Gilmour Magazine Spring 2019

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Gilmour T H E

I N N O V A T I O N

I S S U E

INNOVATION NATION

Remembering Mr. Gilmour HONORING VERN WEBER 1932-2019

Gilmour sets the standard for innovative teaching and learning

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Gilmour program teaches students entrepreneurial mindset

WEBER STADIUM UPDATE

Join the team!

SPRING 2019

Gilmour Entreprenurship

Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana

innovation nation 12

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GILMOUR's Wellness Initiative

contents 2

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celebrating the life of carole carr

4 THE VOICE 9 CATCHING UP 10 LIVING THE MISSION 28 AROUND CAMPUS 37 ALUM NEWS

50 60

LANCER ATHLETICS MEMORIALS

24 weber stadium renovation 16

staff MANAGING EDITOR

Amy Boyle EDITOR

Amy Boyle CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kristy Booher Angelo Aaron Bennett Beth Geraci ’90 Katie Livingston Wetherbee DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION

Beth Titas Lazzaro DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

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VECTOR SUCCESS STORY

Ray Murphy DESIGN/PRODUCTION

markey creative PRINTING

Oliver Printing

50 REMEMBERING Mr. Gilmour

Dear Parents, We send this magazine to college-aged graduates at their parents’ homes.

Please forward this to keep your son or daughter informed about GA.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Neal Busch Nicolene Emerson Marc Haag Matt Hindelang OFM Cap. Gay Janis Mark Most David Petkiewicz Photography Venditti Studios Madison Wagner ’19

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INN OVA TION This issue celebrates

innovation at Gilmour Academy

?

What was the innovative programming during your years at Gilmour?

Email:

gilmourvoice@gilmour.org

Phone:

(440) 473-8000 x1302

Mail:

Gilmour Academy Attn: Gilmour Voice 34001 Cedar Road Gates Mills, OH 44040

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SPRING 2019

“The writing curriculum. It’s unlike any other high school’s.”

– Rachel Noall ’10

“The catalyst program was a very innovative program that allowed high school students to participate in graduate research. This shaped my view on STEM and helped drive my interest in chemical engineering”

– Mackenzie Alexander ’11

“I would say all the different service opportunities they offered students.

From Honduras to Louisiana, students had the opportunity to go beyond the GA community and serve those who needed it most.”

– Kaitlyn Ambrose ’11

“One class in particular that stands out, was Mr. Kilkenney's computer music course. I know there were a couple people in the class that made careers out of the basic skills they learned there. I wasn’t very good at it, but there were two people that took that class, loved it and went on to DJ and produce music. Mr. Lucas and Mr. McCamley inspired critical thinking.

Doc Seibert was also an awesome advisor and teacher for critical thinking and self-awareness and made me appreciate the importance of history.”

– Mark McDonald ’09

“The most innovative program at Gilmour during my time there was the speech and debate program. While my time on the team was limited, I still learned how to be an excellent communicator. Those are the skills that I took with me to college, my time on the campaign trail and to my current employer.”

– Ethan Moses ’09 “

“Lancer News!”

As an

– Mark Snelling ’92

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

Our Holy Cross mission is the foundation from which we educate the mind and empower the heart of every Gilmour student.

GILMOUR MAGAZINE

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Gain confidence.

SPRING 2019

.

“ Learn code.

Get your fingers dirty on our farm. Reduce contamination in our environment. Stretch your boundaries and gain confidence through music, drama, and speech and debate. Research medical mysteries in some of the most respected labs in the country. Be mindful. Be well.

This is Gilmour.�

-Kathy Kenny Head of School

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SPRING 2019

CATCHING UP WITH

Dr. Elizabeth Fesler

One of Gilmour's great innovators Dr. Fesler served as the Director of the Upper School from 1989-2003.

Throughout her career, Dr. Elizabeth Fesler longed for the opportunity to try innovative, research-based methods in education. This strong commitment to students’ emotional well-being and academic success laid the foundation for her leadership. She was instrumental in implementing programs such as Morning Convocation, Socratic Seminar and block scheduling.

During a recent conversation, she shared some of her beliefs about teaching, learning and building community.

You wanted students to learn more than facts. How did you encourage critical thinking?

I was filled with ideas when I got to Gilmour. I saw teachers as coaches, and I encouraged everyone to think of education as an intellectual exercise…a habit. The Socratic Seminar centered on essential questions related to a topic. In a Socratic Seminar about the Civil War, for example, the students would discuss “What was the Civil War really about? How could it have been prevented? What effect did it have on democracy?” Students would then discuss these questions using information from a variety of assigned

readings. This kind of teaching allowed students to be thinkers and evaluators.

How did your emphasis on deeper learning impact assessments?

Assessments need to show that the kids understand the concepts. Students could be assessed on what they had written, by how they work in a group, on a presentation or how well they argue a case. The whole idea is that we focus not on what the adults think, but what the students have learned. Twice a year, we had parent-teacher-student meetings, now known as self-assessments. Students came in with a portfolio with all their work and would then grade their own work. Kids learn a lot more and remember more when they are participating!

You have had so many experiences in education…what set Gilmour apart?

I had come from a background in public schools in three different cities. I was always so interested in what the research was saying, but many schools didn’t seem that interested. Gilmour was different...it was wonderful to be in a place that was not arguing about change! Gilmour also got kids to volunteer long before anyone else…and gave them a choice about where

to volunteer. All of our seniors exceeded the required hours. I think that is really important.

Much of your time now is devoted to supporting efforts in the community.

What projects are you working on?

There is so much to be done! I work with the Akron Area Interfaith Council helping to provide food and books for families in need, as well as helping to get employment for young people who have been in prison. I am writing a grant to provide support to single parents in poverty by helping them learn how to connect with their kids. The way we can help kids become what their parents want them to become is through conversation. This is very exciting for me. I am a child of an immigrant. My dad taught himself to speak and read in English. When I was discouraged, he would say, “I know you can do it.” Nothing is more important than finding out, “What is a better way to give this child hope?”

