Gilmour Magazine Spring 2021 by Gilmour Academy

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Gilmour

A SPECIAL SEASON Team shows its

SPIRIT en route to state championship

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Gilmour

PIRI

Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FORBEARANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS,

FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL. JOHN 3:6-8

staff EDITOR

Amy Boyle ASSISTANT EDITOR

Patti Pfundstein Miller ’85 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Amy Boyle Kennedy Clyde Katie Gallagher Beth Geraci ’90 Spencer Kowitz Ray Murphy DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION

Beth Titas Lazzaro DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Ray Murphy DESIGN/PRODUCTION

markey creative PRINTING

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Neal Busch Todd Jay Photography

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AROUND CAMPUS 24 EARLY ACCEPTANCE RESULTS 25

NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS

BRINN M ac LELLAN ’21: HEISMAN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

SEVENTH GRADERS BRINGING MISSION TO LIFE: SOCK DRIVE AND CARITAS PROJECT

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

BOTEK BEATS

EXCITING SPORTS MEDICINE PARTNERSHIP WITH UH

GILMOUR'S ARTS AT THE ACADEMY PARTNERS WITH CLEVELAND BALLET

SENIOR NAMED CANDIDATE FOR U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

AP U.S. GOVERNMENT TEACHER RECOGNIZED

33 Girls volleyball team members show off their state championship rings.

ON THE COVER GIRLS VOLLEYBALL TEAM MEMBERS GATHERED IN THE HALLWAY UNDER THE STANDS IN LANCER GYMNASIUM FOR THEIR PRE-GAME RITUAL.

FEATURES

SPEECH & DEBATE STATE AND NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

ALUMNI NEWS 36

SPOTLIGHT: JEAN ROBINSON G.O. ’74

A SPECIAL SEASON

SPOTLIGHT: GREG SAZIMA, M.D. ’79

CELEBRATING TEACHERS

ALUM NEWS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL BRUNO ’85

COLUMNS 4

GILMOUR VOICE

SPOTLIGHT: TARA HYLAND ZITTEL ’07

LIVING THE MISSION ALEX KELLER ’14

GILMOUR ACADEMY PREP WEAR

CATCHING UP ROSEMARIE FABRIZIO

SPOTLIGHT: QUINN L'ESPERANCE ’19

IN THEIR SPACE ED AND MARYSUE RYAN

46 FALL & WINTER HIGHLIGHTS

ADVANCEMENT CORNER

ALL-DECADE TEAM

FALL NCAA SIGNING

SPRING 2021

Dear Parents, We send this magazine to college-aged graduates at their parents’ homes. Please forward this to keep your son or daughter informed about GA.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

contents

SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS

54 MEMORIALS

ATHLETICS

If your son or daughter has moved to a different address, please notify the Advancement Office at (440) 473-8000 x1204 or complete the online form at gilmour.org/updateinfo

@gilmouracademy

@GilmourAcademy

Have an idea for a story? Let us know!

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Gilmour Academy Attn: Gilmour Magazine 34001 Cedar Road Gates Mills, OH 44040

s we celebrate the girls volleyball team’s Division II state championship in this issue, we look back to where it all began, with the school’s first state title – the 1971 Class AA track and field state championship. The story of that win is truly one from the record books, with Eric Penick ’71, who went on to play a key role on the University of Notre Dame football team’s 1973 national championship, single-handedly earning enough points for Gilmour to secure the title. He won the 100 with a time of 9.7 seconds, the 440 in a personal-best 48.6 seconds and the 220 with a time of 21.7 seconds. He remains the only high school athlete in the area to win a team title on his/her own! The season, however, was not a one-man show. John Kranjc ’71, an outstanding distance runner, set records in the mile (4:35.8) and the two-mile (9:53.1) and finished eighth at the state meet. Jeff Duer ’71 set a school record in the 880 (2:00.2). Bob Poklar ’71 set a low hurdle record (21.1). Bill Mulligan ’72, a high jumper, long jumper and hurdler, set a school record in the long jump (21' ¾") before breaking his leg mid-season. He was expected to place or even win at the state meet. Outstanding performances were also turned in by Bob Fiala ’71, Bob Zhun ’71, Pat Cunneen ’71, Fred Kuglin ’71, Carl Peter ’71, John Pap ’72, Gary Carver ’72, Tom Chambers ’73, Willex Brown ’73, Bart Troy ’73, Pete DeCrane ’73 and Steve Morgan ’74.

OUR HOLY CROSS MISSION IS THE FOUNDATION FROM WHICH WE EDUCATE THE MIND AND EMPOWER THE HEART OF EVERY GILMOUR STUDENT.

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To develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society

Living the Mission

ALEX KELLER ’14 CONNECTING 800 CLEVELAND STUDENTS TO HOT SPOTS

t all started when Alex Keller ’14 overheard her mom, Margaret Bernstein, a community advocate at WKYCCh. 3, on a Zoom call.

The organization her mom was speaking with, PCs for People, had donated computers to families in the Cleveland Public School System during the pandemic. While the organization does good work, there was just one problem. The students couldn’t use the computers because they didn’t have internet access at home. It was late August. Alex’s birthday was coming up. Having overheard her mom’s conversation, she decided to have a Facebook birthday fundraiser to help students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District get internet access. At her mom’s suggestion, Alex collaborated with Digital C, a nonprofit that provides affordable, high-speed internet for Greater Cleveland residents. Alex took the extra step of asking Digital C to accept donations for the cause through its own website. The Kent State University graduate set a $500 fundraising goal on Facebook. Two days after the fundraiser’s launch, she exceeded her goal.

Alex (on right) with her mom, Margaret Bernstein (on left)

“I ran downstairs to tell my mom,” Alex recalls. “She had already seen the total and joked, ‘I think you’re going to need a bigger total.’” Alex upped her goal to $1,000 that day. The dollars kept coming. Then, a week before her birthday, she felt inspired to host a telethon. Not knowing how to go about it, she asked Digital C for help. As luck would have it, they had the technology to host one. By the time of Alex’s telethon, quarantine had taken a toll on the mental and emotional wellness of her community. In addition, peaceful protests were continuing to bud from the social unrest of the summer.

ALEX KELLER ’14 | LIVING THE MISSION

Scenes from the telethon

By the time Alex’s birthday came around, the fundraisers collectively had raised $7,000! The money raised has provided hot spots to 894 households with 903 active scholars in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District so they could work remotely during the pandemic. “At the end of the day,” Alex says. “I wanted the students to know that their community cares, that a person who looks like them cares. This project goes to show, if you really want to make a difference, you do not need all the resources in the world. With faith and action, you can do it.”

“I wanted the students to know that their community cares, that a person who looks like them cares.”

SPRING 2021

And progress it made, garnering $3,000 toward the total raised.

7,000 raised

The telethon featured four hours of content, from local professionals talking about the value of education, to song and dance performances - even a free yoga class. All events were streamed live online, with a “donation bar” showing progress throughout the day.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

“I wanted the telethon to be the hug that everybody needed, and to let the receiving children know that their life matters, even if the world makes them feel otherwise,” Alex says.

Catching Up

ROSEMARIE FABRIZIO FORMER GILMOUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

t’s not every day that we catch up with a guidance counselor in this space. In fact, Rosemarie Fabrizio is the first. When she started as a counselor at Gilmour in 1984, she had never worked as a counselor, even with a master’s in guidance and counseling from John Carroll University. Here, she talks about being welcomed into the fold at Gilmour, finding her calling and what she’s been up to in the years since. What was it like for you starting at Gilmour? I was very blessed to work with the three most kind and caring individuals: Father John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58, Brother Robert Kelly, C.S.C. and Brother James Maroney, C.S.C. Each of them mentored me and helped me acclimate. There also was a group of welcoming teachers when I came on board. It was my first counseling experience. I was able to venture into college counseling, and that became very important to me. Why is that? College counseling is where I found my niche. When I went through training, there was very little taught about college counseling. The focus was on general counseling. College counseling focuses on helping students find a college that fits with their goals. I learned that I really liked it, and that I was good at it. What makes for a good college counselor? The fact that you accept every student as they are and interact with them in an understanding way. A college counselor is part of an important decision-making process for students and their families, and they should tailor the college search to each student’s goals. I always sought to match them with a college experience that best suited them, one that would allow them to grow. My philosophy was always that there are different schools for different students at different points in their lives.

ROSEMARIE FABRIZIO | CATCHING UP

“ I always sought to match them with a college experience that best suited them, one that would allow them to grow.”

What was the college application process like when you worked here? We sent everything through the mail. Nothing was computerized. The English teachers and I would proofread the essays for kids and make sure that everything was correct when we sent it off. When students applied to college, the college admissions office got a full package. It was very different from the virtual and electronic way applications are submitted today, even before the pandemic. But the students’ aspirations are the same.

SPRING 2021

How are you spending life in retirement? I retired from Orange to spend more time with my family, and I’m fortunate to be close with my two granddaughters, Gia, a Gilmour sophomore, and Carina, 10. Since the pandemic, I have become more of a homebody, and I’m spending more time with my husband, Sal. I am active on the board of the Parkledge Homeowners Association and serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee in Mayfield Village. I cook a bit more than I used to and am an avid reader. Sal and I have been using this time to reflect on what’s important to us.

Why did you leave Gilmour? Orange High School recruited me to formulate and implement a college guidance program. As at Gilmour, interaction with students and parents was my favorite aspect of the job. I returned to Gilmour as a parent when Johanna ’92 attended and am now a Gilmour grandparent. My granddaughter Gia Parker ’23, is a sophomore. Gilmour will always be an important part of my life.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

What was students’ No. 1 concern in the 1980s? There were several schools that suddenly became competitive, so it was time to figure out what was going to be a good match. The most common questions were “What should I study?” and “What if I don’t get into my top choices?” A good counselor navigates that anxiety and helps students cover their bases so they can find a match.

Gia Parker '23, Rosemarie Fabrizio, Sal Fabrizio, Carina Parker, Johanna Parker '92 and Jason Parker

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ED AND MARYSUE RYAN | IN THEIR SPACE

InTheirSpace

THE COMFORTS AWAY FROM HOME HOW ED AND MARYSUE RYAN ARE BRINGING NORMALCY TO THE LIVES OF GILMOUR DORMERS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

t’s hard enough to endure the pandemic under normal circumstances. And when you’re a high school student apart from your family, it can seem even more daunting.

That’s why, in managing the Gilmour dorms during COVID-19, Ed and MarySue Ryan have gone to great lengths to help the 49 dormers feel as comfortable as possible. Through it all, they’ve acted from a place of love. “We view these students as an extension of our family,” says Ed, who manages the dorm with his wife, MarySue. “Open the door so you can help them walk through, that’s what we do.”

Without the usual bonding activities to bring dormers together, the Ryans have gone to great lengths to make life during COVID-19 feel as normal as possible.

“This year, because of COVID-19, they’re only allowed to socialize with people on their floor,” Ed says. “But when we have these feeds, they can socialize with people they haven’t seen.” “I think they love it because it’s a routine,” MarySue adds. “It’s comforting, because we do it every night. It’s a social atmosphere, and it brings people together.”

SPRING 2021

“Establishing a family atmosphere for the students has been very difficult this year,” MarySue says. “We haven’t been able to gather for meals or decorate at the holidays. And yet our task is to foster community while staying safe during a pandemic. It’s been tough.”

A kitchen that once belonged to a proctor has been made accessible for student use. Students can make something if they want to, and the area is stocked with snacks and drinks. In addition, every night at 9 p.m. there’s a “dorm feed,” where residents can come down for comfort food like mac and cheese or rice and beans and chat with each other while socially distanced. As a result, the Ryans see a difference in dormers’ morale.

They’ve done it as a team, by strategically compartmentalizing their roles. MarySue makes sure students are keeping up with their daily responsibilities; Ed asks about their emotional well-being. Whatever the demands, there’s one mainstay. If it’s Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., one of the Ryans will be there to manage things. Ed sends students off in the morning, MarySue is there to greet them after school.

Another thing has brought comfort to the students - comfort food. Before the pandemic hit, it came to light that dorm students were spending a lot of money on food delivery. This year, Gilmour has taken steps to make food available to dormers during non-meal times.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

The Ryans have opened the door in so many ways. Sure, they’ve seen to it that students clean their rooms, attend study hall and do their homework. But they’ve also checked on their emotional health, made themselves available during off-hours and tried to establish a family atmosphere at a time when that seems most unlikely.

