discovered a global need for a more affordable, practical way to teach deaf and deaf-blind people to communicate. The need is great, as is the business potential.

One of the most challenging issues, Raaghav notes, is the lack of trained professionals who can teach sign language to deafblind individuals around the world. “And, in particular, in developing countries these professionals are not accessible and are expensive,” Raaghav told The Columbus Dispatch in a recent report. The process of inventing the glove was itself an education, added Soham. “Just going through the process and being mentored has helped with being persistent, understanding that the inventor's journey is not easy or straightforward,” Soham said.

“You have to stay committed.”

See the full story – with a link to their pitch video – on Page 14.

introduced to a foundation that will scaffold up to these three areas, from kindergarten all the way through their senior year.

EXPERIENCE CA 5

How lower-schoolers learn an early command of high-tech tools

IN

a world where children can operate a smartphone before they learn to walk – and sometimes even make digital movies before they enter kindergarten – technology is clearly an essential part of everyday life from one’s earliest years. While technology is indeed everywhere, Columbus Academy makes sure lower school students learn early and often that the devices and media that surround them are but the fuel for their own creativity. Young learners here are encouraged to think like creators, continually experimenting and remixing everything they absorb.

Lower-schoolers also use Miro, a collaborative app where students take polls and input information so they can learn how to generate bar graphs and identify patterns. It’s also an example of how CA embraces the power of project-based learning.

As is the case throughout CA, an important aspect of teaching science and technology in Lower School is integrating it into other subjects in meaningful ways. Students begin using iPad tablets in kindergarten. One of the most popular apps students learn to use is Seesaw – a collaborative program that lets them share information with each other. In first grade, students use Seesaw to evaluate space and matter by sharing images and sorting them into solids, liquids and gasses.

“Each student has the freedom to decide how to bring their research project to life, as long as they’re following the assignment,” Laura says. “Some kids do stop-animation. Others design a comic strip

“Seesaw serves as a portfolio for students as young as kindergarten and first grade, letting them record and identify images, such as the parts of a worm, or manipulating variables in an experiment,” says Laura King, who teaches lower school science to first and fifth grades and whose son and daughter attend CA.

By fourth grade, students have advanced to Google Classroom, which cultivates executive function, Laura says. And in fifth grade, students’ time in Lower School culminates with a project around solar energy. This is where their imaginations and the tools they’ve learned intersect most powerfully.

design using a storyboard app. Some use iMovie.”

A constantly EVOLVING curriculum

Laura is directly involved in evaluating the science curriculum annually. Then, every two to three years, she also works to align the curricula of Lower School with Middle School so that students are always well prepared for the next level. Part of that continual evaluation process involves looking at current national standards in science, as well as Ohio standards.

As is the case throughout CA, an important aspect of teaching science and technology in Lower School is integrating it One of many apps used in Lower School is Miro, a collaborative 6 EXPERIENCE CA

“We make big-picture recommendations for the lower school curriculum, so students are getting an introduction to skills like engineering design,” Laura says. “That way, when they’re finished with fifth grade, they understand things like how to manipulate variables in an experiment and how to prepare a presentation.”

Tech-savvy teacher:

LAURA KING

· Member of Columbus Academy faculty since 2015 · Has taught science in the Lower School since 2016

Ready to take on MIDDLE SCHOOL

· Co-curricular team leader alongside fellow science teacher Lindy Newman

Before they reach Middle School, students have already begun learning many of the skills they’ll need there.

And CA continually refreshes that curriculum.

“And now, we're actually adding things to the fifth grade curriculum, introducing them to CAD modeling and entry-level 3D printing, so that when they get to Middle School, they know these things exist,” says Todd Martin, technology integration specialist for all of CA. “They might not totally know how to use them yet.

But they understand the possibilities. And most importantly, they learn that digital devices are not just for consuming content; they’re also for creation.”

· B.S. Union College, Psychology · M.S. Long Island University, Childhood Education

“Lower school students are always integrating technology into other subjects. In second grade, they do a meteorology project and record themselves doing a weather report, then learning how to edit it with their friends in the iMovie app.”

Tech-focused gift boosts Lower School, adds MAKERSPACE This school year saw the debut of Columbus Academy’s third Makerspace – this one uniquely designed for Lower School. The Makerspace concept offers more than room to experiment and play; it’s a teaching philosophy that encourages young learners to think like designers and inventors, unafraid to work through failures and keep pursuing their vision. It's a powerful way to cultivate self-confidence as students develop their ability to solve real-world problems through hands-on projects.

While Lower School already featured a traditional computer lab where students could do research, study programming, keyboarding, digital etiquette and various software, CA envisioned a more dynamic space that would provide a cross-disciplinary approach to learning, centered around the integration of STEM/Makerspace teaching techniques.

Enter school parents Andy and Kate Jenks, who learned about this new vision and saw a chance to support opportunities for students to explore technology and innovation.

Thanks to the Jenks family’s special gift, CA has renovated the lower school computer lab into a Makerspace.

Andy and Kate Jenks with their children Maddie, Hale ’27 and Augie ’32

“It’s important for kids It’s a lesson his father taught him early, too. When Andy turned 16 and wanted a car, his dad at the earliest ages to told him they weren’t going to buy one – they’d build one instead. Father and son went to a junkyard and rebuilt a car. Those early experiences in ingenuity can take a student a long way. see THEMSELVES “We saw this gift as an opportunity to help young children understand the creativity behind technology,” Andy and Kate shared. “It’s so exciting to watch a child grasp the concept that they can program a robot to do simple tasks on their own. Creativity, problem-solving and not just as consumers sequencing are all highly transferable abilities, both in the classroom and in life. It’s important for kids at the earliest ages to see themselves not just as consumers of of TECHNOLOGY but technology but also as creators.”

The Jenks family did more than fund a new Makerspace. Their gift will also support faculty also as creators.” development, enabling teachers to visit schools that have well-developed tech and Makerspace The Makerspace concept, with its emphasis on taking risks and being resilient, especially resonated with Andy, an entrepreneur who works with technology startups every day.

programs as well as attend related conferences to build their expertise. Lower school faculty will begin piloting programming in third, fourth and fifth grades to introduce basic tools and skills in a consistent and scaffolded manner, readying students for the middle school program where they will have an opportunity to navigate more complex tools and projects.

– Andy and Kate Jenks

“We are so grateful for this special partnership that developed at the most opportune time,” said Head of Lower School Mark Hansen. “We have wanted to enhance the lower school technology experience, and the Jenks family’s interest and support was the exciting spark that allowed us to rapidly transform the space over the summer.”

into other subjects in meaningful ways. tool that lets students take polls and input information so they can learn how to generate bar graphs and identify patterns.

EXPERIENCE CA 7

Where INVENTIVE From Internet ETIQUETTE to 3D printing, MIDDLE SCHOOL years are packed with tech-savvy LESSONS As students enter Middle School, they’re ready to cover expansive new tech territory. They’ve already learned how to use apps, do research, input data and create media.

They even have a basic understanding of ComputerAided Design (CAD), which they’ll begin to apply here.

“It’s like math class,” says Todd Martin, technology integration specialist for all of CA. “You start with numbers, then addition, then multiplication. You keep building on what you’ve taught them. We create projects that add more and more tools to their toolbox.”

In Middle School, they begin to learn advanced programs, from coding to multimedia to principles of STEAM (an educational approach to learning that uses science, technology, engineering, art and math). And the emphasis remains on meaningful ways to apply those tools to their studies.

Wi-Fi enabled iPads at the ready, middle-schoolers have more than a convenient way to carry schoolwork from class to class. All sixth grade students take a technology class, and students in grades seven and eight learn the basics of coding as an allied class. Through the use of apps such as Notability, Google Drive, Google Classroom and more, students have access to tools that will help them with note-taking, organization and creativity.

“If we give them these powerful devices,” Todd says, “we have to teach them how to use them responsibly, safely and meaningfully. How to do an internet search and sort through the noise. How to find reliable information. We’re always asking ourselves what can we do with these devices that we couldn’t do before?”

The key is to make sure they’re using their increasing powers for good. To that end, students also get assignments to

Middle school tech: full speed ahead

design apps for causes they care about. For instance, one student wanted to make an app to measure heart rate.

“She learned the right questions to ask first,” Todd says. “How would I actually go about that? What would be the parameters? Through our coding classes and designers team classes, we can help students use their knowledge of all the tools for entry-level projects.”

The power of PEEKING “under the hood” Middle School is also a time when students are coming to understand the underlying nature of the tools they’re mastering. They’re digging into the nittygritty of things like the difference between a jpeg and

SIXTH GRADE TECHNOLOGY CLASS gives students the opportunity to explore various tools for education and is dedicated to learning software applications so students will be able to perform tasks required of them in other courses.

The students use Sunburst Type to Learn 4, a web-based program to further enhance typing speed and accuracy. Some of the projects and goals include: • Internet safety and social media discussions to help students recognize red flags online • Internet etiquette to help students be considerate digital citizens • Google Apps • Stop-motion videos and iMovies • Presentation tools such as Prezi, Slides, Haiku Deck and Buncee

In Middle School, students begin to learn advanced programs, from coding to multimedia to principles of STEAM (an educational approach to learning that uses science, 8 EXPERIENCE CA

minds take SHAPE ancient Egypt devised a vivid range of presentation ideas.

“Some sought out help to 3D print the inside of a pyramid or a sarcophagus,” Todd says. “Others created stop-motion videos.”

While sixth-graders don’t yet have a command of 3D printing skills, they’re familiar enough with the capability to be able to envision how they might apply it.

“Some of the students came up to their teacher and said, ‘Oh! You can 3D print an actual replica of the inside of a pyramid?’”

Todd says. “They came up with a design for all the rooms on the inside of King Tut’s tomb. They didn’t have a full command of the technology yet because they haven’t gotten to that in sixth grade. But they knew it existed, learned what it could do, and found the support to bring their imagination to life.”

Goals for EQUIPPING students to enter

UPPER SCHOOL

By the time students have completed eighth grade, they’ve been introduced to game design and app development in their design and STEAM classes, and they’ve been equipped for entrylevel projects in Upper School – it’s all preparation for complex assignments ahead. continues...>

a png (image file formats) as well as learning the intricacies of content, such as image rights. Students spend as much time looking at how things work as they do learning how to use them, from software to CNC machines to 3D printers.

“Even with coding, it’s not about learning how to code,” Todd says. “We’re using the subject to teach them how to solve problems. They learn what’s going on ‘under the hood.’”

Fueling creativity and CONFIDENCE Middle school teachers will often give students an assignment and leave it up to them which format or tool they want to use to convey their content. In a recent sixth grade social studies class, students preparing reports on

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE CODING begins as a seventh grade allied class and continues in eighth grade. Students learn and practice programming vocabulary, block coding, problem solving and logic puzzles. The eighth grade coding class builds on the skills developed in seventh grade and introduces Scratch projects and Makey Makeys. Some projects and learning goals are to: • Learn to program Spheros, Ozobots, Cubletes and Makey Makeys

Tech-savvy teacher:

TODD MARTIN

· Joined Columbus Academy faculty in 2006 · Technology Integration Specialist since 2018 · Manages two of three Makerspaces · Facilitates technology workshops for faculty and students · Oversees QuestWorks programs · Former Science Olympiad coach · Level II Google educator and Apple learning specialist · B.S. University of Windsor, Biology · M.S. University of Maryland, Chemical Life Sciences · Three children attend CA

“I am a member of the Astromech and BB-8 builders clubs, which are groups that build replica robots from the Star Wars movies.”

• Create code using blocks in code.org, Hopscotch, Tynker, Scratch Jr. and Scratch (eighth grade) • Solve problems using brain teasers and other logic problems • Learn the basics of the hexadecimal numeral system and the binary number system

technology, engineering, art and math). And the emphasis remains on meaningful ways to apply those tools to their studies.

EXPERIENCE CA 9

... continued “Now they’re coming up with their own projects,” Todd says. “They have the basics and next, they’re going to add electronics in Upper School. So, we introduce LEGO Robotics in Middle School which then scaffolds up to a more advanced robotics class in Upper School. It’s simple programming, where, when I press this button, I get this output.”

Middle-schoolers start working on game design, too.

Of course, they’re familiar with how to find game apps on their smartphones or tablets. They recognize what makes a particular game a viral hit, earning it millions of downloads. But beneath the fun of designing games, middle-schoolers are learning to ask questions of themselves. What if I wanted to make an app to solve a specific problem? What would that look like?

Continually flipping the SCRIPT From game design to apps for a cause, the underlying lesson for middle-schoolers is that they are not passive consumers, but creators.

“You have a screen in your hands that has access to all human knowledge,” Todd says. “On that screen, you can watch every movie that’s ever been made. You can share things with anyone in the world. Today’s kids are excellent consumers, unfortunately. Netflix. TikTok. They’re inundated with content. But they’re very aware that they can also use a tablet or smartphone as a creation device – it has the ability to do good. Flip the script.”

They see a LEGO movie. Then they learn that it’s something they can make. It’s up to the teachers to channel the energy for today’s most entertaining digital outlets into something empowering.

“I love that you love playing Candy Crush. But what app would you make?” Todd says.

“You have a screen in your hands that has ACCESS to all HUMAN knowledge.” – Todd Martin

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STEAM is a hands-on course integrating a multi-discipline (science, technology, engineering, art and math) approach using the engineering design process with a focus on 21st-century skills and connections to real-world applications. Objectives are to:

EIGHTH GRADE IDESIGN is an introduction to engineering class that provides students with hands-on, problembased learning opportunities that introduce the principles to develop, produce and assess products related to engineering and technology. Projects include:

• Understand the value of the engineering design process in problem-solving

• Multiple structural design challenges

• Be proficient in creating detailed, reproducible prototypes incorporating several reiterations

• Creation of wall art using basic woodworking

• Become objective, critical thinkers understanding the value of communication and multiple perspectives

• Introduction to circuits and robotics

• CAD design and 3D printing • Design solutions for an on-campus service

• Gain an introduction to common problem-solving technology • Practice in backwards-design and inquiry-based learning

One of the benefits of a 3-year-old through grade 12 school is the opportunities for older students to serve as inspiration for As upper-schoolers become immersed in AP classes, robotics and 10 EXPERIENCE CA

Upper school STUDENTS help YOUNGER peers level up How drawings of a vase offer lessons in calculus, manufacturing – and teamwork Patience. Perseverance. Going back to the drawing board. The pursuit of technology offers many lessons beyond its own mastery. And by the time Columbus Academy students reach Upper School, they’ve embraced this and they’re ready to think big. Very big.

