You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Magazine<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Edition<br />
Cover story:<br />
Light the Way<br />
Becomes a Reality<br />
page 3
<strong>2017</strong> Eagle’s <strong>Eye</strong><br />
Volume 21<br />
Promise Statement<br />
Centered in the shared love of Christ,<br />
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is the college-preparatory,<br />
preschool through grade 12 independent school<br />
that inspires and challenges students to discover, hone,<br />
and steward their one-of-a-kind gifts<br />
as they come to know themselves as distinct<br />
and unconditionally loved creations of God.<br />
CHCA’s vibrant, multi-denominational family of learners<br />
creates a sheltering—but not sheltered—<br />
environment where, supporting each other and guided<br />
by expert Christian teachers,<br />
students wrestle with increasingly complex,<br />
timeless, essential questions in order<br />
to strengthen their minds and their faith.<br />
Beginning with the end in mind, CHCA graduates<br />
young adults fully prepared to succeed in college and beyond;<br />
to engage effectively and lovingly with different cultures,<br />
viewpoints, and ideas; and to achieve significant impact<br />
and influence with discerning wisdom, courageous curiosity,<br />
and resilient Christian faith—<br />
where others pull back, they lean into life.<br />
Editor:<br />
Jennifer Murphy<br />
Assistant Editor:<br />
Tammy Rosenfeldt<br />
Photographers:<br />
Judi Alvarado<br />
Veronica Guerrero<br />
Dan Ledbetter<br />
Tammy Rosenfeldt<br />
Contributors:<br />
Adam Atallah ‘07<br />
Cathy Andry<br />
Randy Brunk<br />
Julie Carnes<br />
Tim Hilderbrand<br />
Susan Jung<br />
Jim Lipovsky, PhD<br />
Amy Lutts<br />
Ben Panzeca ’16<br />
Sarah Robinson ’09<br />
Tammy Rosenfeldt<br />
Rebecca Sequeira<br />
Emma Shank ‘18<br />
Mona Summers<br />
Christie Taylor ’11<br />
Emma Treadway ’18<br />
Eagle’s <strong>Eye</strong> Magazine<br />
Eagle’s <strong>Eye</strong> is published<br />
annually by Cincinnati Hills<br />
Christian Academy<br />
Please send address changes to<br />
Diane.Taylor@chca-oh.org or<br />
513.247.0900<br />
Visit us on the web<br />
at chca-oh.org<br />
On the cover:<br />
The transformation of CHCA’s Founders’<br />
Campus (formerly Middle School) now<br />
includes Upper Elementary Grades 4-6.<br />
Follow CHCA on Facebook<br />
facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy<br />
Follow CHCA<br />
on Twitter @GoCHCA<br />
Follow CHCA<br />
on Instagram @GoCHCA
Table of Contents<br />
Dynamically Engaged<br />
Light the Way Becomes a Reality 2<br />
CHCA Upper Elementary Students<br />
Find Their Passion in Operation Impact 5<br />
CHCA Students Design and Build a<br />
Living Water Fountain 8<br />
Armleder <strong>Eye</strong>witness News 10<br />
Entrepreneurship Runs<br />
through our Veins 10<br />
Armleder Students Lending a Hand 11<br />
Resiliently Faithful<br />
Forever Thankful: A Story of<br />
Faith and Hope 12<br />
SLEW: A Fresh Look at Worship 14<br />
Refreshingly Insightful<br />
A Taste of the Ivy League 15<br />
The Talon 15<br />
Campus Highlights 16<br />
Boldly Determined<br />
CHCA Sports Performance:<br />
A Different Approach 18<br />
CHCA’s Noyen: ‘It’s a dream come true’ 20<br />
Highlights from 2016-17 Season 21<br />
2016-17 College Signings/Senior Sports 22<br />
CHCA Names New Athletic Director 23<br />
Exuberantly Creative<br />
Fiddler on the Roof 24<br />
Fine Arts Office Stained Glass Window 26<br />
“All the world’s a stage...” 27<br />
Anthony Frederickson ‘20<br />
on NBC’s “The Voice” 27<br />
Scholastic Feature and Seniors<br />
Moving On 28<br />
An Art Attack in Miracle Commons 29<br />
Boundlessly Hopeful<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> 30<br />
Commencement Overview 31<br />
A Bit About Our Val and Sal 32<br />
Graduation Reflections 33<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> Recognitions 34<br />
Inspiringly Benevelent<br />
Spare Change for World Change 36<br />
SDL Time Well Spent 36<br />
Fully Prepared<br />
Engaging Alumni:<br />
CHCA’s Alumni Relations 37<br />
CHCA’s First Annual<br />
Alumni Showcase 38<br />
Alumni Reflection: Christie Taylor ’11 39<br />
Alumni Notes 40<br />
Breaking Out with<br />
Andy Garrett ‘09: Q&A 49<br />
Randy Brunk, Head of School<br />
From the Head of School<br />
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,<br />
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one<br />
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV<br />
God designed us to be in community. Simply stated, when we grow in relationship with<br />
others, we grow closer to Him.<br />
When I ask families what makes CHCA so special, a majority of answers always include the<br />
word, “community”. When I ask graduates what made CHCA so special, the resounding<br />
answer is “the community I experienced”. As students walk across the stage at graduation<br />
each year, I look upon the audience, and I see a community. Community is a thread that<br />
binds each of us together in a unique way, whether we walk into the doors of CHCA each<br />
day or whether we’re ministering halfway across the world.<br />
Each year, we’re presented with countless opportunities to come together to learn, grow,<br />
give, pray, serve, celebrate, and give thanks as a community. This past year was no exception,<br />
and some of that you will see highlighted in this edition of CHCA’s “Eagle’s <strong>Eye</strong>”. Of note<br />
was the First Annual Alumni Showcase last spring, when our alumni returned to share their<br />
talents, wisdom, business insights, and more with our CHCA seniors, and among each other.<br />
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is present whenever two or more are gathered<br />
together (Matthew 18:20). It is our plan and prayer that we take advantage of many more<br />
opportunities to come together as a community. Community is life giving, and it is essential<br />
to following Christ. Scripture also tells us that is because we are better and stronger together<br />
than we are alone (Romans 12:4–5).<br />
I challenge each of us to think about how we might contribute to making this community<br />
we call CHCA stronger, better, and more faithful than ever before. Invite a new family for<br />
dinner. Organize a family hike. Bless a large family with dinner or dessert. Have dinner<br />
with an old friend or past teacher. You will find within the doors you open and among the<br />
community you feed, that will be the very thing which brings you closer to life as God<br />
intended.<br />
Blessings,<br />
Randy Brunk, Head of School<br />
1
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
4<br />
2
Light the Way Becomes a Reality<br />
CHCA is now home to enhanced programming and curriculum, as well as an expanded<br />
preschool, new innovation labs, and collaboration spaces - all designed to provide a rigorous,<br />
engaging, academic, and faith-based education.<br />
Robust new spaces include The Blake Lindner Thompson Early<br />
Childhood Learning Center, an expanded 22,000 square foot<br />
facility with open classrooms, an Atelier creative studio, an<br />
indoor Piazza and outdoor playscapes, learning gardens, and<br />
much more. CHCA’s Early Learning Program has expanded<br />
to serve children beginning at age two, with state-of-theart<br />
learning spaces and flexible scheduling options. Head of<br />
School Randy Brunk shared, “We believe that an expanded,<br />
strong early learning program will better serve families of our<br />
youngest children and will provide an even stronger learning<br />
foundation as students head into the primary school years.”<br />
An expanded Upper Elementary wing features new<br />
classrooms, new outdoor play areas, a new cafeteria, new<br />
science labs, and an innovation and collaboration space. With<br />
the retirement of Principal Mrs. Nancy Buckman, CHCA also<br />
welcomed a new Upper Elementary Principal, Mr. Steve Sideris.<br />
The Upper School now features innovation labs and<br />
collaboration spaces that are designed to facilitate more<br />
hands-on learning opportunities. Students are able to study,<br />
research, and work in teams on projects in the new McSwain<br />
Family Collaboration Center at the MSL Campus (these<br />
spaces include ideation rooms, comfortable seating areas, and<br />
internet bars). The innovation spaces are already fostering<br />
creativity and leadership, where students and teachers can<br />
have lectures with dimensional learning and take risks in ways<br />
that stimulate discussion and creative thinking. The spaces<br />
are also being used to support CHCA’s Teacher Innovation<br />
Fund grant initiative, designed to empower teachers to inspire<br />
innovative high-engagement learning opportunities for<br />
students, while reaching their established benchmarks.<br />
continued on next page<br />
Most notably, CHCA recently restructured programming<br />
to establish the Upper School as Cincinnati’s only Christcentered<br />
six-year college prep high school experience, serving<br />
students Grades 7-12. Grades 7-8 are being empowered<br />
with the tools, knowledge, and disciplines to flourish in the<br />
high school years. Upper School Principal Dr. Dean Nicholas<br />
introduced a written documentation to all families, “Cincinnati<br />
Hills Christian Academy’s Approach to Upper School: A<br />
Six-Year Christ-Centered College Preparatory Experience”*<br />
which outlines the key strategies and distinguishers behind the<br />
Upper School approach. With opportunities to take college<br />
courses in high school, pursue your passions via independent<br />
research, grow entrepreneurship skills, and cultivate your<br />
curiosity in every subject, CHCA’s Upper School truly offers a<br />
unique experience for our students. Dr. Nicholas shares in his<br />
overview,<br />
“Our changing world needs leaders. It needs people who are<br />
passionate critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. It<br />
needs people who can communicate well, whether by written<br />
or spoken word. It needs people who are motivated self-starters,<br />
with entrepreneurial drive. It needs people who can manage<br />
themselves and others. It needs people who can face adversity<br />
and and not be shaken. It needs people willing to serve those<br />
around them, putting the needs of others before themselves.<br />
Our world needs people who understand that all the world is<br />
God’s and that He is restoring all things, making all things new<br />
through Christ. Our Upper School is creating an environment<br />
to raise up young women and young men who will engage the<br />
world and shape the future. We are excited for what the future<br />
holds. We are excited for what our students will do.”<br />
3
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
Light the Way Becomes a Reality<br />
(continued)<br />
In addition to these spaces, CHCA is also home to a new<br />
Environmental Sciences Center Greenhouse, which will not only<br />
enhance the school’s renowned aquaponics program, foster<br />
university level research opportunities, and provide additional labs,<br />
but it will also serve as an opportunity for CHCA’s youngest students<br />
to learn about the Greenhouse effect… in an actual Greenhouse!<br />
CHCA is equipped like never before to fully engage students at all<br />
grade levels. From 3D printers to zSpace to news programming to<br />
student-run businesses, everywhere you turn, this new generation<br />
of learners are taking advantage of opportunities that are expanding<br />
their experience both within and outside of the classroom walls.<br />
*For a copy of Dr. Dean Nicholas’ Upper School overview, please contact the<br />
school – 513.247.0900<br />
4
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
CHCA Upper Elementary Students<br />
Find Their Passion in Operation Impact<br />
Operation Impact came to light after Grade 5 Science Teacher, Ms. Jaime Robbins, heard about the<br />
idea at the ISACS conference in the fall of 2016.<br />
It was originally developed between Emerson School in Ann<br />
Arbor, MI, and DistinguishMe, an organization that works to<br />
develop students, helping them find their passion and acting<br />
on that passion in order to make them “stand out” to potential<br />
colleges and employers. Robbins was so excited about the idea<br />
that she brought Emerson School’s Middle School Director,<br />
Mr. Andy Zimmer, to share this idea with CHCA faculty at an<br />
in-service training. The excitement grew and Robbins, along with<br />
Grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Kristen Woock, worked together to create<br />
“Operation Impact” for Grades 4-6.<br />
The Operation Impact week began with the students being asked,<br />
“What makes you pound your fist on the table? What are you not<br />
okay with in your world?” They were asked to go from there and<br />
figure out how they could use their unique passion to help make<br />
an impact.<br />
The entire week was built around giving students space, time, and<br />
a framework in which to develop their own God-given passions,<br />
using those gifts to impact their world. Students explored how they<br />
could make the world a better place through one of their interest<br />
areas-sports/fitness, art or music, creating a business, engineering or<br />
science, baking, computers...whatever made them excited. The goal<br />
was to help the students with the following:<br />
• Gain awareness of passions and interests<br />
• Gain confidence to make an impact on the world<br />
• Learn how to give and receive productive feedback<br />
• Learn how to bring ideas to life<br />
• Learn how to fail and grow from it<br />
• Learn to market an idea to others<br />
• Influence the world!<br />
Students began by writing down their passions. They asked<br />
themselves, “What can you not stop doing? What do you do when<br />
you have complete free time? What do you want to be when you<br />
get older? What do you love to learn about on your own? What do<br />
people tell you that you are good at? What are you good at without<br />
even trying? What are you good at because you care and try really<br />
hard? What good memories or experiences do you have?”<br />
continued on next page 5
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
Operation Impact (continued)<br />
After answering these questions, they took time to connect with<br />
others in their class, finding things in common. The groups then<br />
thought about their answers and how they could uniquely come<br />
up with ideas to solve problems using their common passions.<br />
Through this, many students ended up working with peers they<br />
did not know well or even who were from other grades. In one<br />
case, a group of Grade 5 engineers designed a robot prototype,<br />
but realized they needed help with raising money to build the real<br />
thing. They “hired” someone from the film room to make a video<br />
of their robot prototype, then “hired” someone from the digital<br />
media room to make the website that would introduce their robot.<br />
Robbins observed, “A really cool moment of the day was when<br />
I was monitoring snack time. After giving the snacks, I gave the<br />
students choices of where to go–they could either stay in the<br />
cafeteria or go back to the room to work on their projects. The<br />
majority of the students went back to the room, even when asked<br />
by friends to stay. That’s when it hit me. We are giving them free<br />
time and they are choosing not to take it! They are electing to go<br />
work on something that we are not even grading or forcing them to<br />
do! What kids do that? It was one of those things that I knew could<br />
theoretically happen, but haven’t seen in practice yet!”<br />
Zimmer came to CHCA to lead the students in a piloting<br />
workshop. After hearing his ideas, the students spent an afternoon<br />
storyboarding and prototyping their ideas. Many random items<br />
were in the building for the students to use as prototypes.<br />
Guest experts consisting of parents, alumni, alumni parents,<br />
and friends of CHCA were brought in during the week to work<br />
with the students. They presented mini-presentations and gave<br />
personal feedback to each of the student groups, Jon Adams<br />
‘95, helped students who were interested in business. Dr. Vijay<br />
Easwaran, who is a research chemist at P&G, and Dr. Maura<br />
Easwaran, who works with the EPA, provided information from<br />
an environmentalist perspective that young scientists are facing.<br />
UC Biology Professor Heather Christensen also helped with<br />
those interested in science. Engineers Dr. Kris Gansle and Christy<br />
Hansell, as well as CHCA Technology Teacher, Adam Cool ‘01,<br />
provided their expertise with those designing projects.<br />
Crossroads’ Awaited producer Paula Rakestraw, Friends of the<br />
Groom actor, Tom Long, and Christine Shrum, who does film<br />
for The Underground, spent time discussing their passions for<br />
theater and film with students. Professional Christian rap/hip-hop<br />
artist and producer, Regis Jones, Crossroads’ Kids Club Director,<br />
Chris Stewart, and Ginger Johnson, who works with the Dance<br />
Education program at the Cincinnati Ballet, also offered their<br />
expertise for the students interested in the performing arts.<br />
Cincinnati Enquirer author and editorialist, Peter Bronson,<br />
children’s book author, Julie Nicholas, and Paul Smith, author<br />
of Lead With a Story and Parenting With a Story, assisted those<br />
interested in writing and storytelling. Emily Vilardo, an artist who<br />
works at Restavek Freedom Foundation, explained how she uses<br />
art and graphic design to promote justice issues with children in<br />
Haiti.<br />
One of the guest experts commented on how well the students<br />
asked questions and how well they worked together in groups. She<br />
6
“This truly was a passion project of mine,” shares Robbins. “I was really emotionally moved at the end of the<br />
week to see the outcomes-not just with the projects themselves, but with the ways that the students now feel<br />
empowered to innovate and carry out an idea that they have.”<br />
pointed out that you often have one person doing all of the talking<br />
in groups, but these kids all graciously took turns and listened to<br />
each other.<br />
The ideas that came from the week covered a wide range<br />
of topics. A group of Grade 4 and 5 students created and<br />
programmed a robot called “BookBot” that could carry books<br />
for those with a broken leg or other injury. Two Grade 6 students<br />
figured out how to reduce the school’s carbon footprint and<br />
electric bill by replacing all of the lights with LED bulbs, calling<br />
their project “Light Right.”<br />
One student created a video game to help people with the issue<br />
of bullying. Another student is writing a graphic novel also on the<br />
topic of bullying. A group of Grade 5 and 6 girls are creating an app<br />
called, “Blue Whale” that will help people who face depression<br />
and anxiety. The idea behind it is to have helpful information<br />
(hints, hotlines, websites, service dogs, and ways to connect<br />
instantly with friends) on an app for easy access in the case of<br />
someone having an anxiety attack. One of the students behind<br />
this app, Grade 6 student, Abby Rosenfeldt shared, “My favorite<br />
part of this was planning what was going to be on the app, knowing<br />
that everything on here will have a purpose and can maybe save<br />
someone’s life.”<br />
All of the students presented their ideas in the classrooms, while<br />
other students and parents were able to stop by and discover what<br />
they had created. Many also chose to present to the entire Upper<br />
