Gilmour Magazine Summer 2023

GILMOUR

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THREE YOUNG GRADS ACHI EVI NG AT HIGHEST LEVEL

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74 TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES

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REUNION WEEKEND

IN THIS ISSUE

GILMOUR Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana We send one copy of this magazine per household. If a member of your family has a new permanent address, please let us know so that we can update our records.

To do so, visit gilmour.org/alumupdate (alumni) or gilmour.org/updateinfo (parents).

Commencement 2023 It was a beautiful day on May 28 as we celebrated the Class of 2023 during the school's 74th Commencement Exercises.

EDITOR Amy Boyle

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amy Boyle Rob Fowler Marisa Martin Moses Ray Murphy Arlene Smith

GILMOUR CONTACTS

Chief Enrollment Management, Tuition Assistance, Marketing and Communications Officer Beth Titas Lazzaro

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Director of Institutional Advancement Patti Pfundstein Miller ’85 Chief Advancement Strategy Officer Ray Murphy

DESIGN markey creative

PRINTING Consolidated Printing Solutions

PHOTOGRAPHY Neal Busch Marisa Martin Moses Mark Most Venditti Studios

OUR HOLY CROSS MISSION IS THE FOUNDATION FROM WHICH WE EDUCATE THE MIND AND EMPOWER THE HEART OF EVERY GILMOUR STUDENT.

To develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society.

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Three Young Grads

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Reunion 2023

John Ketterer ’53 and Charles Menk ’53 were amont the 300 alumni who joined us on campus for Reunion 2023.

Read about three young alumni who are making their mark at the highest level.

contents

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Academy of Rock Spring Benefit

It was a rockin’ night on campus for the more than 200 attendees.

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Living the Mission

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In Her Space

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Catching Up

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College Corner

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Around Campus

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Alum News

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Alumni in Focus

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Advancement Corner

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Athletics 2022-2023

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In Memoriam

COLUMNS

Living the Mission

“It hasn’t always been easy or fun or comfortable, but I have had the courage to continue to fight for the basic human rights of my patients.”

BRITTANY CORRIGAN ’07

Brittany Corrigan ’07 was first inspired to improve medical care for children abroad during a visit to Nuevo Paraiso in Honduras in the spring of 2007. It was one of the countless trips to Honduras that Tiho Teisl led. Remembering the trip, Brittany said, “To say I was inspired was an understatement.

Mr. Teisl’s compassion, empathy and drive to improve the lives of the orphans there have never left my heart.” After witnessing one of the children at Nuevo Paraiso have a febrile seizure, Brittany vowed that she would one day do her part to continue Mr. Teisl’s work by providing medical care for these children.

Fast forward about 12 years and she has done just that. Brittany earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish in 2011, and then graduated from medical school in 2015. She completed her pediatric residency in 2018. Today, she works at Akron Children's Hospital (ACH) in a clinic in New Philadelphia, Ohio providing medical care to Guatemalan immigrants.

 Brittany and Monica, a patient with cerebral palsy who can now talk, feed herself and is learning to use the bathroom on her own because of therapies Salud Para Todos Los Niños has provided

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ACH also supports a program Brittany helps run in Leon, Nicaragua called Salud Para Todos Los Niños. It is a sustainable program that supports children with chronic medical problems such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. The team coordinates their care through the public Nicaraguan health system by helping parents navigate specialties. The organization provides transportation; coordinates appointments; finds expensive and difficult-to-locate, life-saving medications; provides in-home physical therapy; and sources necessary medical equipment such as wheelchairs, potty chairs and communication devices. Brittany returns to Leon every three months to assess and reassess medical needs.

Salud Para Todos Los Niños also brings specialists, including physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, neurologists and therapists to continue to improve the

quality of care the children receive.

The group also works with a team of Nicaraguan specialists, including a dentist, pulmonologist, neurologist and GI specialist. To ensure the organization’s efforts continue in between visits, the group has three in-country coordinators who support the families 24-7-365.

Reflecting on how she got here, Brittany shared, “Gilmour helped me develop the competence to see the problem and develop a sustainable, grass roots, incountry-run program to help families improve the quality of life for their children in need. It’s the just and right thing to do - to help families who have been forgotten and cast to the side.” She continued, “It hasn’t always been easy or fun or comfortable, but I have had the courage to continue to fight for the basic human rights of my patients.”

Salud Para Todos Los Niños is always in need of support, from participating in one of their “brigades,” to helping to make families’ homes more handicap-accessible, to donating funds for equipment, medications and supplies. Brittany shared that she’d love to bring any interested Gilmour grads or students to contribute to the project and have their hearts changed and inspired as hers was so many years ago. If interested in participating, contact Brittany at Brittany.corrigan@gmail.com.

She said, “I hope Mr. Teisl is looking down on me and is proud of what I have become. I often think of him while I am in Nicaragua and what a difference he has made in my life and in the lives of so many others.”

“The Gilmour community you always hear about is a real thing, not just a cliché or marketing tactic.”

in her space

WITH SEÑORA ERIN THAYER

Teaching as a profession has become increasingly demanding post-COVID, but after 11 years at Gilmour, Classical and Modern Languages Department Chair Erin Thayer remains focused on the profession’s greatest reward - impacting students.

Erin’s journey to teaching wasn’t a straight path. At the College of Wooster, she began as a pre-med major with a Spanish minor. Midway through her freshman year, she realized that pre-med was not her passion, but rather what she thought she should pursue and what she thought success looked like. Language had been her first love since her Middle School days and she knew that she wanted it to be a part of her life moving forward. “Once I gained the courage to realize that success meant pursuing what you’re passionate about, I changed my major.” But changing her major meant transferring to Malone University, where they offered a Spanish education major.

In her final semester, Erin had the opportunity to student-teach under longtime Gilmour Spanish instructor Cindy Candau. In those 22 weeks, Erin fell in love with Gilmour and hoped for a position at the Academy. Two years later, she landed that job at Gilmour teaching Spanish while completing coursework at night for a master’s in Spanish translation at Kent State University.

 Brennan Friedman ’23 presents Señora Thayer with his jersey

After two short years, Erin married her husband, Aaron, and moved to Texas, leaving Gilmour behind. Six years later, when the couple moved back to Cleveland, Gilmour was where Erin wanted to return and she’s been inspiring students here ever since.

When asked why Gilmour, she responded with a smile. “Gilmour is just such a special place. The Gilmour community you always hear about is a real thing, not just a cliché or marketing tactic.” Erin credits her colleagues who are masters of their craft and truly a team. “I consider teaching our students an honor and a privilege that I don’t take lightly.

Especially after becoming a mom, I recognized what an important opportunity I have each day to impact my students. I make it my mission to treat and interact with my students as I hope and expect my three sons’ educators do with them. I want my students to always know that my classroom is a safe place where they can come and ask for help when they need it, whether it’s school-related or not.” Erin says her goal each day is to show her students that there is someone who cares about them and that “every day is a good day to have a good day.”

Asked what is her favorite Gilmour memory, Erin said that after being at Gilmour for 11 years, there are so many to choose from, but that she knew hands-down what it was. At the end of this school year, her four-year advisee, Brennan Friedman ’23, chose to give her his hockey jersey when the senior Varsity A hockey team members each presented their jersey to the staff member who made the biggest difference in their lives.

Señora Thayer, thank you for inspiring so many “good days” for your students.

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FEATURE

Three Young Grads Achieving at Highest Level

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Nupur Goel ’17 Undergrad and medical school Accelerated BS/MD program through University of Akron and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) Degree Bachelor of Science in natural sciences at University of Akron followed by a Doctorate of Medicine at NEOMED What were your passions/what were you involved in at NEOMED? I am extremely passionate about public speaking, medical education, global health and organizational leadership. During my time at NEOMED, I was involved with many university affiliate organizations such as Stop the Bleed, Association of Women Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Student Interest Group in Neurology. I created an organization called TEDxNEOMED and hosted a TED event in October 2021. I performed basic and clinical neuroscience research with local affiliate hospitals. Lastly, I host a conversational medical podcast called Neurophilia to help medical students and young resident doctors learn more about the field of neurology.

Next stop?

Harvard’s Adult Neurology residency program at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Anything you learned or experienced at Gilmour that helped get you there?

So much of my time and so many of my experiences at Gilmour have shaped me into the young professional I am today. In addition to the rigorous course load and intellectual diversity, my involvement with Gilmour’s Speech and Debate program taught me effective communication, advocacy and leadership, emotional aptitude, time management and a diligent work ethic.

Sam Zou ’19 Undergrad University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Sciences Degree Bachelor of Arts Major Political Science What were your passions/what were you involved in at UPenn?

Theater. I was actively involved in the Penn Chinese Theater both as an actor and assistant director and successfully performed two plays at the club. My passion for drama and musicals started when I joined Gilmour’s Drama Club, and my love for acting only deepened after three years of acting and singing in the Drama Club.

I am also an avid writer. As the Deputy Opinion Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, I understood how writing can truly affect change in a community. Thanks to the countless writing opportunities and feedback I received at Gilmour (Writing labs, Mr. Wanders’ painfully detailed yet extremely helpful essay feedback, and so on), I am now able to rely on writing to exchange ideas and inspire others.

Next stop?

Yale Law School, JD, Class of 2026 Anything you learned or experienced at Gilmour that helped get you there?

Kairos and my religion classes, and Mrs. Daly, really changed my whole perspective and impacted my world view and made me appreciate the

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lifelong connections you make at Gilmour. Also, being part of a small community and the connections that allowed me to make with my teachers, my mentors and my peers was something I loved and I built on that at UPenn.

I got to really know my professors there as well, and, as a result, was able to get involved in research projects and a Think Tank on Chinese politics.

Sarah Abdalian ’13 Undergrad Tulane University Degree Bachelor of Science, Master of Science Major Cell and Molecular Biology and French, minor in Political Science Medical school Kansas City University What were your passions/what were you involved in during undergrad and/or medical school?

Advocacy. I served as President of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association. I participated in Advocacy Day, where I was able to meet with members of Congress and the administration to discuss issues such as equitable data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. I represented Kansas City University as a delegate at the Summer House of Delegates Session, where we discussed legislation (such as a single licensure exam) to be presented and advocated for at the American Osteopathic Association Meeting.

Research. I originally got into research through participation in GIlmour’s Catalyst program. I was a Research Assistant at Case Western Reserve University under the direction of Dr. Alvin Schmaier in the Department of Hematology. We investigated the vascular biology of genes and proteins that influence the risk for thrombosis. This research has led to multiple publications. I then became an Undergraduate Research Assistant at Tulane University under the direction of Dr. Samri El-Dahr.

Community Outreach. I was a student doctor at Kansas City University’s student-run clinic. I was an Emergency Room volunteer at the Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. I served as a tutor for the New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics School. I worked with underprivileged students on chemistry, math and social studies homework. I also helped students construct and edit their college essays while providing guidance in the college application process.

Next stop? Residency program in pediatrics at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital Anything you learned or experienced at Gilmour that helped get you there?

I think one thing that Gilmour has taught me is the importance of being an effective communicator. Medicine is a field that not only involves having the understanding of complex topics, but also being able to explain them to peers as well as patients and their families. Gilmour fostered my communication skills through the amazing Speech and Debate program run by Ms. Janis. From my first day of speech and debate class freshman year of high school to competing in Nationals, she taught me the communication skills that have allowed me to form strong physicianpatient relationships with my patients. Those skills have also allowed me to positively interact with nurses, doctors and other members of the medical team who all play a vital role in ensuring the patient receives the best possible care.

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COLUMNS

catching up with

During his 46 years at Gilmour, from 1969-2016, Richard Grejtak has seen it all, and then some.

He has seen the school and community grow through different decades, taught multiple subjects, been a part of the Gilmour/Glen Oak merger and connected with parents during his time as the Men’s Club moderator. We caught up with Rich to see what he has been up to since retiring.

