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THE PERFECT FIT
Admissions at Academy
“I WOULD TRUST HER TO RUN THE WORLD”
Melanie Qin ‘25
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HIS SENIOR PROJECT LED TO A JOB AT CA
Alex Lesh ‘23
LETTERFROMMELISSA
In September, over 70 families participated in the annual Lower School Campout that included fun activities, songs and s’mores around a campfire, and sleeping under the stars.
THECOMPANYYOUKEEP
Cognitive scientists are increasingly finding that the environment the human brain is bathed in fundamentally shapes it. The actual neurons in our brains are affected by the quality of the interactions we have with other people. The relevance of a community-based, intellectually challenging education steeped in character development could not be more clear and, therefore, choosing where you send your children to school could not be more consequential.
So when our kindergartners are riddling out the way the “coding frog” is jumping from grid to grid, they’re soaking up the thinking strategies and social skills of the children around them. They learn to listen to other’s ideas and work as a group to make the frog do interesting things. But most importantly, they are beginning a lifelong skill of “attending to the people you spend the most time with because it becomes a reflection of who you are.”
If I were to think honestly about what made my husband and I so determined to send our sons to independent schools, it was to allow them to experience the kind of education that had impacted each of us so completely –one that included a place where other students, both boys and girls, were challenging themselves to be better citizens, writers, friends, athletes and musicians.
And despite movie parodies and popular lore, these schools are also exceptionally diverse ethnically, racially, politically and geographically. We knew our children could become very close to people dramatically different from them in every way except one… they all cared about learning.
The following pages will describe one of the most important processes Columbus Academy has: the ability to attract and retain fascinating families with potential-filled children. The business of admissions is a little art and a little science – and when it is complete, we begin to forge a community like no other.
Melissa Soderberg Head of School
2024-25 Board of Trustees
President: Tanisha Lyon Brown P’20 ’22
Vice President: Bill Porter ’74
Secretary: Paul Judge P’33 ’36
Treasurer: Christine Freytag P’18 ’20 ’22
Immediate Past President: Sandy Doyle-Ahern P’20 ’22
Kimberly Allison P’26 ’28
Ted Carlin ’89, P’17 ’22
Valda Clark Christian P’30
Ching-chu Hu P’25 ’30 ’32 Karen Jennings P’22
Jamie Lewis P’33 ’35 ’35
Kevin Malhame P’28 ’30
Jessica Chi Nimjee P’29 ’33 Niles Overly ’69
Tom Rubey P’22 ’26 ’27
Michael A. Schlonsky ’84, P’17 ’19 ’25
Danielle Skestos P’29 ’31 ’31 ’33
Mary A. Smith P’24
Pankaj Tiwari, MD, P’22 ’25
Trevor Woods P’26 ’26 ’30
Kelly Jennings Yeoman P ’24 ’27
Patti Zettler ’98, P’32 ’35
Alumni Board Representative: Kelly Hondros ’06, P’38
PACA Representative: Ellie Merritt-Zeiger P’25 ’28
TABLEOFCONTENTS
THRIVE magazine is published by Columbus Academy
4300 Cherry Bottom Road Gahanna, Ohio 43230-0745
Phone: 614-475-2311 Fax: 614-475-0396 Web: columbusacademy.org
Editor: Bob Lee P’25 ’28
Contributors: Melinda Church, Jeremy Morgan, Cami Seymore ‘23, Becky Barger-Amato, Melissa Clarke Beckett, Emily Campbell, Michael Haddock, Suzanne Lucas P’24 ’27, Bryane Roberts P’28
Photographers: Cynthia Wilson P’87, Dr. Andy Morris ’85, P’16 ’18, Russell Hoeflich, Crystal Tursich, Colin McGuire, Vicki Miller, Paul Molitor
Proofreader: Michelle White
Strategy & Design: VENN Growth Collective
Printing: Kenwel Printers
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THE PERFECT FIT
One Family’s Journey to Academy p/7
COVER STORY
“I Would Trust Her to Run the World” p/14
CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS In the News p/28
ALUMNI PROFILE
His Senior Project Led to a Job at CA
p/32 CLASS NOTES
Alumni Updates & Happenings
p/44 FACULTY PROFILE
MS Spanish Teacher Rachel Youssef
THRIVE
THRIVE | Admissions at Academy
FINDINGTHEPERFECTFIT ATACADEMY
Several months ago, Michele and Sean Tabaie were living and thriving in Washington, D.C. Sean’s responsibilities as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Children’s National Hospital were growing, as was the couple’s young family. They had two children: a daughter, Landon, who was in kindergarten at the National Presbyterian School, and 2-year-old son Pierson. Michele was expecting their third child. Life was good, everyone was doing well.
And then a recruiter called.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital was searching for the right person to direct its Cerebral Palsy and Neuro-Orthopedics Program and serve as medical director of the Honda Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement Center. If the job sounds big, you’re correct.
Sean was ready for the next step, and Nationwide Children’s had found the right leader. “It was a really good opportunity for Sean,” says Michele. “And we were also thinking familywise, as much as we love D.C., the move might make sense. My family is from Indiana, so I wasn’t opposed to coming back to the Midwest.”
Making an Education-Centered Move
It was April when the Tabaies decided to leave D.C. for Columbus – setting off a cascade of major life choices that needed to be made wisely and quickly. Find the right neighborhood and buy a house. Arrange movers. Set up Dr. Tabaie’s work at Nationwide Children’s. And find the right school for Landon.
The last item on that list became job one. “When we knew we might be coming to Central Ohio, finding her school was the number one priority,” explains Sean.
He made a solo scouting trip to Columbus in April (Landon was in school, and Michele was several months pregnant). Although Landon attended a private school in Washington, D.C., the couple knew about Central Ohio’s strong public schools and was open to considering the options here.
Sean toured some schools – but stopped after visiting Columbus Academy. “As soon as I walked in there, I just got the same feeling I had when we visited her kindergarten,” he says. He describes seeing happy kids, lots of outdoor learning, engaged teachers and everyone making eye contact and saying hello.
“When I finished the visit, I called Michele and said, ‘No matter where we live, Landon needs to go to Columbus Academy.’” In fact, the couple decided to live in New Albany, largely because of its proximity to CA.
The Tabaie family now includes (from left) Landon, Michele, Mila, Sean and Pierson.
THRIVE | Admissions at Academy
Finding a Multicultural Environment
One of the crucial decisions about where to send your children to school involves trust. It’s about finding a school that is more than just a school for your child, but it’s also about finding a community for your family, says Adriana Matzke, Academy’s director of enrollment management, who joined the school this past summer.
For the Tabaie family, Columbus Academy’s balance of whole-child development and exceptional academics was key. And the school’s diversity was a deciding factor.
“We’re a multicultural family,” explains Sean. “I want Landon to see people who look like her and look different, so she can be proud of her background and who she is. When I visited Columbus Academy I saw all races, and there was an emphasis on acknowledging different faiths and cultures.”
The Tabaies talk about the importance of ensuring their daughter is seen and known – and not being just another child in a crowded classroom. They’ve found that caring at CA. “Landon is loving it,” says Michele. “When I pick her up from school, she is such a chatterbox. Her teacher, Mr. Pousak, is very warm and welcoming. He’s made the transition smooth for her, along with her classmates.”
Adriana agrees, noting the deep devotion of teachers and staff to each child. “There is a big difference between knowing someone and being known, as our head of school often says.”
Pierson and Landon enjoy the “Friday Night Lights” atmosphere at a Columbus Academy football game.
THRIVE | Admissions at Academy
Growing and Thriving Together
Without question, Central Ohio is vibrant and growing. Columbus grew faster than any other U.S. city in the second half of 2023, according to a Bank of America study. Gahanna, home to Columbus Academy, was recently named the nation’s hottest zip code for the second year in a row by Realtor.com. That growth is expected to be a long-term trend, with Central Ohio’s population projected to increase from roughly 2.2 million people today to more than three million by 2050.
The influx of people brings new families to Columbus Academy, and the Tabaies’ path is not uncommon. Their realtor helped coordinate Sean’s campus visit, which made the school decision an easy one for the family.