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LIVING THE MISSION

M

adison Wagner ’19 was one

club’s second chapter and, in the years

Wagner has logged more than 500

of 10 students selected

since, has added three more at other

hours of community service, well above

nationally by the National

high schools. She is in the process of

the 60 hours Gilmour requires before

Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

launching additional chapters at another

graduation. She has gotten students

to receive the 2019 Youth Virtues, Valor

grade school, three more high schools

from all grade levels excited about

and Vision Award. This award is presented

and an assisted living center. The goal

service and actively participating in

annually to select students from around

of the organization is to inspire young

regular volunteer work through the

the country who demonstrate selfless

people (and in the case of the senior

various M.A.D. Club opportunities.

service, determination, innovation and

center, older people) to work together

To learn more about Wagner's efforts

ideals that are changing the world.

to serve their communities and change

through the M.A.D. Club, visit www.

Wagner was chosen from more than 1.8

the world. Gilmour’s M.A.D. Club has

makeadifferenceclub.org.

worked with more than 10 organizations in and around Cleveland and its members have recorded over 1,700 volunteer hours on the following projects: • tending plots at the Ben Franklin Community Garden, where they have harvested more than 6,000 pounds of vegetables for local food banks to benefit the hungry of Cleveland • preparing more than 2,000 brown-bag peanut butter and jelly meals for shelters throughout Cleveland

million Catholic school students across the country. She was presented with the prestigious NCEA Medal of Honor and Certificate in Our Lady Chapel by a representative from NCEA and a representative from Cross Catholic Outreach on February 1.

Wagner was nominated for this award for her leadership and her commitment to service. In 2014, she launched a club called the Make A Difference Club (M.A.D. Club) during her eighth-grade year at St. Bartholomew School. Upon enrolling at Gilmour, she launched the

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SPRING 2019

• organizing fundraisers to purchase nearly 1,000 military-grade, waterrepellent and flame-retardant blankets for Cleveland’s homeless

Head of School Kathy Kenny said, “I am thrilled that Madison has been selected for this prestigious recognition.

• running a hats and gloves drive called “Warm Hands, Warm Hearts” to collect hats and gloves specifically for homeless men (hats and gloves typically donated are in women’s and children’s sizes)

The work she has done through M.A.D.

• throwing parties for and spending time with underprivileged children and/or children with intellectual disabilities

meals, produce, and supplies for the

• writing letters of support and encouragement to victims of domestic violence and addiction

campus. She has fostered the culture

Club has impacted both the Cleveland community and our Gilmour community.”

She continued, “Through her leadership, the club has provided countless blankets, homeless and hungry in our area. Equally important is her impact right here on of service among the student body at Gilmour, living and breathing our school mission each and every day."

“It is essential for proper development to be in touch with our ecological surroundings. Doctors are writing prescriptions for kids to spend time in nature.�

- Darci Sanders Nature-Based Learning Coordinator

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“I am exhilarated by our Gilmour faculty's dedication and energy as 0 0 we embark on Innovation Nation 0 0101 on behalf of our students. They have researched best practices from top educators across the world and spent an enormous amount of time discerning the best fit for our students.” 101 - Kathy Kenny, Head of School

0 0 101 0 0 101 Home page of app created by Owen Corcoran ’18, Julia Schultz ’18, Brendan McNamara ’18 and John Treppo ’18

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INNOVATION NATION During a recent afternoon at Gilmour, fourth graders collaborated in groups, programming student-created robots. Across campus, Upper School students created business plans and designed questions for medical research. These diverse scenarios showcase a Gilmour education in 2019. Rather than following pedagogical trends, Gilmour sets the standard for innovative teaching and learning. Director of Curriculum Development Elizabeth Edmondson, along with several of Gilmour’s teachers and leaders, provide an in-depth look at some of the most recent additions to Gilmour’s campus and programs.

NATURE-BASED LEARNING Gilmour’s vibrant 144-acre campus is home to many state-of-the-art facilities. Not to be overlooked, though, is Gilmour’s undeveloped land. “This is an incredible treasure for us,” Edmondson observed. Through the extraordinary generosity of Brian and Gretchen Colleran and The Colleran Family Foundation, whose mission includes the support of children's education as well as nature preservation, Gilmour will be able to put that undeveloped land to good use. The Collerans and their foundation have provided the funding that will allow the school to launch a comprehensive naturebased learning initiative for students in PreK-Grade 12!

Heeding Pope Francis’ call to action published in Laudato Si, the curriculum team has been hard at work planning a Nature-Based Learning program for more than a year.

“Pope Francis emphasized that we are all interconnected, and we have a moral obligation to care for our neighbors and to take care of the resources that have been given to us,” Edmondson said. The Collerans’ support allowed the school to bring that plan to life.

In addition to caring for the environment and community, Edmondson observed that this program will be essential to the well-being of Gilmour’s students.

“Our nation has rising rates of teenage anxiety, obesity and ADHD,” she said, “and much of this is attributed to time spent in front of screens. Technology is here to stay, and it’s wonderful, but we know that kids spend over two hours each day in front of a screen, but only 30 minutes in unstructured play. There is a lot of good research on how spending time in nature can be helpful to students in this regard.”

Nature-Based Learning Coordinator Darci Sanders agrees. “It is essential for proper development to be in touch with our ecological surroundings. Doctors are writing prescriptions for kids to spend time in nature.”

She then connected this program to the core tenets of Gilmour’s philosophy. “Gilmour is committed to teaching children the importance of taking care of the world. Whether that is in the classroom, a hiking club, service learning or research projects, this allows them to give back to the earth.”