RICH GREJTAK

Over my 46-plus years of teaching at Gilmour, I taught more than 1,700 students in English and Latin and I miss it every day.

I have such vivid memories of the Gilmour community, including being asked to be the Commencement speaker in 1974 and 1976. I remain very close with many classes, including the last class I taught, the Class of 2016. Forty-six years is a long time and I witnessed the addition of international boarding students, merging with Glen Oak, helping out with the accreditation process and I was extremely involved with Kairos.

Wow, over 46 years teaching at Gilmour and you continued to sub for a number of years after you retired! Can you share more about your Gilmour journey?

Kairos was a pillar for me at Gilmour. Being able to share my faith with the students and other leaders was so special to me. It was one of the most important experiences in my life, and allowed me to see my students in a different light.

Another thing I am very proud of is my involvement in the addition of the Cum Laude Society to the Gilmour community.

Toward the end of my tenure, technology became a big part of teaching and, while it was an adjustment, I appreciated that the students and other faculty members teamed up to adapt to the new norm. I enjoyed Gilmour immensely and the competitive, strong, faith-based students brought the best out of me each and every day.

Throughout your time at GA, what kept you coming back year after year?

Easily the students and my colleagues. My students had a profound impact on me and my colleagues were some of the best in the world. Gilmour’s environment was one that educated the heart and mind of the student and I fully believed in that. I was able to contribute a lot in extracurricular activities, but being a part of Gilmour was just a blessing for me. I met some of my best friends

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and colleagues, such as Ms. Janis, Dr. Gray, Mr. Beach, Ms. Sabik, Mr. Weber, Mr. Overman, Mr. Primeau, Ms. DiCillo, Ms. Forino, Ms. Coerdt and all the others who challenged me, but always had my back and, for that, I am eternally grateful.

What are you up to these days?

After 56 years of marriage, my wife Bernadette and I don’t get out much these days. We don’t travel anymore so we tend to stay home playing Scrabble, word puzzles, reading and watching Hallmark movies and mysteries. We do try to see our children and grandchildren, who live in Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio, as much as possible because family is so important to us.

What is your absolute favorite GA memory?

Forty-six years of countless memories, I’m not sure I can pick just one. My top memories include giving the eulogy for Mr. John Gale, my mentor, who was an inspiration for me in taking care of family while being a great teacher. Mr. Gale was also responsible for bringing the late great Mr. Teisl to Gilmour.

Tiho became my wingman and I will never forget the blessing of that.

I can’t speak enough about Kairos. While it’s not just a singular memory, it’s the program as a whole. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of many Kairos retreats and share my faith with students.

Finally, the times I spoke at the Commencements when they were still in Tudor Gardens, with its picturesque background, were times when I stopped and just took in the moment.

I loved this chance to walk down memory lane and I thank everyone who reads this. I am in awe of the Academy and how far it has come even since my retirement. Opening the Fab Lab and the Center for Performing Arts, perfecting the already top-notch athletic facilities and enacting more extracurricular activities (like robotics and graphic design) than ever before, I am so impressed. Gilmour has such strong academics, unbelievably caring teachers and is a mission-based place where you see it being practiced by students and faculty alike. Gilmour always was and will continue to be the place to be and I will always have Gilmour in my heart.

 Gilmour legends Rich Grejtak, Kathy Kenny and Tiho Teisl at Rich’s and Tiho’s retirement in 2016

We love spotlighting the great work our young alumni are doing at colleges around the world. Let us know about the exciting projects recent Gilmour graduates are currently working on at communications@gilmour.org.

MADISON WAGNER ’19 Madison Wagner graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management consulting with minors in data science and collaborative innovation (product design). At the end of June, she started her career at Tesla as an associate program manager, traveling the country helping with launch events for new features and products.

Madison certainly brings extensive experience in management and marketing to the role. At just 16 years old, she taught herself graphic and web design and has been creating ever since. While at Gilmour, Mr. Adiletta’s web design and web development courses helped reinforce her passion for creativity intersecting with technology. During college, she designed for more than 20 clients, including Notre Dame’s Division of Student Affairs and a recent campaign for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.

After “dilly-dallying” with design for fun, she decided to build an online community around that very idea. In 2022, she launched DillyDally, which is the go-to creative space for new and developing designers to hone their craft, experiment with design styles and design portfolio-worthy work with the support of a fun community. Since then, it has exploded into a global community of 14,800 creatives. Check it out on Instagram @clubdillydally or visit www.clubdillydally.com for more information!

Much like she did at Gilmour, during her years at Notre Dame, Madison took advantage of a host of opportunities. She served as an RA for Pasquerilla West (which won Women’s Hall of the Year), was the COO for Notre Dame’s Student International Business Council (SIBC), was the business director for Notre Dame's Strike Magazine, worked as a TA and research assistant for Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, and landed her dream internship at Pinterest. Her favorite project at Pinterest was winning the annual companywide hackathon. For the hackathon, she worked alongside full-time engineers and sales leaders to develop and pitch a brand new product that supports Pinterest’s advertisers’ experience, which Pinterest is actually launching in the near future. She also influenced nearly $700K in ad-spend by supporting 11 pitches and finished as the top-ranked intern in her class!

Madison shared that she attributes a lot of her success to the foundation she received at Gilmour. She said, “The constant written assignments, presentations and Socratic Seminars made the transition to college almost easy. Specifically Mr. Fowler and Mr. Overman honed me as an excellent writer; those skills made me stand out throughout college for research papers and essays and sharpened my general critical thinking and analytical skills.” She added, “Gilmour also gave me a lot of space to develop my leadership and management skills with the support of our outstanding community and the values exemplified by our school leaders.

I have a special place in my heart for Brother Robert Lavelle, who was my inspiration for coming to Gilmour despite my daily one-hour commute each way. He helped me understand that Gilmour is a place where strong and stable futures begin.” Madison concluded, “I’m incredibly grateful for the life lessons that undoubtedly contributed to my confidence and success at Notre Dame and will continue to serve me for life!”

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ARO

U ND

CAM P UPPER SCHOOL

SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS Congratulations to the seven students who received Regional Scholastic Art Awards, including Gold Key Award winners Lauren Kish ’23 and Grace Meine ’23. In this competition, there are three award categories - Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention. The Gold and Silver Key winners’ artwork was displayed at an art show at The Cleveland Institute of Art. The Gold Key recipients' work was then juried at the national competition in New York City.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING WINNERS! Gold Key Lauren Kish ’23 “Touch,” photography Lauren Kish ’23 “Falling In,” photography Grace Meine ’23 “Stuck In Literal Intelligence,” photography Grace Meine ’23 “Cover,” photography Silver Key Lily Prebul ’24 “Second Thoughts,” photography Kaidong Wang ’24 “The Most Civilized Violence,” digital art David Yang ’23 “Bug,” digital art Honorable Mention Liam Flynn ’25 “Dogs,” painting Evan Mansour ’26 “Untitled,” ceramics and glass Lily Prebul ’24 “Wings,” photography David Yang ’23 “Untitled,” digital art

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 Pictured clockwise from L to R: “Touch”,“Falling In” “Cover”, “Stuck in Literal Intelligence”

US

introducing Our New COO

introducing Our New Chief DEI Officer

Over the past five years, our campus has truly been transformed as we have added more than 400,000 square feet. We have achieved so much, yet, there is still much to do to not only enhance, but to maintain our 144-acre campus. As such, we have created a new position - Chief Operating Officer. We are pleased to announce that Ryan Ryzner began as our COO on July 1.

We are proud to introduce JaiCynthia Farmer as our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. JaiCynthia has been at Gilmour for two years, teaching English to Grades 7-9. This past year, she also served as our DEI facilitator, collaborating with Evan Richard ’09 of EID Consulting and Chief Human Resource Officer Crystal Patrick. Together, they crafted a five-year strategic plan to continue to promote diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our school community.

In his COO role, Ryan is responsible for providing tactical and strategic oversight management, and the planning of all aspects of the daily physical operation and maintenance of our campus and programs. He serves as our general contractor, managing all construction, renovation and maintenance projects. He oversees the directors of facilities, transportation, ice arena operations, safety and security, as well as our food, housekeeping and landscaping services and manages related external service contracts.

Many will remember Ryan from his time at Gilmour from 20132019, during which he served in a variety of roles, including associate director of the Upper School and director of the Middle School.

Ryan left in 2019 to take on the role of president and principal of Benedictine High School, his alma mater. He oversaw academics and the daily operations of the school as well as the athletic, finance, facilities and advancement departments. He managed a $6.9 million budget and established and maintained relationships with individuals, businesses, philanthropic organizations and institutions, and city and county officials.

Ryan will utilize his wealth of leadership, strategic planning and budgeting experience in this new role and we are thrilled to have him back at GA!

Over the past year, JaiCynthia administered surveys and facilitated focus group sessions, ensuring that the voice of every member in the Gilmour community was heard and valued.

Before teaching at Gilmour, JaiCynthia taught Grades 10-12 at ICAN Schools, where she was honored with a Teacher of the Year Award. She then taught seventh-grade English in the Shaker Heights School District and served as one of the district’s New Teacher Coordinators. She co-advised the African American Female Scholars Program. Additionally, as part of the district’s strategic plan, JaiCynthia was a member of the Black Teacher Task Force, designed to recruit and retain people of color.

During her two years at Gilmour, in addition to teaching and serving as the DEI facilitator, JaiCynthia was co-moderator of the Black Student Alliance Affinity Group and the Civic Engagement Team, and co-led the Faculty Diversity Caucus.

JaiCynthia’s years of classroom experience highlighted the profound impact of an inclusive educational experience. Her passion for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion led her to take on this leadership role at Gilmour.

As our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, JaiCynthia is eager to channel that passion and expertise to continue championing DEI efforts throughout our school community and aims to create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.

We are thrilled to have JaiCynthia at the helm of this important initiative.

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AROUND CAMPUS

LOWER SCHOOL

NATURE-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM HAS STUDENTS LEARNING BY DOING Our youngest students were busy getting their hands dirty this past year, with all sorts of exciting hands-on nature-based learning opportunities!

Just a few of the highlights included:

Kindergartners collected lettuce and kale from the Giving Garden to feed the chickens - the Gilmour Girls - and enjoyed taste testing fresh produce right from the garden. They explored the various habitats on campus, caught frogs in the pond, took a fall Rainbow Hike and collected leaves from the Gilmour forest to sort and count.

First graders utilized the Giving Garden to study the parts of a plant and sample the delicious organic produce. They explored a variety of plants, asking themselves, “What is it that I am eating? A fruit (cherry tomato or a berry from the raspberry plants), a leaf (rainbow Swiss Chard), a legume seed pod (beans and peas), a root (carrot or beet) or a flower (nasturtium)?”

Second graders explored the Pollinator Garden and discovered traveling monarch butterflies on the milkweed plants. They saw hummingbird clearwing moths on the wild bergamot, and they planted these and many other important native species on campus to assist the Gilmour honeybees and important native pollinators. Second graders also raised chicks from their incubation period to about six weeks old!

Third graders studied life cycles of plants and animals. They started in the garden by planting rainbow Swiss Chard, watering the plants and tracking their growth. They harvested the chard leaves and also saw chard that had gone to flower and seed. They also raised trout in their classroom from eggs and were responsible for testing the water chemistry daily and performing regular water changes. Their hard work paid off when they traveled to the Chagrin River to release their trout!

Fourth graders studied the weather and compared their data with the data collected online by the Gilmour weather station. They walked out to the campus watershed, then reinforced that concept with an Enviroscape activity - a little town and lake that mimics our Lake Erie watershed. fifth graders gathered acorns from the campus oaks and stratified them (cooled them so they'll germinate) so that they can plant the seeds and watch them evolve into seedlings. Some of our trees will be used in local habitat restoration projects, as part of the N.U.T.S program (Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation).

Sixth and seventh graders grew hydroponic lettuce and basil in their classrooms, which was then used by food services for meals.