Just like music or math, the study of science and technology contributes to academic excellence in other subjects. It’s not just about the discipline, it’s about how it enhances the way a student’s mind works. And at CA, this approach not only leads to

confidence and poise when students stand before an audience, it produces inventors who are prepared for their college years and beyond.

One of the benefits of a 3-year-old through grade 12 school is the opportunities for older students to serve as inspiration for younger ones. As upper-schoolers become immersed in AP classes, robotics and electronics, always with an eye on their futures, they’re also happy to be a source of inspiration for their younger peers.

Case in point:

THE VASE PROJECT CA sixth-graders had a simple assignment that would lead to an interesting twist. Sketch unique designs for vases on digital graph paper. They fired up their iPads and went to work, then converted their drawings to PDFs and sent them off to their older peers in calculus class.

The juniors and seniors in calculus class received eight initial designs of all different shapes. Their mission: calculate the volume of the drawings using graphing calculators.

Next: render CAD drawings and manufacture them using a 3D printer.

Finally: measure the actual volume of the physical outputs to test their calculations.

on graph paper,” Todd says. “While sixth-graders don't know how to write sophisticated software yet, they’re getting a taste of what’s to come by teaming up with calculus students.

Then, when they reach eighth grade and start learning about the software that goes into this kind of project, the lightbulb goes on: ‘Oh, this is what we used to make my vase!’”

1

“We took their calculations and 3D-printed models of the vase and then poured water into them to see how much the actual volume was compared to what had been calculated,” says Todd Martin, technology integration specialist for all of CA. Middle-schoolers got to see how this all came to life – and it prepared them for lessons still to come.

“The sixth-graders got to see their sketches come to life as physical objects – from a concept to a sketch they created

1 Columbus Academy middleschoolers designed vases on graph paper using their iPads.

3

2

2 CA upper school calculus students translated the middle schoolers’ sketches into 3D renderings and printed them.

3 The calculus students were able to test their volume calculations against physical manifestations of their models – and their sixth grade peers got a peek at the thrill of what’s possible for them as they advance into Upper School.

younger ones. electronics, always with an eye on their futures, they’re also happy to be a source of inspiration for their younger peers.

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College-level computing, next-level inventors In Upper School, engineering coursework culminates with eye-popping robotics and electronics

The final years of a student’s journey through CA hold the most advanced aspects of technological education. Teachers work to cultivate a deeper inventiveness to prepare students for their future as college application and decision time approaches.

“Sometimes students think they know something when they really don’t. Metacognition – knowing what you know – is enhanced by learning a computer program. It breaks down your own thinking,” says Dave Feinberg, upper school computer science teacher.

In ninth through eleventh grade, students are immersed in a computer science curriculum that lays the groundwork for an exciting senior year studying robotics and electronics, two courses devised by Tom DeVore, an upper school science teacher for 10 years and a former electrical engineer. Two of his three children are CA graduates.

“The computer science curriculum here is outstanding.

Best I’ve ever seen,” Tom says. “And we’re talking about expanding tech offerings. Students will be well prepared in any STEM category with this sequence.”

A curriculum built for COLLEGE

READINESS and beyond

Dave notes that very few schools in the country do as much with computer science as CA does. It’s an edge that better prepares students for college.

“If you take everything we offer, when you get to college, you’ll already be familiar with what you pursue,” Dave says.

“Even for students who don’t go any further into computer science, they’ll still be the person in the company who knows all about coding, whether they’re in business, medicine or something else.”

It’s all about demystifying how the web works.

“They can use HTML to create projects in other subjects, and for causes they care about,” Dave says.

The coursework leads to an AP-level computer science class.

“Students who take our AP computer science course in Java could place out of taking a computer programming class in college,” Dave says. “Someone who finishes this AP course, they’re going to be an expert in programming wherever they go. They have a really deep sense of what you can do.”

Advanced Topics in Computer Science – an honors class – enables them to study artificial intelligence and learn how transistors and processors work. And, as with every computing class in Upper School, the work culminates in a final project that will end up on display at the school’s annual Science Fair.

Those projects go beyond coding and technical mastery.

They’re all about applying tech savvy in ways relevant to each student.

“We work with students to create their own programming languages,” Dave says. “For instance, one student asked if he could base his programming language on Hebrew, and I said ‘Sure!’”

Robot as TEACHER , student as INVENTOR

“I’ve heard it argued and it makes a lot of sense, when you really understand something, you can teach it,” Dave says. “When you can teach a computer to do something, you’re refining your own understanding of what you know and what you think.”

In Upper School, students start out with Intro to Computer Science. They learn web development and HTML.

In ninth through eleventh grade, students are immersed in a computer science curriculum with courses such as Advanced – an honors class that enables them to study artificial intelligence and learn how transistors 12 EXPERIENCE CA

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In their senior year, upper-schoolers have a chance to study two related fields and try their hand at both: robotics and electronics.

Along with studying how motors work, robotics students get deeper into CAD design, learning the program Autodesk Fusion 360.

Tech-savvy teacher:

In Dave’s robotics class, students learn how to build robots from components such as sensors to process input and actuators to create movement. They learn how to add capabilities to robots such as light sensing, and program the robots to perform different tasks.

· Joined Columbus Academy faculty in 2012

“For programming, I teach students a piece of software,” Dave says. “One of the lessons is understanding how to use a series of if/then statements to program a robot’s servos to move position.

This year, I took the movie scene from ‘Grease’ – the song You’re The One That I Want – and students programmed the servos to follow the motions of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the scene.”

Dave’s electronics class features just as much variety. There, students study how to build motors, traffic lights, fading LEDs, and control light using photo resisters. They also learn how to work with accelerometers, as well as Arduinos – open-source microcontroller kits for building digital devices.

Students learn how to use Arduinos to program movements and connect modules to those microcontrollers to add functionality, such as Bluetooth to control them with their smartphones, and remote frequency (RF) receivers and transmitter chips so that two Arduinos can communicate with each other.

DAVE FEINBERG · Teaches upper school computer science · Spent four years in Silicon Valley · Member of the MIT team that designed the Scratch programming language · Has taught programming at Carnegie Mellon University · B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Computer Science & Engineering · M.Eng. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

“I worked on the Scratch programming language at the MIT Media Lab, founded

by Logo creator Seymour Papert whose advisor was Jean Piaget.”

One real-world application: the school musical.

“We recently built a rose for the school’s production of Beauty and the Beast,” Dave says. “There was a push-button control in the back of the theatre so we could make a single rose petal fall at specific times during the performance.”

Topics in Computer Science and processors work. It’s all laying the groundwork for an exciting senior year studying robotics and electronics.

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FROM THE COVER

Coding and CARING come TOGETHER

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, & MATHEMATICS

C

olumbus Academy seniors Soham Joshi and Raaghav Malik have earned international attention for their invention of a robotic glove designed to teach sign language through guided motion. The pair call their solution SENSE – short for Specialized Easy-to-use Novel Sign-language Expert.

As Soham notes in the duo’s pitch video to the 2020 Virtual Innovation Summit, more than 466 million people worldwide are deaf – and 97.6 million are deaf-blind. That number is expected to double in the next 50 years.

CA students surpass global Advanced Placement mean scores Academy prepares students extraordinarily well for STEM fields – and the proof is in the consistent high performance in Advanced Placement (AP) science classes.

In 2021, 226 CA students completed 500 AP exams. More than 100 were named AP Scholars for their exceptional scores – and a full 88% were eligible for college credit based on their scores. (A score of 3 out of 5 or higher qualifies for college credit.)

AP Calculus AB · Global mean score: 2.81 · Columbus Academy mean score: 4.34 AP Calculus BC · Global mean score: 3.62 · Columbus Academy mean score: 4.75 AP Physics “C” Electricity and Magnetism · Global mean score: 3.37 · Columbus Academy mean score: 4.31 AP Physics 1 · Global mean score: 2.42 · Columbus Academy mean score: 3.90

“Although organizations serving the deaf and deaf-blind are working to help individuals acquire better communication devices such as readers and writers, these range from $1,000 at the low end to $15,000 at the high end, and also require large laptop devices to display text,” Soham notes, adding, “This is clearly a huge emerging problem, and there's a need for a cheap yet multipurpose solution that can adapt to the users’ needs.”

The team’s SENSE device would cost $250 rather than the thousands that other, more cumbersome communications devices cost.

“We can teach sign language at a low cost with personalized feedback, where the competition can’t,” says Raaghav.

In 2020, they began prototyping the device by consulting with experts at institutions such as the Ohio State School for the Blind and the Ohio School for the Deaf.

The device teaches the wearer the American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet, and a companion program can test their learning by capturing their gestures on a webcam and scoring the accuracy of users’ performance. It consists of 3D-printed rings that fit on each finger and servo motors to manipulate the user’s hand into sign language positions. The team programmed the glove by capturing video of themselves using ASL so that software can capture the positions and generate the proper code for each one.

Raaghav and Soham have already found a partner to grow their concept with Rev1 Ventures, a Columbus-based venture capital company, and they plan to apply for grants from deaf and deaf-blind organizations as well.

The two have already received multiple awards, including the prestigious Conrad Challenge and Best in Show at the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals. And along the way, the prize money they’ve earned is helping them to patent the device. This project got off the ground through seed money from Columbus Academy’s QuestWorks program, which provides small grants to students who wish to pursue an independent project.

Want to be even more impressed?

Watch their pitch video: https://youtu.be/ HK1C6HPNK98?t=3803

14 EXPERIENCE CA

Seniors’ ROBOTS offer chance to bond with kindergarten

BUDDIES Seniors in the electronics class taught by Tom DeVore recently surprised their kindergarten buddies with robots they made as part of the course’s final project. It was senior Zara Syed’s idea to make the robot project part of the Senior-Kindergarten Buddy program, so that kindergartners could play with the finished work. Among the lineup: a robotic dog and cat who became friends. Others: holiday-themed robots with blinking lights and music.

Janet Li helps her kindergarten buddy Vanessa Sands navigate a dog robot named Spot.

The electronics class is a perfect pairing with Tom’s other signature course: robotics. Earlier in the semester, students in his robotics class mastered a wireless communications project that involved building a radio transmitter attached to a glove that also had an accelerometer on it.

“The students built a radio receiver that processed the transmitter data to drive the car,” Tom says. “So the car was driven by the motion of the student’s hand.”

CA robotics TEAM earns NATIONAL gold, silver Last spring, Columbus Academy’s robotics team won both the gold and silver awards for combat robots in the National Robotics Challenge. The “ant weight” (robots weighing under 1 lb.) championship team members were Alex Nanda and Jim Phieffer, while the runners-up team was Saagar Arya, Alexandra Butnariu and Raaghav Malik.

While the entire team worked on both robots, the two groups took on different strategies going into the competition.

“The winning entry by Jim and Alex was a wedge robot that could flip and pin other robots,” says faculty advisor Tom DeVore. “The one by Saagar, Raaghav and Alexandra was a spinner robot that had a high-speed spinning blade to damage the other robots. It was exciting to have both our teams advance all the way to the finals to face each other.”

The top two “ant weight” combat robots in the National Robotics Challenge were created by Academy students (from left) Raaghav Malik, Saagar Arya, Alex Nanda, Jim Phieffer and Alexandra Butnariu.

Lucas Huang ’21 wins top HONORS as National CYBERSECURITY Scholar During his senior year at Academy, Lucas Huang ’21 competed in a rigorous 48hour online cybersecurity competition sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF). In a field of more than 5,000 high school students, Lucas was the only student from Ohio and one of just 30 nationwide to earn the top distinction and a $3,000 college scholarship. NCSF is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States.

Lucas Huang ’21 is currently a freshman at Yale University.

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EVER LOOKING FORWARD Generations of our grads have entered college and professional life ahead of the game Evan Ruff ’99

X-ray startup chief traces tech roots to CA From tinkering with Photoshop as a teenager to helping lead an X-ray imaging startup, Evan has always had his eyes on what’s next. And his interest in technology was well fed during his days at Academy.

“At every step, the faculty did whatever they could to encourage me and integrate whatever I was tinkering with into my education,” Evan says. “I think the flexibility to adapt, more than anything, is what pulled my interest in technology up.”

Evan was building his own computers at home by the time he was in eighth grade, thanks to his parents’ encouragement. Having teachers who took a special interest

E

in individual students’ tech aptitude helped, too. “I spent time with Mark Daubenmier, who taught computer science at CA,” Evan says. “I was a bit of an outlier, so he worked with me one-on-one to craft a curriculum that helped me.”

And when his fascination with computing spilled over into other interests, another CA teacher was there to cultivate it. “I had an interest in art and photography, and I discovered Photoshop and started messing around with that. Cindy Wilson really encouraged me to dig deeper and experiment with that through art class. I liked photography so it was a nice fit.”

Today, Evan is co-founder and CEO of OXOS Medical, which has developed an FDA-approved handheld X-ray system for imaging extremities such as the shoulder, hand and foot. Co-founder Dr. Greg Kolovich invented the Micro C to serve as a portable device to enable clinicians to avoid large, cumbersome machinery.

“For OXOS, it's really about accessibility,” Evan says.

“Something like 40% of all medical interventions start or end with an X-ray, but globally we've got 70% of people with no access to medical imaging at all. Legacy machines are really big and expensive and require specialized training to use, but with Micro C we've made it very simple, so anyone can access radiographic diagnostics. It makes care better, more affordable and more accessible.”

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Jahnea Potts ’21

A first-year edge at Tufts University In her sophomore year at CA, Jahnea Potts ’21 turned some heads when she chose to build a miniature

guillotine as her final project for history class. But what she learned in doing so positioned her well among her peers in her first semester at Tufts.

“We could make anything that we learned about that year,” Jahnea says. “The French Revolution was one of the things we studied, and I thought it would be cool to make a miniature, non-deadly version of a guillotine.” Jahnea turned to the Makerspace to construct a model from a mix of 3D-printed components, cardboard and string. Fast forward to her first year at Tufts, and she found she had a considerable edge over her peers because of that Makerspace experience at CA. “I remember walking into the Makerspace at Tufts, and some of my friends had never seen those kinds of machines. They were just like the ones at CA,” Jahnea says.

Studying robotics and electronics at CA prepared her for college well, too. “When I began my engineering course at Tufts, I was already used to using the robotics kits at Academy,” Jahnea says. “And the coding skills I gained at CA were very useful. Some classmates at Tufts have struggled because they weren’t as familiar with these subjects.”

Always one to help others, Jahnea is considering a future that combines her interests in math and psychology. Where do these two disparate subjects intersect? Often, in anxiety.

“I’m very interested in the study of math anxiety,” Jahnea says, “and there’s actually a research program at Tufts that’s focused on it.”