Sanders’ love of science began at a very early age. “I became an ecologist in my 10th-grade biology class because I had a brilliant teacher. He taught biology through the lens of ecology…he taught us how the world works.” This fuels her passion to connect Gilmour students with the environment. Her plans for the program extend from Pre-K through high school. Topics will include sustainable practices, energy consumption, food waste and habitat restoration. Students will enjoy hands-on learning in a real-world setting. The initiative will feature an outdoor classroom; an arboretum; a campus nature trail; a greenhouse; rain barrels; the “Trout in the Classroom” project, which allows students to witness the life cycle of trout; three apiaries for beekeeping, a pollinator garden, Classroom Gardens for Grades 1-8 and a hunger garden, from which students will harvest produce that will be donated to Cleveland’s hungry; and a chicken coop.

Sanders said, “Students will discover what it means to nurture plant life and small animals.”

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The faculty strongly supports this area of specialization. “Environmental studies are interdisciplinary by nature,” Edmondson remarked, “and the information is so relevant and grounded in the real world. This opportunity for place-based learning (on the Gilmour campus) will connect them with the world and beyond.” Sanders agreed. “There is an innate desire to connect with our outdoor world. Kids have to slow down and look up-close to really appreciate what is out there.”

“It is not mindless consumption of media in the robotics classroom, it is thoughtful problem solving.”

The Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab) at Gilmour recently underwent a renovation to accommodate expanded programming. “We try to have the space ready to create whatever the kids need both from a robotics perspective, but also for projects, entrepreneurship and personal interests,” said Adiletta. Robotics teacher Matt Vanek agreed. “We also have the benefit of a lot of building and manufacturing of machines that goes hand-in-hand with the programming,” he said. Parents need not worry that this program will inflate passive screen time, however. “It is not mindless consumption of media in the robotics classroom, it is thoughtful problem solving,” Vanek emphasized. “It is important to find the answers to problems, meet deadlines and think about what tools can be used in a given situation. Those are life skills and apply across disciplines.”

Not all active learning connections occur outdoors and there can be incredible learning opportunities when technology is used effectively. Gilmour boasts a rich tradition of cutting-edge curriculum, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) opportunities remain at the forefront. “We are really trying to teach our kids to be creators of technology rather than just passive users.

We want them to be savvy in the 21st century world,” Edmondson said. To that end, the robotics program will be introduced in first grade beginning in September 2019. The Lego robotics program, used in the early grades, allows students to develop confidence.

Dan Adiletta, Gilmour’s coordinator of academic technology, remarked that the creative aspects of this program provide a sense of empowerment for children. “The mystification of technology scares students away from studying computer science. We nip that in the bud early by proving to students that they can build cool stuff.”

ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM

ROBOTICS PROGRAM

The confidence created pays dividends for students who join the robotics team at Gilmour. This team, comprised of Upper School students, participates in the FIRST Robotics Competition. “It’s a huge undertaking,” Adiletta described, “We have six weeks to construct a 150-pound robot, and author software to interface with the control system. Each two-minute match in our regional tournaments involves complex strategies between teams.” Adiletta observed that the robotics program enjoys generous support from technical firms, both in terms of donations and mentoring. “Companies are eager

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to encourage the development of more engineers. The technology employed in robotics intentionally mirrors systems produced in these industries.” He added that David Kaminsky at Rockwell Automation has inspected the Gilmour team’s robot and provided valuable advice on improving its function. “Rockwell Automation has been a great sponsor,” Adiletta emphasized. “Along with our school and its steadfast alumni, we are fortunate to have such a community behind us.” Included among those steadfast supporters were the late Oliver Seikel '55, and his wife Meredith. They took a keen interest in the fledgling program and provided financial support every year since its inception.

SPRING 2019

While some students focus on scientific creations, others at Gilmour want to explore the opportunities for creating businesses.

The entrepreneurship program encourages this through both classroom and real-world experiences. Jamey Polak, who teaches the entrepreneurship course, spent the first part of his career in sales management. Students benefit not only from Polak’s business experiences, but also a thorough curriculum that helps them examine the attributes of successful entrepreneurs. “We talk about persistence and drive, how to build a brand and pursue knowledge.”

In partnership with the Entrepreneurship Learning Initiative, this

curriculum encourages students to identify problems, create solutions and generate a profit.

Much of the course focuses on entrepreneurial thinking. Students examine their ideas to determine if they are market-worthy. Polak described, “When they come up with a problem they want to solve, they have to answer questions: How many people are currently solving it?

How is my solution different?” After taking the entrepreneurship class, some students start business ventures using resources like the Fab Lab at Gilmour. “They are pursuing this in their free time,” said Polak.

“It is really cool to see that the students have a drive to continue.”

Polak credits Gilmour parent and Board of Trustees member Mike Baird with the connection to ELI and its founder, Gary Schoeniger.

Additionally, Baird has provided professional development and mentoring. Polak welcomes any alumni or community members to share experiences that will help students connect what they are learning to real-world scenarios. These connections provide great value for young people. Polak explained, “The entrepreneurship class is about more than starting businesses…it is about developing a mindset that will help students be successful, lifelong learners and take healthy risks.”

According to Polak, the entrepreneurship program has also received grants from The Veale Foundation and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation to fund the planning and implementation of entrepreneurship activities, the implementation of an entrepreneurial curriculum and to help fund student businesses.

“We talk about persistence and drive, how to build a brand and pursue knowledge.”

ARTS PROGRAMMING To build a strong foundation of confident risk-taking, Gilmour encourages participation in its robust arts program. Edmondson referenced the growing body of research that reveals the power of the arts in building students’ confidence and empowering them to take healthy risks. Gilmour’s investment in arts education is not limited to periodic events or assemblies. “All of our Lower and Middle School students have music lessons every week,” Edmondson said. “The arts are central to helping kids hone and craft their voices in authentic ways.”

As an integral part of the Gilmour curriculum, current efforts are focused on creating state-of-the-art facilities. This year, music spaces at both the Lower and Middle Schools will be renovated thanks to funding provided by The Figgie Foundation, and the Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts will be completed. Speech and

debate as well as theater programming for high school will also meet in the CPA. Lower and Middle School students will also have access to the facility on a regular basis.