Saying Goodbye to Our Renaissance Man, Br. Ken Kane, C.S.C. Asked at one point by the Congregation of Holy Cross to describe how his students experienced him, Br. Ken Kane referenced “two-humped camel” imagery, referring to his passion for both music and the physical sciences. But during his years at Gilmour, Br. Ken Kane, C.S.C. has certainly been a camel of many humps, as he has been involved in so many different areas of the school.

Br. Ken arrived at Gilmour in 1987, after teaching at three other Holy Cross high schools. Just after graduating from the University of Notre Dame, from 1962-1964, he taught religion and geometry and served as the assistant band director and the assistant for dramatics at Archbishop Hoban High School. His next stop was Monroe Catholic Central High School in Monroe, Mich. from 1964-1970, where he served as the band director and taught math. He then moved back to the Cleveland area to teach science and serve as the music director at St. Edward High School from 1970-1987.

In 1987, ready for his next challenge, Br. Ken reached out to his longtime friend and Gilmour’s Headmaster, Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C. Br. Robert was looking for a physics teacher and hired Br. Ken for the post. This began a long and storied

career at Gilmour, during which time Br. Ken contributed to the community in so many ways.

He once shared with his Holy Cross community when asked about the person who has been most significant in his life, “My colleague, friend and classmate, Br. Robert Lavelle, has been most important to me … We seldom speak about this, but my life would not have been the same without him.”

Throughout Br. Ken’s years at Gilmour, he taught physics, AP Physics, chemistry, algebra and fundamentals of math and science. He was a regular in the choir at Our Lady Chapel. He was also a regular sub for the band and Pops Ensemble courses. For several years, he spearheaded Gilmour’s Senior Project, helping students with the planning required to bring their projects to life. Most recently, Br. Ken has been the coordinator of all substitute teaching assignments, often subbing himself as needed.

But, there was another dimension to Br. Ken’s years at Gilmour. After becoming a licensed ham radio operator in 1990 (his call sign is KG8DN), he founded and built the Amateur Radio Club at Gilmour (Gilmour’s call sign is ND8GA), teaching

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students the lost art of ham radio and its many benefits. He helped countless students get their licenses and watched their excitement as they communicated with other operators around the world. Asked what his favorite Gilmour memory was, Br. Ken said it had to be in 2004, when his club members made contact with the International Space Station and were able to ask the crew members questions for 10 minutes!

In July, Br. Ken moved to Columba Hall at Notre Dame, where he joined about 25 other members of the Holy Cross community. He said that he was excited for this next chapter as, “after 64 years in the Congregation, Notre Dame is as much my home as any place.”

We are so grateful for your commitment to Catholic education, Br. Ken, and wish you all the best, or, as we’d say in amateur radio lingo, “73” to KG8DN.  Former Development Director Jim Farrar '59 and Br. Ken in front of Heritage Hall, a visual record of GA history, which they created in the Athletic Center.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Two Seniors Named Heisman High School Scholarship School Winners Congratulations to Matthew Bauman ’23 and Lyla Tsu ’23, who were both named Heisman High School Scholarship School Winners from an applicant pool of thousands of students nationwide. The program rewards outstanding male and female scholar-athletes for their academic and athletic talents as well as the leadership they demonstrate within their school and/or community.

Matthew was a member of the varsity hockey and lacrosse teams and Lyla played on the girls prep hockey team as well as the varsity lacrosse team.

This fall, Matthew will attend the University of Cincinnati, where he will study construction management.

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This fall, Lyla will attend Miami University, where she will study nursing.

A Year of Incredible Performances The 2022-2023 performing arts season at Gilmour was a huge success! Disney’s Descendants was the opener and, for the first time in Gilmour history, we had a sold-out run. The cast, led by Andrew Lewis ’23, Matthew Lewis ’27, Savannah So ’23, Chuck Sustar ’24 and Sophia Velotta ’26 brought the house down in this rock musical.

Then it was the Middle School’s chance to shine as they performed Disney’s The Lion King Jr. before spring break. That cast, led by Joshua Berman ’28, Lon’Cherie Billingsley-Ballard ’27, Teddy Gainar ’27, Theophany Goudas-Ksenyak ’27, Matthew Lewis ’27, Calla Wilson ’28 and Luke Woodhouse ’28 performed the classic that had audiences in tears.

Finally, Seussical The Musical was up to close out the season. Led by Cat Ford ’23, Gia Hilal ’24, Savannah So ’23, Chuck Sustar ’24 and Calla Wilson ’28, the lovable classic was a hit with audiences ages 1-100!

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AROUND CAMPUS

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Students Lived the Mission in Arizona, West Virginia and Honduras Over Spring Break, 19 Gilmour students traveled on service immersion trips to Kermit, West Virginia and Goodyear, Arizona. The West Virginia group was hosted by Big Laurel Learning Center, and the Arizona group was hosted by St. John Vianney, a Holy Cross parish and school. Throughout both trips, students participated in service and immersion experiences, learning a bit more about the communities, cultures and landscapes of their host cities.

Many Gilmour students also participated in the Tiho Teisl Honduran Project through the Honduran Children's Rescue Fund. These students traveled to Moroceli, Honduras to build relationships with children at Nuevo Paraiso children's home.

 Hard at work in Honduras  Students working at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Surprise, Arizona  Students prepare for their day in Kermit, West Virginia  Clare Valenza ’23 with children at Nuevo Paraiso in Honduras

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AROUND CAMPUS

French Students KICKED OFF SUMMER IN FRANCE Upper School French students spent the first part of their summer studying abroad in France. To prepare for the trip, students had been writing to pen pals from the Rouen French High School, L'Institution Rey. When they arrived in France, they had the chance to spend a morning at the school and meet their pen pals.

During the trip, students visited Omaha Beach, the American cemetery and the newly renovated D-Day Museum in Arromanches. Because the group was there for the anniversary of D-Day, there were ceremonies, music and speakers. The students laid a wreath at the grave of an unknown soldier on behalf of Gilmour Academy and read letters from soldiers, one of whom never returned home.They also enjoyed visiting the Palace of Versailles as well as the site of the 2024 Summer Olympics!

Ce fut un excellent voyage!

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ACADEMIC CHALLENGE A huge shoutout to the Lancer Academic Challenge team, which won the episode that aired April 1! Captained by Ian Miller ’25, the team also included Jonas Tessman ’24, Vincent D'Angelo ’25, Michael Wu ’25 and Zachary Berman ’26. Not only did they defeat the two teams they competed against that day, but the team also placed fourth in the season-long competition, earning $3,000 for the school!

Speech and Debate Members Qualify at State and National Levels Members of the speech and debate team fared well at the state tournament in March. Congratulations to the following students who placed at the competition: Luke Peterson '25 finalist in Congressional Debate Vincent D'Angelo '25 semifinalist in Extemporary Gia Hilal '24 semifinalist in Original Oratory Anthony Marino '24 quarterfinalist in Informative Speaking Susan Noce '23 quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation

Additionally, Luke Peterson and Vincent D’Angelo qualified for the national tournament, which was held in Mesa, Ariz. at the end of June. Luke qualified in both World Schools Debate and Congressional Debate. Vincent competed in both Impromptu Speech and Domestic Commentary and advanced at the tournament in Commentary. Susan Noce was the first alternate for nationals in Dramatic Interpretation.

Pictured above are state qualifiers (L to R): Susan Noce '23, Gia Hilal '24, Charles Jablonski '25, Vincent D’Angelo '25, Michael Wu '25 (alternate), Luke Peterson '25 and Bri Redmon '24. Not pictured are state qualifiers Anna Johannessen '25, Anthony Marino '24 and Ian Miller '25.

UPPER SCHOOL

DUO TAKES 1-2 AT SPEECH COMPETITION Congratulations to Michael Wu ’25 and Julia Gainar ’24, who placed first and second, respectively, at the Hillcrest Rotary speech competition. Contestants were tasked with applying the four-way test to evaluate an ethical issue that is relevant today.

As the winner, Michael then competed at the county level.

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AROUND CAMPUS

diversity conference Upper School students (pictured L to R) Cedric Li ’24, Mariyah Moore ’24, Casie Crawford ’24, Mikyra Elston ’25, Madison Maynard ’23 and Brayden Green ’24 attended the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference in San Antonio.

The event was a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school student leaders from across the U.S. and abroad.

ARLENE SMITH

90TH BIRTHDAYWITH GA FAMILY It's not often we get to celebrate the 90th birthday of a current colleague!

But, a group of Gilmour staffers did just that when they attended a birthday celebration for Mrs. Arlene Smith, who has been part of the Advancement team since 1985. The level of organization and attention to detail she brings is second-to- none, as is her institutional knowledge.

Mrs. Smith is a Gilmour treasure!

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This conference, led by a diverse team of trained adult and peer facilitators, focused on selfreflecting, forming allies and building community.

Students developed cross-cultural communication skills, designed effective strategies for social justice practices through dialogue and the arts, and learned the foundations and principles of allyship.

LOWER SCHOOL

NEVER TOO YOUNG TO START LEADING Izzy Schumacher ’30 was all poise as she stood before the entire Upper School student body at Convocation sharing her passion for collecting books for the students at Archbishop Lyke, a project she has done on her own since third grade. As part of Founders’ Week, the whole GA community helped her cause, as a portion of the week's dress-down donations went toward purchasing books for the students at Archbishop Lyke. Way to go, Izzy!

UPPER SCHOOL

ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDENTS LAUNCH STUDENT-RUN COFFEE SHOP

UPPER SCHOOL

SONS OF AMERICAN REVOLUTION ON STATES Congratulations to Julia Gainar '24, who won the state level of competition for the Sons of the American Revolution oration contest. For the competition, Julia wrote an original speech, which she recited by memory, on Lydia Barrington Darragh, an “unknown” female spy who got General Washington a message about an impending British attack and saved many American lives.

During the first semester, students in Ms. Kendall-White’s entrepreneurship course, Jacob Lowery ’23 and Luke Radke ’23, launched a student-run coffee shop called Sip O’ Som, which featured hot and iced coffee, tea and cake pops. On the shop’s opening day, they sold out of cold brew and cake pops! Secondsemester entrepreneurship students kept the business running, adding in a line of spirit wear.

Sip O’ Som was open each Wednesday during Community Block and always had a line out the door of students and faculty alike!

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COMMENCEMENT

2 22

 Brandon Rose ’23 and Kaitlin Rulison ’23

2023 O Congratulations, Class of

n a picture-perfect Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, Gilmour celebrated its 74th Commencement Exercises in the Athletic Center. As has become tradition, faculty members were led into the building by Kyle Corrigan ’09 playing the bagpipes, before the Class of ’23 entered to Pomp and Circumstance.

Head of School Kathy Kenny delivered the opening remarks, sharing a quote from one one of her favorite authors, Ellen Goodman. “There’s a trick to the 'graceful exit.' It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over — and let it go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives.

It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out.” She added, “There is absolutely no doubt that Gilmour’s Class of 2023 knows the trick to a graceful exit. This last year with all of you seniors has been remarkable. You have energized our school, you have thrilled our spectators, you have soared academically, and you have freely shared your energy, your joy and your gratitude for the opportunities Gilmour provided.”

 Kiley O'Donnell ’23, Alex Mylen’23, Sadie Morley ’23, Molly Moore ’23, Adisa Molton ’23 and Tommy Moe ’23

She then introduced the Commencement speaker, Jean Arkedis ’96, head of research at Teach for All, a global education non-profit with partners in more than 60 countries.

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

 Katie DeMinico Boyle ’96, Jackie Pawlowski Coletta ’96, Amy Farrar Walsh ’96, and Colleen Kiely ’96  Commencement speaker Jean Arkedis ’96

MATRICULATION LIST FOR THE GRADUATING CLASS

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J

ean started her speech asking students to think about times they’d felt discomfort and asked if being uncomfortable might be necessary for personal growth. Her speech centered on three central questions: Will I choose discomfort wisely and be shaped by it? What can I contribute? Who do I want to be with me on life’s journey?

