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co m edmen it ce io me n nt
september 2012 • The official publication for Coram Deo Academy families, alumni & friends
Blessings & Congrats!
Classof 2012
Coram Deo Academy’s Class of 2012 is strong, talented, and diverse. From military aspirations, awards, Chancellor and Presidential Scholarship winners, National Merit Scholars, and souls won to Christ in China, this graduating class carries into its future the essense of our school’s purpose.
Training ethical servant leaders and wise thinkers who will shape culture for the glory of God
From gratefulness comes inspiration & dedication to our loving God
I
have a lot of things to be grateful for. But to me being grateful is not a passive state where you appreciate past blessings, but rather it is an active state that requires certain things of us. To truly be grateful is really to be humble, responsible, and inspired.
Carter Harms
I learned that gratefulness is humbleness through Ms. Loe’s class, in which I learned a lot of things, like how to be a better speaker, how to write effectively, and how to appropriately freak out over a Rhetoric portfolio. However, one of the most impactful things for me was the social justice projects we did last year. After hearing about the many societal ills, I had an overwhelming feeling of how blessed I was. Each one of us has been blessed in ways that we cannot comprehend, but the first step to being grateful is not to be entitled; rather it is to be humble. None of us did anything to receive the love of God that he bestows on all of us. So being grateful for all of the blessings, is to have the humility to realize that we did nothing to deserve what we have be given.
“…none of us did anything to receive the love of God that he so freely bestows on all of us. So being grateful for all of the blessings, is to have the humility to realize that we did nothing to deserve what we have been given.”
From Mrs. Powell’s class I learned that to be grateful, you have to be responsible. I learned this through the book Les Miserables, the story of a criminal who was given grace by a bishop from whom he had stolen. To me, this is a perfect example of what Christians are called to do, and that is use our gifts responsibly. In Genesis 1, God tells us about his gift of creation, but he also tells us that we, as humans, are responsible for it. We are responsible for taking the gift of our education past and future into our own hands and using it for good; responsible for making the gift of life reflect back to God;
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and responsible for sharing our blessings, as they have been shared with us. Finally, Mr. Rector taught me that from gratefulness comes inspiration of sharing our gifts. Genesis 1 tells us we are made in God’s image, and 1 Corinthians 10 tells us that we are to do all things for the Glory of God. We are blessed so that we may be a blessing. And to be truly grateful, is to be inspired. We have been given great families, great teachers, and great talents, but those gifts should serve to inspire us to be great friends, great students, and great image-bearers for our Lord Jesus Christ. Our gratitude should be measured by how much it inspires us to give of ourselves. I have a lot to be grateful for. I am grateful for teachers like Mrs. Colvin who probably spent more time with her debaters on the weekends than her family. I am grateful for a family that has supported me in my aspirations in every way. And I am grateful to my classmates for giving me three years of memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. But most of all I am grateful for our loving God who died so that we may live. And so my fellow classmates, as this journey comes to an end, while a new one is just beginning remember that to be grateful we start by being humble enough to realize how undeserving we are, responsible enough to be the stewards we are called to be, and inspired enough to give back as we have been given. Thank you and God Bless.
Carter, with his mother and brother, Wyatt 2
The creation always remembers the touch of the creator’s hands
ellow classmates, friends, families, and CDA staff and faculty–welcome. Those I represent have been more than classmates and friends. We are a window arranged in intricate patterns, and crafted with loving hands. Today, that window breaks. And the only promise we make is that someday, that window will be made again.