At the same time, Academy’s approach to admissions – now called strategic enrollment – is evolving and expanding to be more proactive to engage families in Central Ohio. The team’s recruitment work relies on data-informed strategic marketing and outreach. The team is exploring ways to engage with families where they’re at rather than always asking families to come to them. In addition, they are working in collaboration with the marketing and communications team to leverage advertising and social media to ensure that CA’s messaging about its points of distinction reaches not only potential parents but also their children. “Kids are becoming a greater part of the school decision-making, especially so for the Middle and Upper School, but sometimes the younger ones as well,” says Adriana.
Academy’s admissions team encourages current parents and families to act as ambassadors for the school. “When we ask families how they learned about CA, they often say from a friend, neighbor or colleague,” explains Adriana.
“We’d love for people to share their Academy stories,” says new Director of Admissions Patrick Skahan, who moved with his family from California in the summer. “We have over 100 years of tradition at Columbus Academy. That unites our community. Yet everyday on campus, I see teachers innovating in the classroom to inspire students in preparation for the future.”
Most Popular Markets People Are Moving To in 2024 (according to Realtor.com)
1. Columbus, OH
2. Knoxville, TN
3. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
4. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
5. Pittsburgh, PA
6. Portland-South Portland, ME
7. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
8. Charleston-North Charleston, SC
9. Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT
10. Asheville, NC
Having worked at a strong independent school in Los Angeles, Patrick was not surprised by Columbus Academy’s excellent academics, the emphasis on social-emotional development and the delight his own children have found in the Lower School. “My kids are happy, they’re extremely engaged and they’re joyful in the car ride to school every day.”
What surprised him about Academy? “The kids here are special. They are grounded and hardworking and humble,” he says. “That is very refreshing.”
Connecting Academy with Potential Families
In addition to sharing stories about your Academy experience with friends, neighbors and colleagues, please encourage anyone who is curious about our school to schedule a tour of campus. Walking through hallways, stepping into classrooms and seeing the engagement our teachers have with students is important for them to experience for themselves.
The admissions team is looking for more ways to connect with realtors, recruiters, human resource managers, etc., as well as for opportunities to have an effective presence at corporate and community events. Please contact Adriana (614-509-2221 or matzkea@columbusacademy.org), who is eager to hear your suggestions! n
Where Children Thrive: CA High Points
• A focus on the entire person, developing students’ mind, body and character
• Ethics and character formation in all grade levels
• Senior-Kindergarten Buddies, Junior Speeches and other traditions forge bonds and leadership skills
• 7:1 student-teacher ratio, with 70% of teachers holding advanced degrees
• 48% students of color, enhancing the education of all students
• Students come from 52 different zip codes
• 231-acre campus is a living classroom
• CA provides $4.4M in tuition assistance yearly, thanks to generous alumni and families
Adriana Matzke, Director of Enrollment Management
Adriana brought two decades of experience in education with her from Minnesota when she began this role on Academy’s leadership team in June. She previously managed the middle/ upper school admissions process and financial assistance for all grades at The Blake School in Minneapolis. Adriana has two grown sons with her husband Kelly.
Patrick Skahan, Director of Admissions
Since July, Patrick has overseen admissions for grades 6-12 and been an assistant coach for Academy’s varsity football team. He has 14 years of experience working at independent schools – most recently Viewpoint School in Calabasas, California – and met his wife Kelley while in graduate school at Ohio University. Together, they have three young daughters.
Elizabeth Sinclair, Associate Director of Admissions
Before embarking on her current role managing enrollment for grades 2-5 as well as community outreach for the office, Elizabeth was a teacher in Academy’s Lower School for 13 years. She’s a former collegiate lacrosse goalie and the daughter of John Exline ’64, CA’s longest-serving faculty member (56 years and counting). Elizabeth and her husband Parker have two daughters and a son at Academy.
Lisa Spolter, Associate Director of Admissions
Now in her 32nd year at Columbus Academy, Lisa has handled early childhood (age 3 through grade 1) admissions since 2021. She taught for 28 years in our Lower School and still serves as a social-emotional learning specialist and member of the responsive classroom team. Lisa has two daughters (one a CA graduate and the other a current senior) with her husband Lorn.
Jen Neviaser, Admissions Administrative Assistant
Jen first joined the Academy community as a parent, then became a lower school associate teacher before transitioning to her current role, which includes serving as the school’s liaison with all of the bus drivers who transport CA students. She played field hockey and lacrosse in college and coaches our girls lacrosse youth program. Jen’s four children all attend Academy.
THRIVE
Fast-forward three years. If you’re going to talk about Melanie’s accomplishments, take a deep breath first. She is president of Academy’s current senior class, an editor for the student newspaper, a 2024 AP Scholar with Distinction, founder of CA’s Global Scholars program, a leader of the school’s affinity groups and co-captain of the varsity girls
That’s likely a partial list… and none of it is volunteered by Melanie. You have to know what
So, what is it about Columbus Academy that fostered her growth? “It was all the opportunities it offers,” she explains.
“There’s something for everyone. We have so many clubs, we have sports teams, we have so many resources and so many qualified faculty to help make your dreams happen.”
Making the CA Leap for High School
Transferring to Academy wasn’t necessarily easy. “It was intimidating at first,” Melanie acknowledges. One example was struggling early on in a Spanish class taught by Freda Eden. “I wasn’t doing that badly but sometimes I felt like I was just guessing at answers.”
Now taking her third year of Spanish at CA, Melanie plans on minoring in it in college (with a likely pre-med major). She credits Freda’s caring with turning things around quickly. “She encouraged me to keep at it. She was like, ‘You know what you’re doing, you’re just a little nervous.’”
Melanie and Freda have developed a strong bond. “She’s been one of my closest teachers, so she knows me well,” says Melanie.
About Melanie, Freda says, “She’s the best. I would trust her to run the world.”
Healthy Perspective + a Drive to Succeed
As her ninth grade year rolled on, Melanie gained confidence and, as she says, “jumped into a lot of different things at the school.”
She credits Academy’s breadth of opportunities with helping students to discover their passions and providing pathways for them to shine.
“Everyone is super talented, and it’s hard not to compare yourself,” she explains. “But as you grow and people start branching out, that sense of competition diminishes. You’re not going to be the same as anyone. You have different interests and take different classes. In the end, we all want to be our best and to thrive, and to be happy for our classmates’ successes.”
Without question, Melanie has embraced all CA has to offer, and her daily to-do list is long. “It’s hard for me to say no,” she acknowledges, but she’s doing it. “I have to find ways to balance everything, to distinguish what is really important, what I want to excel in.”
Melanie (second from left) was a co-captain for this fall’s varsity girls cross country team.
THRIVE | An Admissions Story
A Passion for Leadership and Learning
In gaining the ability to say no to activities outside areas of her strong interests, Melanie has gone all-in on academics, journalism and leadership opportunities. In addition to her editor role with the student newspaper, she co-anchors a weekly news broadcast and was one of two CA students to refine their writing skills at Ohio University’s High School Journalism Workshop this past summer.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Melanie has also participated in several leadership-development programs including LeaderShape, a four-day summer retreat she says was life-changing, and the National Association of Independent Schools’ Student Diversity Leadership Conference focused on self-reflecting, forming allies and building community.
Savoring Senior Year, with Gratitude
As senior class president, Melanie is working to ensure her classmates fully appreciate their final year together. “We had a senior sunrise at the beginning of the year. We’ll have a
senior sunset. In between, I’m hoping to do holiday dinners with grade-wide potlucks,” she says.
She also has begun creating monthly videos featuring the Class of 2025 that are shared on social media. “When you see your memories being captured, it creates a sense of ‘Oh wow, this is cool.’”
Cognizant of the weeks ticking by until she graduates, Melanie is taking stock of what Columbus Academy has given her and what she’ll miss about the school. It comes back to teachers and classmates, “the people, the feeling of home here, and people showing up to support each other.”
When asked what advice she would give to freshmen, Melanie’s answer reflects her own journey. “Don’t be afraid to do anything, to talk to new people,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to fail because you’ll pull yourself up, and people will be there to help you if you make a mistake. And also, just enjoy it.” n
Melanie has spent all four years of Upper School as a part of faculty member Katy Frickel’s close-knit advisory group.