Jean shared some of the experiences she has had in her work travels and the growth that has come from it. In addressing the final question, she shared her gratitude for her husband, her family and the friends she has surrounded herself with along the way, including her Gilmour besties - Colleen Kiely ’96, Amy Farrar Walsh ’96, Jackie Pawlowski Coletta ’96 and Katie DeMinico Boyle ’96 - who were all seated in the front row to cheer her on!

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

Valedictorian ANNA RARICK ’23

Highest grade point in senior class Named a National Merit Commended Scholar Received Highest Honors all four years at Gilmour Transcript reflects an incredible 27 A+s and seven AP courses Recognized as an AP Scholar with Honors Has earned recognition for her achievements in geometry, Latin and AP Chemistry Recipient of Chaplain’s Award and Harvard Book Award Earned four varsity letters for volleyball and was a starter each of those years. Integral member of Gilmour’s 2020 and 2021 state championship teams and the 2022 state runner-up team Served as team captain, named First Team All-District, First Team All-News Herald and All-Ohio Honorable Mention Served on Honor Council, Student Council, Courage 2 Act Crew, Spirit Club and as Student Ambassador “It wasn’t until after a lot of reflection, research, and, I have to admit, a few breakdowns, that I realized I’d been asking myself the wrong question all along.

Instead of asking myself ‘What do you want to be?’

I should have been asking myself ‘Who do you want to be?’ ”

“When I look back on my time at Gilmour, it’s not the tests, projects or grades that first come to mind, it’s the memories I made along the way … In the end, now that our time’s up at Gilmour, this is what we have left - the small moments of joy with each other.”

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Co-leader of two service clubs - Reach Out and Baking for Rainbows Loves to foster rescue kittens and nurse them back to health before finding them forever homes Anna will attend the University of South Carolina’s Honors College this fall, where she will study International Business.

Salutatorian GIA PARKER ’23

Loves math and science, but also the humanities AP Chemistry teacher said, “She is a keen analytical thinker capable of solving any problem or question presented to her.”

AP US History teacher said, “Her critical thinking and interpretive skills are second-to-none.”

Voracious reader. Kept a running tally of books read this year and it amounted to over a book a day!

Graduated with eight AP classes on transcript and doubled up on math and science courses senior year Received Highest Honors each year at Gilmour Recognized as an AP Scholar with Honors Served as a peer tutor, was co-leader of the Women in STEM Club Earned four varsity letters as a member of swim team and another four varsity letters as a member of the golf team, serving as team captain senior year and receiving team’s Lancer Award Also earned “Most Improved Player” in both sports Taught herself to sew during COVID For her Senior Project, she sewed her graduation dress!

“I learn differently and that’s part of what I have really valued in my Gilmour experience. My having a different approach has been met with kindness … Maybe some teachers would have balked or forced me to be a certain kind of student, but Gilmour has allowed me to be me and learn the way that works best for me.”

Gia is heading to the University of Notre Dame this fall, where she will study chemical engineering.

“I wish you all the best as we head off to college.

I encourage each of you to go on your own terms and at your own pace. Care less about what you should do or what you think is expected. But care more about being the best you and a positive force in your communities. That’s what Gilmour has tried to instill in each of us and that’s what I think we should demand of ourselves.”

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

Top Row  Isa Rizo-Patron ’23 celebrates after the ceremony  Natalie Figurella ’23 and Kelly McFadden ’23 Bottom Row  Jesse Shepherd ’23 and Tommy Moe ’23  Cousins and the last in a long line of Baumans - Lyla ’23 and Matthew ’23 Bauman  Kyle Corrigan ’09, Jean Arkedis ’96, Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58 and Kathy Kenny

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’23 LIFERS  Front row L to R: Rocco Hice ’23, Lacie Frech '23, Abbie Edmondson ’23, Dorjan Flowers ’23

Back row L to R: Chiara Bilant ’23, André Lacroix '23, Ian Baird ’23, Paul Kiebler ’23, Lauren Kish ’23 and Nathan Turocy ’23

125 GRADUATES

3 STUDENTS ARE HEADED TO HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES

70 DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

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GILMOUR CLASS OF ’23 UP FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’23 GILMOUR CLASS OF ’23 UP FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

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GILMOUR CLASS OF ’23 RESIDENCE HALL STUDENTS

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

Ties that Bind Pictured through page 38 are the graduating seniors with grandparents, parents or siblings who attended Gilmour or Glen Oak or currently attend Gilmour.

GILMOUR TROPHY LOUKA BABIC ’23 RYLYN ANDERSON ’23 The Gilmour Trophy is the highest honor a student can receive during his or her time at the Academy. The honor is bestowed upon the male and female in the graduating class who best exemplify those qualities the Academy hopes to instill in its graduates.

Blake ’26 and Brynn ’23 Baskin

PHI BETA KAPPA GIA PARKER ’23

Lyla ’23 and Colin ’21 Bauman

The Cleveland Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was chartered in 1947 and, over the past 70+ years, has extended its recognition of achievement and intellectual curiosity to high school students throughout the greater Cleveland area. The Gilmour faculty selected the 2023 inductee because she is truly representative of the qualities of academic integrity, outstanding scholarship and all-around initiative in matters of the mind.

Sabrina ’18, Stefanie ’16, Matthew ’23 and Samantha ’14 Bauman

1848

THEUNIVERSITYOf

MISSISSIPPI

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19%

OF GRADUATES WILL ATTEND CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS Trevor ’26 and Chiara ’23 Bilant

Molly ’21 and Madeline ’23 Boyle

MORE THAN

16 million $

IN SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS EARNED BY THE CLASS OF ’23

Kevin Geraci ’59, Kate Geraci Brown ’88, Katherine ’23, James ’24 and James ’88 Brown

Ana ’17, Leah ’23 and Hallie ’20 Callitsis

88%

acceptance rate for students who enrolled through Early Decision

Alexander ’25, William ’23 and Philip ’34 Chadwick

Nicholas ’19, Gregory ’91, Benjamin ’23 and Matthew ’20 Christopher

Rosalia ’22 and Sadie ’23 Daher and Susan Lasch ’87

Madeline ’26, Logan ’23, Shannon Corkran ’99 and Tanner ’25 DeWeese.

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

Maya ’23 and Mi-Na ’25 Diggs

Benjamin ’23 and Malcolm ’81 Douglas

Abigail ’23 and Mollie ’21 Edmondson

Michael ’26 and Mikayla ’23 Fannin

Alexander ’22 and Natalie ’23 Figurella

Kevin ’89 and Aidan ’23 Flynn (not pictured Liam Flynn ’25)

Katherine ’25 and Elizabeth ’23 Frawley

Charles ’21 and Lacie ’23 Frech

Sophia ’20 and Michael ’23 Giancola.

Kaitlin ’20, Collin ’23 and Kirstin ’18 Grady

Michael ’27, Elena ’23 and Zoe ’25 Hayek

Mason ’24 and Rocco ’23 Hice

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201

SCHOOLS

offered admission to GA students

Robert ’87, Jianna ’23 and Jada ’20 Iacco

Charles ’22 and Griffin ’23 Johnson

94

%

OF THE STUDENTS WERE ADMITTED TO THEIR FIRST- OR SECOND-CHOICE SCHOOL

Ryan ’21 and William ’23 Kay

Christina ’25, Veronica ’23 and Elsbeth ’27 Khula

57

%

OF THE CLASS IS HEADED TO SCHOOL OUT OF STATE

Gavin ’25 and Paul ’23 Kiebler

Alexander ’27, Lauren ’23 and Emily ’26 Kish

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COMMITTED STUDENT-ATHLETES ACROSS DIVISIONS I,II AND III, INCLUDING THE MAC,NESCAC,SOCON, UAA AND MORE, AS WELL AS THE CCHL,SJHL AND NCDC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUES

Kevin ’88, Laney ’23 and Emily ’21 Klika

Anthony ’25, Erika DiCello ’90, André ’23 and Alexandre ’29 Lacroix

"Kairos was the most impactful experience at Gilmour Academy. It helped shape my perception of the world and visualize the sense of community within our wonderful school."

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

Isabella ’22, Nicholas ’23 and Ruth Geiger ’86 Lasecki

Thomas ’82 and William ’23 Lazzaro

Madison ’14, Paul '23 and William '16 Levand

Finn ’28, Lane ’23 and Davis Levengood

Ania ’21, Andrew ’23 and Matthew ’27 Lewis

Jennifer Russo ’93, Jacob ’23 and Alexander ’25 Lowery

Madelyn ’25 and Jacob ’23 Malinas

James ’21, Molly ’25, Thomas ’23 and Thomas ’96 McCrone

Ava ’22 and Tommy ’23 Moe

Katherine ’25 and Molly ’23 Moore

Henry ’28 and Sadie ’23 Morley

Brian ’95 and Brennen ’23 O’Neill

"Our youngest child just graduated and she is truly a different person from the day she started. The growth from that timid freshman to the confident, articulate and driven person she is now is remarkable and is directly related to the incredible adults at Gilmour who truly knew her, cared about her and pushed her. We are so grateful."

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“Athletics were a big part of my time and Gilmour's size and culture allow for so much more than being a single-sport athlete.

Additionally, student involvement in many different areas of school was very common and seeing those that show up to various events, whether it be athletics, arts, service, or school-related activities, was very impactful.”

Gia ’23 and Johanna Fabrizio ’92 Parker

Cole ’21, Clare ’23 and Luke ’25 Peterson

Ty ’20, Chad ’23 and Thomas ’85 Plucinsky

Dominik '25 and Viktor '23 Povozhaev

Caroline ’21 and Anna ’23 Rarick

Emma Mee ’29, Oliva ’23 and Nathan ’20 Reichard

Jacklyn ’25 and Kaitlin ’23 Rulison (not pictured Amber Rulison Harrington ’17 and Courtney Rulison Marquette ’15 ’15)jpg

Marisa ’18 and Sofia ’23 Salvino

Charles ’21, Jesse ’23 and Luke ’19 Shepherd

Meaghan ’21 and John ’23 Stack

Wyatt ’27, Garret ’20, Edith ’23, Jennifer Ray ’88 and Clayton ’18 Tomasek

Gregory ’82, Nathan ’23 and Jeffrey ’89 Turocy

"I chose Gilmour because the moment I stepped on campus I could tell that the school had a unique atmosphere that was both competitive and supportive. I felt that students challenged each other but were also willing to help one another succeed. Additionally, I noticed that teachers asked a lot of their students, but were eager to offer additional help with anything their students were struggling with. I knew that this environment would benefit my learning, which made my decision to come to Gilmour an easy one."

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2023 COMMENCEMENT

SENIORS RECORDED

Connor ’22 and Evan ’23 Underwood

10,103 COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS, which was 135% of the goal

Clare ’23 and Grace ’20 Valenza

NOT PICTURED ARE: Louka ’23, Roman ’28 and Xavier ’32 Babic Elise ’21 and Amaris ’23 Doty Noah ’21 and Zachary ’23 Gaudette Matthew ’22 and Sophia ’23 Johnson Truesdale ’23 and Hayden ’28 Pyle

 Members of the Class of 2013  John Ketterer ’53 and Charles Menk, Jr. ’53

“The most impactful part of Gilmour must be how well prepared I feel for college, the amazing peers and faculty I had the privilage of meeting along the way, and all the amazing opportunities that Gilmour has given me to branch out and try something new.”

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REUNION Reunion 2023 was held June 2-3 and Gilmour rolled out the red carpet for the classes ending in 3s and 8s. It was a weekend of friends, family and memories for the more than 300 alumni who attended. The weekend’s festivities kicked off with the Alumni of the Year presentation (see page 41 for details on this year's honorees), the Friday night VIP Welcome Back Party, Saturday morning’s Golden Lancers and Golden Oakies Brunch (for GA and GO classes of ’73) and Silver Lancers Brunch (for GA Class of’98), an alumni soccer match, campus tours, the Alumni Reunion Mass, and the grand finale Head of School cocktail reception and dinner. We welcomed alumni from every Reunion class, including two members of the Class of 1953!