“The arts are central to helping kids hone and craft their voices in authentic ways.”

In addition to facilities, Gilmour is investing in high-quality programming and equipment. Gilmour students can also take music lessons through Cleveland International Piano Competition (CIPC) instructors. These professional artists offer weekly lessons on a variety of instruments, including the school’s newly acquired Steinway pianos.

Gilmour is in the process of becoming a Steinway Select School. To earn this designation, every piano on campus must be a Steinway.

Funded through a generous donation from the late Matthew P. Figgie ’84, The Figgie Foundation and Figgie Capital, the program allows students to play and hear the high-quality tones of these finely tuned instruments.

With the addition of new facilities and equipment, Gilmour’s artsrelated academic offerings will expand as well. A more ambitious technical theater component will accompany production experiences.

Students will have opportunities to write screenplays and produce shows, with arts management options developing as well. “The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts allows us to take (our arts program and curriculum) to the next level,” Edmondson said.

THE COMMUNITY BLOCK Although schools can purchase materials, create programs, and build new instructional space, one important component of education cannot be purchased: time. In order to use this precious commodity

“We want to stress quality and not quantity, and provide time for students to dedicate themselves to areas that really interest and drive them.” carefully and intentionally, the Upper School will see changes to its block schedule in the coming school year. The new schedule will allow for an innovative, flexible time period called the Community Block. This block, which will occur midday, will include lunch and the advisory period, along with myriad options for enrichment. Class blocks will be reduced from 90 to 75 minutes, which will allow three thirty-minute “mods” during daily Community Block.

“There were a number of different motivations to start this,” explained Ryan Ryzner, director of the Middle School and assistant director of the Upper School. “We have a really busy student population.

Ninety-three percent of Gilmour students are involved in athletics and/or the speech and debate program. This precluded many students’ participation in clubs and other areas of interest. These activities will now meet during the Community Block, with sports teams continuing to practice after school. “We want to stress quality and not quantity,” Ryzner said, “and provide time for students to dedicate themselves to areas that really interest and drive them.”

In addition to providing opportunities for involvement, the Community Block also offers students some downtime and connection. “Students will be able to utilize the athletic facilities to let off some steam,” Ryzner commented. “Research shows this enhances academic performance. Additionally, the Community Block offers more touchpoints with counselors who can offer social-emotional support. Students can also schedule peer tutoring appointments.

Generally, students will have a large amount of autonomy over this time, which will provide another carefully considered benefit.

“There will be freedom and flexibility to help students learn how to manage time,” Ryzner said.

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SPRING 2019

FIELD

The Community Block will also extend students’ academic learning. With the new spiraling schedule (which also will go into effect in Fall 2019), teachers will have the flexibility to plan activities off campus that will provide real-life applications in business, politics, medicine and the arts. Ryzner observed that this component of the new schedule supports Gilmour’s dedication to experiential learning opportunities. Further, the Community Block will allow time for guest speakers, college information sessions and career exploration without disrupting the academic schedule.

In developing all projects and facilities, Gilmour faculty and staff remain mindful of students’ social, emotional and spiritual needs; all planning directly relates to educating the mind and empowering the heart. As a result, Gilmour’s programs offer a balance of on- and off-campus opportunities for students that fuel both integrity and intellect. This intentional emphasis on innovative, student-centered, place-based education fulfills Edmondson’s summary of the Holy Cross philosophy: “We are inherently committed to education of the whole child…who they are and who they become in the future.”

ATE EXISTING AGGREG

EXISTING SOCCER

Plans for Nature-Based Learning Outdoor Classroom Area Fall 2019

LOWER SCHOOL

720 SF STORAGE/CLASSROOM 528 SF GREENHOUSE 350 SF COVERED PAVILION

25’ OFFSETS

ENVIRONMENTAL GILM

If you are interested in supporting any of these initiatives, you can give online at gilmour.org/giving (specify program you are interested in supporting in the comment section on the giving page). You can also donate by contacting the Advancement office at (440) 473-8000 x1204 or mail your gift to Gilmour Academy • 34001 Cedar Road • Gates Mills, OH 44040

Brian Davis ’20 and Mollie Edmondson ’21 prepare the Moonshots' robot for competition

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EQUIPMENT

LOWER PLAYGROUND PLAN

STATE-OF-THE-ART LOWER SCHOOL PLAYGROUND THANKS TO THE COLLERAN FAMILY

YOUTH SOCCER FIELD (100’ X 165’)

DOOR KNOB JAM VOLTA SPINNER

CARGO CLIMBER

ROPE VENTURE VERTEX

WALL CLINGER

EX. DOUBLE SIDED BENCHES (TYP OF 5)

GAGA BALL EX. PLAY SET

EXISTING BALL FIELD EX. EX. SWINGS

VOLITO SWING

PLAYGROUND MULCH AREA

ASPHALT

• repaved asphalt area and two new adjustable basketball hoops

EX. PLAY SET

ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL HOOPS

• additional paved area with a new tetherball pole, along with two hopscotch and two four-square games

EX.

EX. TREES TO REMAIN (TYPICAL)

HOPSCOTCH TETHERBALL

CARGO CLIMBER

• new rope-climbing structure

4 SQUARE

EXISTING WOODS EX. LIGHT POLES

ORNAMENTAL FENCE

• new multi-user disk swing STRIPED DROP OFF ZONE

• Gaga Ball area • three new fitness structures • handicap-accessible, multi-person spinner

FUTURE IMPROVED PARKING LOT

• new soccer nets • storage structure for recess and physical fitness equipment

ower School Playground Improvements

lmour Academy | Village of Gates Mills, Ohio

SPRING 2019

LOWER SCHOOL BUILDING

In addition to funding the school’s nature-based learning VOLTA INCLUSIVE SPINNER initiative, Brian and Gretchen Colleran and The Colleran Family Foundation have also generously provided the funding for a complete overhaul of the Lower School playground. The students eagerly await the nicer weather when they will be able to fully enjoy all the incredible changes, which include:

DOOR KNOB JAM

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EXISTING WOODS

ROPE VENTURE VERTEX

EX. SWINGS

INNOVATION NATION

OUND EQUIPMENT

EX. RECYCLE BIN EXISTING WOODS

We are so 0grateful to the Colleran family for 30’ 60’ N their support of 1”this SCALE: = 30’ project, which will impact every Lower School child!