CAMPUSHIGHLIGHTS In the News 17
Successful Start to Columbus Academy’s 114th School Year
“Real learning happens as a community endeavor,” stated Head of School Melissa Soderberg in her speech welcoming students to Columbus Academy’s 114th school year. “Individually we may know things, but only together can we truly understand.”
In addition to welcoming 132 students who are new to Academy this school year, Melissa reminded our 113 seniors – the largest class in school history – that they will be sitting in the same location in 283 days when they graduate.
Speaking on behalf of students, Student Council co-presidents Katie Jauchius and Hansheng Xu shared words of advice with our youngest Vikings, middle-schoolers and all the way up to their fellow seniors.
“We have to appreciate that Columbus Academy has so much to offer,” said Hansheng. “Whether you’re starting out as a new student or you’ve been around campus for as long as you can remember, with this new year anything is possible.”
Katie ended their speech with: “Each one of us sitting here today is a part of something bigger than ourselves. Look around you and take it in… there’s a lot of us. So don’t worry, don’t stress, because through ups and downs, tribulations and problems, our community will be right behind you waiting to hold you up.”
Honored during the Convocation ceremony on August 23 were faculty and staff members who reached their 20th (Amy Brooks, Matthew Carter ’00, Alicia Crain, Katy Frickel, Kristen Oeth, Sarah Penney, Amy McLaughlin, Jessica Sneeringer) and 30th (JoAnne Adams, Stefan Farrenkopf, Debbie Newman, Cyndi Yakscoe) years in service to the school.
The event concluded with the 33rd annual pairing of SeniorKindergarten Buddies, a tradition started in 1992 that has the kindergartners walk out of the quad hand-in-hand with their senior buddies, whom they will bond with during monthly activities together throughout the school year.
Head of School Melissa Soderberg welcomes students, faculty and staff to Columbus Academy’s 114th school year.
Science teacher Tyler Gittins ’13 (left) joined hands with his former kindergarten buddy M.J. Jackson after M.J. met his own kindergarten buddy Roman Jackson.
THRIVE | In the News
Thirty Scholars from Class of 2025 Earn National Academic Accolades
Columbus Academy seniors Mircea Butnariu, Graham Johnson, Jennifer Lee, Harry Liu, Audrey Lu, Arnav Nawani, Emma Stark, Clara Stevens, Ethan Thompson, Hansheng Xu and Lucas Xue were announced in September as Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, they were among our state’s highest-scoring students on the 2023 PSAT exam and have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,780 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring.
In addition, the following 15 seniors were named National Merit Commended Students for demonstrating outstanding potential for academic success by placing among the nation’s top 50,000 students on the 2023 PSAT exam: Alisha Arora, Angela Bdoyan, Phinneaus Boninsegna-Mullins, Joseph Gurwin, Margaret Kurtz, Christina L’Hommedieu, Olivia Lewis, Sophia Lichten, Theodore Liu, Carolina Mize, Andrew Neviaser, Melanie Qin, Priya Rangi, Sunil Santry and Alester Xiao
This year’s National Merit Semifinalists are (from left) Hansheng Xu, Mircea Butnariu, Emma Stark, Ethan Thompson, Graham Johnson, Jennifer Lee, Arnav Nawani, Audrey Lu, Clara Stevens, Harry Liu and Lucas Xue.
Also, Lillian Bailey, Jacob Brentlinger, Anderson Davis and Isabelle Eribo were announced as College Board National Recognition Program Scholars for scoring in the top 10% of test-takers in Ohio who identify as first-generation, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or Native and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.
In total, the 30 students recognized represent 26.55% of this year’s 113-member senior class.
Record Number of AP Scholars in 2024
In the spring of 2024, 145 Columbus Academy students – a recordhigh for CA – earned AP Scholar recognition by receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. AP Exams are designed to measure how well students have mastered college-level material, with scores of 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5 often qualifying for college credit.
In addition, 76 garnered AP Scholar with Distinction designation by achieving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of those exams, and 24 others were AP Scholars with Honor for having an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of those exams.
Overall, the average test score for our AP Scholars was 4.20, and our Class of 2024 had 68 AP Scholars out of 105 graduates (64.76%) while our current senior class already has 59 (52%) before even taking this year’s APs!
In addition to the 11 National Merit Semifinalists, 19 more seniors earned national academic recognition from the College Board, which runs the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Academy Celebrates 105 New Graduates Comprising Class of 2024
“The world is vast and filled with endless possibilities, and now it’s time to put what you learned into action,” guest speaker Ricky Joshi ’97 said to graduates at Columbus Academy’s 2024 Commencement on June 3. “To that effect, stay curious, play in the rain. Embrace the world with open arms and relentless optimism… I can’t emphasize that enough, relentless optimism.”
The 105 members of Academy’s class of 2024 matriculated to 70 different colleges in 25 different states and three countries.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it,” stated Ricky, a graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School who co-founded Saatva, the pioneering online luxury mattress retailer that has fundamentally transformed the mattress industry since its inception in 2011. “The final result might not look like you imagined – in fact, I would argue it will not look like you imagined – but some dream will become a reality. Revel in the potential, the positive, and remember – life is a journey, not a destination. I wrote that quote in my yearbook 27 years ago and it still rings true.”
Ricky’s words of wisdom for the graduates:
• Create a good playlist.
• There is no such thing as being too friendly and too kind.
• Stay true to your values.
• Be persistent.
• Be grateful.
In their welcome speeches, both Head of School Melissa Soderberg and Senior Class President David Werstler ’24 asked the new alumni to reflect on their personal and collective growth while attending Columbus Academy.
“Each of you has the courage and skills to take the non-linear path to lead a life of your principles, of your values and of your interests,” said Melissa. “I hope, and I know the faculty and staff hope – and I bet your parents hope – that the education you received at Columbus Academy will emerge as one of the many sounding boards you use as you make your way through the wonderful and messy parts of your next years.”
David let his classmates know that he considers them as family. “While I understand some of you are ready to be done here and move on to the next chapter of your life, I encourage you to look at the celebration as a day of reflection,” he stated, “to think of all the good that has happened to you at this school because life is a lot better when you appreciate the good things, and so many of those good things happened right here at CA.”
The Class of 2024 is now scattered among 70 colleges in 25 different states and three countries.
Guest speaker Ricky Joshi ’97 emphasized to graduates that life is a journey, not a destination.
THRIVE | In the News
As recipient of the Cary Cup, Mikey Jauchius ’24 was chosen by his graduating classmates to deliver the Valedictory Address. He had been their class president during their sophomore and junior years and served as Student Council co-president this past school year. Mikey is now attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as one of three Academy graduates who accepted appointments to the service academies last spring.
“We have champions in sports, chess, robotics, arts, math, orchestra and so much more,” said Mikey. “We have many different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. Yet, as different as we may seem, we have attacked every challenge together as one.”
In addition to thanking teachers, administrators, friends and family for their unwavering support, Mikey shared his thoughts on the key components to having a successful life:
• Never ever quit
• Believe in yourself
• Dream big
“After going to school with you for many years,” Mikey told his classmates, “I can confidently say I believe in the abilities of every member of the class of 2024 to work through the challenges we will face and to attack those challenges until the day is won. I believe in you.”
Columbus Academy’s First Female Eagle Scouts
Current seniors Katie Zaki and Amelia Connick are the first two female Eagle Scouts in Columbus Academy history! Katie passed her Eagle Scout board of review in November 2023, and Amelia earned her Eagle Scout rank this past May.
Both joined the Boy Scouts in 2019 when the Boy Scouts of America (which changed its name to Scouts BSA that year) began allowing girls to join. Amelia joined first and then recruited Katie to become a fellow member of Boy Scout Troop 7365.
“Little did I know the impact this group would have on my personality, my energy and my life,” stated Katie in her Junior Speech last year.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process.
Academy’s first female Eagle Scouts are Katie Zaki (left) and Amelia Connick.
Before heading off to West Point, Mikey Jauchius ’24 shared tips for a successful life in his Valedictory Address.
Pair of Viking Standouts Inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame
Amy Marotta Lester ’04 and Dr. Ben Bring ’03 were inducted into Columbus Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame on October 5 during 2024 Alumni Weekend activities that included them being recognized at halftime of a varsity football win over Bexley.