CLASS Notes

CLASS NOTES

THE 50s

Watch The Columbus Foundation’s interview with Nancy and Tom Lurie ’52 at https://youtu.be/3xsCxnfeeDk

Tom Lurie ’52 and his wife Nancy received The Columbus Foundation Harrison M. Sayre Award in recognition of their deep and abiding commitment to community service.

The award, given in honor of the Foundation’s founder and 25-year volunteer director, recognizes leadership in philanthropy in Central Ohio. According to the Columbus Foundation’s press release, “They have long served on boards and committees with local nonprofits, including the Columbus Cancer Clinic, Temple Israel, Directions for Youth and Family, and the Columbus Museum of Art. Nancy was a long-time volunteer tutor at Columbus City Schools, and Tom has served in board roles with leading national institutions serving the decorative arts world.”

An article in the September issue of the Latvian Language Newspaper in Canada mentions Juris George Raudseps ’56 who, as president of the American Latvian National League in 1971, proposed a monthly publication listing all planned Latvian social events in Boston. Juris inherited the job of updating this monthly calendar of events in 1987 and has held the role ever since.

THE 60s Jim Friedman ’68 was nominated for the Callanan Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award that recognizes outstanding international teachers of photography.

The excellence of Friedman's teaching of photography has also been acknowledged

by Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico (where Jim served as head of the Fine Art Photography Program) and by The Ohio State University. Since 1974, Friedman has taught photography both within academia (at Santa Fe Community College, Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio State and as a visiting artist at Antioch College) and as an independent photographic educator. Currently, Friedman offers workshops, classes, critiques, portfolio reviews, picture editing, consulting and mentoring for photographers and also works on self-directed photography projects and commissioned initiatives. Jim’s photography

is featured in the most recent edition of “Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images” by Terry Barrett.

Barrett’s book is among the most widely used texts for the study of photographic criticism.

A new Vincent Van Gogh exhibition and inspired masterworks, with a large number of pieces from the personal collection of Steven Naifeh and his late husband Gregory White Smith ’69, are on display at the Columbus Museum of Art through February 6, 2022.

Steven, who co-wrote the book “Van Gogh: The Life” with Greg, noted in a Columbus Monthly article that he chose Columbus as host for the show partly in homage to Greg who spent most of his childhood here, and to “make it possible for regional museums – something other than the Met or the National Gallery or the Art Institute of Chicago – to mount a Van Gogh exhibition of importance.”

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CLASS NOTES

In November, Bob Bradway ’81, chairman and CEO of Amgen, took part in the company’s groundbreaking ceremony of its newest manufacturing plant in New Albany. Amgen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies and is a values-based company, deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines for patients with serious illnesses.

Bob Bradway ’81 speaking in New Albany

THE 70s John Alton ’70 was sworn in as president of Ohio’s American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) for 2022

by Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor at the association’s fall meeting. ABOTA is the premier invitation-only association of litigators in Ohio featuring the best plaintiff and defense attorneys, with just 80 lawyers in the state receiving this recognition.

Harold Coderre ’74 retired from a 40-year career in scientific software development in January 2020. He and his wife Carol now split their time between homes in Connecticut and Arizona.

Harold Coderre ’74

This past summer, Patrick Lawrence ’76 was the show chairman of the 75th Annual Waterloo Hunt Horse Show in Grass Lake, Michigan, for the eighth year. Pat, who Patrick Lawrence ’76 (pictured far left) as is a member and chairman of the Waterloo Hunt Horse Show rider with the club, in Grass Lake, Michigan is the proud uncle of Sydney ’15, Austin ’17, Esther ’18 and Maren Lawrence ’23, as well as brother of Rodd ’80 and Scott Lawrence ’75.

Gordon Anderson ’79 and David Sehring ’79 teamed up on a copromotion this past Halloween for the 50th anniversary of the horror cult classic “Dracula vs.

Frankenstein” (1971). As copresident of Real Gone Music, Gordon released on vinyl the Gordon Anderson ’79 with actor Daniel Roebuck dressed as “Monster of Frankenstein” 18 EXPERIENCE CA

original soundtrack to the film which was licensed

by David on behalf of his client and friend, drive-in film producer Sam Sherman. As part of the promotion, actor Daniel Roebuck (soon to appear in Rob Zombie’s Munsters reboot as Grandpa), dressed up as “Monster of Frankenstein” and interviewed Gordon about the soundtrack release.

THE 80s Michael Johnson ’81 was thrilled to run into a fellow Academy grad – Andrew Fitzgerald ’04 – at one of his sports bars in Las Vegas recently.

Andrew Fitzgerald ’04 (left) and Michael

Feinknopf Studio, owned by Johnson ’81 at Sporting Life Bar in November Brad Feinknopf ’82, was recognized this past summer by Architect’s Newspaper as a 2021 Best Practices Honorable Mention for photography studios in the Midwest.

The poetry chapbook “Trauma Décor” by Joe Hess ’83 is scheduled to be released in mid-January from Finishing Line Press.

As chief operating officer and general counsel for the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Rob Kaler ’83 was involved in the creation of a dozen “mini-pitches” across the “Trauma Décor” poetry chapbook country in 2021 to provide greater

by Joe Hess ’83 access and opportunity for children of color to play soccer. “I’m truly proud,” he said, “of the small part our organization has played and continues to play related to equity and access for all.”

Dominique and Brian Brooks ’87

An April article by Columbus Underground featured Brian Brooks ’87 and his wife Dominique, president and coowners of E.E. Ward Moving

CLASS NOTES & Storage Co., spotlighting the company’s history as the nation’s oldest continuously operating Black-owned business and its culture of “serving your community and following best practices.” The company plans to release a book this year in celebration of its 140-year milestone.

With nearly 30 years of coaching and administrative experience at both the high school and collegiate level, Seth Kushkin ’88 was recently named director of athletics at St. Anne’s-Belfield in Charlottesville, Virginia. A 1992 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Seth has served in athletic administration at Laurel School in Cleveland and most recently at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware. Seth’s coaching career began as freshman boys basketball coach at Columbus Academy and also included a three-year stint as the girls varsity basketball coach at McDonogh School. He’s also had extensive experience in women’s college basketball as an assistant at Purdue, Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Denver.

Joel Pizzuti ’90, president of The Pizzuti Companies, was quoted in a Columbus Business First article in mid-July as part of the coverage of his company’s and West Jeff Partners’ groundbreaking of a 1.09-million-square-foot speculative development in Madison County. According to the article, the facility, which is expected to be complete in 2022, will feature as many as 211 dock doors, 320 trailer parking spaces, a fire suppression system and LED lighting. Joel was also the Short North Art District’s inaugural recipient of the Sanborn D. Wood Award for Leadership & Service in April.

Jim Merkel ’92 and Joel Pizzuti ’90 were named to the 2021 Columbus Business First Power 100 list of those business and community leaders making the most impact on Central Ohio. Academy parents Sandy Doyle-Ahern P’20 ’22 (president of EMH&T), Kevin Boyce P’17 (Franklin County Commissioner) and Kelley Griesmer P’20 (CEO of The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio) were also recognized on the list.

The online book tour for “The Creative Underclass: Youth, Race and the Gentrifying City” by Tyler Denmead ’94, lecturer at the University of Cambridge, was launched in March and ran through April spanning four different universities.

THE 90s Adam Kessler ’90 is the head coach for the track and field program at Bishop Watterson High School. In early May, his teams competed in a meet at Columbus Academy.

Dr. Paige Gutheil Henderson ’94, a board-certified osteopathic physician and founder of Signature Primary Care and Wellness, was named to the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Board of Directors last March.

Adam Kessler ’90 and Ryan Yeoman ’90

Featured as one of six individuals profiled on our social media for Women’s History Month in March was Arlene Arin Hahn ’93, who – along with Regina (Cho) Getnick ’93 – was one of the first Asian-American women to graduate from Columbus Academy. Arlene is a partner in the technology transactions practice at White & Case LLP, where she represents a wide array of clients in a variety of intellectual property and technology matters ranging from standalone technology transactions to the IP aspects of private equity, M&A and other corporate transactions.

She has also appeared as a featured guest on Bloomberg TV. Arlene has a bachelor’s degree from MIT and law degree from NYU and currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Arlene Arin Hahn ’93

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CLASS NOTES Seventh Son Brewing – co-owned by Jen Burton ’95, Collin Castore (attended CA ’90-’92) and Travis Spencer (attended CA ’87-’92) – was featured in an October Columbus Business First article about the brewery teaming up with a vending company to supply charcuterie, locally made cheeses and snacks at their establishments.

Ian Dumain ’95 joined New York boutique firm Cyrulnik Fattaruso LLP as an attorney in April.

Mahon Brown ’97 and his wife Yvonne welcomed baby Kai to the family on October 20, 2021.

Kai Mahon Brown

On a September episode of the “Modern Retail” podcast, Ricky Joshi ’97 – co-founder and chief strategy officer at Saatva, a luxury mattress and home furnishings retailer – discussed the importance of the company’s NYC Viewing Room to its brand, doubling of the company’s revenue over the past two years and expansion of its product line.

Rick Ricart ’98, president of Ricart Automotive Group, was named to the Columbus CEO’s Future 50 Class of 2022 in October, an annual endeavor that brings together the region’s most innovative thinkers and doers to offer their leadership. Rick was also featured in a pair of recent Forbes.com articles, the latest in October about Ohio State football quarterback Quinn Ewers having partnered with Ricart Automotive in August as part of the new NCAA policy allowing athletes to be compensated for Name Image and Likeness (NIL). Rick also cited the auto group’s new- and used-car stores push into the electronic vehicle space in a separate article, as well as the creation of “Ricart to Business,” a newly-created fleet plan to service the “booming demand” for companies in the area looking to buy packages of vehicles.

Joseph Sofia ’98 was promoted in August by First Financial Bank to the role of commercial market manager for Central Ohio, where he will lead its commercial banking team in the market.

Patti Zettler ’98, associate professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, was asked to serve on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Reviewing the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise.

According to the press release on NationalAcademies.org, this “ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will conduct a study to evaluate existing Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise’s (PHEMCE) policy and practices and make recommendations for a re-envisioned PHEMCE, particularly after COVID-19.”

20 EXPERIENCE CA

Vanessa (Barboni) Hallik ’99, founder and CEO of the fashion brand Another Tomorrow, was featured on the September 20 episode of the “At a Distance” podcast speaking about building supply chains from scratch, how clothing resale marks a radical shift in how people think about fashion, and why the pandemic provides an opportunity to redefine luxury in terms of personal and planetary values.

THE 00s Matt Carter ’00 and his wife Vanessa Foreman ’02 welcomed baby girl Maria Ann Carter to the family on July 24, 2021.

Matt Carter ’00 and Vanessa Foreman ’02 with daughter Sophia and baby Maria.

Emily Sinkhorn ’00, a 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, was selected to be the new environmental services director for the City of Arcata in northern California this past April.

Her role includes overseeing Arcata’s Environmental Services Department which, according to a press release, encompasses the city’s parks, natural resources, facilities, recreation, streets, utilities, water and wastewater divisions.

Emily Sinkhorn ’00

In October, Michael Corey ’01, executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County, was presented with the George V. Voinovich Humanitarian Award by The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. The annual award is given to an alum or friend of the college who has devoted significant time and energy to causes and projects that benefit the greater community and welfare of humanity. Michael also hosted the “Annual State of Nonprofits” panel in April which, according to the Columbus Metropolitan Club registration page, focused on “the social service agencies and their challenges and successes navigating the year of COVID.” Morgan Harper ’01 announced in August her candidacy for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat in the Democratic primary race, challenging fellow democrat congressman Tim Ryan.

Morgan previously challenged Joyce Beatty in 2020 for the 3rd Congressional District.

CLASS NOTES

Nick Jones ’01, director of Healthy Neighborhoods, Healthy Families/ Wellness Initiatives at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was one of 78 new members to be recognized by Leadership Columbus in its Class of 2022 Signature Program of community leaders. This year’s class has the largest number of participants in program history and also includes Pedro Mena, chair of Academy’s Fine Arts Department.

Nick Jones ’01 and Pedro Mena

Kyle Reis ’01 was recently named president and CEO of Cooper Carry, the largest architectural firm in Atlanta, Georgia. Kyle, whose background is in urban planning, offered some insight about the direction he plans to take the 61-year-old firm in a news release cited in an article from the Times News Express and Atlanta Business Chronicle: “My goal is to cement our status as an international design firm that impacts the built environment. It’s never been about just ‘building a building’ for me. We have the power to design the human experience, to impact social justice, to connect people to place in a way that elevates their quality of life.”

Dr. Lauren (Gutheil) Templeton ’01, medical director for Hendrik Hospice in Abilene, Texas, now also is the lead physician consultant for Weatherbee Resources, a consulting firm that teaches hospices across the country about Medicare compliance and, in addition with Weatherbee, provides expert witness testimony or support to legal counsel for hospice clients under investigation. Lauren and her husband Dan continue to reside on a farm with their two young boys.

Bob Turton ’01 stars in “Free Byrd” – an indie film released April 1 on Digital HD and VOD – which, according to splashmags.com, is “as much your standard comedy as it is an exploration of the love between a father and a son.” In the film, Bob portrays Charles Byrd, the son of Harry Byrd (played by actor Raymond J. Barry), and both gain a new perspective on life and their relationship.

And if you haven’t seen Bob’s hilarious promotional spot that aired during Academy’s televised football win over Bishop Ready last fall, check it out at http://tiny.cc/TurtonPromo.

Lauren Hilsheimer ’02 and her husband John Meier welcomed baby boy William John Meier to the family on March 29, 2021.

William John Meier

Rachel (Mount) Hofstetter ’03, chief marketing officer of the photobook brand Chatbooks, was quoted in an April article on TheDrum.com about the company’s investment into “influencer marketing,” a relatively new concept where individuals with prominence across social media help drive businesses and organizations to new audiences.

In September, Tara Keny ’03 married Gregory Boccacci in Lerici, Italy, and the couple now resides in nearby La Spezia where she works for the Louise Bourgeois Foundation translating the artist’s journals and archives into English from French. Tara also appears in “Cactus Tree,” a half-hour documentary about Columbus artist Alice Schille that premiered in mid-October at the Columbus Museum of Art and was promoted in a Columbus Dispatch article about the film, which also features her father Jim Keny ’73.

Tara Keny ’03

Mandy Mallott ’03, business development specialist for the City of Columbus Department of Development, is serving as an assistant coach with our varsity swim team this winter. She was a four-year member of the Viking swim team and swam one year varsity at Case Western Reserve University, followed by several years of coaching including most recently leading the swim instruction program for YMCA in downtown Columbus.