Where they once took dormers to the movies, the climbing gym, museums or dinner, the Ryans have gotten creative on campus. Outside, they’ve hosted a closest-to-the-pin contest and a cornhole tournament. Inside, there’s been a Super Bowl party with all the fixins and ice cream sundae nights. It’s all helped normalize life for teens who really need it. Along the way, proctors have lent a helpful hand to dormers during study hall, workouts, even snowman building.

During the pandemic, that’s exactly what the Ryans have worked so hard to do.

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“To me, being a state champion made everything I have done over these past four years worth it. Not only will I get to leave Gilmour with a title, but I will leave knowing that every single girl on the team always gave it their all. People stepped up when they needed to and it took every player on a roster to win this championship. We played this year for Caroline, and we finally did it. We are state champs.”

- Brinn MacLellan ’21

TEAM

“THESE SENIORS CHANGED OUR CULTURE. THEY HAVE CERTAINLY LEFT THEIR FOOTPRINT ON THE LANCER VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM.” -DANNY COUGHLIN, HEAD COACH

VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS | FEATURE ARTICLE

A SPECIAL SEASON Special. As cliché as it sounds, it is the only word Coach Danny

Coughlin could use when asked to describe his state champion volleyball team. They are special not just for what they accomplished on the court, but all they did off the court as well on the path to the title. This was a team led by five seniors, the Fab Five as Coach Coughlin likes to call them – Caroline Rarick ’21, Jocelyn Carter ’21, Ava Nestor ’21, Emmy Klika ’21 and Brinn MacLellan ’21. Their work

varsity players taking JV players for smoothies after school or studying together during Study Hall. The varsity players make it clear that there is no room for egos in this program, and the impact of that mindset has been far reaching. As has the girls’ commitment to each other and their shared goal of a state championship. After losing in the state semifinals last year, this team was hungry to make it back to the state tournament and the theme for the year was 2020 Mission.

GILMOUR ACADEMY |

The program has blossomed under their leadership, with varsity players taking junior varsity and freshman players under their wing, encouraging them on and off the court. It is not uncommon to see

They knew that it was going to be even harder to do so this year given the uncertainties of the pandemic and that they needed to stay healthy, as one positive case could quickly turn into more, sidelining them in the midst of their season. So, the team decided to limit their contact with anyone outside of the varsity team for the entirety of the season. Asked how he got the girls to buy into this mentality, Coach Coughlin said he didn’t have to. MacLellan, one of the captains, handled it. She called team meetings to discuss the rules and made sure that everyone was following them. Coughlin said, “These girls did a great job of understanding where they needed to be. School. Practice. Home. Repeat. They gave up a lot.

SPRING 2021

toward a state championship began long before this season. Strong in both numbers and in talent, they realized early on in their high school careers that their class could truly shape the future of Lancer volleyball. They wanted to create a culture rooted in not just hard work, but inclusion. They wanted the players behind them to feel a part of the program from their first days of practice. Coach Coughlin said, “These seniors changed our culture. They have certainly left their footprint on the Lancer volleyball program.”

Kathryn Randorf ’22, with one of her signature kills in the state championship match 14

VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS | FEATURE ARTICLE

They sacrificed time with friends and with family. I know how hard that is for high school kids.” But it worked. The team never had a case throughout the whole season and never even had to miss a practice due to COVID-19. Their team-first mentality was solidified when one of their own, Caroline Rarick ’21 suffered a horrible leg injury on August 1 in a boating accident [see page 16]. The team, which includes Caroline’s sister, Anna ’23, rallied around their beloved senior, and immediately dedicated the season to her. That inspiration worked as the team began their march to states. After finishing the regular season 16-1, the team advanced through the postseason, earning district and regional championships on their way to the state semifinal matchup on November 13 against Tippecanoe High School. They won that match, which sent them to the state championship matchup against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, a team filled with familiar faces as many of the girls play club volleyball together in the offseason. In an incredible display of volleyball, the teams battled to five sets, and the Lancers emerged as the Division II state champions, winning the match 3-2 (16-25, 25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13). Additionally, in the final polls of the season, the Lancers finished the season ranked fourth in Ohio across all divisions and ranked 12th nationally by MaxPreps.

Brooke Clair '22 and Anna Rarick '23

title for me. It is the people behind that title that mean something to me. This battle was won because of

Coach Danny Coughlin

SPRING 2021

“2020 State Champs is more than a

At the state level, Emmy Klika was named First Team All-State, Randorf was named Second Team All-State and MacLellan earned (continued on page 17)

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Team members earned plenty of individual honors as well. At the district level, which encompasses 82 volleyball programs, nine players earned honors. For the second year in a row, Northwestern commit Kathryn Randorf ’22, an outside hitter, was named All-District Player of the Year and First Team. Libero and University of Pittsburgh commit Emmy Klika ’21 and middle hitter Brinn MacLellan ’21 also earned First Team honors. Opposite hitter Jocelyn Carter ’21, who has committed to UNC Greensboro, and outside hitter Sabrina Gremm ’22 were named Second Team. Setter Ava Nestor ’21 and setter/opposite hitter Anna Rarick ’23 received Third Team honors, and outside hitter/defensive specialist Brooke Clair ’22 and defensive specialist Laney Klika ’23 were Honorable Mention selections. Additionally, Coach Coughlin earned District Coach of the Year honors!

our dedication to the team and love of the game. We played for each other and won for each other. 2020 Mission Completed!” - Sabrina Gremm ’22

amazing and fulfilling. This was more than a game for some of us, including me. I played this game for Caroline, she was my motivation for this season.” - Kathryn Randorf ’22

Jen, Caroline ’21, Marty and Anna ’23 Rarick

Caroline and Kathryn seconds after match point at the state championship

THE PULSE OF THE TEAM CAROLINE RARICK ’21

“The feeling of being 2020 state champs is so

It was August 1, the day her senior season was supposed to start. But, COVID-19 had forced a delay to the start of the fall sports season. The volleyball team had already committed to limiting their interaction outside of the team, and opted to spend the found time together at Roaming Shores in Ashtabula. Caroline Rarick ’21 and Kathryn Randorf ’22 were trying to bring a jet ski and tube back to the dock before the pending rain storm hit. Caroline was on the back of the jet ski with the tube and had the tube’s rope circled in her hand when she fell into the water. In that instant, the rope tightened around her leg, just below her knee, breaking her fibula, severing her popliteal artery, partially tearing her ACL and ripping through her muscle. Caroline says her “fight or flight” instincts kicked in at that point, allowing her to remain calm as she knew she’d be in trouble if she allowed her blood pressure to spike. That calm, coupled with quick thinking by her teammate, probably saved her leg. The pair flagged down a passing jet skier, who, with Kathryn, pulled Caroline out of the water and onto his jet ski. He and Kathryn then found a nearby boat, which had two doctors on board! After getting her into the boat, the doctors called 911, applied a tourniquet and raced to meet EMS at the closest dock. In normal weather conditions, Caroline would have been lifeflighted, but the weather prevented the helicopters from flying. So, she was loaded into the back of the ambulance and rushed to the closest hospital – University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center. Shortly after arriving, doctors could no longer detect a pulse in Caroline’s foot. She was immediately placed back in the ambulance and raced to UH’s main campus downtown, where the chief of vascular surgery would attempt to restore bloodflow by transplanting a vein from her good leg into the injured area. Caroline’s parents were told that, in order to have a chance of success, surgery must begin within six hours of the injury. She was taken into the OR five hours and 45 minutes after the accident and her parents were left to wait during the four-plus hour surgery, wondering if their daughter would walk again. Once the surgery was complete, the surgeon reported that he believed it had been a success, as they were able to now detect a very faint pulse in Caroline’s foot. Over the next few days, that pulse grew stronger and Caroline’s fight to return to her team began. While she knew she would not be able to play with them again, she wanted to be with them on the sidelines, cheering them on. That motivation is what got her through the next two months, as she faced four additional surgeries, countless procedures and sleepless nights. And there wasn’t a day that went by that Caroline’s story didn’t serve as motivation for her teammates, most notably, her younger sister, Anna ’23, who had been looking forward to playing a final season with her sister. No one who was at the September 26 match against Hudson will ever forget the impact of seeing Caroline enter the gym. It was the first time she was able to be on the sideline and brought her teammates and coaches, as well as many of the players and coaches from Hudson, to tears. Caroline continued to cheer her teammates on from the sidelines all season, moving from a wheelchair to just crutches by the time the state tournament came around. While she had certainly left her mark on the court in her previous three seasons as a varsity player, her impact was, perhaps, even more significant this season. Watching her battle back mentally and physically week after week, exceeding every benchmark she set for herself, inspired her teammates and united them with a common goal of winning a state title for Caroline. When they did, Kathryn immediately found Caroline, hugging her, thinking of how far they had come since August 1. Today, Caroline walks without crutches, has graduated to just one day a week of physical therapy, and looks forward to studying biochemistry in college. She had always considered a career in medicine, but says that this experience solidified that. She plans to become a doctor, nurse or a physician’s assistant after seeing firsthand just how deeply medical personnel can impact someone’s life. Reflecting on her experience, Caroline said, “Life can change in the snap of a second. This made me appreciate everything and realize how lucky we are to have our health.” The GA volleyball program is lucky to have had Caroline Rarick in its ranks.

spir•it 1. energy th

VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONS | FEATURE ARTICLE “Playoff Joce” Carter '21 bringing the energy

Honorable Mention honors. Finally, in March, Emmy Klika was one of 100 athletes named to the 2020 High School AllAmerican team and Randorf was named All-American Honorable Mention!

Asked if the team had any unsung heroes, Coach Coughlin said it would be Jocelyn Carter and Ava Nestor. He cited the energy Carter brought, particularly come playoff time. The team called her “Playoff Joce.” Her intensity brought the rest of the team up and everyone played off that. As for Nestor, he referenced her composure and consistency. He said that she does what she needs to do to get the job done, pointing to the last four points of the state championship match as the perfect example. She remained calm and set Randorf up perfectly for four kills in a row. Coach Coughlin was quick to point out, though, that every member of this special team made an impact. Whether they saw many game minutes or not, each girl was chosen to be on that team for a reason and made her mark in her own way. Ava Nestor ’21 sets for one of her teammates

2020 Mission. Accomplished. “Winning a state championship

that I have dreamed about since the day I became a part of the Gilmour volleyball program. The second the ball dropped for us to win the final point, it was the most amazing feeling. All the hard work

SPRING 2021

high school career. It is something

was the perfect way to end my

GILMOUR ACADEMY

This was indeed a special team and a special season, led by a special group of seniors. Each team member had a role and could be counted on whenever called upon. The end result was a state championship, but it was also so much more than that. This team understood the importance of sacrifice and hard work. This team did not get distracted by rankings and expectations. This team truly became a family as they dedicated their season to one of their own, forced to watch from the sideline. This team met every goal they had set for themselves.

put in by the players and coaches I have gotten the pleasure to be with over my four years at Gilmour had paid off.” - Emmy Klika ’21

hat moves us and is all around us Emmy ’21 and Laney ’23 Klika working in tandem

New Faces in the Advancement Office

GIVING TUESDAY 12/1/2020

GOALS EXCEEDED

$100,000

266 DONORS

Challenge match from Board of Trustees

IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING

CHALLENGES MET

Goal: 200 Donors

RAISED

$10,000

Challenge for 200 donors

$225,501

Goal: $200,000

Thanks to this strong support from our Gilmour community, we met our challenges, exceeded our goals, and received the following additional prizes from the Catholic Community Foundation*:

$2,000 PRIZE For largest, single online gift

$1,000 PRIZE For 3rd place for total donors (large school)

3RD PLACE In Giving Tuesday total dollars raised *out of 232 Cleveland-area Catholic organizations participating in WeGiveCatholic on Giving Tuesday Support Gilmour with a gift to The Gilmour Fund at gilmour.org/giving or scan QR Code

Ann Coakley joins the Advancement team as the major gifts officer A seasoned fundraiser born and raised in the Greater Cleveland community, Ann Coakley’s experience dates back to the early 90s when she was raising money as a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation during their “The Only Remedy is a Cure” campaign. Since then, Ann has served on the Boards of The Achievement Centers for Children, The American Cancer Society, the Central School of Nursing and at Boys Hope Girls Hope Northeastern Ohio. She served as the director of development for Health Space Cleveland until its closing in 2006. Ann was then recruited to take over as the development director at Boys Hope Girls Hope NEO, where she served for five years before becoming the organization’s interim executive director for two years. Most recently, Ann worked at Notre Dame College, where she was the senior donor relations and foundation manager as well as the de facto events manager for six years. Ann graduated with a degree in Chinese linguistics and East Asian Studies from Manhattanville College and Yale University.