The Reunion Cup was presented during the party, recognizing the class with the largest percentage in attendance. Congratulations to the Class of 1973, who took Reunion by storm with 45 percent of the class in attendance! Class members came from as far as California, Florida and even the UK for the chance to be together to reminisce and share stories as a class once again.

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REUNION

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Al Connors, Jr., M.D. ’68 • Spent most of his career at MetroHealth, rising through ranks from intern to Chief Medical Officer and now, Chief Quality Officer • Specialized in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care • Spearheaded two important research projects, which are credited with challenging broadly accepted but unproven standards of care for critically ill and dying patients

Two Honored as Alumni Man and Woman of the Year In a special ceremony held at the start of the Reunion Weekend festivities on Friday, June 2, Alfred F. Connors, Jr. ’68 and Wendy Steinhoff Baldikoski ’88 were presented with the Alumni Man and Woman of the Year Awards by Alumni Association President Lauren Oliver ’12 and Head of School Kathy Kenny.

Al was introduced by his longtime friend and classmate Chuck Wellman ’68 and Wendy was introduced by speech and debate and drama legend Gay Janis.

• Won the Crain’s Healthcare Hero Award in 2016 and Lifetime Achievement Award from MetroHealth in 2018 • Professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine • Won the Kaiser-Permanente Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing exceptional commitment to the education of medical students, and decided by a vote of the students • Graduate of the Medical College of Ohio

Wendy Steinhoff Baldikoski ’88 • Currently the Vice President of Comedy Development for the ABC television network • Prior to joining ABC, spent 18 years developing comedy on studio side for Warner Bros. Television • Has been involved with the development of more than 150 comedy pilots, including: The Middle Two Broke Girls • Most recently, developed Abbott Elementary, which won multiple Emmys in its first season • Graduate of Northwestern University • Participated in Gilmour’s video on the arts for its 75th anniversary Gala • Credits Kathy Kenny with helping to hone her writing skills

• Recently named MetroHealth Foundation’s Board chair • Has remained connected with his classmates, often gathering with them for lunch • Has consistently supported Gilmour since 1989

Read on about some of their career highlights and their involvement at Gilmour:  Top Catching up at the Friday night VIP Welcome Back Party  Middle Members of the Class of ’58 and guests reconnect  Bottom Members of the Class of ’88  Members of the Class of ’83

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AlumNEWS

With the morning light streaming through the window behind him, illuminating an office packed with the memorabilia of a lifetime of service, Father John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58 gives a beatific smile. “You know, Gilmour is about more than a plot of land or a set of buildings. What Gilmour really is about is the process of ‘becoming.’” Nearly seven decades after he first stepped onto Gilmour’s campus as a student, Father John says that process is still alive within him.

“We have this image of priests as being sort of frozen in time,” he says. “As though we put on this collar and we suddenly stop growing. But, as I look backward, I don’t think those young versions of me would recognize who I’ve become.”

Alumni

IN FOCUS Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. '58

The opportunity to study at Gilmour Academy came unexpectedly for the young man growing up on the east side of Cleveland, who spent his days playing sandlot baseball and practicing the accordion. “I was all set to go to Benedictine when my father asked whether I’d be interested in taking the entrance exam for a school out in Gates Mills. And that was how it started.”

A resident student for most of his time at Gilmour, Father John tried to find as many places in the community as he could. After playing as the center on the football team his freshman year, he decided to pursue both cheerleading and tennis for the duration of his education, captaining the tennis team in his senior year. Upon graduation as the salutatorian, the budding theologian attended the University of Notre Dame, immediately joining the seminary. “As a young Catholic boy, I had begged my father to let me go to seminary right out of grade school. He said no. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me—and I was so angry! But, after I completed high school, I went with his blessing.”

Upon graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in philosophy and a minor in math, Father John continued his theology training in Washington, D.C. He was there in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy lay in state in the U.S. Capitol after his assassination. “I stood in line all night to pay my respects. I’ll never forget it,” he remarked wistfully.

This would not be the only brush with history for the young priest-in-training.

During his diaconate year, he spent the summer volunteering in Jackson, Miss. for the Civil Rights Movement. “I’ve never been so afraid in my life. One of my tasks was to pick up a black nun at the airport and drive her through Jackson to be hidden at the church. I didn’t think I was going to make it out alive. But the image that sticks with me most is attending a speech at the capital and seeing the National Guard deployed with fixed bayonets. The sight of that forever changed me. Because, you see, I

44

was walking with someone. It wasn’t just an image on TV. When you get to know people, you learn unexpected things. So now, for me, everyone belongs and I will reach out to anybody.”

The essence of that striving for human connection is reflected in Father John’s nearly six decades of service to Holy Cross high schools in Northeast Ohio, first at St. Edward High School in Lakewood and then, since 1979, back at his alma mater, Gilmour Academy. He has taught math, theology and computer science; has coached numerous sports teams; and today serves as campus minister. He has worked with numerous organizations across the state and the country in search of continued impact.

But he sees great changes at home, too.

“In many ways, that idea of ‘becoming’ is true of the school, too. One of the things I’m most grateful for has been to see the mission really take flesh—to become more than just some words that are spoken, but truly a life lived. The real question we need to constantly ask ourselves is ‘who are we?’ And, no matter your answer, I want to help you become a better whatever-you-are. This is how you treat family and, in many ways, Gilmour is my family.”

As Father John Blazek ’58 continues to recover from open heart surgery performed in early June, he is buttressed by the prayers and support of the members of the Gilmour community: his family, now and forever.

AlumNEWS

Alumni

IN FOCUS Mikki Shull G.O. '76

According to Mikki Shull G.O. ’76, the key to a successful life is simple, but can sometimes be fairly difficult to achieve.

“You have to find balance, not just between work and life, but between your productive enterprises. You need to have a creative outlet.”

For Mikki, her first exposure to the myriad means of expressing those creative outlets came during her time at Glen Oak. “Not only were we a little different, but we took pride in being a little different, a little quirky. I think it gave me a sense that there were so many different possibilities ahead, and the desire to try to find them.”

Those exploratory instincts came in handy when Mikki was admitted to Carnegie Mellon University to pursue production and technical theater. “In a school where so many of the people that I knew were serious engineers, I was sure that tech theater was what I wanted to do. But then I saw the potential for growth in their summer jobs, and I decided to make the switch. I ended up with a focus in Industrial Engineering, but I knew that I needed to find my balance, so I was also a disc jockey on Sunday nights.

It helped me to sort of pull myself together in order to face the next week of serious study.”

Upon graduation, Mikki took what she describes as a circuitous route to her professional career as a management consultant.

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After starting as an industrial engineer at a steel company in Chicago, she knew she wanted to try something different. “I had seen the peak and I had seen the crash, and I wanted to transfer my skills to a white-collar environment. I ended up with a company that did digital marketing, and that was my first experience with internal consulting. I learned that I had a passion for people, process and technology, and that consulting was a way to strike that balance.”

After relocating to New York, Mikki attended a job fair to try to find that next step in her growth. “To be honest, the lines were very long for the openings to work at the banks, and the line for PricewaterhouseCoopers was very short. That’s one of the reasons that I ended up there.” And it ended up being where she would spend the next 12 years of her life, working with media and entertainment companies.

“I got to do all the things I loved, and I didn’t have to work in a bank or an insurance company! I got to balance the creative with the work I loved to do.”

After a long career, Mikki understands the value of curiosity.

“Never pass up an opportunity to discover and understand and explore,” she says. “When you dig deep, and make an effort to understand other people’s perspectives, you can make a difference.”

In retrospect, it makes sense that Brigid Gallagher ’99 would become a professional photographer. “I was the unofficial ‘documentarian’ of the Class of ’99,” she says. “Everywhere I went, I was always snapping photos with my little disposable camera.”

Initially convinced that her path in life would lead her to be a great writer, Brigid attained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Lake Forest College and DePaul University, respectively, but had trouble finding her own unique voice. “I was reading all these great authors and was suffering from a bit of comparison envy. I decided I needed to take a break from writing, so I joined Americorps and headed out to Missoula, Montana.

I soon found that my vision and my photos were saying things that I didn’t feel my writing could express at the time.”

Upon her return to Chicago, Brigid found that she had been infected with the photography bug, but she also didn’t really know how to make that into a career. Living in a city with such a vibrant music scene, Brigid realized that she could use her talent to kill two

birds with one stone: “I really wanted to go to all of these concerts, but I didn’t have a lot of money. So, I cold-called different venues all over the city to see whether they needed a house photographer. I ended up working with three venues, which allowed me to see these amazing concerts while also building my portfolio.”

Brigid credits Gilmour with sparking her creativity and drive, but also her ability to form relationships with everyone she meets. “I just remember people like Frank McCamley fostering a respect for everyone in his English classes. That sort of respect allowed us to cultivate opportunities while avoiding cliques and tiers. Not to mention that I was way ahead of the game at college, both in terms of having actually enjoyed high school and in terms of what I was academically able to do.”

After spending more than 20 years in Chicago and being lauded for her work in the industry (she was featured in FLOOD Magazine’s “Fifty Concert Photographers From the Past and Present You Should Know” and was voted “Chicago Photographer of

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the Year” in the Chicago Reader), Brigid has moved back home to Cleveland Heights, both to be closer to her parents and to pursue new opportunities. “I’ve started to do more sports photography lately, and one of the cooler opportunities is that Cleveland will be getting a professional soccer team (and hopefully a women’s team, too), and I’ve signed on to do photography for them.”

It’s been a wild, creative and sometimes chaotic ride for Brigid, but she has advice for anyone with a passion: “Trust your inner voice. When you take a perfect shot, you know it immediately if you know what you are looking for; that feeling doesn’t lie.”

Alumni

IN FOCUS Brigid Gallagher '99

 One of Brigid's photos of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team

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AlumNEWS

Who’s Doing What, When and Where

In the Hollis household, weekends didn’t count as days off. “According to our dad, sitting around just wasn’t acceptable,” says Justin ’16. “If it was 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday, you had to be doing something productive with your time.”

That impetus to always be doing more instilled in the three brothers, Tom ’13, Justin ’16 and John ’18, the drive to start their own businesses. “For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to run my own business,” says John. “I just didn’t know what I wanted to do. But I had seen the freedom it creates firsthand from my dad and my brother.”

The building blocks of those entrepreneurial endeavors were also fostered at Gilmour, where, according to Tom, “there were endless opportunities that opened up a realm of possibilities available to us. In my case, I was really inspired by those GA sports hype videos from Convocation, and was motivated to go into video production to help bring clients’ vision to life.”

After starting small at Mount Union, Tom started growing a client base that allows him to create inspiring videos. “No project starts perfectly,” he says, “but the bumps along the way help to illuminate what the client really wants.”

Alumni

IN FOCUS The Hollis Brothers Tom ’13, Justin ’16 and John, Jr. ’18

Tom’s company, Rise Up Media, continues to grow thanks to Tom’s work ethic and mantra: “Connections are key. Everyone is a potential customer. Reach out and form relationships.”

According to Justin, it’s also about more than just making money. “My father taught me that a company is not just a money-making enterprise—a company must have good morals and values.”

That’s why Justin gets his greatest satisfaction from a positive referral. “It means not just that you’ve done a good job, but that you’ve had a positive impact on your community.”

Justin also credits Gilmour for equipping him for success. “The Socratic-style learning shaped my life; I feel like I can speak comfortably with anyone, which comes in handy when I need to talk to 10 strangers a day and convince them that I know what I’m doing.”

Justin’s company, College Tree Removal, now has two full crews working regularly.

He also has a group of seasonal workers that are hard-working Gilmour grads!

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, according to John. “I failed a lot,” he says.