Kirby (Doran) Schuchter ’03 and her husband Kyle welcomed baby boy Nash last summer. Named after Kirby’s favorite hockey player (who now happens to be an Academy parent), Nash arrived on June 12, 2021, weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 20.5 Nash Timothy Schuchter inches long.

Jon Hsu ’04 joined Barca Academy Columbus as a soccer coach for the 2021-22 season.

Jimmy Schoenfeld ’04 and his wife April welcomed their third daughter into the world on August 11, 2021.

EXPERIENCE CA 21

CLASS NOTES Dante DiSabato ’04, a realtor with William Raveis Real Estate in Florida, was featured as the cover story for the September issue of SWFL Real Producers magazine.

Dante is noted in the article as having “positioned himself as one of the top realtors in Florida,” and he cites a lot of his success coming from the discipline Dante DiSabato ’04 he learned playing Division I baseball in college, calling it a “blessing” to be in the position.

After winning a challenge sponsored by gelato-makers on the most recent season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” show, Avishar Barua ’05 launched his new flavor of gelato – Talenti Layers Peanut Butter Crunch – in stores this September. Avishar, Avishar Barua ’05 chatting with English who is executive chef teacher Pat Hogan after filming a and GM of Service Continuing the Quest segment Bar in Columbus and who went by the name “Danny” while at Academy, joined English teacher Pat Hogan for a Q&A and cooking demonstrations as part of our Alumni Office’s Continuing the Quest series in August that can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/BaruaCookingDemo.

Broadway performer Stephanie Lynne Mason ’05 has a new cooking show called “Food Is a Love Language: Cookin' with Steph” on YouTube. According to a BroadwayWorld.com article in May, each episode will be linked to a different hunger organization on a “donate if you can” basis. The first episode of the show can be seen at http://tiny.cc/CookinWithSteph.

The virtual launch for a new picture book titled “Jenny Mei Is Sad” by Tracy Subisak ’05 took place in midJune. Tracy’s latest work is a beautifully illustrated and charming book perfect for introducing kids to the complexity of sadness, and to show them that the best way to be a good friend – especially to someone sad – is by being there for the fun, the not-fun and everything in between.

Kelly Hondros ’06 and husband Corey Poches, cofounders of Motive CBD – a line of muscle balms, edibles and tinctures made from hemp grown on a farm in Centerville – were featured in The Columbus Dispatch last May about their growing business and the patience it takes to run it.

Basil Kahwash ’06 married Sydnee Lindblom in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 4, 2021. Joining the celebration were fellow Academy alumni Sarah Kahwash ’10 (bridesmaid), Robert Schoenfeld ’06 (groomsman), Jeff Huber ’06, Jon Wood ’06, Sarah (Kropp) Walther ’06, Jill (Pattison) Wood ’08, Isabella Kahwash ’30 and Gianna Kahwash ’32 (flower girl); other CA alumni sent their well wishes from afar. The newlyweds reside in Nashville, Tennessee, where Basil is a physician at Vanderbilt Sydnee Lindblom University Medical Center and Sydnee teaches with husband English at the University School of Nashville.

Basil Kahwash ’06

“Two Gods” – a new film directed by Zeshawn Ali ’09 and his brother Aman – debuted in Columbus on June 4 at the Gateway Film Center, and a nationwide showing followed later that month on PBS. According to a Columbus Dispatch article on Zeshawn and his latest work, the documentary is “a nuanced look at Muslim Americans that isn’t always shown” and “follows a Muslim casket maker in New Jersey as he mentors two boys in making caskets and other Muslim burial traditions.”

Zeshawn Ali ’09

22 EXPERIENCE CA

CLASS NOTES

Melanie Knopp ’13, manager in concept excellence at adidas in Herzogenaurach, Germany, had the opportunity to help with athlete testing that brought insights contributing to the evolution of the world-record-breaking adizero adios Pro and Pro 2, which was launched in June. In her role, Melanie is a part of a team responsible for sport, product and athlete testing in order to support company efforts with product and concept ideation and testing validation across different categories and divisions for various sports. A graduate in sports medicine from Pepperdine University, Melanie went on to complete her M.S. in sport and exercise at the Technical University of Munich in Germany before being hired by adidas.

Melanie Knopp ’13

Katie Mayer ’06 recently moved to Hilo, Hawaii, to begin a position as a senior attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii.

Leah Binkovitz ’07, a journalist and sociology Ph.D. student at Rice University, published an article on TexasMonthly.com in September about how “one of the country’s first racially integrated fine art shows got an overdue update.” This new show is an homage to the now 50-year-old exhibit “The DeLuxe Show” located in the Fifth Ward, a historically Black neighborhood in Houston.

Jonathan Razi ’08 announced in a November press release that Stax – the all-in-one payment technology provider – acquired CardX, an automated surcharging platform where he served as CEO. According to the press release, the acquisition will give merchant customers of Stax an easy way to accept credit cards at zero percent cost and will expand the Stax leadership team to include Jonathan at a new office in Chicago.

Sheena Patterson ’09, vice president of operations at Path Robotics, recently joined the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast. In the episode, Sheena discussed her previous work experiences as an engineer at Ford and Tesla, what it’s really like to work with Elon Musk, and how she got into the robots-as-a-service field.

Dr. Anna Askari ’09 graduated in June from family medicine residency at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California. She won the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors’ Resident Award for Advocacy, the Lawrence A. Cone M.D. Award for recognition of resident academic achievement for the third year in a row, and the Coachella Valley Volunteers in

Medicine Outstanding Resident Award for 2021. Anna began practicing as a family medicine physician at One Medical in Aliso Viejo, California, in August.

She also had the opportunity to interview Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy as the resident member of the AAFP Board of Directors in a livestream event in mid-September.

Anna Askari ’09 (second from right) with her family after graduating from family medicine residency at Eisenhower Health in California

THE 10s Dr. Michelle Knopp ’10 graduated from internal medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati and will serve as a chief resident in quality improvement for the next year.

Marielle (Hoagland) Mack ’10 and husband Ryan celebrated their marriage in Napa, California, surrounded by friends and family on May 1, 2021.

Marielle (Hoagland) Mack ’10 and husband Ryan

Dr. Sarah Cohen ’11 earned her Ph.D. in biology, with a specialization in genetics, from Caltech in June. She now lives in New York City and works as a patent agent for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

Brett Balasky ’11 married Erin Morrissette on April 23, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. The couple resides in Austin, Texas.

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CLASS NOTES Ryan Anzalone Pines ’12 married Brie (Stahl) Pines ’14 on August 3, 2021. According to Brie: “Crossing streams that flowed into rushing waterfalls, we hiked through the woods to a beautiful alpine lake, where we exchanged our vows with the mountains as our witness. Truly a magical elopement.”

the founders of StopAAPHate, where the group discussed real-life stories and the importance of bringing awareness to stopping hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Brianna Johnson-King ’14 graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University last spring.

Brie (Stahl) Pines ’14 hiking with husband Ryan

Courtney Deena ’13, an assistant field Anzalone Pines ’12 and hockey coach at Hofstra University, their dog on the way to penned an article published in April their wedding destination on TeamUSA.org about her work spearheading the school’s “No Locker for Racism” campaign. She also had the opportunity to mentor current Academy student-athletes at field hockey camps last summer.

Watch SueSan Chen ’14 as a United Airlines passenger on the Clorox commercial at http://tiny.cc/CloroxCommercial

SueSan Chen ’14, a senior onboard product design specialist for United Airlines, was featured last March as a passenger on a commercial for Clorox which partnered with the airline for the “Clorox Safer Today Alliance” in response to COVID-19.

SueSan also moderated a panel with community leaders, including one of

Kelsey Sims ’14, a forestry technician in New Mexico, was featured in a Huffington Post article in June where she, along with several other TikTok users, shared their “unusual jobs” with the world as an educational tool.

She noted in the article, “when I tell people that I’m a fire lookout, most people Kelsey Sims ’14 and her dog Roo are shocked that it’s still a job and that someone my age is doing it.” Since then, Kelsey – whose job entails scanning for fires atop lookout towers in remote areas of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands – has also been featured on BBC News, The Cleveland Outpost and InsideHook, which called her “TikTok’s latest superstar.”

In a Medium.com article last March, Hannah Wexner ’14 detailed her new job as associate director of community development at Heartland Ventures, a value-add venture

Madeline Owen ’17 was named valedictorian of the 2021 University of Notre Dame graduating class and completed her neuroscience/pre-med major, with a minor in poverty studies, upon graduation last May. Madeline was a full merit scholar at Notre Dame based on academics, character, leadership and service, and participated in multiple research labs, received a fellowship to research bone marrow stem cells in Ireland, presented at academic conferences, published works in international journals and was named 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher in the bioengineering research department. She also had immersion experiences with Global Medical Brigades in Panama, assisted migrants in Texas border towns, and served at a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. Madeline is currently attending Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine with the goal of serving patients through surgical repair, regeneration and prevention of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular diseases or disorders.

Madeline Owen ’17

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CLASS NOTES

Regan Cornelius ’21 was named the top female scholar-athlete for Central Ohio

by The Columbus Dispatch last summer.

Regan appeared in 17 games during her freshman campaign on the Northwestern University field hockey squad that won its first national title this fall.

Regan Cornelius ’21 (center) holds the national championship trophy with Academy field hockey assistant coaches Tara Puffenberger (left) and Charlotte Vaziri ’14

investor that connects high-growth startups with new customers in the Midwest.

Lee Solomon ’14, a secondyear law student at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, is one of just five Paul D. White Scholarship recipients nationwide. The scholarship was established as a tribute to Paul D. Lee Solomon ’14 White, the first minority partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP and a pioneer for minorities in the legal profession. It includes a paid summer clerkship, which Lee completed this year, and a $7,500 award.

Julia Rizk ’15 competed in the Olympic trials for the U.S. women’s track and field team in June. She advanced to the 800-meter semifinals after running a 2:01.31, which was just .07 seconds off her personal-best time and 13 seconds faster than her time at the 2014 OHSAA championships that won her Academy's first state title in girls track when she was a junior in high school.

Savannah Cofer ’16 is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Stanford University’s School of Engineering. Last April, she received the Student-Taught Course Teaching Award from Rice University.

Nichola Lampe ’16 earned a Master’s in Music Education from Westminster Choir College in May and moved to Portland, Oregon, in August to begin a new job as a music teacher at Harold Oliver Elementary School.

Nichola Lampe ’16

Caroline Anders ’17, who graduated with honors from Indiana University in May with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science, received the school’s Kate Hevner Mueller Award, an accolade established in 2013 to honor IU seniors who have proven leadership on campus both inside and outside of the classroom and

who have improved the IU community by their presence.

After spending the summer as an intern at The Washington Post, she was hired in October as a researcher for the publication’s Daily 202 newsletter.

Following his senior season on the men’s track and field team at Brown University, KJ Boyce ’17 received Academic All-Ivy League accolades as one of just 10 spring sports student-athletes to be honored for the Bears.

KJ Boyce ’17

Emma Cordray ’17 graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Carnegie Mellon University in the spring with a dual degree in drama and Spanish. She also won her School of Drama’s highly prestigious WCDAC and Michael Gifford Awards and is studying as a Fulbright Scholar in Spain this academic year.

Emma Cordray ’17

Janelle Ghanem ’17, who graduated last spring from Miami University with a degree in mechanical engineering and computer science, was the featured guest on the school’s “Major Insight” podcast in April. An all-academic scholarathlete for the Redhawks’ women’s tennis team, Janelle spoke to her experience in artificial intelligence and machine learning at the U.S. Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency and as a Software Engineer at JPMorgan Chase, as well as balancing athletics and academics, and the importance of finding strong mentorship.

Jeremiah Mills ’17 graduated from Denison University in June with a dual degree in Black studies and economics. He was also one of only 28 graduates to receive the Distinguished Leadership Award, which recognizes exemplary leadership and service to the Denison community.

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CLASS NOTES Baylee Mueller ’17 met up with Michael Zhang ’17 and Natalie L'Hommedieu ’17 for a day last fall in London. Baylee is currently studying to receive her master's in sports management from Michael Zhang ’17, Baylee Mueller ’17 Loughborough University. This and Natalie L'Hommedieu ’17 was Michael’s second stop on at Trafalgar Square in London a month-long solo expedition across Europe. Natalie is studying to receive her master’s degree in gender, peace and security from the London School of Economics.

Matt Schmitz ’17, a recent graduate of Ursinus College, was featured on the school’s website speaking to his distinguished honors research and thesis he wrote as an educational studies major. The post shares how Matt “has been nothing short of amazing and is a student that has ‘wowed’ his educational studies faculty from his early days at Ursinus.” Matt has been accepted to law school at the University of Minnesota and plans to focus on education law and related fields such as union and civil rights law.

Maddie DeAscentis ’18, a senior education studies major at DePauw University, was one of 286 student-athletes at the university to be named to the Tiger Honor Roll for achieving at least a 3.40 grade-point average and was recognized as part of the school-record 103 studentathletes who earned induction into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society last spring.

As a senior writing, literature and publishing major at Emerson College, Taylor McGowan ’17 was inducted last spring into the Emerson Gold Key Honor Society, which recognizes and encourages outstanding academic standing among juniors and seniors.

Mitch Priest ’20 (far left) with Abigail Fisher ’19 (third from right) and members of the South Side Early Learning team

Abigail Fisher ’19, a junior at Elon University, and Mitch Priest ’20, a sophomore at Grinnell College, were both summer policy fellows at South Side Early Learning (SSEL), where they assisted in the Center for Early Childhood Innovation (CECI) with research and writing about policy changes for which SSEL and CECI advocate.

As a faceoff specialist on the University of Michigan men’s lacrosse team, Gunnar Geiger ’19 made his first collegiate appearance in Columbus during a 15-11 upset over Ohio State in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament on May 1. Later that same month, he was named an Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Megan Schmitz ’19, a junior at the University of Richmond majoring in political science and economics, took part in a Columbus Foundation summer fellowship with Hope Hollow, which provides hospitality and hope to cancer patients and their loved ones who are financially in need while coming to Central Ohio for cancer treatment.

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Jenny L’Hommedieu ’19 was named the Liberty League’s Offensive Performer of the Week in midSeptember after recording three goals and two assists during a pair of wins for her St. Lawrence University field hockey team. She Jenny L’Hommedieu ’19 finished her junior season with five goals and five assists for the Saints and was a Liberty League All-Academic selection.

While in her hometown of New Orleans for a counselor visit program last May, Director of College Counseling Darnell Heywood enjoyed catching up with Tulane University students Maddie Tuckerman ’19 and Tyler Schlonsky ’19.