EX. TANK

T

he focus on innovative teaching and technology remains at the forefront of Gilmour’s programming. However, these initiatives will never eclipse Gilmour’s deeply rooted commitment to its Holy Cross call to educate the whole child. From lack of sleep to poor nutritional choices, increased stress levels around school and extracurriculars, students across the country face a number of challenges day-to-day. Gilmour is committed to educating and supporting students in cultivating healthy habits at an early age in order to lay the foundation for a lifetime of holistic wellness.

Through the extraordinary generosity of Kristen and Kevin Stein and their family, we have received funding for an endowed chair for the Gilmour Wellness Initiative, which will provide leadership and program oversight and allow for curricular partnerships designed to promote long-term health in every aspect of life. Kevin has been a member of Gilmour’s Board of Trustees since 2017 and Kristen is an associate coordinator of our seniors' community service program. According to Head of School Kathy Kenny, the Wellness Initiative will be integrated into all aspects of programming at Gilmour. “There is definitive research that healthy students are just better learners,” Kenny said. Additionally, Kenny shared that increased rates of obesity, mental health issues and substance abuse nationally create an urgency to address wellness.

With this in mind, faculty and administrators have developed a curriculum that spans PreK through Grade 12, and addresses socioemotional, physical, academic and spiritual wellness. The vision statement for the initiative captures its comprehensive approach: “To foster a diverse culture of holistic well-being which empowers each person in the Gilmour

Gilmour's Wellness I N I T I AT I V E

Gilmour is providing students with state-of-the-art wellness opportunities to promote long-term health in every aspect of life. community to engage in positive, sustainable choices that nurture the mind, heart and body.

Although the students remain the primary focus of this program, Kenny was quick to describe the inclusion of faculty and staff and the broader school community. Parents, alumni and neighbors will continue to take part in the Pender Speaker Series, with its rich legacy of wellness-focused programming. In addition, the Wellness Initiative will include specific support for faculty and staff at Gilmour. “We are trying to raise sensitivity and awareness of the needs of those who are walking hand-in-hand with our students every day,” Kenny emphasized.

In an effort to further cultivate an environment of well-being, Gilmour will be reconfiguring its daily schedule to include a “community block” each day. This 90-minute block of flexible use time in the middle of the day is designed to give students greater agency over their experience and allows for the expansion of experiential programming, including

wellness activities. Students might use the time to collaborate with faculty, participate in a spiritual growth opportunity or discussion group, explore an extracurricular interest (moving extracurricular meetings from after school to community block will allow more students to compete in athletics/speech and debate while still participating in clubs), or get moving in one of the athletic facilities on campus. Community Block options are structured to support the academic, socialemotional, physical and spiritual needs of students.

Although the endowment for the program has just been established, Kenny said that Gilmour has been planning this initiative for some time.

“We wanted to do this. We were building this curriculum and hoping we would find the funding. The Stein family are advocates of all aspects of our wellness curriculum. Kristen and Kevin know that support for this program provides a meaningful impact for the Gilmour community. “This is very important to them,” Kenny said, “because they place a high emphasis on wellness for themselves, and also in how they raise their children.”

As the program continues to develop, Kenny described a number of partnerships and opportunities that will take root. Several alumni and parents have offered their expertise in nutrition, mindfulness and fitness. Interested alumni and community members can support this initiative by offering their expertise, and by connecting Gilmour with a wider network of professionals in this field. Kenny said that these connections will be vital to the growth of the program and to supporting its core belief that “wellness is a journey, and not an outcome.

We aspire for individuals within the Gilmour community to reach their fullest potential, be well and thrive.”

Gathering S E P T E M B E R 2 0 -2 2 , 2 0 19

Save the date for this special celebration of the

50 T H A N NIV ERSA RY of the opening of Glen Oak. Stay tuned for more information!

Update your contact info today at gilmour.org/updateinfo so we can be sure to keep you posted on all the details.

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SUMMER 2018

Gilmour’s

Entrepreneurship Program Teaches Students Entrepreneurial Mindset At Gilmour, we have always encouraged students to think outside the box, develop and articulate an opinion, and bring their ideas to life with courage and conviction. Because of this, it’s not surprising that many GA students young and old have gone on to become entrepreneurs. We invite you to read about five Lancers in particular who have found ways to bring value to others by starting a business. Each profile concludes with valuable advice that aspiring entrepreneurs of any age can apply to their own lives!

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BRIGID TITGEMIER ’08 BeingBrigid/ N1 Nutrition

When Brigid Titgemeier ’08 was a freshman at Gilmour Academy, there were days when she would suddenly fall asleep.

“Everyone thought I was lazy,” Titgemeier said. “But it turned out I had narcolepsy.”

To combat this condition her parents sought help from a functional medicine doctor who placed her on a gluten-free diet. The effects were undeniable, and she quickly developed a passion for understanding how food influences our health.

Fast forward to today: Titgemeier runs two business - BeingBrigid, a lifestyle brand with recipes and nutrition information; and N1 Nutrition, a virtual nutrition company that provides consultations with a team of registered dietitians who are certified in functional nutrition.

“My mission is to change the way that people think about nutrition. It’s so much larger than trendy weight loss diets. Nutrition is the basis for our entire health and seven out of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are nutrition-related. My team focuses on blending nutrition research with individual personalization that’s tangible for people,” Titgemeier said.

