DISCOVER, INNOVATE, SERVE

SKYLER WONG CAMERON SELPH BRYTON SMITH

In each issue of the de Sales Sheet we feature individuals from within the MDS community who embody the Academy's mission to "discover, innovate, and serve." This year we are proud to highlight three new Cavaliers, who have been awarded scholarships based on these three core pillars.

POISED TO DISCOVER: SKYLER WONG

Thanks to a long-standing partnership with Atrium Health Navicent, MDS established the Discover Scholarship for students who have a parent working at the hospital. This year's recipient, Skyler Wong, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tristram and Aileen Wong. Skyler is a current eighth grader, and previously att ended St. Joseph's Catholic School and St. Peter Claver Catholic School. MDS is thrilled to have such a high-achieving student who thrives in a fast-paced, rigorous academic environment. Skyler is a straight-A student who loves all school subjects; he also enjoys playing the piano, video gaming, cooking, and volunteering in the community. Skyler describes himself as hard-working, astute, social, helpful, and confi dent. Welcome to the Cavalier family, Skyler.

CHALLENGED TO INNOVATE: CAMERON SELPH

Cameron Selph, son of Mr. and Mrs. Matt hew and Kristen Selph, is this year's Innovate Scholar, receiving a scholarship focused on students with a keen interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathemati cs (STEM). During Scholars Day, candidates spent several hours working on various hands-on experiments with MDS science faculty, as well as parti cipati ng in a writi ng assignment. Cameron not only stood out for his teamwork and out-of-the-box thinking but his writi ng sample was also scored the highest of all the candidates. When asked to describe a role model in his life who serves the community and others, he chose his dad, who serves in the United States Air Force. Cameron plans to join the basketball team this year. He previously att ended Sacred Heart Catholic School, and we are thrilled to have him join the Cavalier family.

MOTIVATED TO SERVE: BRYTON SMITH

Bryton Smith is also an eighth grade student from Sacred Heart Catholic School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Stephanie Smith. The Serve Scholarship is awarded to students with a parent serving in the military. This year, candidates met with representati ves from United Way. Bryton learned more about the organizati on's Read for the Record program, where volunteers record themselves reading children's books. Bryton was instrumental in helping them meet their literacy goals. One of Bryton's teachers said he earns respect from all of his teachers and is proud of Bryton's ability to lead his peers. As a Cavalier, Bryton aspires to play basketball and soccer. Welcome, Bryton, to your new Cavalier family.

Merit Scholarships Every student who applies to MDS is considered for a renewable merit scholarship. Learn more: www.mountdesales.net

MONICA, TALIA, AND LUIS FONSECA

This is My Why

The Fonseca family relocated to Macon from California in the summer of 2021, when Luis had assumed the role of Atrium Navicent Health's president of hospitals. Along with him was his wife, Monica, global project services director for Franklin Templeton Investments, and their youngest daughter Talia, then a sophomore. Unfortunately, Talia's high school days in California had begun during the limitati ons of COVID-19 restricti ons, so fi nding just the right school community in which she could now fl ourish was a priority for the family. Their search for the perfect school fi t in Middle Georgia included looking at the environment, school size, class size, and opportuniti es for Talia to engage quickly and build relati onships with her peers and teachers.

The Academy's administrati on is intenti onal in examining the needs of students, how to help them grow as individuals, and how to best positi on them for success in the college phase. During their campus visit, it was evident to the Fonsecas that Mount de Sales had well-structured programs and a curriculum that would signifi cantly challenge Talia. In learning about the opportuniti es and meeti ng teachers, Luis said he and Monica were parti cularly impressed with the Academy's "philosophy around educati on, about bringing reallife examples to the educati onal environment that allow them to understand the why: why things are being done and why they are studying the things that they are doing." They listened to the rati onale informing how the school manages certain disciplines, such as why physics comes before other sciences in the curriculum. Luis believes the school is "very innovati ve and focused on how to conti nue to improve the learning experience." Monica added, "The availability of classes, even if there might be only three, four, fi ve people that may take it but sti ll off ering an honors class or the higher-level Spanish she is in…that was very appealing to us."