Amy earned All-American honors in both field hockey and lacrosse at Academy before playing field hockey on a full scholarship at the University of Virginia. She returned to CA as a middle school assistant coach in field hockey for seven season and lacrosse for six seasons in addition to spending three school years as a lower school associate teacher.
“We were all so fortunate to have had her as a player, student and coach,” stated her former field hockey and lacrosse head coach Anne Horton in her introduction of Amy. “She’s been a pivotal part of this community… No matter what hat she was wearing, I knew we could always count on her to make a difference.”
In her acceptance speech, Amy thanked her family, coaches, teammates, friends and teachers for all of their support over the years.
“What I look forward to most about this day is the opportunity to publicly and loudly over this microphone thank those near and dear to my heart,” Amy said. “All my memories of sports at Academy envelop these people and what we accomplished together.”
Ben was an all-league and all-district performer in soccer, basketball and track & field at Academy. He helped win two district titles in soccer, was the Team MVP in basketball and earned All-Ohio honors in the 4x800 relay during his senior track season. He went on to play football at Denison University and currently serves as team doctor for our athletic teams.
“Ben has an unwavering confidence about him,” said Dean Bring ’01 while introducing his younger brother during the induction ceremony. “He is as confident a person that you’ll ever meet, in a good way, and he brings that entire confidence to everything he does… And with that comes an incredible commitment to excellence. Lastly, he does things the right way with integrity.”
In his acceptance speech, Ben thanked and shared stories about the legendary coaches and teachers he had at Academy. He also acknowledged retired athletic trainer Kim Stercula and the impact of having his wife Miranda (Leickly) Bring ’03 – a lower school teacher since 2008 – and their children Blaine and Aly currently at the school.
“Being able to be part of the Academy has been truly an honor and a blessing, and it’s really made me the person that I am today,” Ben stated. “And I’m really fortunate that my kids get to live the Academy experience here, too… Being as deeply woven into the community here as we have been has really just been such a blessing. There’s nothing more valuable than when you get to see your kids grow up and live that life, too, so I’m forever grateful for those experiences.”
Amy and Ben were the 49th and 50th inductees, respectively, into Columbus Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame, which recognizes and honors former student-athletes, coaches and other individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the athletic program at Columbus Academy, and who have brought honor to the school through their athletic achievements.
For more information about the school’s alumni honors and how to submit nominations, visit columbusacademy.org/alumniawards.
Look for a full recap from Alumni Weekend 2024 in our spring issue!
2024 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Dr. Ben Bring ’03 and Amy Marotta Lester ’04 were joined at midfield by Director of Athletics Jason Singleton and Head of School Melissa Soderberg at halftime of Academy’s home football win over Bexley.
Nine Spring Athletes Earn All-State Honors
Highlighting the 2024 spring sports season was our boys tennis team winning its second district title in a row before placing third overall at the Division II OTCA team state tournament in Wooster. Academy was led by all-state performers Rowen Lo and Lucas Xue, who were named to the first team and placed fourth in doubles at the OHSAA Division II state championships, along with Nason Lo who earned second-team honors.
Our track & field teams sent three of its competitors to the state championships, led by all-state awardees Alli Klinefelter and Morgan Spalding. Alli closed out her prep career by defending her district crown in the high jump before finishing eighth in the state, while Morgan finished off an impressive freshman campaign with district runner-up accolades and a seventh-place outing in the high jump while also placing 11th in the 400-meter dash at the state meet. For our boys, Patrick Flythe qualified for the 400-meter dash and finished 12th overall.
Girls lacrosse posted a 14-win season and won the Central Buckeye League title behind Player of the Year Morgan Halpern, who was also voted all-state and all-region to go along with being named a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American. The Vikings earned the third seed in the playoffs where they recorded dominant victories over Buckeye Valley and Dayton Bellbrook before falling 13-11 at secondseed Bishop Watterson.
Boys lacrosse won 11 games under first-year head coach Joel Zalesky, who led the Vikes to the league championship and an 8-3 win over Dayton Oakwood in the opening round of the playoffs before Granville outlasted Academy 10-9 in round two. Ryne Whitt was selected as Player of the Year in the conference and awarded all-state recognition alongside Nick Tiberi
For the third time in the last four years, our baseball team advanced to the district semifinals, totaling 12 wins and finishing in a tie for league runner-up with an 8-4 mark. Powering the Vikes all season long was Joey Gurwin, who batted .448 with nine home runs and 40 runs batted in, resulting in second team all-state and a first-team selection at the district and league levels. Academy blanked Harvest Prep in the tournament opener and then upset Utica 4-1 on the road before falling short in a 6-4 loss at eventual district champion Marengo Highland.
In the high jump, senior Alli Klinefelter and freshman Morgan Spaulding both earned All-Ohio status by placing on the state podium.
Our boys tennis team finished third in the state among Division II schools for the second-straight year.
2024 Young Alumni Award Presented to Stephanie Preston Domas ’05
Stephanie Preston Domas ’05 accepted Columbus Academy’s 2024 Young Alumni Award during the school’s annual Senior Alumni Board Luncheon last April. Stephanie is the chief information security officer at Canonical, the maintainer of the world’s most popular Linux operating system Ubuntu. Previously she was the chief security technology strategist for Intel and led two successful cybersecurity businesses after graduating Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with a degree in electrical and computer engineering.
The event welcomes the graduating class to Academy’s Alumni Association, and Stephanie’s message was directed toward the class of 2024.
“All of you are embarking on the next parts of your journey and they are full of risks, full of unknowns and full of doorways that you’re going to stand in front of and freak out about whether or not you should walk in them,” said Stephanie while explaining how she
determines if a decision is a two-way door that allows you to turn around and walk back through it, a truly one-way door that you cannot reverse course on or a one-way door that can be made into a two-way door if you recognize it and are intentional about it up front.
“I hope that this framework helps you be more comfortable walking through some of those doors, and I hope that the risks you do choose to take lead you somewhere really awesome.”
Alumni Board President Mandy Mallott ’03 emceed the luncheon that also included recognition by Director of Alumni Relations
Michael Haddock of the student alumni board representatives for the graduating class: Zaina Albirini, Tommy Jauchius, Stella Lee, Grace Philip, Ellie Smith and Henry Wood
Many members of Academy’s Alumni Board participated in the progressive lunch program, which involved seniors switching tables during the three-course meal and engaging in conversations with each table’s alumni representatives.
Stephanie Preston Domas ’05 accepted Columbus Academy’s 2024 Young Alumni Award during the school’s annual Senior Alumni Board Luncheon on April 23.
Andy Bowman ’16 Honored with Memorial Baseball Game
Columbus Academy hosted the Andy Bowman ’16 Memorial Baseball Game on April 27 to honor the 2016 graduate who passed away in February of 2023. Joining his family – father Jim Bowman ’84, mother Tracey Bowman and older sister Lindsay Bowman ’14 – at the event were 22 of Andy’s classmates from Academy’s class of 2016 and 49 alumni in total in addition to many friends of the family, including some of his former teachers. Andy’s younger sister Carolyn Bowman ‘19 could not attend but was very much there in spirit.
“It means so much to our CA community and even more to Andy’s family to have all of you here to honor him,” stated Caroline Aronowitz ’16 in her welcome to the event. “Andy was such a beloved friend and member of the class of 2016, and we are so happy to see many of his friends and classmates here today who loved him so much.”
After the national anthem was performed by Academy ninth-grader Addison Griffith, Andy’s mother Tracey threw out the ceremonial first pitch and was presented with a bouquet of flowers from the Viking baseball team.
Before succumbing to his battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma, Andy was a beloved student-athlete at Academy who was just starting his career in professional sports. After attending the University of Tampa and interning with the Tampa Grand Prix and the Tampa Bay Rays, Andy had begun working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the NFL organization’s event planning team.
Caroline Aronowitz ’16 shared memories of her late classmate Andy Bowman ’16 before a home baseball game last spring.
Close to 50 alumni attended the Andy Bowman ’16 Memorial Baseball Game, including 22 members of Andy’s class at Academy.