Bryce Marshall joins the Advancement team as grant writer and stewardship officer A 2020 graduate of John Carroll University with a bachelor's degree in political science, Bryce joined Gilmour as a grant writer and stewardship officer last fall. In this role Bryce researches foundations and grant opportunities to develop grant inquiries and proposals in support of Gilmour. In addition, he coordinates donor communication and stewardship activities and looks forward to further developing and implementing a stewardship program that engages donors and demonstrates the impact of their generous philanthropy to Gilmour Academy.

ADVANCEMENT

hese are all phrases that have been used to describe this past year. And, no doubt they are apt expressions of what we have all experienced. But, we would be remiss if we did not also describe this year and the way the Gilmour community has rallied in support of our efforts using other adjectives: inspiring … grateful … selfless … generous.

We are truly grateful for our Gilmour family and are proud to be part of such a generous and caring community. We look forward to when we can once again welcome our alumni to campus for Reunion (this September 24-25), gather together for Mass in Our Lady Chapel, experience a performance in the Dodero CPA, cheer on our Lancer athletes from the stands, or just get together for a cup of coffee. As we reach the end of Gilmour’s 75th academic year, we celebrate our history, remain committed to our mission and are ever grateful for the loyalty and support demonstrated by our Lancer family.

Ray Murphy Director of Institutional Advancement

SPRING 2021

Thank you!

We have also been fortunate to receive the financial support of so many, despite the economic uncertainty of the past year. The O'Rourke family presented us with a generous challenge gift of $350,000 to help cover the additional costs associated with safely reopening campus. True to form, the Gilmour community responded and met the challenge, helping us to mitigate the toll of unexpected

W expenses. In a year in which no one could have been blamed for pulling back on philanthropy, we instead saw a surge of generosity, including a Giving Tuesday donation total that far surpassed our previous giving totals for that day, and record-breaking support for The Gilmour Fund.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

We have seen the Gilmour community shine this past year: whether it was our front line “Home Grown Heroes” as featured in our Summer 2020 Magazine; alumni volunteering to “Celebrate a Senior” to help counter the loss felt by the Class of 2020 when many of their rites of passage had to be canceled; others from our Gilmour community donating their time and talent to advise Gilmour’s administration and faculty as we navigated the pandemic and remote learning; donations of PPE; or just calls and emails to lend prayers and support for the sacrifices and commitment made by everyone to keep Gilmour’s mission alive and provide students with the best experience possible, despite the circumstances. Your selfless actions are truly inspiring.

CORNER

Challenging. Unprecedented. Like no other.

From the Lower School to the Upper School, Gilmour has adapted to THE pandemic, immersing itself in a comprehensive plan that ensures the safety of its faculty, students and staff. It’s hardly been easy, but it has been worthwhile. Here’s an in-depth look at the incredible effort that’s gone into protecting Gilmour students during COVID-19 And the amazing efforts alumni educators across the country have made on behalf of their students. Together, they have shown that the real unsung heroes of this pandemic are those who have kept the ship afloat through it all -

TEACHERS

or the first three quarters of the school year, about 80 percent of Gilmour students attended class in person on any given day, while the rest attended virtually. Gilmour teachers were instructing students in person and at home at the same time. (Students returned to all in-person instruction for the fourth quarter, unless they opted for 100% virtual instruction at the start of the semester.)

COVID-19, and they’ve spared no expense. The school worked with the architecture firm TDA to develop a one-way flow pattern through hallways, ensuring that everyone on campus is walking in the same direction and socially distanced. For students attending class virtually, Gilmour created virtual, socially distanced learning zones on campus for those who found it a better solution than learning from home.

“Juggling that can be tricky,” says Director of Curriculum Development and Dean of Faculty Elizabeth Edmondson. Some set up the Zoom and taught as they normally would. Others assigned asynchronous work for students to complete. A science class with a lab looks different than a discussion-based English class, Edmondson says. “That’s why we allowed teachers the flexibility they needed to design a curriculum that fits their discipline.”

“There is no part of school life that has gone untouched,” Edmondson says. “We worked all summer to devise innovative ideas that could create a safer campus. And our teachers adapted to the situation and have really gone above and beyond.”

To show gratitude and boost morale, Gilmour launched a wellness drawing for teachers. Prizes include Starbucks coffee or a fill-in for one of their duties. With the pandemic in full swing, Gilmour had to get rid of its morning coffee for teachers. As a special thank you to faculty and staff, the Men’s Club, Women’s Club and Lower School Parent Organization brought in a coffee truck one day.

And that dedication isn’t just limited to our campus. Gilmour alumni are out there working across the country to ensure that their students remain engaged and connected as well.

SPRING 2021

Gilmour has been innovative and collaborative in making the school environment as safe as possible during

The pandemic has required teachers at every level to rethink how they do their jobs. They’re concerned about their own personal safety, and yet they still show up.

“They have found ways to make it work multiple times over, and they’ve done it with a positive attitude,” she says.

Gilmour teachers were tasked not just with teaching virtually and in-person at the same time; they’re also responsible for sanitizing after class. The cleaning is part of a greater overarching effort to reduce the passing of germs on campus, Edmondson says. While that includes sanitizing classrooms, it also means teachers are reducing the number of materials they use and turning to digital resources in place of paper handouts.

Any expression of gratitude for teachers during this time is well deserved, says Edmondson.

Kelly Borally ’90

Celebrating TEACHERS GILMOUR ACADEMY

CELEBRATING TEACHERS | FEATURE ARTICLE

very day, Kelly Borally ’90 interacts with more than 500 students and 40 teachers. In person. During a pandemic.

While the teaching approach is much the same for both types of classes, virtual lessons expose inequities in students’ home lives that hadn’t come to light before. “When you come to school, there is no judgment,” Borally says. “But all of a sudden we’re in everybody’s homes — and I have a diverse population. I see one student attending class from under a bed while family members are walking by; another student is poolside in the backyard. It’s not a safe environment anymore, because your classmates can see your home through the screen. I had to tell my teachers, ‘It’s OK if they don’t have their screen on right now.’” At a time when the world is eschewing in-person communication, Borally has no choice but to immerse herself in it. She meets with teachers weekly to review their curricula and educational strategies, and in her day-to-day, she sets foot in every classroom. “I be-bop everywhere,” she says. “That’s how I keep my connections with students and teachers. I oversee the teachers, but I really want to see how kids are being impacted by them.” In making the rounds, Borally wears a mask eight to 10 hours a day. During the pandemic, it’s been difficult to find substitutes, so when teachers are out for any reason, Borally, a former elementary teacher, fills in. She encourages students to attend class in person if they can, because she believes in the power of human connection. Even from a distance, socialization is crucial to kids’ well-being, she says. And, it so happens, to her own.

“I love it,” she says. “Because as scary as it is walking in that door every day during a pandemic, those kids feel so happy to see you.”

Bill Porter ’84

As the math and science specialist at Nottingham Elementary in Houston, Borally oversees math and science teachers in Pre-K through fifth grades. Students can choose to attend class virtually or in person. At press time, about 84 students attend virtually and 511 in person.

s superintendent of Mentor Schools, Bill Porter '84 oversees 7,500 students and 1,000 employees in 11 schools. It’s a big slate under normal circumstances, and even more so during a pandemic. Throughout the last year, Porter has stayed in close contact with Mentor teachers. Even the most seasoned of them have described feeling like they’re in their first year of teaching again.

“The amount of work they’re doing is both exhausting and invigorating,” Porter says. “Their lesson planning is intense, and they’ve had to work really hard to understand how technology works with the instructional cycle. They’ve had to collaborate a lot and figure out how to teach students in person and over Zoom at the same time. It’s been a tall order.”

Mentor schools offer options for students in Grades 6 through 12. They can attend class in person — socially distanced — or join the same class over Zoom. At the elementary level, students can learn online or attend brick-and-mortar classes. Online students are assigned a teacher who only teaches online, and in-person classes have a teacher who only teaches in person. Brick-and-mortar classes have been downsized to create distance between students. A typical class size used to be 23, now it’s 15. “All the norms have changed,” Porter says. “We’re all learning a lot about adapting and new technologies. Some of these lessons will stick. Normal will look different in the future.” Everybody’s ability to learn online, share a screen, use breakout rooms, and raise a hand over Zoom has made online learning a long-term solution, Porter says. But remote learning has led to skill deficits for many students in reading and math, and those gaps, he says, will have to be identified. One silver lining Porter observes: The pandemic has given parents rare visibility into their children’s classrooms. With it, they have seen teachers’ efforts to educate and engage students. Teachers, meanwhile, have developed a greater appreciation for students’ home life. “When we returned to school in September, students really appreciated being with their teachers,” Porter says. “The reunion between them was an emotional one, you could see it. I’ve never seen teachers and students so thrilled to be in school. It’s a great starting point.”

CELEBRATING TEACHERS | FEATURE ARTICLE

Amanda Fiorelli ’06

she was able to teach algebra freely in the classroom, her attention today is also geared toward ensuring that her students are doing well emotionally.

“Essentially, we redesigned our entire academic model last spring based on the assumption that we might not go back in school in the near future,” Evans says.

One good thing that’s arisen from the pandemic is increased communication with families, Fiorelli says.

Last spring, Breakthrough quickly transitioned to an asynchronous model where teachers would send home packets, students would turn in the work, and teachers would call home and give feedback. But before the new school year began last fall, it became clear they would have to offer a more robust synchronous program over Zoom to ensure students could still make progress academically.

“A lot more has been put on the student in terms of accountability,” she adds. “They’re responsible not only for tuning into class on time, but also navigating a new learning environment where more independent learning is required of them.” Fiorelli is quick to make herself available to students when they text with questions.

“That was huge,” Fiorelli says. “Previously, we only had laptops for maybe a fourth of the school, so this was a great opportunity.” Even with the increased access to computers, Fiorelli recognized a shift in her focus as a teacher. Whereas before

Like other schools across the country, Breakthrough was forced to make abrupt changes during the pandemic.

Breakthrough implemented its process in phases, and it’s made a difference.

“We know everyone learns by doing,” Evans says. “By engaging them as much as we can through remote learning, it mimics the classroom and gives teachers more data to make sure scholars are actually learning no matter where they are.”

SPRING 2021

s Managing Director of Schools at Breakthrough Public Schools in Cleveland, Hope Evans ’05 oversees six of the 12 middle and grade schools located in predominantly under- resourced communities across Cleveland. Evans joined Breakthrough, a public charter network that serves more than 3,700 students in K-Grade 8, last May.

Over the summer, the school district worked to form partnerships with PNC Bank and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were able to acquire one laptop for every student in the district.

For some working parents, it wasn’t going to work to have students unattended. So Breakthrough opened remote learning centers where students go to learn. Partnering with Open Doors Academy allows Breakthrough’s teachers to facilitate remote learning, while Open Doors Academy ensures kids arrive safely and log on.

At Cleveland School of the Arts, most of the students live in the City of Cleveland. When the shutdown went into effect last spring, “school became optional, because there was a lack of technology for many of the students in their own homes,” Fiorelli says. “Any education we were able to accomplish became enrichment.”

“We had to design and implement the program over the summer,” Evans says. “We had to train teachers, make sure we knew which platforms to use, and ensure that scholars had the technology they needed. We put in time with families so they knew what to expect and how to support their scholars at home.”

GILMOUR ACADEMY

manda Fiorelli ’06 teaches ninth - grade math at Cleveland School of the Arts, where students focus on artistic disciplines such as theater, dance, photography and the visual arts. Fiorelli has taught algebra remotely since last March. The setup has had its challenges.

Hope Evans ’05

“I care,” she says. “If a student expresses any discomfort, I’m 100 percent going to be there for them, no matter what time of day. Because I know it’s a difficult time for them.”

Each Breakthrough scholar has been provided a laptop and a hotspot, if needed, and they’re required to follow a remote learning schedule similar to the class schedule they would typically have in the building. While they've made some minor tech modifications, teachers run class in the same ways they would in person.

A R O U N D C A M P U S

EARLY ACCEPTANCE RESULTS

THE GOOD NEWS HAS BEEN POURING IN TO THE COLLEGE COUNSELING OFFICE! SEE SOME OF THE GREAT SCHOOLS TO WHICH THE SENIORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ACCEPTED AS OF PRESS TIME! Brown University Case Western Reserve University Claremont McKenna College Colgate University Cornell University Fordham University Georgetown University Miami University MIT Northeastern University Ohio State University Pepperdine University Purdue University Texas A&M Tulane University University of Michigan University of Miami University of Notre Dame University of North Carolina Chapel Hill University of Richmond University of Southern Califoria University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University Virginia Tech University Washington University in St. Louis

The next issue of Gilmour Magazine (Fall 2021) will cover Commencement and will include the full list of schools to which members of the Class of ’21 were accepted. Stay tuned!