Elementary School and their parents in the gymnasium.<br />
Many of these students are still taking their ideas and pursuing<br />
them even beyond Operation Impact Week. Grade 6 students<br />
Avery Cox, Elise Irwin, Taylor Mitchell, Bella Pfister, and Lindsey<br />
Steele worked together to create coloring books with Bible verses<br />
in them and donated them to the Ronald McDonald House.<br />
Mitchell was excited to discover a way to use her talent of art to<br />
help her with her passion for children. It opened her mind to how<br />
the gifts she has can be gifts to others.<br />
A group of Grade 4 girls, Lauren Littlejohn, Kate Moran, and Carly<br />
Nix created a company called, “Cupcake Gals”. The idea was for<br />
people to be healthy, but still be able to enjoy cupcakes, so they<br />
came up with three recipes of cupcakes to bake and sell, with<br />
proceeds going to PAWS Humane Society. They even created<br />
their own website!<br />
“This truly was a passion project of mine,” shares Robbins. “I<br />
was really emotionally moved at the end of the week to see the<br />
outcomes–not just with the projects themselves, but with the<br />
ways that the students now feel empowered to innovate and carry<br />
out an idea that they have.”<br />
7
8
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
CHCA Students Design and<br />
Build a Living Water Fountain<br />
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is home to many entrepreneurial ventures. One of CHCA’s<br />
students’ latest endeavors thoughtfully combined engineering, programming, and marketing.<br />
What began as a paper exercise to represent the culmination of a<br />
Fluid Mechanics Unit in AP Physics, CHCA seniors Mikey Taylor,<br />
Johnathan Sequeira, and Adam Rice were tasked to “think like an<br />
engineer” and design a decorative fountain. Applying Bernoulli’s<br />
equation and the fluid flow continuity equation (think back to<br />
your Physics days), they were instructed to detail the velocity,<br />
height, and range of the designed fountain stream. Among other<br />
design constraints, they needed to identify (in the building or<br />
from an external vendor) a source pump with a given volume<br />
flow rate.<br />
They exceeded all expectations and submitted their design of<br />
an animated fountain that would incorporate 97 programmable<br />
jet/valves for creating 3-D artistic fluid images. Moreover, if that<br />
wasn’t enough, these ambitious students asked if they could<br />
create a prototype, and then build it for full-scale installation on<br />
campus. Hence, the school’s first Senior Capstone Project was<br />
born on September 15th, 2016: Animated Fountain Capstone<br />
Engineering Project. They presented their idea to CHCA’s Head<br />
of School Randy Brunk, and were awarded a small amount of<br />
funding to get it up and running.<br />
A team effort.<br />
It wasn’t long into their work that the three students<br />
recognized they needed to expand their team. Taylor, Sequeira,<br />
and Rice were in need of several other support roles to make<br />
their vision become a reality. They enlisted an electronics/<br />
programming team member Sebastian Rodriguez ‘18, teacher<br />
mentor Mr. Adam Cool ‘01, and marketing/fundraising team<br />
member Zachary Gunlock ‘17. They also solicited input from a<br />
local fountain expert Mr. Dave Zambenedetti, Owner/Engineer<br />
of Pond and Lake Inc. The students presented their designs<br />
to Zambenedetti, and he was so impressed by the advanced<br />
design and depth of their knowledge, that he volunteered his<br />
time to collaborate with them to bring the full-scale project<br />
to realization, providing input and sharing his professional<br />
expertise along the way.<br />
Student led, student designed and student built.<br />
Work quickly began on creating the prototype. On a<br />
‘shoestring budget’ and within a very short timeframe, these<br />
students leveraged their expertise, materials, and a great<br />
amount of concept testing to get the fountain running<br />
properly, and as designed. This decorative fountain is an<br />
“animated fountain” with “jumping” jets around the perimeter<br />
and “dancing” jets in the interior. The prototype is up and<br />
running beautifully.<br />
“Knocking it out of the park!”<br />
In the course of incorporating this system, Zambenedetti<br />
shared that these students “knocked this one out of<br />
the park!” He was so thoroughly impressed that he has<br />
been sharing his experience with counterparts across the<br />
country. He has shown their videos, stating, “…they can’t<br />
believe that high school students can and did do this! It’s very<br />
impressive.” Furthermore, Zambenedetti has been observing<br />
some of the features (lattice system, basin design) and noting<br />
that they could be useful approaches to their displays at Home<br />
and Garden shows (ease of portability/set-up). He added,<br />
“These kids are extremely creative and innovative! No other<br />
school is doing what you guys are doing.”<br />
Moving forward…<br />
How is this possible? CHCA has been fostering a culture<br />
of innovation, inspiring young people to dream big, think,<br />
and create. Born out of our FIRST (For the Inspiration and<br />
Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics program<br />
(Beak Squad 4028, State Champions, and World-Ranked),<br />
these robotics student leaders translated the technical skills<br />
and soft skills back into the classroom, elevating the level of<br />
instruction. CHCA’s former Upper School Science Department<br />
Head and AP Physics Teacher Dr. Lu Taylor* shared, “The<br />
animated fountain is a tangible manifestation of our students’<br />
wholehearted engagement and courageously creative spirit to<br />
apply their science/technology education to tackle real world<br />
problems. They are truly inspired.”<br />
Taylor also shared her vision for CHCA students and families<br />
moving forward. What will hopefully be located outside<br />
of CHCA’s New Research and Innovation Center (coming<br />
2018), “…the full scale fountain will be foundational for<br />
future programs across all grade levels. Once this prototype<br />
becomes a reality, this is truly just the beginning. A science and<br />
innovation tool, students of all ages will be able to engage with<br />
it thematically, incorporating art, shapes, fluid flow, technology,<br />
and so much more.” Families and visitors will be able to benefit<br />
from this animated fountain as well - a truly inspirational,<br />
innovative, and educational endeavor for the entire community.<br />
*Best wishes and blessings to Dr. Taylor in her retirement! She will be<br />
missed!<br />
9
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
Armleder <strong>Eye</strong>witness News<br />
STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY<br />
As January<br />
<strong>2017</strong> quickly<br />
approached,<br />
we were ready<br />
to launch the<br />
new program<br />
that airs daily<br />
at 7:50 a.m.<br />
throughout<br />
all Armleder<br />
classrooms,<br />
as well as on<br />
YouTube.<br />
Armleder has hosted a daily news broadcast for years<br />
under the amazing leadership of Mrs. Barb Bodley<br />
(retired in 2015) and in the last two years, Mrs. Alicia<br />
DuBois. As equipment started aging, dying, and<br />
losing relevancy in today’s fast-paced digital age, it<br />
became evident changes needed to be made. With<br />
the teamwork of John House (MIS), Mary Margaret<br />
Krause (CPS Auxiliary Clerk), Bob Scott (Armleder<br />
volunteer), and Jan Fresh (Instructional Assistant), it<br />
was determined that with new software and the use<br />
of classroom smartboards, we could make a major<br />
upgrade with little financial investment, and remove<br />
the old large televisions that were taking up valuable<br />
classroom space.<br />
This opportunity started taking shape over the spring of<br />
2016, and plans went into full gear for the changeover<br />
and work towards a January <strong>2017</strong> relaunch of Armleder<br />
<strong>Eye</strong>witness News. This included adding a green screen,<br />
creating a YouTube channel, rebranding the news, and<br />
opening news positions to students in Grades K-6. A<br />
contest was also held to rename the news from its<br />
original “Channel 7”. Leah Kindle had the winning<br />
entry with a play on the name “eyewitness” news.<br />
Mrs. LaGina Burton had the winning logo (pictured<br />
above). Students who were interested in being a part<br />
of the news team had to complete an application,<br />
take part in an interview, and go through an audition<br />
process. Students also had to commit to arriving to the<br />
newsroom by 7:30 a.m. each day.<br />
As January <strong>2017</strong> quickly approached, we were ready<br />
to launch the new program that airs daily at 7:50 a.m.<br />
throughout all Armleder classrooms, as well as on<br />
YouTube. Many student leadership opportunities<br />
arose, including Grade 6 student Tyanna Nelson<br />
producing with the support of co-producer, TJ Nelson.<br />
Elijah DuBois, Owen Tuffendsam, and Bin-II Smoot<br />
lead the tech support staff. Erissa Lusain, who was<br />
in the newsroom by 7:00 every morning without fail,<br />
was the Production Manager which entailed getting<br />
the teleprompters started, proofing copy, getting the<br />
reporter chairs in order of appearance, and much more.<br />
These students and over 40 more participated over the<br />
course of the second semester.<br />
We learned a lot that first semester and have worked<br />
out many kinks, realizing that a lot can happen when<br />
you are on live television! We are definitely looking<br />
forward to a successful <strong>2017</strong>-18 school year with the<br />
new team of <strong>Eye</strong>witness News members. Stay tuned…<br />
Entrepreneurship<br />
Runs through<br />
our Veins<br />
STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY<br />
10
DYNAMICALLY ENGAGED >><br />
Armleder Students Lending a Hand<br />
STORY BY PAMELA BAILEY<br />
In the fall of 2016, Armleder was honored to host an<br />
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) weekly class,<br />
City Over Fifty. The University of Cincinnati’s OLLI<br />
program provides opportunities for lifetime learning<br />
and social interaction to the mature residents of<br />
Greater Cincinnati. The eight-week course had full<br />
capacity enrollment, and provided an opportunity for<br />
Armleder Achievers Program students to participate<br />
by greeting and chaperoning the OLLI class members<br />
to their Armleder classroom. Preschool students<br />
under the guidance of Mrs. Jan Fresh provided themed<br />
snacks based on the weekly topic (i.e. edible bone and<br />
worm dirt cups were the favorite for the archeology<br />
discussion). A team of students would set up the<br />
room for the class and then greet and chaperone the<br />
OLLI students to their classroom. Armleder Card<br />
Committee members would write a note the next day<br />
to thank the guest speakers and make sure they knew<br />
they were invited to visit again in the future.<br />
Among the student greeters and chaperones, it<br />
became obvious after two weeks that Grade 2 student,<br />
Caylen Murray, had a passion for this leadership role.<br />
Caylen was responsible for managing the set up of the<br />
room, including the hospitality table, cleanliness of<br />
the room, hallways, and entry doors, as well as training the<br />
student team. Training included reviewing how to greet a<br />
guest (eye contact, smile, firm handshake, and conversation<br />
starters). After a few weeks, these young marketingminded<br />
students determined in their weekly debriefing<br />
meeting that the team needed to have an official name.<br />
They agreed on calling themselves The Handy Helpers.<br />
At the end of the fall OLLI class, Caylen and Grade 3<br />
student Chris Bailey were asked to be in the classroom at<br />
the start of the session and were given a card signed from<br />
the entire class, where they were applauded and informed<br />
that The Handy Helpers created a wonderful experience<br />
for the attendees.<br />
As a result of the positive feedback from the first session,<br />
a spring session was added in March, and another session<br />
was added in the fall of <strong>2017</strong>. The Handy Helpers are<br />
very much looking forward to continuing to serve our<br />
community!<br />
Our youngest students at Armleder have become quite the<br />
budding entrepreneurs. What started as the “Card Committee”,<br />
this special group of students continues to produce cards like<br />
crazy and is considering expanding its membership to meet<br />
the demand for their cards. To date (since January 2016), the<br />
Card Committee has sent more than 1,500 cards to leaders<br />
throughout the city, CHCA family and friends, faculty, and staff.<br />
They send cards for all occasions including birthday, thank-you,<br />
sympathy, thinking of you, congratulations, and holidays.<br />
On August 19, they had a very exciting opportunity to participate<br />
in the City Flea Kids Market. The City Flea is an event held<br />
annually in Washington Park, and the Kids Market was added<br />
last year and was a huge success. This venue allows kids to<br />
showcase their wares, feel empowered, and for them to get<br />
even more exposure to what it’s like to own and run a small<br />
business. They’re very grateful for this opportunity and met<br />
over the summer to plan and prepare for it. The event was a<br />
huge success.<br />
The Card Committee prides itself on repurposing products<br />
and minimizing the items they have to purchase. For anyone<br />
who has items they’d like to donate, please consider upcycling<br />
to the Card Committee. To reach them, please contact at<br />
ArmlederCardCommittee@chca-oh.org or pamela.bailey@<br />
chca-oh.org.<br />
11
RESILIENTLY FAITHFUL >><br />
Forever Thankful: A Story of Faith and Hope<br />
BY SARA ROGERS, CHCA PARENT TO ARSENIJS POGA ‘17<br />
We first met Arsenijs in December of 2015 through an organization called New Horizons for Children. New<br />
Horizons works to connect Christian families in the United States with children who have been orphaned<br />
in the countries of Latvia, Ukraine, and China.<br />
Through New Horizons for Children, a family can host a child for five<br />
weeks over the summer or winter break. Some children come over too old<br />
to be adopted, such as Arsenijs, but others are still young enough to be<br />
considered for adoption. New Horizons hopes to connect some families<br />
with their future adopted son or daughter and for the children too old to be<br />
adopted, they hope to still connect them to a family who will show them<br />
the love of Christ for the five weeks of hosting and through a continued<br />
relationship with them once they return to their home countries. The hope<br />
is that through hosting or adopting, these children will find families who will<br />
invest in and love them for the rest of their lives.<br />
We picked Arsenijs up at the CVG airport on December 19th, the day<br />
before he turned 17 years old. My husband and I and our four teenage sons<br />
were so anxious and excited to meet him! We had only seen a picture of<br />
him from the shoulders up so when this 6’3” kid came walking towards<br />
us, we were a little intimidated. But immediately after we hugged him<br />
and fired a thousand questions at him, we could tell Arsenijs was a great<br />
young man. He had the sweetest, most disarming smile and answered all<br />
our questions as best as he could. He hadn’t slept or eaten much on his<br />
24-hour journey from a village in Latvia to us. He only came with a small<br />
backpack with one change of clothes. We had gone through some training<br />
with New Horizons to prepare for some of the common ups and downs<br />
of hosting, but still that first night taking out his ill-fitting clothes from this<br />
little backpack was overwhelming. I had packed bigger bags for my kids<br />
to spend one night at their grandparents than Arsenijs had to travel to<br />
another country for five weeks.<br />
There are so many things that God did to get our family to the point of<br />
hosting Arsenijs. And so many things God did in Arsenijs’ life along the way<br />
to prepare him to be a part of our family. My husband was adopted as an<br />
infant. But as soon as we married (for each of us, our second marriage) we<br />
put away any idea of adopting because we already had four boys between<br />
the two of us. We each had two from our previous marriages, so we didn’t<br />
think we could handle any more children.<br />
Fast forward 11 years and here we were staring at a picture of Arsenijs and<br />
thinking we were getting in way over our heads! Our life was crazy enough<br />
with our four sons, but God was definitely lining things up for us in such a<br />
way that we knew He wanted us to host a child through this organization.<br />
Arsenijs’ picture kept striking a chord with us, which was strange because<br />
12<br />
he was so much older than all the other children we could consider hosting.<br />
But for some reason we couldn’t get past Arsenijs’ picture. His smile<br />
seemed so genuine and we were intrigued.<br />
In Latvia, God was blessing Arsenijs with perseverance and an extremely<br />
intelligent mind. He was motivated to stay in school while others were<br />
choosing not to go beyond the 9th grade. Arsenijs was officially orphaned<br />
at 7 years old when his grandmother, who was raising him, passed away.<br />
From there, he went from foster homes and orphanages to his birth mom<br />
and back to orphanages and foster homes. All the while, he was learning<br />
the English language far better than most, and accomplishing things such<br />
as winning science competitions and passing tests that would allow him to<br />
continue his education at a University.<br />
When we met Arsenijs, he was living on his own during the week in a city<br />
where he could attend what they called University (equivalent to what we<br />
consider high school). Then on the weekends, he would take an hourlong<br />
bus ride back to his foster home in a village where he worked on a<br />
farm with other foster children. In order to understand how God had His<br />
hand on Arsenijs, it’s important to understand that in Latvia, orphans don’t<br />
typically continue their schooling. Unfortunately, many are sold into sex<br />
trafficking or end up addicted to drugs and alcohol. And many end up<br />
picking mushrooms on mushroom farms. Arsenijs somehow learned to<br />
speak English and stayed in school, and even learned some things about<br />
computers through a cheap cell phone he had before coming to the United<br />
States.<br />
So after hosting and getting to know this exceptional young man for five<br />
weeks, we couldn’t believe it was already time to take him back to the<br />
airport to fly back to Latvia. Our whole family, including aunts, uncles, and<br />
grandparents, couldn’t bear to see him leave. In this short time, he fit in so<br />
well with our family that we felt like we were losing a family member. After<br />
we hugged him and said goodbye at the airport, my husband and I and our<br />
four sons sat in the car feeling completely depressed. We were not sure<br />
what God’s next step was for us but we just couldn’t believe that this was<br />
the end of the story for Arsenijs and our family. We had bought him a cell<br />
phone to take back to Latvia with the hope that we could text with him to<br />
keep in contact, and as we sat in the car, a text from Arsenijs came through<br />
that said “I miss you guys already”. The heartfelt message floored us<br />
because while he was so sweet, he was very guarded during his visit with us.
