EDUCATING AND DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON FOR THE GLORY OF GOD A SERVANT-LEADERFAITHFUL PAYING TRIBUTE TO DAVE DELPH FOR TWENTY YEARS LEADING TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY AS HEAD OF SCHOOL 40
IT IS ALWAYS ENCOURAGING to see how our students often flourish in a variety of endeavors through the opportunities they are provided at TCA. As one example, I have had the joy this year of working with our Upper School worship team along with Upper School drama teacher Kristi Robison, seeing firsthand that many of these students on the worship team, in addition to being talented musicians, are also fine athletes, leaders in campus clubs, diligent students in the classroom, kind and discerning friends in their social circles and mentors to younger students. Some of these graduating seniors are continuing in the fine arts, some are planning careers in STEM fields, others in liberal arts, and still others in business. It’s what all of our faculty and coaches have witnessed time and again—that our mission to educate and develop the whole person for the glory of God is borne out year after year by the quality of the young men and women of TCA who find a variety of ways to excel, honor the Lord in their giftings and prepare for the various ways He will choose to lead them in the future.
This mission of our school is what Dave Delph has been passionate about as he has led TCA. In this issue, we share with you a tribute from some of his close friends and colleagues who have seen Dave
VOLUME 16 • NUMBER 2 Glorifying God on any stage CREATIVEEDITOR/ DIRECTOR KENDALL ELLIS OFFICECOMMUNICATIONS KRISTINA SPEARS, Director of Marketing and Communication MADDIE CHURCHWELL ’12, Digital Media Specialist ALUMNI OFFICE BETH HARWELL, Director of Alumni ADVISORY BOARD DAVE DELPH, Head of School SCOTT BERTHEL BEV AMYBIRMINGHAMEDWARDSPRIDEAUX ’89 DON CAMILLEMATTJENNIEKRISTYBECKYENGLISHJONESKEGERREISKESLERLAMBROLANGFORD WALKER ’82 FRAN JUSTINLISAJEFFBECKYLEGBANDLEWISSMITHWONGZAPPIA BOARD OF TRUSTEES MARK DYER, Chair STACEY DORÉ, Vice Chair DERIC EUBANKS DAVID CRAIGWESLEYSTEVEMARKWENDYHARPERHERMESLAYMAN’84NOVAKOVICHSNEEDWENNING ABOUT US TRINITY TODAY is published two times a year: Winter and Summer. TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 17001 Addison Road Addison, Texas 75001 TrinityChristian.org972-931-8325 CONTACT US Send story ideas to Kendall Ellis at kellis@ trinitychristian.org and alumni information to Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org. FOLLOW US FACEBOOK.COM /TCATrojans TWITTER.COM /@TCATrojans INSTAGRAM.COM /tca_addison
I hope as you read you’ll be encouraged as I have been, reminded again of the many ways God is leading and blessing our school. One of the Upper School students’ favorite times each week is 10 a.m. on Thursdays. During that time most weeks throughout the school year, the student body has the opportunity to lift their hearts and voices to the Lord, led by their peers who serve on the Upper School worship team.
You’ll also get a first glimpse of our new Middle School building as we all anticipate the tremendous gift it will be to students and teachers for furthering our mission.
KENDALL ELLIS Editor/Creative Director pursue our mission faithfully for twenty years as head of school. TCA’s continuing legacy of preparing students to influence the world for Christ in their various callings is in no small part due to Dave’s leadership. Developing our students for God’s glory means equipping them with real-world experience for the challenges (and excitement!) of their future careers. In the feature “Working Toward Bright Futures,” Dr. Matt Lambro, director of student development, shares how this is happening in our Honors Entrepreneurship Marketing Strategy class and Honors Leadership class.
Worship team photo and cover photo by Jeff McWhorter ’05
CORRECTION In our Winter 2021-22 issue, we did not include a byline for Lower School STEM teacher Heidi Aiken for the article “Building STEM Foundations.” Mrs. Aiken co-wrote the story with Bev Birmingham, assistant head of Lower School. We apologize for our mistake in not crediting Mrs. Aiken Goappropriately.to about/communicationstrinitychristian.org/www. to revisit this article as well as other Trinity Today archives.
4 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7 PTF RECOGNITIONS, GOOD WORKS AND THE HONOR ROLLS 15 FACULTY FOCUS: A BEHIND-THESCENES LOOK AND RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEES’ YEARS OF SERVICE 18 CLASS ACTS 24 MATILDA 26 TECHNOLOGY@TCA 28 TCA FOUNDATION: GALA RECAP contents 2 TRINITYCAMPUSFEATURESTODAYAND COMMUNITY TROJAN FAITHFUL A tribute to Head of School Dave 40Delph COMMENCEMENT Families, faculty, friends and administration celebrate the achievements and character of TCA’s most recent graduates. 30
70 FROM THE ASSOCIATIONALUMNIPRESIDENT 71 SPRING WEEKENDALUMNIPHOTOS 78 FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI 79 ALUMNI NEWS AND EVENTS 80 IN MEMORIAM 58 WINTER AND SPRING SEASONSPORTSRECAPS SUMMER 2022 3 ATHLETICS ALUMNI LEGACY NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL! We are looking forward to how our new building will help us continue to make “the middle meaningful” for all our TCA students. 36 GETTING TO WORK Read about how Upper School students are receiving valuable work experience on campus as interns and even starting their own businesses. 50 72 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT This column highlights how former Trojans are influencing the world for the glory of God in their careers, ministries and other callings. In this issue we profile DR. MASON ANDERS ’05 , DR. BRITTNEY ANDERS ’07 and an unnamed alumnus who is following the Lord’s calling to North Africa.
So, thank you, God, for your faithfulness, protection and provision for TCA for almost 52 years. Thank you, Rose, for your steadfast love, grace and support, for your listening ear and partnership in our mission to serve others and Jesus. All those trips to the Amazon and Zambia would not have happened without you. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your love, prayers and support my whole life.
HAT AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT THIS HAS BEEN! Such a wonderful celebration of what God has done through His school through each of us as we’ve labored alongside one another to nurture and disciple students to know and follow Jesus. We’ve shared such a sweet community as God has knit together our hearts and lives in service to Him. What a blessing it has been to see so many using their gifts to fulfill the mission and purpose of TCA! Any accomplishments we’ve highlighted tonight have been made together with our incredible team of committed, gifted faculty and staff as we’ve partnered with godly parents and grandparents and poured into your precious children and grandchildren. It has truly been my joy to serve together with each of you all these years.
THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Thank you, Katie, Scott, Jason, Rachael, Lauren and Clint for your support as well . . . and our Brazilian daughters, Priscila and Sara. What a blessing it has been to share in the TCA journey with all of you for so many years! Katie was born after our first year at TCA, and now, 36 years later, our three alum children have blessed us with nine grandchildren. This community helped teach, train, love and care for our three children, and Rose and I will forever be grateful for all of you who were part of their lives. Thank you to my brothers and sister and your spouses for your support and prayers over the years, and to our dear community group who have been faithful to walk alongside Rose and me through so many highs and lows of serving, especially these last few years. You have been a tremendous blessing to us both. Leading a school cannot be done alone. I am so proud of the team of leaders and colleagues God has put together here. It takes the many different gifts of the body serving alongside one another to create a culture that daily pursues honoring the Lord by serving students, parents and one another. Sharing in the mission to serve our King has been a joy. Please join me in thanking those on our administration team over the last 20 years. I know some were unable to be here, but I would like to recognize those who have done most of the heavy lifting each day. It’s been such a blessing to share the journey and grow in Christ together with current and past school heads Kyle Morrill, Scott Berthel, Anne Badger, Dennis Saffold, Rod Morris and Bentley Craft; assistant heads and deans Janie Heard, Fran Legband, Bob Dyer, Steve Williamson, Stephanie Scott, Bev Birmingham, Ryan Berens, Susan Pendleton and Anne Sylvest; my friend and co-leader, former academic dean Diane Taylor; admission directors Amy Prideaux, Sam Peters and Mary Helen Noland; chief financial officers Brian Rodriguez, Sam Thomas and Larry Kivioja; development directors Becky Lewis and Sue Bailey; athletic directors Jeff Smith, Don English, Kirk McJunkin, Steve Hayes, Kevin Fields and Barry Morgan; technology directors Lisa Wong and Julie Abell; facilities managers Radu Sucilea, Kevin Folsom and Rob Waples and other school administrators with whom I worked closely: Justin Zappia, David Smith, Kristina Spears, Joy Konstans, Julie Brown, Tony Jeffrey and Kristy Kegerreis. I thank Dawn Booth for overseeing the construction of the new Middle School and Annette Metz for being a special behind-the-scenes prayer warrior. Mike Beidel, thank you for hiring me 36 years ago. That decision blessed my family in so many ways. Thank you for making TCA’s faculty and W “Until Jesus returns or we go home, let’s keep encouraging one another to pour out our lives into those things that are eternal.” Taken from excerpts of Dave Delph’s remarks at the March 25 TCA Fundraising Gala
4 TRINITY FROMTODAY
academic excellence a priority during your time as head of school. Dan Russ, thank you for giving me my first administrative role as head of Middle School and challenging me as an academic leader. John Schimmer, thank you for planting so many seeds in the early years of TCA. Many students, families and colleagues have received the fruit of the labor of you three leaders. A special thank-you to the four ladies over the past 20 years who kept me organized, reminded and encouraged and protected me from myself: Dawn Booth, Kristy Kegerreis, Valencia Ward and Pam Larson I’ve had the privilege of serving with 38 different trustees, 11 who served as board chair, over the past 20 years. Thank you for your support, prayers, wisdom and leadership. God used the many challenges we faced together to grow our faith, trust in and dependence upon Him. Thank you, Alumni Association, TCA Foundation and Trojan Real Properties boards, our Investment Committee and PTF leaders. Your contributions over the years are immeasurable. Perhaps my biggest thank-you is to those who deliver our mission in the classrooms, on the playing fields and courts and in support roles each day . . . our current and former teachers, coaches and staff. Thank you for your faithfulness to your students, their parents and one another and for your support of me, even when it may have been hard to do so. The Lord has blessed us all and refined us through sharing in the joy and struggles of laboring together. You are TCA’s greatest asset, and I’m so proud of the impact you have, day in and day out. Thank you, TCA community, current and former parents and alumni, for your commitment to our mission. I’ve been privileged to partner with hundreds of families over the years in educating and developing your children to become fully devoted followers of Christ. As a teacher, coach and administrator, it has been my joy to serve alongside you in this worthy calling. For those of you who journeyed with us to the Amazon and Zambia, we share a special bond. You get pretty close, pretty fast when you’re sleeping next to someone in a hammock! Our TCA parents are the best! From room moms to grill dads, Independent Social Committee to Booster Club leaders, your support has been critical in creating the amazing culture and experiences which characterize this incredibleFifty-twocommunity.yearsago, a group of families had a desire for their children to receive a Christ-centered education, and that desire turned into a dream from which those of us in this room have benefited greatly. Those pioneers, like Bill Millet, set forth their vision, and God has provided for and protected Trinity Christian Academy during every season of its history. I’ve had the privilege of seeing His faithfulness up close, having met many of the founding fathers and mothers and hearing their stories of trusting God for tuition, salaries, buildings, faculty, staff and leaders. All of us have shared in the fruit of their labor, and we never want to forget the sacrifices so many made so that TCA could be the school it is today. While tonight we celebrate God’s faithfulness in the past, I’m also reminded of what a critical role TCA must play in the future. Clearly, the world’s values have changed significantly in our lifetime. No doubt we live in a post-Christian culture, and our children and their children will navigate a much different world than we did, than our parents did. Isaiah 5:20 states, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Providing a school that teaches and trains students in biblical truth, where the affections of Jesus are evident in the lives of teachers, coaches, administrators and parents, is critical in preparing them to make a difference in their world for Jesus. Our aim, by God’s grace, it to teach students to think biblically, critically and creatively to prepare them to engage the culture with the truth of God’s Word and share the hope, freedom, peace, joy and abundant life that can only be found in Christ. Please pray with Rose and me that TCA will continue to bring glory to God in its mission to educate and develop each child, preparing all of them to be salt and light in whatever roles God calls them; that each parent and employee would be united in pursuing that which is eternal, intentionally combatting the world’s pressures to conform; that we would encourage one another to be transformed by the renewing of our minds by the Holy Spirit and that we would model what it means to be a Christ-follower, whatever the cost.
Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or imagine, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
SUMMER 2022 5
I pray tonight has encouraged each of you as we’ve remembered God’s work at TCA and the blessing we have been to one another . . . of His beautiful, amazing and sacred ministry in and through us while we were part of this community. I am reminded that only three things will last: God, His Word and people. Until Jesus returns or we go home, let’s keep encouraging one another to pour out our lives into those things that are eternal. Tonight, we shared one small way we can do that through STA and the bigger picture of the eternal difference TCA continues to make in not only students’ lives but our whole community. May we all be challenged to steward the resources He’s graced us with as we prayerfully consider how He would have us invest our lives and resources in that which is eternal; that we might one day lay everything we’ve done, given or accomplished at the feet of Jesus and give Him all the glory.
• its thriving and healthy culture and community
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ —PhilippiansJesus.”3:14 FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
• its well-managed finances and operations as well as strategic and wise stewardship
A 6 TRINITY TODAY
The committee also made these recommendations for consideration over the next few years:
The CESA accreditation team wholeheartedly affirmed that TCA is a “mission-driven, Christian institution aspiring to be academically, programmatically and institutionally excellent” and that TCA has developed a “Christian ethos rooted in a commitment to the Nicene Creed that distinguishes them from other local public and independent schools.” Based upon the feedback from the CESA accreditation team, this summer the board will hold a retreat where we will discuss goals for the next school year as well as board education and training so that we can better serve TCA.
God has many great things in store for TCA during the 2022- 23 school year. Please join me in embracing the Apostle Paul’s challenge in Philippians 3:14 to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Under TCA’s bylaws, the board chair serves for a period of two years. As my term concludes, I am excited to be able to serve under the leadership of our new board chair, Stacey Doré. Stacey is a gifted leader, and I am confident she will lead our board well. I would like to acknowledge and thank Dave Delph for his faithful servant leadership as head of school for the past twenty years. The TCA community has been immensely blessed by his service. I would also like to acknowledge and thank three long-tenured board members who have recently completed their terms on the TCA board. These three men have committed thousands of hours in service to TCA. Thank you to Steve Novakovich, Mark Layman and Wesley Sneed for your faithful and long-standing commitment to TCA.
• its clear commitment to excellence in its academics and programs • its creative and effective fundraising operations
MARK J. DYER, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
• the campus’s warmth and hospitality as well as the intentional use of space on the 40 acres
• the longevity of its leadership team and a high faculty and staff retention rate
• focusing on clearly articulating its brand considering leadership positions to focus on curriculum and instruction, diversity and the spiritual health of the school
The accreditation process involved a commitment of a significant amount of time and resources from our teachers, administrators, staff and the TCA Board of Trustees. As a part of its duties and as a part of the accreditation process, this past fall the board approved TCA’s Strategic Plan. Many thanks to the teachers, faculty and administrators who committed their time and effort to prepare this important document.
The accreditation process culminated in an in-person visit by four heads of prominent Christian schools from around the country. The process was collaborative, with TCA learning from the CESA accreditation team and the team learning from TCA’s success as well.
At the conclusion of the visit, TCA was commended was commended for the following:
• considering new strategies for funding its student tuition aid program
•
This past year TCA completed a successful accreditation process with an organization called CESA—the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability. CESA’s mission is to “motivate, support, and hold accountable Christian schools that aspire to superlative academic standards, institutional best practices, and collaboration with like-minded schools.”
S I REFLECT ON THE 2021–22 SCHOOL YEAR and look forward to the 2022-23 school year, I am thankful for all that God has provided our community and am excited for what God has in store for the future of TCA.
• continuing to develop best practices for the board of trustees
PTF would like to thank Molly Dorsey, this year’s Uniform Resale coordinator and Big Blue lead volunteer. We are so grateful for her hard work on behalf of PTF and the school. This project is under the leadership of PTF Treasurer Emily Eubanks. Over the past year they have been sorting, washing, steaming and mending uniforms to prepare them for resale in Big Blue. The community is so grateful to PTF for providing this service to TCA families. It is a huge cost savings in uniform purchase for so many families, and it could not have been done without the help from these ladies. Molly along with the PTF board has also faithfully served in Big Blue this year selling snacks and TCA spirit wear to the community. If you’ve ever been in Big Blue after school, you know extra hands are a blessing! Thank you so much, Molly and PTF, for your willingness to serve all year!
SUMMER 2022 7 PARENT-TEACHER FELLOWSHIP
Katherine has led hundreds of parent and student volunteers in the class fundraising effort of manning the concession stands for TCA home sporting events for the entire year. We are so grateful for her sacrifice of time on behalf of TCA. If you were an opener, closer or a member of the Friday night football concession team, we could not have done it without you! During the fall football season we were fortunate to have great weather, so that was a plus for the concessions grill! All the money raised from concession sales are used for the senior class trip for these students. Thank you, Katherine and your entire team, for your hard work; you all did a tremendous job!
This year’s Junior-Senior Banquet took place on Sunday, April 10, at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. This event is a long-standing TCA tradition in which the junior class hosts a banquet to honor the seniors and present them with their individual character qualities. Holly Bator was the speaker chosen by the senior students to give the address for the event. Holly is an Upper School history/English teacher. The message was thoughtful and inspiring. Seniors, their parents and junior students enjoyed a lovely dinner. Thank you to Allison Sullivan, this year’s chair, and her entire committee for all their work on this event: Angie Callahan, Robbi Conine, Jena Hattendorf, Heather MacFadyen, Jenn Morland, Robin Muschalek, Jennifer Pool, Amy Prideaux, Shelby Smith and Stacy Watts. Thanks also to all the junior parents who helped make this event such a special night for the seniors and their parents and to the additional volunteers who signed up to help.
Uniform Resale
BanquetJunior-Senior
Thank you, PTF board!
Concessions
Thank you to Katherine Flatt, who served as the concessions coordinator for the sophomore class.
A tremendous thank-you to the 2021-22 PTF board: Emily Eubanks, treasurer, Noel Pierce, secretary, Becky Jones, president, and Shawnnah Parrill, vice president. TCA is grateful for all the time you devote to the school and all the support you provide through the room mother program, uniform resale, rebate programs, teacher appreciation events held throughout the year and the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Thank you for your service and for volunteering in such a signifcant and crucial role!
Spanish: David Boylan, Jake Callahan, Kyle Causey, Cole Coronado, Rex Day, Lauren Deaton, Jack Drake, Emma Edmundson, William Ferem, Michael Graham, Kazia Handoko, Owen Hattendorf, Hayden Heflin, Alyssa Heidelbaugh, Taylor Hervey, Luke Johnston, Richelle Kim, Caroline Laible, Charley Ledebur, Landon Littleton, Aidan McCauley, Emma McIntyre, Lola McNeill, Max Merrifield, Sophia Miller, Blake Muschalek, Evan Olson, Hailey Parmenter, Natalie Perez, Bree Ramsey, Jack Rea, Kendall Reding, Daniel Richardson, Carson Roach, Hannah Schneider, Kate Smith, Chance Snyder, Hunter Springer, Justin Sunwoo, Collin Truitt, Ruby Watts, Nick Wenzel, Jocelyn Youn and Samantha Zuniga
TCA Academics Team Wins 6A TAPPS State Championship
Upper School Counselor Receives National Recognition
WORKS Destination Imagination Team Advances to World Competition
French and Spanish Honor Societies
The TCA Academic Team traveled to Waco on April 12–13 to compete in the TAPPS Academics, Speech and Debate State Championships. TCA earned 129.5 points in the 6A Division and claimed the title of TAPPS 6A Academic, Speech and Debate State Champions! Congratulations to the following US students for earning points for the team:
8 TRINITY GOODTODAY
The North American Coalition for Christian Admission Professionals recently named Caryn Thexton the High School Counselor Professional of the Year. Caryn received this award at the NACCAP National Conference in Lakeland, Florida, in May. Caryn is TCA’s director of college Congratulations,counseling.Caryn!