Maddie Tuckerman ’19, Darnell Heywood and Tyler Schlonsky ’19

THE 20s As a sophomore defender, Sarah Neltner ’20 started all 19 games for the Washington University in St. Louis women’s soccer team that finished with a 15-1-3 record and No. 6 national ranking in NCAA Division III.

Sarah Neltner '20

Simon (Iobst) Sadikovic ’20 received the Classical Brass Award at Berklee College of Music in his first year at the school. Last February, Simon sent our school a musical gift, which was a string quartet based on the Academy alma mater. “I have dedicated this piece to the Class of 2021,” he wrote. “My heart is with them as we all navigate this truly treacherous pandemic. Though this piece is for them, think of it as a gift for the entire school. Everyone deserves a piece of music about them.” To listen to Simon’s fugue while watching scenes from the opening of this school year, visit http://tiny.cc/AcademyFugue.

Kiersten Thomassey ’20 played in 19 games this fall for the University of North Carolina field hockey team and scored her first collegiate goal against Miami in midSeptember. Following the 2021 Young Women’s National Championship in Virginia Beach last June, Kiersten and Regan Cornelius ’21 were selected to attend USA Field Hockey’s 2022 U-21 USWNT Selection Camp that will take place this winter. Based on their performances there, both Kiersten and Regan could be named to the 2022 U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team or U.S. Women’s National Development Team.

Ohio University sophomore Annie Wimsatt ’20 appeared in three field hockey games during the shortened Spring 2021 season and played in seven contests this past fall as a midfielder for the Bobcats.

Annie Wimsatt ’20

CLASS NOTES Carter Warstler ’20, a sophomore on the football and basketball squads at The College of Wooster, helped the Scots to a dominant 49-7 victory over Kenyon on September 11, catching three passes for 148 yards and two Academy’s (from left) Jeff Warstler, touchdowns en route to North Angus Soderberg ’18, Coast Athletic Conference PlayerCarter Warstler ’20, of-the-Week honors. According Philip Soderberg ’20 to a school press release and Robin Miller following announcing his selection to the Wooster’s football game against All-NCAC second team, Carter Kenyon College broke free for a 75-yard punt return touchdown at Oberlin College and followed that up with a school-record 98-yard kickoff return touchdown in Wooster’s 44-41 win at Wabash. He set the football program’s all-time record with 34.9 yards per kickoff return and was the first Scot since at least 1970 with a kickoff and punt return touchdown in the same season.

After his Lehigh Mountain Hawks defeated Georgetown 23-9 on November 13, Sam Huyghe ’21 caught up with former Academy teammates Herman Moultrie III ’18 and Dorrian Moultrie ’19, who both play for the Hoyas.

Herman Moultrie III ’18, Sam Huyghe ’21 and Dorrian Moultrie ’19

Suzy L’Hommedieu ’21 earned the Liberty League’s Rookie-of-the-Week honors in mid-October and was named to the AllLiberty League Second Team after compiling three goals and three assists as a freshman defender on the St. Lawrence University field hockey team. She started all 18 games for the Saints and scored the double-overtime game winner against rival Rochester in a crucial late-season victory.

Suzy L’Hommedieu ’21

In August, Sarah Silver ’21 received the Doug Campbell Courage Award, which was created in 2015 by the Central Ohio Field Hockey Coaches Association. Created to recognize Doug’s honor, integrity, determination and Sarah Silver ’21 love for the sport of field hockey as an official, assigner and creator of the Central Ohio Field Hockey Officials’ Association (as well as being the father of Academy alumnus Wes Campbell ’96), this recognition and accompanying scholarship benefit Central Ohio field hockey players who have shown similar courage in their lives. Sarah overcame serious health obstacles to become the starting goalkeeper for Academy’s varsity field hockey that reached the state semifinals her senior season. “Field hockey has and will always be a significant part of my life, and my passion for the sport inspired me to persevere through my life-changing injury,” stated Sarah, who is studying psychology and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. “I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story, and I will strive to embody the lessons of courage and perseverance from Mr. Campbell’s life.”

Former Head of Middle School Ruth Glass and retired Upper School Reading Specialist Nyssa Pymer reunited at the wedding of Scott Neal and Joy Strickland in Florida last summer. Scott briefly returned to Academy as a part-time art teacher but retired again at the conclusion of last school year.

He and Joy reside in Athens, Ohio.

Ruth Glass and Nyssa Pymer

In Memoriam

We are saddened to share this list of our alumni whom we recently learned have passed.

Ted H. Wilson Jr. ’41

Bill R. Platt ’54

Richard R. Ebert ’74

Ralph N. Khourie ’45

Gansey R. Johnston Jr. ’57

David L. Ashcraft ’78

Gerald L. Stone ’50

Ted Hoster ’62

Eli Snyder ’99

Ray G. Brown ’53

George Michael Hannah ’65

Donald T. Feibel ’53

Miner (Mike) Seymour ’67

Mark G. Feinknopf ’54

Dan Carmichael III ’68

Individual obituaries can be found in our alumni newsletters, which are archived at www.columbusacademy.org/alumni-news.

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Academy NEWS

ACADEMY NEWS

IN THE NEWS

Academy Students Make Their Voices Heard In addition to all they are doing here on campus, Columbus Academy students have been active this year making their voices heard to much broader audiences.

For instance, senior Aniah Crockett made a video about justice in mathematical spaces and submitted it to the National Math Festival “Imagine Math Class” challenge. This student in Chris Bolognese’s advanced Sharing their voices were (clockwise from bottom left) Stephen Ma, Aniah Crockett, Malachy Sullivan and Arya Narayan.

calculus class was even recognized by Dr. Francis Su, a professor at Harvey Mudd College and author of an address that Aniah used in her video reflection.

Fellow senior Malachy Sullivan, meanwhile, was recently featured in a Ken Burns project for PBS about

“Diplomacy with Native Nations.” Malachy was invited to participate after he produced a National History Day award-winning documentary related to the topic.

And it was a busy autumn for Stephen Ma, who – in addition to helping our boys golf squad win its fifth-straight state title – was also presenting a proposal to the Ohio State Board of Education to add student representation to its 19-member adult board. The Board overwhelming supported his and his sister’s recommendation, and their next steps are to contact the Ohio legislators on the Education Committee to draft legislation to make the addition of a student representative legal.

Stephen also teamed with fellow Academy junior Arya Narayan to win Global Innovation Awards for Design Process and Communication in the recent Invent Future Global’s Global Innovation Challenge. They developed a game app, SociEmoti, that helps individuals with autism better understand and react to social situations during their daily lives.

ARTS & MUSIC

ATHLETICS

Jazz Ensemble Performs at Creekside Festival

Pair of Vikings Honored as MSL-Ohio Scholar Athletes

For the first time since it was founded in 1999, the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival featured Columbus Academy musicians on September 19. Our 26-member Jazz Ensemble, consisting of students in grades 8-12, performed the opening set on the event's final day in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd.

At the conclusion their junior years, Columbus Academy’s Lauren Klinefelter and Gyvnn Mendenhall were named

Our students were joined on stage by professional musicians Eddie Bayard and Milo Mannino, who are

the 2021 Wayne Roller Scholar Athletes for the Mid-State

both close friends of band director Jessica Sneeringer, as well as alumnus David Narayanan ’21. “I am

League’s Ohio Division. Lauren has been a standout all-

so incredibly proud of the work these students put into today’s performance,” Sneeringer stated shortly

state performer in our swimming program while Gyvnn

after the show. “I hope these kids remember how good they felt for a long time, I know I will!”

has earned All-Ohio honors in football while also being a state-qualifier in wrestling and stellar defender for our boys lacrosse team. The award is named after the former MSL commissioner and hall-of-famer who passed away unexpectedly in 2017.

Lauren Klinefelter and Gyvnn Mendenhall both earned Watch our Jazz Ensemble’s entire Creekside performance at http://tiny.cc/CBJF2021.

recognition plaques from the MSL-Ohio as the 2021 Wayne Roller Scholar Athletes.

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ACADEMY NEWS ARTS & MUSIC

CAMPUS LIFE

Upper-Schoolers Stage “The Dining Room” as Fall Play

Commencement Unlike Any Other

“Bravo! Brava! Bravi!” wrote Performing Arts Department Chair Jessica Sneeringer after Columbus

Commencement 2021 was unlike any other, which

Academy Student Theatre performed “The Dining Room” by A.R. Gurney near the end of October.

was a fitting conclusion to an unprecedented school

“Congratulations to the cast and crew (and Scott Dillon)! You all were FABULOUS!!! Thanks for an

year and a final example of just how resilient our

enjoyable evening! It felt good to see a live performance again!”

graduating seniors and their families had been.

According to Dillon, who served as director and set designer, our fall play told the story of middle-

Warm welcomes were provided by Head of School

class America and explained through interrelated scenes, some funny and some touching, an in-

Melissa Soderberg and class president Luke

depth portrait of a vanishing era of people during the time frame of the 1920s to 1940s.

Nester, followed by the valedictory address

In those scenes, 54 different characters were portrayed by 16 students: (in order of appearance)

from Cary Cup recipient Vaughn Armour and

Amelia Connick, Raaghuv Vazirani, Ben Anasis, Madeleine Kazatsky, Henry Wood, Lucy Izokaitis,

the commencement address by Debbie Keeran,

Kate Fornshell, Ryan Reagan, Rosie Gruber, Colin Harrison, Vaanika Jindal, Carolina Mize, Mia

who retired as the longest-serving female staff

Salopek, Sean Jackson, Grace Holbrook and Adi Sadana.

member in Columbus Academy history.

Adi also served as an assistant director. Other students involved in staging the show included Cassidy Jones (costumes), Rehya Satish (stage manager), Grace Romanelli (sound), Lindsay Sutherland (lighting), Sophie Platt (program) and the school’s portfolio tech class (stage crew).

Then, as the graduates received their diplomas, the sky became increasingly dark until a heavy rain eventually poured down on Hondros Field just as the last graduates’ names were announced. The ceremony may have been cut short, but the enthusiasm and spirit of this Class of 2021 carried on in the Senior Quad, where graduates embraced the weather and each other before drying off in the upper school library.

Debbie Keeran concluded her remarkable 42-year career at The fall play’s cast included 16 students.

Columbus Academy as the 2021 Commencement speaker.

ARTS & MUSIC

Music Video and Song Collection Replace Spring Musical In May, our Upper School Musical Theatre Program presented “Voices To The Sky: Academy Songs” – a collection of songs, old and new, of and about Academy. In addition to a video of “Academy Fight Song Reimagined” that can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/AFSR, you can stream or download the five-song collection at http://tiny.cc/AcademySongs.

Congratulations to the cast consisting of Evelyn Aebi, Matthew Fang, Rosie Gruber, Sean Jackson, Maddie Kazatsky, Ryan Reagan, Javi Sais and Mia Salopek as well as to Janet Li, David Narayanan and Jay Whitney for their contributions as songwriters on this musical recording project under the direction of Stefan Farrenkopf.

The cast for “Voices To The Sky” included (clockwise from top center) Javi Sais, Rosie Gruber, Sean Jackson, Ryan Reagan, Matthew Fang, Evelyn Aebi, Maddie Kazatsky and Mia Salopek.

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ACADEMY NEWS

Academy’s 2022 National Merit

ACADEMICS

Nineteen Academy Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists Nineteen students from Columbus Academy were announced in September as semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring.

Semifinalists included seniors (standing, left to right) Siddharth Amirneni, Lindsay Sutherland, Soham Joshi, Madeleine Kazatsky, Davey Agrawal, Julia DeVore, Janet Li, Caroline Vaziri, (sitting) Fletcher Sun, Ethan Weiser, Yashu Tanneru, Cyrus Richardson, Amiya

“These students – with their various interests and achievements – impact our school in many ways that supersede their excellent

Tiwari, Stephen Wright, Spandana

test scores, and yet they excel in the National Merit competition as well,” stated Head of School Melissa Soderberg. “We can’t wait

Amirneni, Alexandra Butnariu,

to see what they will do in college and beyond.”

Russell Ahmed, Raaghav Malik and

Columbus Academy’s 2022 National Merit Semifinalists Devan (Davey) Agrawal, son of Amit and Rita Agrawal of New Albany

Cyrus Richardson, son of Craig and Jennifer Richardson of Blacklick

Russell Ahmed, son of Imtiaz and Nahid Ahmed of Blacklick

Malachy Sullivan, son of Jessy and John Sullivan of New Albany

Siddharth Amirneni, son of Lavanya and Vamsee Amirneni of Delaware

Haichuan (Fletcher) Sun of Gahanna, son of Lijuan Qiao and Gang Sun of Shanghai, China

Spandana Amirneni, daughter of Lavanya and Vamsee Amirneni of Delaware

Lindsay Sutherland, daughter of Kathryn and Michael Sutherland of New Albany

Alexandra Butnariu, daughter of Daniel and Madalina Butnariu of Upper Arlington

Yashu Tanneru, daughter of Mahesh and Padmaja Tanneru of Powell

Julia DeVore, daughter of Lori and Thomas DeVore of Westerville

Amiya Tiwari, daughter of Kate and Pankaj Tiwari of Worthington

Soham Joshi, son of Santosh and Vrushali Joshi of Lewis Center

Carolyn Vaziri, daughter of David and Kelly Vaziri of New Albany

Madeleine Kazatsky, daughter of Courtney and Gary Kazatsky of New Albany

Ethan Weiser, son of Adam and Laura Weiser of New Albany

Janet Li, daughter of Zhenan Li and Haiyan Zhu of Powell Raaghav Malik, son of Akta and Bob Malik of Galena

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Stephen Wright, son of Dudley Wright of Johnstown and Bronwyn Wright of Bexley

(not pictured) Malachy Sullivan.

Learn more about our Semifinalists

ACADEMY NEWS CAMPUS LIFE

Remembering Ruth Jones Prior to a varsity football home game on October 22, the family of Ruth Jones was recognized at midfield in a special ceremony to remember and honor our lower-schooler who died from a tragic summer accident.

Ruth’s favorite color was purple, so our student section wore that color in her honor during the game, and our football players had a special sticker on their helmets in Ruth’s honor.

“Ruth attended Academy since PreK and was a wonderfully unique child with her signature pigtails and purple suede shoes,” read the PA announcer that evening. “She was an excellent writer, played the drums and guitar, loved koala bears and found joy in everything. And like the whole Jones family, Ruth loved football and was part of our CA football family.”

Academy alumnus Ben Jones ’93 holds up a helmet presented to him by football head coach Robin Miller adorned with a special sticker honoring his late daughter Ruth.