Before that breaking, let us remember that behind each detail is a masterful artist. We remember Mr. Ea, sixth grade teacher and tennis coach; Mrs. Hicks, who prepared us for the study of His story and English; Mrs. Gaskamp, who taught Latin and mathematics; Mrs. Ligon’s lessons in biology, science; Mrs. Colvin–our leader in drama, speech, debate; Mrs. Neibert, Mrs. McDaniel and Mrs. Walker-Gladney–who taught us to see in brush strokes; Mrs. Bowen, Mrs. Hillier, Ms. Gladney, and Mr. Davies–who taught us to glorify our Lord with sound and harmony; and our athletic leaders– Coaches Brake, Ashby, Lemley, Troup, Moore, Fincher, Chen, Williams, Simon, Wright, and McCloyen. “There is a Russian song–“Time”–that reflects We remember those on how our creations forever remember the who guided us through the college application touch of our hands. Our class–our stained-glass process–Mrs. Dwyer, window–will, likewise, never forget the touch of Mrs. Schaefer, and Mrs. Wakefield. We remember these masters.” those teachers that have helped us by their daily work: dear Mrs. Perry; eternally helpful Mr. Ouille; watchful Mrs. Brake; our weekly journalist Ms. Gallutia; and the administration of CDA. We remember those teachers who taught knowledge, reason, and faith: Mr. Schaefer, Mrs. Schober, Mrs. Lester, and Mrs. Seekamp; our dearest Dr. Heitschmidt, master of history and English; charming Mr. Jordan, master of faith,
Stanislav Nedzelyski
apologetics, history, and Greek; the faithful Ms. Loe, master of Rhetoric, Logic, and Latin; and the wise Mrs. Powell, master of English and Theology. Finally, we remember our chief mathematician and headmaster– Mr. Rector. To all these we give our most heartfelt thanks and promise to remember. Now, one and also we are diverse. Among us we have speakers and debaters; actors, musicians and singers; those that excelled at sport–baseball, track and cross-country, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and football players. We have writers and poets with published books. We have award-winning artists. We are certainly diverse, but above this diversity is a union. Our window is united by the power of knowledge, by the bond of deep friendship, and by strength of a common faith. Those are the masters and the details. Let us begin to craft our memories now. And let us believe that someday, our window will be crafted yet again–in greater knowledge, in deeper friendship, and in strongest faith. Stanislav’s piece, Venice, pen & ink
Presenting
NAME
The Class of 2012
Wise Thinkers & Ethical Servant-Leaders Together they garnered over $3 million in scholarships. Notable collegiate acceptances for their class include: Cornell University, Georgia Tech, Rice University, Savannah College of Art & Design, Syracuse University, Taylor University, Texas A&M, Trinity University, University of Texas-Austin, University of Southern California, and Wheaton College. Most importantly, they have acquired the tools to shape culture for the glory of God and are on their way to do so.
NAME
COLLEGE
MAJOR
Christopher Andrew Holland
• 2012 Male Athlete of the Year • TAPPS 1st Team All District in baseball
Baylor University
Business
Sarah Elizabeth Johnstone
• Earning Magna Cum Laude Senior Year • Her ministry and heart for young children
Baylor University
Mechanical Engineering
Alexandra Brooklyn Jones
• Wrote 5 books & self-published 4 • Extensive international travel
University of Iowa transferring to: Salzburg University (Austria)
Creative Writing- Theatre & Foreign Language
Matthew Brock Longcrier
• Leading 4 people to Christ in China
Brookhaven College transferring to Oklahoma State University
Wild Life Management
Luke Wallace McCrummen
• TAPPS All State, 1st Team All District 3 out of 4 years, and 2012 Defensive Player of the Year in Baseball
Texas State University
Undecided
Ellen Joyce Middleton
• 2012 Academic All State, 1st Team All District, and Offensive Player of the Year in Volleyball
Texas State University
Interior Design
Gabrielle Reece Miller
• Placed 3rd in 2011 State Track Meet on the 4 x 200 Relay • Magna Cum Laude Junior Year
Texas State University
Interdisciplinary Studies & Education
Eric Thomas Neal
• 1st Team All District in Basketball • President of the House of Wallace
Texas Christian University
Film, Television, & Digital Media
Stanislav Sergiovich Nedzelskyi
• His Faith • His Art
Honors College at Syracuse University
Architecture
Andrew James O’Brien
• 2011 Distinguished Student Award • Role of “Sky Masterson” in Guys and Dolls
Honors College at Texas Christian University
Business
Matthew Thomas Rogers
• 1st Team All District in Soccer • Academic All State in Soccer
Honors College at Texas State University
Computer Information Systems
Israel Joshua Rowland
• Lion Heart Award in Soccer • Honorable Mention-District Defensive Lineman in Football
University of Texas-Dallas
Mechanical Engineering
Sarah Delayne Smetana
• Earning Summa Cum Laude Junior Year • NASA HAS Internship
University of North Texas
Pre-Med
proudest ACCOMPLISHMENT
COLLEGE
MAJOR
• NASA HAS Internship • 1st Place at State TAPPS meet in Computer Generated Art
Georgia Institute of Technology at Georgia Tech
Mechanical Engineering & Computer Science
Nathaniel Charles Bannert
• Eagle Scout • All District in Baseball
Honors College at Texas State University
Business
Peter John Chupp
• Mission trip to India
Taylor University
Computer Science
Lydia Joy Clinkscales
• Black Belt in Taekwondo • Published by the World Poetry Movement
Honors College at Texas Tech University
English & Public Relations
Carson Jeffrey Colvin
• 2nd Team All District in Baseball
Oklahoma State University
Broadcasting
Laura Katherine Deotte
• Senior Choir Award
Honors College at LeTourneau University
Mechanical Engineering
Emily Carol Tally
• Receiving her Pilot’s License at 17 • Reaching the Basketball playoffs all four years
University of Texas-Austin
Geography
Olivia Schae Doerstling
• Establishing a Piano Studio with more than 20 students in last 3 years
Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Psychology: Play Therapy