One of the Academy's well-known characteristi cs is its organic diversity, which is important to the Fonsecas. Mount de Sales accepts students of diverse faith traditi ons, socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnic heritages, and learning abiliti es. Luis noted that there was a "tremendous amount of authenti city in the people" at Mount de Sales and in the "work that's happening to ensure inclusiveness."

Another defi ning component for this Catholic family was fi nding a school that valued Catholic faith traditi ons. In California, Talia att ended a Catholic school from kindergarten through eighth grade. Conti nuing in Catholic educati on and att ending a school with a strong spiritual foundati on were criti cal pieces for Luis and Monica. They count it a blessing for Talia to have opportuniti es to worship and do community service with peers. Monica said, "There is an expectati on that you are being kind, following God's word…there's an overall belief in faith and being the best version of yourself. More important to us than anything, on top of all the academics, is raising a good person. That has been our foundati on for our kids in general. We want to raise good kids that are respectf ul of adults and their peers." The Fonsecas said they have empowered and encouraged their two adult children and Talia to be advocates for themselves and to be independent and responsible people. The mission of Mount de Sales arti culates and reinforces these same goals of independence and responsibility. Talia, now a junior, has embraced life in a small school community, made lasti ng connecti ons with friends and teachers, developed the ability to manage her course load and sports, and conti nues to thrive in a challenging learning environment. She also is an integral part of the Academy's varsity swimming and volleyball teams and enjoys taking part in traditi ons such as Friday Night football and school dances. All in all, Mount de Sales had the right mix of challenging academics, diversity, faith traditi ons, resources, and overall environment that appealed to the Fonseca family. Luis and Monica knew deep down that this was the only place for Talia.

In Monica's words, as she refl ected on their campus visit, "It just felt like home. We felt comfortable on the campus. It felt perfect. And this was the fi rst school we visited."

THE MDS EXPERIENCE

STEPHEN

LEACH

Stephen Leach (2025), a Cavalier since seventh grade, has a diverse set of interests at Mount de Sales. During his freshman year in 2021-2022, he enjoyed being a member of the clay shooti ng team—even att ending the state tournament in Savannah—and worked behind the scenes as a crew member for WMDS, the school's morning announcement channel. According to Tom Rule, IT director and WMDS adviser, Leach is a student who fl ies "under the radar" and who is "absolutely solid when it comes to WMDS." He learned the setup on his own and was curious on why and how things work. He consistently showed up ready to do his part.

Leach enjoys science, counti ng physics as his favorite subject. He will not name his favorite teacher, preferring instead to credit them all with challenging him in the classroom. He described MDS teachers as energeti c, passionate, and understanding. Leach's acti viti es beyond the Mount are varied and impressive. He is an entrepreneur, running a successful lawn care business for nearly two years— complete with his own equipment, 25 steady clients, and a grandmother who pulls his trailer. "I would not be here without her," he said.

As a Boy Scout, Leach is working toward att aining Eagle Scout rank. His service project is revitalizing St. Joseph Catholic Church's outdoor chapel and garden area, which will include an interacti ve component and fl owers relevant to the Catholic Church.

While he does not have experience tending catt le, Leach plans to focus on catt le management and agribusiness at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College: "It's outdoors and it just seems fun." Beyond college, Leach plans to pursue a career as a power linemen, while also landscaping and catt leranching.

To Leach, being a Cavalier is "being open to everybody" and "taking on challenges that other people might not, being open to new people and new experiences." He is a fi rm believer that MDS "tries to push us to get out there" and to make a diff erence beyond this campus.

Student Spotlights 2021-2022

LUZ

ALCANTAR

Luz Maria Alcantar Lemus (2025) started Mount de Sales as a freshman in 2021 and wasted no ti me exploring all the opportuniti es that awaited her. She served as a Student Council representati ve and became a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Thespian Society, World Culture Club, and Environmental Club.