So when that text came through, I burst into tears. What was God’s plan?<br />
Arsenijs was too old to be adopted. We had no idea how to bring him into<br />
our family for good, but we all felt that our family was indeed where he<br />
belonged.<br />
When we got home, we immediately started researching ways to bring<br />
Arsenijs to the United States to live with us long-term. We quickly learned<br />
that he could come on a student visa, and that is where CHCA came into<br />
the story.<br />
We started praying and contacting schools who would be interested in<br />
helping us get Arsenijs here on a student visa. We called all of our local<br />
private and public schools in Northern Kentucky. We contacted local<br />
Catholic schools, public schools, and Christian schools. We even contacted<br />
NKU hoping he could just skip straight to his freshman year there. With<br />
doors closing, we quickly began to lose hope.<br />
Then my husband mentioned CHCA, because he knew someone with<br />
whom he worked whose children attended CHCA. We looked at CHCA’s<br />
website and got so excited about their International Student Program<br />
(ISP) and their mission to glorify God through their work with international<br />
students. But we were still not sure if we could even make it happen. We<br />
called anyway. The first person we spoke with ISP Admissions Director<br />
Kim Vincent. She was so kind and sincere and was genuinely interested in<br />
Arsenijs’ story. Though we were unsure because of the costs and logistics,<br />
we continued to pray and talk with the ISP staff. My husband John David<br />
and I started feeling hopeful that this may actually be where God was<br />
leading us. We could tell that both Kim and ISP Director Todd Bacon were<br />
sincere believers in God and truly had a passion for international students.<br />
One day, as I hung up the phone with CHCA, I remember bowing my head<br />
and praying. As a family, I knew we loved Arsenijs and wanted him to have<br />
a home with us, but I couldn’t see how we were going to afford two years at<br />
CHCA and four years at NKU. CHCA was our final hope because we had<br />
contacted every other school in our area even as far as Lexington and none<br />
seemed interested. A lot was riding on this. I bowed my head and prayed,<br />
“God if You want Arsenijs here, You are going to have to pay for it. We<br />
cannot afford it. We need You to provide $20,000 a year. I know that’s a<br />
crazy amount but You own the cattle on a thousand hills so what’s $20,000<br />
to You?” I will never forget that prayer.<br />
Shortly after, Kim and Todd asked us to come in for an interview with them<br />
and Dr. Dean Nicholas. On our way up there, I looked at John David and<br />
asked him if we should even do this because we didn’t have the money<br />
to afford it. He said we should just follow this road and see where God<br />
takes us. The interview went so well. We left feeling that Dr. Nick, Todd,<br />
and Kim were such sincere, passionate Christians, even if this didn’t work<br />
out, it was so encouraging to see fellow believers involved in such an<br />
amazing ministry to students from around the world. Not too long after<br />
that interview and after many more emails, Todd called me and said that<br />
they thought they had found a way for Arsenijs to go to school there. That<br />
a generous donor had contacted them and offered to help international<br />
students in need come to school there. This generous donor had offered a<br />
$20,000 scholarship.<br />
I still can’t tell this story without crying. I asked God specifically for<br />
$20,000 and this generous person - who we didn’t even know - would give<br />
Arsenijs $20,000 to go to school at CHCA both his junior and senior years<br />
of high school. God had answered us so specifically!<br />
We are still in awe of God’s amazing answers to prayer and we are still so<br />
thankful to EVERYONE who made it possible for Arsenijs to be here with<br />
us. There’s so much more to this story. We would need a full book to fully<br />
tell of God’s faithfulness and His mighty works to bring Arsenijs here to our<br />
family and to the amazing family of CHCA. Todd, Kim, Dr. Nick, everyone<br />
on the Robotics team, teachers, tutors, students, and parents of students<br />
loved on Arsenijs his junior and senior years in a way to which we could<br />
never give justice with mere words.<br />
Arsenijs loved his time at CHCA. God had brought this little boy who had<br />
suffered things we still don’t know from a little village in Latvia to a place<br />
of love and kindness and generosity beyond anything of this world. Only<br />
through the love of God and His Son Jesus Christ could this be possible.<br />
Through CHCA, Arsenijs enjoyed learning, competed on an amazing<br />
Robotics team, learned to fly, travelled to California, spent the night<br />
with the Sequeira family every week during Robotics, where he learned<br />
he loved Pop Tarts, had the most amazing graduation party through the<br />
generosity of the Gunlock family, was treated to a Latvian lunch through<br />
the international program, learned he loved Kings Island roller coasters<br />
when the international students went to Kings Island, went to plays, and<br />
incredible dinners, helped himself to snacks in Mrs. Vincent’s office every<br />
afternoon, learned so much more about his love of computers through<br />
Mr. Cool’s amazing teaching and kindness, and we could just go on and<br />
on. Everyone from the janitorial staff, to the students, to the teachers, to<br />
the parents, and to the whole staff of CHCA loved on Arsenijs in some<br />
ways even more than our family did during his first two years here. John<br />
David and I were so worried the first day we dropped him off at CHCA,<br />
because although we knew the staff and leaders of CHCA were kind and<br />
loved God, we feared he might not be embraced by classmates, but even<br />
the students at CHCA were so incredibly kind and gentle with Arsenijs. As<br />
a result, Arsenijs has changed so much from the guarded kid he was two<br />
years ago. He’s outgoing, hysterically funny, open, and kind. God has used<br />
everyone at CHCA to shape him into more of the amazing human being<br />
God created him to be. While we are excited for Arsenijs’ next adventure<br />
at NKU where he started this fall, we will miss CHCA so much. Everyone<br />
who knew and loved Arsenijs at CHCA will forever hold a very special place<br />
in our hearts. Through the incredible generosity of so many, Arsenijs knows<br />
the love of Christ through the family of God. We do not know how God will<br />
use Arsenijs in the future, but we do know that God has big plans, and has<br />
given him a very powerful testimony to the Lord’s ability to take what was<br />
broken and make it beautiful.<br />
13
RESILIENTLY FAITHFUL >><br />
SLEW:<br />
A Fresh Look<br />
at Worship<br />
BY EMMA SHANK ‘18<br />
Spiritual expression is a powerful thing. When<br />
placed in the midst of high school students,<br />
it can become even more moving. Many<br />
students and teachers were gripped by such<br />
emotional expression when our student body<br />
participated in Spiritual Life Emphasis Week<br />
(SLEW) this past spring. We were incredibly<br />
blessed to welcome alumnus, Darris Sneed<br />
‘09 and his band to lead us in worship all<br />
throughout the week, and I think I speak for<br />
many people when I say that our worship<br />
experience changed a lot for the better.<br />
Students became shamelessly bold and<br />
joyfully unafraid to express a genuine love for<br />
God through praise and worship.<br />
14<br />
As I reflected on the week, I consulted Mr. Kramer, Dr. Pohl ‘01,<br />
and Dr. Nicholas, who shared similar observations. As Mr. Kramer<br />
pointed out, simply allowing God’s presence into a chapel setting<br />
made worship much more expressive and open. Dr. Nicholas also<br />
reminded me that often, the biggest obstacle to God is ourselves<br />
and our preoccupations, but Darris’ urge for us to be open to<br />
God’s presence changed the way we worship. Darris and his band<br />
also held a worship service on Wednesday night of Spiritual Life<br />
Emphasis Week, and I agreed with Dr. Pohl when he shared what<br />
an immense joy it was to witness the courageous worship initiated<br />
by the energy Darris and his band emanated.<br />
The message for this year’s Spiritual Life Emphasis Week—the<br />
topic of race within our community—was a challenging, sensitive<br />
topic but one that I believe our student body handled quite well.<br />
The speakers during the week, Dr. Nicholas, alumnus Robbie<br />
Wilson ‘04, Armleder principal Mrs. Montgomery, and some of<br />
our very own students, forced us to make some tough realizations<br />
about ourselves and our community, and as Mr. Kramer, Dr.<br />
Nicholas, and Dr. Pohl all agree, as we grow closer to each other,<br />
we in turn grow closer to Christ. Dr. Pohl also pointed out to me<br />
something Dr. Nicholas mentioned on the first day of Spiritual<br />
Life Emphasis Week: if we can’t have a conversation about<br />
race within a community of Christians, where else might the<br />
conversation be had?<br />
That week of spiritual revival was very moving, but I have been<br />
wrestling with the question: how do we continue this type of<br />
spiritual growth in the future? Mr. Kramer pointed out that<br />
continuing this feeling starts with being open, honest, and even<br />
vulnerable in worship. Even though Darris’ team is not here to lead<br />
us in worship every week,<br />
being open to God’s<br />
presence is really all we<br />
need to be bold in praise.<br />
Dr. Nicholas shared<br />
a similar sentiment,<br />
as he suggested that<br />
forgetting our worries,<br />
preoccupations, and<br />
anxieties is also key<br />
to focusing on God’s<br />
presence. Dr. Pohl<br />
reminded me of a really<br />
crucial point: worship is<br />
a lifestyle, not a fifteenminute<br />
segment in<br />
chapel. We can worship<br />
God in everything we do, and, when we do that, worship through<br />
song in chapel becomes much more natural. He also emphasized<br />
something very poignant of which Darris reminded us: “Our<br />
neighbor didn’t die for us; Jesus did.” When we concentrate on<br />
this seemingly obvious but significant fact, our focus is much<br />
more easily turned to God.<br />
My personal hope is that students will remember<br />
this week and continue to fearlessly worship God<br />
and constantly grow closer to Christ with the<br />
assurance that this community is a safe place for<br />
this type of expression.
REFRESHINGLY INSIGHTFUL >><br />
A Taste of the Ivy League<br />
Upper School Latin students experienced a once-in-a-lifetime trip to<br />
Princeton University. Led by CHCA’s Upper School Latin teachers, Dr.<br />
Jim Lipovsky and Ms. Toni Kraft, the group visited Princeton April 2-4<br />
on a life-changing trip for the students.<br />
Lipovsky leads a group of his Latin students on this trip every other year.<br />
As guests of the Princeton Classics Department, they were considered<br />
Princeton students for a day. They were able to sit in on Latin and Greek<br />
classes and were able to speak for an hour with one of the professors.<br />
Lipovsky, who attended graduate school and received his doctorate<br />
at Princeton, began this trip over 30 years ago, while teaching at<br />
The Heights School in Maryland. While at The Heights School, he<br />
was serving on a Princeton committee and brought up the idea of<br />
his students visiting for a day, which the university whole-heartedly<br />
supported. After moving to Cincinnati years later and taking a position<br />
at CHCA, he reached out to Princeton again and continued the<br />
tradition. CHCA is currently the only school who is able to experience<br />
this rich opportunity.<br />
In addition to sitting in on the classes, CHCA students were also able to<br />
visit Albert Einstein’s house, who had stayed and lectured at Princeton<br />
for years. They were also able to visit many historical sites and tour the<br />
campus.<br />
The eight Latin students who went on the trip were Emma Treadway ‘18,<br />
Charlotte Lee ‘19, Bobby Stewart ‘19, Bree Wilson ‘19, Austin Parker ‘20,<br />
Riley Cebulskie ‘21, Joshua Uterstaedt ‘21, and Connor Espenshade ‘22.<br />
Charlotte Lee shared, “I thought it was incredibly empowering to see<br />
that I could keep up in classics classes at an Ivy League school. It put<br />
into perspective for me how advanced I am in the language.”<br />
“The Princeton trip was a college visit unlike any other I’ve<br />
experienced,” shared Emma Treadway. “Essentially living as a student,<br />
I was able to make meaningful connections with professors who<br />
are global leaders in their field, debating over the minutia of the<br />
Latin language that gives it such beauty. Not only did I personally<br />
witness the benefits of an Ivy League education, I got an in-depth<br />
and personal glimpse of a campus that no college tour could boast.<br />
Overall, this trip was a priceless experience that I would highly<br />
recommend to any student, regardless of whether they have an Ivy<br />
League education in mind.”<br />
Lipovsky’s original intention for this trip was for his students to<br />
expand their horizons and to consider schools like Princeton a<br />
possibility for their future. By sitting in these classes, realizing they can<br />
do the work shows them that they are capable of doing great things.<br />
“As a Latin teacher, I sell dreams,” says Lipovsky. “I am a dream<br />
merchant and it’s a great dream to see.” Thanks to his passion for<br />
teaching and helping his students pursue their dreams, these CHCA<br />
students were blessed with a memorable trip.<br />
The Talon<br />
This past year, CHCA boasts a brand new student newspaper: The Talon. Putting out publications once a<br />
quarter, The Talon is designed to highlight students from all countries, grades, and perspectives in order to<br />
showcase both the talent and the diversity of the student body. In the newspaper’s May <strong>2017</strong> issue, exchange<br />
students Coco Zhang ‘18 and Jane Li ‘18 wrote an investigative piece on the lengthy library construction.<br />
Construction had become a source of student frustration and ridicule, yet Coco and Jane proved otherwise,<br />
showing how all the work was in no way pointless and was well worth the wait. In The Talon’s March<br />
<strong>2017</strong> issue, one of the frontrunners was the opinion piece focusing on President Trump’s Congressional<br />
Address. As opposed to a traditional one-sided view, the newspaper features both conservative and liberal<br />
perspectives, engendering a more informed, multi-faceted piece and avoiding bias. In addition, The Talon<br />
features a wide range of other outlets for student talent: a humor section known as the “Eagle Droppings,”<br />
sports news underlining athletic achievement, an ongoing serial short story, and much more. Emma<br />
Treadway (’18) and Laura Karrer (’18) have organized the publication as editor/designer and general manager,<br />
respectively, with Mrs. Howarth as teacher advisor. So far, the team has seventeen writers and has put out<br />
two publications. In the future, The Talon’s team hopes to expand the newspaper with an online version in<br />
addition to print, and it welcomes any student wanting to participate.<br />
15
Campus Highlights
BOLDLY DETERMINED >><br />
18<br />
CHCA Sports Performance: A Different Approach<br />
CONTRIBUTORS: ADAM ATALLAH ‘07, BEN PANZECA ‘16<br />
There’s something special about going to a CHCA football game on<br />
a crisp fall night, or enjoying the home opener of the soccer season,<br />
or the third set of a tense girls’ volleyball match. As fans, viewers,<br />
and parents of athletes – it’s easy to get caught up in the moment<br />
of game day, and to forget all of the work that occurs behind the<br />
scenes. But any successful athlete or coach will tell you that the<br />
work put in on an early weekday morning, or in the extra hours after<br />
practice, makes all the difference in the outcome of a season. A<br />
major part of how well an athlete will perform, is how they train and<br />
take care of themselves – their bodies, minds, and spirits.<br />
The parallels among academics, service, fine arts, and athletics<br />
take many different forms from school to school, but at CHCA,<br />
you will find excellence throughout. The difference with CHCA<br />
student-athletes: they are being challenged to think critically during<br />
an AP Chemistry block bell the same way they do at their 6:00<br />
a.m. performance workouts. When you talk about committing to<br />
a culture of champions, look no further. CHCA student-athletes<br />
stay on top with high academic rigor, continual service, and<br />
championship caliber seasons.<br />
Under the leadership of Sports Performance Coach Adam Atallah<br />
‘07, and Head Athletic Trainer Joe Lucas of Beacon Orthopedics,<br />
the CHCA Performance Program is an incredibly unique service<br />
to student-athletes. Their Sports Performance department has a<br />
full time staff who are dedicated to the treatment of each athlete’s<br />
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Atallah and<br />
Lucas quote, “We are very much a college-prep academy across the<br />
board. That has been the vision from the beginning. Our athletic<br />
department and school administration believe in the vision and have<br />
backed us tremendously.” Apart from many other schools, the CHCA<br />
Sports Performance team bridges sports medicine in its programming<br />
resulting in optimal performance in sport, nutritional guidance,<br />
consistent sleep regimens, recovery protocols and injury prevention.<br />
Atallah and Lucas hold down the fort daily for every need of a<br />
CHCA Athlete. Atallah pointed out that if an athlete spends two<br />
hours a day working with him on fitness, and two hours with the<br />
coach working on skills, then there are twenty hours left in the<br />
day that will have a significant impact on the performance of the<br />
player. Things such as nutrition, sleep, and stress maintenance,<br />
when controlled properly, can vastly increase the athlete’s potential.<br />
“We’re doing something different from any other local school – the<br />
technology, programming, recovery – all allow our coaches to coach<br />
smarter and better serve their student-athletes.”<br />
The care provided to CHCA student athletes is at the root of their<br />
culture and cultivates a championship mentality. “Our athletes don’t<br />
care how much we know, until they know how much we care,” says<br />
Atallah. “That’s where purpose and passion meet. We are building<br />
eternal relationships - that is priority number one. If they know<br />
Jesus and increase their athletic ability while developing their hearts<br />
of servanthood – then we have succeeded as coaches! That is the<br />
standard we will always have as long as I’m here.” Joe Lucas has<br />
been the Head Athletic Trainer at CHCA for the last 13 years. His<br />
commitment to the athletes’ wellbeing is unmatched. Lucas will<br />
never take credit for anything, but Coach Atallah didn’t bat an eye<br />
when he said, “Joe is one of the most important parts of our athletic<br />
department, period. We can’t accomplish what we are doing without<br />
him.”<br />
This dynamic duo has made some significant updates to the<br />
Sport Performance toolbox by adding an arsenal of state-of-theart<br />
equipment to support their teams. “We looked into the best<br />
recovery methods used by teams in the NFL, NBA, MLS, MLB, and<br />
NCAA. They provide top notch options to their athletes and we try<br />
to mimic it as close as possible,” Lucas explains. Here are a few of<br />
the new tools available to CHCA athletes:<br />
Normatec Recovery System: Speeds up the body’s recovery<br />
process so athletes can recover as hard as they train.<br />
Matrix S-drive Treadmills: Self-propelled treadmills with a fixed<br />
incline position and the ability to increase resistance as well as<br />
work load. CHCA teams’ conditioning, force production, running<br />
mechanics, and acceleration training are on a completely new<br />
level.<br />
Athletes’ Lunch Special: Available to all students (athletes and<br />
non-athletes) multiple times a week in the MSL campus cafeteria.<br />
Supplying all the necessities for a well-rounded healthy eating<br />
option to fuel our athletes.<br />
The most exciting thing the team has integrated comes on the<br />
technology side. CHCA is the only high school program in the State<br />
of Ohio using a proprietary platform called ‘Kinduct’. Kinduct’s<br />
industry-leading athlete intelligence and management system<br />
enables us to turn data into actionable insights. Daily wellness<br />
journal texts are sent out monitoring pain/soreness, quality of sleep,<br />
academic stress, personal stress, hydration analysis, meals eaten,<br />
water consumed, as well as prayer requests.