Evann Sophia Wu
• House of Wright President • Internship in China at a Heart Hospital • Fluent in English, Mandarin, & Cantonese
Austin College
Biochemistry with Minor in Spanish
Hannah Elizabeth Drury
• Candidate for Black Belt in Karate in October 2012
University of Texas-Dallas
Arts & Technology
Corbin Christopher Farver
• All-State Defensive End in Football • Captain of the Football & Basketball Teams
Oklahoma State University
Pre-Law
Kacie Sierra Galloway
• Published in a Photography/Writing Magazine • Role at “Lady Bracknell” in The Importance of Being Ernest
Honors College at John Brown University
Journalism
Greer Elizabeth Garland
• Role as “Gwendolyn” in The Importance of Being Ernest
Oklahoma Baptist University
Digital Media Arts
Preston Alton Green
• 1st Team All-District & Offensive Player of the Year in Baseball
Texas Christian University
Physics
Christine Elizabeth Gurley
• National Merit Scholar • Achievements in Piano
Trinity University
Conservation Biology
Carter Michael Harms
• TAPPS State Champion in Current Events • House of Wright President
Wheaton College
Political Science & Business Economics
Wyatt Redmond Harms
• Two-time TAPPS State Champion in Persuasive Speaking • Senior Class President
Wheaton College
Political Science & Business
Reed Clarkson Hayes
• House of Wright Photographer all four years
Collin County Community College
Undecided
Ariel Brooke Heinsius
• Two-time State Champion in TAPPS Oratory • Congressional Intern wtih Congressman Michael C. Burgess
Honors College at Regent University
Political Science
Samuel James Helman
• NASA HAS Internship • House of Homer Chaplain
Louisiana Tech University
Mechanical Engineering
Tierza Cleren Henderson
• 2011 Distinguished Student Award • Named to All Star Cast at One Act Play Competition
University of North Texas
Radio, Television, & Film
Chase Hoover Hennings
• Going into his second year of internship at Renda Contracting
Southern Methodist University
Business
Sarah Nicole Alsmiller
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proudest ACCOMPLISHMENT
summa cum laude
magna cum laude
2002-2012 College Admissions & Acceptances
cum laude
264 Gr aduates Total~ Matriculated Colleges in Bold ~ *Class of 2012 Matriculation or Acceptance
*Abilene Christian University, *Auburn University, *Austin College, *Baylor University, Benedictine College, Belmont University, Biola University, *Brookhaven College, Boston College, *Collin College, *Cornell University, *Carnegie Mellon University, Colorado School of Mines, Concordia University, Covenant College, Columbia College, The Culinary Institute of America, *Dallas Baptist University, *Drexel University, Duke University, Emory and Henry College, Fordham University, Franklin College-Switzerland, *George Washington University, *Georgia Institute of Technology, *Grove City College, *Hampden-Sydney College, Harding University, Hillsdale College, Houston Baptist University, Howard Payne University, Illinois Institute of Technology, James Madison University, *John Brown University, Johnson and Wales University, Kings College, *LeTourneau University, *Louisiana Tech University, Lubbock Christian University, Maine Maritime Academy, *Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Midland College, New York University, *North Central Texas College, Northern State University, Northwestern Preparatory School, Ouachita Baptist University, Ohio State University, *Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma City University, *Oklahoma State University, *Oral Roberts University, Patrick Henry College, Pepperdine University, *Pratt Institute, Purdue University, *Regent University, *Rice University, Saint John’s University, *Savannah College of Art & Design, *Southern Methodist University, *Southwestern University, *Syracuse University, Tarrant County College, *Taylor University, *Texas A&M University, *Texas Christian University, *Texas State University, *Texas Tech University, Texas Women’s University, *Trinity University, Union University, United States Air Force Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy, United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Chicago, University of Colorado-Boulder, *University of Dallas, University of Edinburgh, University of Houston, *University of Iowa, University of London (England), *University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, University of Missouri, Rolla, *University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, *University of Southern California, University of St. Andrews (Scotland), University of St. Thomas-Houston, *University of Texas, *University of Texas-Arlington, *University of Texas-Dallas, University of Texas-Tyler, *University of Washington, *Virginia Polytechnic Institute, *Washington University in St. Louis, Westmont College, *Wheaton College, Willamette University, William Jewell College
Notable Scholarships, Honors, or Admittance to Special Programs Congressional Nominations and Appointments:
Presidential/Chancellor Scholarships:
Entrance to Honors Colleges:
U.S. Air Force Academy U.S. Coast Guard Academy U.S. Merchant Marine Academy U.S. Naval Academy
Abilene Christian, Auburn, Baylor, Concordia, John Brown, LeTourneau, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts, Taylor, Texas A&M, Texas Christian University, Union University, University of Alabama- Birmingham & William Jewell Universities
Abilene Christian, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas Christian University, Texas Tech, University of Alabama- Birmingham, University of North Texas & University of Texas-Dallas
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David was awarded the TCU Distinguished Student Award and is attending UT Southwestern Medical School this fall. At TCU, he was a premed student, whose extremely tidy room was part of the campus tours, the president of Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity and member of Mortar Board, Phi Beta Delta and Alpha Epsilon Delta honor societies.