Student Author Congratulations to Jack Drake for receiving a Preservation Education Award this spring for his research on Dallas’s Preston Hollow neighborhood and his book Preston Hollow: A Brief History. Well done, Jack! Daniel Baker – Spanish, Fifth Place Jenna Branstetter – Literary Criticism, First Place Bethany Grimm – Number Sense, First Place; Advanced Math, Seventh Place Kazia Handoko – Calculator Applications, First Place; Advanced Math, Fourth Place; Spelling, Sixth Place Morgan Hausz – Social Studies, Fifth Place; Literary Criticism, Fifth Place Alex Kim – Math 1, Sixth Place Richelle Kim – Literary Criticism, Second Place; Calculator Applications, Fourth Place Dylan Kinley – Calculator Applications, Second Place Annabelle Lee – Math 1, Second Place Dhamar Ramirez – Spanish, Fourth Place Jocelyn Youn – Advanced Math, First Place; Science, Third Place Molly Youn – Math 1, First Place Samantha Zuniga – Spanish, First Place Yearbook – Fourth Place
Congratulations to the following students who were recently inducted into the French and Spanish Honor Societies for excellent academic achievement, active involvement and genuine interest in their respective language.
TCA’s Destination Imagination team, consisting of six fifth-graders, competed at the DI Global Competition, May 21–24, in Kansas City. The team, led by Upper School science teacher Debra Jones, competed as a part of a 30-team flight that included a number of teams from the United States and foreign countries. The team finished eighth with their structure that weighed 125 grams and held a total of 500 pounds before time expired. Congratulations to the Black Hole Busters team: Christian Azevedo, Tyler Basom, Ryan Butts, Aiden Jackson, Quin Schaffler and Eva Westbrook
French: Elleanna Berthel, Jenna Branstetter, Gabrielle Parker, Lillian Pool, Alana Soileau, Joshua Staz and Andrew Yates
Scholastic Art Competition In the Scholastic Art Competition, Ally Lee received a Gold Key Award at regionals for her artwork, and Richelle Kim received three Gold Key Awards at regionals and a National Medal for her artwork. Congratulations, Ally and Richelle!
Drexel University Photo Contest
Eight TCA art students’ works were selected for exhibition in the Texas Visual Arts Association Art Competition, the most students selected of any of the 21 participating schools: Abigail Adams (below-1), Luke Doré, Karalyn Ehmke, Katie Johnson, Richelle Kim (below-2), Emma Layman (below-3), Addy Orozco (below-4) and Parker Prideaux. Richelle Kim’s self portrait was awarded Best in Show! Congratulations to all these artists!
1 2 2
Eight AP Art students were selected to be showcased in the Dallas Young Artist Exhibition. James Badger, Aly Bayliss, Isabela Figueroa, Claire Grimes, Anna Heidelbaugh, Emma Layman, Allie Mays and Olivia Priest all represented TCA at the Blue Print Gallery. Allie’s piece (above-1) received an honorable mention, and Anna’s piece (above-2) won third place!
Elizabeth Moore was one of 116 students who had photographs chosen for an online exhibition among 3,000 works submitted to the Drexel University Photo Contest from 362 schools across the United States.
Young American Talent Competition
1 3 4 Dallas Young Artist Exhibition
TCA had nine pieces selected for exhibition and eight awards in the Fort Worth Country Day Black and White Images contest from over 600 submitted from 16 schools in Dallas and Fort Worth. Congratulations to these TCA
FWCD Photo Competition
photographers: Kate Barclay Third PhotojournalismPlace, Shannon Burchett Honorable ExperimentalMention, Taylor Clarke Honorable PhotojournalismMention, Audrey KennedyHestwoodJacocks Katie Johnson (below) Harper McFarlane Honorable Mention, Portrait Ava Wolff Honorable PhotojournalismMention,
SUMMER 2022 9
Congratulations to these students who had artwork selected for online exhibition in the National Art Education Asssociation’s High School Art Competition: Rose Duncan, Emily Keramidas, Jaxon Liethen and Allie Mays. In the competition 199 pieces were chosen to be exhibited out of over 1,650 entries from 103 schools across 29 states and three countries!
TCA had six pieces accepted for exhibition in the Young American Talent Competition. Congratulations to the following artists: Elleanna Berthel, Collin Dewey, Andrew Lazenby, Emma Layman and Richelle Kim (two pieces accepted).
TVAA Art Competition
Second ArchitecturePlace,
First FirstExperimentalPlace,Place,Still Life
NAHS Art Competition
Congratulations to all of the spelling bee participants and winners. We are so proud of you!
TPSMEA Middle School Honor Band: Flute – Olivia Arnold; Clarinet – Sebastian Lee, Taylor Ramsey; Trumpet – Brian Rodriguez, Avery Womble; Trombone – Lucas Cavazos; Tuba – Kieffer Barclay
Third-grade Winners: First Place - Andrey Moskvin Second Place - Preston Parker Third Place – Grant Truitt Fourth Place – Reese Robinson Fifth Place – Avery Wenning Super Spellers
At the Middle School choir TPSMEA State Contest in Houston, the Boys Choir, Girls Choir and Select Choir received straight ones (superior) ratings in concert from all three prestigious judges.
TPSMEA Vocal Music Awards
Congratulations to the following Upper School choir students for their music achievements at the TPSMEA Region 1 Solo/Ensemble Contest: Excellent Rating on Solo – Jaylan Beckley, Ryan Berry, Rachel Mills, Madeline Prescot and Hattie Sykes Superior Rating – Aubrie Amado, Hannah Ball, Sneha Daniel, Gable Delp, Bailee Dortch and Lexi Meador
Fifth-grade Computation: First Place: Parker Lowe Third Place: Warner Stone Fourth Place: Lola Wagstaff Middle School Math Olympians
In February, fifth- and sixth-grade students competed against other area private schools in the annual ACSI Math Olympics competition. Congratulations to our winners!
TPSMEA High School Region Honor Band: Flute – Taylor Hervey; Clarinet – Ayla Francis, Dylan Kinley; Bass Clarinet – Lily Yassa; Horn – Ally Gerard; Trombone – Owen Ellis; Percussion – Jackson Duke ATSSB Middle School All-Region Band: Clarinet – Sebastian Lee, Taylor Ramsey; Trumpet – Brian Rodriguez
AB Burnett Pace University, Basketball Jenna Lowrey Brown University, Track Markus Schumacher Southern Methodist University, Football Westy McCabe West Virginia University, Golf Fourth-grade Winners: First Place – Tanya Chiang Second Place – Kate Fitzgerald Third Place – Vera Vevang Fourth Place – Sadie Jo Womble
Additionally, a record seven soloists qualified for the Middle School State Solo/Ensemble by singing difficult Italian art songs, and all received superior ratings (meaning not a note or word was missed), making this the most successful contest yet to date in TCA Middle School Choir history. The state soloists were Hannah Applewhite, Chloe Belew, Reese Cherry, Grace Fuller, Olivia Hammonds, Katie Spears and Kendall Truitt.
The superior rating also qualified these girls to compete at the State Solo/Ensemble Contest, where they also received a superior rating!
Congratulations to the following students for selection for region and state bands with the Texas Private School Music Educators Association and the Association of Texas Small School Bands:
College Commitments
TPSMEA All-State Concert Band: Clarinet – Dylan Kinley; Bass Clarinet – Lily Yassa; Trombone – Owen Ellis
10 TRINITYGOODTODAY WORKS Honor Bands
Sixth-grade Computation: First Place: Brady Lee Second Place: Zack Zimmerman Fifth-grade Reasoning: Second Place: Brooks Barton Third Place: Henry Dickinson Fifth Place: Olivia Stone
Congratulations to the following TCA athletes who will continue their sports at the collegiate level:
Sixth-grade Reasoning: Tied for First Place: Will Anderson and Daniel Russ Third Place: Mason Kilgore
Current TCA boy’s athletic director and former head baseball coach Don English was inducted to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in January. This prestigious group includes the likes of Major League Baseball fall-of-famer Nolan Ryan, who was inducted last year. Coach English was thrilled at the number of former players and family that attended to help celebrate this milestone. Congratulations, Coach English!
Alyssa Clemovitz – United States Academy
SUMMER 2022 11 Service Academies
Jocelyn Youn Molly SamanthaYounZuniga – Achievement Certificate Sergio Zuniga – Achievement Certificate 4,700 students nationwide participated in this examination, given by the American Association of Teachers of Italian. Lower School Math Olympians LS Math Olympics teams celebrated with a pizza party! Way to go, Trojans! Third-grade Team: Alana PrestonJacksonParker (Fifth Place, Computation) Taylor AddisonRamseyScalzitti (Second Place, Computation) Cooper Sykes (First Place, Reasoning) Emery EverleyFourth-gradeThibaudeauTeam:Ballard (Third Place, Computation) Tanya Chiang (First Place, Computation) Max Guirguis (Third Place, Reasoning) Daniel Smith (First Place, Reasoning) Landon Tapella (Second Place, Computation) Vera Vevang (Fourth Place, Reasoning)
LincolnMichaelRileyCalGraysonBrotherhood:BarefieldRidnourLindsayPigneriSmith Encouragement:
Naval
Congratulations to these graduates who will be attending service academies next year: James Badger – United States Military Academy, West Point National Italian Exam With the encouragement and support of senior Daniel Baker, the following students in TCA’s world language program participated in the National Italian Exam: Bailey RichelleEllsworthKim – Bronze Medal
Jammie Awards
Aly LandonLee Littleton – Bronze Medal
At the end of every school year, the Middle School holds a character quality award ceremony known as “The Jammies.” After being observed by their teachers for a full school year, the faculty votes on outstanding character qualities they have seen their students display. Each award recipient goes home with a onesie or “jammie” of their choosing. Congratulations to our 2022 Trojan Jammie Award winners.
MollyTristanBenPerseverance:OwenHankJacksonAbove-and-Beyond:PattilloWombleSimmonsAndreasBarberEllis Joyful
Hall of Fame
Izzi NathanKatieRayleeAnyaIntegrity:OliviaCadenOpsalJobeSpenceOuimetteToneySpearsYoun
History/English: Delaney Borud, Sophie Dennis, Olivia Hammonds, Madison Parks, Kennedy Wood and Nathan Youn Latin: Grace Fuller, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Olivia Hammonds and Nathan Youn Math: Ally Ballard, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Sebastian Lee and Nathan Youn Science: Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Carsen Prideaux and Camille Williams
12 TRINITYGOODTODAY WORKS
College Book Awards
John Philip Sousa Award: Katie Johnson Louis Armstrong Award: Joey Fedro Band Director’s Award: Favour Abebefe
Maxima Cum Laude–Silver Medal: Nataleigh Brown, Caris Collins, Grant Daelke, Preston Dean, Wyatt Gard, Brady Grantham, Jillian Gulbas, Kaki Hanna, Allie Hestwood, Emi Nguyen, Trey Nunnally, Izzi Opsal, Grace Powers, Sadie Wayman and Caleb Wenning Magna Cum Laude: Hannah Applewhite, Elena Garcia, Kaden Handoko, Kapp McKelvey, Hunter Severson, Elliot Severson and Raylee Toney Cum Laude: Olivia Arnold, Jackson Boyd, Lauren Boylan, Cohen Carreker, Lauren Couturier, Reid Johannsen, Noah Liu, Micah Smith, Cale Thexton, Drew Thompson and Andrew West
Eighth Grade Summa Cum Laude–Gold Medal: Ally Ballard, Scotty Drake, Grace Fuller, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Sebastian Lee and Nathan Youn
Trojan Heart: Anna Heidelbaugh, Markus Schumacher
Seventh Grade Summa Cum Laude–Gold Medal: Lily Brewer, Andrea Johnson, Evelyn Keramidas, Caleb Kim, Jacob Newton and Elle Pittman
Valedictorian: Justin Miller
Maxima Cum Laude–Silver Medal: Lucy Anderson, Lucas Cavazos, Evie Estrada, Caroline Hatton, Ryan Janacek, Kate Kroeger, Madison McKenna, Lauren Prideaux, Taylor Ramsey, Luke Renwick and Cavanaugh Tripp Magna Cum Laude: Bliss Bell, Ella Bricker, Theo Cheung, Hannah Grace Coleman, Sophie Dennis, Olivia Hammonds, Kate Overmann, Madison Parks, Carsen Prideaux, Grayson Sedberry, Shea Spivey, Camille Williams, Avery Womble and Victoria Zuniga Cum Laude: Caroline Antush, Kieffer Barclay, Clary Bogda, Reese Cherry, Camie Hausz, Hayes Hermes, Reid Lindsay, Megan McMullen, Violet Truly and Annie Turner
Government: Cody Polk, Jackson Rogers Mathematics
Trojan Band Award: Alyssa Clemovitz Science
Finite Math: AB Burnett Trig/Intro Business Calc: Ainsley Ferrell AP Calculus AB: Heath Booker
History/English AP English: Mary-Michael Graham, Emelie Wong
Bible 11th Grade: Daniel History/EnglishRichardson 9th Grade: Eliot Brookshire, Elise Jacob, Karys Karlow 10th Grade: Maxwell Burchett, Lucy Dennis, Collin Dumas 11th Grade: Elleanna Berthel, Apryl Elkhay, Richelle MathematicsKim Algebra I: Chloe Copeland H Geometry: Caleb Olson Geometry: Joseph Fitzgerald Algebra II: James Jeter H Algebra II: Owen Ellis, Karys Karlow H Trig/Intro to Calculus: Gable Delp, Daniel Richardson H Trig/Calculus A: Dylan Kinley BC Calculus: Richelle Kim, Jocelyn Youn Performing Arts Drama I: Claire Lazenby Drama II: Katherine Broyles Spring Show Award: Sarah Dobry, Josh Wood Theater Director’s Award: Lexi Meador Men’s Chorus: Jackson Dean Women’s Chorus: MC Petersen Outstanding Musicians: Gable Delp, Soprano; Sneha Daniel, Alto; John Badger, Tenor; Jaylan Beckley, Bass Woody Herman Jazz Award: Owen Ellis Band Member of the Year: Kylie Jones Science Biology: AnnMarie Martinez H Biology: Caleb Olson Chemistry: Natalie Wilcox H Chemistry: Bailey Ellsworth Physics: Lily Yassa AP Physics: Bethany Grimm AP Chemistry: Richelle Kim Technology Game Design: Sebastian Silva Web Design: Hudson Smith AP Computer Science: James Crawford, Bethany Grimm Python: Collin Dumas Honors Entrepreneurship & Marketing Strategies: Heather Brownlee Visual Arts H Studio Art: Daniel Yang H Photography: Luke Doré, Lily Gossett H Drawing/Painting/Printmaking: Alexis Meyer, Anna Sophia Zuniga H Digital Art: Harper McFarlane H Sculpture: Tyler Osterloh H Drawing II/Painting II/Printmaking II: Elleanna Berthel, Rose Duncan, Parker Prideaux World Language French I: Addy Orozco H French II: Ivy Jordan H French III: Andrew Yates Spanish I: Alexis Meyer, Brynn Lawrence Spanish II: Lleyton Myers H Spanish II: Kassadi Brown Spanish III: Sophia Miller H Spanish III: Samantha Zuniga
Advanced Drama: Katherine Novakovich Theater Director’s Award: Blaire Weiss Outstanding Theater Student: Ainsley Ferrell, Jackson Rogers
Honors Anatomy & Physiology: Abigail Crane, Emily Jones
Congratulations to these outstanding Latin students:
Tech/Robotics: Nathan Youn Visual Art: Bliss Bell, Clary Bogda, Camie Hausz and Camille Williams
Senior Thesis: Daniel Baker, Kayla Meyer
Three juniors received college book awards this spring, recognizing their outstanding achievement inside and outside of the classroom, innovation and creativity, service-mindedness and strong character: Kazia Handoko – Yale Book Award
Eighth-Grade Awards Band: Lucy Anderson, Olivia Arnold, Kieffer Barclay, Lucas Cavazos, Sebastian Lee, Taylor Ramsey, Brian Rodriguez and Avery Womble Bible: Teo Griffin, Campbell Laible, Katie Spears and Camille Williams Bible Memory: Grace Fuller Choir: Reese Cherry, Olivia Hammonds, Collin Kilgore, Campbell Laible, Kendall Truitt and Kennedy Wood
Lexi Meador – Dartmouth Book Award
Choral Director’s Award: Aubrie Amado, Madeline Prescott
Scholar Athletes: Mary-Michael Graham, Max Wheless Tri-Athletes: Heath Booker, Alyssa Clemovitz, Lynnson Fort, Charlie Franke, Brooks Krantz, Connor Wines Bible Senior Bible: Justin Miller
Field Ecology: Aly Bayliss Honors Engineering Design: Ben Francis Technology Tech-Stop Intern: Johnny Lipscomb Yearbook: Amelia Corliss, Ellie Blocker Visual Arts AP Art: James Badger, Allie Mays
Speech/Drama: Delaney Borud, Caroline Broyles, Hannah Grace Coleman, Esther Kate Davis, Caroline Hatton and Jonah Webber
Salutatorian: Max Wheless Trinity Spirit: Mary Neuhoff Good Citizenship Award: Daniel Baker, Katie Johnson Athletics
AP Calculus BC: Cece Banderob
World Languages
Performing Arts
Honors Spanish IV: Olivia Brennan AP Spanish IV: Daniel Baker AP French IV: Collin Dewey
Grades 9–11 Awards
Richelle Kim – University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award
Senior Awards
AP Biology: Kayla Meyer
National Latin Exam
SchuylerNeuhoffNoordhoff
Mary
Katherine
The Honor Roll Congratulations to all these students who made the Second Trimester Honor Rolls: LaudeCumSumma GPA of 4.2 or higher Seniors Favour Abebefe James Badger Daniel Baker Cece EmilyJustinKaylaMasonAllieJennaKatelynJohnnyJackEmmaBrooksEmilyEmilyIsabellaHalleHannahAnnaPaytonRileyMary-MichaelKateRyanBenLynnsonAinsleyLaurenCollinAbigailAmeliaAlyssaShannonHeathEllieIsabelaBanderobBarrientos-FigueroaBlockerBookerBurchettClemovitzCorlissCraneDeweyElvebakFerrellFortFrancisFreeseGoodmanGrahamHamiltonHarperHeidelbaughHeltHermesJacksonJonesKeramidasKrantzLaymanLaymanLipscombLongLowreyMaysMerchantMeyerMillerMorris