“A large portion of my education has been learning what I didn’t want to do.”

After initially pursuing psychology in college, John quickly transitioned to marketing, getting his first taste of “real” business. “I knew I had to show what I could do,” he says.

John also credits Gilmour with helping him understand the big picture. “I struggled a lot with the little things, like posture, timeliness and attitude. I can’t tell you how many times I was out of dress code. I didn’t realize how much all of those things matter until I had to interact with my own clients—then it all sort of clicked.”

John says he took a great amount of inspiration from teachers like Mr. Lindley and Mr. Greenfield. “They instilled in me a sense of responsibility for myself and my actions, but also an aspirational positivity about who I could be.”

John’s company, HaHa Dumpsters, a dumpster rental company that provides a host of services, is helping other companies to succeed, and the referrals keep coming.

But Tom, John, and Justin aren’t the only Hollises making big moves. Sister Nicole ’14 has spent the past five years growing within a company affiliate of ESPN, while youngest brother Joe ’20, a student at the University of Dayton, has a car detailing business.

To hear Tom, John and Justin tell it, a great deal of their competitiveness comes from their participation in athletics at GA. “We all excelled at something,” says Tom. “And many of us had the opportunity to play sports together. That helped us to develop both teamwork and leadership skills.”

 Tom '13 of Rise Up Media John '18 of HaHa Dumpsters and Justin '16 of College Tree Removal Ha Ha Dumpsters

College Tree Removal

But the real secret to their success?

“Anybody can create something,” says John, “it just takes grit and perseverance.”

Scan the QR codes above to watch short videos Tom created about his brothers' businesses.

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ADVANCEMENT CORNER

Academy of Rock Spring Benefit The Academy was rockin’ during the Academy of Rock Spring Benefit, held on April 22. The evening was a great success as we welcomed more than 200 people to campus. The event was held in the Athletic Center, which was stunningly transformed by our decorations committee, and featured incredible food, entertainment by Tommy McCrone ’23, and fantastic live and silent auction items. Thanks to the community’s generous support, the event netted more than $150,000, which will go directly to The Gilmour Fund, which supports academic programming, student services and the tuition assistance program.

Support Gilmour with a gift to The Gilmour Fund at gilmour.org/give or scan the QR code

Gi l mou r | SUMMER 2023

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ADVANCEMENT CORNER

A New Car… For One Lucky Lancer!

How would you like to win a new car?

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Medina Auto Mall and the Northeast Ohio Buick GMC Dealers, we’re raffling off a brand new 2023 black on black GMC Acadia SLE ! All ticket proceeds will be directed to the Campaign for Lancer Athletics, benefiting each and every Gilmour student. You can enter to win by visiting gilmour.org/car. Tickets are available for $100 each and one lucky winner will be drawn at halftime of the last home football game of the year on Friday, October 6. Don’t miss your chance to win. Buy your tickets today!

Participants must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a ticket.

ADVANCEMENT

The program’s existing field had become unusable and the program had not played a home game since 2017. In recent years, they have played home games in Mayfield, at Ursuline College and at Notre Dame College.

On Tuesday, May 16, we held a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly renovated softball field, which has been named Taylor Field in recognition of the generosity of Bruce and Virginia Taylor. Other major supporters include the O’Rourke family and the New York Community Foundation as well as Jim ’67 and Mary Conway, and Jose and Rita Rizo-Patron.

The improved field and complex now includes a sub-surface drainage system to reduce water collection and rainouts, an infield made of a premium ball field mix of drying agents and red crushed brick mixture (what premier ballparks in inclement weather regions use), a backstop with increased height and length, fully enclosed home and away dugouts, outfield and sideline fencing connecting to the rest of the structure to make it a fully enclosed ballpark, a full batting cage and bullpen, and a new scoreboard, along with electrical power to the site.

GIRLS SOFTBALL PROGRAM RETURNS TO HOME FIELD ON CAMPUS

The renovation project was led by the steadfast efforts of current Gilmour parent Chris Paradise, Trustees Rizo-Patron, Joe Ciuni ’77 and Rob Miavitz ’87, and others. Paradise was instrumental in determining how best to address the much-needed improvements for the field and managed the project from start to finish.

The renovations were completed in time for the team to play their first playoff game at home on their new field on May 8. They defeated Massillon Washington High School 12-7.

Lancer Legacies Celebrated Lancer Legacies are families in which multiple generations have chosen Gilmour or Glen Oak for their child or grandchild’s education. Last year, 90 students counted either a grandparent or parent (and in some cases, both, or both parents!) as Gilmour alumni. In January, a reception was held for current and past Lancer Legacies and we had more than 75 people in attendance. After the gathering, the Lancer Legacies were able to stay and enjoy watching the boys basketball team take on - and defeat Hawken in a thrilling game!

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 Jennifer Ray-Tomasek ’88, Dale Tomasek, Wyatt Tomasek ’27, Pamela Simpson G.O. ’80, Garret Tomasek ’20, Bryson Simpson ’20 and Clayton Tomasek ’18

The Gilmour Academy SGO is back in 2023 GIVE UP TO $750.

GET UP TO $750.* Many thanks to all who donated to Gilmour Academy through one of the two Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) with which we are affiliated. In 2022, Gilmour received more than $180,000, which will provide tuition assistance for our students in the 2023-2024 school year.

The Angel Scholarship Fund (ASF) and the Ohio Association of Independent Schools (OAIS) SGO are State of Ohio-approved SGOs. Ohio residents who donate to either SGO may be eligible for a 100% tax credit on their State of Ohio income tax return for the year the contribution is made. Donations are awarded as tuition assistance for Gilmour Academy students.

Contributions can now be made for the 2023 tax year. For easy step-by-step instructions, and/or to make your donation online, visit gilmour.org/SGO or scan the QR code.

For more information, contact Patti Pfundstein Miller ’85 at (440) 473-8061 or millerp@gilmour.org. *This does not constitute income tax advice.

Always consult with a tax professional for information on the impact of any charitable donations.

Construction Projects Breathing New Life Into Tudor House and The Commons It's been a busy spring and summer with the Tudor House and Commons renovation projects in full swing and crews from Panzica Construction and TDA - thendesign architecture - on site each day. The exterior Tudor House renovations are expected to wrap up in late fall and the new Student Commons is still on track to open this spring.

Tudor House renovations in progress include cleaning and tuckpointing the masonry/stone on the house and in the garden; removing rotted wood and replacing/repairing broken windows; painting; replacing missing or broken slates on the roof; cleaning and tuckpointing the chimney exteriors and replacing flues; and restoring copper gutters, scupper boxes, downspouts and flashing. Soon, the windows will all be fitted with storm windows.

The new Student Commons will feature an 8,8848-square-foot addition to the existing 7,128-square-foot space. This will increase seating capacity from 100 to 300 seats. To date, the crews have completed partial demolition of the old structure, including the old connection to Tudor House. They have removed the multi-level floor in the Commons in preparation

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for a single-level floor. They have excavated the ground due to varying elevations around the buildings. They have relocated and/or are adding new utility service to the buildings. Most recently, they poured the concrete footers for the new exterior walls and laid the exterior cinder block foundation. The new Student Commons’ entrance will be across from the CPA Building’s tall glass entrance.

Stay tuned for more updates as these projects continue!

These projects were made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of The Howley Foundation.

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LANCER ATHLETICS 2022-2023 Gilmour held fall (November 11 and November 15) and spring (April 26 and May 4) signing ceremonies at which 24 student-athletes pledged their commitment to continue their athletic careers beyond high school.

MAY 4 SIGNING

Congratulations to the following student athletes:

NOVEMBER 15 SIGNING Brandon Rose ’23

basketball at Division III John Carroll University

APRIL 26 SIGNING Laney Klika ’23

volleyball at Division I Wofford College

Clare Valenza ’23

cross country and track and field at Division I Bowling Green State University

NOVEMBER 11 SIGNING

Caroline May ’23

ice hockey at Division I Franklin Pierce University

Emma Pickering ’23 ice hockey at Division I

Rochester Institute of Technology

Isabel Goolie ’23

ice hockey at Division I Saint Michael’s College

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Alexandria Cistolo ’23 ice hockey at Division I Franklin Pierce University

Hunter Sebulsky ’23

football at Division III Ohio Northern University

Adisa Molton ’23

basketball at Division II Lake Erie College

Jacob Lowery ’23

baseball at Division III Ohio Wesleyan University

Will Lazzaro ’23

football at Division III Middlebury College

LL

Haydenn Bouley ’23

Louka Babic ’23

I N IG

S P R IN G S

Dorjan Flowers ’23

junior hockey at Rockland Nationals

wrestling at Division III Case Western Reserve University

NG

FA

football at Division III Otterbein University

Ziya Damas ’23 ice hockey at Division III Western New England University

Logan DeWeese ’23 lacrosse at Division III Wittenberg University

Triston Sherwood '23

junior hockey at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

Connor Fenstemacher ’23 junior hockey at Pueblo Bulls

Clark Furman ’23 junior hockey at Yorkton Terriers

Eli Swirsky ’23 soccer at Division III Marietta College

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Edith Tomasek ’23

track and field at Division III The Catholic University of America

Zachary Gaudette ’23 junior hockey at Brockville Braves

Sophia Johnson ’23 ice hockey at Division I University of Maine

Sophie Healey ’23

ice hockey at Division III Gustavus Adolphus College

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LANCER ATHLETICS 2022-2023

LANCER ATHLETICS

GIRLS PREP HOCKEY RETURNED TO NATIONAL STAGE The girls prep hockey team had another strong season, winning the NAPHA Championship when they defeated Nichols School 3-0 on February 19.

After the Mid-Am District Tournament, the team earned an at-large bid to nationals! At nationals, held in Dallas from March 30-April 1, the team went 1-2.

Girls Volleyball Makes Third State Championship Appearance, Falls Just Short The girls volleyball team headed to the Nutter Center at Wright State University in Dayton on November 10 for their third Final Four appearance in three years. In the semifinal match-up, they defeated Badin 3-2 to advance to the state title game on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

The state championship match was an intense, back-and-forth contest between Gilmour and NDCL, with NDCL coming out on top 3-2.

LANCER ATHLETICS

VARSITY B HOCKEY WINS JV STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Congratulations to the Varsity B hockey team, which won the Upper Division of the JV state tournament, which was held on campus from February 23-26. The team went 5-0 in the tournament. In pool play, they beat St. Ed’s 5-1, Olentangy Liberty 5-1 and St. Charles Prep 3-0.

They then beat Olentangy Liberty again in the semifinals 4-2 and St. Ignatius in the finals 2-0.

The team has high hopes for the upcoming season!

LANCER ATHLETICS

BOYS PREP SECURES PROGRAM’S FIRST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP The boys prep hockey team won the Power Prep Hockey League (PPHL) Playoff Tournament with an overtime victory. This was the first league championship in program history!

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 Pictured front row L to R: Emily Stickle ’27, Leo Stickle ’25, Kylie Lavalley ’26, Haley Martin ’26, Isabella Hayek ’24 and Devi Newkirk ’30 Pictured back row L to R: Jesse Schadick ’25, Zoe Wolfe ’24, Lauren Ludlow ’25, Myla Snyder ’24 and Claire Bafus ’27 Not pictured: Lilly Parras ’25 and Sara Pandya ’29

Lauren Ludlow ’25, Emily Stickle ’27 and Zoe Wolfe ’24 1st, Intermediate Maneuver Team Spins Jesse Schadick ’25 1st, Excel Intermediate Plus Freeskate and 1st, Junior Moves in the Field Emily Stickle ’27 1st, Excel Intermediate Freeskate MS

Deaglan Bryant ’23 (200 Medley Relay, 400 FR Relay)

Leo Stickle ’25 1st, Excel Beginner Freeskate and 4th, Pre Juvenile Moves in the Field

JJ Cistone ’26 (400 FR Relay) Ian Colleran ’24 (200 Medley Relay)

Isabella Hayek ’24 2nd, Excel High Beginner Freeskate MS and 2nd, Preliminary Moves in the Field

Laina Collis ’24 (200 Medley Relay, 200 IM, 100 FR, 400 FR Relay) Lacie Frech ’23 (200 Medley Relay, 50 FR)

Lilly Parras ’25 2nd, Intermediate Solo Free Dance; 2nd, Prelim/Pre Juvenile Interpretive; 5th, Excel Pre Juvenile Plus Freeskate; and 7th, Pre Silver Dance Pattern

Elena Hayek ’23 (200 FR Relay) Anna Johannessen ’25 (500 FR, 400 FR Relay)

Maddie Sammut ’24 (200 Medley Relay, 200 FR, 100 BR, 400 FR Relay) John Stack ’23 (200 Medley Relay, 400 FR Relay) Tinsley Zhang ’26 (200 FR, 500 FR, 200 FR Relay, 400 FR Relay) The girls team placed eighth overall at states!