While medicine can be important for treating illnesses, Titgemeier’s holistic approach focuses on creating health, which can decrease a person’s dependence on prescription drugs.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Titgemeier stresses the importance of finding a mentor and being willing to put in the work.

“If it hadn’t been for Kathy Kenny, who

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introduced me to my mentor Kristin Franco Kirkpatrick ’94, my career would have never started in the way that it did,” Titgemeier said.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone several times if you don’t initially hear back from them.”

Equally crucial for Titgemeier is caring for other people, and she is grateful for her junior year Kairos retreat for teaching her the importance of human connections and relationships.

In an effort to help solve this problem, Potratz and her father Tim Holzheimer ’61 founded Drive My Way™ - a company that provides personalized recruiting technology that matches commercial drivers licensed (CDL) truck drivers and owner operators with available jobs based on their professional qualifications and personal lifestyle preferences, such as schedule, type of haul, type of run, paid time off and other benefits.

“Even though someone’s life looks perfect from the outside, everyone has some kind of struggle or traumatic experience that has happened to them. And these stressors directly affect a person’s health,” Titgemeier said. “It’s important to be vulnerable and to know when to support other people – it’s just part of being human.”

Building one-to-one relationships with consumers through a personalized experience and data-driven decision making is new to the recruiting industry and Potratz is excited to disrupt the status quo by giving truck drivers more freedom over the jobs they accept.

BETH HOLZHEIMER POTRATZ ’86 Drive My Way™

In the late 1990s, Beth Holzheimer Potratz ’86 developed the belief that employees are consumers in the employment relationship, and that companies need to adapt to their needs.

While redesigning the driver recruiting process for a large trucking client, she realized that the combination of high freight demands, paired with high turnover, an increasing driver shortage and projected growth had created a serious problem.

“Nearly everything we use in our daily lives was delivered by a truck driver,” Potratz said.

“Trucking is a $700B industry vital to the economy and experiencing a growing crisis that will ultimately impact all consumers.”

“Having witnessed job providers and job seekers struggle in the recruitment marketplace, I was determined to solve the problem,” Potratz said. “I created a platform with a personalized, on-demand approach to hiring as the evolution of the gig economy and the world of work is changing the employment relationship.”

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Potratz stresses the importance of understanding the market you’re entering and surrounding yourself with people you trust and respect.

“My advice would be to make sure you do the upfront work to understand the product market fit and surround yourself with exceptional talent and trusted advisors,” Potratz said. “Be passionate, be fearless, have an insatiable desire to learn, focus on your vision and enjoy the journey.”

ENTREPRENEU SPRING 2019

Gilmour’s mentoring and advice to partner with larger retailers and eventually expand into surrounding states Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

AIDEN PATRICK OWENS ’23 AP Design +

When Aiden Owens was 11 years old, almost everyone he knew at school had a fidget spinner.

Owens believes that now is the perfect time for young entrepreneurs like himself to take risks and ask for help.

“We are fortunate to live in a time where mistakes are very inexpensive,” Owens said.

“Don’t be afraid to branch out and connect with other people who want to help you.”

“They were everywhere,” Aiden said. “I realized right away that I needed to capitalize on the craze.”

He did so by making fidget spinners out of skateboard bearings, bolts and zip ties. Though sales were brisk, he was not satisfied with the design. His research led him to Sears think[box], a public incubator at Case Western Reserve University equipped with 3D printers and fabrication equipment.

It was there that Owens was introduced to 3D printing and began designing the cavities for his fidget spinners out of plastic. He soon realized that 3D printers and laser cutters were capable of producing many different kinds of objects, and he began experimenting with what was possible.

Today, Owens’ business, AP Design +, (a name inspired by his first two initials and his favorite coding language), creates custom signs from businesses around Northeast Ohio. His most popular product is his 3D printed six-inch script version of the Cleveland signs made famous by Destination Cleveland.

ANN AVERBACH ’97 Divinitree Yoga

Ann Averbach has always believed that the fight for a fulfilling life is one worth having.

Instead of searching for a traditional job after graduating from Northwestern University, she spent the following years traveling across Latin America with her best friend from Gilmour.

“The most influential part of my Gilmour education came from my experiences in the speech and debate, mock trial, and drama club all run by Mrs. Janis with the help of Mr. Janis,” Averbach said. “Their guidance and mentorship gave me the courage and communication skills to become an entrepreneur and pursue a life that I love.”

Today, Averbach lives in Maui where she is helping to create an organic farm in a remote part of the island. Moving forward, she plans to devote most of her time to teaching yoga and spiritual retreats that focus on permaculture, ecology, and sustainable lifestyle as an imperative link to mind, body, and spiritual wellness.

“I always knew that I wanted to do something that was representative of the direction I wanted to see culture and society go in, and create a model for that life,” Averbach said.

Her advice for young entrepreneurs is to look inward in order to discover what things might be preventing them from taking a chance on themselves.

“I think the biggest thing is just believing in yourself, figuring out the mental blocks that are holding you back,” Averbach said. “Do you want to be the person who talks about your dreams, or the person who lives them?”

“We spent five to six years in our twenties just traveling and exploring,” Averbach said.

“Along the way I started teaching yoga and became interested in sustainability.”

To get permission to use the design, Owens has partnered with Destination Cleveland’s CEO, David Gilbert.

This passion led her to the creation of her first company, The Mayan Connection – a business that partnered with a collective of women in Guatemala to import fair trade products, and also worked with people from Bali to produce a line of yoga attire.

BRIAN SROUB ’77

Since their initial conversation, Owens has made the sign into a magnet, Christmas ornament and stand-alone object, all available in 11 different colors.

Eight years ago, Averbach opened a yoga studio of her own in Santa Cruz called Divinitree Yoga. Another studio followed a few years later in Santa Barbara.