CAMPUS LIFE

Honoring the School’s History Just before classes began on November 11, the bell atop Morris Hall rang 504 times, once each for the 496 Columbus Academy alumni who have served or are serving our country in one of the armed forces and one time each for Academy’s eight current coaches, faculty/staff, facility and security team members who served. The ceremony concluded with a rendition of “America the Beautiful” by our Camerata. It is a tradition that began in 2013 after the school created a database of its students who went on to serve in the military, including entire classes of graduates from the early 1940s.

One of the bell rings was for Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Dan Olexio, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. As a combat engineer officer, he served deployments to Panama, Germany, Bosnia, Hungary, Ukraine and Iraq (learn more about his military service in a Columbus Blue Jackets video tribute at http://tiny.cc/OlexioTribute). Lt. Col. Olexio and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Joe Eden, husband of upper school Spanish teacher Freda Eden, began Veterans Day activities on our campus by leading a military-style PT (physical training) session before dawn on Hondros Field for anyone in our community who was interested.

Later that same morning, recent graduate Luke Nester ’21 discussed his experience as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy via Skype with our fifth-graders. The next day, Luke joined Air Force veteran Matt Mele from our technology office in a lunchtime presentation to upper-schoolers about the service academies and college ROTC programs. Meanwhile, students had the opportunity to sample Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) provided by our Student Council. In addition, there were letter-writing stations encouraging students to send messages to active, reserve and veteran military.

Military veterans (center front) Dan Olexio, Joe Eden and Jon Wagshul led PT for students, faculty and families before dawn on Veterans Day.

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ACADEMY NEWS COMMUNITY SERVICE

CAMPUS LIFE

Girls on the Run Impact Project

Alumni Golf Outing Continues to Give Back

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an after-school program at Academy for girls in grades 3-5 that teaches life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. In anticipation of World Kindness Day – an international holiday that was formed in 1998 to promote kindness throughout the world and is observed annually on November 13 as part of the World Kindness Movement – our students and their advisors participated in GOTR’s Community Impact Project by making pillows and cards for patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Our 13th Annual Golf Outing was another success as alumni and friends of the Columbus Academy community came together to play a round at Columbus Country Club in support of financial aid in memory of George N. Corey, former Board of Trustees president and father of Michael Corey ’01.

Michael was on hand prior to the outing to express his gratitude for the ongoing support of the event and importance of it for the school. Since its inception, the dollars raised by this outing have supported numerous Academy students and the thoughtful and imperative education they receive year in and year out.

We thank all 25 teams that competed and look forward to hosting again on Monday, September 19, 2022!

Academy students in grades 3-5 made pillows and cards for patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in early November.

A foursome of lower school parents – (from left) Jacob Osterhout, Tarun Bhalla, Paul Judge and Tyler Mills – celebrates making a long putt during the 13th Annual Golf Outing.

ATHLETICS

Vikings Continue Athletic Careers in College Columbus Academy’s Class of 2021 sent 19 student-athletes to NCAA programs: Charlotte Adams (lacrosse at DePauw University), Vaughn Armour (football at Amherst College), Vassar Barney (lacrosse at Centre College), Regan Cornelius (field hockey at Northwestern University), Manny Eribo (track and field at The University of Rochester), Chloe Gouhin (fencing at Columbia University), Brady Hess (football at Carnegie Mellon University), Jonah Houston (soccer at Westmont College), Sam Huyghe (football at Lehigh University), Suzy L'Hommedieu (field hockey at St. Lawrence University), Jack Madison (tennis at Colorado College), Kayla McClendon (basketball at Berea College), Robert Mills (football at Washington University in St. Louis), Durell Moultrie (football at John Carroll University), Luke Nester (cross country and track at the United States Naval Academy), Sydni Ratliff (tennis at The Ohio State University), Ashley Reynolds (field hockey and lacrosse at The College of Wooster), Katie Schiano (soccer at Bucknell University) and Carolyn Tsung (tennis at Washington University in St. Louis).

This past fall, we celebrated four Viking seniors who have committed to collegiate programs: Evie Gee (lacrosse at Redford University), Ella Morris (field hockey at DePauw University), Blake Skilken (diving at The Ohio State University) and Zach White (lacrosse at The University of Utah). Our complete Class of 2022 signee list will be included in the next issue.

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Student-athletes from our Class of 2021 who committed to collegiate programs included (front row, left to right) Vaughn Armour, Regan Cornelius, Chloe Gouhin, Ashley Reynolds, Suzy L’Hommedieu, Charlotte Adams, Jack Madison, (middle) Kayla McClendon, Carolyn Tsung, Sydni Ratliff, Katie Schiano, Sam Huyghe, (back) Manny Eribo, Durell Moultrie, Robert Mills, Vassar Barney, Jonah Houston, Luke Nester and Brady Hess.

ACADEMY NEWS COMMUNITY SERVICE

IN THE NEWS

Community of Kindness

Future AquaVike Making a Splash

As a result of this year’s Kids 4 Kids service learning project, 30 sponsored families received much-needed food, clothing and toys for the holidays.

After winning state titles in the 100 freestyle, 200

It started in September with a Service Day visit by local architect Curtis

freestyle, 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke and 200

Moody, who spoke to our upper-schoolers about altruism. It resumed

individual medley among 9-year-olds at the Ohio

with students trick-or-treating for donations on Halloween and families

Swimming Summer Championship and being named

bringing in an abundance of food, clothes and toys.

the individual high-point scorer for the third year in a row, Columbus Academy third-grader Angelina

As the donations arrived, various grade levels completed tasks such as

Academy junior Emily Motta

sorting through non-perishables and shopping for fresh items. The spirit

pushes a cart full of donations

Drew was selected as one of the top four swimmers to

of giving continued during a sleep-out in our gym highlighted by guest

for families in need.

represent Team Ohio at the 2022 Mid-States All-Star

speaker Michael Corey ’01, executive director of the Human Service

Championships! Held in Indianapolis on January 8-9,

Chamber of Franklin County. And the conclusion came with the deliveries to Royal Manor Elementary and the

the Mid-States All-Star Championships featured the

Childhood League Center during the weekend before Thanksgiving.

top young swimmers from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,

In a note thanking our community, Service Department Chair Christy Bening wrote:

Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“Each year the CA community answers the call to help local families in need, people you don’t

Competing against mostly 10-year-olds at this select

know and will never meet.

meet, Angelina placed seventh in the 50 back, eighth

Some of you do this by asking your group to sponsor a family,

in the 100 back and swam on the the sixth-place 200

Or by offering to coordinate an event – MS and LS events that provide families with food

medley and seventh-place 200 free relay squads. “She

and hygiene items,

was very proud to represent Ohio in the sport she

Or by getting up really early to deliver all the accumulated items on a Saturday,

loves,” stated her parents Sunny and Sam, “and was

Or by filling a donation box in your classroom and encouraging others to join you,

excited to meet new friends from other states.”

Or by spending Friday night here at CA helping kids sort boxes and boxes of food donations, Or by setting up tables so the younger kids learn about serving others, Or by answering pleas made late on a Sunday or Monday or Tuesday to iron out an unforeseen wrinkle, Or by providing some much-needed technical support or communications, Or countless other acts that just occurred because you thought it should, Big gifts of time, small acts of kindness, spontaneous HOW I CAN HELP or open offers to take on a task that needs a special skill or type of leadership…

Some of you do this year after year after year…

And for some of you this is your first time to participate…

But to all of you, thank you…

May this Thanksgiving be filled with the time and opportunity to relax, share and reflect on the impact

Angelina Drew has been the state’s individual highpoint scorer for her age group the past three years.

of your support.”

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Making Connections and Helping Others on Service Day In September, our Upper School sent all 48 of its advisory groups to over 30 locations around Central Ohio during its annual Service Day. While many of the students worked with familiar service-learning partners such as the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and Gahanna parks department, for instance, two groups of seniors spent the morning cleaning yards in the Clintonville village where retired faculty member MaryEve Corrigan resides. One of the homes was owned by Academy alumnus Byron Ford ’53, who was delighted to see our students helping him, his wife and his neighbors.

“MaryEve is close friends with Byron’s wife Barbara, so she made a point to visit us while we were there,” said

Byron Ford ’53 (wearing mask) poses in his yard with (from

band director Jessica Sneeringer, who is a senior advisor. “It was so great catching up with her and spending

left) seniors Stephen Wright, Ben Anasis and Spencer Swartz,

time in her neighborhood.”

Barbara Ford, MaryEve Corrigan and Jessica Sneeringer.

EXPERIENCE CA 35

ACADEMY NEWS ACADEMICS

Fourteen More Students Earn National Academic Recognition The College Board recently recognized 14 additional students from Columbus Academy for their academic prowess. “We are so proud of these outstanding students who share their varied talents in such tangible ways at our school and in their communities,” stated Head of School Melissa Soderberg.

With the announcement of eight Commended Students and four seniors being designated as National Recognition Program Scholars, the College Board has bestowed academic honors to 31 members of our Class of 2022, which constitutes 27.7 percent of this year’s seniors.

Columbus Academy’s 2022 National Merit Commended Students

College Board National Recognition Program Scholars

Students earning recognition from the College

Quinn Hulme, son of Daryl and Geoff Hulme of Blacklick

Aniah Crockett, daughter of Elizabeth Crockett of Pickerington and Phillip Crockett of Canal Winchester

(sitting) Kennedy Jackson, Naimah Edwards,

Emmett Leo, son of Arthur Leo and Susan Brookhart of Gahanna

Kennedy Jackson, daughter of Nicola and Marcus Jackson of Pickerington

Christopher Shen, son of Jeff Shen and Dana Wu of Columbus

Lucas Jones, son of Erika and Ramon Jones of New Albany

Jaswanth Vandrasi, son of Anand and Neelima Vandrasi of Dublin Raaghuv Vazirani, son of Anu and Umesh Vazirani of Powell

Christopher Shen, Lucas Jones, Raaghuv Vazirani, Charles Stoner, Jaswanth Vandrasi, Emmett Leo, Quinn Hulme, Maya Walter, Vernon Wright, Charlotte Rose and (not pictured) Imani Munene.

Naimah Edwards, daughter of Oronde Edwards of Blacklick

Charlotte Rose, daughter of Amy and Jeffrey Rose of Westerville

Charles Stoner, son of Ashley and Sean Stoner of New Albany

Board included (standing, from left) Aniah Crockett,

Imani Munene, daughter of Grace Muriithi and Keith Little of Westerville Maya Walter, daughter of Claudia and Blane Walter ’89 of New Albany

Find out more here.

Vernon Wright, son of Dudley Wright of Johnstown and Bronwyn Wright of Bexley

ARTS & MUSIC

Singers and Musicians Impress During Fall Concerts Four concerts in nine nights highlighted the progress and talent in this year’s choirs, jazz ensemble, orchestras and concert bands. A theme of “Return Home” was fitting for the Fall Choral Concert, as it marked the first Middle School, Treble Choir and Camerata performances in our theatre since February of 2020. The Jazz Concert followed two nights later when our talented musicians performed classics from world renowned jazz artists such as Basie, Ellington, Mingus, Pastorius, Gillespie and Porter. Next up were our orchestras with middle-schoolers sampling music from the likes of Silva, Purcell and Rossini, upper-schoolers pleasing the audience with “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic and our most advanced group concluding the night with a three-movement piece by Vivaldi. The final show was held in the Jones Gym because our concert bands have grown so large in size.

“The kids were amazing,” stated performing arts chair Jessica Sneeringer, “especially considering that these were the first concerts for many of them. So proud of our students!”

Choir director Amy Brooks leads her Camerata in a clap-worthy rendition of “It’s All Right.”

36 EXPERIENCE CA

ACADEMY NEWS IN THE NEWS

Senior Recognized for Chess Prowess Columbus Academy senior Chris Shen, who has been profiled by the Ohio Chess

As the state champion for his age group, Chris placed sixth overall and fourth in the blitz competition at the high school national tournament and also placed fifth overall representing the United States at the U18 North American Youth Chess Championships last summer. Individual state runner-up Sean Jackson and Evan Schenck-Chang, who placed 22nd, combined with Chris to win the team state title for Academy at the 2021 Ohio High School State Chess Championship.

Association and CityScene Dublin magazine, was one of just five high-schoolers from

Chris Shen will be taking his chess talent to

across the nation to receive the 2021 Scholar-Chessplayer Award (and $3,000 college

Harvard University next school year.

scholarship) from the U.S. Chess Federation for excelling in academics, chess and leadership. He also was awarded a Certificate of Accomplishment from The Princeton Prize in Race Relations regional committee for “the important work he has done to advance racial equity and foster positive race relations within his community by creating and running 614 Colors & Minds as well as his work with spreading the love of chess and running an anti-racist book group.”

ATHLETICS

Successful Return to Competition for Spring Sports After losing their 2020 season to the pandemic, Columbus Academy’s spring athletes were thrilled just to compete again in 2021. Taking full advantage of the opportunity was our boys lacrosse team, which produced our first All-American player and state coach of the year in program history. As a junior, Zach White shattered the state record for points in a season by tallying 90 goals and 65 assists. His 155 total points in 19 games bested the previous mark of 142 set by Walsh Jesuit’s Trevor Brown in 2015. In addition to his All-American honors, Zach was the Division II and Region 7 Player of the Year. Joining him in All-Ohio recognition was third-teamer Henry Rubey and Division II Coach of the Year Derek Lichtfuss, who guided the squad to a 13-6 record and appearance in the regional semifinals.

Our girls lacrosse team, meanwhile, tied for the MSL-Ohio title with a 3-1 league record. Under first-year head coach Morgan Fee Maldovan, the Vikings finished 7-10-1 overall including 4-4 in the Central Independent League. They were led by all-region firstteamer Suzy L’Hommedieu and her fellow all-MSL first-teamers Evie Gee and Avery Mitchell as well as all-league and all-region second-teamer Emma Yakam. Following a 23-6 win over Dayton Chaminade Julienne in their postseason-opener, the Vikes fell to third-seeded Watterson 12-9 in round two. Following the season, Coach Maldovan left for a position at Upper Arlington. She will be replaced this upcoming spring by new head coach Victoria Foreman ’07 (see hiring announcement on page 41).

Also sharing an MSL-Ohio title last spring was our boys tennis program, which finished third in the OTCA Division II state tournament.

The Vikings were 17-6 overall and 5-1 in the league with the most important victory coming in the OTCA district finals. That 3-1 win over Wellington advanced our squad to its first state tournament since 2016. In individual play, Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madison lost

Zach White broke the state record for points in a season and became Columbus Academy’s first AllAmerican in boys lacrosse.

3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the OHSAA Division 2 doubles final, matching their state runner-up performance from 2019. In the team state tourney the very next day, the Vikes bounced back from a 3-1 semifinal loss to Pepper Pike Orange to beat Lexington 3-1 and claim third.