The varsity figure skating team placed fourth at the Ohio High School Team Championships held February 3-5 at Thornton Park in Shaker Heights.

This was the team’s best finish at the event.

Claire Bafus ’27 1st, Pre Juvenile Moves in the Field

The swim team had a great season, with 12 individuals and relays qualifying for the OHSAA state meet. Congratulations to the following state qualifiers:

Gianna Minotas ’25 (200 Medley Relay, 200 FR Relay, 100 BK, 400 FR Relay)

VARSITY FIGURE SKATING EARNS BEST FINISH IN PROGRAM HISTORY AT OHIO CHAMPIONSHIPS

Congratulations to the following team members who placed at the event:

Swim Team Sends 12 to States

Andrew Lewis ’23 (200 Medley Relay, 200 IM, 100 BK, 400 FR Relay)

LANCER ATHLETICS

LANCER ATHLETICS

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY STATE QUALIFIER

Congratulations to Amy Weybrecht ’24, who qualified for the OHSAA cross country state championship meet held at Fortress Obetz on November 5, 2022.

Zoe Wolfe ’24 2nd, Pre Silver Dance Pattern and 4th, Novice Solo Free Dance Kylie Lavalley ’26 and Jesse Schadick ’25 3rd, High Maneuver Team Events Jumps and 3rd, High Maneuver Team Events Spins Lauren Ludlow ’25 3rd, Novice Solo Free Dance; 4th, Pre Silver Dance Pattern; and 5th, Novice Jr/Sen Interpretive Sara Pandya ’29 3rd, Excel High Beginner Freekskate MS Claire Bafus ’27, Isabella Hayek ’24, Haley Martin ’26, Devi Newkirk ’30, Sara Pandya ’29 and Leo Stickle ’25 4th, Low Maneuver Team Spins Kylie Lavalley ’26 4th, Prelim/Pre Juvenile Interpretive; 5th, Preliminary Solo Pattern Dance; and 7th, Excel Preliminary

Gi l mou r | SUMMER 2023

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LANCER ATHLETICS 2022-2023

LANCER ATHLETICS

BOYS BASKETBALL ACHIEVES SOMETHING ONLY SIX IN STATE HAVE DONE It was another exciting season for the varsity boys basketball team. The team again advanced to the Elite Eight, winning their third-straight district title. That feat has been accomplished by only six teams in the state of Ohio across all divisions!

Continuing To Represent After winning their 20th consecutive district title, the girls track and field team qualified eight team members - Grace Kotora ’24, Amy Weybrecht ’24, Rielyn Jackson ’25, Jazminn Bremer ’24, Morgan Slough ’25, Mariyah Moore ’24, Addie Nemeth ’24 and Edith Tomasek ’23 to the Division II state championship meet, held June 2-3 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at OSU. One member of the boys team - Brayden Green ’24 qualified as well.

Commitment Alerts!

Over the summer, three of our rising seniors committed to Division I athletic programs.

Congratulations to: Helen Holley ’24 basketball at Michigan State University

Congratulations to the following track and field athletes who placed at states:

Amy Weybrecht ’24 cross country and track & field at Wake Forest University

Amy Weybrecht ’24 - finished 4th in the 1600 and recorded the second-fastest time in program history (4:57.50)

Stacy Barresi '24 soccer at Southern Utah University

Mariyah Moore ’24, Morgan Slough ’25, Rielyn Jackson ’25 and Addie Nemeth ’24 - finished 4th in 4x200m Amy Weybrecht ’24 - finished 5th in the 800 Brayden Green ’24 - finished 7th in long jump Edith Tomesek ’23 - finished 13th in the 100 hurdles Finally, at the USATF (USA Track and Field) Championships, Brayden Green ’24 earned the gold medal in triple jump for his age group and Blake Baskin ’26, placed third in long jump for his age group!

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In Memoriam This list includes all alumni and family members of alumni and faculty/staff who passed away before June 30, 2023.

Gilmour Academy expresses sympathy to the families of the following alumni: Bruce R. Bechhold ’58, brother of William Bechhold ’67 (deceased) and brother-in-law of Vincent Horrigan ’67 Raymond C. Burke ’51, grandfather of Sara Rossi ’07 Michael J. Butz ’82, brother of David ’80 and Gerald ’84 Butz and Catherine Butz Hughes ’87 James R. Hubman ’58, brother of Donald Hubman ’55 Frank A. Johns ’50 Todd D. King ’87, brother of Christie King Cox ’91 and brother-in-law of Robert Cox ’90 Raymond P. Klein ’58 Mark D. Lechner ’70 Ra Vines Mingle ’82 John A. Murphy, Jr. ’58, brother of Michael Murphy ’60 (deceased) J. Philip O’Neil ’50, former Gilmour Academy Trustee; father of Katherine O’Neil ’88, Gilmour Academy trustee Sarah O’Neil Hannibal ’89 and Ann O’Neil Fitzgerald ’92; grandfather of Henry Hannibal ’28; and uncle of Mark ’76 and Neil ’79 Freer Jason M. Ornstein ’91, brother of Kevin Ornstein ’93

James P. Puette ’59, brother Of Thomas ’61 and William ’65 Puette Matthew R. Totarella ’96, brother of Denise Totarella Deluca ’94, nephew of Richard Lavigna ’78, and uncle of Katherine Deluca ’26 Lester T. Zatko, Jr. ’66, father of Megan Zatko ’97 and brother of Frank Zatko ’72

In addition, we extend our sympathy to the members of our Gilmour community who lost the following loved ones: Steve Adams, nephew of Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., Gilmour Academy headmaster emeritus William D. Ambrogio, grandfather of Timothy ’26 and Nathan ’27 Lennon Carolyn W. Barr, mother of David Barr ’93 A. Edward Battaglia, father of Alison Battaglia ’86 Dennis Bednar, grandfather of Chief ’33 and Pepper ’33 Deitelbaum Eileen H. Beegle, aunt of David ’80, John ’83 and Michael ’85 Hollis, Diane Hollis Ambrosia ’86 and Laura Hollis Waltz ’88; and great- aunt of Thomas ’13, Nicole ’14, Justin ’16, John ’18 and Joseph ’20 Hollis Evelyn Bibbo, mother of Randall ’71 and Donald ’72 Bibbo Susanne Schenkelberg Boland, sister of Robert ’62 (deceased), Charles ’63, Richard ’69 and John ’71 (deceased) Schenkelberg; aunt of Katherine ’89, Elizabeth ’92, Ellen ’95,

Gi l mou r | SUMMER 2023

Lisa ’98, Richard ’02, Colleen ’13 and Craig ’16 Schenkelberg; Kirsten ’99, Christopher ’04 and Connor ’07 Karakul; Charles ’07 and Eliot ’07 Kamen; Ronald ’95 and Sarah ’96 Ruzicka; and Charles ’13, William ’14, John ’16, Samuel ’19 and Robert ’22 Sullivan Howard Bullips, grandfather of Briana Redmon ’24 Carmel N. Calo, sister of Nina Prusock, Gilmour Academy Lower School technology assistant and Before and After Care assistant Jean K. Caputo, mother of Jeffrey Caputo ’83 Thomas A. Chiudioni, grandfather of Alex Keene ’10 Michael N. Cirino, father-in-law of John DiCillo ’83 Steven V. Ciuni, father of Joseph R. ’77; and grandfather of Joseph G. ’03, Jane ’04, Thomas ’06 and Michael ’08 Ciuni, and Ryan ’07, Robert ’12, Joseph ’14 and Vincent ’19 Catanese Danielle Clark, sister-in-law of Lucas Clark, Gilmour Academy fine and performing arts program coordinator Dorothy A. Coerdt, former Glen Oak and Gilmour Academy instructor, mother of Thomas ’78 and Timothy ’80 (deceased) Coerdt, and grandmother of Elizabeth Coerdt Colvin ’11 Kathy Comella, mother of Karen Comella Jenson ’91 Martine V. Conway, mother of Martine Conway Bennett ’92

Henry P. Cornely, son of Mary Zeit Cornely ’87 and nephew of Thomas Zeit ’88 Mary Frances Coyne, mother of Cathleen Coyne Lane G.O. ’73 (deceased), Dennis ’75 and Thomas ’78 Coyne; grandmother of Heather ’07 and John ’09 Coyne; and mother-in-law of Joan Betchkal Coyne ’84 Robert Day, brother of James Day ’94 Vincent F. DeCrane, former Gilmour Academy Trustee and Gilmour Corporation chair, father of Peter ’73 and Michael ’76 DeCrane; grandfather of Meredith Panzica Manning ’99, Timothy M. ’01, Matthew ’02 and Craig ’04 Panzica; and father-in-law of Timothy I. Panzica ’73 Leonard M. DeFino, Sr., father of Leonard, Jr. ’09, Madeline ’10 and Duncan ’12 DeFino; sister-in-law of Katherine Oviatt Livingston ’89 David B. Deioma, father of Donna Deioma Cole G.O. ’82, Deborah Deioma Danto ’84, and David ’88 and Daniel ’95 Deioma Tina Dibona, aunt of Kayla Channell ’25 Ann H. Dornback, mother of David Dornback ’78 Michael A. Farinacci, uncle of Gilmour Academy Trustee Mark Chiacchiari ’94, and great-uncle of Aurelia ’28 and Olivia ’30 Chiacchiari Bruce B. and Linda G. Felder, father and mother of Traci ’86 and Todd ’89 Felder, and grandfather and grandmother of Max Ritt ’25

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IN MEMORIAM

Margaret T. Ferrazza, mother of Gregory Ferrazza ’83 Louis Figueroa, adoptive father of Andres Andino, Our Lady Chapel director of music Eloise A. Finazzo, grandmother of Marisa ’16 and Nicolette ’24 Finazzo William Foster, Sr. father of Alexys ’19 and William, Jr. ’21 Foster Amalia Grassi, grandmother of Jessica Grassi Simonetta ’05, Gilmour Academy Upper School science instructor Blanche S. Haag, mother of Marc Haag, former Gilmour Academy Lower School director and mother-in-law of Rita Haag, former Gilmour Academy science and religion instructor Betty Haffey, mother-in-law of Chris Anton ’78 Marcia S. Haffey, stepmother of James ’76 (deceased) and Timothy ’78 Haffey Daniel Hammer, Sr., father of Daniel, Jr. ’79 and Andrew ’86 (deceased) Hammer Ellen Johnmann Henley, mother of Henry Verbsky ’85 Suzanne Heryak, great-aunt of Lillian ’09, Rosa ’12 and Edwin ’17 Heryak Velma Hobbs, grandmother of Brian Hill, former Gilmour Academy Lower School instructructional technologist Mary Elizabeth Nook Huettner, sister of William Nook ’62 Keith Jackson, brother of Kysaiah Jackson ’25 Michael C. Kalal, former Gilmour Academy maintenance and ice arena staff Norma Kamen, grandmother of Eliot ’07 and Charles ’07 Kamen Frank J. Karfes, father of James Karfes ’85 Leonard Kelley, grandfather of Briana Redmon ’24