When Brian Sroub’s father passed away and he was appointed his mother’s guardian and executor of the estate, he felt overwhelmed.

Though his products are already available on Etsy, and in local stores like Blended Ohio and Cleveland in a Box, Owens’ goal is to use

She attributes much of her business success to her Gilmour education – specifically the guidance of Gay Janis.

URSHIP

Operation Relo

In addition to the responsibility of sorting through his parents’ financials, he was left with decades worth of sentimental possessions.

CONTINUED

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This all took two years of emotionally draining, unpaid work. On top of that, Sroub also was downsizing himself.

Then, what felt like a curse was transformed into a blessing. Sroub realized there was an opportunity to help many other people in his generation who confront similar situations every day.

“The baby boomer generation has accumulated more wealth than any generation in world history,” Sroub said. “At some point soon they’re going to have to downsize by moving into a condominium, assisted living, or even into hospice care – time doesn’t wait.”

This insight inspired Sroub to use his experience innovating for companies like Sony, The Cleveland Clinic, and Procter & Gamble to start his newest venture: Operation Relo.

“We’re focused on making our customers’ transitions as peaceful and equitable as possible,” Sroub said. “We help sell homes, move, sell or dispose of personal belongings, and coach individuals through any difficult situation they find themselves in – truly there is no job too big or small for us to do.”

One of Operation Relo’s main goals is to make the process of moving as stress-free as possible.

Because the company applies a turnkey approach to relocating and can even provide legal services, it is unique in its holistic approach to helping families in need.

Sroub’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to “do something” and not simply be a dreamer.

“Dreaming is fine, but entrepreneurs do,” Sroub said. “At first you might not know what your expertise will be. The best way to find out is to simply start doing something entrepreneurial. Either do it on your own or join up with another set of entrepreneurs.

Figure out what people are willing to pay for and then do your best to make them happy. That will give you a nose for the start-up business.”

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SPRING 2019

Giving Level

Gift Range

Legends Club

$1,000,000

Champions Club

$500,000

All-American Club

$250,000

MVP Club

$75,000

Coaches Club

$50,000

Captain's Club

$25,000

Varsity Club

$15,000

Team Club

$10,000

Players Club

$5,000

Mascot Club

$3,000

Pennant Cub

$1,000

WEBER STADIUM R E N O V A T I O N

At Gilmour more than 85 percent of students participate in at least one sport. Each season, Weber Stadium hosts daily practices, five football games, 25 soccer games, 25 lacrosse games and five track meets, along with a host of CYO games and community events.

The wear and tear on the fields necessitates a renovation of the track and turf in the stadium. Paul Michalko, assistant director of athletics, said, “The turf and track are past their prime. It has been 15 years since the turf was installed and the track was re-surfaced. The average life span for a track is 10 years and for a turf field is 9-10 years.” These renovations, along with the addition of a fence around the stadium, ideally would be completed before the start of the fall season. In order to do so, fundraising for this first critical step – Phase 1 – must be completed by April. The dollar amount needed for Phase 1 is $1.5 million.

Concurrently, at Figgie Field, Sharnsky Stadium will be completed, which will include stadium seating; a sound system; a scoreboard; and a building that will house a ticket booth; a concession stand; and men’s, women’s and family restrooms. When this is complete, Michalko said, “We will have the best baseball facility in Northern Ohio.”

As they look toward the future, the athletic leadership hopes to make more renovations that will enhance Gilmour’s facilities for athletes and spectators alike. Currently, the school has limited locker room space. Phase II of this renovation would create a building that houses locker rooms, training rooms, offices, meeting rooms and storage. This proposed building would be on a site adjacent to the baseball stadium in

“athletic alley,” and would be built as an extension of the ticket/ concessions building. Fundraising efforts are underway to finance this expansion, which will include additional parking and a large plaza that creates a unified, aesthetically appealing space.

The final phase of the proposed expansion – Phase III – will provide lighting, new visitor grandstands and upgrades to the roadway and walkway to the athletic complex.

In addition to support from current families, Michalko emphasized the need for alumni engagement in this project.

“This is going to take everybody helping out to get it done,” he said. “This is a Gilmour family project.”

LEARN MORE: gilmour.org/WeberStadiumRenovation DONATE BY PHONE: Contact Director of Institutional Advancement Ray Murphy at murphyr@gilmour.org or (440) 473-8089.

DONATE ONLINE: “Join the Team” button on the Weber

Stadium Renovation webpage DONATE BY MAIL: Send your check to Gilmour Academy,

Advancement Office, 34001 Cedar

Road, Gates Mills, Ohio 44040.

PHASE I $1,500,000

PHASE II

PHASE III

New athletic turf

New home grandstand with ADA accessibility

New visitor grandstand with ADA accessibility

New stadium complex facilities building with locker rooms, team room, restrooms, concession, storage

Renovations to existing fieldhouse

New surface for track Surfacing the D zones (the area of the field between the end zone and the track) New scoreboard Upgraded underground utilities New fencing around track

Field lighting Upgrades to roadway and walkway

New press box on home side New entryway

Lacrosse netting for end zones

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Fab Lab. Vija Tessman ’22 preps an acrylic plate for Gilmour's robotics team, the Moonshots.

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“It is important to give our students the ability to think outside of the box, to step away from the text books and have a hands-on approach to learning.

With the completion of the Fab Lab, we give students the chance to invent something new, take the ideas that are in their minds and make them reality.”

- Bobby Skoda ’07 Supporter of Gilmour's robotics program

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AROUND CAMPUS / VECTOR SUCCESS STORY

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how to write professional emails, keep consistent communication, meet deadlines and attend team meetings. They are there to contribute.”

Ryzner said that any student in the Upper School can participate in VECTOR. “This is a program designed for those who have an interest or passion or level of intrigue for a profession.” Ryzner emphasized that VECTOR does not lock students into a certain path; the program is designed with the understanding that teenagers have wide and varied interests…and they may change their minds as they learn. “We help them pivot to a different strand, or they do a hybrid of strands. The program tracks growth over time and rewards students for making necessary changes.”