AROUND CAMPUS

national merit Scholars

he College Counseling Office received some unexpected good news when they were notified that another member of the senior class had been designated as a National Merit Semifinalist! Kaiden Hafele ’21 is a transfer student who took the test last year before enrolling at Gilmour, so the College Counseling Office was only just notified of his accomplishment. He joins three other classmates - Eric Brandt ’21, Mollie Edmondson ’21 and Joe Rottinghaus ’21 - who also were named National Merit Semifinalists this fall - as well as three named Commended Students Zachary Mangel ’21, Liam Ryan ’21 and Jimmy Zhou ’21 (story included in last issue) - as 2021 National Merit Scholars. These students’ scores on the 2019 PSAT were in the top 3 percent nationally.

Eric Brandt '21

Mollie Edmonson '21

GILMOUR ACADEMY

USC

Zachary Mangel '21

Liam Ryan '21

Jimmy Zhou '21

SPRING 2021

Joe Rottinghaus '21

Additionally, Eric Brandt ’21, Mollie Edmondson ’21 and Joe Rottinghaus ’21 applied for the National Merit Finalist distinction. To be named a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and write an essay.

Kaiden Hafele '21

After a review of their applications, Eric, Mollie and Joe were notified in February that they had been named Finalists, a distinction earned by less than 1 percent of seniors nationally!

A R O U N D C A M P U S

BRINN MACLELLAN ’21 NAMED SCHOOL WINNER IN THE HEISMAN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

ince its inception in 1994, the program has leveraged the reputation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy as a symbol of great ability combined with diligence, perseverance and hard work. The Heisman High School Scholarship extends the prestige of the Heisman Memorial Trophy, recognizing outstanding scholar-athletes who understand that the most important victories happen not only on the field, but in their schools and communities as well. To apply, seniors must have a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.0 or better, participate in at least one sport, and be a leader in their school and community. From an applicant pool of thousands of high school scholar-athletes in the Class of 2021, MacLellan was one of the approximately 3,600 named School Winners. MacLellan was a captain of Gilmour’s state champion varsity volleyball team, and has earned numerous athletic honors throughout her four years as a starter on Gilmour’s nationally ranked volleyball team. Most recently, she earned Division II All-Ohio Honorable Mention. She is also a founding member of the school’s varsity gymnastics team. She is a member of a host of service organizations, including the Courage 2 Act Crew, Baking for Rainbows and the Make a Difference Club. Last fall, she organized a fundraiser on campus for her teenage cousin battling leukemia and continued to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a member of the “Student of the Year” program. She is a Student Ambassador for Gilmour and has participated in the Junior Leadership Program and John Carroll University’s “ProjectLead” Leadership Summit. She volunteers at the Westside Catholic Center and WomenSafe. Additionally, MacLellan is an exceptional student, with a cumulative GPA of 4.3. She has earned the Head of School Award for Excellence (top 10 percent of class and/or a 4.0 GPA) sophomore, junior and senior years; has earned subject awards in Algebra II, Spanish II, Spanish III, English 10, chemistry, speech and debate, AP Calculus, biology and AP US History; is a member of the National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society; and was a speech and debate state qualifier. Brinn plans to study neuroscience next year at Virginia Tech University.

AROUND CAMPUS

The SPIRIT of GIVING

SEVENTH GRADER MAKES

HIS SOCK DRIVE

CAMPUSWIDE INITIATIVE For the third year in a row, seventh grader Javi Swinarski ’26 organized a sock drive for the homeless. As a fourth grader, Javi participated in a service project at John Carroll, during which he learned that socks are the most requested item in homeless shelters. So, the following year, he launched a sock drive at the Lower School, which brought in more than 1,000 socks for the homeless. Now a seventh grader, he brought his sock drive from the Lower School to the Middle and Upper School and asked students from all three divisions to donate. He had a goal of collecting 2,000 pairs of socks this year. Javi was happy to report that, thanks to the generosity of Gilmour students, he collected more than 3,370 pairs of socks!

SEVENTH GRADERS

PITCH CHARITY OF CHOICE IN CROSSDISCIPLINARY CARITAS PROJECT

Ralph Asher ’26

SPRING 2021

pairs of socks collected

3,370

Four students’ projects were chosen as finalists, and the students - Ralph Asher ’26, Alex Batchik ’26, Trevor Bilant ’26 and Isabella Mascha ’26 - then delivered presentations virtually during Middle School Advisory. The Middle School community then voted and Ralph Asher and his charity, Games for Love, were announced as the winners! Games for Love provides hope for sick children in hospitals through gaming programs, coding camps, scholarships and intern programs. Ralph’s presentation was enthusiastic and his heartfelt concern for hospitalized kids was evident.

As a result of his efforts, Games for Love received a $500 donation from Gilmour, which Ralph says will help 50 sick kids!

GILMOUR ACADEMY

eventh graders again participated in the Caritas project this year. Caritas, Latin for “charity,” is an annual cross-disciplinary project between English and theology classes in which students create persuasive presentations to demonstrate how a charity of their choice aligns with and upholds the Gilmour mission and Holy Cross charisms in hopes of gaining the support of the community.

children helped

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE BROTHER RICHARD KELLER, C.S.C. THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE FEEDS HUNGRY CLEVELAND FAMILIES IN MIDST OF PANDEMIC

rganizers had to get creative this year as they mapped out the logistics and safety protocols needed, but the Brother Richard Keller, C.S.C. Thanksgiving Food Drive pressed on and it was another successful year! We raised more than $10,000, created over 150 baskets to feed families in the Cleveland area, and supported the efforts of several local food pantries. St. Br. Andre Bessette,C.S.C. said, "It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisite masterpiece." The Food Drive isn't about one large donation or a few people making this event work. The Food Drive is an opportunity for each of us - students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends - to give what we can of our time, talent and treasure and, in doing so, year in and year out, we make a profound impact in our local community.

The Gilmour community raised

10,000, 150

and created

baskets to feed Cleveland families and support local food pantries.

Brandon Rose '23 and Will Lazzaro '23 help load baskets for delivery

AROUND CAMPUS

BOTEK BEATS

s a child, Danny Botek ’21 took several years of piano lessons. But music really came to life for him as a sophomore Digital Music student with Mr. Kilkenney. He loved the process of making beats, and, after the course ended, he purchased the software for his own computer and kept experimenting.

A number of local artists have bought Botek’s beats after hearing them on his Instagram account - botekmadeit. He even recently sold one to Browns’ running back Kareem Hunt, who used them in his song, "Summer Time," which Botek produced! Asked whether he plans to pursue this in college, Botek said he definitely plans to continue to do this on the side, but wants to study either computer science or business in college. Botek plans to attend the University of Notre Dame this fall.

SPRING 2021

Looking to add to your spirit wear collection? LancerWear can be purchased online! The link can be found on the Parents Page on the GA website. Just visit gilmour.org/parents and click on “Lancerwear” in the bottom left corner.

SPIRIT WEAR

GET YOUR LANCER SPIRIT WEAR!

GILMOUR ACADEMY

He began by listening to the beats used in songs he particularly liked, noting how they were structured. After recreating the instrumentals from some of his favorite songs, he began creating originals. One of Botek’s friends from a neighboring high school, whose photography work has an extensive online following, urged him to create an Instagram account and share his beats.

Today, Botek creates professional-quality beats, incorporating music from a variety of genres. You might hear influences from R&B, jazz, soul or rock in any of his pieces. He also says that those piano lessons in his younger days were critical to his understanding of how music works.

LORRAINE DODERO 2021 Event Chair

FRANK & LISA FAZIO-GRK Host Committee Chair

DOMINIC ʼ82 & JULIE DIPUCCIO

BE A PART OF GILMOUR ACADEMY'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Host Committee Chair

Spotlight on opening of

The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts We invite you to support this milestone with us

SAVE THE DATE Saturday Evening - September 18, 2021 Main Campus - Tented Outdoor Event Gilmour.org/75Anniversary Tickets & Sponsorships available

AROUND CAMPUS

Gilmour’s Arts at the Academy Partners with Cleveland Ballet FOR DANCE INSTRUCTION

GILMOUR ACADEMY | SPRING 2021

his January, we launched a new partnership with the Cleveland Ballet. The partnership has been a year in the making and allows Gilmour students in Grades 1 – 7 to take jazz and ballet dance lessons with faculty members from the School of Cleveland Ballet right here on campus in the O’Rourke Black Box Theater within The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts. Moving forward, we hope to expand this partnership to students through Grade 12. Additionally, the Cleveland Ballet will host select recitals and performances in the CPA. This is an exciting development for our performing arts program. Questions? Contact artsattheacademy@gilmour.org

A R O U N D

SENIOR NAMED CANDIDATE FOR

UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

C A M P U S

Of the nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in 2021, only 4,500 were selected as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program and Joe Rottinghaus ’21 was one of them! The program was established in 1964 as a way to recognize some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and/or artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities. Application to the program is by invitation only. Candidates then complete and submit candidacy materials for review, including essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts. A distinguished panel of educators will review these submissions and select approximately 600 semifinalists. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, will select the finalists, and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May. As of press time, Joe was undecided on his college, but plans to pursue a biology degree. Congratulations, Joe, for your selection to this prestigious program!

AP U.S. GOVERNMENT TEACHER

MATT LINDLEY ʼ89 RECOGNIZED

U.S. Government teacher Matt Lindley ’89 was recently recognized by the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) and Educational Testing Service® (ETS®) for his significant contributions during the 2020 AP Reading. Mr. Lindley was one of 1,289 high school AP teachers and college faculty who scored 293,196 AP U.S. Government and Politics exams. That’s a lot of reading! We are grateful to Mr. Lindley for his efforts as he helped ensure that AP students could pursue college credit, even in the midst of the pandemic.

AROUND CAMPUS

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

REGIONAL SCHOLARSHIP ART AWARDS

ongratulations to Edith Tomasek '23 who received a Silver Medal at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition for her ceramic sculpture "Cereal" (to the left). More than 80,000 students across the country actively participated in the 2021 Awards with nearly 230,000 entries. Edith received one of nearly 2,000 National Medals this year. In addition, congratulations to the 12 students who received Regional Scholastic Art Awards.

GOLD KEY RECIPIENTS

Meghan Bhanoo ’22 - "Reflections of Renaissance" (photography), pictured below Edith Tomasek '23 - "Cereal" (ceramic and glass sculpture)

SILVER KEY RECIPIENTS: Riley Beiswenger ’22 - “Out West” (photography), “Rooftop (photography) Meghan Bhanoo ’22 - “Fields of Joy” (photography) Natalie Figurella ’22 - “Dusk” (painting) Sophia Garofalo ’21 - “Salty” (photography) Carter Richmond ’25 - “Shipping Container” (sculpture) Rachael Stasick ’24 - “The Moon Through the Pines” (photography)

"Cereal" by Edith Tomasek '23

Sarah Voss ’22 - “Breaking Point” (digital art)

HONORABLE MENTION AWARD RECIPIENTS:

Meghan Bhanoo ’22 - “Venetian Storm” (photography), “Rooftop View” (photography), “Tracking Progress” (photography), “Starlight Ride” (photography), “Sunset Ride” (photography), “Paper Bird” (sculpture) Maddie Figgie ’25 - “Wallpaper Design” (design)

Maya Moufawad ’21 - “Silver” (drawing and illustration), “Perseus” (mixed media) Michael Piccirillo ’24 - “Snowman” (ceramics and glass) Rachael Stasick ’24 - “The Golden Bird” (photography), “Happy Little Turtle” (photography)

SPRING 2021

Sophia Kless ’21 - “Frank Ocean” (painting)

Kelsey Hearns ’22 - “Field of Sunshine” (digital art), “Buffalo Beauty” (photography)

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Riley Beiswenger ’22 - “Earthquake Lake” (photography)

Additionally, Sarah Voss ’22 received an Honorable Mention in the Scholastic Writing Awards competition for her poem entitled “Saltwater.” "Refletions of Renaissance" by Meghan Bhanoo '22