Academy Hosts Inaugural Jack Madison ’21 Cup
Our boys tennis program started a new tradition last April by hosting Bexley for the inaugural Jack Madison ’21 Cup, named in memory of a 2021 Columbus Academy graduate from Bexley who passed away in January of 2023. Jack helped our Vikings place third in the OTCA state tournament as a senior and was a true leader on the court, earning four varsity letters and serving as a co-captain with his cousin and classmate Arie Tuckerman ’21. The two of them were state runners-up twice in doubles, garnering both of them All-Ohio first team honors.
Jack’s impact carried far beyond the tennis court, however, and he was a beloved member of both the Academy and Bexley communities. His father Andy Madison, mother Carrie Madison and sister Marissa Madison (CSG ’17) were all in attendance to present the Madison Cup trophy that will be awarded to each year’s winner between the Vikings and Lions.
Jack’s grandfather Dave Madison ’51, an Academy alum who passed away in June, was the mayor of Bexley in 1983 when he initiated the Mayor-Headmaster Trophy between the football teams of Bexley and Academy, a tradition that still stands today.
A large crowd of friends, former teachers and family members attended the inaugural pre-match ceremony to show support for Jack becoming a permanent fixture of Columbus Academy’s tennis program.
Class of 2024 Features Eight College Athletic Commitments
In May, Columbus Academy celebrated three seniors – Yasemin Bilgin (tennis at Case Western Reserve University), William Harpster (swimming at Bucknell University) and Alli Klinefelter (track & field at Clemson University) – at a spring athletic signing ceremony in the school’s dining hall.
They joined five other classmates who committed to continuing their athletic careers on the collegiate level earlier in the school year: Morgan Halpern (lacrosse at Lafayette College), Justin Alpert (football at the University of Pennsylvania), Ryne Whitt (lacrosse at Denison University), Arya Chabria (tennis at Stonehill College) and Lauren Golden (field hockey at Babson College).
This past year’s college athletics commitments included (clockwide from top left) Justin Alpert, William Harpster, Ryne Whitt, Arya Chabria, Lauren Golden, Yasemin Bilgin, Alli Klinefelter and Morgan Halpern.
Andy, Carrie and Marissa Madison display the Jack Madison ’21 Cup while Director of Athletics Jason Singleton holds an artwork by Jack depicting his Academy jacket that now hangs in the school’s athletics entrance.
CA Jazz Ensemble Dazzles 2024 Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival Crowd
Students in Columbus Academy’s Jazz Ensemble were part of an impressive lineup of world-class musicians at the 25th annual Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival in June.
“To get to play some serious tunes on the same stage as some very big names in the music industry was a thrill and a testament to how hard the CA Jazz Ensemble has worked the last few years,” stated band director Jessica Sneeringer.
“And a special note of gratitude to our newest Academy alums who came back and gave us their best in their final school performance! I am so proud of how our kids represented our school, their families and themselves in such a public setting!”
Viking Girls Win Third-Straight State Title in Golf, Place Third in Tennis
Our girls golf team once again highlighted the fall season by winning a third-consecutive Division II state title, this time by 27 strokes over second-place Madeira. Eva Lim followed-up last year’s state runnerup finish as a freshman with a four-stroke victory to claim individual medalist honors, making her Columbus Academy’s second state champion in girls golf and matching the feat by Morgan Ransom ’12 in 2010. Caroline Zeiger completed her senior campaign by making the All-Ohio second team with an eighth-place finish. The Vikes and head coach Maggie Freytag also celebrated their fourthstraight league and district crowns.
Our boys, meanwhile, claimed their eighth-consecutive district championship – their 24th overall – and placed sixth among the state’s Division II schools. Individually, Alex Stein finished 14th in the state tournament while fellow senior Ethan Baker tied for 21st. Under head coach Craig Yakscoe, the Vikings tied for third in the Central Buckeye League, won the sectional tournament by one stroke and the district title by three.
Alaina West ’24 sang several songs accompanied by the CA Jazz Ensemble at the 2024 Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival.
Director of Athletics Jason Singleton poses with our state champions in girls golf: (from left) varsity head coach Maggie Freytag, Ella Tang, Eva Lim, Claire Zeiger, Meera Srini, Caroline Zeiger, Rosemary Jenkins and JV head coach Claire Thompson.
In girls tennis, head coach Preston Eberlyn’s squad placed among the top three Division II teams in the state for the eighth-straight year. After losing to Gilmour Academy 3-1 in the OTCA semifinals, the Vikes defeated Maumee Valley Country Day 3-1 in the thirdplace contest to finish the season with a 20-2 overall record. After capturing the district doubles titles, senior Tamanna Arya and junior Sophie Wu won their opening match in the state tournament but lost in the second round.
Field hockey head coach Jacque DeMarco earned her 150th career victory this fall as her Vikings finished as regional runners-up with a 17-2-2 record. They won the Central Buckeye League title, and senior Bradyn Cassandra was named CBL Player of the Year.
Both varsity soccer teams placed third in the league and were district runners-up. The boys were 12-6-3 overall and 5-1-1 in the CBL, just a half-game from claiming a share of the league title in the second season under head coach Uri Montoya. Our girls were 12-6 and 6-2 in league play for first-year head coach Grant Stegner. During an amazing midseason stretch, senior Haidi Schoenberger scored hat tricks in six-consecutive matches and in seven of eight overall.
In cross country, junior Dane Chaky placed seventh in the district meet and 32nd at regionals while senior Clara Stevens finished 10th at districts and 50th at regionals. As a team, the boys were league runners-up and fifth in the district, and our girls placed fifth in the CBL and fourth at the district meet for head coach Chris Mealick
Under first-year head coach Tigeria Miller, our volleyball squad finished as league runner-up with a 12-4 CBL record and 15-9 overall. It marked the best season since 2018 when the Vikings were co-champions in the MSL-Ohio. Also, their 15 victories tied the 2018, 2013 and 2006 squads for the most in program history.
For the second-straight year, head coach Robin Miller’s football team started with nine consecutive wins and placed second in the CBL with a 4-1 record. The Vikes won their tournament-opener over Piketon at home before falling at Harvest Prep in the Division V Region 19 quarterfinals to finish with a 10-2 overall record.
Our football team retained the Mayor-Headmaster Trophy with a 42-0 shutout of archrival Bexley.
His Senior Project Led to a Job at Academy
ALEXLESH2023 | by Cami Seymore ’23
It is 1:00 p.m. on a random Tuesday in April. Columbus Academy students are scrambling in and out of the dining hall during lunch, but across the parking lot a handful of students are playing an impromptu game of volleyball on the sand court near Stahl Field.
The story behind the construction of that sand volleyball court lies with a student whose connection to Academy has endured far beyond academics.
For some graduates, when their chapter at Academy ends, they head to college and don’t look back. But for Alex Lesh ’23, Academy is not just his alma mater but also a place of employment.
Alex is currently studying business enterprise management with a concentration in finance at Wake Forest University, but on his breaks from college you can find him working 40 hours per week with Academy’s facilities staff. His hiring onto the facilities team was the result of his senior project: the building of Academy’s sand volleyball court.
After his family moved from Pittsburgh to New Albany in the summer of 2021, Alex was excited to join the Academy community, but he realized there was no boys volleyball team for him to join.
For his senior project, Alex Lesh ’23 planned and created a sand volleyball court on campus.
Although Alex couldn’t play for CA, he was able to compete with his local school district at New Albany High School, where he was the starting setter and team captain. As a senior, Alex set New Albany’s record for assists in a season (644) and was an All-OCC honorable mention.
Alex wanted to bring his passion for the sport to Academy, so Director of Athletics Jason Singleton helped him start a volleyball club in the Upper School by providing him with outdoor nets for the Lazarus Courtyard.
The club quickly gained popularity, and students from all grades could be found playing volleyball during free periods or lunchtime. The club even inspired an intramural competition, where students formed teams and competed against one another in a bracket-style tournament.
“The upper-schoolers don’t have recess so during lunch and free periods, they need to get their energy out,” states Alex. “Everyone would come out to the volleyball court. I thought it was just the coolest thing because I made friends across all grade levels that I’m still in contact with today, and just seeing people fall in love with the sport and get excited about it was really nice to see.”
But Alex did not stop with just portable nets on the courtyard. He wanted to create something more lasting.
After final bell, seniors embark on their senior projects until graduation, whether that be an internship, independent study or passion project of their choice. Alex worried that the volleyball club would fizzle out and students would lose that outlet, so for his senior project he pitched making a permanent sand volleyball court on campus that would benefit the entire community.