Novakovich Luke EmelieConnorCamdenMaxMarySydneyLucasJulianaParkeLukeSheridanPrestonLandrieHenryCarolineMarkusJacksonKatieJosieOliviaMaddiePeronPrescottPriestRaftelisRedingRogersSchumacherSharpSmithSmithSpearsThextonTredennickTurnerVothWalshWayteLaurenWestoverWhelessWilliamsWinesWong Juniors Courtney Anderson Kate HannahJennaCeceElleannaBarclayBerthelBogdaBranstetterBuford Jake KaziaBethanyAllyAylaRoseClaireJackGableLaurenHunterMatthewCallahanCampbellDaughdrillDeatonDelpDrakeDumasDuncanFrancisGerardGrimmHandoko Peyton Hatfield Morgan Hausz Aly SamanthaJocelynAndrewLilyRubyLoganJustinHunterJoshuaAlanaCaraSebastianJordanCarsonDanielKendallJackDhamarParkerSethGabrielleOliviaEvanSophiaLexiLolaMaddieEmmaTrinityJoshuaLandonCarolineDylanRichelleCamieJamesHeidelbaughJeterJobeKimKinleyLaibleLittletonLiuMartinMcIntyreMcMullenMcNeillMeadorMillerOlsonOuimetteParkerPintoPrideauxRamirezGomezReaRedingRichardsonRoachRutledgeSilvaSmithSoileauStazStegmanSunwooWaltersWattsYassaYatesYounZuniga Sophomores Carolina Anderson John GraceAnnabelleAllyDavidAlexIvyKylieSamuelAudreyCeciliaBaileyOwenKaralynCollinZachLucySnehaJamesJaredNathanAidanTeeganKatherineHeatherKassadiJacobGabrielPayneCodyBadgerBakerBatorBibawiBrennanBrownBrownleeBroylesBurgettCaseChouCourtneyCrawfordDanielDennisDodgenDumasEhmkeEllisEllsworthGarnerHestwoodJenkinsJonesJordanKimKrampLeeLeeLeverton Eliotte Lin David Meiser Aidan Mills Ava Mills Jake MollyChristianRileyAveryDylanOvermannRockSulzenWadeYangYoun Freshmen Hannah Belf Eliot Brookshire Lyla AnnabellaLilyEllaRyanJacksonAvaJacksonBenjaminChloeBrownCopelandDavisDeanDeweyDukeElmsEubanksGossettHays Hannah Claire Heflin Emma Helt Elise DanielZoeAveryEllaTakashiMaeShealyNoahRachelSophiaMCTeeAddyCalebLukeMayaSloanClaireAlexisAvaMollyAnnMarieCarlosKatherineBrooksElijahKarysAbbyJacobJunKarlowLiuLoukasLowreyLunaMartinezMattoxMcNaughtMeyerMilletNelsonNguyenOliverOlsonOrozcoParkerPetersenPfannstielRiceRodgersSeitzSharpeShawStewartWellsWongYang Ana Sofia Zuniga Sergio Zuniga 8th Grade Ally Ballard Ella NathanCamilleLaurenCarsenMadisonChloeOliviaBrickerHammondsMaeKimbroughMcKennaPrideauxPrideauxWilliamsYoun 7th Grade Evelyn Keramidas Izzi Opsal Seniors Grace Anderson Aly MaryBaylissMargaret Bell Madyson Benschneider Olivia Brennan AB BlaireWillAnnaGehrigRhettEmmaRachelDerekWillAnnabelJonahLilaKatieHollisAveryKayleeJoshuaBurnettCaseConnellCoppleJarrellJohnsonJohnsonKeyLeeMartinMartinezMillsNeemanRiceScottClaireSomichSpiveyWeiss Juniors Will EmilyAidanJaxonCharleyAndrewLukeTaylorCarlyCaitlynMichaelAjayKellenShannonTannerDavidBowlingBoylanConineDuniganFryeGoluguriGrahamHackneyHaggardHerveyJohnstonLazenbyKateLedeburLiethenMcCauleyMercer Max Merrifield Wyatt Merrill Blake Muschalek Reed Neatherlin Tyler BrianJosieCollinEmmaHunterKateKateChristopherReeseEmmaKathrynEllaLillyNatalieHaileyOsterlohParmenterPerezPoolKatePriestRichardsonRoosRylandSharonSmithSolomonSpringerKateSullivanTruittWilderYates Sophomores Abigail Adams Allie Arthur Finn AidanOliviaLexiCatherineGeorgiaAudreyHarrisonChloeAveryBartonBookerBorudBrownBryantClayCoppleCowanCundariDortch Bailee NatalieLukeMaddoxHankSawyerLucyAudreyAnnaBreeEnsleyCateLucaWesleyErickLexiMycahHarperErickTreyQuadeWilliamNathanNathanLaurenHaleyBruceBrooksBeckDawsonJosephDylanDeaconDortchDortchEubanksFitzgeraldHarperHenryHigginbothamHinsonJanacekJansonKimKimLehmanMacFadyenMalinMartinezMcFarlaneMcKelveyMikulaMillsMossPalazzoPouPoundsRamseySharpeSpenceTredennickTrippValentaVinesWestWilcox Freshmen Jack ParkerParkerHudsonNoahGigiEllaLexieBraydenReaganValerieLillyBlairEllieSeanLoganMeredithMaxLucyShelbyGisselleKelseyBrynnAlexaAnnaJamoTaylorJennaAdamsBarkerClarkeDuniganGarciaHerringtonLawrenceLongMariscalMartganMassingerMcConathyMcGrawMcIntyreMeadorNeemanNeumayerParrillPerezRamseyRiceRondeShaulSimmonsSimpsonSmithSpringerWalton Ava Wolff Josh Wood 8th Grade Lucy KateHayesLilyCarolineGraceScottySophieHannahTylerTheoLucasHaganCarolineDelaneyClaryBlissBrentOliviaAndersonArnoldBakerBellBogdaBorudBroylesCaseyCavazosCheungChiangGraceColemanDennisDrakeFullerHattonJeaneHayesHermesKroeger Sebastian Lee Morgan Lohr Dutch Murzin Kate KennedyAveryAnnieKendallCavanaughAdysenSheaTaylorMadisonOvermannParksRamseySpiveyThibaudeauTrippTruittTurnerWombleWood 7th Grade Hannah Applewhite Iris LaurenBell Boylan Lily SadieRayleeKatherineMJTylerHunterElliottGraceEmiliaElleDrewTreyEmiSchaefLondonKappLucasGraysonNoahCalebNataliaAndreaKakiKadenJillianBradyWyattRileyZoePrestonGrantAndrewLaurenCarisBrewerCollinsCouturierCrawfordDaelkeDeanDorrohGadociGardGranthamGulbasHandokoHannaJohnsonKattanKimLiuMayMcIntyreMcKelveyMcKinneyMuccioNguyenNunnallyParrillPittmanPowersPowersSeversonSeversonShawSmithSunwooToneyWayman Maxwell Morland Jake MasonHannahNolanSchneiderSmith Sophomores Francesca Arenas Jack NatalieTexCadeHoltSydneyStevenAnnikaDillardOliviaJaceKennedyKateCamilleLindseyMaxBlakeBrettonBehrmanBrantleyBroekemeierBurchettDormanGetzHurleyJacocksLambLedeburLeedsPowersRamosRidnourRobertsTrotterWalliserWeissinger Freshmen JoVahn Bernard Parker BrettLeightonCalebBenChloeBrennanSophiaAddisonLaurenBurchGreensteinHaggardLathamMcNaughtMessickSchumacherSuThorntonYanof 8th Grade Rivers Amison Kieffer Barclay Ellery Barton Lacie VictoriaCharlieKatelynOliviaAvery-KateLibbySamanthaBeckMacieReidCampbellCollinCaitlinRyanSummerAnnabelleCamieCameronHunterEvieReeseBettsCherryEstradaFlattHamHauszHestwoodJakubekJanacekJohnsonKilgoreLaibleLindsayMunozNelsonNiederhoferSmithSpenceTristanWestoverZimmermanZuniga 7th Grade Tristan ZacharyNataleighBenAndrewBarberBeumerBowmanBrownFitzgerald Maddie Griffin Hunter Haas Kendall Hamrick Allie CatherineOliviaCalebJosefAustinHarperJacksonJacksonJordynReidCadenHestwoodJobeJohannsenLaCourMcConathyRhodesSherrardSonjuVidaudWenningWhortonWilmer LaudeCumMagna GPA of 3.8–4.19 LaudeCum GPA of Seniors3.5–3.79 Aubrie Amado Zoe LukeBenAnnaCodyMarkJackClaireCharlieBinkleyFrankeGrimesMorrisonNilsonPolkRoussosSorgenTownley Juniors Mia LandonWilliamAprylEmmaRexKyleHannahMacAmezcuaAndersonBallCauseyDayEdmundsonElkhayFeremHam Hayden Heflin JJ Leverton
The Honor Roll Congratulations to all these students who made the Third Trimester Honor Rolls: LaudeCumSumma GPA of 4.2 or higher Seniors Favour Abebefe Grace Anderson James Badger Daniel Baker Cece EmilyJustinKaylaMasonAllieJennaKatelynJohnnyAnnabelJackBrooksEmilyEmilyHollisHalleAnnaMaryRyanBenLynnsonAinsleyLaurenCollinAbigailAmeliaAlyssaJoshuaABShannonOliviaHeathEllieIsabelaBanderobBarrientos-FigueroaBlockerBookerBrennanBurchettBurnettCaseClemovitzCorlissCraneDeweyElvebakFerrellFortFrancisFreeseMichaelGrahamHeidelbaughHermesJarrellJonesKeramidasKrantzLaymanLeeLipscombLongLowreyMaysMerchantMeyerMillerMorris Mary SchuylerNeuhoffNoordhoff Katherine Novakovich Maddie Prescott Olivia Priest Josie ConnorCamdenMaxMarySydneyJulianaLukePrestonAnnaLandrieCarolineMarkusJacksonRaftelisRogersSchumacherSharpSmithClaireSomichSpearsTredennickVothWayteLaurenWestoverWhelessWilliamsWines Juniors Courtney Anderson Kate RoseClaireJackGableLaurenRexHunterMatthewJakeHannahJennaCeceElleannaBarclayBerthelBogdaBranstetterBufordCallahanCampbellDaughdrillDayDeatonDelpDrakeDumasDuncan Shannon Dunigan William Ferem Ayla Francis Ally KaziaCaitlynBethanyAjayGerardGoluguriGrimmHackneyHandoko Peyton Hatfield Morgan Hausz Aly EmilyLexiLolaMaddieEmmaAidanTrinityJoshuaLandonJaxonCharleyCarolineDylanRichelleCamieJamesHeidelbaughJeterJobeKimKinleyLaibleKateLedeburLiethenLittletonLiuMartinMcCauleyMcIntyreMcMullenMcNeillMeadorMercer Max Merrifield Sophia Miller Blake Muschalek Evan SamanthaJocelynBrianAndrewLilyRubyLoganCollinJustinEmmaHunterJoshuaHunterAlanaKateCaraSebastianChristopherJordanCarsonKathrynDanielKendallJackDhamarParkerLillySethHaileyGabrielleOliviaOlsonOuimetteParkerParmenterPintoPoolPrideauxRamirezGomezReaRedingRichardsonRichardsonRoachRutledgeSharonSilvaSmithSmithSoileauSpringerStazStegmanKateSullivanSunwooTruittWaltersWattsYassaYatesYatesYounZuniga Sophomores Carolina Anderson Allie Arthur John Badger Finn OwenCollinLucySnehaJamesJaredGeorgiaNathanAidanTeeganAudreyKatherineHeatherKassadiHarrisonJacobGabrielPayneBartonBatorBibawiBrennanBrownBrownBrownleeBroylesBryantBurgettCaseChouClayCourtneyCrawfordDanielDennisDumasEllis Bailey MollyChristianNatalieRileyAveryAudreyAnnaDylanCateJakeErickAvaAidanLexiDavidErickQuadeEliotteGraceAnnabelleAllyAlexIvyKylieSamuelLaurenHaleyAudreyCeciliaJosephEllsworthFitzgeraldGarnerHestwoodJanacekJansonJenkinsJonesJordanKimLeeLeeLevertonLinMacFadyenMartinezMeiserMikulaMillsMillsMillsOvermannPouRockSharpeSpenceSulzenWadeWilcoxYangYoun Freshmen Hannah Belf Eliot Brookshire Lyla AnnabellaLilyEllaJacksonAvaJacksonBenjaminChloeBrownCopelandDavisDeanDeweyDukeEubanksGossettHays Hannah Claire Heflin Emma Helt Elise AveryEllaTakashiMaeShealyRachelSophiaMCValerieTeeAddyCalebLukeMayaSloanEllieAlexisAvaMollyAnnMarieGisselleCarlosKatherineBrooksKelseyKarysAbbyJacobJunKarlowLongLoukasLowreyLunaMariscalMartinezMattoxMcNaughtMeyerNeemanNelsonNguyenOliverOlsonOrozcoParkerPerezPetersenPfannstielRiceSeitzSharpeShawStewartWells Ava Wolff Zoe DanielWongYang Ana Sofia Zuniga Sergio Zuniga 8th Grade Delaney Borud Ella ScottySophieTylerBrickerChiangDennisDrake Grace Fuller Olivia NathanCamilleKendallCavanaughSheaLaurenCarsenMadisonSebastianChloeCarolineHammondsHattonMaeKimbroughLeeMcKennaPrideauxPrideauxSpiveyTrippTruittWilliamsYoun 7th Grade Lauren Couturier Jillian GraceIzziEmiEvelynAndreaGulbasJohnsonKeramidasNguyenOpsalPowers Ella Kate Priest Emma Roos Reese JosieNickKateChanceMasonHannahRylandSchneiderSmithSnyderSolomonWenzelWilder Sophomores Abigail LukeMaddoxHankSawyerBradenHoltBreeAnnikaEnsleyLucaWesleyMycahHarperSamWilliamDavidBruceBrooksBeckDawsonDylanKaralynLindseyZachOliviaCatherineMaxBlakeBrettonChloeAveryCodyFrancescaAdamsArenasBakerBookerBorudBrantleyBroekemeierBurchettCoppleCundariDodgenDormanEhmkeEubanksHarperHenryHigginbothamHinsonKrampLehmanMartinMcFarlaneMcKelveyMossPalazzoPoundsPowersRamseyRobertsShultsTrippValentaVinesWest Freshmen Jenna Barker Laura Cook Jamo Dunigan Ryan JoshCalebParkerHudsonNoahGigiEllaNoahBraydenReaganLillyBlairClaireSeanLoganShelbyElijahBrynnAlexaElmsHerringtonLawrenceLiuMartganMcIntyreMeadorMilletNeumayerParrillRamseyRiceRodgersShaulSimmonsSimpsonSmithSpringerSuWood 8th Grade Lucy LilyCamieEvieHannahTheoLucasCarolineClaryLacieBlissElleryBrentOliviaAndersonArnoldBakerBartonBellBettsBogdaBroylesCavazosCheungGraceColemanEstradaHauszJeaneHayes Hayes Hermes Ryan VictoriaKennedyKatelynAnnieAdysenScotlandAvery-KateLibbyTaylorKateSamanthaMacieMorganReidCampbellCollinCaitlinJanacekJohnsonKilgoreLaibleLindsayLohrMunozNiederhoferOvermannRamseySmithSpenceStewartThibaudeauTurnerWestoverWoodZuniga 7th Grade Hannah Applewhite Iris LaurenBell Boylan Lily OliviaSadieRayleeKatherineElliottEmiliaElleDrewTreyCarolynSchaefLondonKappLucasGraysonNoahBrandonJordynCalebNataliaReidAllieKakiKadenKendallBradyWyattKateGrantAndrewCarisNataleighBrewerBrownCollinsCrawfordDaelkeEngramGardGranthamHamrickHandokoHannaHestwoodJohannsenKattanKimLaCourLankfordLiuMayMcIntyreMcKelveyMcKinneyMuccioNguyenNunnallyParrillPittmanPowersSeversonSunwooToneyWaymanWhorton Sophomores Evan LucyStevenTreyDillardOliviaChristopherJaceNathanNathanKennedyRyleighCamilleDeaconBaileeAidanJackNataliaAcevedoAhChuBehrmanDortchDortchDortchGetzHabernJacocksKimKimLambLampeLedeburLeedsMalinRamosTredennick Freshmen Emma Ruth Ball Jaylan BrettParkerLeightonLexieBrennanMeredithMaxAddisonLaurenAnnaTaylorParkerBeckleyBurchClarkeGarciaGreensteinHaggardMcConathyMcGrawMcNaughtRondeThorntonWaltonYanof 8th Grade Benjamin Andreas Caroline Antush Kieffer Barclay Gabriel Binkley Annie Blocker Reese HunterJuliaBrandonCherryChouErhartFlatt Mateo Griffin Cameron Ham Ella JonathanAveryJonahKatieAddisonBeckKroneNelsonRackleySpearsWebberWombleYeh 7th Grade Tristan Barber Alice Anne Belf Andrew Beumer Jackson Boyd Preston Dean Zoe JPCalebJosefStellaMJHarperTylerHunterJacksonGraysonCadenHunterElenaRileyDorrohGadociGarciaHaasJobeMorrisRhodesSeversonShawSherrardSmithStinsonVidaudWenningWilcox LaudeCumMagna GPA of 3.8–4.19 LaudeCum GPA of Seniors3.5–3.79 Mary Margaret Bell Claire Grimes Katie Johnson Will LukeHattieBenGehrigAnnaCodyMarkMartinNilsonPolkRoussosScottSorgenSykesTownley Juniors Mac HannahAndersonBall Hayden Heflin JJ AbeCharlieLevertonNineWoods Seniors Aubrie Amado Aly EmelieBlaireLucasParkeSheridanWillHenrySamuelRhettKatieLukeEmmaRachelDerekEmmaJonahLilaIsabellaHannahPaytonRileyKateAveryZoeMadysonBaylissBenschneiderBinkleyCoppleGoodmanHamiltonHarperHeltJacksonJohnsonKeyLaymanMartinezMillsNeemanPeronRedingRiceRodriguezSmithSpiveyThextonTurnerWalshWeissWong Juniors Mia NatalieTylerJakeReedMaxwellWyattAndrewLukeTaylorLandonCarlyMichaelKellenAprylEmmaHarrisonTannerKyleDavidWillLukeAmezcuaBerglundBowlingBoylanCauseyConineCrowEdmundsonElkhayFryeGrahamHaggardHamHerveyJohnstonLazenbyMerrillMorlandNeatherlinNolanOsterlohPerez
At the Head of the Class
SUMMER 2022 15
LOVE GOING RESTAURANTSTOwith open kitchens. It’s comforting to see what’s going on back there and not wonder what they might be doing to my food. Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how an establishment operates shapes opinions and influences satisfaction levels. I recently got an up-close and personal, behind-the-scenes look at TCA’s Upper School when I tackled a long-term substitute teaching assignment in the Math Department. Jamie Donahue took maternity leave during the second trimester, and I filled in teaching Geometry and Algebra II. As a TCA parent, I knew our school was committed to having the highest quality teachers anywhere in the DFW area, but having the opportunity to see our incredible Upper School faculty in action on a daily basis gave me a clear picture of what excellence in education looks like. I felt well prepared to step into this role because of my math degree from Texas A&M and my secondary teaching certification. I’ve subbed at TCA over the past eight years, mostly in math classes, but I quickly discovered that subbing and long-term subbing are VERY different endeavors! I was like a fast-tracked, first-year teacher. After one day of “in-service” training I was managing all responsibilities. From attendance records to grading; from teaching lessons to classroom management; from Microsoft Teams to OneNote and all the technology in between—I was now doing it all! Before this experience, I had no idea the investment of time and level of commitment required to teach at this level. I gained newfound appreciation for how hard our teachers work, respect for the amount of work they do and increased grace and understanding for newJamieteachers.prepared well for her absence and set me up for success. The teachers in the Math Department graciously helped me acclimate, and I found myself part of an amazing, supportive team of excellent educators who love their craft and their students. Always willing to stop and help, they continually checked with me to see how I was doing, and occasionally I wasn’t doing well. I knew in theory that teachers are real people who can have bad days, but now I know this from experience as well! One particular day, I had a doctor’s appointment before school where I received bad news, and that day got worse as it went on. At lunchtime, one of the math teachers stopped by my classroom and to her surprise and mine, I broke down in tears. She listened, gave me a hug, and reassured me that everything would be okay, bringing the tangible love of God to me when I needed it most. I also received support from outside the Math Department. During my three months in the Upper School, teachers from every department offered words of encouragement and went out of their way to visit with me and build me up. Kent Pendleton often stopped in to see how I was doing. Additionally, the administration helped, encouraged and supported me throughout my time subbing. I cherished being part of the genuine community of teamwork, support, friendship and fun among the faculty and staff. Every day as I sat in on Katie Fornoff’s and Teresa Rosario’s classes as I prepared to teach those lessons to my students, I observed firsthand the excellence in education that our students experience. I savored meals and conversations around the lunch tables and saw what truly wonderful people of love and character our faculty are. They are each living out their callings as Christian educators and preparing our students for future success. I love the students and enjoyed teaching them. I also love math, and TCA’s math curriculum is fabulous, with time-tested, wellplanned lessons. Watching students grasp and master new and difficult concepts like logarithms, triangle similarities and fractals brought me so much joy! When spring break came, I was ready to go back to my normal life, but at the same time I didn’t want to leave. I love the faculty community at TCA, and I wish every parent could see what I saw behind the scenes in the TCA Upper School.
I BY BECKY JONES, TCA PARENT AN INSIDE LOOK AT TCA’S EXTRAORDINARY FACULTY FACULTY FOCUS
Fran Legband, Amber Stuart, Kristi Robison and Haley Moore ’97; Not pictured: Jennifer Barnes Front row: Diane Walton, Candace Redden and Wanchi Lowe; Back row: Beth Harwell, Christy Robbins, Stephanie Burgoon, Kari Rector and Shannon Frantz 16 TRINITYFACULTYTODAY FOCUS 30 YEARS Jon Millet ’84 Norma Browning and Kent Pendleton 35 YEARS Sharla Davidson and Greg Merrifield; Not pictured: Cindy Neff 25 YEARS 20 YEARS 15 YEARS Front row: Kathleen Nile, Sally Berthel, Ginger Harris, Charlotte Thompson and Hamlong Nguyen; Back row: Courtney Hamilton, Jen Bailey, Elizabeth O’Brien and Kimberley Carter Hechtner ’09; Not pictured: Carla Getz, Debra Jones and Meg Wadlington 5 YEARS Front row: Amanda Mowrey Rogers ’88, Sharon Metz Duncan ’90, Kim Morton, Katherine Somich, Michelle Bain and John Garcia; Back row: Amy Edwards Prideaux ’89, Melissa Neatherlin, Bethany Simkins, Stephen Megison and Don English; Not pictured: Holly Floyd, Diane Harmon, Kasey Harper, Felicia Townley and Sandee Townley 10 YEARS
COMMITMENTUnwaivering41
SUMMER 2022 17
THANK YOU and BEST WISHES
YEARS
— Kyle Morrill, head of Upper School BradleyBill
Thank you to these special employees who are also leaving us:
Kent Anderson Butler (2 years), Donna Connell (11 years), Holly Floyd (10 years), Kathryn Heath (2 years), Tracy Krantz (13 years), Kim Morton (10 years), Dennis Saffold (34 years), Collin Vanlandingham (2 years) and Rebekah Viohl (7 years)
“The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart” were the words of Samuel in regard to the upcoming king of Israel, David. For the last 41 years, Bill Bradley has been a man after God’s own heart as he has impacted lives as a teacher at TCA. Bill retired from teaching in June. He grew up in Austin and graduated from Baylor University. He came to TCA in the fall of 1981, where he began as a Bible teacher for many years before switching to history/English. He was the head of the Upper School History/English Department for a few years, while teaching ninth- and tenth-graders, before he landed in just ninth grade for his last many years. Bill also coached cross country at TCA for a number of years and was known to do the same workouts as his runners. Bill is a voracious reader and a lifelong learner. He was instrumental in beginning the summer reading discussion group made up of a cross section of TCA people, which has been in place for many summers. Bill has relentlessly pursued his relationship with God and has sought to know Him at the deepest level. He has made an impact on so many students and staff, and we wish him God’s blessings as he turns the page and enters this next chapter of his faithful life.