A R O U N D

UPPER SCHOOL SPEECH AND DEBATE STATE AND NATIONAL QUALIFIERS

C A M P U S

ERIC BRANDT ’21

ABBIE EDMONDSON ’23

ELISA FLYNN ’22

GRACE GAINAR ’22

NATIONAL QUALIFIER STATE QUARTERFINALIST

STATE QUARTERFINALIST

STATE QUALIFIER

NATIONAL QUALIFIER STATE QUARTERFINALIST

LAUREN KASTELIC ’22

GWEN MASCHA ’21

MEGAN MLINARIC ’22

CLARA MORGAN ’22

NATIONAL ALTERNATE STATE SEMIFINALIST

STATE QUALIFIER NATIONAL QUALIFIER

STATE QUALIFIER

NATIONAL QUALIFIER IN TWO CATEGORIES 4TH IN STATE

JULIA MORGAN ’24

CAYLA SEE ’21

FAITH SMOLIK ’22

JACKSON STURTEVANT ’21

NATIONAL ALTERNATE STATE QUALIFIER

NATIONAL QUALIFIER IN TWO CATEGORIES 6TH IN STATE

NATIONAL QUALIFIER IN TWO CATEGORIES 4TH IN STATE

NATIONAL QUALIFIER STATE QUARTERFINALIST

SAMANTHA STUTLER ’24

BRIDGIT TERRY ’21

SCOTT VERGILII ’23

STATE QUALIFIER

AROUND CAMPUS

LARGE NUMBER OF SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM MEMBERS QUALIFY FOR STATE AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS STATE QUALIFIERS The speech and debate team had another successful season. On March 5, the following 14 state qualifiers competed in the Ohio Speech and Debate Association’s state tournament: DECLAMATION Abbie Edmonson ’23 INFORMATIVE SPEAKING Eric Brandt ’21, Julia Morgan ’24 ORIGINAL ORATORY Elisa Flynn ’22, Scott Vergilii ’23

DUO INTERPRETATION Clara Morgan ’22 and Faith Smolik ’22 Dramatic Interpretation Grace Gainar ’22, Samantha Stutler ’24 CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE Lauren Kastelic ’22, Cayla See ’21, Jackson Sturtevant ’21

Semifinalist: Lauren Kastelic ’22 Top finishers: Cayla See ’21 (6th), Clara Morgan ’22 (4th) and Faith Smolik ’22 (4th)

DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION Grace Gainar ’22 CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE Gwen Mascha ’21 DUO INTERPRETATION Clara Morgan ’22 (also qualified in Program Oral Interpretation) and Faith Smolik ’22 (also qualified in Humorous Interpretation) WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE Cayla See ’21 (also qualified in Congressional Debate) and Jackson Sturtevant ’21 Additionally, Lauren Kastelic ’22 qualified as an alternate in Congressional Debate and, in only her first year competing, Julia Morgan ’24 qualified as an alternate in Informative Speaking.

Luke qualified for the Middle School state tournament, where he placed second in Congressional Debate. Next up? Luke will be competing in the national tournament this summer!

SPRING 2021

Quarterfinalists: Eric Brandt ’21, Abbie Edmondson ’23, Grace Gainar ’22, Jackson Sturtevant ’21

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING Eric Brandt ’21

Luke Peterson ’25 placed first at every local competition he participated in this season, finishing as the top Middle School speech and debate competitor in northeast Ohio. He also became the first Middle School student in GA history to win awards in two categories (Declamation and Student Congress) at a single tournament!

At the state tournament, the following students earned special recognition:

Congratulations to the following national qualifiers:

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPEECH AND DEBATE COMPETITOR TURNING HEADS

GILMOUR ACADEMY

PROGRAM ORAL INTERPRETATION Megan Mlinaric ’22, Bridgit Terry ’21

NATIONAL QUALIFIERS Additionally, seven students have qualified (and another two as alternates) for the NSDA National Tournament in nine different categories. The National Tournament only allows students to compete in one category, so those who qualified in two have to select the one in which they will compete at the national tournament, which will be held virtually this June!

AlumNEWS

SPOT

19 70s

GHT

It didn’t matter if she was standing still, Jean Robinson G.O. ’74 was always going places. As a sixth grader, she decided she was going to be a news reporter, and she wasted no time in making that dream a reality. At Glen Oak, she worked on the school newspaper, wrestling up interviews with celebrities and politicians.

In 2021, as the communications and multimedia specialist for Euclid Public Library, Jean still explores unchartered territories this time through virtual reality. Before she joined the library as its first video producer, the library had about five videos in its online collection. Backed by Jean’s expertise, it now has hundreds.

When presidential candidate George McGovern visited Jean’s neighborhood in the 1970s, Jean nabbed an interview with him at the back door of a bowling alley. She wasn’t even old enough to drive.

Jean has taken library visitors on virtual trips to Anne Frank’s experience in hiding, inside Van Gogh’s painting “Starry Night,” and even the Apollo 11 moonwalk.

By now, Jean’s career spans decades as a writer, producer, video editor, and news reporter. As an award-winning video producer, she worked in broadcast journalism for 13 years before pursuing a lifelong dream to produce documentaries. Working for United Church of Christ National Headquarters, Jean traveled around the world with missionaries to report on their work. “Making documentaries was the most exciting part of my career,” she says. “I worked with a crew in China that didn’t speak English, traveled with a ‘marked’ woman in Mexico, and surveyed earthquake damage in Haiti. International reporting opened my eyes to cultures, people and events throughout the world, deepening my perspective.” 36

ALUM

Who’s Doing What, When and Where

“The virtual world tricks your mind into thinking you’re really there,” Jean says. “You’re practically leaving the world behind.” As a Glen Oak student, Jean learned that anything was possible. It fostered in her big dreams. “When teachers are telling you that you can do anything, it makes you think that you can go out and be on TV,” Jean says. “They said,

‘Shoot for the stars. It could happen.’ And largely because of that, it did.”

SPOT

19 70s

GHT

ALUM

AlumNEWS

University of Connecticut and Stanford University. He now has more than 35 years of medical experience and his professional journey has involved teaching, private practice, research and volunteering at local schools and Hospice.

In 2010, Greg contracted a rare bone disease, and this is where his passion for meditation was born. Mindfulness became a daily practice for him and proved instrumental in helping him deal with the challenges of his disease. In 2015, he decided he wanted to share with others what he had discovered about mindfulness while battling his illness. He began to write a book, devoting time before work and on the weekends to the project. What began as five pages of “everything he knew he wanted to include in the book” evolved over the course of three and a half years to a 450-page book. He sent the 450 pager off to several publishing companies and, to this day, remembers one response in particular from a publisher who said, “We like to have books fly off the shelf and yours is a flightless bird.” This did not stop Greg. He edited his book, eliminating pages, and refining his message.

While his medical treatments have forced him to cut back a bit, he still says,

He attended the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and then completed residencies in psychiatry at the

M.D. º

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“Life is good.” That’s a powerful lesson in mindfulness.

In the Sazima family, most are dentists. Greg is the anomaly as the lone psychiatrist in the group. His family likes to joke that he works “slightly north” of them. In high school, Greg enjoyed biology, which convinced him to pursue something in the medical field. While an undergrad at Johns Hopkins, he began following Dr. Ben Carson, when he was on staff as a neurosurgeon. Dr. Carson’s influence coupled with a family trauma sparked his interest in a career in psychiatry.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Greg Sazima ’79, M.D., reflected on his years at Gilmour and recalled the all-boys school’s rigor, discipline and compassion. He has many fond memories of his years at the Academy, such as participating in the theater performance of “Bye, Bye Birdie,” walking across campus in late September, playing basketball with his peers or supporting his classmates as a peer tutor. He says that he was involved and that he thrived throughout his time on campus.

Today, “Practical Mindfulness: A Physician’s No-Nonsense Guide to Meditation for Beginners” is available on amazon.com and focuses on the landscape of the mind, how to understand and engage in mindfulness and the benefits of doing so. The guide has all the information you need to begin a practice in mindfulness. He wants people to understand that it's hard to know the benefits until you give it a shot. Greg recently joined Gilmour’s Director of Wellness Programming Katie Gallagher for a webinar on mindfulness for the Gilmour community.

Class Correspondent Volunteers Needed Looking for a fun, low-key way to volunteer for Gilmour that doesn’t take much time? We’ve got just the thing for you. Why not help connect your classmates by becoming a Class Correspondent for the Gilmour Magazine?

Class Correspondents play an important role in helping to maintain the strong sense of community among Gilmour and Glen Oak alumni/ae and establishing links with classmates who have lost contact with our school. The AlumNews column in the magazine has been a Gilmour tradition since the first Gilmour Bulletins were published in the 1960s. AlumNews is one of the first sections people turn to when they receive their magazine; it enables them to catch up on the latest news in the lives of classmates and other Gilmour graduates.

It's easy!

If you would like to volunteer to be a Class Correspondent or would like to learn more about the role, please contact Bryce Marshall in the Advancement Office at marshallb@gilmour.org or (440) 473-8000 ext.1205.

We’ll provide you with a current email list for your classmates so you can send out a call for news in December and June. You’ll compile reports for the Spring and Fall issues of the magazine, using the updates you’ve solicited. Deadlines for updates are early February and early August. Help your classmates stay connected with Gilmour and each other!

GILMOUR AND GLEN OAK ALUMNI/AE UPDATE FORM Educating the mind Empowering the heart

First Name

Country

Last Name

Work Phone

Maiden Name

Work Email Address

GA or Glen Oak Graduation Year

College/University

Spouse First Name Spouse Last Name Did your spouse graduate from GA or Glen Oak?

ABOUT COLLEGE

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

You can either tear out this page, complete it and mail it to the address below or scan the QR code and complete it online.

Graduation Year(s)

Degrees Earned

Class Notes

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CLASS NOTES

Spouse GA or Glen Oak Grad Year Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Address Line 3 City State Zip/Postal Code Country Phone Number Cell Phone

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ABOUT WORK

Position or Title Address Line 1

Would you be interested in volunteering to be a Class Correspondent for your class?

No HOW I CAN HELP

Is Email Address New? Yes

Yes No Would you be interested in volunteering for your Class Reunion Committee? Yes No

Address Line 2 Address Line 3 City State

MAIL IN OR SCAN QR CODE & COMPLETE ONLINE

Zip/Postal Code THANK YOU!

MAIL COMPLETED FORM TO: GILMOUR ACADEMY C/O BRYCE MARSHALL 34001 CEDAR ROAD | GATES MILLS | OHIO | 44040

It’s not clear what pulses through the veins of Michael Bruno ’85 more — a love of the Marine Corps or a passion for baking. Much like his ingredients, his passions are divided into equal parts. Michael owns Blue Door Cafe and Bakery in Cuyahoga Falls. What started with one employee and $50 in daily gross sales is now a $1.5 million enterprise with 30 employees. The cafe has been voted the top brunch spot in Ohio by the New York Times and consistently wins best brunch and bakery in local publications.

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Specializing in European-style breakfast pastries (think banana bread and flaky croissants), Blue Door bakes four European breads daily, along with artisanal coffees and full-service breakfast and lunch. Everything at Blue Door is made from scratch, including the pasta and baked goods. The restaurant also makes its own sausage and smokes its own meats. Michael developed an interest in cooking and baking as a student at Marquette University, where he found himself calling home for recipes. After Marquette, he was commissioned in the Marine Corps. When he returned home on weekends, he spent his time baking. It became his hobby, then his focus.

“About halfway through my career, I was an infantry officer on recruiting duty in Harrisburg, Pa. and had time to reflect,” he recalls. “I realized that I liked baking and thought I should take it seriously.” Fluent in German, he began contacting pastry chefs in Germany and the U.S., asking for techniques and recipes. He then enrolled in the pastry arts program at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md. In growing his business, he recalls making croissant dough with his Kitchen Aid mixer and laminating (layering) the dough himself. At first, he baked during off hours in a restaurant owned by his mother-in-law. After two years, he bought the restaurant from her and made it his own. Step by step, he has relied on the skills he developed in the Marines. Signs in Blue Door’s kitchen reference the value he has found in supervision, communication and teamwork. His advice for others starting a restaurant is rooted in a tip from Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential:”

“You need to have a vision and stick with it. It will take time, but if it’s a sound vision, it will work.”

AlumNEWS Tara Hyland Zittel ’07 had a love for brands from a young age and had long planned to work in marketing. For her Gilmour senior project, she worked at Bonnie Bell, one of the few local cosmetic brands in Cleveland. The experience confirmed for Tara that she wanted to work with brands. Now in her thirties, Tara has taken that goal up several notches, not as a marketing professional, but as a finance professional. Tara is Vice President at Main Post Partners, a private equity firm well respected for its investments in beauty, personal care and lifestyle brands across the consumer industry, including current and past investments in Too Faced Cosmetics, Milk Makeup, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare and Not Your Mother's Hair Care.