A virtual body map diagram is a part of the survey and has been<br />
instrumental in injury prevention. Students pinpoint direct areas of<br />
soreness & pain, better aiding Lucas to do what he does best. “We are<br />
able to treat symptoms earlier before they become a more serious<br />
concern for the athlete,” Lucas says. “Having a better road map of each<br />
athlete is a tremendous resource, especially if they need to be referred<br />
to one of our Orthopedic Doctors at Beacon. These tools make all the<br />
difference.”<br />
The investment made by CHCA for a high level Sports Performance<br />
program is equipping Athletics like never before to carry out its mission<br />
of excellence. There clearly is a different approach going on at this<br />
school, which is feeding a culture of champions - a Christ-centered<br />
environment, high-level educators, beautiful campus, servant leadership,<br />
and state-of-the-art programming and resources... As Atallah would say,<br />
“Now that is something to ‘GET JACKED’ about!”<br />
As Atallah also stated, the relationships are what matter most. A majority<br />
of the student-athlete population interacts with Atallah and Lucas on a<br />
daily basis. We asked some current and former student-athletes, as well as<br />
coaches, about the Sports Performance program and team.<br />
Adam Baker, Football, Basketball, Track (‘17)<br />
Butler University Football<br />
Discuss your journey through injury and the process with Coach A & Joe.<br />
Coach A and Joe were awesome for me after I injured my shoulder. They<br />
pushed me to get stronger and healthier while keeping me in positive spirit.<br />
Their team spent so much time with me making sure I received the treatment<br />
and rehab I needed. They truly are a great asset to our program. I could speak<br />
for days about these guys.<br />
Jules Collado, Volleyball (’18)<br />
How has the volleyball team workouts helped prepare the team<br />
for the season?<br />
Workouts with Coach A have always been multidimensional for us. He<br />
opens up every lift explaining why our workouts will help us get stronger,<br />
help prevent injuries, and be better athletes. The physical effects have been<br />
obvious; our endurance is continually building in our bodies even during<br />
season. Our teams’ comradery has also grown by being in workouts together.<br />
It has been huge in bridging the gaps of grade levels within our volleyball<br />
program. This runs across different sports too since we work out with other<br />
programs in the summer. Many of our inside jokes as a team originated in<br />
the weight room, making it the beginning of our team-building experience,<br />
preparing us to play at a high level together.<br />
Griffan Smith, Baseball (’17)<br />
Ohio State University Baseball<br />
You are living out your dream of playing Baseball for the Ohio State<br />
University - talk about what it took for you to get there.<br />
In order to accomplish this dream, I knew that I needed to be the best<br />
version of myself. I was intentional about every aspect, including working<br />
hard in the classroom, weight room, and pursuing my savior - no time<br />
wasted. Coach A always made sure we were doing the exercises properly<br />
and there was no skipping workouts. The weight room atmosphere in<br />
general demanded success - this pushed me beyond my own limits to do<br />
things I did not think I could do.<br />
Brooklyn Dobyns, Volleyball, Lacrosse (’19)<br />
What parts of the program have been meaningful to your<br />
spiritual and/or personal growth?<br />
One of the things I love about working with Coach A is his way of<br />
incorporating all of our physical, mental, and spiritual needs. Whether<br />
it’s a short devotion, an encouraging verse on the board right next to the<br />
planned workout, or a helpful piece of advice, his love for Jesus shows<br />
through his actions. It’s cool to be physically mentored by someone who<br />
shares similar faith values and encourages you in other aspects of life as<br />
well, such as school, for example.<br />
Mark Lynch, Head Coach - Men’s Lacrosse<br />
How does our Sports Performance program at CHCA differ<br />
from other places you’ve coached?<br />
CHCA is the first place I have coached that has a designated Sports<br />
Performance department. Having two, full-time sports performance<br />
experts is an enormous boost to the lacrosse program. Adam and Joe<br />
help keep our kids healthy mentally and physically. Our strength, cardio,<br />
and athletic gains were clearly noticeable. Our rate of injury was low and<br />
our recovery time was significantly faster than my previous experience.<br />
I attribute this to the work Adam and Joe do with the boys. We are<br />
grateful for our Sports Performance team!<br />
Heather Wilkowski, Parent to four CHCA Eagle Athletes<br />
What has your experience been watching your son recover<br />
from his ACL injury?<br />
My son, Jack, tore his ACL at the start of the varsity lacrosse season.<br />
Within an hour of receiving the news from the doctor, Coach A, Joe<br />
Lucas, and Mark Lynch (lacrosse coach) were already meeting with<br />
Jack in person. They immediately put a plan into action to start the sixmonth<br />
recovery process to get him back to competitive play. This helped<br />
him stay focused on his goal of complete recovery. The morning of the<br />
surgery, Coach A called to pray with him. Post-surgery, they pushed him,<br />
coached him, and celebrated each milestone during his recovery. He<br />
came out of that injury stronger than he went in. He learned resiliency<br />
and the importance of community. As a parent, nothing means more<br />
than when someone is willing to invest in and love your kids like you do. I<br />
will forever be grateful for the way our Sports Performance team stayed<br />
so connected and supportive to my son and our family during the entire<br />
injury and recovery process.<br />
19
BOLDLY DETERMINED >><br />
CHCA’s Noyen: ‘It’s a dream come true’<br />
BY ADAM BAUM AS FEATURED IN THE FEBRUARY 3, <strong>2017</strong> CINCINNATI ENQUIRER ARTICLE<br />
20<br />
In his fifth-grade yearbook under ‘Future Plans,’ Nick Noyen wrote<br />
down his dream.<br />
It wasn’t self-centered, or egotistical, quite the opposite, actually.<br />
Noyen wrote two words: Air Force.<br />
Nearly eight years later, Feb. 1, the Cincinnati Hills Christian<br />
Academy senior again wrote two words — this time his name — on<br />
an official letter of intent to play football, receive an education, and<br />
serve his country at the U.S. Air Force Academy.<br />
Noyen, a primary component of the <strong>Eagles</strong>’ last four football<br />
seasons that saw CHCA go a combined 46-5, wasn’t sure a little<br />
more than a month ago how his college career would play out.<br />
“I only applied to Mercer and then I applied to the Air Force<br />
Academy just as a student,” said Noyen. “So, I was still gonna<br />
debate whether or not college football was for me or if I had the<br />
opportunity to serve then just going that route, and seeing if I could<br />
play along the road.<br />
“Getting that offer was huge cause now I can do both and that’s<br />
been my dream since I was in the fifth grade.”<br />
Finding out what the Air Force offered him was an experience<br />
Noyen will never forget.<br />
“It was interesting,” he said, “we were driving home from Florida,<br />
our Christmas vacation, and we were just at Mercer (where Noyen<br />
was first committed) the week before in the gift shop buying stuff,<br />
at a basketball game ... so that’s where I was planning on going; I was<br />
showing my brother, just getting excited.”<br />
“Then, on the way home, the (Air Force) recruiting coach called<br />
me and said, ‘Our (offensive line) coach left and became the head<br />
coach at Furman. The new guy likes you a lot — he wants to offer<br />
you, so do I — we just have to talk to our offensive coordinator.’ He<br />
said we’ll give you an answer within 24 hours. We were driving home<br />
and I was just giddy because I wanted to know what the answer was,<br />
like yes or no, what’s it gonna be?”<br />
“The next day I was out and I was driving home and he was like,<br />
‘Give me a call when you get a chance,’ so I pulled over and called<br />
him and he [told me] ‘You have an offer to the Air Force Academy<br />
if you wanna take it.’ So I called my parents, drove straight home, we<br />
celebrated, then I called him back and accepted it.”<br />
Noyen said, “It was emotional, me and my dad were both tearing up<br />
over the phone. It’s been a long road, but it worked out in the end.<br />
It’s a dream come true.”<br />
The road was long, but Noyen’s resolve was unwavering. Growing<br />
up, Noyen’s grandparents had a home in Breckenridge, Colorado,<br />
not far from Colorado Springs — the Air Force Academy’s home.<br />
“One of the times we were out there, we went to the Air Force<br />
Academy, just the museum part, gift shop, we saw the campus and<br />
from that point on ... I think I watched ‘Top Gun’ at my house after<br />
that,” Noyen laughed. “I thought this looks interesting so I did some<br />
research, and I was like, ‘This is what I wanna do when I get older,<br />
regardless of football, I want to go to school and I want a career in<br />
the Air Force.’”<br />
A dream doesn’t need much to survive. It requires dedication and an<br />
unwillingness to cease in its pursuit, the same way a person needs<br />
food and water, a dream demands a steadfastness from its pursuer.<br />
Noyen has been nothing if not steady.<br />
“On the field, he’s tenacious,” said CHCA coach Mark Mueller. “He’s<br />
one of the meanest kids on a football field that I’ve coached in 23<br />
years. As football coaches, you love that stuff. But, then off the field,<br />
he’s an incredible young man. He’s nice; he’s a gentle giant.<br />
“... That’s a kid that was thinking about going (to Air Force) without<br />
playing football. He’s wired to serve and he’s very good at it. He’s<br />
someone we definitely want protecting our backside.”<br />
On the last Thursday in June, Noyen reports for boot camp.<br />
“All I know now is the coach said you might get a small duffel bag<br />
of your favorite underwear, and then I just get dropped off,” said<br />
Noyen. “If I could be a fighter pilot, I’d love to. Anything with planes,<br />
if I could fly or be a technician, like a hands-on person, I’d do that.<br />
Then the new technology with drones is very popular and common<br />
now. Once I get there and just discover what I’m good at and where<br />
it leads me, then I’ll find out. I’m really excited for anything right<br />
now.”<br />
Noyen’s was also recipient of the National Football Foundation’s<br />
“That’s My Boy” Award — an honor his older brother, Johnny, won<br />
last year. “It’s also a dream come true to win this. I think it’s awesome<br />
representing CHCA,” said Nicholas Noyen. “Bringing it back for<br />
CHCA is something I take pride in.”
Highlights from Our Outstanding 2016-17 Season BOLDLY DETERMINED >><br />
SUBMITTED BY: CHCA ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT<br />
Baseball<br />
MVC League Champions<br />
Won Section, District, and<br />
Regional OHSAA Tournaments<br />
State Semi-Finalists<br />
Tony Schulz, MVC Coach of the<br />
Year, Ohio All-Star Coach of the Year<br />
Max Ripperger, MVC 1st Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star 1st Team<br />
Blake Sheffer, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star 2nd Team<br />
Jack Vezdos, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star 1st Team<br />
Ethan Briggs, MVC 2nd Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star 2nd Team<br />
Cayse Osborne, MVC 2nd Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star 2nd Team<br />
Clay Brock, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Colin Lutts, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Griffan Smith, Ohio All-Star 1st<br />
Team, Pitched perfect game in<br />
sectional tournament<br />
Basketball-Boys<br />
Freshmen Basketball Team, MVC<br />
Tournament Champions<br />
Mason Barnhardt, MVC 2nd Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Michael Nelson, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Cole Fisher, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Tanner Southerland, MVC<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Grades 7-8 won Division 1<br />
All-City Tournament<br />
Basketball-Girls<br />
Grade 7 MVC Champions<br />
Maddie Buist, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Malorie Wilson, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Cross Country<br />
MVC Champions<br />
Jordan Kramer, MVC Coach of the<br />
Year<br />
Rachel Haslem, MVC Athlete of<br />
the Year, MVC 1st Team<br />
Laura Dykstra, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Maria Pancioli, MVC 1st Team<br />
Grade 7 Riley Jones, MVC JH<br />
Champion, placed 9th in State<br />
Cross Country Meet<br />
Football<br />
Scarlet Division MVC Champions<br />
Mark Mueller, MVC Coach of the<br />
Year<br />
Kesean Gamble, MVC Athlete of<br />
the Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-<br />
Star Offensive Player of the Year<br />
Mason Bernhardt, MVC 1st Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Receiver<br />
Ben Collado, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star Linebacker Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Nick Noyen, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-<br />
Star Offensive Lineman<br />
Justin Peck, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star Defensive Back Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Cody Shiver, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-<br />
Star Defensive Back<br />
Ryan Wichmann, MVC 1st Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Offensive Lineman<br />
Darian Woods, MVC 1st Team<br />
Isaac Carpenter, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Kyle Renners, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Danny Vanatsky, Ohio All-Star<br />
Quarterback<br />
Golf-Boys<br />
Matthew Kadnar, MVC 2nd Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Jack Lindgren, Ohio All-Star<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Golf-Girls<br />
Bree Wilson, Ohio All-Star 1st Team,<br />
District 4th Place<br />
Malorie Wilson, Ohio All-Star<br />
2nd Team, Coaches Association<br />
Honorable Mention All-City<br />
Lacrosse-Boys<br />
Mark Lynch, MVC Coach of the Year,<br />
Southwest Region Division II Coach<br />
of the Year<br />
Kyle Renners, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star 1st Team<br />
Mike Phillips, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Tyler Sikkema, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Ryan Wichmann, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Noah Harrison, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Ryan Hunt, MVC Honorable Mention<br />
Grade 7-8 won Division 6 State<br />
Championship<br />
Lacrosse-Girls<br />
Noelle Van Den Heuvel, MVC 1st<br />
Team, Ohio All-Star 2nd Team, scored<br />
her 100th goal this season on April 20 th<br />
Brooklyn Dobyns, MVC 2nd Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Morgan Renners, MVC 2nd Team<br />
C.C. Southerland, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Alayna Petersen, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Gabby Schmidt, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Soccer-Boys<br />
Chance Ashman, MVC 1st Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Jack Riley, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Hunter Stemple, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Colin Lutts, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Will Stiles, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Soccer-Girls<br />
Laney Huber, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
All-Star 1st Team<br />
Marie Ranieri, MVC 1st Team<br />
Amanda Donahue, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Shannon Riley, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Rosie Haunert, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Mary Moffitt, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Softball<br />
Camryn Olson, MVC Athlete of the<br />
Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio All-Star<br />
1st Team<br />
Mady Shank, MVC 1st Team<br />
Ainsley Droege, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Emma Shank, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Abby Blink, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention<br />
Corinne Vanderwoude, MVC<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
Swimming<br />
Catherine Frazer, Elizabeth<br />
Schaefer, Julia Stotz, Anna Van<br />
Jura, MVC 1st Team 200 yard<br />
Freestyle Relay<br />
Anna Van Jura, MVC 1st Team 100<br />
yard Breaststroke, MVC 1st Team<br />
200 yard Freestyle<br />
Ryan Hunt, MVC 2nd Team 200<br />
yard Individual Medley<br />
Grades 8 Anabelle Brock, MVC<br />
Champion 25 Butterfly<br />
Grades 8 Scott Burk, MVC<br />
Champion 25 Breaststroke<br />
Grades 8 Caleb Tomlin, MVC<br />
Champion 200 Freestyle<br />
Grades 8 Anabelle Brock, Ava Kraft,<br />
Matt Saxby, Caleb Tomlin, MVC<br />
Champion 200 Free Relay<br />
Qualified for Districts: Trevor<br />
Cebulski, Wyatt Droege, Catherine<br />
Frazer, Nathan Gibson, Rachel<br />
Haslem, Ryan Hunt, Carson Koporc,<br />
Elizabeth Schaefer, Julia Stotz, Anna<br />
Van Jura, Grace Vanderwoude, Hope<br />
Whiteside, Jennifer Wood<br />
Tennis-Boys<br />
Stefone Broaders, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Singles<br />
Luke Springer, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Singles<br />
Colin Keenan, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention Singles<br />
Sidhu Thunga, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention Singles<br />
Colin Keenan, Sidhu Thunga,<br />
Ohio-All Star Honorable Mention<br />
Doubles<br />
Tennis-Girls<br />
Noelle Van Den Heuvel, Anna<br />
Van Jura, MVC 1st Team Doubles,<br />
Ohio All-Star 2nd Team Doubles<br />
Anna Abunku, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Singles, Ohio All-Star Honorable<br />
Mention Singles<br />
Sydney Day, Ella Hipsley, MVC<br />
2nd Team Doubles, Ohio All-Star<br />
2nd Team Doubles<br />
Mady Shank, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention Singles<br />
Leanna Yuan, MVC Honorable<br />
Mention Singles<br />
Track & Field-Boys<br />
MVC Champions<br />
Jeff Timmers, MVC Coach of the<br />
Year<br />
Adam Baker, MVC 1st Team High<br />
Jump<br />
Alex Barnard, MVC 1st Team 300<br />
meter IM Hurdles<br />
Kesean Gamble, MVC 1st Team<br />
Shotput, MVC 1st Team Discus,<br />
placed 12th in Shot Put at State<br />
Adam Baker, Alex Barnard, Kris<br />
Carnes, Julian Herman placed<br />
15th in 400 Relay at State<br />
Track & Field-Girls<br />
Morgan Bradley, MVC 1st Team<br />
Pole Vault, placed 12th in Pole<br />
Vault at State, Ohio All-Star 1st<br />
Team Pole Vault<br />
Jayda Coleman, MVC 1st Team<br />
100 meter High Hurdles<br />
Cameron Cooper, Ohio All-Star<br />
Honorable Mention Pole Vault<br />
Hannah Price, Ohio All-Star<br />
Honorable Mention Long Jump<br />
Grade 7 Riley Jones placed 3rd in<br />
the 800 and 3200 at State<br />
Volleyball<br />
MVC League Champions<br />
Lisa Schaad, MVC Coach of the<br />
Year<br />
Lexie Kuczinski, MVC Athlete<br />
of the Year, MVC 1st Team, Ohio<br />
Alll-Star 1st Team<br />
Julianna Collado, MVC 1st Team,<br />
Ohio All-Star Honorable Mention<br />
Delaney Poore, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Gabby Schmidt, MVC 2nd Team<br />
Britlyn Coleman, MVC<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
C.C. Southerland, MVC<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
21
BOLDLY DETERMINED >><br />
2016-17 College Signings<br />
Football<br />
Ben Collado,<br />
Centre College<br />
Football<br />
Adam Baker,<br />
Butler University<br />
Football<br />
Kesean Gamble,<br />
Kent State<br />
Volleyball<br />
Megan Kissel,<br />
University of Cincinnati<br />
Track & Field<br />
Morgan Bradley,<br />
Austin PEAY State University<br />
Football<br />
Nick Noyen,<br />
U.S. Air Force Academy<br />
Senior Sports 2016-<strong>2017</strong><br />
Hunter Arthurs<br />
2016 Fall Boys Golf<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Boys Basketball<br />
Adam Baker<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Track & Field<br />
Madi Beal<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading<br />
Morgan Bradley<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Ethan Briggs<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Rachel Brink<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Lacrosse<br />
Isaac Carpenter<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Boys Basketball<br />
Lindsey Charles<br />
2016 Fall Girls Soccer<br />
Ben Collado<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Laura Dykstra<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cross Country<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Kesean Gamble<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Track & Field<br />
Paige Gear<br />
2016 Fall Girls Soccer<br />
Emma Grubb<br />
2016 Fall Girls Volleyball<br />
Mahkaylyn Harden<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading<br />
Rachel Haslem<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cross Country<br />
2016 Winter Girls<br />
Swimming/Diving<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Rosie Haunert<br />
2016 Fall Girls Soccer<br />
Ella Hipsley<br />
2016 Fall Girls Tennis<br />
Grayson Hodges<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Mackenzie Jones<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Bryson Karrer<br />
2016 Fall Boys Cross Country<br />
Mitch Kennedy<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Lacrosse<br />
Megan Kissel<br />
2016 Fall Girls Volleyball<br />
Lexie Kuczinski<br />
2016 Fall Girls Volleyball<br />
Meghan Lawlor<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading<br />
Alana Lindenfeld<br />
2016 Fall Girls Tennis<br />
Colin Lutts<br />
2016 Fall Boys Soccer<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Boys<br />
Basketball<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Brennan Metzler<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Lacrosse<br />
Anna Mumma<br />
2016 Fall Girls Tennis<br />
Kyle Nelson<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Boys<br />
Basketball<br />
Nicholas Noyen<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Alex O’Brien<br />
2016 Fall Boys Cross Country<br />
Joseph Paschke<br />
2016 Fall Boys Cross Country<br />
Justin Peck<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Brady Pfister<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Delaney Poore<br />
2016 Fall Girls Volleyball<br />
Hannah Price<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Josh Pyle<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Maria Ranieri<br />
2016 Fall Girls Soccer<br />
Kyle Renners<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Lacrosse<br />
Morgan Renners<br />
2016 Fall Girls Cheerleading<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Lacrosse<br />