After having studied at CDA for 8 years Marian is entering her senior year at Fordham University. With a major in Physics and a possible major in Theology and minor in Philosophy, she recently finished an internship at William and Mary working on Higgs boson research.
David Neal Class of 2008 Interview with Alumni
What does CDA mean to you? As a springboard to college, CDA helped to reinforce my values, inspire a love of learning, and strengthen my Christian faith. The classes at CDA were demanding, but the training I received prepared me to succeed in any college class. I am extremely thankful to the teachers and faculty who steadfastly reinforced the idea of “Coram Deo,” and the importance of God’s presence in every subject and situation. Beyond academics, did CDA improve you as a person? CDA improved me as a person by stressing the importance of faith in every class and extracurricular activity. The importance of admiring God in his creation, studying His Word, and even praying before sporting events cannot be overstated. This Christ centered worldview served as my foundation in college and will continue to pay spiritual dividends the rest of my life. What is your favorite memory of CDA? My favorite memory came during my senior year when we won our first 11-man football game. As the time expired, I remember congratulating my brothers of the gridiron and feeling that our efforts had paid off. The life lessons I learned during my athletic career at CDA are some of the most valuable I received, and I will be forever grateful to Coach Donnie Brake for his hard work and dedication to us.
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How did CDA prepare you for college and life? My time at CDA fostered a strong work ethic, helped me become more organized, and encouraged a mentality of excellence. To succeed at CDA requires great effort and perseverance, and these qualities are essential to success in life as well. What is your greatest success so far? My greatest success was receiving the TCU Distinguished Student Award for 2012.
receiving the Chancellor’s Scholarship, and the immediate connection I felt with the University when I first stepped on campus. The close location also allowed me to share in my younger brothers’ careers at Coram Deo. My interest in healthcare started at a young age when I lost one grandfather due to heart disease and became even stronger when I lost the other to leukemia during my freshman year at TCU. These experiences sparked an interest in medicine and service to others. Moving forward I believe that medical
“I am extremely thankful to the teachers and faculty who steadfastly reinforced the idea of ‘Coram Deo,’ and the importance of God’s presence in every subject and situation.” What are your aspirations? I plan to become a physician. It is my goal to serve others through medicine and dedicate my career to the alleviation of human suffering. What about free time? I enjoy country two-step dancing, snowboarding, watching movies, and spending time with family. What led you to your choice of college and career? I chose TCU due to its stellar pre-med program, the small student-to-faculty ratio,
school will provide me with the tools I need to ultimately fulfill my God-given purpose. As the ultimate synthesis of science and human service, becoming a physician will allow me to pursue my passion in the sciences at the highest level and alleviate the misery and suffering that I was unable to change for my grandfathers. Thoughts on today’s world? Despite the dire messages that are so easy to find in the media, God is still fully in control. As a Christ follower I am comforted by the fact that our loving Father, and not external circumstances, is in control of the world.