“He approached me really early on,” says Dr. Alejandro Jacky, who teaches Spanish in the Upper School and serves as assistant director for senior projects. “Normally kids have to have their proposals in by March. He was already talking to me about it in December and already had a plan.”
Director of Buildings and Grounds Harland Young guided Alex throughout his project and helped him manage the scope of such a major addition to the campus.
“Safety was my biggest concern,” Mr. Young states. “I didn’t want Alex using heavy machinery that would compromise his safety. That was the only reason I had a couple of our facility crew members involved, whether it be cutting rebar or using a skid steer to excavate and site prep. Other than that, Alex did all of it.”
Although Mr. Young and his staff helped out when needed, Alex did the brunt of the work. Before starting work on the court, Alex did everything from running a cost analysis, figuring out the dimensions of the court and sourcing the ideal sand to use to figuring out where the sun is in relation to the court to find an ideal location on campus.
“In the eight years that I’ve been at Academy, this has been my favorite senior project that has changed the campus,” Dr. Jacky says.
Even though Alex was only at Academy for two years, he immediately immersed himself in campus activities and took advantage of all of the opportunities the school had to offer, leaving the volleyball court as a parting gift to the school.
“I knew it was a project he wanted to do for a while, but what really struck me was Alex’s eye for detail,” states Mr. Young. “He had a genuine desire to do something for the school and give back to the students.”
Mr. Young was so impressed with Alex’s work on the volleyball court that he ended up offering Alex a job on the spot after Alex presented his project to a panel of faculty members.
That summer, Alex spent nearly every day working with Mr. Young and the rest of the facilities team. From tending to the vast grounds to cleaning out debris from the pool to replacing old whiteboards and tuning new air conditioners, Alex could be found all over campus working on any project that came his way.
“He was doing something different every day based on the facilities requests that came in, but his skill set grew tremendously in a short amount of time,” Mr. Young says.
In May of 2023, Alex enjoyed playing the first game on Academy’s sand volleyball court with his friends.
Alex was a standout setter on New Albany’s volleyball squad.
Alex worked on the installation of Academy’s sand volleyball court with Director of Facilities & Grounds Harland Young, who eventually hired him for the school’s facility maintenance crew whenever Alex is on break from college.
“From patching and painting to furniture-building and lightbulb changing, he’s done it for us.”
Alex recently completed his second summer working with Academy’s facilities team and hopes to continue whenever he can. “I just have an incredible respect for my coworkers and everything that they’ve been able to teach me over the last year and a half that I’m going to take with me into the rest of my life.”
Whether he was organizing a volleyball tournament during a free period, leading senior-kindergarten buddy activities or working down on Carlin Fields at 5:00 a.m. with his fellow facilities team members, Alex’s impact on Academy has been profound. Every part of the community has benefited from his hard work, vision and commitment to the school.
“In short, Alex is just a good person,” states Mr. Young. “Work ethic is important, but his character is what rubs off on
everyone else. I can’t think highly enough of Alex. The sky’s the limit for him, and I’m thrilled he wants to spend some of his time with us.”
Even though Alex is now back at Wake Forest for his sophomore year of college, his contribution can be seen in the freshly painted classroom walls, newly installed lighting and, of course, in the happy faces of CA students playing on the sand volleyball court. He is quick to show his appreciation for the people who helped him with his senior project and gave him employment: the facilities staff.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone I’ve worked with at Academy,” Alex says. “It’s completely changed my view on life, on work, on my work ethic and how I should hold myself on a day-to-day basis. I’m just very thankful for the opportunity.” n
CLASS NOTES Alumni Updates & Happenings 32
THE 60s —
Rocky Saxbe ’65 served as the special speaker at the Clark County Geneological Society’s 50th year of membership event with the Ohio Geneological Society in May.
While recently on vacation in France, Charley Ebinger ‘66 and Bob Dienst ‘70 met during their tour company’s orientation session where they struck up a conversation before realizing they are both graduates of Academy and residents of Bexley. The two reminisced about their teachers from the 1960s and also pieced together another Academy connection with Tally Krumm Jr. ‘59 being Charley’s cousin.
THE 70s
“Stargazer” – an award-winning film written and produced by Rob Ackerman ‘76 – was released on Amazon Prime, Apple TV Plus and all streaming platforms at the end of April.
THE 80s
Amgen CEO Bob Bradway ’81 spotlighted the company’s wideranging portfolio of marketed and pipeline treatments for cancer during a recent keynote appearance at the 18th Annual Business of Biotech conference.
Sam Detrick ’81 enjoyed the solar eclipse in April at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Erich Hunker ’81, Academy’s assistant head of school for development and external relations since 1999, began his new role as CEO of Columbus Humane in midJune.
Michael Johnson ’81, owner of Sporting Life Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada, let our Alumni Office know that the highly successful bar he personally opened is “one that is based on serving great food, but still sports-based!” Sporting Life Bar has two locations in Las Vegas and is proud to be the home of the Ohio State University Alumni Club in the city.
Jim Bowman ’84 is the SVP at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC.
Under the leadership of CEO Chris Jones ’84, Iron Pony Motorsports Group continues to thrive after having relocated its Mansfield location to a larger, state-of-the-art facility and acquired its fourth store in Jackson, Ohio.
Andy Busser ‘87, president and CEO of Pitcairn, was a contributing writer to a recent Forbes.com article on “6 Common Mistakes Families Make When Selling A Business.”
Sam Detrick ’81 with his Academy-branded blanket at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Charley Ebinger ‘66 and Bob Dienst ‘70 at Hôtel Château Frontenac in Paris
Erich Hunker ‘81 is now the CEO of Columbus Humane
Bob Bradway ’81 (right) as a keynote speaker at the 2024 Business of Biotech Conference
Coverage of our 2024 Alumni Weekend, including the class of 1974’s 50th reunion, will be included in the spring issue of THRIVE magazine.
THE 90s —
Joel Pizzuti ‘90 detailed in a May article in Columbus Business First the Pizzuti Cos. plans for two multi-phased projects in downtown Columbus. His company also has a new sports venue and community center under construction in New Albany.
Colby Penzone ‘91 was appointed as president and representative director of Fidelity International in Japan on October 1, 2024.
Jim Merkel ‘92 and Joel Pizzuti ‘90 were listed as members of the Columbus Partnership as part of the “Who’s who in the nonprofit civic organization” list released in the summer issue of Columbus CEO
Blythe Coons ‘97, executive speech and communications coach at Articulation, was selected for the Leadership Columbus Signature Program Class of 2025. Blythe is one of 58 dynamic leaders who will embark on a 10-month journey into leadership and civic engagement.
Jennifer (Brooks) Cerny ‘98, associate dean of students at Yale Law School, received the Innovation and Impact Award given by the National Association of Law Student Affairs Professionals (NALSAP) after presenting at the NALSAP annual conference about her work bringing a “sober curious” initiative to campus based off the 2019 book by Ruby Washington.
ZZ Szabo ’98 works on the operational alignment team for the managed services division at MNP Digital. ZZ is deeply involved in the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto and recently stepped back from the board of directors of the Toronto Japanese Language School, the oldest operating Japanese language school in Ontario and possibly all of Canada. According to ZZ, “I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about probably not being involved in any volunteerism if not for the influence of Christy Bening.”
David Burke ‘99, an economics professor at Georgetown University, was thrilled to find out that he shared the same high school economics teacher – John Exline ‘64 – with one of his new students, Morgan Richards ‘24
Vanessa Barboni Hallik ’99, CEO and founder of the sustainable ready-to-wear brand Another Tomorrow, landed actress Angelina Jolie on the company’s advisory board.
Blythe Coons ‘97
David Burke ‘99 and Morgan Richards ‘24
Vanessa Barboni Hallik ‘99 (center) with actress Angelina Jolie during a meeting in Italy
Ryan Vesler ’01 on the cover of Columbus Business First in April
THE 00s —
Matt Carter ‘00 was quoted in a Columbus Jewish News article in August about local teachers who make their classrooms engaging. Matt is in his second year as an upper school history teacher after spending 18 years teaching middle school social studies. During his time on our sixth grade team, he created the Naval Battle event in our swimming pool to culminate a unit on Ancient Greece that has become a rite of passage at Academy.