Though she found MDS inti midati ng at fi rst, she quickly grew to love it—the Cavalier Ambassadors played a big part in welcoming her. She is a Cavalier Ambassador herself, one who hosts student shadows and volunteers as a representati ve at school events, among other tasks. The great things about being at MDS, according to her, are the opportuniti es available in extracurricular acti viti es, the classes (such as dual enrollment Spanish), and sports. The Thespian Society is one of Alcantar Lemus's most treasured acti viti es, performing in the Spring Musical and OneAct Play. She said, "It just lets me express myself, and it allows me to connect with others because there's a lot of people who come from diff erent backgrounds, and they all love acti ng and singing. It's a way I can combine all of these talents and have fun." She also likes the rigor of physics as it challenges her to think criti cally, and she loves writi ng songs and poems, making English another favorite subject.

She is a fi rst-generati on American; her parents emigrated from Mexico when they were ten years old. As a Cavalier, Alcantar Lemus said she has learned to humble herself more and to be willing to accept others. "I realized there are so many people diff erent than me. I have to be willing to understand them more."

Outside of MDS, Alcantar Lemus volunteers at Sacred Heart School's summer camp as a counselor. She, herself, att ended Sacred Heart through eighth grade.

She has her sights set on UGA or Clemson and hopes to either pursue a business major or become a lawyer.

DAFFODILS GROWN ON CAMPUS SYMBOLIZE THE LIVES LOST IN THE HOLOCAUST

Theology Awakens Hearts and Minds

Students at Mount de Sales experience a rigorous curriculum, which includes college-prep and honors courses in math, history, language arts, science, and many disciplines. What about the spiritual journey of each student? What opens their hearts and awakens their minds to the Creator's call? Just as other subjects require work and refl ecti on for understanding, so too does a deeper faith require careful study and engaging experiences.

Students are required to complete four credits of theology to graduate from Mount de Sales. According to Dr. Gabe Germann, director of campus ministry, "Pope Francis challenges every Christi an to be magnanimous. This means to have a big heart, to have a great spirit; it means to have great ideals, the desire to do great things in order to respond to that which God asks us, and it means doing everyday small things open to God and open to others." The content and experiences of the theology classes seek to foster this kind of response to God, and to challenge our students to conti nue doing so for the rest of their lives. This begins with careful studies of Sacred Scripture, the foundati ons of the Church, and Christi an morality.

In World Religions, big hearts and open minds are criti cal to encountering the insights and challenges of non-Christi an religions. Building on the foundati onal truth that Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church and entrusted to her the fullness of God's Revelati on, students encounter "rays of light" and helpful perspecti ves from these expressions of faith and spirituality.

During Patrick Tunnell's Faith and Reason course, science and religion are examined side by side, with the hope for students to bett er understand how faith is reasonable. "I think my classes off er a chance for us to have a knowledge of theology that can begin to answer the questi ons of life. My core hope for my classes is that my students have a meaningful experience of the relati onship that faith and virtue have with their own personal lives. I hope each student has an 'aha moment,' where they are awakened to how meaningful life is and grows closer to God through that moment." Our teachers delight in sharing their faith with students. He said, "My faith is my life. I love that every day I get to discuss what is most central to our personhood with other people. I tell my students that what we are discussing are the deepest questi ons that will haunt our minds and hearts for the rest of our lives. Regardless of whether you agree with everything I say, what a privilege that we get to set aside 45 minutes a day to discuss it in such depth!"

Someti mes that privilege can lead to diffi cult topics and conversati ons. Seniors have the opti on of taking Holocaust Studies. Carsten Franklin, who has taught this class, said, "It's a class where prayer is needed. We pray the rosary during class with more students parti cipati ng as we go on. Students have told me that aft er completi ng the class, they now fully grasp what happened during the Holocaust, and they encourage everyone to take the class." Last year, he engaged his students in the Daff odil Project, a worldwide eff ort to plant 1.5 million daff odils in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust and in support of children suff ering in humanitarian crises in the world today. "You can see the daff odils planted behind Cavalier Cott age on campus," said Franklin. "It serves as a living reminder of every soul lost and reoccurs each spring."