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She feels blessed to have started her education at Gilmour, where she got a solid foundation in the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. She has worked with amazing people across the industry, including another Gilmour alum, Michael Merriman ’08, whom she had the pleasure of working with for several years at her prior firm, Swander Pace Capital. She married her husband, Michael Zittel, two years ago after crossing paths at a fundraiser for the Diana Hyland Miracle

“I was fortunate to catch mine before it spread,” says Tara, who has since had the tumor removed. She is generously sharing her story to encourage others to monitor and prioritize their health. The symptoms were not easy to notice, she warns. “I was working out every day and the endorphins were masking the symptoms of the illness,” she says. This was all at a time when she was traveling every week for work and “burning the candle at both ends.” She made the decision to prioritize her health. In other words, she took the time off she needed to heal from surgery, stopped traveling for work and slowed down. While she says facing cancer has been daunting and the future has become less certain, Tara is grateful for the life and love she has today. “Listen to your body and talk to your doctors if you think something’s wrong,” she says. “Work is important, but your health is more important.”

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Tara is working to change that.

When she first discovered her symptoms insomnia, night sweats and minor alterations to her appearance - Tara consulted her close friend and Gilmour classmate Dr. Rebecca Sarac ’07 over Facetime. Rebecca observed the fullness in Tara’s face and suggested she get her cortisol checked. The advice led to a diagnosis of adrenal cortical carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

TARA HYLAND Zittel'07

“I don’t think many young females envision a world in which finance and industries that they are passionate about can be one and the same, as finance can often come off as a number-crunching, stock market-following career path,” she says. “As a result, there’s a huge underrepresentation of young females in this industry.”

The couple’s bond has strengthened over the last year as Tara has faced her own cancer battle. “The whole ‘in sickness and in health’ thing hit us harder and earlier than other couples,” Tara says. “When you have cancer, it forces you to think about where you want to spend your time and how you want to live your life.”

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Creativity and finance don’t exactly go hand in hand. Even so, Tara wants other women to know that finance isn’t all crunching numbers, and that creative females can feel at home in the industry.

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She spends her days helping founders take their brands to the next level. Though she loves the analytical aspect of her role, Tara most enjoys working with founders, determining how to optimize and grow their businesses.

Fund. The nonprofit was established in memory of Tara’s mom, Diana Hyland, who died of breast cancer in 2008.

Trio of Young Alumni Find Way to Share Lancer Spirit While Giving Back to GA

hree recent Gilmour grads - Eric Ulchaker ’17, Ava Thomas ’18 and Marissa Ulchaker ’19recently approached the school about an idea they had. The trio, who had all been involved in both the entrepreneurship program and the VECTOR program during their years at Gilmour, recently formed a new company, Gilmour Academy Prep Wear. Their goal is to create products that allow alumni, students, parents and grandparents to show their Lancer pride while simultaneously raising funds for the school that had such an impact on them. Gilmour Academy Prep Wear will start by offering a GA-themed Vineyard Vines tie, a sterling silver GA charm manufactured by Mulholland & Sachs and a Gilmour pennant. Visit gilmouracademyprepwear.com to place an order! The company will donate 10 percent of their profits back to Gilmour. Eric explained that he, Ava and Marissa were passionate about doing this “so that other students can have the same incredible experience at Gilmour that we did.” Eric is a senior in the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University studying operations management with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation. After graduating, he will attend the University of Notre Dame, where he will be completing a Master of Science in entrepreneurship, technology and innovation (ESTEEM). Ava is a junior at Yale University, double majoring in economics and molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Marissa is a sophomore at Penn State University majoring in supply chain and information systems with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation in the Smeal College of Business.

Quinn L'Esperance '19

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lives of young adults with special needs. As children with special needs transition into adulthood, the organization aims to make the change more seamless.

Quinn also acts in a web series that’s been keeping her busy. However she’s performing, it’s most meaningful when the performances hold greater purpose. Spreading positive messages is a priority for Quinn, as she strives to write songs that bring visibility to people who rarely experience it.

She acquired her leadership skills at Gilmour, where she served as drama club president and cheer captain. Quinn credits her experience under Gay Janis with preparing her for the move to Los Angeles.

Quinn knows she’s creating something unique. She’s courageous enough not to give in to mainstream demands. To others with a greater purpose driving their art, she has this to say: “If you’re doing something different and you love it, embrace it and follow your heart. Because you will be successful. You will be more successful than anyone who would question what you’re doing. Because fear will hold them back.”

SPRING 2021

“That boy is my pride and joy,” Quinn says. “He is such a light. Being able to shoot the video with him was so meaningful.”

“I learned so much from her, about how to command a room and get people’s attention,” Quinn says. “My professional experience has only built upon that.”

Learn more about Connor’s Hope and how to donate to the cause at connorshope.com.

She wrote her most recent single, “Dance in the Garden,” for her brother, Connor, who has autism and epilepsy. And she uses her voice - quite literally - to advocate for the special needs community. Connor himself appears in the “Dance in the Garden” video, along with some of his friends.

In October, Quinn participated in an Autism Speaks virtual fundraiser where her “Dance in the Garden” video was shared, and she continues to use her talents to raise awareness.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Quinn L'Esperance ’19 had dreamed of becoming a performer. Now, that dream has started to become a reality. In 2020, she released four singles and saw her musical efforts pay off. Every Tuesday, she performed on Facebook and Instagram Live, where she continued to build her audience.

The L'Esperance family has started a nonprofit, Connor’s Hope, which provides access to goods and services to enrich the

LANCER ATHLETICS Third-place varsity golf team

Fifth-place girls cross country team

Emmy Klika ’21

Kathryn Randorf ’22

Julia Pangonis '21

Matt Beck ’21

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Girls Cross Country Finishes Fifth at State Meet

Gilmour boys GOLF finishes third at state tournament

On November 7, the girls cross country team, coached by Matt Lindley ’89, headed to Fortress Obetz for the Division III state championship. This marked the 11th straight year that the team qualified for the state meet and the 16th in program history. The team finished in fifth place, behind a third-place finish by Amy Weybrecht ’24, a 27th-place finish by Caitrina Barton ’21, and a 41st-place-finish by Mary Lombardo ’22. The scoring was rounded out by Gia Rosko ’24 (66th) Anna Lisac ’24 (115th), Kaitlin Rulison ’23 (125th) and Mia Polisena ’22 (141st).

The boys golf team, led by Coach Jamey Polak, played in the Division III state tournament at NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury, Ohio on October 16 and 17, and placed third overall! The Lancers were led by Alex Swinarski (150), who placed fifth, four strokes out of first place, and earned First Team All-Ohio honors. Liam Ottaway ’21 (153) finished in eighth place and earned Second Team All-Ohio honors.

Additionally, Amy Weybrecht and Caitrina Barton earned All-Ohio honors and Caitrina Barton, Mary Lombardo, Mia Polisena and Kaitlin Rulison were recognized with Academic All-Ohio honors.

Jack Popovich ’22 (167), Harry Rogers ’22 (176) and Parker Barrett ’24 (178) rounded out the team and also contributed to the team's third-place medal!

GIRLS SOCCER SENIOR TWO LANCERS INCLUDED ON

PrepVolleyball.com’s All-American Lists

Another standout Lancer was included on the All-American Honorable Mention list. Congratulations to outside hitter, Kathryn Randorf ’22, for this honor. We look forward to following her next year in her senior season as a Lancer before she heads to play for Northwestern University’s Division I program.

Julia Pangonis ’21, a four-year member of the girls varsity soccer team, was among 45 of the nation’s top girls soccer players chosen to compete in the 10th annual High School All-American Soccer Game on May 29. This annual matchup features the top prospects from the East and West regions of the U.S. Julia has committed to join the University of Cincinnati soccer program in the fall and plans to major in engineering.

BOYS SOCCER GOALIE BECOMES A PART OF HISTORY

SENIOR SETS NEW SHUTOUT RECORD

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"I am proud to be a witness of his record, since I was a witness of the record he broke," said head coach Joe Ciuni ’77. "I think any time you break a school record, it is something to be very proud of. Matt works hard at improving his game, so breaking the record did not happen by accident."

Boys soccer’s co-captain and starting goalie Matt Beck ’21 set the new program record for career shutouts in a 3-0 win against Chardon on September 17. That game marked his 20th shutout, besting the previous record of 19.5 set by Dave Corvi ’03 during his career from 1999-2002. Beck went on to earn one more shutout, finishing his career with 21.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

In March, PrepVolleyball.com released their All-American list, which included the 100 players in the country they determined had the greatest impact on their teams and their states in 2020. Included on that list was our own Emmy Klika ’21, the team’s libero. This fall, Emmy will head to Pitt, where she will play on their Division 1 volleyball team. She is undecided on her major, but plans to pursue something in either math or science.

Selected for High School All-American Soccer Game

Ciuni went on to describe Beck's character, describing him as very respectful and even going as far as to say, "I would be proud to call him one of my own sons." Matt has committed to join the Baldwin Wallace soccer program in the fall and will be studying communications. 47

LANCER ATHLETICS 12th-place girls swim team

Indoor track and field club at finale meet

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Mackenzie Palinski '21 on the podium

Girls Swimming Continues Winning Tradition

Indoor Track and Field Club Team Takes Top Honors at Finale Meet

The girls swim team placed 12th in the Division II state championship meet held at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. It was the 10th consecutive season in which the Lancer swim team has finished among the top 15 teams in the state. The future is bright for the program, as four of the eight state qualifiers were freshmen! Congratulations to the following swimmers who placed at states:

The Gilmour Academy girls indoor track and field club team topped the field at their season-ending meet on March 7.

400 FREESTYLE RELAY (PLACED 5TH) - 3:37.67 Abby Meyer ’21 Savannah Hirsch ’24 Laina Collis ’24 Kylee Radigan ’23 100 BACKSTROKE (PLACED 10TH) - 58.50 Kylee Radigan ’23 200 FREESTYLE RELAY (PLACED 11TH) - 1:41.63 Maddie Sammut ’24 Beth Halloran ’24 Savannah Hirsch ’24 Lacie Frech ’24 200 IM (PLACED 12TH) - 2:13.04 Laina Collis ’24 100 BUTTERFLY (PLACED 14TH) - 59.53 Abby Meyer ’21 50 FREESTYLE (PLACED 17TH) - 24.59 Kylee Radigan ’23 200 FREESTYLE (PLACED 19TH) - 2:00.34 Abby Meyer ’21

ALTERNATE Taylor Markowski ’22

Mackenzie will head to Brown University this fall, where she plans to study business and will compete on the track and field team.

4X800 RELAY (2ND PLACE) - 9:55.83 (SEASON-BEST) Mary Lombardo ’22 Amy Weybrecht ’24 Mia Polisena ’22 Caitrina Barton ’21 800-METER Amy Weybrecht ’24 (3 RD PLACE) - 2:16.26 (PERSONAL BEST) Mary Lombardo ’22 (6TH PLACE) - 2:23.65 (PERSONAL BEST) 4X200 RELAY (3 RD PLACE) - 1:48.03 Addie Nemeth ’24 Kaleigh McNamara ’22 Karah Henderson ’22 Mariyah Moore ’24 WEIGHT THROW Mackenzie Palinski ’21 (2ND PLACE) - 51’ 5” (SCHOOL RECORD) SHOT PUT Mackenzie Palinski ’21 (6TH PLACE) - 35’ 3.5” POLE VAULT Bella Lasecki ’22 (TOP 10) - 8’ 6” 60-METER HURDLES Karah Henderson ’22 (5TH PLACE) - 9.48 SECONDS Edith Tomasek ’23 (8TH PLACE) - 10.31 SECONDS 60-METER DASH Mariyah Moore ’24 (6TH PLACE) - 8.13 SECONDS 3200 METER Caitrina Barton ’21 (6TH PLACE) - 11:17.48 400-METER DASH Addie Nemeth ’24 (9TH PLACE) - 1:02.23 (SEASON BEST) Kaleigh McNamara ’22 (11TH PLACE) - 1:02.38 (SEASON BEST) 1600 METER Mia Polisena ’22 (10TH PLACE) - 5:32.42 (PERSONAL BEST)

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Mackenzie Palinski ’21 competed in the weight throw at the Adidas Indoor Nationals 2021, held February 26-28 in Virginia Beach. She finished fourth in the nation with a throw of 49’10”! Mackenzie competes in weight throw and shot put during indoor track season and shot put, discus and hammer during outdoor track.

4X400 RELAY (1ST PLACE) - 4:07.00 Addie Nemeth ’24 Kaleigh McNamara ’22 Mary Lombardo ’22 Amy Weybrecht ’24

Mackenzie Palinski ’21 ON THE PODIUM at the Adidas Indoor Nationals

Those 55 points came from the following finishes:

GILMOUR ACADEMY

100 BUTTERFLY (PLACED 21ST) - 1:00.18 Laina Collis ’24

Gilmour's 55 points were the highest total of any girls team at the Division II/Division III Indoor Finale Meet held by the Ohio Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches. The meet, which featured more than 50 schools, was held at the SPIRE Institute.