On the baseball diamond, Academy was led by All-Ohio first-teamer Brady Hess, who compiled a 4-3 record as a pitcher with a 2.93 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 45 and a third innings. After going 5-6 in the MSL-Ohio, our Vikings made it to the district finals, where they lost 4-0 at third-seeded Liberty Union to finish with an 11-13 overall mark. Johnny Hill and Tanner Compton both garnered all-district second team accolades with Dylan Ritzenthaler earning an honorable mention nod. In the MSL, Brady and Johnny were first-teamers and Finn Cassady was a second-teamer with Tanner as an honorable mention.

In track and field, our girls were paced by Regan Cornelius, who won the MSL-Ohio title in the 3200-meter run, broke the school record of 11:28.22 held by Meredith Keeran Kessler ’96 since 1995 with a third-place time of 11:25.88 in the district meet and then placed 11th in the state meet to earn All-Ohio honors. Two others qualified for regionals with strong performances at the district meet: Hannah Clay, who finished third in the 200-meter dash, and Alli Klinefelter, who placed fourth in the high jump. At the league meet, Olivia PierreLouis was runner-up in the high jump. Overall, our girls finished fifth in the MSL-Ohio and 10th at the district championships.

On the boys’ side, Luke Nester was MSL-Ohio champion in the 3200 and runner-up in the 1600, district champ in both events, and seventh at the state meet with a 1600 time of 4:23.15. Early in the season, Luke posted the second-fastest 3200 mark in school history by clocking a 9:40.40. The Vikes were fourth in the MSL-Ohio and fifth at the district meet, where regional-qualifying results were achieved by Sam Huyghe in the 400 (second place), Manny Eribo in the long jump (third) and 200 (fourth), and our 4x200, 4x400 and

Hannah Clay placed third in

4x800 relay squads (all placed third). Manny teamed up with Zech Kim, Vaughn Armour and EJ Jenkins to earn MSL-Ohio runner-up

the 200 at the district meet

honors in the 4x200.

to qualify for regionals.

EXPERIENCE CA 37

ACADEMY NEWS ACADEMICS

Year-End Academic Honors At the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year, the following students earned academic recognition at the Upper School Honors Assembly and Middle School Awards Assembly.

2021 Upper School Honors Hamill Award

2021 Middle School Awards

Visual & Performing Arts Award

Davey Agrawal

Caroline Bloomfield Hannah Clay

Ella Farrell

Robert Smith Character Award

Frank B. Rasor II Cup

Nia Law

David Narayanan

Russell Ahmed

Andrew William Cary Cup

Olivia Pierre-Louis

Sidd Amirneni

Marin Henry

Vaughn Armour

Beatrice Sull

Alexandra Butnariu

Lucas Huang

Priya Rangi

Faculty Prize

Calvin Wade

Janet Li

Lauren Motta

Mathematics Award

Patrick Daly

Cum Laude Society

Raaghav Malik

David Narayanan

Clara Stevens

David Narayanan

Panya Bhinder

Lindsay Sutherland

Jacob Podgurski

Science Award

Alumni Cup

Nischal Chennuru

Amiya Tiwari

Cydney Platt

Clara Stevens

Felicia Xiao

Hannah Clay

Carolyn Vaziri

Sona Santry

Social Studies Award

English Award

Matt Derzon

Maya Walter

Tsega Seleshi

Jacob Khvalsky

Nia Law

Andrew Golden

Ethan Weiser

Beatrice Sull

Chinese Award

Brodie Leo

Lucas Huang

Junior Speech Award

James W. Stahl Cup

Seth Lee

Felicia Xiao

Nia Law

Kian Jennings

Brady Hess

Latin Award

History Award

Josh Tu

Parker Logan

Margaret Plessinger Cup

Carolina Mize

Nia Law

Felicia Xiao

Raaghav Malik

Regan Cornelius

Spanish Award

Mathematics Award

Hanrui Xu

Carolyn Vaziri

Suzy L’Hommedieu

Mary Panley

Lucas Huang

Tara Alahakoon

Carlile Award

Twelve Season Athletes

Language Arts Award

Jahnea Potts

Vaughn Armour

Vaughn Armour

Olivia Archibald

Angelina Gong

Science Award

Daniel Farber

Regan Cornelius

Keiran Gorospe

Technology and Engineering Award

Hanrui Xu

Rowan Hennessy

Sarah Silver

Rowan Hennessy

Katie Zaki

World Languages Award

Jared Kass

Josh Tu

Brady Hess

Choral Music Award

Olivia Pierre-Louis

Cole Leis

Sumner F. Dennett Cup

Suzy L’Hommedieu

Katie VanDyne

Jay Whitney

David Narayanan

Lauren Motta

Skyler Simpson

Orchestra Award

Hanrui Xu

Javier Sais

Tsega Seleshi

Christopher Sugar

Theatre Award

Sona Santry

Service Board Awards of Merit

Cydney Platt

Sarah Silver

Allison Bergman

Sophie Platt

Carolyn Tsung

Panya Bhinder

Visual Arts Award

Andrew Silver

Drama Award

Angelina Gong

Band Award Carolina Mize

Physical Education Award Alexander Hu-Van Reeth Carolina Mize

John Street, who has been teaching math and

Middle School Dean Susan Carter and Head of Middle School Shaka Arnold stand behind 2021 middle school

psychology in our Upper School since 2001, delivered

award recipients (from left) Carolina Mize, Sophie Platt, Mary Panley, Clara Stevens, Ella Farrell, Alexander

the Cum Laude Address at Honors Assembly in May.

Hu-Van Reeth, Andrew Silver, Seth Lee, Katie VanDyne, Jacob Khvalsky, Priya Rangi and Angelina Gong.

38 EXPERIENCE CA

ACADEMY NEWS all-district and MSL-Ohio first-teamer was Emma Yakam. Additional all-

ATHLETICS

Fall Sports Season Highlighted

by Golf Achievements For the first time in state history, a golf team won five straight state championships this fall as our boys claimed their sixth Division II state title in the last eight seasons under head coach Craig Yakscoe. This year’s squad had to overcome a significant deficit to Kettering Alter after the

league performers were second-teamers Evie Gee and Kennedy Jackson and honorable mentions Liesel Goldfarb and Jasmine Evans. Under head coach Matt Thompson, the Vikings went 9-4-3 overall and 3-2-3 in MSL-Ohio play while picking up tournament wins over Marion Pleasant (7-0) and Liberty Union (1-0) before falling 2-0 at Grandview Heights in the district semifinals.

In our field hockey program’s 31st and final season under legendary head coach Anne Horton, the Vikings reached the regional final with a 2-1 victory against Upper Arlington. It proved to be historic as it marked the

opening day of state competition and won by three

600th career win for Coach Horton, who became just

strokes with rounds of 304 and 307 at NorthStar Golf

the 11th high school field hockey coach in the country

Club in mid-October. Individually, defending state

to reach that milestone. The 2019 National Field Hockey

medalist Stephen Ma (150) placed third at the state

Coach of the Year announced her retirement following

tournament while MSL-Ohio and district player of

a double-overtime loss to Thomas Worthington in the

the year Russell Ahmed finished fifth (151), Aditya Reddy eighth (153), Matthew Fang tied for 14th

Both our boys and girls golf squads reached new heights last fall.

(157) and Arvind Rajagopalan 22nd (164). Russell and Stephen were both first team all-state, all-district and all-league in addition to being sectional co-medalists. Aditya (second team) and Matthew (honorable mention) also earned All-Ohio honors while Arvind and Jake Stouffer joined the others in picking up all-district and all-league recognition.

It was a historic season for our girls as well. In just

Photo by Colin Hulme ’24

regional championship game, giving her a final record of 600-72-39 in 38 seasons, including 526-46-29 in

her time at Academy while claiming 12 state titles. Carolyn “Gurby” Vaziri led this year’s 13-5-1 squad with an All-Ohio selection and was joined on the all-league first team by Maya Walter. Second-teamers included Mya Falkenhain, Avery Mitchell and Charlotte Rose while Ava Hurst earned an honorable mention.

In cross country, eight Vikings received postseason accolades. For our girls, both Melanie Qin and Madeline Proctor were second

the program’s third year, the squad placed fourth

team all-district and first team all-league, and Clara

in the Division II state tournament at Ohio State’s

Stevens made both second teams. Claire Richardson

Gray Course with a team score of 694. In addition

was an honorable mention in both while Samantha

to their first state appearance, our Vikings claimed

Frickel earned an all-league honorable mention.

their first MSL-Ohio title by going 15-1 in the league

On the boys’ side, Peter Heermann and Cyrus

and then beat CSG for their first district crown. They

Richardson were both all-league second-teamers, and

were led by all-district and all-league first-teamer Grace Luo (tied for 19th at state tournament) and

Jonathon Hammond was an all-league honorable Academy’s football team was led by All-Ohio first-teamer and District Defensive Player of the Year Gyvnn Mendenhall (center). mention. In the first season under head coach Chris

second-teamers Angela Hu (tied for 21st) and

Mealick, our girls were MSL-Ohio runners-up, third in the district and 11th in

Eliza Freytag (tied for 35th). Eva Baker earned second team all-league and

the region while the boys placed fifth at the league meet and eighth at districts.

third-team all-district accolades while Caroline Zeiger was an honorable mention for both. After guiding the program since its inception, Maggie Freytag was named MSL-Ohio and Central District Coach of the Year.

Our varsity volleyball team had an impressive midseason stretch in which it won four of six contests. Overall, the young squad claimed seven victories – a five-win improvement over the previous year – and six of those were 3-0 shutouts. In

In tennis, our girls placed third in the state after winning the program’s 13th

the eighth season under head coach John Kelley, who guided our Vikings from

district title. They qualified for their fifth-straight Division II state tournament

2000-03 and then returned in 2018, two players earned all-league recognition:

with no seniors in the starting lineup, lost to Hathaway Brown 3-1 in the

first-teamer Kerry O’Connor and second-teamer Sophia Costantine.

semifinals and then beat Bryan 3-0 to finish 16-4 overall. Individually, Arya Chabria won the district singles title over teammate Anna Chang 6-2, 6-0 to become a state-qualifier. Both were MSL-Ohio first-teamers along with Yasemin Bilgin and Grace Philip while Tamanna Arya, Naomi Chen and Emily Motta all made the second team. Coached by Marc Wurtzman, our Vikes went 6-1 to place second in the MSL-Ohio but avenged their earlier loss to league-foe Wellington by beating the Jaguars 3-2 in the OTCA district final.

The 2021 football season ended with the program’s deepest run in the playoffs since winning the 2003 state title. Following postseason victories against Liberty Union and previously undefeated Piketon, our Vikes fell to Harvest Prep to finish 8-5 overall. The sixth consecutive winning season for head coach Robin Miller also included a 5-2 record in the MSL-Ohio. District Defensive Player of the Year and MSL-Ohio Lineman of the Year Gyvnn Mendenhall made the all-state first team and all-metro second team and was joined on the all-district and all-league

Academy’s boys soccer team finished 5-11-1 after a district tournament loss at

first teams by Parker Logan and Carter James. In addition, Parker was an all-state

Fairbanks. All five victories came at the friendly confines of Hondros Field, including

third-teamer and all-metro second-teamer while Carter was named an all-state

a 2-1 thriller over Bloom Carroll on a late goal by Cory Wu that gave first-year

honorable mention, all-metro special mention and MSL-Ohio Co-Back of the

head coach Jaden Lunger (see hiring announcement on page 41) his first career

Year. An all-state honorable mention was also earned by EJ Jenkins, who was an

win. All-league honors were earned by Arden Preza (first team), Leo Kass (second

all-metro special mention, all-district first-teamer and all-league second-teamer.

team), David Wunsch (second team) and Ethan Thompson (honorable mention).

On the pitch, our girls were led by goalkeeper Sophie Spolter, who added second team All-Ohio to her first team all-district and all-league honors. Another

MSL-Ohio Kicker of the Year Max Popp and Gyvnn picked up Academic All-Ohio accolades. District and/or league honors were also garnered by Henry Rubey, Miles Friedman, Harold Hacker, Tommy Jauchius, Ryne Whitt and Drake Bellisari.

EXPERIENCE CA 39

ACADEMY NEWS Associate Head of Middle School

ACADEMICS

Ed Rhee ’93 (right) donates

Upper-Schoolers Take AP Exams in Record Numbers

blood while junior Sophia Costantine awaits her turn.

Last spring, Columbus Academy upper-schoolers took 500 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, the highest number in school history.

As a result of their hard work and achievement, 108 of our students were named AP Scholars for 2021, including 56 AP Scholars with Distinction (for earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken with scores of 3 or higher on at least 5 of them) and 15 AP Scholars with Honor (average score of at least 3.25 on all exams with scores of 3 or higher on at least 4).

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Blood Drives Collect Much-Needed Supply

Of this year’s AP Scholars, 12 are current juniors and 46 are seniors. One of those

Columbus Academy’s student-run Service Board has hosted two blood drives

seniors, Sidd Amirneni, was one of only 62 students in the world to earn every point

already this school year. After collecting 21 units in mid-October, the January effort

possible on the AP Macroeconomics Exam, receiving the maximum score on each

garnered 48 units from 50 donors, which was the highest single-day total on our

portion of the exam!

campus since 2009. “How lucky we are,” stated Service Department Chair Christy

“We applaud Siddharth’s hard work,” wrote Trevor Packer, Head of the Advanced

Bening. “The Academy community really stepped up!”

Placement Program. “This outstanding accomplishment is likely a direct reflection of the top-quality education being offered at Columbus Academy.”

IN THE NEWS

The College Board discontinued the State AP Scholar designation in 2020. Had it

Susan Carter Profiled on Football Broadcast

still been awarded this year, Hanrui Xu from our Class of 2021 would have been an incredibly strong candidate for that honor after earning perfect scores of 5 on 13 different exams. The highest average was earned by his classmate Hannah Clay, who averaged 4.88 over eighth exams, making her one of 22 Academy students who took at least eight different AP Exams in 2021.

Middle School Dean of Students Susan Carter was featured in an Educator Spotlight video during halftime of the mid-September television broadcast of our home football game against Bishop Ready on the CW Columbus. Carter is in her 35th year of service at Columbus Academy, tying her with Christy Bening as the longestserving current female faculty member. She teaches in the same classroom as her son Matt Carter ’00, a

Of 124,000 test-takers, Academy senior Sidd

fact highlighted in the piece that can be viewed at

Amirneni was one of only 62 students in the

http://tiny.cc/SusanCarterSpotlight.

world who received the maximum score on each portion of the AP Macroeconomics Exam.