Jack Riley<br />
2016 Fall Boys Soccer<br />
Mady Shank<br />
2016 Fall Girls Tennis<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Softball<br />
Cody Shiver<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Boys<br />
Basketball<br />
Tyler Sikkema<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Lacrosse<br />
Griffan Smith<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Mitchell Stryker<br />
2016 Fall Boys Football<br />
Azariah Tidwell<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Girls Track & Field<br />
Zander Treon<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Jack Vezdos<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Max Vincent<br />
<strong>2017</strong> Spring Boys Baseball<br />
Hope Whiteside<br />
2016/<strong>2017</strong> Winter Girls<br />
Swimming/Diving<br />
Ben Whitman<br />
2016 Fall Boys Soccer<br />
Maddie Will<br />
2016 Fall Girls Tennis<br />
22
CHCA<br />
Names New Athletic Director<br />
“I am eager at the thought of being able to lead and walk alongside students, athletes and<br />
staff in their journey with Christ. As the leader of CHCA Athletics, I will be committed to<br />
creating an athletic environment of excellence that would honor and glorify Christ.”<br />
Eric Taylor was named as CHCA’s new Athletic Director,<br />
bringing 17 years of experience and an impressive resume<br />
as an educator and coach. Most recently, he added Athletic<br />
Director to his resume when he left CHCA in 2016 to return<br />
to Deer Park, his Alma Mater, as Athletic Director and Head<br />
Varsity Football Coach. Under his leadership, this past year,<br />
Deer Park athletics rose to the next level, with many of its<br />
programs experiencing the most wins seen in years, or in<br />
some cases, exceeded or tied success in the history of the<br />
programs.<br />
Taylor holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from<br />
Northern Kentucky University and a Masters in Sports<br />
Administration from Xavier University. While at CHCA as<br />
Head Varsity Football Coach, his teams won four Miami<br />
Valley Conference Championships, made the OHSAA<br />
regional semi-finals six times and competed in the OHSAA<br />
State Final Four in 2014. Taylor was also recognized as Ohio<br />
AP State Coach of the Year 2013, Enquirer Coach of the<br />
Year (2008/2010/2013/2014), Bengals Coach of the Week<br />
(2008/2013/2014), Head Coach and winner of the East /<br />
West All Star Game (2008), speaker at UC Clinic (2011), and<br />
guided several players to the next level (Div. 1, 1AA, 2, 3 and<br />
Ivy League).<br />
Prior to CHCA, Taylor also taught and coached Football,<br />
Wrestling, and Track at various other local schools including<br />
Deer Park, Summit, Indian Hill, Wyoming, and Finneytown.<br />
Taylor’s experience highlights also include: planning,<br />
organizing, and directing multiple youth through high school<br />
camps and events, coaching, mentoring, and directing the<br />
Anthony Munoz Character Camp & NFL Play 60 Camp,<br />
helping to facilitate multiple fundraising events, and<br />
designing new school standards for Academic Eligibility.<br />
Upon hearing the news, CHCA’s former AD Matt Coleman<br />
shared, “It’s great to have Coach Taylor come home and take<br />
the reins of the athletic program. With his winning tradition<br />
at CHCA and the relationships he has developed, Eric will<br />
no doubt take our athletic program to the next level. We<br />
are excited to welcome Eric and his family back to Eagle<br />
Nation!”<br />
Below is an excerpt from Taylor’s thoughtful and detailed<br />
response during CHCA’s search. When asked, “What<br />
draws you to CHCA as the place to express your passion<br />
for athletic excellence?” Taylor responded as follows:<br />
CHCA embodies excellence in all facets of Christian<br />
education. I truly believe that it is a unique environment<br />
where students can excel in academics, athletics, and<br />
fine arts - all while celebrating and growing in their walk<br />
with Christ. Spending eight years and raising my family<br />
in the CHCA community has had a major impact on<br />
my family and me. The opportunity to lead an athletic<br />
department in a Christ-centered school with disciplined<br />
student-athletes and a supportive community striving for<br />
excellence is exactly where I want to be. It is my desire to<br />
lead the development and design of an athletic program<br />
of excellence at CHCA.<br />
Taylor also shared, “I am eager at the thought of being able<br />
to lead and walk alongside students, athletes and staff in<br />
their journey with Christ. As the leader of CHCA Athletics,<br />
I will be committed to creating an athletic environment of<br />
excellence that would honor and glorify Christ.”<br />
CHCA Athletics is definitely on the move and one to<br />
watch in the coming years. Having hired several program<br />
builders and seeing the fruits of those investments in<br />
programs such as lacrosse (with successes this year<br />
such as MS Division VI State Champs and MVC Coach<br />
of the Year), and building a new Sports Performance<br />
program for all athletes Grade 6 and up, athletics at<br />
CHCA is aggressively raising the bar. Springing from that<br />
foundation, Taylor intends to optimize, build upon, and<br />
grow to new heights.<br />
Taylor, his wife Leah and two children, Averi ‘26 and Cael<br />
‘30, have settled well back into the CHCA community.<br />
The CHCA Administration is thrilled to have him on<br />
board in this critical role, and look forward to great things<br />
to come.<br />
23
EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE >><br />
“Fiddler on the Roof”:<br />
A Remarkable Display of Talent and Impact<br />
The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Theater Department was proud to present “Fiddler on the<br />
Roof” last March at CHCA’s Lindner Theater. Directed by Susan Jung, the cast and crew of 60+<br />
students in Grades 9-12 sang, danced, moved sets around, managed lights and sound, and acted in<br />
this classic tale.<br />
Based on Sholom Aleichem’s Tevye and his Daughters,<br />
Fiddler on the Roof is the beloved story of the small, traditionsteeped<br />
town of Anatevka, Russia, where Jews and Russians<br />
live in delicate balance. During the course of the show, the<br />
time honored traditions of Anatevka are both embraced and<br />
challenged by Tevye (Carter Jackson ‘17) and his colorful<br />
community, as they witness his daughters, Tzeitel (Katherine<br />
Abel ‘17), Hodel (Abby Cates ‘19) and Chava (Sarah Koopman<br />
‘19), grow up and fall in love in a time of extraordinary change.<br />
The “Fiddler on the Roof’s” Broadway premiere became<br />
the longest-running Broadway musical in history, a title it<br />
maintained for almost ten years. It is a story that captures<br />
the essential human longings for love, community, success,<br />
freedom, family, and meaning. Fiddler features such iconic<br />
songs as the beautiful “Sunrise, Sunset,” the boisterous<br />
“If I Were a Rich Man,” and the classic “Matchmaker,<br />
Matchmaker.”<br />
From the moment The Fiddler (Bryson Karrer ’17) played<br />
his first notes, the audience knew they were about to<br />
experience something special. From Tevye and Golde’s<br />
(Caroline Rakestraw ’17) story with their daughters, to the<br />
lively Matchmaker (Haley Charles ’17) making her schemes,<br />
the musical beautifully interwove the story of family, love, and<br />
devotion to God.<br />
CHCA Fine Arts Director, Mona Summers, shared, “The show<br />
was phenomenal! The Directors, cast, student production<br />
team, orchestra, and parent volunteers spent countless hours<br />
preparing in order for our audiences to experience something<br />
wonderful. Our Director Susan Jung is very creative and<br />
always brings a fresh perspective to every show. When you<br />
put the team of Susan with her husband Jim Jung as the Set<br />
and Technical Director together, you can expect a show full of<br />
creativity!”<br />
I believe, made a huge impact on our community. That is why<br />
excellence in artistry is so important to me.”<br />
Some central themes in “Fiddler on the Roof” revolve around<br />
traditional ways being shaken by new thinking, long-standing<br />
beliefs being challenged by young minds, families choosing<br />
between acceptance and rejection, and people being forced<br />
to leave behind their ideas, their homes, and each other. The<br />
cast reminded us that these are the same things that are<br />
challenging our world today with the opening and closing<br />
scenes of the show. Seeing Tevye and his family as refugees in<br />
a modern day subway system stirred the audience’s hearts to<br />
realize this is still happening today.<br />
Jack Paquette ‘18 (who played the Rabbi) gave a call-to-action<br />
to the audience, asking them to prayerfully consider helping<br />
refugees trying to find their way right here in Cincinnati.<br />
Because of his service with CHCA’s Student Organized Service<br />
(S.O.S.) program, he works closely with the Catholic Charities<br />
of Southwestern Ohio. He called the audience to consider a<br />
gift to Catholic Charities after the show. He shared that they<br />
could help Catholic Charities who serve refugees who come<br />
to the United States through the U.S. Department of State<br />
and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These refugees<br />
come from extreme poverty, violence, or religious and political<br />
persecution in their homelands, seeking a better life for<br />
themselves and their families.<br />
Thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, CHCA<br />
was able to present $1,343.64 to Catholic Charities.<br />
Congratulations again to all for an outstanding performance<br />
and wonderful display of generosity!<br />
“Our production of Fiddler on the Roof represented for me<br />
how good theatre can truly move people,” shared Director<br />
Susan Jung. “From the orchestra, cast, crew, and creative<br />
team, everyone worked together to create an experience that,<br />
24
25
EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE >><br />
Fine Arts Office Stained Glass Window<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> students Lindsey Charles ‘17 and Rachel Kolar ‘17 did a<br />
year-long independent study stained-glass class with Mr. Hilderbrand<br />
and decided to create a masterpiece for the new Fine Arts office<br />
in the Lindner Theater Commons. Lindsey and Rachel took the<br />
first quarter to study design with Mr. Tim Hilderbrand and not only<br />
encompass all of the fine arts at CHCA, but also have a design<br />
that flows, is beautiful, is creative, and honors God. They started<br />
constructing the 6-foot window at the beginning of second quarter<br />
and finished around the end of the third quarter. The first quarter<br />
was spent studying design. “Your finished piece will never be better<br />
than your design, so make your design beautiful!” states Hilderbrand.<br />
The window can be viewed as you look up when you are walking<br />
26<br />
into the Theater Commons entrance. Some of the special features<br />
of the glass include the musical staff actually reading the song “How<br />
Great Thou Art” in addition to the warm orange glass around the cross<br />
being plated, which entails the artist layering glass to get the color they<br />
wish to achieve. This is somewhat similar to a painter mixing colors to<br />
achieve the color they wish to use. From beginning with preliminary<br />
sketches, to cutting the pattern and cutting and grinding glass, to using<br />
the lead came technique, and soldering, glazing, and polishing to finally<br />
installing, Rachel and Lindsey invested over 350 hours in creating this<br />
piece from start to finish. Hilderbrand stated, “I couldn’t be more proud<br />
of these young ladies. They created a stunning piece that will stand as a<br />
legacy to their creativity at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.”
“All the world’s a stage...”<br />
BY SUSAN JUNG<br />
For many of our students, the stage and the theatre itself is “home”<br />
and many hours are spent making that home a place that brings<br />
them a sense of accomplishment and family. Often, these hours go<br />
unnoticed to most, who may not have an understanding of what<br />
goes into the production of a play or musical. I wanted to honor<br />
and commend all of these students in a way that didn’t bring about<br />
competition, but rather celebration. This is why we have reinstated<br />
our school’s troupe in the International Thespian Society (ITS),<br />
and in May we inducted 24 students into our chapter. ITS is an<br />
organization that recognizes achievements in all aspects and all<br />
levels of theatre. Students earn points by participating both on and<br />
off the stage, and can accumulate them over their years, achieving<br />
growing levels of status within the society. Students also have the<br />
opportunity to travel to state and national conferences, where they<br />
can take a portion of a play or musical to be critiqued by theatre<br />
professionals, compete in technical challenges, and experience<br />
workshops in a variety of disciplines taught by professionals in<br />
their fields. ITS is a wonderful way to celebrate all of our students<br />
and their accomplishments and I am very much looking forward to<br />
seeing our involvement grow.<br />
Anthony Frederickson ‘20 on NBC’s “The Voice”<br />
After submitting his audition video in late February, Anthony was notified that he was<br />
one of four finalists and chosen by coach Alicia Keys to be her finalist on The Voice’s<br />
Snapchat feature, Voicesnaps.<br />
When asked what inspired him to audition, Anthony shared that he enjoys singing<br />
and thought that “The Voice” would be a great learning experience for him.<br />
Anthony’s parents are supportive of his passion for singing and agree, “This is a great<br />
opportunity for Anthony to work with a vocal coach from ‘The Voice’.”<br />
Anthony’s parents shared the text from Alicia Keys immediately following another<br />
performance for which he received the Overture Awards Grand Prize for Theater. Of<br />
note, he was the first freshman and CHCA student to ever win the Overture Award<br />
for Musical Theater. It was quite a season for this talented young man!<br />
While Anthony did not win The Voice’s Snapchat contest, it was an honor to be a<br />
finalist and get featured on national television. We are sure to see much more from<br />
this rising star!<br />
27
EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE >><br />
Scholastic Feature and Seniors Moving On<br />
MSL UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS RECEIVED<br />
SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS<br />
Congratulations to our art students who received<br />
regional Scholastic Art Awards. Their award<br />
winning artwork was on exhibit at the Art Academy<br />
of Cincinnati from January 20 to February 3. An<br />
awards presentation was held at the School for<br />
Creative and Performing Arts on January 27.<br />
Below are student’s awards and title of artwork.<br />
David Woods, Gr. 12, Gold Key<br />
Looking Into My Future<br />
David Woods, Gr. 12, Honorable Mention<br />
Nigerian Journey<br />
Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Gold Key<br />
Plum Flower (See below)<br />
Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Honorable Mention<br />
Cheeseburger<br />
Maya Yates, Gr. 11, Honorable Mention<br />
Windows to the Soul<br />
Helen Zhang, Gr. 11, Gold Key<br />
Flower Grow Out of the Box<br />
Helen Zhang, Gr. 11, Honorable Mention<br />
Wonderland<br />
CLASS OF <strong>2017</strong> STUDENTS CONTINUING IN THE ARTS<br />
It is bittersweet when we say farewell to our talented seniors who were such<br />
a blessing to our community in their artistic endeavors. Yet is exciting to note<br />
how many of them are continuing their education in the fine arts this fall. We<br />
congratulate the following students and look forward to hearing from them as they<br />
pursue their goals:<br />
Katherine Abel, Northern Kentucky<br />
University – Musical Theater<br />
Haley Charles, Ball State – Acting<br />
Adele Enns, University of Cincinnati,<br />
College Conservatory of Music – Music<br />
Education and Vocal Performance<br />
Lauren Jankowski, University of<br />
Cincinnati, College Conservatory of<br />
Music – Commercial Music Production/<br />
Song Writing<br />
Bryson Karrer, Indiana University –<br />
Double major in Violin Performance and<br />
an Individualized Cognate Area, with<br />
plans to attend medical school after<br />
graduation<br />
Josh Lake, University of Cincinnati,<br />
College Conservatory of Music – Jazz<br />
Studies<br />
Johnny Mize, Miami University –<br />
Double major in Piano Performance<br />
and Computer Science; received a<br />
scholarship for Piano Performance<br />
David Woods, Columbus College of<br />
Art and Design - Illustration major<br />
Sarah Yang, Cleveland Institute of Art<br />
Sarah Yang, Gr. 12, Gold Key<br />
Plum Flower<br />
28
EXUBERANTLY CREATIVE >><br />
“Art Attack in Miracle Commons”<br />
The Visual Fine Arts department decided to have a “Art Attack” in Miracle Commons this past spring. We made a “mobile mural” in the<br />
image of a large rooster - the rooster icon being a reminder from the Bible, “do not deny Christ”.<br />
29
Class of <strong>2017</strong><br />
“For I know the plans I have for<br />
you,” declares the Lord, “plans<br />
to prosper you and not to harm<br />
you, plans to give you hope and<br />
a future.”<br />
– Jeremiah 29:11 (Class Verse)<br />
BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL >><br />
CHCA Celebrates the Accomplishments<br />
of the Class of <strong>2017</strong>, by the Numbers:<br />
• We earned $11,311,940 in merit scholarships<br />
• We were accepted at 155 colleges and universities<br />
• Submitted 883 applications to 251 colleges and universities in 39 states,<br />
4 Canadian Provinces, 9 countries, and 4 continents<br />
• We served 26,500 hours (that’s an average of 230 hours per student)<br />
• We traveled 7,767 miles to build sustainable agriculture systems in Israel and Haiti<br />
• We completed 287 Advanced Placement classes<br />
• 100% of us completed 7 semesters of Christian Studies classes<br />
• 90% of us participated in Athletics and Fine Arts<br />
• 85% of us received Collegiate Merit Scholarships<br />
• We competed on 25 athletic teams<br />
• 13 of us earned National Merit recognition<br />
• We visited 11 countries during Intersession<br />
• 4 of us designed, programmed, and marketed a 97 jet animated fountain as our<br />
Engineering Capstone project<br />
30<br />
“It didn’t matter where<br />
they were going, as long<br />
as they knew who they<br />
were following.”<br />
- Dr. Eugene B. Habecker”
BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL >><br />
Valedictorian Alex O’Brien<br />
Salutatorian Bryson Karrer<br />
Dr. Eugene B. Habecker<br />
Commencement Overview<br />
CHCA’s Class of <strong>2017</strong> Graduation Day celebration was one of notable challenge for these young adults to<br />
stay true to themselves, be people of character, and face change and transition with God as their guide.<br />
Salutatorian Bryson Karrer encouraged his fellow classmates that<br />
as each one of them carries their own identity, when they embark<br />
into this next chapter, they need to be true to themselves. He<br />
shared, “Do not be so quick to judge others…without getting to<br />
know them and their true character.” He reminded them that it<br />
takes courage to take off their own masks and show their true<br />
selves, as well as to refrain from the judgement of others. The<br />
charge was simply to go forth with that courage.<br />
Valedictorian Alex O’Brien shared that looking back at high<br />
school, it won’t be academics, rather it will be the relationships,<br />
that held meaning to their experiences at CHCA. He elaborated<br />
the point in a challenge to his classmates as they move forward<br />
in life, to ask themselves in their circumstances, “How did I make<br />
someone else feel, and how did they make me feel?”<br />
He further shared, “CHCA taught me that I couldn’t learn<br />
everything about myself, or even the world, in just the<br />
classroom.” He went on to explain how the different unique<br />
experiences he encountered at CHCA – intersession, serving,<br />
prepping for debate team late at night, performing abroad, etc. –<br />
all helped to grow and mature him. “There truly is something for<br />
everyone at CHCA. And we couldn’t be successful without our<br />
teachers. They are unique in how they invest in our experiences.<br />
They are our coaches, mentors, and friends.” He reiterated that<br />
at CHCA, students are able to try and discover unique skills<br />
and talents they didn’t know they had. And he encouraged, “As<br />
we move forward in life, let’s continue to try out new interests,<br />
keeping an open mind about ourselves and the world around us.”<br />
O’Brien ended his speech with a reminder about character.<br />
“CHCA has prepared us to be strong leaders and to change<br />
the world for the better. I’ve learned that being a good leader<br />
requires mutual respect, kindness, and encouragement.<br />
Years from now, people won’t remember you for what you<br />
accomplished, they’ll remember you for how you made them<br />
feel.”<br />
Commencement Speaker Dr. Eugene B. Habecker (Taylor<br />
University ’68), President Emeritus of Taylor University, pointed<br />
out to students that while all of them are facing levels of change<br />
and transition in their lives, we can be encouraged that we serve<br />
a God who understands change and transition. He shared several<br />
examples from scripture that illustrated the importance of faith<br />
and obedience to God in times of uncertainty. He pointed out<br />
the importance of having a relationship with a God who they<br />
knew they trusted - as in biblical times and it still rings true today<br />
- it didn’t matter where they were going, as long as they knew<br />
who they were following.<br />
He shared four guidelines for their journey of change and<br />
transition:<br />
1 Let God be your guide. It’s difficult to get somewhere in this<br />
world without taking time to hear His voice.<br />
2 Focus your vocational efforts on what brings you joy; not just<br />
what brings you power, position, and prestige.<br />
3 Be prepared for the bumps along the way, when they come,<br />
not if they come.<br />
4 Make your life and your words your sermon to the world.<br />
“As you leave this place, you will be new people, face new<br />
circumstances, encounter new opportunities, all while<br />
experiencing change and transition all along the way.” Dr.<br />
Habeker shared. “As you go, be encouraged by these four<br />
guidelines. God bless you in this day of celebration.”<br />
31
BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL >><br />
A Bit<br />
About<br />
Our Val<br />
& Sal…<br />