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Michael G. Kellner, father of Neil Kellner ’88 and Robyn Kellner Schadick ’93 and grandfather of Jesse Schadick ’25 Barbara L. Kiebler, grandmother of Paul ’23 and Gavin ’25 Kiebler Alex Kunevicius, grandfather of Jessica ’95 (deceased) and Olivia ’97 Kunevicius Martin M. Lavelle, nephew of Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., Gilmour Academy head of school emeritus Rose M. Lavelle, grandmother of Michael ’11 and Katharine ’14 Zavagno James P. Lawless, grandfather of James D. Lawless ’24; uncle of David ’80, John ’83 and Michael ’85 Hollis, Diane Hollis Ambrosia ’86 and Laura Hollis Waltz ’88; and great-uncle of Thomas ’13, Nicole ’14, Justin ’16, John ’18 and Joseph ’20 Hollis Patricia Lewis, grandmother of Liam ’21 and Charlotte ’24 Ottaway Angelo and Darleen Lonardo, father and mother of Joseph Lonardo ’00, and grandfather and grandmother of Giana ’22 and Angelina ’22 Lonardo Patrick Lysobey, cousin of Nora Joyce, Gilmour Academy Lower School religion instructor Hubert and June Malicote, great-uncle and great-aunt of Matthew ’89, Benjamin ’24, Nathan ’26 and Evan ’27 Lindley Robert P. Malloy, Jr., brother of John Malloy, Gilmour Academy assistant athletic director, head coach varsity A Hockey, admission/ advancement officer; and uncle of John Tyler Malloy ’04 James Maruna, grandfather of John Maruna ’24 David S. Mattis, Jr., husband of Paula Mattis, former Gilmour Academy Middle School director; father of Kimberly Mattis Reingold ’89 and William Mattis ’91 Eleanor McInerney, mother of Christie Radke, Gilmour Academy Lower School admission director and grandmother of Luke Radke ’23

Susan Mendolera, mother of Charles Mendolera ’93 Alinawaz K. Moghal, father of Saleem Moghal ’87 John Morley, grandfather of Sadie ’23 and Henry ’28 Morley Martin J. Murphy, father of Maureen Murphy Linz ’84; John Murphy ’88, Gilmour Academy varsity baseball coach; and Julie Murphy Cathey ’90; grandfather of Michael ’16, Molly ’18, Megan ’19 and Patrick ’22 Murphy; and father-inlaw of Amy Sullivan Murphy ’88

and James ’15 Venzor; and uncle of Salvatore Russo ’82 and Johanna Russo Janko ’87 Joann Santoiemmo, mother of Tawnya Santoiemmo Zucker ’87, Ginenne Santoiemmo Rothlisberger ’89 and Frank Santoiemmo ’03; grandmother of Colin ’14, McKenzie ’16 and Gianna ’18 Zucker; and mother-in-law of Thomas Zucker ’87 Hans Schmidt, grandfather of Brandon ’08, Margaret ’12 and Jacqueline ’13 Schmidt, Gilmour Academy Lower School Montessori instructor

Ethel Nagy, mother of Lazlo Nagy and grandmother of Richard ’16 and Josh Nagy

John Sheehan, grandfather of Audrey ’13, Mary ’15 and Griffin Sheehan

Stephen J. O’Neill, brother of Patrick ’80, Daniel ’82 and Brian ’93 O’Neill; uncle of Brennen O’Neill ’23; brother-in-law of Mary Jo McHenry O’Neill ’87; and cousin of many Gilmour graduates

Ralph R. and Ann L. Sibert, father and mother of Gregg Sibert ’73

Linda Osborne, mother of Sarah Osborne Pearce ’10

Karuna Singla, aunt of Nikhil ’13 and Nupur ’17 Goel; and sister-in-law of Neena Goel, Gilmour Academy Upper School science instructor

Patricia M. Pendry, mother of Patrick Kuras ’84 Matthew R. Peterson, father of Landon Peterson ’21 Gerald M. Porter, uncle of William ’84 and Daniel ’92 Porter; and great-uncle of Jacqueline ’10, Nicole ’12, Michelle ’15 and Danielle ’18 Porter William J. Pustai, father of William C. ’99, Michael ’03 and Jaret ’16 Pustai Chase J. Raffaele, brother of Brock Raffaele ’09 Thomas M. Rini, grandfather of Madeline ’20 and Katherine ’24 Puletti John Rooney, uncle of Arthur ’70 and James E. ’86 Rooney; and great-uncle of James P. ’14 Rooney Alvin Gregory Ross, father of former Gilmour Academy Trustee Cindy Ross Trotter G.O. ’73 James Russo, father of Jamie Russo Pearce ’86; grandfather of Grace ’08, Anne ’10, Alexandra ’11

Maeve Simon, cousin of Eileen Sheehan, Gilmour Academy Lower School art instructor

Duwayne Sloan, grandfather of Zinyah George ’26 Mary Jane Sonnhalter, grandmother of Kevin ’13 and Christopher ’17 Sonnhalter; and mother-in-law of Kathleen Sonnhalter, Gilmour Academy Lower School Montessori Toddler assistant Joseph J. Soukenik III, father of Anthony ’78 and Joseph ’80 Soukenik; and grandfather of Jack ’10, Anna ’12, Eliza ’16 and Mira ’19 Soukenik Joseph E. Spicuzza, cousin of Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58 Gilmour Academy campus minister Joseph W. Sroub, uncle of Brian Sroub ’77 and great-uncle of Katharine Sroub Martin ’06 and Jackson Sroub ’09 Diamond D. Stewart, grandmother of Noah Smith, former Gilmour Academy Upper School science instructor

Thomas W. Stockard, father-in-law of Tracy Stockard, Gilmour Academy director of college counseling Marianne Stretar, grandmother of Kathleen Stretar ’29; and mother-inlaw of Mary Roddy Stretar, Gilmour Academy marketing manager Michael Talty, uncle of Colleen ’13 and Craig ’16 Schenkelberg; brother-in-law of John Schenkelberg ’71 (deceased) Carolann and James Toomey, sister and brother-in-law of Kathleen Gang Rini, Gilmour Academy Lower School administrative associate; and grandmother and grandfather of Kennedy Clyde, Gilmour Academy assistant volleyball coach Edmund J. Turk, father of Elizabeth Turk Dittmar ’92 Theodore Ursu, Jr., grandfather of Caroline ’16 and Emily Ursu Charles Walsh, grandfather of Joseph DiNovo ’26

J. PHILIP O'NEIL

JOHN A. MURPHY

VINCENT DECRANE

In February, former member of the Board of Trustees J. Philip O’Neil ’50 passed away. Phil served on the Board for 13 years, from 1969-1982.

On December 9, former Gilmour Academy Trustee John A. Murphy ’58 passed away. John served as a member of the Board of Trustees for four years, from 1973-1977.

John was the brother of Michael ’60 (deceased).

In early November, former Gilmour Academy Trustee Vincent “Vin” DeCrane passed away. He served as a loyal member of the Board of Trustees for 44 years and his selfless leadership to Gilmour over the decades was transformational.

He joined the Board in 1974 and served on the Buildings and Grounds Committee his entire tenure, including as chair of the committee from 1986-2013. Vin was also a member of the Gilmour Academy Corporation from 19942019. Upon retiring from the Board in 2019, he was appointed as an Honorary Life Trustee. Throughout the years, Vin devoted countless hours on behalf of the school and his commitment to the Holy Cross mission and values was steadfast.

He was the father of Katherine O’Neil ’88, Sarah O’Neil Hannibal ’89 and Ann O’Neil Fitzgerald ’92; the grandfather of Henry Hannibal ’28; and the uncle of Mark ’76 and Neil ’79 Freer.

Melvin Weltle, Sr., grandfather of Hannah ’21 and Trevor ’24 Weltle

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church.

Allen S. West, Sr., father of Allen West, Jr. ’83

You can read Phil’s obituary by clicking on the QR code.

Carol White, mother of Patricia Brockway, former Gilmour Academy administrator; and grandmother of Susan ’86 and Michael ’89 Brockway

To read John’s obituary, scan the QR code.

Vin’s sons, Peter '73 and Michael '76 DeCrane; son-in-law, Timothy Panzica '73; and four grandchildren, Meredith Panzica Manning '99, Timothy M. (Michael) '01, Matthew '02 and Craig Panzica '04 are graduates of Gilmour.

Sharon Ann Zimmerman Wilson, niece-in-law of Br. Kenneth Kane, C.S.C., former Gilmour Academy archivist and instruction support staff Sharon F. Winterich, sister-in-law of Kathleen Lynch, Gilmour Academy college counseling and Upper School administrative assistant

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at St Clare Catholic Church.

To read Vin’s obituary, scan the QR code.

Lawrence Wynn, Sr., father of Lawrence Wynn, Jr., Gilmour Academy strength and conditioning coach Richard Zakrajsek, father of Terri Messner, Gilmour Academy assistant figure skating coach

Gi l mou r | SUMMER 2023

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Non-profit org.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Educating the mind

34001 Empowering Cedar Road the | Gates Mills, OH | 44040 heart

ACROSS 1

Site of annual retreat designed to instill understanding of Holy Cross traditions

3

Former Glen Oak space now home to Gilmour’s ___ ____

9

This year will be the 30th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive,named in honor of this beloved Holy Cross Brother

10 A Glen Oak-Gilmour link, this Energizer Bunny has staged more plays and musicals than some Broadway theaters, and her speech and debate teams have garnered district, regional, state and national titles 11 First female and first lay head of school 12 Business tycoon who made his fortune in kerosene oil stoves whose country manor is now Tudor House 14 A blond New Yorker, this Spanish teacher should have marketed her own brand of chewing gum - Nunca!

15 Former horse barn where you would have found Mr. Turkaly 17 Why Lancer sports shined on Friday nights this year

19 Alum, violin virtuoso and current artistic director and founder of the Encore Chamber Music Institute that holds a summer academy at Gilmou 20 Name of Middle and Upper School dining hall currently being renovated 21 Legendary GA coach who inspired Dean Wormer’s character in “National Lampoon” and “Animal House”

Cleveland, Ohio Permit No. 1940

DOWN 2

GA has the only lab of this kind in a secondary school in Ohio

4

Number of alumni currently teaching/working at Gilmour

5

Site of countless Gilmour mission trips and beloved second home of Tiho Teisl

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__ Center for Performing Arts, the state-of-the-art performing arts center that opened in the center of campus in 2020

23 Mode of transportation for legendary runaway Lancer 24 Some know him as the man after whom Gilmour's cross country invitational is named, but others remember his as the kind but tough chemistry wizard 26 One-time site of Masses, food fights and Commencements 28 First headmaster of Gilmour Br. ___Schmitt 29 Barbara Romer, Glen Oak alumna and founder of the New Globe Theater, proposed building a contemporary Globe theater, a style typically associated with ___ 30 Alum who starred as Arwin in the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

7 8

Longest-tenured headmaster with 35 years of service Alum and current social studies faculty member who supplied questions to Alex Trebek’s answers

13 His sister Phoebe has made a name for herself in comedy, but this alum has made a name for himself as a member of the Ohio House 16 The Academy was named after ___ Gilmour, a 19th century Cleveland bishop 18 Alum after whom the SOM Center entrance driveway is named

20 Gilmour focuses on a different one of these eight Holy Cross core values each school year 22 Former religious studies teacher Mr. Beach referred to Mr. McCamley as having “the heart of an assassin” after the sneaky leprechaun and his freshmen narrowly edged out what teacher and yearbook moderator in Gilmour’s Thanksgiving Penny Wars 24 Lancer turned Fighting Irishman turned Bronco who singlehandedly won Gilmour’s first track state championship 25 “Gilmour Girls” contributions for class baking projects 27 Number of Steinway pianos on campus Answers can be found at gilmour.org/ crossword or by scanning the QR code below.