Ted Lin ‘00, CEO of Pod Structures, detailed his company’s recent “rare triple ‘A-frame’ home with two detached pod dwellings” which sits on 2.5 acres of land in Delaware County. Ted is in the process of relocating his company to the United States from Singapore.
Celebrating in Windsor were (from left)
Chris Laskovski ’15, Emma Gaudette, Ella Tancevski ’30, Lydia Tancevski ’33, Dr. Sarah Tancevski, Grant Tancevski ’35 and Dr. Alex Tancevski ’00
Dr. Alex Tancevski ’00 was honored to have his family be a part of the engagement celebration for his cousin Chris Laskovski ’15, who is the godfather of his three children: Columbus Academy seventhgrader Ella, fourth-grader Lydia and second-grader Grant. In July, Chris surprised his fiancé Emma Gaudette by proposing at Emma’s family cottage just outside of Windsor, Canada. They were then greeted by a surprise engagement luncheon at Naughty V’s oyster bar in Windsor surrounded by 70 friends and family. Chris and Emma met at Miami University and currently reside in Chicago.
Michael Corey ‘01, executive director of Human Service Chamber of Franklin County, served on the Hometown Heroes committee which selected five honorees, one of which was Dr. Anthony Williams (father of Aerik ‘98 and Lindsey ‘01), who were recognized at the 2024 Major League Soccer All-Star Game at Lower.com field in Columbus.
On Novermber 25, 2023, Bob Turton ‘01 and his partner Lisa Rudin welcomed their first child, Ronen Shai Turton.
Ryan Vesler ’01, CEO of the vintage clothing brand Homage, appeared on an April cover of Columbus Business First. The story chronicled how Ryan has grown Homage since launching the business from his parents’ Bexley basement in 2007. According to the article, sales were up 26% in 2023 thanks to an impressive roster of licensing partners ranging from pop culture to sports, including nearly all the major leagues. The continued growth of Homage now includes investments from chef Guy Fieri, actor Ryan Reynolds and NBA superstar Kevin Durant.
Westy Sunglasses, owned by Harrison Westwater ‘01, opened its online store. Westy’s website notes Harrison’s obsession with sunglasses was “ignited by his father’s (Marc Westwater ‘68) iconic eyewear.”
Katie Walker ‘02 was inducted into the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame in September. Katie, a 2022 inductee into Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a three-sport athlete during her prep career, went on to compete at an All-American level in track & field at Kenyon while also playing women’s basketball and volleyball.
“Tell Somebody,” a new single by Ray Jones ‘04, recently was released and aired on local radio station 97.9 WNCI.
On May 30, Chad Underwood ‘04 and his wife Carrie welcomed baby girl Kate Jean Underwood into the world. Chad is the owner of Modo Yoga Columbus, which opened its second location in Clintonville this September.
Katie Walker ‘02 (far right) holding her induction plaque at the Kenyon College Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony in September
Lisa Rudin and Bob Turton ’01 (right) with their baby Ronen Shai Turton on a visit to Iceland
THRIVE | Class Notes
Avishar Barua ’05, chef and owner of Joya’s Café and Agni, was featured on a recent episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” hosted by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. In May, Avishar was also named to the Columbus Business First Power 125 list as one of the most influential leaders in Central Ohio, and Bon Appetit magazine named Agni as one of its Best New Restaurants of 2024 this fall.
Avishar Barua ‘05 (left) poses with his Joya’s co-worker in front of celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s iconic 1968 Chevy Camaro SS convertible during the October 18 episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” on Food Network
A new book illustrated by Tracy Subisak ’05 –”Mixed-Up Mooncakes” – was published just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival as a tribute to fall festivals celebrating family, multicultural heritage and the bounty of the season.
THE 10s —
In August, Daniela de Aguiar ‘12 won the Grandview Yard Half Marathon with a time of 1:20:10, placing first among the 353 women who began the race, and she was sixth-fastest of all 749 participants.
’12
Michael Sheu ‘12 recently returned from deployment with the 1st Battalion, 125th infantry Regiment and assumed command of the 1486th Transportation Company of the Ohio Army National Guard.
In October, Matt Brigstock ‘13 competed in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, after placing second in his age group at the Waco race. He has been competing in triathlons since 2021 and has finished 10 IRONMAN races. Matt credits now retired Academy teachers Adam Cavnar and Robby Simpson for introducing him to cycling in middle school.
Matt Brigstock ’13
The summer wedding of Emily (Carlin) Ellis ’13 and Matthew Ellis was mentioned in Politico’s Playbook Newsletter, and the happy couple’s relationship was featured in The Washington Post’s inspired lives column in September.
Carlin family members at the wedding of Emily (Carlin) Ellis ‘13 (from left): Ted Carlin ‘89, Will Carlin ‘93, Kristi Carlin, Molly Carlin, Jack Carlin ‘22, Kyle Carlin ‘22, Sam Carlin (attended CA through eighth grade), Sophie Carlin ‘17, Matthew Ellis, Emily (Carlin) Ellis ‘13, Phil Carlin ‘58, Lisa Carlin, Jennifer Carlin, Andy Carlin ‘83, Jessica Giller, Jake Carlin ‘22, Oscar Giller ‘19, Leah Giller, Kate (Carlin) Giller, Pat Giller, Becky Watson, Biz Carlin and Betsy Carlin
Deniela de Aguiar
Tyler Gittins ’13, who teaches science in our Upper School, was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference’s 40th Anniversary Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Decade Team. Tyler, a state champion and runner-up during his prep career at Academy, competed collegiately at Wittenberg University where he earned NCAC Sprints/Hurdles Athlete of the Year in 2017 after winnng the 400-meter hurdles and placing third in the 110-meter hurdles.
Lindsey Wohlfhart MacDonell ’13 moved to Germany in August 2022 and was married in January 2023. She met her husband Ulli Wohlfahrt when he was working at a plant for his German
manufacturing company in Columbus. She got a second degree in nursing after graduating from Dickinson College and worked in the emergency rooms at Mt. Carmel East and Grant Hospitals. Her nursing career is on hold in Germany until she learns enough of the language to pass a government-required proficiency exam. She recently started working in phone sales for a German software company trying to break into the U.S. market.
Izzy Nelson ‘13 visited campus following this year’s Convocation where she met up with her kindergarten buddy, current senior Aliya Saksaka ‘25
In mid-September, Ellie Levine ‘16 directed Fitting In, a two-day show designed for children ages 0-5 and their grown-ups, at the Columbus Children’s Theater.
Caroline Prokos ’16 and Whitney Dankworth ’17 moved to Seattle after graduating from New York University in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Caroline works at the University of Washington in the medical genetics department and is also a residential real estate broker at Windermere Real Estate. Whitney is a data scientist at Microsoft. When they aren’t cuddling with their orange cat Banjo, coding data pipelines or negotiating seller concessions, they enjoy hiking, trail running, backpacking, rock climbing, cycling, skiing and cooking. They treasure their Academy community and if any alumni or faculty/staff plan on moving to the Pacific Northwest and are in need of a realtor, Caroline has your back. Vikes forever!
Lawson Sadler ‘16 and her husband Alex were married in London, England, on August 9. Fellow Academy alumnae Ellie Levine ‘16, Nichola Lampe ‘16 and Kristin Lampe ‘12 were guests at the ceremony and reception.
Over the summer, Suzie Frankovich ’17 and Anthony Sugar ’17 returned to campus to take engagement photos. “Since we met at CA, the photos are very sentimental and full-circle,” Suzie shared with us. “The shoot went smoothly, thanks to campus security, and the pictures turned out better than we imagined!” The couple met when Suzie transferred to Academy during her junior year of high school, and Anthony was one of her first friends before they began dating prior to prom that same school year. They became engaged on March 1, 2024.
Mike Boeckman ‘18, a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University’s Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, is the recipient of The Cheng-Yok and Kai-King Chow Pharmaceutics Fellowship for the 2024-25 academic year, focusing on improvement of specific cancer drugs.
Jordan Skilken ’19 competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June where she posted a ninth-place finish in the women’s platform dive.