Alexander Thomas O’Brien<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> Valedictorian<br />
Attending University of Michigan<br />
Earned acceptance into the Ross BBA Program<br />
“My CHCA teachers and coaches taught me the value<br />
of hard work and encouraged me to pursue what I enjoy.<br />
CHCA prepared me well for college and has equipped me to<br />
be a strong Christian leader who makes a positive impact.”<br />
Alex embraced CHCA’s mission to “be prepared intellectually<br />
and spiritually to positively impact the world” since joining in<br />
kindergarten. Alex is the founder of the CHCA Organic Garden<br />
& Vineyard, for which he earned the President’s Volunteer<br />
Service Award and was a Distinguished Finalist in the state<br />
of Ohio for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award. Since<br />
2014, Alex has donated more than 1,000 pounds of produce<br />
to the L.I.F.E food pantry in Loveland. On the academic side,<br />
Alex is a CHCA Cum Laude 90% Scholarship recipient and has<br />
completed 10 AP classes, as well as earning several “Student<br />
of the Year” awards. As captain of the debate team, he and<br />
his debate partner successfully qualified for State this year.<br />
Alex enjoyed playing tenor saxophone with the Electric Jazz<br />
Orchestra on various fronts such as Kenya, Branson, Pep Band,<br />
and the Pit Orchestra for “Anything Goes” and “Fiddler on the<br />
Roof”, the former which won a Cappie for Best Orchestra.<br />
Since beginning freshman year, Alex ran Cross-Country for 4<br />
years, finishing as MVC’s #7 Ranked Male Runner and as one<br />
of the captains focused on mentoring the younger runners. He<br />
decided to join the Ultimate Frisbee team this year, having been<br />
inspired by Cross-Country’s many “Frisbee Fridays.” Alex valued<br />
the Intersession program which gave him opportunities to<br />
serve and experience different cultures in Peru and Kenya, and<br />
experience adventures in Utah and Texas. This past summer,<br />
he helped his family launch an artisan Hawaiian coffee business<br />
at the Loveland Farmers Market. Alex entered the Ross School<br />
of Business at the University of Michigan this fall where he will<br />
pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration.<br />
Bryson Gabriel Karrer<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> Salutatorian<br />
Attending Indiana University Jacobs School of Music<br />
Receiving the Premier Young Artist Award<br />
“Through my many experiences at CHCA, I have seen<br />
how the world works, both in our backyard and around the<br />
globe. The supportive and encouraging atmosphere created<br />
by the faculty and staff of CHCA allowed me to excel<br />
academically and be bold in exploring my passions.”<br />
Attending CHCA since kindergarten, Bryson made full use<br />
of the opportunities offered, especially when he came to<br />
the Martha S. Lindner High School. Academically, Bryson<br />
thrived. Upon entering high school, he was awarded the Cum<br />
Laude Distinguished Scholar Scholarship. Additionally, he<br />
participated and held leadership positions in both the National<br />
Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, as well as being named<br />
a National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction with<br />
nine AP courses. Athletically, he was a member of the middle<br />
school football, cross country, and track teams. He continued<br />
running in high school, earning four varsity letters with the<br />
cross country team. Bryson’s fine arts experiences at CHCA<br />
were vast and varied. He began his freshman year as the only<br />
trombonist in Lab Band before spending the next three years<br />
as a member of the Electric Jazz Orchestra, traveling with<br />
these groups to Missouri, Wisconsin, and even across Kenya.<br />
Bryson also played violin—which he began studying at the age<br />
of three years—with the Symphony Orchestra and Cintered<br />
Electric Strings Orchestra. He performed in the award winning<br />
pit orchestra for the school productions of “Children of Eden,”<br />
“West Side Story,” and “Anything Goes.” In his senior year,<br />
Bryson tried his hand at acting by playing the part of the Fiddler<br />
in “Fiddler on the Roof” and participated in CHCA’s annual<br />
comedy show, “Academy Night Live”. Bryson is attending the<br />
Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University to study violin<br />
performance with an additional emphasis on preparation for<br />
medical school.<br />
32
BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL >><br />
Graduation Reflections<br />
BY MADY SHANK ‘17<br />
As always, Diaspeiro was a special evening celebration among the Class of <strong>2017</strong> graduates, CHCA faculty<br />
and graduates’ families. As one of the last events of their CHCA experience, seniors are honored and they<br />
take time to share and encourage. Mady Shank did just that in her speech as shared below.<br />
Two years ago at this time, our school announced a change<br />
in structure that resulted in our new upper school which<br />
would include Grades 7 through 12. As a result, Mrs.<br />
Metzger would transition from being a high school history<br />
teacher to an Assistant Principal for Grades 7-8. With this<br />
drastic change in positions, I can imagine she had a lot of<br />
preparation and planning to do in a very abbreviated period<br />
of time. However, the moment after the school announced<br />
her new position, Mrs. Metzger drove to West Virginia to join<br />
up with 30 high school students hiking the Appalachian Trail<br />
for May Term. She exhibited her care for us, and, in doing<br />
so, demonstrated how valuable interruptions are, even in the<br />
seemingly busiest of times.<br />
In Matthew 4, Jesus calls the first disciples, and says, ‘Come,<br />
follow me…and I will make you fishers of men.’ It then states,<br />
“At once the left their nets and followed him.” At once. They<br />
did not wait until they caught their quota of fish or pause to<br />
contemplate the fact that they were leaving their nets, their<br />
livelihood, and possibly their families. They embraced this<br />
interruption. Jesus did not call these disciples because of<br />
their abilities; he called them because of their availability.<br />
Some of my most cherished high school memories are<br />
not times I accomplished a task, but times I accepted an<br />
interruption. This year Mrs. Bailey led a girls’ Bible study on<br />
Fridays during bell 5. Choosing to join, I knew this would<br />
interrupt 48 minutes I could devote to studying for Carter<br />
quizzes or eating with my friends. Not only was this an<br />
interruption in my school day, but this was definitely an<br />
interruption for Mrs. Bailey. I’m sure she had grading and<br />
planning to do during 5th bell, and she also had to create<br />
Bible studies at night when she could’ve been spending time<br />
with her family. However, Mrs. Bailey’s leadership in topics<br />
such as trust, patience, and love transformed how I lived<br />
out my faith on a daily basis. The fact that she made time<br />
for an interruption with a couple of high school girls showed<br />
how much she cares for us. A couple of weeks ago, alumnus<br />
Darris Sneed ‘09 held a worship night in this theater on a<br />
Wednesday night from 7:00-9:00. For some people 7:00-<br />
9:00 was the time scheduled to write an English essay; for<br />
others 7:00-9:00 was a sports practice; for some it was music<br />
lessons or work. But that Wednesday night, many said, ‘not<br />
right now’ to that scheduled task and chose to worship. I<br />
think each one of us felt God’s power working through our<br />
community that night, and had no regrets of the two hours<br />
spent off schedule.<br />
The second noteworthy aspect of Matthew 4 is Jesus calls<br />
fishermen. If I had to identify the best potential disciple,<br />
I would not necessarily turn to skilled fishermen. I would<br />
predict that scholars and religious leaders best fit this<br />
description. But these mere fishermen did not question their<br />
qualification for the task of disciple. They trusted God when<br />
He called them to this interruption. From Jacob to Moses to<br />
Esther to David to others, the Bible is filled with unqualified<br />
people.<br />
What a relief that God doesn’t need us to be qualified. This<br />
Christmas, my contact at the Hearing, Speech, and Deaf<br />
Center of Cincinnati asked if I could bring some volunteers<br />
to serve at their Signing Santa party. Not only was this a<br />
significant interruption during finals time, but my group of<br />
three and I felt grossly unqualified. We were the only people<br />
at this party who did not know sign language. But God led us<br />
in expressing compassion and love to these kids without this<br />
means of communication. From this interruption, we grew in our<br />
understanding and respect of a culture different from ours.<br />
So fellow classmates, over the past four years, we have all<br />
worked hard in the tasks assigned to us, in our academics,<br />
athletics, and fine arts. I encourage you to continue this hard<br />
work in your next stage in life so you can use your abilities<br />
and passions for God’s glory. But in the midst of your efforts,<br />
remember that God works through those who are open<br />
and available at any time to let God use them. You are busy<br />
now; you will be busy in college, but don’t let your tasks be<br />
the master of your life. Be interruptible, and don’t discount<br />
yourself as unqualified for the task.<br />
33
BOUNDLESSLY HOPEFUL >><br />
400-600 Service Hours<br />
200 - 300 Service Hours<br />
Class of <strong>2017</strong> Recognitions<br />
1000 Service Hours<br />
Mayerson Service<br />
Leadership Award<br />
Neyer Scholarship<br />
Award<br />
SOS Leadership Award<br />
34<br />
Gold<br />
Silver<br />
Bronze
Academic Signing Class of <strong>2017</strong><br />
200 Service Hours: Katherine Abel, Adam Baker, Carson<br />
Brooks, Sarah Bruns, Ben Collado, Huijing Dang, Paige Gear, Alex<br />
O’Brien, Joe Paschke, Hannah Price, Morgan Renners, David<br />
Woods<br />
300 Service Hours: Will Braden, Haley Charles, Jenna<br />
Charles, Lindsey Charles, Laura Dykstra, Zach Gunlock, Meghan<br />
Lawlor, Alana Lindenfeld, Caroline Rakestraw, Grace Wells, Hope<br />
Whiteside<br />
400 Service Hours: Kaylee Bennett, Rachel Brink, Maggie<br />
Harrison, Rachel Haslem, Ella Hipsley, YiChen Li, Mady Shank,<br />
Katherine Wilkins<br />
500 Service Hours: Eddie Byington, Anna Mumma, Kyle<br />
Nelson, Devin Taylor<br />
600 Service Hours: Maddie Asrat, Jessica Gruber<br />
700 Service Hours: Max Vincent<br />
1000 Service Hours: Adele Enns, Johnathan Sequeira<br />
SOS Leadership Award: Will Braden, Adele Enns,<br />
Meghan Lawlor, Anna Mumma, David Woods<br />
Mayerson Service Leadership Award:<br />
Anna Mumma<br />
Neyer Scholarship Award:<br />
Mady Shank<br />
Gold: Maddie Asrat, Eddie Byington, Johnathan Sequeria,<br />
Max Vincent<br />
Silver: Rachel Brink, Anna Mumma, Caroline Rakestraw<br />
Bronze: Jenna Charles, Lindsay Charles, Adele Enns, Zach<br />
Gunlock, Rachel Haslem, Devin Taylor<br />
Dick Snyder Award: Megan Kissel, Maddie Buist,<br />
Adam Baker<br />
Lifers Picnic<br />
35
INSPIRINGLY BENEVOLENT >><br />
Spare Change for World Change<br />
STORY BY CATHY ANDRY<br />
Each year, Kindergarten Preparatory students sort, count,<br />
and present their “Spare Change for World Change” to<br />
Lower Elementary Principal Mrs. Sandy Breitholle, Assistant<br />
Principal Mrs. Elaine Marsh, and Mrs. Emily Iddings,<br />
representative of the Restavek Freedom Foundation. This<br />
past year, these young students raised $213.00 by doing<br />
chores around the house, for grandparents, for neighbors,<br />
etc. just like the Restavek children do. However, instead<br />
of working for free, our students work for spare change<br />
donations. The Restavek Freedom Foundation was founded<br />
in 2007 by CHCA alumni parent and founding member Joan<br />
Conn, who has been tirelessly working to end child slavery<br />
in Haiti ever since. Kindergarten Preparatory students have<br />
been serving Restavek Freedom Foundation since 2011,<br />
and have funded school tuition, books, and uniforms for<br />
approximately eight children to enter school who would not<br />
have otherwise been able to attend. These students and<br />
their teacher, Mrs. Cathy Andry were thrilled to be able to<br />
support Restavek Freedom Foundation again this year, and<br />
will continue to do so in the future. Andry shared, “Thank<br />
you Restavek Freedom for serving the children of Haiti.<br />
And, thank you boys and girls, and families, for serving as<br />
well.” Andry believes that even our smallest children can<br />
make the biggest impact.<br />
SDL Time Well Spent<br />
A friend of the Brooks family, Colonel Cunningham, is serving and leading a<br />
company of soldiers for a stint in Afghanistan. Students and twin siblings, Jack<br />
and Jenna Brooks ‘22 (pictured) rallied their classmates together to write letters<br />
of encouragement to the Company during their Student Directed Learning (SDL)<br />
bell one day. After receiving the letters, Colonel Cunningham and his Company<br />
created a makeshift plaque including US and Afghani flags, and sent it to our<br />
students as a thank you. The students were presented with the plaque at field day<br />
this past spring. They shared that they were very happy and proud to be a part of<br />
the special project.<br />
36
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
Engaging Alumni:<br />
CHCA’s Alumni Relations<br />
Who are we?<br />
A collective group of CHCA alumni, representing classes spanning<br />
over 20 years, who volunteer time and resources in order to<br />
increase engagement among our alumni community.<br />
What is our purpose?<br />
Serving our alumni. These individuals are passionate about their<br />
community. They get involved because of their pride in their<br />
alma mater, their desire to stay connected, and mostly for their<br />
passion of connecting and serving their fellow alumni community<br />
in their adult life. Whether that be supporting alumni in their<br />
family life, connecting alumni professionals, or offering opportunities<br />
to entrepreneurs, it is about serving our alumni.<br />
What do we do?<br />
The board committee leaders meet bi-monthly to discuss and<br />
execute new opportunities to serve our Alumni community on<br />
and off campus, as well as locally and abroad. Within the Board,<br />
there are four sub-committees (Web Development, Events,<br />
Data, and Business Relations) who meet casually every 2-3<br />
months to discuss ideas and progress.<br />
What do we need?<br />
Alumni engagement! We want to be a resource, a connector,<br />
cheerleader, and a source of home. We want to offer endless<br />
opportunities. Let us fill the gaps!<br />
What DON’T we want?<br />
To be a source of stress or obligation. We never want to<br />
overstay our welcome if you have no desire for connecting.<br />
During the 2016-<strong>2017</strong> school year, the alumni board decided<br />
to take on a new vision and execute it with one thing in<br />
mind; intentionality. We don’t just want to be a part of your<br />
past; we care about your present and we want to be a part of<br />
the success in your future! If there is a way that we can help<br />
you, we will use our countless resources to do everything we<br />
can. We do our best to keep you updated through our social<br />
media outlets. Your family’s investment in CHCA has a<br />
lasting return, and we want to ensure that we deliver on that<br />
promise. If you are an alumni who resonates with our vision<br />
and wants to add to the conversation, we have many opportunities<br />
for your involvement. Please contact us at alumni@<br />
chca-oh.org to see where your gifts and passions would best<br />
benefit the growth and development of the Alumni Relations<br />
Board and the support we give our community.<br />
CHCA Alumni Relations Board<br />
Back row – L to R: Billy Kissel ‘10, Grant Cooper ‘05, Natalie (Marks) Bowman ‘09, Front row – L to R: Andrew Perkins ‘10, Sarah (Eslick) Robinson ‘09, Zach Bohannon<br />
‘02 Not Pictured: David Blessing ‘97, Kate Kersey ‘05, Kurt Kersey ‘08, Eric Loftus ‘04, Christina (Karam) Painter ‘07, Robbie Wilson ‘04<br />
37
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
CHCA’s First Annual Alumni Showcase<br />
BY SARAH ESLICK ROBINSON ‘09<br />
May 4, <strong>2017</strong> CHCA’s Alumni Board hosted the First<br />
Annual Alumni Showcase: “Beyond These Doors”! This<br />
event was created to take the position of previous years’<br />
Alumni Chapels. While the showcase is still a chapel<br />
format, it now has an entirely new purpose-to spotlight<br />
our alumni successes. We are so proud of our alumni and<br />
have celebrated with them through many achievements<br />
and experiences, we decided it was time to share those<br />
as broadly as we can with our community. Through this<br />
spotlight, we want our alumni to shine their gifts, passions,<br />
creations, and businesses by giving them an annual<br />
opportunity to connect and inspire!<br />
This year, Andy Garrett ‘09 (Breakout Games), spoke<br />
with the students about their “Story,” and how each<br />
component ties into God’s story. He shared his personal<br />
journey and what brought him to this fruitful place in<br />
his life. It was challenging and moving for all students,<br />
alumni, and faculty and tied into our theme of “Beyond<br />
These Doors,” so perfectly. We also had the pleasure of<br />
“UpDog”, throw back alumni band from 2002, making a<br />
guest musical appearance, which was a good time had by<br />
the entire crowd. It was especially nostalgic for those of us<br />
who were true fans of the ‘02 band. They’ve still got it!<br />
Outside the doors of the theatre was the “parade of<br />
businesses, and Art”. Space and tables were available<br />
for alumni to set up advertisement, products, and art. It<br />
was an opportunity to build into each other, as alumni<br />
provided as a vision to the upperclassmen. We envision<br />
this event to be a place where alumni can showcase and/<br />
or sell their business. The alumni board wants you to know<br />
that we are ABOUT you, we are FOR you, and we want<br />
you to SUCCEED. Any way we can build into your success,<br />
we would love to! The upcoming school season is already<br />
under way and we are gearing up for a bigger and better<br />
showcase next spring. We want you to be a part of it! If<br />
you would like to reserve (no charge) a spot for Showcase<br />
2018, please email sarah.robinson@chca-oh.org.<br />
The Second Annual Showcase planning is<br />
already underway and we are gearing up for<br />
a bigger and better event. We want YOU to<br />
be a part of it!<br />
38
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
STORY BY CHRISTIE TAYLOR ‘11<br />
Christie Taylor ’11, dancer on a journey of faith, recently wrote a wonderful letter to several faculty members at<br />
CHCA, inviting them to “…join me in this mission as you continue to walk alongside me as witnesses to the fruit of<br />
the seeds you have sown.”<br />
Here is an excerpt from her letter to the CHCA faculty (shared with her permission):<br />
Four years ago, the Lord placed a vision on my heart to start a transitional<br />
fine arts boarding school for adolescents healing from trauma/<br />
abuse. This school would use various art forms to help adolescents<br />
process their stories, receive counseling, and be restored to wholeness….<br />
Two years ago, I responded to the Lord’s call to move to Houston<br />
and dance with Ad Deum, a faith-based modern dance company.<br />
Though I could not understand why the Lord would bring me here, I<br />
was confident that He had called me, and for that reason, I could not<br />
help but follow Him to Houston.<br />
Around this time last year, I emailed many of you asking for prayer<br />
as I discerned whether it was time to go to grad school or if I was to<br />
continue dancing with Ad Deum for another year. My decision to<br />
stay in Houston plunged me into a new level of trust with the Lord as<br />
I watched Him “clear the table” of my future plans, and re-set it in<br />
His perfect wisdom. At times, it is easy to doubt the Lord’s provision.<br />
The Lord is strategically equipping me for the vision placed on my life,<br />
through the opportunity to be “parented” in this calling.<br />
In the fall, the Lord brought me to Kalette, the founder of Beautiful<br />
Feet, an arts school dedicated to using various art forms as vehicles<br />
for transformation, healing, and communion with the Lord. Upon<br />
meeting Kalette, it was clear that it was no coincidence that our<br />
paths would cross. Months later, the Lord directed me to join her in<br />
the establishment of this school, a dream birthed 14 years ago and<br />
now coming to fruition. I will never forget her words: “I want you to<br />
know that I am honored to have you join my team, and I want to<br />
be here to guide and mentor you in whatever ways you may need to<br />
start the school the Lord has placed on your heart.” As a member of<br />
Beautiful Feet’s charter team, I have had the opportunity to develop<br />
a curriculum for classes such as “Healing through Movement,”<br />
“Improvisational Engagement,” “Soft Pastels,” and “Painting,” which<br />
will use the arts as vehicles for healing and transformation. In the fall<br />
of <strong>2017</strong>, I will be taking these classes to the “Freedom Place,” a safe<br />
home for trafficked women, and working alongside Kalette to restore<br />
these women to wholeness. As I serve and pour into her calling, I find<br />
the Lord multiplying the deposits placed into my own. I am convinced<br />
that where the Lord gives vision, there His provision will also be. As<br />
I continue to say “yes” to the Lord, I see Him expanding my territory;<br />
for “to those who are entrusted with much, much more will be given”<br />
(Luke 12:48).”<br />
This summer, Christie took the next step forward in her calling….or many steps…..599 miles of steps to be more precise…and tackled the<br />
Pacific Crest Trail from June 27-August 5. This backpacking journey served as a Fundraiser for a new building facility, a 40 Day Prayer<br />
Journey for Beautiful Feet Studio of Dance & the Arts, and a time of Ministry as she embodied what it means to be the beautiful feet that<br />
go to the mountains to bring good news. She feels so blessed and amazed by the Lord’s creativity as He continues to direct her steps. Stay<br />
tuned as Christie’s story continues to unfold…<br />
39
ALUMNI NOTES >><br />
40<br />
1995<br />
1 Carl Cordova and his wife, Sola, are currently<br />
living in Brooklyn, NY where they just<br />
celebrated the birth of their son, Harvey on<br />
June 3.<br />
1996<br />
2 Jennifer Petrey is currently a Professor of<br />
English for Central Arizona. She moved to<br />
the Phoenix area in 2016 from Barry University<br />
in Miami, FL. She is currently pursuing<br />
a second PhD in psychology and cognition.<br />