LEARNING TAKES FLIGHT
IN
DEEP THE HEART
CLASSTODAY
ACTS TRIBUTE TO TEXAS PHOTO BY KENDALL ELLIS
Fourth-graders presented the inaugural performance of “Tribute to Texas” on May 17, 2022, as a way to commemorate their year-long study of Texas history. Using a little Texas drawl, the students shared facts about our state’s history, sang some favorite Texas songs and even turned the stage into a dancehall showcasing an old-fashioned square dance! The concert closed with a beautifully sung hymn and original lyrics to “Happy Trails” as a tribute to the students’ days in the Lower School.
PreK classes took time this spring to study insects! They talked about the different parts of an insect, created their own insects using mixed media and welcomed caterpillars into their classrooms! Students observed the caterpillars’ growth and daily changes and then were able to release the butterflies outside!
18 TRINITY
DAYSTORYBOOK
SUMMER 2022 19 LOWER SCHOOL
We’ve got a golden ticket! Second-graders enjoyed a fun day of chocolate, costumes and watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to culminate their book study. Reading has never been so yummy!
Kindergartners celebrated the end of their unit on France with a wonderful French Café! They served their parents and tasted a variety of French foods. Following the café, the children put on a presentation of songs and recited lines based on the famous Madeline books. Our students were magnifique!
PHOTOS BY TCA FACULTY
FRENCH CAFÉ
The first half of the year in third grade, students learn the four S’s of cursive slant, spacing, size and shape. Once they have learned each letter using the four S’s, they are given a writing prompt to copy in their best, neatest cursive. When students have correctly copied and shown mastery of letter formation and connections, they earn the highly coveted cursive license! This means from that day forward they write only in cursive, helping them prepare for fourth grade!
CURSIVE LICENSE
WILLY WONKA DAY
The isparade.eachbooks,studenthavecharacterupofcelebratingThedaystorybookfirst-gradecharacterwasablast!studentslovedtheirlovereadingbydressingastheirfavoritethattheyreadabout.EachsharedtheirandtheclasseshadacostumeFirstgradefun!
Fifth grade students studied ancient Hebrew poetry in the book of Psalms using parallelisms and figures of speech. Using this ancient grammar structure, they then wrote their own Psalm to God. It is a beautiful picture of how we can worship God with words and art!
CAMP OF THE HILLS
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Sixth-graders worked hard to help the Camp of the Hills staff prepare their facilities for summer camp. The students did everything from clearing brush to painting to moving rocks and digging trenches for erosion control. They also spent their days doing fun camp activities such as canoeing, swimming, ropes courses and even a Western dance! Then they gathered each evening for worship and teaching times. Acts of service paired with awesome relationship-building are one of TCA’s best treasured traditions!
CLASSTODAY
ACTS PSALMS PROJECT
SUMMER 2022 21 SCIENCE CLASS . . . ON LOCATION
Seventh-graders visited a local creek to finish out their year of Life Science. They saw ducks, turtles, fish and more, having learned about the ecosystems these animals need to survive. Seventh grade sure is wild!
Our eighth-grade students took over the gym to celebrate 50s Day with a sock hop! They celebrated the end of their history unit by eating burgers at a diner, learning how to twist, doing the stroll and Hula-Hooping.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY BLAST FROM THE PAST
VENEZUELAN LUNCH PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGIE AZEVEDO; MIDDLE SCHOOL BIBLE STUDY PHOTOS BY YEARBOOK STAFF
MENTORS TO MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS
22 TRINITYCLASSTODAY ACTS ¡DELICIOSO! After studying Venezuelan culture, our Spanish 3 classes ventured to Pastelitos Hugo, a local Venezuelan restaurant, to sample pasteles, arepas and empanadas! ¡Qué rico!
FrancisJuliePhoto:
BUG PROJECT Every spring, TCA freshmen can be found swinging butterfly nets and hunting down beetles for the annual Insect Collection project. Ninth-graders at TCA have been collecting and classifying insects for decades, and although the requirements and specifications have changed over the years, the heart of the project has always been to marvel at the beautiful creativity and intricacy of God’s design. This long-standing TCA tradition is always a special memory for alumni and parents.
Each year select Upper School students volunteer their time to lead Bible studies for younger Trojans in the Middle School before school on Friday mornings throughout the year. Their time studying God’s Word together, singing and just having fun together is just another aspect of our tremendous sense of Christian community on campus.
ACADEMIC HEAVY LIFTING
In freshman biology, students were tasked with determining who is stronger beetles or humans. Both donned harnesses and pulled sleds of weight. Beetles may be small, but they are mighty and could pull on average 50 to 60 times their body mass. Humans, on the other hand, try as they might, were only able to pull 2 to 3 times their body mass. God’s immense creativity and intricate design was seen in studying how He made each so uniquely.
SUMMER 2022 23 UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE EXPERIMENT PHOTOS BY KENDALL ELLIS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
Nominated for Seven Schmidt & Jones Awards: Best Show, Best Actress–Morgan Hausz (winner), Best Supporting Actress–Ainsley Ferrell, Best Actress in a Minor Role–Lexi Meador (winner), Best Female Ensemble Performer–Cara Smith (winner) and Sterling Wyman and Best Lighting Design–Owen Ellis
Student engineers work to meet special needs
BY LISA WONG, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
PHOTOS: KENDALL ELLIS
S
EVEN YEARS AGO, TCA launched its first Honors Engineering Design class. The class is an Upper School science elective offered to those considering a career in the engineering field. This class helps students gain a perspective on various engineering disciplines by the introduction of design principles and practices as well as current and emerging challenges within the field. Hands-on projects allow students to learn the engineering design cycle. They design, model, prototype and manufacture designs using 3D solid modeling software and a 3D printer. Students engage in collaboration, project management, problem solving, creativity and critical thinking. Throughout the year, they give professional presentations, learn the importance of design ethics, hear from professional engineers and visit manufacturing plants. But TCA Honors Engineering Design doesn’t stop there. These students, having gained the know-how, then are charged with putting their skills to the test. The class ends with a capstone design project where students design products for a disabled child in the DFW area. This is an amazing opportunity to put all that they have learned into practice, and it shows students that the development of the gifts and resources that God has given them gives glory to Him and provides for the good of others. My prayer is that this approach encourages my students to use their college preparation and career vocations in STEM fields to bless others in the world. This year’s projects were focused on blessing Ryle Feng and his family. Ryle is an eight-year-old boy with spina bifida, Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus, and he was born with clubbed feet. Ryle was born in China and was left at the doorstep of an orphanage when he was just four days old. God was watching over Ryle as a security guard heard him crying, and an Australian missionary working at the orphanage became an advocate for Ryle. Other missionaries raised money for Ryle’s surgeries and fought for his life. Ryle was adopted by loving American missionaries and now lives in the DFW area. He has undergone numerous surgeries and can walk using leg braces. Ryle has feeling in his thighs but not below his knee. His left foot is completely paralyzed, and his right foot has limited ability. Ryle’s ability to use the restroom is affected because the muscles that help with emptying his bowel do not function. Therefore, Ryle not only takes medication but also requires urethral catheterization five times a day and a daily enema to help with bowel movements. Ryle is such a cheerful child who loves cars, cats and silly cartoons. He enjoys reading books, building with LEGO bricks and playing wheelchair basketball with the Dallas Junior Mavericks on the weekends. Back in March, our class visited Ryle’s home to get to know him and learn about his daily routines. We took several measurements of his arms and legs and studied his bathroom environment. Students asked numerous questions and quickly learned about their design constraints. After working very hard for two months, students presented final products to Ryle and his family on April 28. It was such a blessing for everyone to see the joy on Ryle’s face as he learned and tried out the various products that will improve his daily life.
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TECHNOLOGYTODAY@TCA
For the capstone design projects, students are placed on a team and given a design task along with a budget. Each student had a specific role on the team. Project engineers managed the overall team and tasks and were the main customer contact. Financial managers ensured financial goals were met, purchased/returned all items, kept track of all receipts and tracked all expenses on an Excel spreadsheet. Quality control engineers oversaw overall product quality, wrote weekly status reports, created customer user instructions and ensured that safety standards were met. Chief technical engineers were the main technical leads, ensured all design constraints were met and oversaw testing.
TEAM 1: BATHROOM BENCH STATION Team 1 designed a bathroom bench station that Ryle will use to sit on while preparing for a bath and doing a urethral catheterization. The students were challenged to include a sturdy handlebar for easy access in and out of the bathtub. Because Ryle’s bathroom is very small, students figured out a way to minimize the depth of the bench to allow room for Ryle to access the bathtub. Students found solutions for easily accessible storage below the bench for Ryle’s catheterization supplies, leg braces, clothes and other needed medical items, including a hook on the side of the bench for hanging a catheter bag. Students considered size, stability, safety, comfort, ease of use, aesthetics and sanitation in their designs for Ryle. The biggest challenges for this team were supply chain delays and quality issues for purchased items.
SUMMER 2022 27
TEAM 2: ACTIVITY STATION Team 2 designed an activity station that Ryle will use while seated at the toilet for his evening restroom routine. Ryle does not have neurotransmitters to tell him to empty his bowels, so his family administers a cone enema each evening to help with the process. It takes approximately one hour for the enema to take affect for a successful bowel movement. The goal of this station was to include physical activities because students learned that when Ryle exercised his arms and legs while sitting on the toilet, his digestive system is stimulated, which leads to a more efficient bowel movement. This shortens Ryle’s wait time on the toilet. Students mounted an arm pulley station on the wall and a portable bicycle pedal station for Ryle to exercise his arms and legs. The floor-mounted exerciser is height-adjustable to allow for growth. All apparatuses were stable but portable to allow room for bath time. The station also included a tabletop platform for Ryle to work on homework, read or use an iPad during the wait period. Students considered placement of Ryle’s current handles and footrests around his toilet, size, stability, safety, comfort, ease of use, aesthetics and sanitation. The biggest challenge for this team was the limited bathroom space around Ryle’s toilet. They also ran into issues with Ryle’s feet staying on the pedals, so the team used Autodesk Inventor CAD software to design custom pedals and 3D printed the parts.
TEAM 3: PORTABLE CATHETERIZATION STATION FOR USE IN PUBLIC RESTROOM Team 3 designed a portable catheterization station for use in public restrooms. Ryle requires urethral catheterization five times a day. He needs extra supplies to help him empty his bladder using a sterile process. This process is more difficult in public restrooms where it is less hygienic and where there is a lack of space to put the supplies. Because of these reasons, sometimes Ryle skips his catheterization and must wait until he goes home. However, this increases the likelihood of infection and complications. A portable solution to address these issues aids him when he must change his catheter in a public restroom setting. Students designed a station that has storage capacity for numerous supplies and includes a foldout tray for Ryle to lay out supplies while self-catheterizing. They also figured out a way to mount the station on a portable tripod. Students considered weight, stability, safety, ease of use, aesthetics and sanitation. The biggest challenge for this team was finding the right size bag that they could do extensive sewing on to meet design constraints. The other main challenge was designing a way to mount the bag in public restrooms which vary in size, stall styles and cleanliness.
ENGINEERING
I praise God that the students were able to experience some real-world industry challenges with supply chain, restroom environmental constraints, collaborating in stressful moments, not having enough money in their budgets and designing in such a tight physical space. It is during these times of failure when they experienced the most growth and learning. They learned how to pivot in difficult situations to solve problems in order to meet customer goals. I am so proud of these students and pray they can take the real-life skills gained from these projects into their future college years, careers and ministries to bless others around the world. STUDENTS’ PROJECT GOALS
28 TRINITY TODAY PHOTOS BY JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
Head of School Dave Delph was honored at the event for his 36 years of service. Colleagues, alumni parents and BY BECKY D. LEWIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOUNDATION T
TCA FOUNDATION
HE TCA FOUNDATION HOSTED a fundraising gala benefitting Student Tuition Aid (STA) on March 25, 2022, at the Hilton Anatole hotel. The event was attended by 850 guests and featured Dallas Jenkins, creator and director of The Chosen, a multi-season television series about the life of Christ. His inspiring message of five loaves and two fish was a beautiful reminder to place our trust in God.
Honoring a rich legacy
Marshall Edwards, TCA Foundation Board member and varsity boys golf coach, expressed his passion for STA. He shared the STA goal of raising $2 million and said, “Think how you, your children and your grandchildren have been personally impacted by TCA and consider blessing other families through a gift to STA. It warms your heart to help make kids’ lives better.” The feature video highlighted the Weiss family sharing their journey and gratitude for STA.
SUMMER 2022 29
What a special evening of inspiration, reflection and fellowship! I continue to be amazed by God’s faithfulness and the generosity of the TCA community! Student Tuition Aid Student Tuition Aid (STA) is a needs-based program to help families afford a TCA education. Many families who benefit from STA are facing unexpected financial challenges such as the loss of a loved one or job. Approximately 1 out of 10 students receive STA, and $1.8 million is awarded annually. Over 3,400 students have been blessed by STA since the scholarship program originated in 1974. There are still families who need assistance for the 2022-23 school year. Please consider investing in the life of a student through a gift to STA. Every act of generosity is important and is an answer to prayer for TCA families. Go online to TrinityChristian.org/STA to make a gift or scan the QR code:
GIVE BACK
former TCA leaders such as Rod Morris, Steve Williamson, Mike Beidel, Mary Helen Nolan, Dennis Saffold and many others expressed gratitude and shared fond memories of Dave. In response to the honor, Dave commented, “Rose and I were overwhelmed by the sentiments shared and by so many who attended the gala, especially former colleagues, students and parents. It was a celebration of all God has done in and through so many people who have shared in the ministry of educating and developing our students for His glory during our time at TCA. Our family will be blessed for a long time with memories of the outpouring of love and support that evening and over the 36 years we’ve loved thisThecommunity.”DelphFamily
Endowed Scholarship benefitting Student Tuition Aid was established in honor of Dave and in appreciation for his dedication and commitment to serve the Lord through TCA. Together, the current board and former board members contributed $114,000 to begin the endowment. The funds will be invested and managed by the TCA Foundation, and each year a portion of the earnings will be distributed to provide tuition assistance for students at TCA.
Congratulations, Class of 2022! We anticipate and pray that you will continue to represent TCA and the Lord well both in your achievements and in your lives of service to Him!
30 TRINITY TODAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
OUR WHOLE TCA COMMUNITY PARTNERED TOGETHER this year to pursue our mission of developing the whole person for the glory of God, and thankfully it was a year where a return to normalcy was celebrated.
On Thursday, May 19, family, friends, faculty and administration marked a successful end to this school year and the outstanding accomplishments of this year’s graduating class. This year’s class boasted eight National Merit Commended Students, two National Merit Recognition Scholars, eight students going on to play varsity athletics in college, over $10.5 million in scholarships offered, a class average GPA of 4.051 and over 17,000 hours of community service in the last four years. Our seniors were accepted to a total of 113 colleges and universities, spanning 41 states, two international universities and two military service academies, attesting to the excellent educational training that our students receive at TCA.
SUMMER 2022 31
32 TRINITY TODAY / 2022 COMMENCEMENT
SUMMER 2022 33
BY FRAN ASSISTANTLEGBAND,HEADOF UPPER SCHOOL
Since life is marked with transitions, and graduation is one of the first major rites of passage in a person’s life, it’s the right time for reflecting on the past while joyfully welcoming the future. Trinity Christian Academy continues to be a significant place of student formation: spiritual, intellectual and social. Launching this year’s seniors out of their childhoods and into the rest of their lives is a privilege for all of us who taught, nurtured, admonished and loved all 109 of them. Congratulations, Class of 2022! Welcome to the first days of adulthood.
Whether a senior attended TCA all thirteen years before graduating or just two years, each one was marked and shaped by parents, teachers, coaches and administrators. Remembering what and who helped them to move from wild-eyed glee of the playground to the growing up and challenging social interactions of the tween years to the intense and inspiring high school context is what makes reflection so powerful. At Commencement this year, memory speeches delivered by salutatorian Max Wheless, Mary Margaret Bell and Ainsley Ferrell focused on the power of remembering the moments that made meaning out of shared childhood school experiences. This year’s valedictory address, given by Justin Miller, touched on this idea of moving into the future with his word of the year: “denouement.” Justin mentioned that even though a denouement means “tying up loose ends,” there really is no denouement this side of heaven, and the story of each graduate will go on even though the time of childhood and time at TCA is over.
34 TRINITY TODAY / 2022 COMMENCEMENT
TAUGHT
A new journey commences
I SENIOR ENGLISH FOR DECADES before being named assistant head of the Upper School, and on the first day of class I often would begin with the greeting, “Welcome to the last year of your childhood!” Mostly met with puzzled looks and even some groans, seniors at the beginning of their last year of high school are not prepared to think of senior year as a transition away from something, only the transition to something. They were looking forward to college, to adulthood, to all the opportunities, freedoms and responsibilities that come after graduation. But I greeted them that way because I wanted the students to grasp just for a moment what they were about to leave behind: the wonders of childhood and winding road toward growing up. Beginning the school year with an act of remembering put my students in a posture of reflection. I wanted them to begin to gather threads of memories all year long of the key events and people who by their impact shaped the contours of their growth into adulthood.