A Magical Season for Varsity Boys Basketball After a disjointed regular season due to the pandemic, Gilmour’s varsity team had its best postseason success in more than 25 years. After earning an opening-round bye, Gilmour comfortably won its Sectional Final over Coventry High School (74-48). The Lancers then upset the top seed in their district, Warrensville Heights High School, when Andre Rodgers ’21 hit a three-pointer that beat the buzzer and lifted GA to a 47-46 victory. The Lancers then won another close game, defeating Padua Franciscan 42-38 to win their first District title since 1997. The magical run was not over yet. Gilmour came back from a double-digit deficit to defeat Chaney High School 59-52, using a standout performance from Ben DeMell ’21, as it advanced to a Regional Final (Elite Eight) for the first time since 1992 and only the second time in program history. Gilmour came up one win short of the state Final Four as the Lancers fell to powerhouse St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in the Regional Final. Reflecting on the season, Coach DeCrane said, “From buzzer beaters to fourth-quarter runs, to guys off our bench making winning plays, to cutting down the nets on our own court, the last three weeks of the season were truly special…but it was from all the challenges and adversity faced throughout the year.” He added, “Who would have thought a team that was 6-6 in the middle of January after a loss on Senior Night or a

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team with a 7-9 record going into the tournament was about to do what we did?” After the season, Ryan Mueller ’22 was named to the AllDistrict 2nd Team and earned All-Ohio Honorable Mention, and Ben DeMell ’21, Adesa Molton ’23 and Brandon Rose ’23 were named All-District Honorable Mention. Coach DeCrane is grateful for the leadership of his five seniors throughout this season – Vinny Bandwen ’21, Matt Benisek ’21, Ben DeMell ’21, Teddy FitzGerald ’21 and Andre Rodgers ’21. And the future is bright for the Lancers! With a bevy of young talent in the program, the program sees big things ahead!

Gilmour Girls 16U Win District Title, Headed to Nationals

The Gilmour 16U girls hockey team won the Mid-American District title on March 14 by posting a 4-2 victory over Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U in a winner-take-all contest at OBM Arena in Strongsville, Ohio. By winning the District title, Gilmour earned an automatic berth into the USA Hockey National Championships. Gilmour has previously sent its 16U girls team to the national tournament at the Tier II level, but this is the first time the team has qualified for the Tier I national tournament. The USA National Championships take place April 29 through May 3 in West Chester, Pa. The 16-team tournament has historically featured round-robin play contested within fourteam groups with the top-performing teams then advancing to the quarterfinal round. “We are really looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete for a national championship and will savor every moment, particularly during a season that was never guaranteed to happen,” said head coach Seanna Conway.

Figure Skating Team Finishes Fourth at National Competition

The Gilmour Academy figure skating team recently ended its season on the highest of notes as the Lancers placed fourth in a national competition - the U.S. Figure Skating’s High School Cyber Challenge program.

Team captain Elizabeth Horwitz finished off her high school career by winning her group at Artistic Level D.

SPRING 2021

All 12 of the Lancers on the roster - Elisa Flynn ’22, Maria Flynn ’24, Elizabeth Horwitz ’21, Ryan Kay ’21, Lauren Ludlow ’25, Kristen Oliveto ’22, Lilly Parras ’25, Rachael Stasick ’24, Vija Tessman ’22, Sarah Voss ’22, Zoe Wolfe ’24 and Michelle Wu ’22 - contributed as each of their scores was used to push the Lancers into fourth place.

For the Cyber Challenge, each skater performed an artistic program that either had a meaningful theme or was a light and fun entertainment program for people to enjoy. These programs were recorded and then uploaded virtually to be reviewed and judged by U.S. Figure Skating officials. Each skater earned points based on their placement for an individual score with those scores then being combined to produce overall team standings.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

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Lilly Parras, Rachael Stasick and Sarah Voss each finished second in their group at Artistic Level B while Lauren Ludlow notched a third-place showing in a different grouping. Zoe Wolfe finished first in her group at Artistic Level A while Kristen Oliveto took bronze in the same grouping. Michelle Wu and Ryan Kay took silver and bronze, respectively, in a different group at the same level. 51

LANCER ATHLETICS alldecade team

Three members of the Gilmour Lancers girls basketball program were announced as members of cleveland.com's All-Decade team! Lancer head coach Julie Solis was named Coach of the Decade, Naz Hillmon '18 earned First Team All-Decade honors and Annika Corcoran '19 received Honorable Mention All-Decade.

Coach Solis won two DI state championships and appeared in three DI state finals during her time at Twinsburg High School. Since taking over the Lancer program in 2018, she has led the team to district finals appearances each season.

JULIE SOLIS

Naz Hillmon's career at Gilmour was nothing short of historic, as she was named Ohio's Player of the Year twice, cleveland.com's Player of the Year, and was recognized as a McDonald's All-American her senior year. Now playing at University of Michigan, Hillmon was recently named Big Ten Player of the Year, and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors during the '19-'20 season. Annika Corcoran, a standout point guard for the Lancers, was named First Team All-Ohio and Northeast Lakes All-District Division II Player of the Year her senior year. Corcoran began her college career at University of Detroit Mercy, but recently transferred and will be playing for the University of Akron. Both Hillmon and Corcoran helped lead the Lancers to three DII state finals, as well as the DII 2017 state championship.

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NAZ HILLMON ’18

ANNIKA CORCORAN ’19

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BEN DeMELL '21 baseball at Division I Pennsylvania State University JOCELYN CARTER '21

volleyball at Division I University of North Carolina, Greensboro

LILLY KOSAR ’21

rowing at Division I Ohio State University

EMMY KLIKA '21

volleyball at Division I University of Pittsburgh

On November 11, Gilmour hosted the first NCAA Signing ceremony of the school year to honor six student-athletes making a pledge to continue their athletic careers beyond high school. Congratulations to the students pictured above who signed their NCAA Letters of Intent. Stay tuned for news from our spring signing ceremony in our next issue.

JULIA PANGONIS '21 soccer at Division I University of Cincinnati

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soccer at Division I Ohio University

EMMA ADAMS ’21

• Memorial -

This list includes all alumni and family members of alumni and faculty/staff who passed away before March 1, 2021.

Gilmour Academy expresses sympathy to the families of the following alumni: PATRICK C. BOYLE ’55, brother of John ’62 and Peter ’65 Boyle LEO J. BRENNAN ’60

PETER R. BROOKS ’57, brother of George ’51 and Michael ’56 Brooks DANIEL W. DALY III ’60, brother of David Daly ‘62 ADAM B. DEAL ’03 JAMES M. HAYNES ’58 JACKSON D. KOST ’18 JOHN C. LANDY ’62, brother of Thomas Landy ’55 JAMES J. ONDREY ’74, uncle of Clare Ondrey Carr ’03 MARK P. PASEK ’66 RAYMOND R. RHODE ’51, Gilmour Academy honorary life trustee; father of Patrick ’88, Christopher ’93 and Matthew ’96 Rhode; and brother of Robert Rhode ’51 (deceased) PAUL S. SINDYLA ’59 ALEXANDER H. SOMERS ’78, father of Alexander, Jr. ’01, William ’03 and Ashley ’08 Somers; brother of Walter Somers ’67; and father-in-law of Marilyn Havel Somers ’01 DONALD J. WAKEFIELD ’54, brother of Jerome Wakefield ’60 JOHN K. WESTROPP, JR. ’85, uncle of Brigid Titgemeier Kozlowski ’08 and brother-in-law of John Titgemeier ’81

In addition, we extend our sympathy to the following families in our Gilmour community: DAVID F. AGGERS, father of Meredith Aggers O’Brien ’00 and grandfather of PJ O’Brien ’30

WILLIAM E. DIGGINS III, brother of Rob Fleeman, Gilmour Academy AVI associate director

MARY E. BACIK, grandmother of Matthew ’97 and Stephanie ’02 Bacik

HARRIETTE M. DRIGGS, grandmother of Charity ’13 and Colin ’15 Driggs

JOHN G. BARBATO, grandfather of John Barbato ’29

JAN M. DYER, father of Aaron Dyer ’94

LESTER S. BORDEN, father of Kristine Borden Whigham ’95, Andrew ’07 and Julia Borden ’10, Gilmour Academy teaching associate RONALD J. BORKEY, SR., brother of John Borkey, Gilmour Academy honorary life trustee; uncle of Jeffrey ’80, Joseph ’82 and Jerrod ’87 Borkey; and great-uncle of Jerrod ’12 and Christian ’16 Borkey DIANE BROCKWAY, former Gilmour Academy Montessori assistant; sister of Susan ’86 and Michael ’89 Brockway; and step-daughter of Patricia Brockway, former Gilmour Academy administrator MARY CLARK, grandmother of Lucas Clark, Gilmour's Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts director

SALVATORE R. FELICE, brother of Bonnie DiCillo, Gilmour Academy retired instructor and substitute; and uncle of John ’83, David ’84, Dawn ’86 and Daniel ’88 DiCillo MARGARET A. FREER, mother of Mark ’76 and Neil ’79 Freer; sister of J. Philip O’Neil ’50; aunt of Katherine ’88, Sarah ’89 and Ann ’92 O’Neil; and great-aunt of Henry Hannibal ’28 CLAIRE M. GALLO, mother of Lori Gallo Zeiser G.O. ’76 and Charles Gallo, Jr. ’80; and grandmother of Tori ’11 and Charles Gallo III ’14 MARILYN A. GERSPACHER, grandmother of Connor Gerspacher ’19 EMERSON R. GORSLENE, SR., grandfather of John ’98 and Kathleen ’01 Poelking VIRGINIA L. GROSS, mother of Robert Gross ’75; aunt of Ernest DeFoy ’79; and mother-in-law of Ann Grogan Gross G.O. ’79

DOROTHY A. KAZEL, mother of Daniel Kazel ’86 and James Kazel, Gilmour Academy counselor BR. ROBERT A. KELLY, C.S.C., retired Gilmour Academy counselor FREDA I. KUNEVICIUS, grandmother of Jessica ’95 and Olivia ’97 Kunevicius HAROLD T. LARNED, father of Andrew Larned ’94 MARY LOU LAVELLE, sister-in-law of Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C, Gilmour Academy Headmaster Emeritus DAVID MacDONALD, father of John ’09 and Jacob ’16 MacDonald ELIZABETH McCANN, grandmother of Meagan Urban Fowler ’06, director of student support services; William ’09 and Daniel ’13 Urban; and Connor ’16 and Emma ’20 Lesko PATRICK F. McCARTAN, JR., former Gilmour Academy trustee and father of Patrick F. McCarten III ’81 (deceased) VERONICA C. MINO, mother of John Mino ’77

IGNATIUS A. COMELLA, father of Karen Comella Jenson ’91

CAROL C. HAMMER, mother of John ’74 and Timothy ’75 Hammer

CAROL A. NESTOR, grandmother of Olivia ’18 and Ava ’21 Nestor

GERALD F. COOPER, SR., father of Gerald, Jr. ’73 and Gregory ’74 (deceased) Cooper; and grandfather of Andrew ’10 and Patrick ’13 Cooper and Mary Elizabeth ’00, James ’03 and Kevin ’08 Komperda

MERCEDES HIGGINS, great-aunt of Margaret Schmidt ’12

ANNE S. O’NEILL, former Gilmour Academy trustee; mother of Patricia G.O. ’79 and Kevin ’83 O’Neill

SHIRLEY J. CRANLEY, mother of Mark Cranley ’74 BRIAN CUNNANE, father of Erin Song, Gilmour Academy counselor TULIA R. DeFOY, mother of Ernest DeFoy’79; grandmother of Heather ’07 and John ’09 Coyne; aunt of Robert Gross ’75; and mother-inlaw of Dennis Coyne ’75

FAYE HOLLIS, mother of David ’80, John ’83, Michael ’85, Diane ’86 and Laura ’88 Hollis; grandmother of Thomas ’13, Nicole ’14, Justin ’16, John ’18 and Joseph ’20 Hollis; and mother-inlaw of Christina Hollis, Gilmour Academy admissions associate ALICE S. HOSTOFFER, grandmother of Alexander ’05, Vincent ’07, Nicholas ’09, Zachary ’15 and Sarah Hostoffer MIKLOS ILYES, former Gilmour Academy Director of Maintenance

GINGIE PALMER, sister-in-law of Katherine Wetherbee, Gilmour Academy learning specialist THOMAS PECKA, grandfather of John ’22 and Thomas ’25 Popovich; and father-in-law of John Popovich ’87