Over the years she has published several<br />
works on culture and trauma - focusing on<br />
diasporas and gender identity - and serves<br />
under-represented populations in borderland<br />
Arizona. In addition to her scholarly<br />
and professional pursuits, Jennifer breeds<br />
and shows Australian Shepherd dogs and<br />
German Warmblood horses. She is also<br />
currently working towards representing the<br />
United States in dressage at the next Pan<br />
American Games on her Holsteiner horse,<br />
LeDoux DFF.<br />
1997<br />
Erin Metzger Conn is currently a teacher at<br />
CHCA and is serving on the CHCA Alumni<br />
Board.<br />
1998<br />
3 Brian Garlock and his wife, Brittany, live<br />
in Mason, OH with their two sons, Colin<br />
(7) and Aiden (5). He is working for Mammotome,<br />
a medical device company in Cincinnati,<br />
on the leadership team of the North<br />
American Sales organization as Sales Operations<br />
Manager.<br />
Rebekah Sjogren Osypian is currently living<br />
in San Diego, CA where she owns a consulting<br />
agency that focuses on sales growth<br />
and strategy building.<br />
1999<br />
4 Kristen Stutz Barkimer married Greg<br />
Barkimer on April 22 in Winston-Salem,<br />
North Carolina, where she attended college.<br />
It was an amazing day and the Lord blessed<br />
them by holding the rain off for their outdoor<br />
ceremony until just minutes after everything<br />
was finished! Kristen’s two sisters,<br />
Darah Stutz Kerpka ‘02 and Meredith Stutz<br />
‘12, were the maids of honor. Dear friend and<br />
CHCA alum, Michelle Toy Warner ‘98 read<br />
Scripture and her daughter, Olivia, was one<br />
of their adorable flower girls. Kristen and<br />
Greg are loving married life and are enjoying<br />
living in Hyde Park, Ohio.<br />
2000<br />
5 Chad Leland is starting his 11th year as a<br />
coach for the CHCA middle school football<br />
program. This past year he started a new job<br />
as the employee benefits broker firm McGohan<br />
Brabender as a large account manager.<br />
Chad is involved in an awesome men’s small<br />
group, Inner Circle Cincinnati, which includes<br />
former CHCA football guys coming<br />
together to grow deeper in faith and to be<br />
honest and accountable for what living for<br />
Jesus really means. After 11 years of teaching<br />
at Edgewood Middle School, his wife Allison<br />
is working at home as a part time art teacher.<br />
They are celebrating their two daughters in<br />
every way as tea parties, dances, and ‘feelings’<br />
are ever-present in their house!<br />
6 Michelle Pembaur Pater and her husband,<br />
Michael, welcomed Michael Robert<br />
Pembaur Pater on April 3, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
7 Liz Bronson Rosenau and her husband<br />
Greg welcomed their first baby, Audrey<br />
Kathleen, on August 18, 2016. Life will never<br />
be the same and they wouldn’t have it any<br />
other way. Liz says, “I’d like to apologize for<br />
all the times I rolled my eyes when someone<br />
wanted to show me pictures of their baby...<br />
I get it now!”<br />
2001<br />
8 Matt Warren and his wife Allyson moved<br />
back to Cincinnati just over five years ago<br />
and have enjoyed settling into their life as a<br />
growing family in Loveland. They have two<br />
energetic boys, Declan(age 6) and Beckett<br />
(age 4). This past December, Matt and Allyson,<br />
along with their family, opened Brixx<br />
Wood Fired Pizza and a couple months later<br />
opened Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe in<br />
Deerfield Township.<br />
2002<br />
Zach Bohannon is currently living in Cincinnati<br />
where he works as a field director<br />
for Americans for Prosperity (AFP), the<br />
nation’s leading grassroots activists organization<br />
which supports economic prosperity,<br />
freedom, and opportunity through free<br />
market principles and principles of limited<br />
government.<br />
Wes and Dori Dostal Edmonson are living<br />
in Loveland, Oh with their two children, Oliver<br />
(5) and Henry (2).<br />
Ryan Scott has been working for the last 10<br />
years at GE Aviation where he is an evaluation<br />
engineer. He has been working on the<br />
GE9X engine that will power the Boeing<br />
777; so if you are flying from here to California,<br />
it is likely that he will be powering you!<br />
2003<br />
9 Denis Beausejour and his wife Robynne<br />
are loving life in the suburb of Chicago.<br />
Denis is working at O.C. Tanner, which is a<br />
rewards and recognition company. They<br />
are currently attending Willow Creek Community<br />
Church. September 2016 they were<br />
blessed with a beautiful baby boy, Denis.<br />
10 Jon Beck has been in Santa Cruz, Bolivia<br />
working with World Gospel Mission as a<br />
volunteer since August 2016. While there,<br />
he taught Old Testament Theology, New<br />
Testament Theology, Hebrews/General<br />
Epistles, and Biblical Hebrew to the local<br />
university (Bolivian Evangelical University)<br />
and seminary in Santa Cruz. To say it has<br />
been a great experience would be a huge<br />
understatement! He concluded this term as<br />
a missionary on July 15, and is eager to discover<br />
what God has for him next.<br />
11 Kathryn Ashbrook Folkerth and her husband,<br />
Joshua are living in Dar es Salaam,<br />
Tanzania with their sons Max (4) and Linus<br />
(2). They are there on an international assignment<br />
with Joshua’s job (out of Geneva,<br />
Switzerland). Previous postings were North<br />
Carolina and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They<br />
are loving living inTanzania and having the<br />
opportunity to explore that corner of the<br />
world.<br />
Melissa Perkins Ruch proves you can successfully<br />
balance being a wife, mom, and<br />
having a full career! Shortly after graduating<br />
from Miami University in 2007, she started<br />
her career with the Nielsen company - a<br />
measurement company headquartered in<br />
New York. Melissa has held multiple roles<br />
within the company from sales to research<br />
management to HR leadership, where currently<br />
she helps lead the global employee<br />
engagement strategy across the organization.<br />
Melissa is actively involved with external<br />
branding and marketing for Nielsen,<br />
helping transform the internal employee<br />
experience for associates from the research<br />
and data insights collected externally. From<br />
a personal lens, after attending Miami University<br />
together, “Miami Mergers” Melissa<br />
and Paul Ruch were married in 2008. Paul is<br />
owner of Express Employment Professional<br />
in Cincinnati, a staffing company dedicated<br />
to helping people find jobs and provide<br />
workforce solutions to businesses. Together<br />
they have two boys - Caden (3) and Parker<br />
(1 yr). Both boys are great fun with lots of<br />
energy and smiles! They are currently living<br />
in Liberty Township, OH where they enjoy<br />
traveling, outdoor activities, and simply<br />
hanging out with family and friends.
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
1<br />
8<br />
2<br />
9<br />
3<br />
4<br />
6<br />
5<br />
11<br />
7<br />
10<br />
41
ALUMNI NOTES >><br />
12<br />
13<br />
14<br />
17<br />
18<br />
19<br />
26<br />
15<br />
16<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
24<br />
25<br />
23<br />
42
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
Cara Clausing Rupp married her high<br />
school boyfriend, Tony Rupp in 2008 and<br />
then graduated with an Engineering Physics<br />
degree from Wright State. She is currently<br />
a research engineer at WPAFB in Dayton,<br />
OH. Cara and Tony welcomed a cute little<br />
boy, Jackson, in 2014, who joins their fluffy<br />
cat to round out the family.<br />
2004<br />
12 Josh and Julie Baker were married in an<br />
intimate wedding in her parent’s yard with<br />
just a few family members in May of 2016<br />
and are currently living in Indianapolis. Julie<br />
is a designer at Nelson jewelers. They<br />
opened a food truck “Tongue n Cheek”<br />
that specializes in hearty sandwiches. There<br />
latest venture is the 22nd Street Diner that<br />
has a classic diner feel serving comfort food<br />
to include family-style shared plates and<br />
classic sides like collard greens, cornbread,<br />
baked beans, and more. They were recently<br />
back at CHCA to celebrate the graduation<br />
of their “little brother” Adam, Class of <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
13 Courtney Clark-Rankin has nearly completed<br />
a post-bachelor degree in Business<br />
Informatics to better succeed in her new<br />
role as the Information Systems Administrator<br />
at Cincinnati Museum Center and the<br />
National Underground Railroad Freedom<br />
Center. She and her husband, Christopher,<br />
continue restoration work on their 97 year<br />
old historic home in Southgate, KY, and they<br />
are ecstatic to be expecting their first child<br />
in November.<br />
14 Rachael Herrmann Martinez continues<br />
in her position as a Research Health Scientist<br />
for the Department of Veterans Affairs.<br />
She and her husband had their first little girl,<br />
Carlyn Kay, in June 2015, and just welcomed<br />
their second, Isabella Regina, on Memorial<br />
Day <strong>2017</strong>. The Martinez family, including<br />
their two mini huskies, reside in Chicago.<br />
Nathaniel Sizemore and his wife, Erin, are<br />
currently living in Ft. Thomas, KY where he<br />
is the vice president and general counsel of<br />
Sizemore & Co., LLC<br />
15 Brittany Wyche is currently living in<br />
inston-Salem, NC where she is a college<br />
counselor at Guilford College. In February,<br />
she and Chris Jacques became engaged and<br />
are planning for their January 2018 wedding.<br />
2005<br />
Jonathan Gaietto is living in L.A. and is a<br />
professional actor.<br />
16 Ben Hoyer and his wife Shannon (Drumheller)<br />
were married in 2013 and reside in<br />
Anderson Township with their new son<br />
Blake Lee (born March 3, <strong>2017</strong>). Ben graduated<br />
from the University of Cincinnati’s Carl<br />
Lindner Honors Plus Program in 2010 with<br />
a degree in Business Administration with<br />
concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.<br />
Ben is the CEO of ClearShield<br />
Auto Glass operating in Northern Kentucky,<br />
Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus. Shannon,<br />
a 2010 graduate of The University of<br />
Virginia McIntire School of Commerce with<br />
a BS in Commerce, is Campaign Manager<br />
for 84.51 (formerly Dunnhumby). Ben is a<br />
proud Bearcat football supporter.<br />
Teddy Siegel is currently living in Cincinnati<br />
and is working as a Business Operations Assistant<br />
for the Cincinnati Reds.<br />
2006<br />
17 Dr. Michael Goebel graduated from University<br />
of Cincinnati College of Medicine in<br />
2014 and is currently an Emergency Physician.<br />
He married Meredith on September 17,<br />
2016, and they are currently living in Cincinnati.<br />
Justin Jones can be seen this season on the<br />
sideline at <strong>Eagles</strong> varsity football games as he<br />
has joined the coaching staff. GO EAGLES!!<br />
Cathy Kwan and her husband, Jason Yoong,<br />
live in Seattle, Washington where she is Senior<br />
Designer for Vie Active.<br />
18 Liz Stogner just graduated with her MBA<br />
from Sullivan University where she works<br />
as an Employer Relations Specialist for the<br />
career services there. She will be assisting<br />
at the Louisville Young Guns Dinner at the<br />
James Beard House again in the fall.<br />
19 Carrie Campbell VanSlyke and Jeremy<br />
welcomed their first child, Thomas in August.<br />
They currently live in Halifax, Nova<br />
Scotia, Canada. Jeremy is a music record<br />
producer and runs his own company called<br />
Leaf Music. Carrie currently teaches 45 little<br />
students private violin/viola lessons every<br />
week and continues to play viola in Symphony<br />
Nova Scotia. She plans to take three<br />
months off with the arrival of their little one<br />
to adjust to their new family life. They are<br />
very excited for this new adventure!<br />
2007<br />
20 Ryan Atkins married Stephanie Perry<br />
on November 19, 2016 at Old St. George in<br />
Clifton, OH. Ryan and Stephanie were in<br />
the same second grade class at CHCA Elementary<br />
in 1996. They continue to share<br />
their story at www.FlatOnMyFeet.com<br />
James Havey lives in Penang Kam, Cambodia<br />
where he continues to work doing anti<br />
human trafficking sociological research and<br />
LGBT advocacy with Maryknoll Lay Missions.<br />
21 Amy Stevens Hendley and her husband,<br />
Tanner, have three children - Mary Evelyn<br />
(4), Rosalie (2), and Noah (born in Feb<br />
<strong>2017</strong>). Commencement from Liberty University<br />
was shortly after Noah was born and<br />
both Amy and Tanner were graduating with<br />
their Masters. They were allowed to bring<br />
their newborn son on the field for commencement<br />
where President Trump was<br />
the speaker.<br />
Nathan Wallace is currently living in Columbus,<br />
OH with his wife, Claire.<br />
2008<br />
Adam Clark is currently living in Washington,<br />
DC and is working as an associate<br />
attorney at the campaign finance law firm,<br />
Utrecht, Kleinfeld, Fiori, Partners, LLC.<br />
22 Todd Simmons just graduated from<br />
Northeast Ohio Medical University with<br />
his M.D. He was recently married to Nicole<br />
Thieman on May 6, <strong>2017</strong>. Alumni Adam<br />
Simmons ‘05, Kurt Kersey ‘08, Austin Zekoff<br />
‘09 and Nathan Lambert ‘08 were all<br />
part of the celebration. In June he began his<br />
psychiatry residency at Pine Rest Christian<br />
Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids,<br />
Michigan.<br />
23 Austin Wilson relocated to Nashville<br />
with his wife, Nicole, where he is currently<br />
on tour with Matthew West and loving it.<br />
During the stage shows, Austin steers cameras,<br />
makes giant video walls show the right<br />
things at the right time and other cool effects<br />
making the show come to life.<br />
2009<br />
Brianna Alvarado was recently invited to<br />
join the Women’s National Soccer Team to<br />
play goalkeeper for Puerto Rico.<br />
24 Drake Browne married Claire in November<br />
2016 and currently lives in the Atlanta<br />
area. He has been working at Perfect<br />
Game USA since graduation from Furman<br />
University in 2013 and was recently promoted<br />
to National Marketing Manager. While in<br />
college he played baseball for four years at<br />
D1 Furman University.<br />
25 Sarah Cesler has been living in Denver<br />
since 2014 and was married there in September<br />
2016 to Gavin Whitman. Sarah is<br />
currently a zookeeper at the Denver Zoo<br />
and cares for rhinos, tapirs, and elephants.<br />
26 Hannah Frank Cisneros married Paolo<br />
Cisneros on May 28, <strong>2017</strong> and is currently<br />
living in Santiago De Queretaro, Mexico.<br />
There she is involved in education and<br />
community development work.<br />
43
ALUMNI NOTES >><br />
44<br />
Alison Edwards graduated with a Master of<br />
Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader in<br />
2016 from Xavier University and is currently<br />
living in Chicago where she is a Registered<br />
Nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.<br />
Travis Geiger is currently living in LA and<br />
is a film director and most recently a producer’s<br />
assistant on the set of Robin Hood<br />
shooting in Budapest. His first experience<br />
began in chapel videos at CHCA.<br />
Alivia Johnson is currently living in Cincinnati,<br />
OH where she is the Corporate HR &<br />
Training Coordinator for Jeff Ruby Culinary<br />
Entertainment.<br />
27 Captain Philip Marosi completed his captain<br />
training at Fort Lee Virginia and was the<br />
top student in his class from the Army Logistics<br />
University in May. He moved to Petersburg,<br />
VA in October 2016 after being on<br />
assignment for three years near Nuremberg,<br />
Germany. He and his beautiful wife, Megan,<br />
will be leaving for South Korea for two years<br />
at the end of June. They are excited to see<br />
what challenges lie ahead and are experiencing<br />
God’s goodness and faithfulness in the<br />
highs and lows.<br />
28 Kelsie Pignone Nagel married Bobby Nagel<br />
on February 13, 2016 and they are excited<br />
to introduce their new addition, Vinny, born<br />
in April <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
29 Olivia Perez moved to Houston in 2015<br />
with her boyfriend of five years, Kent Fisher.<br />
They both work at NASA Johnson Space<br />
Center and love it! In their spare time they love<br />
hiking, traveling, pub trivia, and taking their fur<br />
baby, Coney (2 yr. old mini dachshund) everywhere<br />
with them! If any CHCA people are in<br />
Houston and want a tour, let her know!<br />
30 Chris Powers wed Joey Ausena on October<br />
29, 2016 and they currently reside in London,<br />
UK.<br />
Andy Shear graduated from college with a<br />
degree in software engineering and is currently<br />
working remotely for a technology firm<br />
in Blue Ash, OH as a software developer creating<br />
anything from apps to web surfaces. In<br />
August 2016 he married Kelly and they relocated<br />
to New Mexico where they are living on<br />
a ranch and raising their three horses.<br />
Paul Tepfenhart is currently in Columbus,<br />
OH working as the Director of Sales for<br />
CrossChx, a biometric medical security company.<br />
He helped build the company from its<br />
inception four years ago to the nationwide<br />
security and automation company it is today.<br />
31 Taylor Beadle Weber is currently living<br />
in West Chester, OH with her husband,<br />
Sebastian. Sebastian recently graduated<br />
with his MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University<br />
and works at Prasco Pharmaceutical<br />
in Mason, OH. Taylor just finished her fifth<br />
year of teaching and is a 5th grade teacher<br />
at Sharonville Elementary. She is involved<br />
in a Munich Sister City Teacher Exchange<br />
and hosted a Kindergarten teacher for two<br />
weeks last April. In June, Taylor went to Munich,<br />
Germany for two weeks to learn about<br />
the culture and the school system in Europe.<br />
Recently she and Sebastian celebrated their<br />
five year anniversary in Jamaica.<br />
2010<br />
32 Erin Lloyd graduated from CHCA in<br />
2010 and just finished her third year of<br />
medical school at Oakland University<br />
William Beaumont School of Medicine in<br />
Michigan. In April of <strong>2017</strong>, she was asked<br />
to address 2,000 high school students before<br />
a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park<br />
for their Class Outside Series. Prior to her<br />
medical tract, she had sustained a serious<br />
injury while playing collegiate level basketball.<br />
Through this injury and recovery she<br />
experienced first hand how essential it is to<br />
be treated by compassionate doctors. Her<br />
passion arose to pursue a career in sports<br />
medicine and get kids back in the game.<br />
2011<br />
Matt Alvarado is a member of “Public”, a<br />
band that also includes CHCA alumni John<br />
Handelsman ‘12 and Ben Lapps ‘12. They<br />
recently released their latest EP, “Sweet<br />
Lemonade” and performed in a show with<br />
Twenty One Pilots this past June.<br />
33 Maddie Drees celebrated her one year<br />
anniversary of living in New York City in<br />
January! She and a few friends started their<br />
own small theater company called Artists<br />
Entrained. The debut production was<br />
successful, and marked the first of many.<br />
Maddie recently accepted a position with<br />
NY Kids Club and Preschool as an Assistant<br />
Location Manager. She continues to thrive<br />
in the “big city” life, but will always be a Cincinnati<br />
girl at heart.<br />
34 Maya Traynham-Richardson McCollum<br />
and Adam ‘12 were married January<br />
2016 and reside in West Chester, Oh. They<br />
were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Mila<br />
Marie, born in February. Adam is currently<br />
working for a data firm in Cincinnati and<br />
Maya is enjoying being a stay at home mom<br />
to Mila and their dog, Disney.<br />
Christie Taylor is currently living in Houston<br />
where she dances for a dance ministry<br />
called Ad Deum. In addition, she teaches<br />
dance and art, with the long term goal of using<br />
the arts as a mechanism for healing. See<br />
the feature on page #<br />
2012<br />
Ted Andrews was recently drafted to play<br />
for the Chicago White Sox.<br />
35 Samuel Becker recently started fulltime<br />
at a digital marketing agency in Orange<br />
County. However, over the last full year<br />
since graduating from Biola University he<br />
worked at a farm and then committed to<br />
work with a non-profit called Harvest Craft,<br />
helping to run their marketing. At Harvest<br />
Craft, they work to educate, equip, and<br />
empower under-resourced communities<br />
through sustainable food production systems.<br />
Working with this non-profit took<br />
Samuel to Cambodia and Japan. In Cambodia<br />
he partnered with a local pastor to design<br />
a sustainable farm for the new rehab center<br />
for rescued girls from the sex trade industry.<br />
In Japan, he learned and networked<br />
with recognized and impactful community<br />
shapers and sustainable agriculture innovators.<br />
Samuel wanted to give a special shout<br />
out to Dr. Savage for putting him onto this<br />
path and opening his mind to the ability to<br />
love others, serve God, and cultivate lasting<br />
change through sustainable agriculture and<br />
environmental care.<br />
36 Hannah Grubb is currently living in<br />
Brooklyn, NY where she is working as the<br />
Executive Assistant to the President of The<br />
King’s College, her alma mater.<br />
Zach James could be seen this season on<br />
the sideline of the <strong>Eagles</strong> Varsity football as<br />
he has joined the coaching staff as Varsity<br />
Lineback Coach and JV Assistant Coach.<br />
GO EAGLES!!<br />
37 Ann Marie Kadnar and James Riley ‘13<br />
were engaged in December 2016, with a<br />
wedding planned for December <strong>2017</strong>. Ann<br />
Marie will graduate in August 2018 from<br />
University of Kentucky with a Masters in<br />
Integrated Plant and Soil Science. She is<br />
working on her thesis which focuses on forage<br />
quality in cool season pasture grasses<br />
for equine nutrition and health.<br />
Tanner Kuremsky graduated from Virginia<br />
Tech May 2016 with a degree in Chemical<br />
Engineering. In August 2016 he moved to<br />
Baltimore and began as a formulator for CoverGirl<br />
cosmetics, specifically creating foundations.<br />
Tanner lives in the Canton neighborhood<br />
in Baltimore and stays busy with city<br />
wide intramural sports like kickball, softball,<br />
and corn hole (where he reigns supreme in<br />
corn hole after hailing from the Midwest).