Madeline Mae Prescott Baylor University
Caroline Elizabeth Sharp IE University
Lauren Elizabeth Elvebak
Ryan Davis Freese Colorado School of Mines
Daniel Blair Baker Stanford University
Luke Richard Peron Indiana University (Bloomington) John Cody Polk Texas A&M University
Anna Elizabeth Roussos University of Oklahoma
Anna Grace Heidelbaugh Auburn University
Katherine Joy Johnson Middle Tennessee State University
Mary Margaret Bell University of Oklahoma
Grant Wesley Canter Oklahoma State University
Emma Lee Pilar Neeman University of Oklahoma Mary McClarin Neuhoff Texas A&M University
William Clawson Martin Texas A&M University
Mary Lauren Westover Texas A&M University
Carson Adam Sheldon Baylor University
Rhett Orlean Rice Oklahoma State University
Luke Maddox Tredennick University of Georgia
Isabella Ann Jackson Texas A&M University
Sheridan Renee Thexton University of North Texas
Aubrie Elise Amado Belmont University
Katherine Grace Novakovich Northwestern University
Joshua Andrew Case Baylor University
John Jackson Rogers Baylor University
Avery O’Neal Copple Texas Christian University
Charles Elwell Franke Texas A&M University
Landrie Kay Smith University of Oklahoma Kyle Henry Smith University of Missouri
Kayla Leigh Meyer University of Virginia Justin Wesley Miller University of Pennsylvania
Lila Claire Johnson Louisiana State University
Baylor University Allison Melissa Mays University of Georgia Randall Weston McCabe West Virginia University
Gehrig Emerson Scott Abilene Christian University
Alyssa Makay Danielle Clemovitz United States Naval Academy
Benjamin Lane Sorgen University of Oklahoma John Preston Spears Texas A&M University
Ainsley Aidan Ferrell University of Southern California
Kaylee Ann Connell Texas A&M University
Mark Allan Nilson II Colorado School of Mines
Kate Madeline Goodman University of Oklahoma Mary-Michael Graham The University of Texas at Austin Claire Elizabeth Grimes University of Miami
Hannah Lynn Helt Baylor University
Jack William Layman The University of Texas at Austin
Joseph John Fedro Columbia College
Elizabeth Grace Anderson Baylor University
Emily Katherine Jones Baylor University
James Garreth Badger
Luke Christopher Stanton Oklahoma State University
Kyle Thomas Parke Turner Baylor University
Hollis Faith Jarrell Auburn University
Abilene Christian University
Derek Joshua Martinez
Halle Sophia Hermes Texas Christian University
United States Military Academy at West Point
Cecilia Ann Banderob Lubbock Christian University
Amelia Kindred Corliss
MacLean Paul Hays Belmont University
Annabel Grace Lee The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin
Blaire McKenna Weiss Texas A&M University
Emily Gayle Keramidas University of Virginia Jonah Kurt Key Texas Christian University
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE SUMMER 2022 35
Abilene Christian University
Emma Kate Layman The University of Texas at Austin
Lynnson Grace Fort Texas A&M University
Favour
Markus Henry Schumacher Southern Methodist University
Olivia Claire Priest Texas A&M University
Payton Janelle Harper University of Kentucky
Connor Clifton Wines University of Georgia Emelie Grace Wong Baylor University
Schuyler Hall Noordhoff The University of Alabama
Shannon Charles Burchett University of Notre Dame
Jordy Savir Sucilea Jr. University of Oklahoma Hattie Leigh Sykes University of Arkansas
John Bradley Lipscomb Texas A&M University
Olivia Grace Brennan Baylor University
The University of Texas at Austin
Abigail Rae Crane University of Arkansas
Isabela Abigael Figueroa University of Arkansas
Juliana Marie Voth University of Tulsa Lucas Jackson Walsh Baylor University Sydney Catherine Wayte Baylor University
John Aidan Morrison Santa Clara University
Jenna Nikole Lowrey Brown University
Ryan Dyann Berry Prairieiew A&M University
Zoe Christine Binkley Texas Christian University
Katherine Anne Reding Texas A&M University
Brody Evans Davis University of Oklahoma Collin Matthew Dewey University of Wisconsin-Madison
Patricia Sterling Wyman Pace University
Riley Ann Hamilton University of Oklahoma
Katelyn Grace Long Auburn University
Alicia Abebefe
Madyson Mackenzie Benschneider Savannah College of Art and Design
Elizabeth McCabe Blocker
Mason Garrett Merchant Southern Methodist University
Cynthia Elizabeth Williams University of Arkansas
Annabelle Faith Burnett Pace University
Brooks Henry Krantz Texas A&M University
The University of Texas at Austin
Benjamin Ethan Francis Harding University
Luke Austin Townley Grand Canyon University
Emily Regan Morris University of Georgia
Alyanna Victoria Bayliss
Josephine Lynn Raftelis University of Arkansas
Robert Samuel Rodriguez Texas A&M University
Anna Claire Somich Texas A&M University
Heath Landry Booker University of Tulsa
Rachel Helene Mills Texas Tech University
Max Vaughn Wheless The University of Texas at Austin Camden Shawn Williams Texas A&M University
Will Thomas Spivey University of Arkansas
All this new construction and renovation gets the hearts of teachers and administrators beating faster as our minds race with thoughts of how these changes will look and feel. We definitely feel the excitement, and at times it is downright scary!
The question titling this article is probably the most frequently asked question of Middle School faculty and staff over the course of the past year as our community has caught glimpses of the building going up on our campus. The new Middle School building will house a new Middle School Library, a host of seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms, a collaboration space on each of the second and third floors, a new seventh- and eighth-grade Learning Lab, a Technology and Robotics room, administrative office space and (finally!) a teachers’ lounge which can accommodate more than five people at once!
AROUND CAMPUS “AREABOUTYOU NEW MIDDLE
In addition to the new construction, the current seventh- and eighth-grade wing is being renovated to provide updated flooring, new paint, improvements in classroom acoustics and more as it will become a fifth- and sixth-grade wing. (For many years, our fifth- and sixth-grade students have been housed in two separate buildings.)
MIDDLE SCHOOL EXCITEDTHESCHOOL?” BY SCOTT BERTHEL, HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL
Shared by many, many teachers was the gift of what eighth-grade history/English teacher Mr. Curtis King called “a legitimate teachers’ lounge” and eighthgrade Latin teacher Miss Kathleen Nile called “a bona fide teachers’ lounge.” Storage, storage, storage and storage along with built-in countertop space featured among the answers of many seventh-/eighth-grade teachers, along with “improved acoustics” for all Middle School teachers.
Several fifth- and sixth-grade teachers who have never had thermostats in their rooms (or any
Many Middle School teachers recognized that the new setups in each wing would bring them into closer contact with colleagues with whom they’ve previously engaged more from a distance. For example, seventhand eighth-grade math and science teachers indicated that they were looking forward to being on the same floor as the other department, and fifth- and sixthgrade teachers each noted that they were looking forward to being in the same wing and developing new connections and deeper relationships.
AROUND CAMPUS WHOLE“THIS
We feel the doubts about whether we will finish packing things up in time, and we wonder how in the world we are going to get unpacked and set up in time for a new school year. We think about how we have developed routines and structures that work for us and for our students in our current setup, and we wonder how those will need to change as we move into new spaces. And yet, beyond all the doubts, questions and concerns, there is a genuine excitement for the way in which the opportunity to move into new spaces speaks to and draws out the best from of our faculty. Asked recently, “What are you most looking forward to with the upcoming move?” the answers of our Middle School teachers included a wide range of patterns and unique, one-off answers:
The sense of anticipation and excitement
Many teachers noted that large rooms and brighter spaces all add up to a general excitement for our students, teachers and families. Mrs. Angie Cox, Learning Lab teacher, summed it up well: “I love the fact that it shows that TCA is thriving! It adds excitement to the whole campus. A huge thank-you to all who contribute! We can’t wait to use it!”
MIDDLE
Middle School teachers have for their colleagues stands out. Dedicated Learning Lab space in each wing is a feature that is appreciated by our Learning Lab teachers as well as classroom teachers. Mrs. Hatton is looking forward to creating a great space where seventh- and eighthgrade students can hang out, and many of her colleagues are looking forward to a new library space. Mrs. Felicia Townley, Middle School technology teacher, is happy about a large room, more storage, windows, etc., and one of her colleagues noted, “I’m thrilled that there will be tons of room to create and innovate in High Tech/Robotics!”
From our Middle School library media specialist, Mrs. Holly Hatton, appreciating the wall of windows on the north side of the new Middle School Library to numerous teachers looking forward to the windows for the light (as well as the view!) and the controls over interior lighting, the ability to let light shine in different ways is highly anticipated!
SCHOOL BUILDING ADDS EXCITEMENT TO THE CAMPUS. WE CAN’T WAIT TO USE IT!”
In addition to having a lobby for the first time, seventh- and eighth-grade teachers are excited about the collaboration spaces on the second and third floors. As seventh-/eighth-grade Latin teacher and department head Mrs. Kathryn Goldsmith noted, “Middle School students love to have opportunities to work together and move around. It will be awesome to have dedicated space for that!”
Though not quite ready yet, spacious and bright rooms like this science lab will soon be filled with TCA students and will serve as excellent learning environments.
other means of controlling the temperature of their classrooms)—are excited to have the ability to do so in the coming year.
FAITHFUL REFLECTIONS ON TWENTY YEARS OF TCA’S FLOURISHING UNDER THE STEWARDSHIP OF DAVE DELPH
SUMMER 2022 41 Leader. Educator. Coach. Co-laborer. Encourager. Disciple. Friend. Servant. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO NAME ALL THE WAYS DAVE DELPH HAS INFLUENCED THE TCA COMMUNITY AND WORKED FOR THE GOOD OF OUR SCHOOL OVER THE PAST 36 YEARS. WE ASKED A FEW MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO SAY IN THEIR OWN WORDS WHAT DAVE HAS MEANT TO THEM—HOPING THEIR STORIES CAN BEGIN TO EXPRESS ON BEHALF OF US ALL OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO GOD FOR THE WAYS HE HAS USED DAVE TO LEAD US IN OUR MISSION TO EDUCATE AND DEVELOP STUDENTS FOR HIS GLORY.
In matters of discipline, Dave was extremely patient and never quick to judge. He would carefully investigate all sides of the issue, making sure he knew all the facts possible and that he fully understood all sides of the issue. After thorough research, he often would reach out to his team and ask, “What am I missing?”
He knew that his decision could have a big impact on someone’s future, so he was never in a hurry to make his decision.
Dave is a true friend who never fails to ask how you and your family are doing, and he sincerely wants to know. He truly cares about his friends and is a trusted confidant. I have seen him provide counseling to struggling families and colleagues, reach out and give sacrificially out of his personal time to families in need, often in their darkest hours. I’ve seen him faithfully lift up in prayer those who are hurting. Dave is that friend that you can always count on to be there for you.
Dave also met with every single final candidate, which took a tremendous amount of his time but further showed his commitment to making sure he was hiring the very best. Dave considered making the right hire one of his most important roles as head of school and wanted personally to meet each candidate that his senior administrative team had selected. Knowing that all the
Dave began serving as the dean of students in the Middle School and after five years transitioned to head of Middle School until he was appointed headmaster in 2002, where he has served for twenty years.
Dave has a great sense of humor and loves a good practical joke. One year all the faculty and staff received complimentary pictures from the school photographer, including our office— Dave, Kristy Kegerreis, director of administrative services, and me—which was nice, except the background was very juvenile with an alphabet chalkboard themed background. When we received our pictures, we laughed and joked about how we could use our photos. After a good laugh, Kristy and I discarded ours in the trash. At the end of the day, after we had left, Dave pulled them
IT HAS BEEN SUCH AN HONOR to work with Dave Delph over the past 19 years. During this time, I have gained a great friend and trusted colleague. When I served as Dave’s assistant, I had a front row seat to watch him navigate through the growth at TCA as well as the many challenges a head of school faces. I learned so much about how to lead with wisdom, integrity and patience as I watched him lead so well. When I think of Dave’s leadership, his patience stands out. I remember when he hired me, he told me up front that I might get frustrated waiting on him to make decisions, but I saw time after time that there was great wisdom and value in being patient. This was especially true when it came to hiring new employees. The spring hiring season comes at the busiest time of the school year, so as job applications start to come in, the temptation to hire the first good candidate, quickly lock in the position and check it off the list is tempting, but Dave would always caution his team not to get in too big of a hurry. Dave’s desire was always to allow plenty of time for people to have a chance to see the job posting and apply. Waiting almost always resulted in a stronger candidate pool, and often there was that one excellent candidate who was just right for the job. Many times, that right person was one of the last to apply, proving that waiting was the right thing to do.
requirements had been vetted out by the senior team, he always wanted to have a one-on-one meeting to get to know the person’s heart. I always admired how he took the time out of his busy schedule to give that kind of personal attention to each new potential hire.
42 TRINITY TODAY / FAITHFUL
THROUGH the YEARS
DAVE DELPH JOINED TCA IN 1986 as a math teacher. While teaching Middle School and Upper School over the next eleven years, Dave coached middle school volleyball, middle school basketball and varsity softball and was the JV and assistant varsity coach for boys basketball. During this time, he served for ten years as the technology coordinator for the campus; he implemented TCA’s first electronic database for school records, report cards and course scheduling. In 1993
out of the trash, cut up all the wallet size photos and hid them all over our work stations. We would open a cabinet or drawer or pick up the stapler, and there would be our pictures. I remember going to a meeting months later and opening a folder only to find that he had taped our pics inside it. Dave always looked for ways to make work light and fun for our team.
SUMMER 2022 43
Dave discusses the soon-to-be-completed Middle School building with Dawn Booth, who has overseen the construction project on behalf of TCA.
As committed followers of Christ, Dave and his wife Rose led students on spring break mission trips and often opened their home to family, friends and missionaries. I’ve never known them to hesitate to open their home to those in need. Often the Delphs would have so many guests in a row that we would jokingly ask who was staying at the Delph hotel that week.
—DAWN BOOTH, ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS, ALUMNI PARENT
Dave has a huge heart that deeply cares for the TCA community. He is passionate about the education of the students at TCA and recognizes the difficult challenges they face in today’s world. He believes in TCA’s mission to develop the whole child for the glory of God and has always had great vision for what that looks like. TCA has been truly blessed under his leadership as a teacher, coach, administrator and head of school, and my family and I have been blessed by his support and friendship through the years.
• Served alongside 11 board chairs and 85 board members • Hired 790 faculty and staff • Creation of Trojan Real Property Board • Led through the COVID-19 pandemic Programs Started • One-to-one device program • PreK program • STEM and Robotics programs • Middle School House program • Spiritual development program • SAGE Dining • Conflict resolution program (Peacemaker’s Pledge)
TCA InternationalMissonsmissions have been a passion for Dave. Missions initiatives that began prior to Dave’s tenure as head of school continued to flourish and receive his enthusiastic support along with trips that began under his direction of TCA. Those initiatives include Mexico trips led by Hank Harmon from 1990 to 2008 and trips to Kenya and Tanzania led by Jon Millet from 2004 to 2018.
OUR TRAVELING PARTY TO MANUAS, BRAZIL, is tired—all 80 or so of us. We’ve been in buses, planes and airports for about 24 hours. It’s a lot of people and stuff transported 3500 miles from Dallas to the heart of the Amazon. I can be cranky—but I put on a good attitude to help where I can. The TCA high-schoolers sleep, laugh, read or watch their favorite streaming series. We eventually board one of the Amazon Outreach boats, Amore. There’s little sleep. The food is okay. All of this—yet Dave is in true form as a shepherd of people. It’s another spring break, and Dave and his wife Rose are leading us to unknown places along the Amazon River, with a clear purpose to love others through serving so that the gospel has hands and feet. Dave loves every minute. It’s like his super power. The deeper into the jungle, the darker the night on the river, the more challenging the circumstances are—the more joyful, encouraging and intentional Dave becomes. I watch and think to myself, Dave is being Dave. When our family first learned that our children would start attending TCA, Dave was referred to as “one of the best leaders a school could ever ask for.” Over those years, I saw and heard about his leadership. After five years of being a TCA family, my youngest daughter Ellie invited me to join her on her second trip down the Amazon. Being one for adventure, I said, “Of course—this will be fun!” Then she said, “You are going to really love this trip, but you are really going to see Dave in new ways.” She was right. Ellie shares, “As a student, I witnessed Dave (Mr. Delph to us) as more than a headmaster. His love and surrender to the Lord are seen most clearly in his demeanor towards others in the midst of hard or stressful circumstances like these trips down the Amazon. He is a man of gentleness, kind words and humble faithfulness. Dave is not concerned with being remembered for his gifts, talents or performance—because he is fully satisfied in his relationship with the Lord and the eternal perspective. Dave has shared wisdom like a father on these trips, consistency like a brother, empathy like a friend and safety as a leader to countless students in his years leading trips across the globe. Dave and Rose have nurtured a culture of humility and Christ-centered love at TCA that overflowed on a boat through the middle of South America.”
Dave and his wife Rose personally led over 500 students, faculty, alumni and others on 16 TCA mission trips to the Amazon from 2005 to 2016 and led a trip to Zambia in 2019. operating budget from $12.5 million to $26 million
LEADERSHIP UNDER the of DAVE DELPH 44 TRINITY TODAY / FAITHFUL Direction and Vision • Grew TCA’s
“Dave has a shepherd’s heart. Though there is a mission at hand, lots of work to be done and timelines to meet, Dave is not encumbered by these things.
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Dave has a shepherd’s heart. Though there is a mission at hand, lots of work to be done, obstacles to move through and around and timelines to meet, Dave is not encumbered by these things. The most important thing to him is people. He notices the people who are serving us on our trip, and he serves them. He takes time to listen to and encourage whomever he is with. He cherishes and celebrates his family who is with him on the trip. He prays for the people—our TCA team and the Amazonians. He walks in the Way of Jesus—and it’s bluntly apparent that his sole focus is to love others as Christ has loved us. It’s infectious. As we disembark each day to love people while sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, Dave is not in a hurry. We have a plan—but we are not rushing as if to get a task completed. The task at hand is to trust God, take any opportunity to share and love like Jesus and watch the Holy Spirit move. Dave is showing
and leading all of us as we share and care for others. Late in the afternoons, as we held Bible studies for the children, you would find Dave in his element. Laughing, holding a toddler on his shoulders, kicking a soccer ball with a few teenagers or putting his arm around a grandmother who’s learning for the first time that Jesus loves her and gave Himself over to death that she would have life abundantly. Even in the tiniest of villages in one of the poorest places on earth, to watch Dave love like Jesus is watching a man with a shepherd’s heart.
The most important thing to him is people.” TCA Amazon team, spring 2014
—SCOT BUCHANAN, ALUMNI PARENT, AND ELLIE BUCHANAN ’15
Dave Delph with Cody Polk ’22 and former trustees Stephanie and Scott Polk
My family and the TCA community as a whole have been tremendously blessed by the time Dave Delph has chosen to invest in our school. He has served faithfully for 36 years in the classroom, as a coach, as head of the Middle School and finally, as head of school. He has loved and led our precious children, families, faculty and administrators so very well and has been an amazing role model for all those under his care. He has been passionate about seeing our children become faithful followers of Jesus and showing them that life is found in Christ alone, not in the lies that the world tries to sell. He has led our faculty and staff in making TCA a safe place for our kids to make their faith in Jesus their own.
WHEN MY DAUGHTER WENT ON TCA’S MISSION TRIPS to the Amazon a decade ago, she could see that Dave and Rose Delph’s leadership was one of the reasons the trip was so effective in changing the lives of the people they went to serve. Over the 24 years I have spent involved with TCA community, I have been able to see the same. Those times of serving in the Amazon were part of what led my daughter to choose a career in teaching and caring for children living in difficult circumstances. Dave’s leadership has impacted the way my daughter sees others and understands her calling as a follower of Christ. I have seen it do the same for thousands of other kids throughout the years.
46 TRINITY TODAY / FAITHFUL
“Dave has been passionate about seeing our children become faithful followers of Jesus and showing them that life is found in Christ alone.”
As our time at TCA has come to a conclusion this year with the graduation of our youngest son, I will always be deeply grateful for the way that the people at TCA have loved us. TCA has been such a gift as a partner in raising our kids and given them so many examples of other believers that are authentic in their faith and lived that out in front of them. I am grateful for the community of Christian families that have surrounded us in our 24 years here. I am thankful for the teachers who have shared their faith in the classrooms along with their passion and expertise in their chosen subjects and passed that on to my daughters, who are both using much of what they learned to love through our TCA History/ English program. I am immensely grateful for the coaches who loved my kids on and off the field and put character over winning, and as my son goes on to pursue his dream of playing football at the college level, I know he is ready because he knows what it means to be mentally tough and give his best for the glory of God. All this to say I am confident that our teachers, coaches and administrators have been able to do their mission well because they have been led well by our head of school, Dave Delph. He has never lost sight of the mission of TCA: to develop the whole person for the glory of God.
LEADERSHIP UNDER the of DAVE DELPH
—STEPHANIE POLK, FORMER TRUSTEE, ALUMNI PARENT
SUMMER 2022 47 Departments and Positions Added • Technology Department and Tech Stop • Communication Department • HR Department and In-House Counsel • Campus Security Department • Creation of the TCA Foundation as a separate nonprofit corporation • Chief Financial Officer • Curriculum Director and Academic Dean • Director of Instructional Technology • Director of Student Development • Girls Athletic Director • Lower School Reading Specialist and Literacy Coach • Store Manager for Big Blue • Upper School Social/Emotional Counselor • Increased number of college counselors
As former trustees, my husband Scott and I both served very closely with Dave. It has truly been an honor and privilege to serve alongside such a godly man. Dave has taught me much about what it looks like to be faithful. He has not walked away from the “hard situations” or avoided conflict because it was too difficult. He has truly shown me what it looks like to carefully balance two aspects of God’s character that we are called to emulate in Scripture: grace and truth. Over and over in my time here, I have seen Dave hold the hard line of doing the right thing and balance it with incredible love and kindness. He has never been one to ask others to do the hard things for him. My walk with the Lord has been strengthened as I have served with Dave and the board of trustees and seen the Lord show up in miraculous ways that we never expected as we waited in prayer for God’s answers to difficult questions. The Lord made it abundantly clear 20 years ago that Dave was His man to lead His school, and Dave has answered that call with amazing strength, integrity, love and kindness. The Polk family has also been blessed personally by Dave in the way he has shepherded us. We “mama bears” can be fierce and want our children to be loved, led in truth and cared for! Dave has loved my children well—they have been known by him in their time at TCA. I am grateful they have been able to learn under his leadership and watch him as he runs hard after Jesus. Dave has shown up for our family during some of our most difficult times with phone calls, texts and even visits to the hospital during some difficult surgeries. Dave is faithful even now, years after my two oldest daughters have graduated, to ask about them regularly as he does many other students!! He and Rose might even have attended a wedding or two for many, many alumni.