Susan Carter joined Academy’s staff in 1987 along with Christy Bening, making them both the longest-serving current female faculty members.

IN THE NEWS

Lower-Schooler Testifies to Ohio House Health Committee Last spring, Academy fourth-grader Arjun Satyapriya testified in front of the Ohio House Health Committee to advocate his support of a law to ensure that private insurance companies pay for the cost of pediatric hearing aids. According to his mother Veena, who also testified in order to persuade lawmakers to enact Madeleine’s Law, some insurance companies consider hearing aids cosmetic so the cost can be upwards of $4,000 out-of-pocket for families of children who require them.

ARTS & MUSIC

Art Teachers Look for Inspiration In October, upper school faculty members Crystal Tursich and David Block visited the Toledo School for the Arts as part of our fine arts department’s year of reviewing its curriculum. In addition to doing a deep-dive into how we teach and promote the fine arts on campus, our faculty members try to learn about and be inspired by what other prominent schools are doing. In December, Fine Arts Department Chair Pedro Mena was joined by colleagues Charity White and Lloyd Cicetti while touring four schools in San Francisco. Spring trips are planned as well, including a possible visit

Arjun Satyapriya poses in the Ohio

to Detroit.

House Health Committee chamber before testifying in May.

Crystal Tursich snaps a selfie with David Block in Toledo last fall.

40 EXPERIENCE CA

ACADEMY NEWS CAMPUS LIFE

Together Again for 111th School Year Academy’s 111th school year began with 1,168 total students spread among 15 grade levels. In her Convocation address, Head of School Melissa Soderberg urged everyone to greet each other warmly, especially Academy’s new students and faculty/staff members.

“We have been away from our typical moments of creating community for a long time as a result of COVID,” said Soderberg, now in her ninth year guiding the school, “and it is going to be very important for all of us to make an effort and to reach out to be WITH each other this year.”

Academy senior Aislinn Ahern is amazed by her kindergarten buddy

Since the school year began, we have welcomed the following group of educators and professionals to the Academy community.

Mack Miller after being paired with

“We have such an exciting and talented group of new faculty and staff this year,” stated Soderberg. “Each of them comes to us with

each other during Convocation

a special interest in working at Columbus Academy, and many of them have already distinguished themselves in other positions in independent schools around the country.”

Becky Barger-Amato, Advancement

Moira Jenkins, PreK Lead Teacher

Gabriel Paynter, Lower School Director

Services Coordinator

Ben Johnson, Lower School Spanish Teacher

of Academic Programs

Katie Beck, PreK Lead Teacher

Kim Koehler, Third Grade Associate Teacher

Katy Reis, Second Grade Associate Teacher

Janny Cann, Explorers Program Lead Teacher

Lauren Yen Leahy, Associate Director of Admissions

Ed Rhee ’93, Associate Head of Middle School

Ralen Cleveland, Safety and Security Coordinator

Chris Luzniak, Upper School Math Teacher

Beth Rusnak, Art Teacher for Grades 5 and 9

Becky Collier, First Grade Associate Teacher

Kim Masturzo, First Grade Associate Teacher

Keith Scowden, Fourth Grade Associate

Mary Deeds, Assistant Director of

April Mealick, PreK Lead Teacher

Athletics for Youth Sports Perry Doran, Director of Campus Safety and Security Tae Greene, Academy Hall Front Desk Attendant Erin Harris, Lower School Aquatics Instructor

Carla Miller, Third Grade Associate Teacher Jen Neviaser, Second Grade Associate Teacher Lindy Newman, Lower School Science Teacher

and Team Leader Camille Thiros, Kindergarten Associate Teacher Claire Thompson, Lower School PE Teacher Harland Young, Director of Facilities and Grounds

ATHLETICS

Welcome to Our New Varsity Head Coaches Director of Athletics Jason Singleton hired six new varsity head coaches for the 2021-22 school year. Chris Mealick took over our cross country program in the summer after serving as an assistant track and field coach for us last spring. He has 15 years of coaching experience with two former student-athletes reaching the state podium. In boys soccer, former Gahanna standout and Otterbein University All-American Jaden Lunger assumed the reins this fall after being an assistant at Otterbein and gaining coaching experience with the Sporting Columbus club’s youth program and at Olentangy Liberty High School.

Chris Mealick

Jaden Lunger

Ashar Harris

Anthony Russo

Adam McHugh

Victoria Foreman ’07

This winter, Ashar Harris is leading our girls basketball team, Anthony Russo is guiding our swimming program and Adam McHugh is at the helm of our ice hockey squad. A graduate of Africentric who helped the Nubians win Division IV state titles in 2007 and 2009 and earn a runner-up finish in 2008, Ashar played collegiately at Morehead State for three seasons and at Lake Erie College for one and has served as an assistant coach at both Africentric and New Albany. Anthony, meanwhile, coached for 11 years with the Ohio State Swim Club, and he helped form Endeavor Performance. He competed in swimming at both Midpark High School in northeast Ohio and Ashland University. Adam, who is in his 10th year of coaching ice hockey, has previously served as a varsity assistant at St. Charles and as the head JV coach at Olentangy Orange, and he has also worked with the USA and Canadian women’s Olympic teams and several NHL players in preseason camps. He led the Olentangy Orange High School squad as a captain for three years and played one season at Ohio University before transferring to help found Otterbein’s ice hockey club program.

After serving as an assistant coach at Thomas Worthington High School for the past four years, Academy alumna Victoria Foreman ’07 will become our girls lacrosse program’s sixth head coach this spring. Her coaching experience also includes three and a half years with the Lucky Lax club program, one year with the Winners Lacrosse DC Stars and the 2011 season as our varsity assistant field hockey coach. At Academy, Victoria was an all-region selection as a junior when the Vikings were state runners-up in lacrosse, and she was the Defensive MVP for state champion field hockey teams in both 2004 and 2006 in addition to being a team co-captain and All-Ohio first-teamer as a senior. She went on to play field hockey for Colgate University.

EXPERIENCE CA 41

ACADEMY NEWS CAMPUS LIFE

IN THE NEWS

Teachers Who Understand Students

Seniors enjoy a walk in the woods before pondering the works of Aristotle.

Matt Thompson Transitions from Athletics to Dean of Students

Tim Leet, a member of our upper

Matt Thompson, who joined Columbus Academy as an assistant athletic

school faculty since 1999, recently took

director in 2016 and has been our varsity girls soccer coach for the past

his moral philosophy class on a walk

five seasons, took on a new role as Upper School Dean of Students this

through the campus woods. “This is a

year. The graduate of Dickinson College (B.A. in English) and Georgia

class of seniors who had just made it

Southern (M.S. in Sport Management) previously served as director

through the most intense week of the

of athletics at Culver Academy from 2011-14 and has also held various

college process,” he told us. “It was the

positions as a teacher, coach and administrator at Beaver Country Day

last class period of the day, and we were

School (MA), Webb School (TN) and The Knox School (NY) since 1997

due to begin a discussion on a work of

in addition to being an assistant coach for women’s soccer at MIT.

political philosophy by Aristotle. It was

“Matt has made his mark here as a student-centered coach with

clear when they sat down that they

a big heart and warm style,” wrote Head of School Melissa

were wiped out, not fit for the kind of

Soderberg in her announcement to faculty and staff. “We are

intense discussions we usually have, so

so excited he will be moving fully into the Upper School.”

I junked the lesson plan and suggested we take a walk in the woods instead.”

Matt lives in Westerville with his wife Jana, son Ethan and daughter Maya.

“I am honored and humbled to be taking over as Academy’s Upper School

“Their exhaustion would have been reason enough for a walk

Dean,” he said. “I look forward to

outside,” Leet explained further, “but Aristotle’s naturalism gave us just enough curricular relevance to make it a no-brainer.

When we returned to the classroom, pairs of students had to explain why a walk outside was more appropriate to Aristotle than any of the other philosophers we’ve discussed.”

building and fostering relationships with our students, faculty and families that are grounded in trust and mutual respect. CA is such an incredible school, and I will take

Eighth grade language arts teacher Amy Seymore also took advantage of

great pride in the opportunity I have

beautiful fall weather on our campus when she encouraged students in her

to shape our culture and ensure that

advisory to join a PreK class in the woods to experience a Forest Friday.

all of our students feel connected,

Those driving through campus can often witness students in

fulfilled and well prepared for

our Upper School’s Honors Modern European History class at an

whatever life has in store for them.”

outdoor classroom actively engaged (sometimes even in costume as historical figures) by Dr. Amanda Bundy in discussions about

Matt Thompson led our girls soccer program to its first two regional titles and appearances in the state semifinals.

topics such as the British Parliament or French Enlightenment.

Alumni Career Advice Podcast & Video Library Did you know we have an online library full of career advice from Columbus Academy alumni? From podcasts to video replays of past career panels, alumni across the country and in varying job fields have volunteered their time to give insight into what makes up their day-to-day work as well as advice on how to get started in exploring a career in the arts, business, government/politics, health care, sports and more! This library also includes recordings from our “Continuing the Quest” series and the last two virtual Career Fairs.

Thanks to our Alumni Board Student Representatives from the past two years who have served as hosts of several of these podcast-style interviews, including over 20 episodes that you can listen to from anywhere on your favorite streaming platform. Check out the Alumni Career Advice Podcast & Video Library on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube or by logging on to www.columbusacademy.org/alumnicareeradvicepodcast.

42 EXPERIENCE CA

ALUMNI

Weekend 2021 was a success in more ways than one as

alumni from across the country returned to campus for a fun-filled two days of events on October 1-2. We kicked off the celebration with a Virtual Happy Hour the Friday before in-person events as alumnus John Wuorinen ’80, our director of admissions and tuition assistance, took alumni who joined on Zoom through how to make some of his favorite craft cocktails and provided tips on creating homemade drinks.

This year's celebration on campus – honoring the classes ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6 – was especially significant for the Class of 1970, which enjoyed its 50th reunion (postponed from 2020 due to COVID) at in-person gatherings on both days. The group of classmates even had the chance to participate in the coin flip prior to kickoff of the varsity home football game against Fort Loramie, which our Vikings won 29-28 in thrilling fashion.

Alumni Weekend 2021 Saturday featured a full slate of “Academy Afternoon Adventures” as alumni caught up with former faculty members including an art class co-taught by upper school art teacher David Block and sculptor Peter Haines ’60, a biology class with upper school science teacher Joel Davis, a master class with beloved former faculty member Kevin Morrin, Junior Speeches from 2020, an update from our College Counseling Office, and the State of Columbus Academy with Head of School Melissa Soderberg. Individual classes also gathered off campus throughout the weekend to catch up and enjoy reminiscing with one another.

We thank all of our alumni and former faculty who came back to campus this year and look forward to celebrating again next fall for Alumni Weekend on September 23-24, 2022!

To view photos from the weekend and replay video recordings of select events, go to www.columbusacademy.org/news/alumni-weekend-2021-recap.

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Chef Steph

44 EXPERIENCE CA

MEET THE DINING HALL’S MASTERMIND — AND SEE HOW SHE ENCOURAGED GREAT COOKING DURING COVID-19 As SAGE Senior Food Service Director for Columbus Academy, Chef Stephanie Campbell’s day begins at 7:00 a.m. The food truck deliveries begin early, and she, her assistant and their team of 15 put away the day’s deliveries. Then the prep work begins.

By 10:30 a.m., a hungry community is starting to appear in waves that continue until 1:20 p.m. Then there are events to be catered. Staff meetings with coffee and scones. Healthy game-day snacks to help fuel student athletes. Celebrations.

DINING HALL FAST FACTS

Campbell — or Steph the Chef as she’s known around the dining hall — has been serving up tasty meals at CA since 2010. Two popular dishes: General Tso’s Chicken and Penne alla Academy (yes, we have the recipes).

As the Academy community well knows, the dining hall is more than a place to grab a meal. It’s also a gathering place.

“Kids use the dining hall as space after school for homework or eating a snack,” says Campbell, whose daughter, Sophia, is a seventh-grader at CA. “So eighth-graders might have a meeting, so they might ask me to book the space. I’m responsible for booking the space, either the fireside or the main side of the dining hall.”

As COVID-19 swept the world in 2020 and school-day routines were upended, Campbell found a fresh way to stay connected to the CA community – and make sure they were getting good nutrition. She made at-home cooking videos for Academy’s YouTube channel.

“Because we weren’t open and we weren’t able to give the students their favorite foods, this was a way for me to teach them how to do it on their own,” Campbell says. “So even though they were missing school and missing their lunches, they could make it at home.”

Her home video series features Campbell in her own kitchen, demonstrating how to prep ingredients, cook and serve them like a pro. The videos were a hit.

Mouths fed daily (500 in summer)

CASES of pineapple on Pineapple Day MENU changes per year

“A lot of students when they came back to school thanked me. We made that recipe so many times, it got us through COVID.” Campbell also found ways to show CA faculty some love with take-home kits they could turn into meals by following an accompanying instructional video.

“The school did faculty appreciation events when students and faculty went remote,” Campbell says. “We had a package for every teacher to take home and make. They could take that package home and make it for their family.

We also provided alternatives, like vegetarian and gluten-free options.”

Still, nothing beats returning to the bustle and aromas of the dining hall.

Because these are all Campbell’s kids.

MENU ITEM: General Tso’s Chicken requires 650 pounds of chicken, 30 gallons of sauce and 120 lbs. of rice

“I’m pretty close with the students,” Campbell says. “I’ve been here long enough that I’ve seen them grow and graduate. They have a comfort level with me. I have students with allergies who feel safe coming to me to ask questions. A lot of Sophia’s friends are comfortable around me and the team. I take care of them like my own.”

Comfort food comes in all kinds of forms.

General Tso's Chicken is the school’s perennial crowd-pleaser. See what the fuss is about.

Penne alla Academy features chicken and chimichurri sauce. See how it’s made and try it yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEHNycYZU7o

https://youtu.be/NSqApBTrm2I

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 142 Columbus, OH

4300 Cherry Bottom Road Gahanna, Ohio 43230-0745 614-475-2311 columbusacademy.org Melissa Soderberg, Head of School

This painting titled "Lucid" by Columbus Academy junior Alicia Deng is currently on display at the U.S. Capitol as the winning entry in the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Ohio's 12th District.

"Art has been my go-to method of expression ever since I was really young," stated Alicia. "I use my artwork to illustrate the light and dark that I see in humanity.

Having the privilege of winning gave me a huge sense of acknowledgment that I didn’t really have before, and I hope I can continue sharing this passion with everyone."

The Congressional Art Competition is an annual nationwide visual art competition designed to recognize and encourage artistic talent among high school students.

AT EXPERIENCE CA