Whitney Dankworth ’17 (left) and Caroline Prokos ’16 enjoy the scenery while hiking in the Pacific Northwest
Suzie Frankovich ’17 and Anthony Sugar ’17 pose in front of Academy’s upper school building where they met as juniors (photo credit to LeAnn Bethany Photography)
Izzy Nelson ‘13 holds her son James while standing next to her former kindergarten buddy Aliya Saksaka ‘25 and Aliya’s kindergarten buddy Alyana Syed after Convocation in August
THRIVE | Class Notes
THE 20s —
James Cao ‘20, a recent graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), completed his senior thesis in computer science on the use of Brain-Computer Interface to Enhance Storytelling.
Grammel ’20 was a two-sport standout at DePauw University
Annalise Grammel ’20, a recent graduate of DePauw University where she was a two-sport standout in women’s soccer and track & field, was named recipient of the North Coast Athletic Conference’s (NCAC) Pam Smith Award, which recognizes a senior female student-athlete who has distinguished herself throughout her collegiate career in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership.
Ryan Hunker ‘20 graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in journalism from West Virginia University in May. As a social media specialist for the Memphis Zoo, Ryan creates and posts videos to the zoo’s Instagram and TikTok accounts that garner millions of views.
Hunker
and dad
Ali Khan ’20 capped his redshirt junior season at Ball State University by tying for fourth place at the 2024 Mid-American Conference Golf Championships. His 4-under-par score of 212 (7070-72) earned him a place on the MAC All-Tournament Team and led his Cardinals to their first conference title since 1986.
Simon Sadiković ’20 is an award-winning conductor and composer currently living in Gloucester, Mass. He recently received a bachelor of music in composition from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is now pursuing a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. The two-time recipient of Berklee’s conducting award has received numerous accolades including being selected as a finalist for the Respighi Prize in Conducting through the Chamber Orchestra of New York. Simon has conducted orchestras in places such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles and the U.K.
Kiersten Thomassey ’20, a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and three-time national champion in field hockey, was featured in The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper as part of an article about how UNC athletes use mental health as an edge with the assistance of Dr. Jeni Shannon, the school’s director of the UNC Athletics Mental Health and Performance Psychology Program.
Ali Khan ’20
Annalise
Ryan
‘20 with his mom Mary Hunker
Erich Hunker ‘81 after West Virginia University’s Commencement in May
Kiersten Thomassey ’20 was a three-time national champion at UNC
Simon Sadiković ’20
THRIVE | Class Notes
Carter Warstler ‘20, a senior on the football team at The College of Wooster, returned the opening kickoff of the 2024 season 90 yards for a touchdown and caught another touchdown to go with a teambest 92 yards receiving in the Scots’ 56-13 win over Wilmington College.
Durell Moultrie ‘21 and Graham Mallory ‘21 served as coaches this fall for Academy’s Junior Vikings Youth Football Clinic.
Katie Schiano ‘21, a senior at Bucknell University, was named the 2024 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. An academic all-league and Dean’s List student-athlete, Katie is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society as a markets, innovation and design major.
After switching from offensive line to defense, Gyvnn Mendenhall ‘22 recorded his first collegiate sack for the WashU football team in a September game at top-ranked North Central.
Gyvnn Mendenhall ‘22 and Harry Mills ‘19
As a junior defender for DePauw University’s field hockey squad, Ella Morris ‘22 tallied 3 goals (two of them game-winners) and 2 assists on her way to earning All-NCAC Third Team honors.
Henry Rubey ‘22 completed 20 of 33 passes for a career-high 179 yeards and a touchdown and also ran for his first touchdown in a lateSeptember game at quarterback for Hamilton College.
Recent technology startups by Tiko Bdoyan ‘23 and Alex Nanda ‘23 were accepted into Y Combinator, one of the most competitive and prestigious venture capital incubator programs in San Francisco. Tiko co-founded the startup Soma Lab to help medical schools train their students through the use of AI-based simulations before they see live patients, while Alex co-founded DeepSilicon to help software and hardware run neural networks faster and cheaper.
After recording 12 goals and 2 assists during her sophomore field hockey season at Kenyon College, Maren Lawrence ‘23 was named to the All-NCAC Second Team.
Matthew Fang ’24, Angela Hu ’24 and Ryne Whitt ’24 each received a $1,000 award from the OHSAA Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Program after being chosen as honorees from the Central District based off a point system considering “GPA, class rank, community service activities, varsity letters earned, as well as individual and team accolades.”
In Memoriam
We are saddened to share this list of our alumni whom we recently learned have passed.
David F. Carruthers ‘48
David H. Madison ’51
Frederic S. Sater ‘52
Peter C. French ‘54
Sigmund J. Munster ‘54
Charles Thomas Rice ’55
Jay A. Schoedinger ‘58
David H. Swanson Jr. ‘58
Robert H. Carlile ’60
Peter D. Haines ‘60
Michael R. Sussman ‘60
Kenneth H. Watman ‘66
Mark A. White ‘72
Kevin R. West ‘74
Individual obituaries can be found in our alumni newsletters, which are archived at columbusacademy.org/alumni-news.
Durell Moultrie ‘21 (wearing hat) and Graham Mallory ‘21 (holding football in back left) led our Junior Vikings Football Clinic with our varsity football players
THRIVE
Spanish teachers (from left) Dr. Alejandro Jacky and Rachel Youssef pose with Director of Hiring & Student Outreach Pedro Mena at The Plaza Mayor during their visit to Salamanca, Spain, for the International Conference of Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities in June.
IDENTIFYINGWITH LANGUAGEANDCULTURE
CAMI SEYMORE ’23 INTERVIEWS MIDDLE
SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER RACHEL YOUSSEF
After two years of working here at Academy, how have your impressions changed or evolved?
Where did you grow up, and how did your background lead you to be a teacher?
I grew up in Plymouth, Michigan – 15 minutes east of Ann Arbor – with immigrant parents, so every summer we would go back to visit family in Spain. Ever since I was a baby, I’d be in Spain for three months of the year, and then I would do my schooling back home. I then went to the University of Michigan where I studied Spanish and psychology. After college, I moved to France to teach English. I loved it so much and knew that my calling was to be a teacher, so I returned to the States to earn my teaching certificate and master’s in Spanish.
Having grown up bilingual, what is it like to teach non-native speakers?
It’s really fun because I get to see them grow in the language. I have so much love for the language and the culture because it’s part of my identity, and so I try to have that transfer over in my teaching. It’s just fun to see their growth, and I think that’s why I love teaching middleschoolers because they start to grasp the grammar and the fluency. You get to see the biggest jumps, and that’s just so rewarding.
How did you end up teaching at Academy?
I was teaching in Michigan, but my husband got a job at Ohio State so I finished the school year up there and then moved. I wanted to be in a positive environment with a tight-knit group of faculty. I liked Academy because it promoted a rigorous education but also valued emotional and spiritual growth, individuality and expression. It made me feel at home.
They’ve definitely changed in a really good way. I was initially afraid to try new things because I didn’t want to mess up or fail, but I’ve noticed that trying new things is encouraged here. Experimentation and trying things in the classroom are encouraged with the teachers, and I love that. That was definitely my biggest surprise, that we’re given so many opportunities to try new things.
How do you conduct your classroom and what strategies do you use with middle-schoolers?
I love art integration. I think it’s therapeutic, but it’s a learning experience and you can reach so many different learners. You have the visual learners, you have the tactile learners and the auditory learners, so I feel like you just reach so many people. In the Middle School, I have the freedom to do that. I also think that the kids are goofy, there’s never a dull moment. It’s just always fun, and I love this group.
How do you think it will be going back to work and balancing motherhood with your career?
I’m the type of person whose identity is being a teacher and so although I think one of the most important jobs is being a parent, I think that I would be a better parent if I kept my career. I feel like I’m fortunate that I can do both. We found a daycare, and so I feel really lucky for that. I’m excited that I have the opportunity to come back to work because I think it’s going to make me a better mom and allow me to just continue to teach others about my culture and maternal language, and that brings me a lot of joy.
Editor’s note: Rachel recently returned from maternity leave after she and her husband Dirk celebrated the birth of their first child, Isabela, on August 10.
Rachel Youssef and Cami Seymore ‘23