CHRISEY AND I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE of being under Dave’s leadership both as students at TCA and now watching him lead the school from the perspective of being parents with our kids at TCA. What sets Dave apart from so many other leaders is his genuine care for the students, the parents and the overall community at the school. We’ve watched him lead through some extraordinarily difficult situations, and with each decision he makes, he prayerfully seeks God’s wisdom and the counsel of other trusted advisors. He does not take his job lightly but knows he is entrusted with stewarding a great responsibility. As teenagers, we would see Dave walking the halls and personally engage students. Not only did he know their names, but he also knew details about their lives. He was never too busy or in too big of a hurry to stop and strike up a conversation with students and teachers. Now, we see Dave outside visiting with people on campus. He greets students by name and welcomes them to school with a smile. As I’ve had the opportunity to work in multiple different industries as an adult, I’ve learned this type of leadership is rare. Few leaders can lead strongly from the front while also having the humility to play any role that is needed on any given day. Dave perfectly balances the ability to have authentic, casual conversations with students and parents while also leading in such a way that commands the respect of everyone around him. Dave cares deeply about the overall community at TCA. He is at many after-school events, connecting with the students and parents. He knows well the condition of the
LEADERSHIP UNDER the of DAVE DELPH TCA Foundation and Fundraising •AchievementsTotalfundraising:$77 million (2001–present) • Student Tuition Aid (STA) fundraising growth from $102,000 to $2 million annually (2001–present) • North Texas Giving Day annual fundraising – total raised: $5 million (2013–2021) • Interviewed President George W. Bush – 2010 and 2019 events Facilities Additions and Improvements • Purchased the Athletic Training Center, 2007 • Performing Arts Center, 2010 • Upper School remodel, 2010 • Trinity Art Gallery, 2012 • Field House remodel, 2012 • New artificial turf at Landry Stadium, 2014 • PreK Center, 2020 • Video scoreboard at Landry Stadium, 2020 • New 7th-/8th-Grade Middle School, 2022
hearts of the people he is leading.
He’s had a long enough tenure that you can clearly see the impact his daily decisions have made on the school’s overall direction. It’s evident that Dave cares that TCA is a community that puts Christ first in all things. His actions have proven this to be true.
One of the ways he has made this evident is in his leadership around the admissions process. Under his leadership, that team prioritizes admitting families that share the desire for their kids to be taught first and foremost about Jesus Christ. The desire is for them to admit families that understand academics are important but that they are a distant second to the students’ understanding of Jesus’ great love for them. One way this has been apparent is through Dave’s passion for Student Tuition Aid. Chrisey was a beneficiary of this great gift as a student, and now our kids have received this gift as well. Without Student Tuition Aid at TCA, I can honestly say the trajectory of our family’s life would be different than it is today. Dave has been a huge advocate for this benefit for which we are eternally grateful. Over the last 20-plus years, Dave has played the role in my life as authority figure, mentor and friend. Sometimes, he’s been all three at the same time! I’ve watched this man lead through some
SUMMER 2022 49 of the most difficult situations, and I greatly respect the care with which he has handled each one. Dave Delph is a man of strength and decisiveness but one who also fully yields himself to the Spirit of God. I firmly believe that TCA would not be the school it is today without this man at the helm.
—BRETT AND CHRISEY BILLMAN, ALUMNI, TCA PARENTS
Dave Delph discusses the 2021-22 admission season with Director of Admission Amy Prideaux and Admission Associate Leslie McCabe.
WORKING 50 TRINITY TODAY
towardbrightfutures
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But while studying God’s Word, I had an “aha” moment. Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” What I never noticed was this is the chapter before The Fall. I began to see that work was and always has been a part of God’s plan, even before sin entered the world. This realization prompted me to explore what God’s desire for the role of work is in our lives. As believers, we are both to work and to rest in imitation of God. In Exodus 20:8–10a, we are instructed, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” For years I read this passage and focused only on the Sabbath part of the commandment, but it is also clear that we ought to be working.
BY DR. MATT LAMBRO, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST FEW JOBS? I had a handful of typical jobs while I was a teenager, ranging from umpiring little league baseball to babysitting for all-boy families and mowing lawns. However, I also had some unusual jobs. While working for an event planner at a Christmas party, we were informed that Santa Claus had been in a car wreck on his way to the event, so my boss asked me to fill in. Another time I waited outside a Walmart in line for 36 hours for the release of a new gaming system and then sold my spot in line 10 minutes before the release for $1,500. A college roommate let me live rent-free in return for helping him flip our house. Despite my mom’s incredible efforts, I didn’t have a healthy view of work while growing up. My decision-making about jobs was usually led by how to earn the most money while doing the least amount of work. I viewed work as a punishment because of Adam and Eve’s partaking of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
As a teacher, I often aim to challenge students’ attitudes about work. I praise the process just as much as I celebrate the outcomes. At TCA we offer two unique classes that focus on fostering students as future workplace leaders. A similar philosophy guides both the Honors Leadership class and the Honors Entrepreneurship Marketing Strategy (HEMS) class. These classes aim to equip students with skills matched with the needed mindsets that will allow them to flourish in an ever-increasingly complex marketplace.Intheseclasses, we aim to shift students from believing that completing the task is the objective to instead possessing the mentality that ponders how they can work to create and add value to the organization they are serving. Many students strive to outwork one another by merely spending more time, but few stop to consider how they might improve their efficiency. We encourage students to see the value in “sharpening the saw” and identifying and implementing best practices to increase efficiency and optimization toward achieving their goals. In both classes, we aim to enhance basic techniques and instill the belief that with a solid foundation, good things can follow. Some students arrive in our classes with grandiose ambitions. Whatever our students’ motivations, we encourage them to think about what they want to achieve someday. While it is imperative to foster these dreams, we desire students to acquire the art of breaking down these aspirations into practical steps they can begin to act on. We remind students that there are no shortcuts but that a strong foundation and a commitment to details will help them build toward their future goals.
Junior Gabriel Bibawi explains from his viewpoint why HEMS has been so valuable: “Throughout the year in HEMS, we develop skills and techniques using several software programs. We learn how to use Photoshop to alter pictures and increase advertising appeal. In Microsoft Excel, we discover how to implement formulas that help us with forecasting product development costs, budgeting and resource allocation. As the year progresses, we continue to hone our marketing techniques by using InDesign to create brochures, direct mail pieces and magazine ads. Lastly, we utilize Premiere Rush to edit video advertisements and create commercials. After we become familiar with each of these programs, the year culminates with a project where we create a fastpitch presentation to our peers around a product or service that our pretend company will provide. The presentation includes a preview of our business website, marketing and advertisement campaign details and a dashboard of product sales. We conclude by sharing investment opportunities with the class.”
Honors Entrepreneurship Marketing Strategy (HEMS)
Students are no longer waiting to graduate high school or college to start their businesses. There are several blossoming entrepreneurs among the student body at TCA.
Upper School technology teacher Susan Jackson explains how HEMS is an important course for some students to take to set them up for applying to certain college programs: “In 2021, we converted our Honors Information and Technology course into Honors Entrepreneurship and Marketing Strategies. This change was prompted by a recommendation from our college counseling office after connecting with various business schools who communicated that they wanted to see a business course on prospective students’ high school transcripts. If a student is interested in the possibility of majoring in business in college, I encourage them to take HEMS.” In HEMS, students create a pretend business and learn what it is like to forecast cash flow and budget appropriately for marketing and the launch of a product or service.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILLIAM FEREM AND CAMIE JOBE
As a twelve-year-old in 2017, William Ferem (a current junior) started JW Mowing & Services. His company has quickly grown and currently services over 40 residential and commercial lawns. William has caught the entrepreneurial spirit and aspires possibly to start a second company venture focused on the construction services industry.
52 TRINITY TODAY / WORKING TOWARD BRIGHT FUTURES
A new class for the 2021-22 school year, Honors Leadership aims to develop each student’s leadership practice and philosophy through seminar-style lessons, matched with a practicum approach where students apply theory to practice as they complete internships and lead across TCA’sThesecampus.internships are wide-ranging, from serving as an aid in the Lower School STEM Lab to assisting the Office of Admission team with tours and preview events. One student serves as a sound engineer intern for the Performing Arts Center. A pair of students work the cash register and help restock products in Big Blue during the mid-day rush hour.
These are just a few examples of the many businesses TCA students have started and now lead. HEMS is a class that helps prepare them to lead their own companies and to be leaders in the marketplace.
“I learned from Mrs. Aiken in the Lower School STEM Lab how much your attitude affects everything you do as a leader. Some days I would help with the students as they worked on STEM activities, which took an amazing amount of patience, while other days I would help prepare future activities. Regardless of my task, I learned how valuable it is to have a positive attitude,” said junior Chris Sharon about his experience as a teacher’s aide.
After the first year of this course, students had very positive feedback to share about things they learned in their internships:
John Mark Davidson, PhD, shares with the Honors Leadership class about his Peruvian mango business and the challenges of international shipping logistics.
SUMMER 2022 53
Honors Leadership
Clara Liu ’19 created a wedding planning business when she was a sophomore in high school. Clara went on to major in event planning at Texas A&M University and is now completing an internship as she prepares to launch her own wedding planning business. She is currently assisting in planning 14 weddings!
During the COVID shutdown in March of 2020, thenfreshman Camie Jobe wanted to purchase a cake for a family member’s birthday, but her local bakery was temporarily closed. With a little bit of help from YouTube, she decided to make a cake. A simple post on social media of the finished product led to a flood of orders, and Cam’s Cakes was officially born. Camie has now fulfilled over 240 orders, including a few wedding cakes, and has ventured into custom cookies and cupcakes. If you are interested in seeing Camie’s products, please visit her Instagram page (instagram. com/cams.cake.s).Otherstudentshave also found ways to fulfill their entrepreneurial spirit. Junior Collin Truitt is a sneakerhead who purchases limited-release sneakers and sells them on Stock X. Daniel Baker ’22 is a beekeeper who harvests and sells honey.
• A CEO of a med-tech provider taught students the importance of considering the next right step without thinking that they need to have their entire lives mapped out.
A cultural ambassador for a large company shared insights about how to approach the corporate world as a believer and integrate your faith into the workplace.
• A county commissioner explained how and why local politics matter and how despite political differences people can work together to accomplish good for the communities they serve.
PHOTOS: KENDALL ELLIS
• A CEO of a restoration company charged students to dream big and take risks, especially while they don’t have much to lose.
• An immigration attorney taught students about the value of integrity in the workplace.
“Relationships with people and strong bonds are the key to success. Watching Mrs. Rogers interact with students, customers or parent volunteers, I saw that is what makes her so impactful in her role.” —Tanner Conine, Big Blue retail intern
• Retired TCA Head of Lower School Rod Morris taught students how to create a shared vision through the story behind the design process for the Lower School building.
• A local fire chief shared how tragedies can positively change and shape your trajectory.
• A local custom home builder taught students the fundamental principles of customer service.
• Students learned how leaders need to creatively encourage and remind others of their purpose from an Army captain.
In the inaugural class of Honors Leadership, students have learned from an array of remarkable leaders:
Each Friday, students learn from leaders of industry who come to class as guest speakers. Our visiting leaders teach the class using the Harvard case study method, allowing students to apply newly acquired knowledge to solve and navigate real-world problems and situations.
• An heiress to a barbecue chain empire taught about quality control and how the potato salad recipe was in jeopardy because of inconsistencies across the franchisees.
Senior Katie Johnson shared about her internship as a sound technician for the Performing Arts Center, “Mr. Ellis taught me about adaptability and that if something can go wrong, it will. Good leaders are ones who know how to adapt when they are thrown a curveball.”
54 TRINITY TODAY / WORKING TOWARD BRIGHT FUTURES
These experiences develop students’ personal leadership, relational intelligence and organizational leadership frameworks. Students take turns leading the class for one class period each week by creating team-building exercises and facilitating leadership lessons based on books and articles they read.
• A director of strategic accounts at Johnson & Johnson taught students about the branches and layers of multifaceted corporations.
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A legendary coach and founding partner of an investment firm helped form the perspective of personal accountability and taking responsibility for your actions.
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• The importance of prioritizing servant leadership was taught by a director of a local non-profit that serves individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities.
• Students learned about supply chain and shipping logistics from a mango farmer.
• An eminent domain attorney talked to us about having a vision and a sense of purpose for your life.
A mortgage broker taught about navigating family-owned businesses and how to deal with mistakes when they occur in the workplace.
SUMMER 2022 55 Our living curriculum of guest leaders has made this curriculum deep, rich and very applicable. Most likely those early jobs we each had taught us valuable life lessons more than practical skills. The adage “much of what we learn is caught, not taught” remains true today. Providing opportunities for students to learn from godly role models during their internships at TCA and from leaders in the local community is extremely valuable to their development as future leaders. SOME OF THE BOOKS STUDENTS READ THIS YEAR IN HONORS LEADERSHIP The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey Atomic Habits, James Clear Dare to Lead, Brené Brown Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman Good to Great, Jim Collins Grit, Angela Duckworth How to Win Friends & Influence People, Dale Carnegie Influence, Robert B. Cialdini Leading Change, John Kotter The Innovator’s Dilemma, Clayton Christensen Mindset, Carol Dweck Start with Why, Simon Sinek The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes & Posner The Power of the Other, Henry Cloud “We made admission packets, gave tours to prospective families and helped with admissions events. We learned that a lot of time and effort goes into the admissions process. We learned how to present ourselves and that positivity and kindness are contagious, which is what made being a part of the admission team so much fun.” —Olivia Ouimette & Maxwell Moreland, Office of Admission interns
TCA WELCOMES NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dr. Williams currently serves on the Board of Trustees for As Our Own, which is a Christbased, community-driven movement in India that rescues vulnerable children from certain enslavement and exploitation, caring for them as our own. He is a member of the Christian Education Charitable Trust Core Team, focused on empowering and enriching the Christian school endeavor. He serves as a mentor for the Gordon College Graduate Leadership Program.
DR. JEFF D. WILLIAMS has served as the head of school for King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Georgia, since July 2017. Originally from Dallas, Dr. Williams studied Christianity and Communications at Baylor University and Houston Baptist University. He later received his Master of Arts in Counseling from Denver Seminary and his Doctor of Education: Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston. He has held the post of licensed professional counselor in private practice. He was school counselor, head of Middle School and Upper School and head of school at Second Baptist School in Houston for 17 years. He also served as president of the Houston Association of Independent Schools.
TOWARD 2022–23
56 TRINITY
Dr. Williams is the secretary for the Atlanta Christian School Association and a strategic partner with Vanderbloemen Christian executive search firm. He was just the third head of school to be certified by the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability. His interests include spending time with family, studying God’s Word, running, reading, golf, fly fishing and backpacking. Dr. Williams and his wife Allison have three adult daughters. Lindsey is in Atlanta, Callie in Dallas, and Abby is a student at Baylor University.
Dr. Williams is elated at the opportunity to return to his alma mater and serve the Trinity Christian Academy community.
LOOKINGTODAY
Keep up to date on all things TCA The Let’s Talk TCA podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at the people, the purpose and all the things that make TCA the amazing community it is! Let’s Talk TCA is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and also on the TCA website. Scan this QR code to view all episodes on Apple Podcasts: Scan this QR code to view all episodes on WatchSpotify:your email and our social media channels for new episodes! GO FOR IT! Become a member of the Athletic Booster Club and help us score a win by equipping and supporting our athletes. In addition to purchases for fall and winter sports, we were able to purchase the following for spring sports this year: JOIN THE ATHLETIC BOOSTER CLUB ON NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY, SEPTEMBER 22. TROJAN LIFE Tom Landry Stadium fence wrap Media production equipment MCB girls locker room update Flash timing camera system for track Baseball equipment Softball equipment ATC training equipment Team Trainingbannersroom rehab equipment
THE LADY TROJAN BASKETBALL TEAM’S highlights for the 2021–22 season include a third-place finish in the Tyler Bishop Gorman tournament, defeating several East Texas schools and enjoying some great team bonding. In December, TCA won the challenging Highway 5 tournament, hosted at Anna High School. The girls defeated playoff teams Caddo Mills and Denison to claim the title.
OLIVIA BRENNAN (below-left) was selected all-tournament for both tournaments, as was GRACE LEVERTON , who also was selected MVP of the Highway 5 tournament. No doubt the signature win of the season came on February 8 when TCA avenged a 35-point loss to PCA earlier in the season with a thrilling 52-51 win! Grace Leverton received a picture-perfect pass from SCHUYLER NOORDHOFF (belowright) and made the layup at the buzzer. Pandemonium ensued as the fans rushed the court.
HALLE HERMES – Honorable Mention All-District, Team MVP JEFF M
ATHLETICS 58 TRINITY TODAY PHOTOS:
Six seniors left a lasting mark on the girls basketball program, and they will be sorely missed. Congratulations to the following athletes for receiving honors:
Grace Leverton- First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State Schuyler Noordhoff – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State, career leader in blocks in career, season and game. Schuyler leaves with over 1,000 points and over 500 rebounds in her career.
c WHORTER ’05
Schuyler Noordhoff, Audrey Spence, Lynnson Fort, Grace Leverton, Olivia Brennan and Halle Hermes celebrate a win along with the other Lady Trojans.
Olivia Brennan – First Team All-District, Second Team All-State, Academic AllState. Olivia leaves TCA with just about every shooting record and nearly 2,000 points in her career.
SPORTS BEAT SUMMER 2022 59 BASKETBALLVARSITY
TROJAN BOYS BASKETBALL had a solid year on the court this year with a team that only returned one starter from the previous season in junior BLAKE MUSCHALEK (above). With 19 wins and a third-place finish in District 2, which produced the eventual 6A state champion, the highlights of the season included a win over number-four-ranked Bishop Lynch that ended a six-year drought to the Friars as well as regular season wins over top-tenranked UIL 4A opponent Van Alstyne and number-ten-ranked Nolan Catholic. The team showed steady improvement as the year progressed, most noticeably on the defensive end of the floor, which helped the Trojans to a 15-3 record when holding opponents to 49 points or less. Junior Blake Mushalek provided the bulk of scoring production for the Trojans with 23 points per game, which was fourth in DFW for all schools and players. In December Blake scored his 1,000th career point as a TCA Trojan and was named District 2 Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-State, First Team All-District and Academic All-State for a clean sweep of TAPPS 6A accolades.
Senior MARKUS SCHUMACHER (right) was also recognized as District Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-District and Academic All-State.
ATHLETICS 60 TRINITY TODAY PHOTOS: JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
THE TROJAN VARSITY CHEERLEADERS had a great year cheering on the championship-winning football team and basketball teams at TCA this past school year. Returning to a full slate of creating routines, putting on pep rallies, performing at games and decorating the Upper School allowed the cheerleaders to bolster school spirit and support the many wonderful sports programs. Highlights for the squad this year included cheering at The Star in Frisco and at the championship football game as well as rocking out at an 80s/neon-themed blackout pep rally in the fall. Captain OLIVIA PRIEST, CoCaptains EMILY MORRIS and MARY LAUREN WESTOVER and Spirit Officer KATIE REDING led the team with creativity, joy and passion, creating a united squad and a bonded atmosphere that was filled with fun and laughter. Additionally, the varsity cheerleaders and JV cheerleaders prepared all season long for the TAPPS cheerleading competition held in December 2021, earning second place overall. Mary Lauren Westover and Olivia Priest received First Team All-State and Academic All-State awards, HAILEY PARMENTER received Honorable Mention All-State and Academic All-State, and EMMA EDMUNDSON received Honorable Mention All-State. Overall, we had a wonderful year of Trojan cheerleading led by an amazing group of seniors, and we thank them for their leadership and investment of spirit to TCA. Go Trojans!
The coaches and parents are proud and amazed how these girls handled this year with grace and resiliency. We will miss our incredible seniors! Go Trojanettes!