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
28<br />
27<br />
29<br />
31<br />
33<br />
30<br />
32<br />
34<br />
34<br />
36<br />
35<br />
37<br />
25
ALUMNI NOTES >><br />
38<br />
39<br />
40<br />
42<br />
41<br />
43<br />
46<br />
44<br />
45<br />
48<br />
49<br />
47<br />
46
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
34 Adam McCollum See Maya Traynham-Richardson<br />
McCollum ‘11 entry.<br />
Courtney Myers recently graduated with<br />
a B.A. in Business Administration and is<br />
currently living in Greenville, South Carolina.<br />
She is working as a Financial Analyst for<br />
Lockheed Martin.<br />
Meredith Stutz graduated from Elon University<br />
and is now working as a multimedia<br />
journalist for WSAV Channel 3 News in Savannah,<br />
Georgia where she writes, shoots,<br />
and edits all of her material.<br />
38 Jacob Thiel is living in Springboro with<br />
his dog, Derby. He is an Engineer for GE<br />
Aviation in Evendale.<br />
39 Josh Thiel completed his MBA from<br />
Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh this<br />
past May and is currently living in Liberty<br />
Township, OH. He is working in Covington,<br />
KY for TiER1 Performance Solutions as an<br />
Associate Account Manager on the Business<br />
Development/Market Service team.<br />
This is the same company he had interned<br />
with in Pittsburgh.<br />
40 Emily Walton was recently selected to<br />
receive a <strong>2017</strong> National Security Education<br />
Program (NSEP) David L. Boren Fellowship.<br />
She will be taking a year off from her graduate<br />
studies to move to Riga, Latvia where<br />
she will study advanced Russian language<br />
and conduct independent research. Emily<br />
will graduate in Spring 2019 with a Master<br />
of Arts in Eurasian, Russian, and East European<br />
Studies from the School of Foreign<br />
Service of Georgetown University in Washington,<br />
D.C.<br />
2013<br />
41 Abby Bowman graduated from Wheaton<br />
College in May with a double degree in<br />
Cultural Anthropology and Spanish after<br />
returning to the USA from seventh months<br />
living, working, and researching in Peru. She<br />
spent the summer outdoors as a director<br />
of ropes courses and wilderness treks at a<br />
summer camp in Maine. Abby and another<br />
classmate recently released a podcast, Dis(-<br />
claim), and Abby will soon begin volunteering<br />
as an Outreach Ambassador for a newly<br />
developing blog project in Chicago.<br />
Officer Candidate) program in March of<br />
2015. His first orders were to finish his degree<br />
in Mechanical Engineering at Cedarville<br />
University which he did on May 6, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
He reported to OCS (Officer’s Candidate<br />
School) on June 4 in Newport, RI.<br />
Joe Kabalin just graduated from the University<br />
of Alabama with a BS in Mechanical<br />
Engineering. He is going on to pursue a<br />
Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering<br />
at Georgia Institute of Technology.<br />
37 James Riley See Ann Marie Kadnar’s ‘12<br />
entry.<br />
42 Kaity Venters just graduated from Saint<br />
Mary’s College Cum Laud with a B.A. in<br />
Global Studies with a concentration in Chinese.<br />
She is currently working as Marketing<br />
Associate for Acco Brands. (Lake Zurich,<br />
IL)<br />
2014<br />
Zach Alvarado is currently in the Philippines<br />
working with British American Tobacco.<br />
He is the head of digital marketing for<br />
their flagship vape brand, Vype.<br />
Adam Kohlan just completed his third year<br />
at Belmont University where he is studying<br />
Marketing.<br />
43 Jimmy Kuroff is studying Nutrition and<br />
Food Sciences at University of Cincinnati.<br />
This summer he interned with alumni Adam<br />
Atallah ‘07 in CHCA’s Sports Performance<br />
Training Program.<br />
44 Anna Mirlisena started interning for<br />
Thistle Farms, a Nashville-based, non-profit<br />
organization whose mission is to heal, empower,<br />
and employ survivors of prostitution,<br />
trafficking, and addiction. She is in her final<br />
year of college at Belmont University pursuing<br />
a BA.<br />
Casey Ochs is studying communications<br />
management and psychology at the University<br />
of Dayton.<br />
Caroline Schutte is attending the University<br />
of South Carolina where she is pursuing a<br />
B.S. in International Business & Marketing.<br />
She will be spending <strong>2017</strong> studying at the<br />
University in Santiago, Chile!<br />
summer stock theatre in Cleveland/Akron.<br />
On campus at Kent State, she has been cast<br />
in three mainstage productions: “Thoroughly<br />
Modern Millie”, “Into the Woods”, and<br />
“Kiss Me Kate”. She was recently awarded<br />
the <strong>2017</strong> Charlotte Braun Scholarship for<br />
Outstanding Performance in Dance. This<br />
summer she made her debut performance<br />
with the Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre as<br />
‘Kitty’ in “The Drowsy Chaperone”.<br />
Joshua Eckert is attending The Ohio State<br />
University were he is pursuing a degree in<br />
Materials Science and Engineering. He is<br />
actively involved in the Greek community<br />
where he is the founding father of Theta Chi<br />
and was elected as executive board member<br />
of both the chapter and the school’s Intrafraternal<br />
Council.<br />
46 Gabe Hoyer is a Junior at Belmont University<br />
in Nashville Tennessee where he is<br />
earning a BFA in Musical Theatre. During<br />
his short time in Nashville, he has had<br />
many unique opportunities. One of these<br />
occurred fall ‘16 when he was cast in Nashville’s<br />
“Evita” where he joined several Broadway<br />
actors (Eden Espinosa, Ben Crawford,<br />
Anthony Crivello) in this breathtaking production.<br />
This summer he performed professionally<br />
at The Lost Colony in Manteo, Outer<br />
Banks North Carolina. November 10-12,<br />
Gabe was recently seen in the leading role<br />
of Tevye in Belmont University’s production<br />
of “Fiddler on the Roof.”<br />
47 Zach Hoyer is a Junior at Wittenberg<br />
University in Springfield, Ohio where he is<br />
majoring in Environmental Science with a<br />
minor in Music. He is a member of the renown<br />
men’s A Capella group The Wittmen<br />
Crew and has performed in venues and<br />
competitions throughout the area. He continues<br />
to play his bass trombone as a member<br />
of the Symphonic Band. He returned to<br />
the stage this spring as Dan in Wittenberg’s<br />
musical production of Next to Normal. This<br />
summer Zach lived in Springfield where he<br />
interned at the National Trail Parks and Recreation<br />
District, a position offered through<br />
Wittenberg University’s Hagen Center for<br />
Civic Engagement.<br />
48 Audrey Koob is studying at Miami University<br />
pursuing a degree in Finance.<br />
Wes Braden graduated in 2016 with a BA<br />
in Business/Economics from Wheaton College<br />
and is currently working as an Associate<br />
Account Strategist for Google in Ann<br />
Arbor, Michigan.<br />
Kevin DeGroft was sworn into the Navy as<br />
part of their NUPOC (Nuclear Propulsion<br />
2015<br />
45 Merrie Drees has just completed her<br />
sophomore year as a BFA Musical Theatre<br />
candidate at Kent State University. In the<br />
summer of 2015 she was the understudy<br />
for the part of “Penny” in Hairspray at Porthouse<br />
Theatre - Kent State’s professional<br />
49 Allie Kuroff headed to Hertford College,<br />
University of Oxford this fall to begin a year<br />
long study abroad experience. She was chosen<br />
to be enrolled as one of a few Visiting<br />
Students at Hertford. She will be studying<br />
with faculty in the archaeology, anthropology,<br />
and music departments.<br />
47
Reflection on My Summer<br />
2015<br />
Olivia Schwan<br />
“God is so good. This summer, he’s decided<br />
to include me in his Mazatlán, Mexico<br />
story, and I could not be more grateful.<br />
I’m currently interning with Back2Back<br />
Ministries, a global organization dedicated<br />
to holistic orphan care and addressing<br />
each child’s spiritual, physical, social,<br />
emotional, and educational needs. On a<br />
day to day level, my time is split between<br />
leading work projects at the homes and<br />
spending time with these kids. But on<br />
a larger scale, my job is to listen to the<br />
Lord and be obedient to him until each<br />
and every orphaned child knows they<br />
are loved by a Father who loves better<br />
than anything we know on earth. While<br />
interning here is amazing, it doesn’t happen<br />
without a solid team of supporters<br />
or the people who connected me with<br />
Back2Back in the first place. The first<br />
time I ever heard about this organization<br />
was in my 7th grade history class<br />
at CHCA with Steve McCollum, who is<br />
now with Back2Back staff. Watching his<br />
enthusiasm about tackling the orphan<br />
crisis around the globe as a 13-year-old<br />
rocked my world, and that’s a huge reason<br />
why I’m in Mazatlan this summer. I<br />
could talk about this great ministry all<br />
day long, so if you’re interested in getting<br />
involved, talking with me about it,<br />
or more information feel free to read<br />
my Mazatlán blog at www.oliviaschwan.<br />
wix.com/mazatlan or email me at olivia.<br />
schwan@gmail.com. Keep your prayers<br />
for these kids coming!”<br />
48<br />
ALUMNI NOTES >><br />
Molly McBrayer worked this past summer<br />
as an inventory planning intern at Takeda<br />
Pharmaceutical in Chicago, Illinois. This<br />
role will allow her to further develop her<br />
understanding of supply chain logistics. As<br />
a junior at Miami University, she will spend<br />
the fall semester abroad in the Netherlands<br />
at Maastricht University. She hopes to<br />
have the opportunity to travel throughout<br />
Europe and gain a more global perspective<br />
of both business and culture.<br />
2016<br />
Zachary Bell just completed his first year at<br />
Miami University. He is working for Baker<br />
Concrete in IT Support to grasp the large<br />
company view of this field.<br />
50 Vince Colyer completed his first year at<br />
the University of South Carolina where he<br />
is pursuing a degree in Business. He spent<br />
his summer as a merchandising intern for<br />
FC Cincinnati.<br />
Erik Kohlan completed his first year at<br />
Miami University where he is studying<br />
Marketing.<br />
51 Johnny Noyen will be starting his<br />
second year at Miami University where he is<br />
pursuing a major in Finance from the Farmer<br />
School of Business. He is also enjoying<br />
being a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon<br />
fraternity there.<br />
50<br />
51<br />
Phil Ochs just completed his first year at<br />
University of Cincinnati College of Music<br />
where he is studying Commercial Music<br />
Production.<br />
Chazz Powell enjoyed her first year at<br />
Washington University in St. Louis where<br />
she was very involved on campus through<br />
her business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi,<br />
and being a campus tour guide. This year<br />
she is enjoying being a peer mentor as well.<br />
This summer she interned at a PR firm,<br />
FleishmanHillard, at their headquarters in<br />
downtown St. Louis.<br />
52 Kat Williams is a sophomore at Denison<br />
University majoring in Health and Exercise<br />
Sports Science with a concentration in pre<br />
med while also continuing her athletic career<br />
in basketball. She spent the summer as an<br />
intern with Joe Lucas and Adam Atallah ‘07<br />
at CHCA as an athletic trainer while also<br />
interning at Mercy Hospital with a Physician<br />
Assistant specializing in sports orthopedics.<br />
Her goal is to get into PA grad school and<br />
become a sports orthopedic surgery PA.<br />
52<br />
48
FULLY PREPARED >><br />
Breaking Out with<br />
Andy Garrett ‘09: Q&A<br />
BY SARAH ESLICK ROBINSON ‘09<br />
How did Breakout get started?<br />
We started Breakout with the realization that real-life<br />
interactions still carry a tremendous amount of value. It’s a<br />
counter-cultural way of thinking but we really dug into the<br />
creation story and tried to identify what we (people) are<br />
created for. We quickly realized that we were created to be in<br />
community, so we’re constantly looking for ways to create that<br />
and Breakout just so happened to fit the mold.<br />
How many locations are there now?<br />
Did you ever expect it to be so successful?<br />
There are 43 total locations. Successful? I guess that’s a relative<br />
term. Honestly, we are still super hungry to keep learning and<br />
growing. We’re having a ton of fun with it.<br />
What led you to this industry?<br />
Our mission statement is to “Create space for people to<br />
experience relational depth and communal wealth.” We’re<br />
really passionate about having deeper connections and hosting<br />
communities of people who see the value in that. Breakout<br />
aligned so we said ‘yes’.<br />
Do you believe God has changed you throughout this process?<br />
How so?<br />
Yes, there have been a ton of ways but I think the biggest one has<br />
been learning to trust [the Lord]. There are so many variables<br />
that go into running a business, and at times it gets stressful. It’s<br />
been amazingly freeing when those times creep up, to simply be<br />
able to say “I trust you” and to not feel like the success/failure of<br />
Breakout is on our backs. We want a lot more of that :).<br />
It’s such a blessing to be able to find something you’re<br />
passionate about and make a career out of it. What wisdom<br />
would you want to pass on to someone struggling with their<br />
purpose as far as their career is concerned?<br />
For me the fear of failing didn’t add up to the fear of asking ‘what<br />
if’ at the end of my life. I am so much more interested in getting<br />
a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ than never knowing. If you’re passionate about<br />
something, go get your answer.<br />
Do you have any advice for aspiring Entrepreneurs?<br />
Run into your fears, I guarantee that at the worst, you’ll learn<br />
something.<br />
I’m sure it was a leap of faith to jump into a brand new<br />
industry. What role did your faith play in all of this?<br />
Yeah, you never know what’s going to happen. I can honestly<br />
say there have been plenty of days where all we could do was<br />
invite the Lord to lead and work alongside us. I don’t know how<br />
people run businesses without a community of people pushing<br />
them towards the Lord.<br />
49
11525 Snider Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249<br />
Have you visited chca-oh.org lately?<br />
Check out CHCA’s new website launched this past year!