Marian Rogers Class of 2009 What does CDA mean to you? I am most grateful for the unique foundation the classical education at CDA provided. I gained an appreciation for poetry and primary sources, a broad knowledge of great literature, and practice in critical reading skills. I’m also grateful for my dedicated, inspirational, amazing teachers. They make CDA great. And those times of talking philosophy and rhetoric with my friends after school helped give me a greater appreciation for knowledge for knowledge’s sake. How did CDA prepare you for college and life? One thing in particular was experience in effective speaking and writing. Fordham recently added a core requirement that students take one course each year designated as eloquentia perfecta or EP. These courses have extra writing and speaking components to ensure students graduate with excellence in expression. Many of my classmates find these requirements much more challenging. What is your greatest success so far? I’ve been blessed to find success in my studies of physics. Last summer I received a research grant to work with one of my professors at Fordham. We worked on an area of theoretical particle physics called lattice QCD. This research uses supercomputers to run simulations of calculations that are far too extensive for pen and paper. I analyzed the data generated by the computer simulations and presented this work at undergraduate research conferences at
Fordham and Harvard. This summer I am doing slightly different research funded by the National Science Foundation at the College of William and Mary. Still in the realm of particle physics, this time I get to work on theoretical models of the infamous and still undiscovered Higgs boson. This is a really exciting area of physics right now, and I’m very grateful that I get to be a part of it. What are your aspirations? I am currently researching PhD programs in History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) with concentrations in philosophy of physics. I’ve learned many things through being a physics major, including that I do not want to become a physicist researching one small problem within one branch of physics. I’m much more interested in what it means, and the relationships between branches of study. Going into philosophy of physics provides more flexibility to have multiple research interests. But wanting to be led by God, I suppose my greatest aspiration is to learn how to live life attentive to his call. What led to your choice of college and career? While at CDA math and science came naturally to me, but I also grew to love theology. I started to read about science and theology in my spare time, and I got excited about studying them more in depth. So I applied to several colleges where I could study both. Fordham was one of the schools that got my attention, and I really couldn’t ignore it when they offered me a full
Interview with Alumni tuition scholarship. In recent months, I have been leaning toward a career in academia. Both at CDA and at Fordham I’ve done a significant amount of tutoring, sometimes to the detriment of my own study time. I also really like giving class presentations, so teaching could be a good fit for me. I’ve also considered physical therapy because I know I like working with people helping to meet their needs. Thoughts on today’s world? Living in New York for nearly three years has given me a new perspective on the world. I suppose I’m still not sure what to make of it all. But I do know the words of 1 Peter 3:15 ring true: “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” What about free time? I have continued to figure skate. For me it is both an athletic and artistic outlet, and making time for it is very important to me for balancing out my academic commitments. In the past year I passed the first five of 16 test levels. My goals for next season are to keep testing and to compete in the collegiate figure skating league. When I’m not skating or studying, I make to time to hang out with my friends, volunteer with Sunday school, and every once in a while explore the many cultural attractions of NYC.
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“I want to ask you soonto-be-graduates a simple question, ‘Why?’”
W
hy do you believe the things you believe? Why do you say the things you say? Why do you do the things you do? As you are about to graduate from Coram Deo tonight, I want to challenge you to the ponder what you believe–what you hold true about who you are and what you were created to be and to do. In essence, have you defined your CORE? CORE describes who we are, who we are in our inner man or spirit. Your CORE is basically your foundation. When all the complexities and distractions in life are stripped away, what do you hold to be true? One book that I would encourage you to read is Victor Frankel’s book, “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Frankel was a Jewish Austrian psychiatrist who survived several of Hitler’s concentration camps. He had everything taken from him, basically stripped to the bare essence of his humanity. While in the concentration camps he observed that those that lived had a purpose or reason in which to live, and many times that purpose or reason was a person or a cause. I submit that as Christians, that person and that cause, is Jesus Christ. Frankel determined that those that died had lost their why. That’s what
I want you to think about today. It’s about your why. Why do you do what you do? Is it going to be for the money, the fame, or the advanced degree? Is it for friends and family? If your main goal or vision is to pursue things of material gain, you’ll never be satisfied. Blaise Pascal put it eloquently when he said,
“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” I think it’s obvious that trying to devise a morality with human resources has proven an utter failure. In Ephesians 6 where Paul talks about putting on the armor of God, the one piece of equipment that proves essential for this topic is the helmet of salvation. That is the one thing that will protect your mind from the world’s truth distortions and wicked schemes of the evil one when your “Why” is challenged. So in closing, I challenge you to define your why. You will find purpose and meaning once you do. And I want to share with you 5 tenets that Tammy and I have tried to teach to Chase and Brenna. They summarize how to live the fulfilled Christian life.
5 tenet proverbs 1 The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
2 He who walks with wise men will be wise. Choose your mentors and your friends carefully. You will be known by the company that you keep.
3 Do your best in all things 4 Life is a series of choices, so choose wisely. Many times we don’t get second chances.
5 God disciplines or disciples those whom He loves. Not all good things are good things and not all bad things are bad. God many times uses challenges and pain to get us to be all He wants us to be.
Coram Deo Academy Campuses Collin County 2400 S. Hwy 121 Plano, TX 75025 Phone 469.854.1300
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www.CoramDeoAcademy.org
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4900 Wichita Trail Flower Mound, TX 75022 Phone 682.237.0232