THE TROJANETTES took on this year with open arms as they performed numerous events, including a trip to Florida! They were blessed with many opportunities to bond with each other and perform for crowds. The team had a fantastic football season, performing at halftime under the Friday night lights, and they took a trip to Orlando, Florida, where they performed at Universal Studios. The girls had time to attend the parks, ride the coasters, see the attractions and make memories in addition to their outstanding performance. The girls launched their competition season in January at TAPPS, placing fourth overall in the 6A Division II category. Award winners were OLIVIA OUIMETTE and MARY MARGARET BELL (First Team All-State), GRACE ANDERSON (Second Team All-State) and KATELYN LONG (All-State Honorable Mention). They placed first runner-up overall as a team in their second competition with Crowd Pleasers Dance, and the officers won Grand Champion Overall in small varsity classic division. The season ended with a spectacular Tuscany-themed banquet hosted by the social officers at Maggiano’s. Director awards were presented to Grace Anderson for Radiance, CHLOE BORUD for Beautiful Transformation, LILLY PARRILL for Miss Congeniality and MADDIE M c MULLEN for Team Leader. The Trojanettes were faced with many challenges this year, but one thing that remained strong and true was the meaning and heart behind their dancing ”Dancing for Him.”
Congratulations to these wrestlers for their team awards: Wrestler of the Year – Heath Booker Coaches’ Award – Mark Nilson and Maxwell Morland Newcomer of the Year – The Rookie Class: CHRISTIAN YANG, PARKER WALTON, CALEB OLSON, BROOKS LOUKAS, PEYTON BOAZ and MATTHEW CORTEZ
SPORTS BEAT SUMMER 2022 61
WRESTLINGVARSITY CHEER TROJANETTES
OUR TCA WRESTLERS had a season of rebuilding in 2021–22. With several first-year wrestlers on the squad, combined with returning some key veterans, the Trojan wrestlers finished in sixth place at the TAPPS State Wrestling Championships. At the championships, two Trojan wrestlers earned TAPPS All-State honors. Senior HEATH BOOKER (below-top) finished in first place in the 170-pound weight class, and senior MARK NILSON (below-bottom) finished in third place in the 285-pound weight class. Both Heath and Mark also earned TAPPS Academic All-State honors. Additionally, Heath earned Texas Prep All-State honors at the Texas Prep State Wrestling tournament. Heath and Mark led the team as captains along with junior MAXWELL MORLAND Throughout the season, the team examined the concept of personal responsibility from a biblical perspective within both individual and group/team settings. The team verse was John 17:4: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”
TROJAN VARSITY BOYS SOCCER had a great year, finishing second in district and advancing to the quarter finals in the state tournament. What jelled the team this year was their joy of being together. They had some great victories and tough losses through the season, but the team’s attitude the next day was always positive and steady. They showed up everyday committed and focused on achieving their goals as a team in good spirits. Selected for First Team All-District were JOHN BADGER (far right), BRODY DAVIS and BROOKS KRANTZ (right), Selected for Second Team All-District were WESTY M c CABE, JACK REA and CONNOR WINES . The team also had four players nominated for Honorable Mention All-District: KYLE CAUSEY, REX DAY, CHARLIE FRANKIE and BEN SORGEN John Badger was selected for Second Team All-State and was the district Goalie of the Year. Additionally, three athletes received Academic All-State recognition: Brooks Krantz, Jack Rea and Connor Wines Coach Zach Loyd expressed his thanks: “I appreciate all the seniors who led the team well this year and were a joy to coach. Thank you for all that you all have done for our soccer program. You all will be missed.”
ATHLETICS 62 TRINITY TODAY
SOCCERVARSITY
PHOTOS: JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
THE 2021-22 LADY TROJAN SOCCER season was a rollercoaster ride of success, struggles and great growth. Early in the season the team outscored our four opponents 19-1 in the Tyler Winter Classic, showing their talent and grit, which would both be needed throughout the season. Stepping into district proved a difficult task with many team victories, despite it not always showing on the final scoreboard. For example, in both matches versus perennial powerhouse Ursuline, The Lady Trojans’ offense produced goals in the run of play. Additionally, against the eventual state champions John Paul II, the ladies scored in both matches. The team’s grit really showed through in a must-win match over Parish to go to playoffs. A close first match was not repeated as they handily beat Parish 4-0 in the second meeting. Playoffs had the Lady Trojans facing Nolan Catholic at their home field. The team’s determined defense was able to frustrate Nolan a majority of the match, just falling short at the end. The growth in the ladies’ effort, character and drive by the end of the season was clear to see. Many standout players contributed to the success of the team. Captains CECILIA BANDEROB, EMILY KERAMIDES, ANNABEL LEE and ALYSSA CLEMOVITZ led the team on and off the field. ANNA HEIDELBAUGH , with 21 goals, HANNAH SCHNEIDER , with 14, and SYDNEY RIDNOUR , with 8, led the team in scoring, and the assist leaders were ALY HEIDELBAUGH , Anna Heidelbaugh and Sydney Ridnour. District awards were received by Anna Heidelbaugh (Second Team Offense), Annabel Lee (Second Team Defense), Alyssa Clemovitz (Honorable Mention Keeper) and CATE POU (Honorable Mention Midfield), with Anna and Annabel also receiving Academic All-State recognition. As voted by their team, Anna Heidelbaugh received the team MVP award, Annabel Lee and Cate Pou received the Heart award, and newcomers Josie Raftelis and Emilie Wong were voted Most Improved. Coach Blocker, Coach Fusco and Coach Pedroso are so proud of all the girls for their effort, heart and drive throughout the season.
TCA SOFTBALL
SPORTS BEAT
The highlight of district was Senior Night on April 19. The team celebrated five wonderful seniors: AMELIA CORLISS, ANNA ROUSSOS, JULIANA VOTH, BLAIRE WEISS and ELIZABETH WILLIAMS . Then the girls went out and beat Bishop Lynch, a team that would eventually finish second in the state.
In addition to Avery, junior PEYTON HATFIELD (left) was named First Team All-District. She had a great year splitting time between third base and catcher. Amelia Corliss finished her playing career with her best year and was named Second Team All-District, as were freshman MAE SHARPE and junior KATE SOLOMON . Kate also led the team in batting average in district. Freshmen ANN MARIE MARTINEZ and NATALIE PEREZ were named Honorable Mention All-District along with Juliana Voth. The coaches were blessed by these dedicated players and had a blast coaching them this year. With the youth of the TCA softball team, the future is bright.
2021–22 was yet another season of God blessing the program, the coaches and players. The theme for the year was “God over everything.” Coach Yanof commented, “Instead of faith as a Sunday-only exercise or a box we check, our faith is our foundation, transcends everything we do and is our motivation for it. This includes softball, school, relationships and our identity.”
SOFTBALLVARSITY
As district began, the team started as many as five freshmen at times. Sophomore AVERY BOOKER (right) again took the circle as the Lady Trojans’ ace pitcher. By year’s end, she was named Co-Pitcher of the Year for district and repeated as First Team All-District. She was also named Second Team AllState. Competition was again stiff in the best TAPPS 6A district in the state.
The team began the year competing against some of the best teams in the state, including some UIL 5A and 6A teams. Some unforgettable moments this year included playing tournament games in wind chill temperatures dropping below 30 degrees!
JENNA LOWREY (right-top) – Second Team AllState, Academic All-State, Track MVP, Most Encouraging
Five swimmers received Academic All-State recognition: ALY BAYLISS, ALLY GERARD, EVAN OLSON, MASON SMITH and ANNA SOMICH . We would also like to give a special shout-out to our seniors: Aly Bayliss, SAMUEL RODRIGUEZ (left-bottom), MADYSON BENSCHNEIDER and Anna Somich. We will miss you all next year and wish you the best as you head to college!
THE VARSITY GIRLS TRACK & FIELD TEAM proved this year that the thing most to be admired about them is their determination. All season long, any time they stepped out on the track, they were determined to run their best on that day. Each meet they improved their times and saw success, including winning the Tom Landry Invitational this year. New school records were set, personal bests were obtained, and they qualified more individual events to the TAPPS State Championships than in previous years. At the state meet, each one stepped on the track ready to compete, and some ran their best times of the season. Congratulations to the team on a tremendous season and to the following athletes for TAPPS and team awards:
ALYSSA CLEMOVITZ (right-bottom) – Academic All-State, Leadership Award
ANNABEL LEE – Academic All-State HEATHER BROWNLEE – Field MVP
ELIOT BROOKSHIRE – Rookie of the Year
RACHEL RICE – Rookie of the Year
ELLA EUBANKS – Most Improved JEFF M c WHORTER
64 TRINITY TODAYATHLETICS PHOTOS:
EMILY JONES – Track & Field Trojan Heart Award
’05 SWIMMINGVARSITY
THE TROJAN SWIM TEAM finished off a phenomenal 2021-22 season in February at the State Championship Meet in San Antonio. The swimmers’ months of hard work paid off as they attended multiple meets, and throughout the season saw five school records broken! Of the twelve swimmers on the team this year, 75 percent qualified for state. One of the team’s favorite comeback stories of the season was at the state meet. SOPHIA PFANNSTIEL (left-top) completed her 100 butterfly in the top three but was unfortunately disqualified. She rallied and later won first place in the 500 freestyle with a new school record! Sophia was a great example of leadership and perseverance. We can’t wait to see what she does next year!
SHANNON DUNIGAN – Academic All-State
HUNTER SPRINGER (right) - Qualified for State in high jump; Academic All-State; Most points scored; Field MVP
REED NEATHERLIN - Honorable Mention All-State: 4x400 Relay, Third Place team; Academic All-State
THE TCA BOYS TRACK & FIELD TEAM anticipated this season being a rebuilding year, having lost several key athletes from the previous year. The boys improved individually and as a team each week and placed in the top three as a team in several meets. They qualified for the State Championship meet in seven events and were awarded one Second Team All-State and five Honorable Mention All-State honors. Additionally, five athletes received Academic All-State recognition. Congratulations to the team on a great season and to these boys for their awards:
BROOKS HIGGINBOTHAM (below)– Second Team All-State: 400m, Second Place; 4x400 Relay, Third Place team
MAX WHELESS – Academic All-State
LUKE TREDENNICK (below) – Honorable Mention All-State in two events: 100m, Third Place, and 4x400 Relay, Third Place team; Qualified for State in three events; Academic All-State; Second most points scored; Track MVP
SPORTS BEAT SUMMER 2022 65 FIELD&TRACKVARSITY
BROOKS KRANTZ – Academic All-State
RYAN ELMS - Honorable Mention All-State: 4x400 Relay, Third Place team
PHOTOS: JEFF M c WHORTER ’0566 TRINITY TODAY
ATHLETICS
TENNISVARSITY
A second team title in district with a state finish of third overall Two back-to-back state championships
Two district runner-ups
RECAP OF THE LAST FIVE SEASONS OF TCA TENNIS: Two district championships
Seniors
A first team title as Co-District Champions
Daniel Baker, Kaylee Connell, Lynnson Fort, MARYMICHAEL GRAHAM, CARSON SHELDON, LUKE STANTON, Sydney Wayte and CONNOR WINES did an outstanding job on the court this year and throughout their high school tennis careers. Coach Hagan couldn’t be prouder: “I know you will be a light on your new campus. You have been an absolute blessing to TCA tennis and a joy to coach. I pray you will impact many lives for God’s glory.”
A state runner-up
2022 District Coach of the Year
THE TCA TENNIS TEAM overcame adversity with redemptive wins in a variety of matches and grew as a team this season. There were many laughs, a few tears, grit, hustle, surprise, heartbreak, team titles, doors opened and humility gained! In head-to-head match play, the TCA boys team was undefeated, winning all seven counters. TCA girls won six of seven counters. Collectively in overall matches prior to district, the TCA boys team went 49-11, an 82-percent win rate. TCA girls team went 27-9 for a 75-percent win rate. Ursuline girls handed the girls seven of these losses. Otherwise, the girls posted a 27-2 record and a 93-percent win rate. The team had an excellent showing in TAPPS district play, with doubles team BLAKE MUSCHALEK and DAVID BOYLAN (right) placing first, WYATT MERRILL and JOSHUA STAZ placing second, KAYLEE CONNELL and SYDNEY WAYTE (far right) placing third, COURTNEY ANDERSON and LYNNSON FORT placing fourth and DANIEL BAKER (below) placing fourth in boys singles. This was the first time in many seasons that the Trojans were able to qualify all doubles teams and a singles line for the TAPPS 6A State Competition. The TCA boys team was also named 2022 District Co-Champions Daniel Baker, David Boylan, DYLAN KINLEY, Wyatt Merrill, Blake Muschalek and Joshua Staz. In the TAPPS 6A State Competition, Connell and Wayte made a strong run to the quarters, losing to eventual finalists St. Agnes 6-4, 6-4. Anderson and Fort played their hearts out, dropping their opening match to number-three-seeded El Paso 7-5, 3-6, 10-12. Merrill and Staz also dropped their opening round in a slugfest battle vs. a tough Beaumont team 6-1, 6-7, 6-10. Daniel Baker dropped his opening round to number-three-seeded Beaumont 6-1, 6-1. Boylan and Muschalek won the state finals vs. number-two-seeded Cathedral El Paso 5-7, 7-6, 6-4. This was Boylan and Muschalek’s second state title. TCA boys team also placed third in overall points at the state meet.
There were so many exciting moments with the TCA community this season. On Little Trojan Night, hundreds of fans came out for Trojan Baseball against HSAA. The little Trojans were able to meet the players, get autographs and run bases. Our alumni game was a blast. We had a bounce house, snow cones and alumni batting practice. On Senior Night, we had a walk-off win vs. Little Elm and honored our seniors, Heath Booker, Ben Francis, Charlie Franke and Will Martin. The future looks bright for Trojan baseball, with many returning varsity starters and a JV squad that got better and better throughout the season. We look forward to next season having our fans come out and support our Trojan baseball team!
AJAY GOLUGURI (right-bottom) - Second Team All-District, Academic All-State
SPORTS BEAT BASEBALLVARSITY
WILLIAM LEHMAN (right-middle) - First Team All-District, Second Team All-State, Team “Gold Glove” award
JOSHUA LIU - Second Team All-District, Academic All-State
HEATH BOOKER - “TEAMme” award
BEN FRANCIS - Honorable Mention All-District, Team Steve Adair award
BRETTON BRANTLEY - “TEAMme” award
STEVEN RAMOS (right-top) – First Team All-District, First Team All-State, District Offensive Player of the Year, Team MVP and “Big Stick” award
THE TROJAN BASEBALL TEAM completed the season with a 16-14 record. This season was full of ups and downs. The team traveled to Austin during spring break and played five games, winning three. It was a wonderful opportunity to travel as a team and compete on the road. A highlight of the season was beating Prestonwood Christian Academy at home, 9-3. The Trojans won five district games, and our last game of the season was a play-in game against Parish Episcopal School at Dallas Baptist University. It was a great atmosphere at a beautiful Congratulationsfacility.to these players for their district, state and team awards:
HAYDEN HEFLIN - Honorable Mention All-District, Team “The DUDE” award
CHARLIE FRANKE - Honorable Mention All-District
DANIEL RICHARDSON - “TEAMme” award
WILL MARTIN - Second Team AllDistrict, Academic All-State, Team “The Fireman” award, Team Steve Adair award
All-State: Aidan Dortch, Westy McCabe, Sean Meador, Nate Miller and John Montgomery
Trojan MVP: Lucas Walsh Trojan Good Shepherd Award: Jack Morrison (right) Mr. Trojan Award (honoring Stephen Lietzke): John Montgomery
THE TCA BOYS GOLF TEAM captured the TAPPS 6A State Championship for the fifth consecutive year and the tenth title over the past thirteen years. During the season, the team competed in fourteen golf tournaments and won seven titles, including the state championship. Other titles included the Glen Rose Invitational, the inaugural TAPPS Fall Match Play, the West Texas Match Play, the East Texas Challenge and both the District and Regional TAPPS tournaments. This year’s team included seniors WESTY M c CABE, JACK MORRISON and LUCAS WALSH , juniors
ATHLETICS GOLFBOYSVARSITY
LUKE BENNETT, HARRISON CROW and JOHN MONTGOMERY, sophomores
All-District: Aidan Dortch, Deacon Dortch, David Kramp, Westy McCabe and Nate Miller
EVAN ACEVEDO, AIDAN DORTCH, DEACON DORTCH and DAVID KRAMP and freshmen CARSON HARRIS, SEAN MEADOR and NATE MILLER Trojan golfers also earned the following TAPPS and team recognition:
All-Region: Aidan Dortch, Deacon Dortch, Westy McCabe, Sean Meador, Nate Miller and John Montgomery
(The Trojans set a TAPPS state record with five players from the same school earning All-State honors.)
PHOTOS: JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
Sophomore BAILEE DORTCH (right) was truly the most improved of the team, with her overall scoring averages improving 13 strokes from last year. Her average score for the year was 88, posting her best score of a 75 to take a second-place individual title. Bailee finished the year with excellent post-season play and placing 8th at state.
Freshman SOPHIA LATHAM (far left) had the lowest score for the team in tournament play eight out of thirteen rounds. Her average score was 83, with her best score of 73 posted at the regional tournament. She finished the season with a 78 at state. Her individual titles were very impressive with two second-place finishes, one fourth-place finish, two sixth-place finishes, one seventh-place finish, one tenth-place finish, fifth at regionals and fifth at state.
SPORTS BEAT SUMMER 2022 69 GOLFGIRLSVARSITY
THE LADY TROJAN GOLF TEAM had a busy and successful year, having competed in eleven tournaments. Among the tournaments, they placed as a team first in one tournament, second in six tournaments, third in one tournament, fourth in two tournaments and seventh in one tournament.
Also playing at the state tournament this year for the team were sophomore ALLY LEE and freshman ABBY JUN . All of the Lady Trojans played amazing at the state tournament, with difficult weather conditions of heat and wind. The team brought home the TAPPS 2022 State Runner-Up trophy, just missing the title by one stroke. TCA was the only team at the state tournament to have three individuals finish in the top ten.
Coach Susan Cannon and Coach Abby Lanning were very proud of the performance of all the members of the team this year. Way to go, Lady Trojans!
Sophomore BAILEY ELLSWORTH (left) was named the Lady Trojan’s MVP for the season, completing the season with lowest score for the team in tournament play five times. Her average score for the year was 84, with very successful post-season play, posting a 77 at regionals and a 79 at state. Her individual titles were also very impressive with one firstplace finish, one second-place finish, fifth at districts, seventh at regionals and sixth at state.
ALUMNI 70 TRINITY TODAY UR SPRING ALUMNI WEEKEND was held on April 22 24, and it was a resounding success!
The Alumni Association hosted the Spring Alumni Weekend kickoff event at The Star in Frisco on Friday, April 22. Over 200 TCA alumni attended the event, in addition to over 25 former and current administrators, teachers and coaches. It was great to see familiar faces and meet new people as well. For me, I had the opportunity to catch up with my seventh-grade football coach, Ed Aronson, my sixth-grade teacher, Dennis Saffold, and my eighth-grade science teacher, Bill Lipman. I can still recall Coach Aronson instilling “The Five P’s” in the football team: “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Teachers and coaches like Ed, Dennis and Bill truly had a lasting impact on my life, and I’m forever grateful for their instruction.
On Saturday, several individual classes hosted class reunions, and the alumni baseball team played the TCA varsity baseball team. The TCA alumni team was comprised of players from classes spanning 1976 to 2019, and despite an excellent effort, the alumni team lost to a very talented varsity team by a score of 15-6. Don English, the TCA boys athletic director, who was recently inducted into the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and Craig Sites ’97 coached the alumni team. Several alumni players made impressive plays, including Matt Biermacher ’01, who recorded the first ever stolen base by an alumnus, and Blake March ’19 and David Purcey ’01 had impressive outings on the mound.
BRANDON WADDELL ’97 the PresidentAssociation
Alumni
SPRING PHOTOS: MICHAEL CHAN
Alumni Association President O Letter from
The weekend concluded with a matinee production of the TCA Upper School spring musical, Matilda ! We had a wonderful turnout of alumni and their families for the event. I continue to be honored to serve as the president of the TCA Alumni Association, and I’d like to thank the entire Alumni Association board and our director of alumni, Beth Harwell, for their dedication and efforts in making Spring Alumni Weekend a success. We are already planning for our event next year, and we hope that you can attend. May God continue to bless TCA!
SUMMER 2022 71 ALUMNI WEEKEND
MEDICAL PHYSICIST
PHOTOS: JEFF M c WHORTER ’05
In this issue, we spotlight siblings Mason Anders ’05 and Brittney Anders ’07, who both have found their calling in the medical field.