Students planted more than 250 daffodils on campus as part of the The Daffodil Project.

CAVALIER AMBASSADORS VOLUNTEER AT CATHOLIC SCHOOLS NIGHT, PROVIDING FUN ACTIVITIES FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN

The Meaning of Community

The Cavalier Ambassador program is one of my favorite student leadership opportuniti es at Mount de Sales. With the guidance of our admissions director, I give campus tours to prospecti ve families. On nearly every tour I lead, I am asked the same questi on: What makes MDS special? When fi rst approached with this questi on, a multi tude of answers came to mind. The dedicati on and compassion of faculty members, the diversity of the student body, and the swell of pride surrounding any school event. I knew that there was only one word that would describe the energy of MDS to these families: community. Each current student, newly enrolled family, parent, teacher, staff member, alum, and administrator contributes to the atmosphere of the school. This is something that has become increasingly obvious during my three years here. From the day I shadowed as a nervous seventh grader, I have always been welcomed with open arms. At MDS, you are not simply att ending school; you are becoming a part of something bigger than yourself. I am constantly growing and broadening my horizons with every opportunity off ered here. On my fi rst day at MDS, I was thirteen and beginning eighth grade. I knew one student at the school when I was dropped off that morning. By the end of the day, I had been invited to join the cross country team by a group of girls who would later become my close friends. I had never run before, but every coach and teammate encouraged me from my fi rst practi ce to my last race. I am now fi rmly committ ed to the marching band every fall, but that one cross country season was integral to my transiti on into MDS. Although my eighth grade year was cut short by COVID-19, I relished every pep rally and played stand tunes at the homecoming game. Even in middle school, spirit and pride for the school are contagious. Freshman year brought all the usual nerves of high school, but because I felt so incredibly comfortable, I conti nued to search for new ways to contribute to the MDS community. I cannot properly express how important extracurriculars are to the school environment. Every student is involved in something, and every acti vity is valued. Sports, fi ne arts, technological studies, academic competi ti ons, and honor societi es are all acti ve on campus. I have been involved in the band program for my enti re MDS career, and it has provided me with opportuniti es I treasure. I have played French horn with our brass quintet in Mass, att ended district honor band, and have taken on the role of drum major for the 2022 marching season. At MDS, I am not only encouraged to get involved, but also given the opportunity to go above and beyond in every area of my life. The sense of community here does not leave aft er graduati on. This past spring, I volunteered to assist with a donor luncheon hosted by the school. At this event, alumni and parents of both current and former students spoke about their experiences with MDS. Seeing the ways that the school has touched them even aft er years of being off -campus stuck with me. Our community spans generati ons. The morals insti lled in students are universal, no matt er one's faith. Although it is a Catholic school, students of all faiths are welcome and learn how to live a morally sound life. Respect mutually fl ows among everyone on campus. Every teacher genuinely cares about their students, both academically and personally. The school is rooted in strong values and has grown into a thriving and diverse community of learners. They are accessible to students by email and in person during the school day. If a student is struggling with a concept, there is always help available. While it is quite a diff erent feeling than the electricity of a football game, getti ng tutoring from a teacher is another reinforcement of that same sense of community. Even with so many opportuniti es outside of the classroom, MDS is committ ed to educati on. Every teacher is unique, and every class provides a diff erent perspecti ve on the learning process. The teaching community at the school is vibrant. From fi rst-year teachers to reti red college professors, every educator at Mount de Sales is passionate about what they teach. All aspects of campus life are intertwined, connecti ng every member of the Mount de Sales community. The camaraderie of sports teams, the beauty of fi ne arts, and the traditi on of theology all make MDS special. No matt er what students are involved in, they are appreciated. I have developed as a person during my ti me at Mount de Sales, both intellectually and emoti onally. I would like to encourage all members of the MDS community, current, former, or prospecti ve, to recognize your vital role and cherish it.

Student writer Maddie Jones (2024) is an Ardmore Scholar, an award made possible by Susan Crawford ('63), who supports literary talent.