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GEORGE A. HAJEK, uncle of John ’93 and Jeffrey ’94 Papesh

JOHN COLLIS, JR., M.D., grandfather of Laina Collis ’24

ROBERT D. MOONEY, SR., grandfather of Robert Mooney III ’98 and father-in-law of Kathleen Mooney, former Our Lady Chapel office associate

GILMOUR ACADEMY

BERNADETTE COFFEY, retired Gilmour Academy Middle School, Lower School and Business Office staff member; mother of Kathleen Kenny, Gilmour Academy Head of School; and grandmother of Michaela ’05, Mary ’07 and Maureen ’10 Kenny

CARMINE FATICA, father of Sue Mastrangelo, Gilmour Academy AVI staff

VAN JOHNSON, uncle of NaNetta Hullum, Gilmour Academy director of diversity, equity and inclusion

TONI PHILPOTTS, cousin of Bobbi Bonner, Gilmour Academy AVI associate director GERALD G. POWELL, father of Timothy Powell ’77 FERN PRESS, grandmother of Adam Shemory ’08

PAUL PRIMEAU, retired Gilmour Academy instructor and coach MICHAEL B. REGAN, Gilmour Academy AVI chef DANIEL RIPEPI, cousin of Gianna ’18 and Vincent ’22 Stafford KATHLEEN RODDY, retired Lower School staff member; mother of Timothy Roddy ’87 and Mary Roddy-Stretar, Gilmour Academy senior marketing manager; aunt of Daniel ’83, Michael ’85 and Matthew ’86 Roddy; great-aunt of Matthew ’18 and Joseph ’21 Roddy PATRICIA ROONEY, mother of Arthur ’70 and James E. ’86 Rooney; and grandmother of James P. Rooney ’14 SR. MARIA ROSA, O.S.F., founder of Sociedad Amigos De Los Ninos, Gilmour Academy Honduran mission partner MARIATANA SALERNO, grandmother of Michael Huber ’16 KENNETH P. SARGI, great-uncle of Samantha ’20 and Timothy ’23 Sargi

Gilmour Academy administrator FRANK E. TEGEL, father of Frank ’76 and Carl ’78 Tegel FRANK J. TOMASELLI, uncle of Capri Burns, Gilmour Academy AVI staff DEBBIE TOMBA, aunt of Kimberly Pfundstein, Gilmour Academy Upper School office manager; and great-aunt of David ’25 and Morgan ’27 Pfundstein FLORENCE B. URANKAR, wife of Frank Urankar, former Gilmour Academy instructor; mother of Thomas Urankar ’78 (deceased); and aunt of Stanley ’69, Paul ’75 and Anthony ’79 Urankar KELLEY L. VICCHIARELLI, sister-in-law of Reece Gerbitz ’90 MARY ANN WESTROPP, mother-in-law of Lee Howley ’65 and Elizabeth Booze Westropp G.O. ’77; and grandmother of Blaine Westropp ’08 MARILYN YOUNG, mother of John Young ’80; and grandmother of Charles ’07 and John ’10 Young, Maria Young Paine ’08, Juliana Lanese ’16, and Kenneth ’17 and Hannah ’17 Kirchner

JAMES SCHUERGER, former Gilmour Academy religion instructor PATRICIA A. SEETCH, sister of William Seetch, former Gilmour Academy instructor and coach LATIFY SHIBLEY, mother of Myron Shibley ’58; and great-grandmother of Francis ’33, Luke and Peter Daberko ANDREW A. SIMS, father of John Sims ’80 JEAN SMITH, grandmother of Elizabeth Blanchfield, Gilmour Academy advancement consultant LINWOOD J. SMITH, SR., husband of Arlene Smith, Gilmour Academy advancement associate; and father of of Lyle Smith ’88 (deceased) NORENE SOMMER, grandmother of Stephen ’15 and Christopher ’18 Sommer and Michael Riley ’12 CAROLE SROUB, mother of Brian Sroub ’77; grandmother of Katherine ’06 and Jackson ’09 Sroub; and mother-in-law of Jennifer Stephan Sroub G.O. ’75 CONSTANCE J. SWEDA, mother of Todd Sweda, Gilmour Academy trustee and former

If you hear of the passing of a member of the Gilmour community and would like the news included in the magazine, please email Advancement Associate Arlene Smith at smitha@gilmour.org.

Bernadette Coffey

brother robert Kelly, C.S.C.

On November 20, 2020, Bernadette Coffey passed away peacefully at her home. Bernadette worked at Gilmour Academy for 34 years managing the Middle and Lower School offices and later worked in the Academy’s Business Office.

On January 21, Brother Robert Arndt Kelly, C.S.C. passed away at the age of 95. Br. Robert worked at Gilmour from 1980-2010. During his 30-year tenure, he served in many important roles, including as the co-founder of the service program with Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58, as the Men’s Club moderator, and in his final years on campus, as the leader of the Sunday night prayer services in the dorm. However, his work as a guidance counselor remains his greatest contribution to the Gilmour students. His encouragement and his ability to connect with young people impacted his students well beyond their years at Gilmour. Upon hearing of his passing, one alumnus reflected, “Any time I needed to talk to someone, I would go straight to Br. Robert. who would no doubt put a smile on my face and make my day better.”

Because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, the family will celebrate a Memorial Mass as soon as it is safe to do so. Bernadette was the mother of Head of School Kathleen C. Kenny and the grandmother of Michaela ’05, Mary ’07 and Maureen ’10 Kenny. She was loved by everyone in the Gilmour community, referred to by many as Saint Bernadette.

After leaving Gilmour, Br. Robert spent the last 10 years living in the Holy Cross retirement community on Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend.

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Whether it was the Christmas season or not, Bernadette Coffey treated everyone like family, spreading joy to all she encountered. She was a legend at Gilmour - someone whose impact extended far beyond the walls of her office and long after she left the Academy.

Bernadette loved Christmas and made it unforgettable each year for her family, her colleagues and her students. Former Lower School students still refer to her as “Mrs. Pockets,” remembering her Christmas apron full of pockets that she would stock with goodies at Christmastime, surprising students throughout the days leading up to her favorite holiday.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

Longtime Gilmour employee Lois Boyer, who worked alongside Bernadette for years, remembers her as a wonderful friend, and someone she could always count on. “You could tell her anything and she had the best advice. I miss that. I miss the conversations with her. She was the best friend anyone could have, everyone should have a friend like her. I could talk about her for hours.”

Another alumnus reached out with his thoughts, stating, “While I never had the opportunity to meet him and get to know him, I always enjoyed reading about his efforts and contributions to the Gilmour community, particularly in the service program and projects with Fr. John.” He continued, “It felt like his contributions may have contributed to the expansion of the school’s motto (Perseveranti Dabitur - ‘Success to the One Who Perseveres’) into the more expansive, updated Mission Statement.”

PATRICK McCARTAN, JR.

ANNE O'NEILL

On November 30, Patrick McCartan, Jr. passed away surrounded by family. Patrick was a board member for 21 years from 1980-2001 and was the father of Patrick McCartan III ’81, who predeceased him (2009).

January 21, former Trustee Anne O’Neill passed away at the age of 90. Anne, the mother of Patty O'Neill G.O. ’79 and Kevin O’Neill ’83 was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1982-2001. In her 19 years, she served on the Enrollment Management Committee and always helped to increase Gilmour’s enrollment with the admissions department. She believed wholeheartedly that the impact of the Brothers of Holy Cross at Gilmour was unmatched and was what made Gilmour “an outstanding educational institution.”

After joining the Board of Trustees in 1980, Patrick served on the Executive Committee as the chair of the Nominating and Academic Affairs Committees. Patrick was a strong proponent of co-education and an advocate for the merger of Gilmour Academy and Glen Oak School. Patrick was a renowned trial lawyer at Jones Day and served as managing partner of the firm from 1993-2002. He was cited in surveys conducted by The National Law Journal as one of the country’s most respected and influential lawyers. In addition to serving on Gilmour’s Board, Patrick was the chair of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees, president of the Bar Association of Greater Cleveland, and chair of the Board of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. He also served on the boards of the Cleveland Clinic and Ursuline College. Reflecting on his service to the Academy, Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. said, “ He was a pillar of leadership, a person of strong Christian principles, very personable, ready to help when or wherever he could, and dedicated to fulfilling his commitments with much honor and generosity. Pat was an inspiration to me, personally and professionally. I found Pat to be a true friend who made an imprint on my life.”

Her daughter, Patty, wrote, “She was my best friend and an amazing mother and I can’t imagine what life will be without her. She was a force to be reckoned with and the most selfless, loving and compassionate person I’ve ever met.” She continued, “She touched so many lives, and my brothers and I were so blessed and honored to be able to take care of her this past year as her health declined. She was an incredible mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She devoted her life to God and her family and will be forever in our hearts.”

Paul Primeau

ray rhode On November 23, 2020, Paul Primeau passed away at the age of 93. Paul worked at Gilmour from 1957-1992 as a chemistry teacher and also founded our storied cross country program. In a nod to his lasting impact, Gilmour's cross country invitational, the state's oldest continually run cross country meet, was renamed in 2011 and is now called The Gilmour Academy Paul Primeau Invitational.

In the years after his retirement, Paul was still a regular presence on campus, attending sporting events frequently and serving as an unofficial team photographer! Everyone knew Mr. Primeau and delighted in his presence at Lancer meets and games.

Ray joined the Board of Trustees in 1992 and served on the Enrollment Management Committee as well as the Academic Affairs and Institutional Advancement Committees. He also served more than 20 years on the Alumni Board of Governors and, in 1989, was honored as the Alumni Association's "Man of the Year." In 2011, he was named an Honorary Life Trustee. Ray believed wholeheartedly in Gilmour’s mission and spoke at different times to students about the importance of that mission. He said, “Gilmour is an outstanding prep school. Maintaining that philosophy imparted by the Holy Cross Brothers is what makes the school outstanding.” He was an inaugural member of GAAPA and enjoyed attending their events with his wife of 59 years, Noreen. Ray’s funeral Mass was celebrated on November 7 at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. He will be deeply missed by his large family and the community he was so committed to serving.

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Paul leaves an incredible legacy at Gilmour through all the lives he touched, whether as chemistry teacher, coach or superfan extraordinaire. He will be sorely missed, but that legacy will be celebrated each September as thousands of cross country runners descend on the Academy’s grounds for the annual race in his honor. The thousands of photos he took during athletic contests and are now in Gilmour's archives give witness to his love of competition, his focus on perseverance and his passion for Gilmour.

Ray was one of Gilmour’s “pioneers,” graduating in just the second class. “We considered ourselves as the leaders of the generations to follow,” Rhode said in an Alumni Spotlight back in 2011.

GILMOUR ACADEMY

In the weeks after his passing, alumni reflected on his impact. One described him as “one of the most genuine and kind souls anyone could have known.” Another said that he “was always so gracious, accommodating and forthcoming with advice for me.” He added, “From the first day I stepped onto campus, Mr. Primeau was a great mentor and even better friend. He always had nothing but positive things to say.”

On November 1, Ray Rhode '51 passed away. Ray was quite involved at Gilmour Academy while he was a student and later as a parent. Three of Ray’s five children attended Gilmour - Patrick '88, Chris '93 and Matthew '96.

SAVE THESE DATES August 9

September 18

September 24-25

75th Anniversary Celebration gilmour.org/75Anniversary

For classes ending in 0,1,5 and 6 gilmour.org/reunion

THE GILMOUR ACADEMY GOLF CLASSIC

In Memory of Charlie Tremont ’70 StoneWater Golf Club gilmour.org/charlietremont2021

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Gilmour Magazine Spring 2021

Articles inside

MEMORIALS

FALL NCAA SIGNING

ALL-DECADE TEAM

SPOTLIGHT: QUINN L'ESPERANCE ’19

SPOTLIGHT: JEAN ROBINSON G.O. ’74

SPOTLIGHT: TARA HYLAND ZITTEL ’07

SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL BRUNO ’85

ALUM NEWS

GILMOUR'S ARTS AT THE ACADEMY PARTNERS WITH CLEVELAND BALLET

SENIOR NAMED CANDIDATE FOR U.S PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

SEVENTH GRADERS BRINGING MISSION TO LIFE: SOCK DRIVE AND CARITAS PROJECT

IN THEIR SPACE ED AND MARYSUE RYAN

ADVANCEMENT CORNER

EARLY ACCEPTANCE RESULTS

A SPECIAL SEASON

BRINN MacLELLAN ’21: HEISMAN HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

GILMOUR VOICE

CATCHING UP ROSEMARIE FABRIZIO

CELEBRATING TEACHERS