M RI, CT, X-RAY, FLUOROSCOPY, mammography and ultrasound: quite a mouthful to the average person, but just another day in the office for Dr. Mason Anders ’05, a medical physicist whose days range from time spent at work on diagnostic and nuclear medicine physics to playing dolls with his three daughters aged six and under.Mason, who spent grades K–12 at TCA, always gravitated toward science, with his favorite memories including playing Oregon Trail and Sim City in the Lower School computer lab as well as building a toothpick bridge and mousetrap car for science projects. He notes that “TCA is special because of the rigorous educational standards in a Christian environment” as well as crediting the strong academics at TCA with directly inspiring his future career: “I was able to become a diagnostic medical physicist because I fell in love with physics in Mr. Acker’s two physics classes. I was very well prepared for my math and physics majors in college because of my great math and science teachers at TCA.” In addition to his love for science, TCA gave Mason deep roots in the humanities. Mason notes that his first college English class resulted in his first A in college: “It was a breeze because I was so prepared!” In addition to academics, Mason was formed by loving and engaging teachers and coaches at TCA. “In middle school we did a band lock-in with Mr. Taylor. We watched the original Time Machine movie, and at the scariest part, he popped out of nowhere and slammed the cymbals as loud as he could! In high school, I loved singing in choir with Mrs. Browning, especially singing a cappella. Through baseball, Coach Sharp helped me to have confidence that I later used to get through hard times. The teachers at TCA provided so much wisdom during their classes about relationships, marriage, finances and faith.” Extracurricular activities provided fun but also character formation for Mason. “I loved being a Sky Ranch and Wilderness Trip counselor because I could mentor younger kids.” He has
72 TRINITYALUMNITODAY
Dr. Mason Anders ’05
During graduate school, Mason met and married his wife Courtney, and they now have three beautiful girls: Daphne (6), Helen (4) and Mary Mason (2). Mason and Courtney moved to Dallas, where Mason spent two years at UT Southwestern doing radiation oncology medical physics postdoctoral research, and then moved again to the Atlanta area for a diagnostic medical physics residency.
“We loved our time in Georgia and miss our small church community very much. It seems like these days, everyone strives for the next job with higher pay, ditching community to pursue the next short-term pleasure or entertainment. [Christian thinker]
Rod Dreher calls this cultural moment ‘liquid modernity’ where everything is constantly questioned and up for grabs. My faith and participation in the local church keeps me grounded to withstand everything the culture is throwing my family’s way.”
SUMMER 2022 73
After graduating from TCA in 2005, Mason played baseball for four years at West Virginia University and Austin College. He came back to Texas, spending six years at Texas A&M to earn a PhD in theoretical nuclear physics. Mason’s life at Texas A&M “felt like The Big Bang Theory TV show; we even had a physicist named Sheldon!” During graduate school, Mason’s faith bloomed as he began exploring theology, and he “started to take the Bible very seriously. The seeds planted at TCA grew to fruition. My parents, childhood church and TCA were all formative in giving me that simple but strong faith that Jesus is the only way and hope in life. It got me through a very hostile environment in college with its hedonism and atheistic naturalism.”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT many happy memories from baseball, including once when he hit a single, double and homerun in the one game. Many chapel messages have stayed with him, teaching that “the Bible had the answers to every area of life. TCA prepared me for adult life by giving me a foundation of faith and a Christ-centered education.”
“Ourmyhealingbringgetmiracle.systemhealthcareisamodernIamgladItobeapartofittoGod’sgraceandtothesickinownsmallway.”
Mason, Courtney and the girls moved back to Dallas in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, and Mason now works for a consulting company as a diagnostic medical physicist. He travels to do diagnostic medical physics surveys for clients all over Texas and across the country, checking CT, MRI, X-ray, fluoroscopy, mammography and ultrasound machines to “ensure a good balance between image quality and patient dose of radiation.” He travels often and finds that “sometimes on the road I am able to reach out to people when the opportunity arises to show them God’s grace. In our atomistic world, it’s always amazing to see someone who is having a down day respond to someone who actually cares how they are Hisdoing.”job may sound like something out of science fiction, but that’s exactly what makes Mason so grateful: “Our healthcare system is a modern miracle as compared to the vast majority of human history. I am glad I get to be a part of it to bring God’s grace and healing to the sick in my own small way. Jesus’s resurrection gives us hope for the glorious physical resurrection in the future where sickness and death will be no more.” Though Mason’s imaging machines help battle disease for the present, he knows one day “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26).
OBSTETRICIAN-GYNECOLOGIST
Anders
74 TRINITY
Dr.ALUMNITODAYBrittney ’07
HE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD YOUR BABY’S HEARTBEAT. Your newborn’s first cry. The first glimpse of your brand new son or daughter’s face.
“For thirteen solid years, TCA was an academic environment that trained and prepared me for my daily walk as a Christian believer. I was fully engaged with teachers who taught a biblical worldview. I was able to experience the presence of God in our weekly chapels and worship time. My Bible teachers taught me how to dive deep into the Word of God and apply my learnings to personal life,” Brittney recalls, grateful for the deep roots of faith she found at TCA. Of all the academic and faith formation she received at TCA, she notes that “the most important lesson I learned as a TCA student from a godly staff was how to stand firm in my Christian faith when challenged by worldly influences and corrupt values.”
PHOTOS: JEFF where she “had the greatest time competing with friends against schools like Nolan, Bishop Lynch and Prestonwood.”
For parents, these are unforgettable, once-in-alifetime moments. For Dr. Brittney Anders ’07, they are the sweet, daily reminders of her passion for serving women as an ob-gyn.
Brittney was challenged by rigorous academics, recalling that “TCA prepared me to work and study hard, persevere through difficulties and develop self-discipline.” After
M c WHORTER ’05
Long before Brittney was bringing children into the world, she enjoyed a happy childhood at TCA. Her favorite Lower School memory happened at just age six when she was Kindergarten Teacher For The Day: “I loved grading papers and giving out decorative stamps and stickers to my classmates in Mrs. Woodward’s class.” Brittney and a friend even got to spray paint their names on the Rock on TCA’s campus. Like many generations of TCA students, Brittney loved being in the musical production of “In God We Trust,” where she honed her rapping skills in the role of Eagle Eye. As she moved to the Upper School, her favorite memories came from volleyball and basketball, T
While work in her field can have high highs and low lows, her favorite part is everyday interactions: “I get to strike up twenty different conversations with my patients every day, whether I’m trying to address a health issue or simply being a listening ear for someone who needs to talk. God is using me as a Christian physician to support and love patients. I always find women are receptive to me praying over them and asking God for physical or emotional healing.”
Following college, she pursued medical school at Texas A&M Health Science Center and then residency training as a physician for obstetrics and gynecology. During her residency at Baylor University Medical Center, she was awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Award for four consecutive years. She received the Outstanding Resident Award for Baylor University Medical Center at the Southwestern Gynecologic Assembly and served as chief administrative resident in her final year. Today, Brittney resides in Dallas with her husband John Hoehn and daughter Caroline.
graduating from TCA in 2007, she studied biomedical science at Texas A&M. During college, “the Lord provided me the opportunity to attend a medical mission trip in the Philippines. At that time, the Lord specifically called me into women’s healthcare.” Brittney has also served in Peru and Guatemala, and she hopes to continue medical mission trips in the future.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Dr. Brittney Anders Hoehn ’07 performs an ultrasound for one of her patients, who is expecting her baby soon, and checks on some records with one of her staff members at Legacy Women’s Health in Dallas.
Thinking back on her years at TCA, Brittney is full of gratitude: “I feel blessed to have had a rich foundation and education from TCA. I’m excited to send my children to TCA in the future and continue the relationship I have with this amazing Christian school.”
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“I continue to do the work God called me into as an ob-gyn at Baylor University Medical Center. Teaching medical residents and medical students while working in private practice is my passion. And the most amazing gift is to help bring a baby into the world and be a part of that special moment when families meet their new little one for the first time.”
Even though bringing babies into the world is routine for an ob-gyn, Brittney never forgets the wonder of her work. “It is a glimpse of a miracle when a newly pregnant woman has an ultrasound and we see life in the womb at only a few weeks old. I love to share the sanctity and miracle of life with my patients as a true gift from God. Although some days are hard, I know God is using me as a servant for His personal glory.”
ACKING UP EVERYTHING HE OWNS. Flying halfway around the world with three children under seven years old. Bravely taking the gospel to unreached people in a difficult country. (Because of security concerns, in this article, we will refer to this as Philip’s story, though that is not his real name.) Like so many thirty-something TCA alums, he was a loving husband and a proud father of three whose business career was taking off in Texas. Yet now Philip and his wife are taking an entirely different path. How did this happen? Let’s go back to the beginning.
76 TRINITY TODAYPhilip (PSEUDONYM USED IN THIS ARTICLE AND FACES NOT SHOWN FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE FAMILY’S IDENTITY)
Philip began a relationship with Christ when he was eight years old, but then his family moved to England for four years. Those were difficult early years of his faith because he found many of his friends in England “spiritually dead,” with few examples of rich and vibrant faith. His family moved to Texas in the middle of his seventh-grade year, and his first day at TCA was somewhat inauspicious as his classmates were all disappointed that the “new kid from England” had a distinct lack of an English accent. However, his first few years at TCA were refreshingly fruitful in the faith department, as Philip found that the “level of intention found in TCA teachers was exceptional. It was a combination of teachers’ care for students beyond just the strong academics that was really special, compared to the two public schools in the US and the international school I had attended in England. At TCA, we just had totally different relationships with our teachers.” He recalls, too, the rigorous academics, particularly learning to juggle “high demands on my schedule, such as having a major test on the Monday after homecoming. . . . A part of me hated it, but it prepared me for juggling the demands of college, and you need small tastes of that in high school.” One particular favorite class was Hank Harmon’s photography class, back when it used a dark room. “I recently visited Mr. Harmon when I was on campus. I connected with Mr. Harmon; his class was never about just photography—it was always relationships, nuggets of truth and care. He loved us. So many Millennials jump around, yet for me to have the stability of relationships with my former teachers lasting almost fifteen years now is special. I loved Coach Kimbrough too—I still remember how his economics class taught me all about taxes.” Not only the joyful moments but also grief and loss made lasting impressions on Philip, as he was at TCA when a science teacher died of cancer. “I saw how much the other teachers really loved her. TCA is full of real relationships, a sense of family, and the school showed its true colors” through that season of grief. Not only his teachers’ faith but that of his classmates inspired Philip, who says that “at TCA, I saw faith as a relationship with Christ lived out among my peers, not just the adults. I met some of my richest, dearest friends to this very day. This past weekend I was in Dallas for just 24 hours, but I made time for lunch with friends I had made at TCA.” Philip remembers the eighth-grade Wilderness trip and the senior trip as particularly significant spiritual milestones that taught him “intangible things that shaped who I became” as an adult. He sums up the spiritual formation at TCA as “a solid faith foundation” that was invaluable before college. Philip journeyed next to Texas A&M, where he chose a rare major: Industrial and Systems Engineering, or the design of processes and people to maximize efficiency,
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Reflecting on this major transition his family will undertake this summer, Philip remembers a quote from Christian hero Elizabeth Elliott: “Sometimes to pray that the Lord’s will be done, you must be willing for your will to be undone.” His advice for current TCA students and parents is that “often TCA students come from blessed families, and there can be pressure from parents to be successful. That may be the way God wants to use you. But all should be willing to go, if God calls you. The best place to be is in God’s will. Research shows that for Christians who felt a call to go but did not, the number one reason was the disapproval or disappointment of their parents.” But Philip knows that for him, his wife and their three children, “we want to surrender to the Lord’s will, no matter how hard or different from my original plans. From the world’s eyes, I am throwing away my career, but from God’s eyes, I’m aligning my future and gifts with His will, which is exactly where I want to be.”
“We want to surrender to the Lord’s will, no matter how hard or different from my original plans.”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT from laying out a theme park to designing grocery stores to minimize waiting in lines. He married after college and landed a prime opportunity with the GE Healthcare Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP). He and his new bride hopscotched the country for two years, completing rotations in Milwaukee, Boston, Chicago, South Carolina, Colorado and Austin. That training program led to a job with Baylor Scott & White where he was charged with designing the layout of three new “micro-hospitals” in the Austin area, all set to open within 18 months of each other. Philip’s team guided the new hospitals through the entire process, from architecture to efficiency training for frontline staff to process management in billing transparency and accuracy. “I was focused on my career,” Philip recalls. “I followed my dad and granddad into business. I went into autopilot about my future,” without much thought about whether God might have a very different plan around the corner. Then the story takes a twist. Between Philip and his wife, they have six family members sharing the gospel in Africa. Philip’s wife began to sense God’s call for them to do the same. “My wife and I really wrestled with it. Going is disruptive. In all honesty, we went to marriage counseling about it, which we really believe is something all healthy marriages should do from time to time. We wanted a unified vision.” After a long season of praying and discernment, one day in a counseling session “my wife prayed, surrendering her vision for our family’s future to God’s will, and I surrendered mine too. Then, just three days later, God stepped in. We got a phone call about a job opening for a business consultant” to support Christians who operate businesses in North Africa while also sharing their faith in those “creative access” countries. “The goal is to share the gospel through and in their businesses. We are transparent—these are genuine businesses, with ministry through business.” Most of the world’s unreached people live in the “10-40 window” between 10 degrees and 40 degrees of latitude, and “the Great Commission still applies regardless of government restrictions. God is creating many avenues through business.”
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“I loved (most of the time!) being a student at TCA. The foundation I got in Bible knowledge and the example I viewed of Christian adults (teachers) shaped my faith and who I am today. Some people might say that sending a child to a private school keeps them too sheltered from the ‘real’ world, but I learned that it made me more ready to face the challenges of the world.
ALUMNITODAY
Letter from the Director of Alumni HE LEGACY CONTINUES!
When it was time for us to choose an educational path for Heather and Nick, Mark and I felt strongly about nurturing them in a Christian environment. The ‘real’ world comes in soon enough! We knew we couldn’t (and shouldn’t) force them to place their faith in Jesus, but we wanted them to have every opportunity to learn about Him while getting a great education. We are blessed to say they both have firm foundations for their faiths.” —Gail Hope Foglietta ’78
“I am thrilled to have my son at TCA. I have a very strong foundation in my faith that is rooted in biblical knowledge. I learned to rely on the Bible and the Lord at TCA. I love that TCA still strives to teach our kids these same principles and knowing that Vince will have this same opportunity. I also have lifelong friends from my time at TCA, and I am excited for Vince to develop these same relationships. It will also be fun to share some of the same traditions with him as I was also able to share with my mom, uncles and cousins. TCA is such a warm and caring community; I know my son is in great hands.” Heather Foglietta Mentesana ’06
—Matt Williams ’05
We are proud to have 121 legacy families with 205 students enrolled for the 2022-23 school year, a 16 percent increase over the past school year.
Gail Hope Foglietta ’78, her daughter Heather Foglietta Mentesana ’06 and Heather’s son Vince and Wayne Williams ’79, his son Matt Williams ’05 and Matt’s son Cole. We asked these families what TCA has meant to them over the years.
What a wonderful testimony these alumni give about their days at TCA and continuing the tradition within their families! As we are approaching our 53rd year as a school, we are hopeful to see even more three-generation families attending TCA. We are thrilled to have our alumni back on campus and active members of our community.
Two of these families have three generations who have attended or are attending TCA:
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BETH HARWELL Director of Alumni T
“TCA means having a lifelong, supportive community. I started at TCA in kindergarten but didn’t fully appreciate the TCA community until after graduating. The teachers and staff continue to impact my life. The families have always been supportive and have helped me so much in my career. When touring TCA before Cole started kindergarten, [Head of School] Mr. Delph and [then-Director of Admission] Mrs. Noland were there to welcome me home. This school has always been home because of the people involved. It’s a blessing to know that my children will have the same support system that I had at TCA.”
OCTOBER 28 – Join us Friday night for the TCA varsity football game and the annual alumni dinner on the Upper School patio, and watch the Trojans defeat the Parish Panthers. While at the Upper School, check out the alumni art show on the second floor. Everything is free to attend, including dinner, for all alumni and their families.
Beth Harwell, director of alumni, and Fran Legband, assistant head of Upper School, visited our alumni at three universities in April 2022 Texas A&M, University of Texas and Baylor University. Beth is full of pride when discussing these trips: “It is so much fun to visit with our alumni and hear about their college days! I am ALWAYS impressed with their academics and the activities they are involved in on each campus! The time I spend with them is precious to me; I get to see first-hand how they blossom and succeed their first year of college! We hope to be back on schedule next spring to visit more universities.”
This fall we will welcome 17 alumni families whose children will start school at TCA. Please join us in welcoming the following new legacy families:
Sarah and Lane Conner ’99 Laura and Nate Henderson ’02 Amanda and Taylor Hinckley ’98 Lauren (Billman) ’02 and Will Iriarte
Jacque (Murray) ’05 and Ross Akers
Jennifer and Andrew Lipman ’02 Haley (Barbaro) ’09 and Hutton Lunsford ’08 Laura (Couch) ’05 and Ben Snead Angie (Spence) ’00 and Drew Mosier Taryn and Adam Spence ’96 Alyssa (Weldon) ’03 and Jeff Stacey Jane (Redfern) ’92 and Garrett Swaldi Jimma and Blake Travis ’08 Carolyn and David Watson ’00 Lane (Wells) ’04 and Maurice Wiggins If you are interested in a tour for your child, please contact Leslie Cotter McCabe ’90 in the Office of Admission at 972-931-8325, ext. 5105.
Mark your calendar now for our alumni preview scheduled this fall on October 25, 2022. STAY CONNECTED Tell us your good news! Engaged? Newly married? Welcoming a new baby? Send us your news along with a picture, and we will post it on our social media pages. Be sure to update your contact information, too, if your name has changed or you need to add a spouse, child, etc. Email Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD Thank you to our Alumni Association board for serving our alumni and TCA during the 2021-22 school year. Brandon Waddell ’97, President Lane Conner ’99, Past President Kate Lynch ’97, Vice President of Communications Ashli Burbridge Avery ’98, Vice President of Legacy Families Jo Ann Ferrell Hodges ’87, Vice President of Community Jackie Schimmer Harrison ’86, Vice President of Alumni Admissions Tyler Galvin ’15, Vice President of Seniors Annie Armes Wood ’14 John Bundren ’10 Haleigh Lee Manhkong ’09 Chris Millet ’82 Michael Novakovich ’15 Justin Ridnour ’90 Erin Vittetoe Hammonds ’97 Beth Harwell, Director of Alumni SUMMER 2022 79 Rhett Rice Robin Baker Rice ’85 Amanda Mowrey Rogers ’88Jackson Rogers Katherine Novakovich Rebecca Grimm Novakovich ’85 Isabella Jackson Melissa Moore Jackson ’87 Katie Johnson Hunter Johnson ’82 Jack Layman Mark Layman ’84Emma LaymanJames Badger Anne Salmon Badger ’90 2022 LEGACY GRADUATES Eleven 2022 graduates are children of TCA alumni. See their senior photos below, along with their alumni parents’ senior photos. Congratulations to these legacy graduates! Weston McCabe Leslie Cotter McCabe ’90 Randy McCabe ’90 Olivia Priest Debra Dossett Priest ’91 Blake Priest ’92 Mary Lauren Westover Tricia Nolley Westover ’86
FOLLOW US www.instagram.com/tca_TCAAlumniAddisonwww.facebook.com/ alumni_ addison NEW LEGACY FAMILIES
Frances (Russell) ’10 and Zachary Allen Carley and Justin Arnett ’05 Mackenzie (Longbotham) ’09 and Jason Barrentine Lindsey and Tyler Burns ’09
UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS COLLEGE VISITS
HOMECOMING ALUMNI DINNER
Leslie (True) ’00 and Spencer Carlson Rebecca (Beckett) ’04 and Robby Cohenour ’04
IN MEMORIAM SUMMER Edward2022Michael Bator, alumni parent, current parent, faculty spouse January 23, 2022 Stephanie Diane Callison, alumni parent February 6, 2022 Jeffery Michael Dixon, alumni parent February 16, 2022 Charles Erikson, alumni parent March 8, 2022 Russell John Rieman Jr., alumni parent March 30, 2022 John Schimmer Jr., former headmaster (1973–1978), alumni parent April 30, 2022 Jeff Colquitt, alumni parent May 8, 2022
ADVENTURING ON GOD’S PATH TCA eigth-graders hike in to camp for the first day of the annual Wilderness Trip in Ozark Mountains, along with the juniors and seniors who serve as their camp counselors for the week. This year, Wilderness was another great opportunity for Middle School graduates to grow through physical, emotional and spiritual challenges and to be welcomed into the Upper School community as they enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation with the older students and Upper School faculty.
LAST WORD WILDERNESS PHOTO BY ETHAN FRANCIS
17001 Addison Road Addison, TX 75001 © 2022 TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, PRINTED BY MILLET THE PRINTER, DALLAS, TEXAS NOTE TO PARENTS If this publication is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org of his or her new mailing address. Thank you!