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relatively new program at Gilmour, VECTOR allows students to immerse themselves in an area of interest from one of five strands: Science and Medicine, Engineering and Design, Creativity and Personal Expression, Business and Entrepreneurship, or Civic Engagement and Law. Designed for integrated learning, VECTOR students take a foundational academic course, along with at least two electives that relate to their project. Subsequently, students engage in extracurricular activities and self-designed experiences related to their VECTOR focus. These activities might include shadowing a professional, completing self-guided research, attending workshops, or going to a trade show. The VECTOR program culminates in a final capstone project that synthesizes students’ knowledge, experiences and leadership skills.

Upper School Associate Director Ryan Ryzner has observed tremendous impact on students’ learning and development through VECTOR. “We take our students out into the professional world. They learn

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SPRING 2019

To understand VECTOR’s impact, one can look to the experience of Sophia Minello ’19. She has been passionate about writing throughout high school, as well as promoting local musicians and artists.

After contributing to several national magazines, she knew that she wanted to create her own publication and the VECTOR program provided the structure and guidance she needed to make her dream a reality.

Sophia wanted to create a publication that would shine a light on Cleveland musicians. The magazine she created as part of the Creativity and Personal Expression VECTOR strand is called Sunlight, and does just that. Currently, Sunlight produces issues biannually; the third edition was published at the beginning of 2019.

Throughout the project, Sophia has been involved in every aspect of publishing. In addition to creating most of the content, Sophia manages the daily operations of the magazine. She oversees a team of six contributors, and handles the magazine’s social media, website and

budget. She is directly responsible for raising the funds for publication and drew from the experiences of similar publications to create her business model. This year, she found and contracted a local printer called Outlandish Press. She said that she feels as strongly about sourcing local businesses as she does about promoting Cleveland-based artists.

Sophia’s VECTOR coursework has fortified her ability to manage the artistic aspects of the magazine. “I have been taking a photo class every year. This has given me an outlet and also time to do what I want to do.”

Sophia, like every VECTOR student, has a faculty advisor who provides mentoring and structure for the project. “I log all my experience and then accrue points,” she explained. Her final VECTOR requirement, the capstone, took place a few weeks ago.

“I planned the Gilmour Film Festival,” she said proudly. Sophia was directly responsible for reserving the venue, reviewing artists’ submissions and creating schedules. She worked with the festival’s film judges and special guests and oversaw communications for the event.

Finally, that evening, she acted as the official host. This capstone project allowed Sophia to further extend her commitment to promoting artists, while complementing her work in publishing.

As she reflects on her experiences with VECTOR, Sophia said that she has noticed changes not only in her writing and photography skills, but also in herself. “I am a very introverted person,” she said, “but this has led me to come out of my shell. I am proud of taking that leap and going after my goal, even when it was scary.”

AROUND CAMPUS

In HerSpace As they say when it comes to parenting, “it takes a village…” The same holds true when it comes to running a school. There are so many people whose work behind the scenes is critical to Gilmour’s success. Each issue, we’ll be visiting with one member of Gilmour’s faculty “in their space” and getting to know them a bit better. This issue, meet Kara Dolling, Gilmour’s head athletic trainer.

What makes Gilmour a special place for you?

I think what I appreciate so much about Gilmour Academy is that the more time I spend here and become involved with different areas of the school, the more I feel like I am able to contribute to not just the area of athletics, but the student as a whole. I have been able to help grow our sports medicine department within athletics, but also to grow as a person by interacting with the faculty, students and even the Lower School through summer programming and camps. It really helps to feed a desire I have to not just be thought of as taping ankles and watching games, but to contribute to many aspects of student health and wellness.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is coming in every day and not knowing exactly what the day will bring. Yes, some days are challenging and some are long, but every day is rewarding. I have worked in many different areas of medicine, in the ER, as a surgical technician, in a physical therapy clinic, a nursing home, in a gym doing personal training. And I feel that this is

what I am meant to be doing. I love imparting knowledge, encouraging the students’ understanding of how to take care of themselves or feeding a desire to become part of the medical profession to continue to help others.

Tell us something unique about yourself.

I have a very large record collection passed down from my father. I think in another life I was meant to be a guitar player and be in a band traveling the world. So I have this dream of playing the guitar one day and I have a list of places I really would like to travel.

Favorite band: Aerosmith, classics and 80s rock – all of which I grew up on.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Anything chocolate Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting Tell us about your time working as the head athletic trainer for a WNBA team.

It really had such an impact on me and what kind of athletic trainer I am today.

It was so much travel and seeing a lot of cities, NBA facilities, meeting so many players, women and men - a real whirlwind experience. We had this 14-day stretch of a road trip and it was six games

bouncing from Chicago to Houston, to Seattle, then California and Phoenix, back to the Midwest before going back to Atlanta and I think I really got a crash course in operating a treatment room out of hotel rooms and traveling with all the equipment, living out of a suitcase.

I think it was such a great learning experience both good and bad. People ask me why didn't I stay and isn't the professional level where all should aspire to be? I learned so many great things, but one of the things I missed most was teaching, not just in the classroom but being able to help mold young athletes.

There really is so much pressure when you get to a certain level of athletics and the whole athlete can take a back seat. I wanted the flexibility and freedom to treat each person and impact their future. Not to say they don't do that at the professional level, but so many things can impact how each player wants to be treated. I am so grateful for my time with the team, but it ultimately helped me to determine where I wanted to go with my career.

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AROUND CAMPUS / SPEECH & DEBATE

FIRST-YEAR TEAM MEMBER EARNS HIGHEST HONOR AT DISTRICTS

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ongratulations are in order for Lena DiPuccio ’20, who was awarded the G. Robert Santo Speaker Excellence Award at the district speech and debate tournament. This award is presented annually to the top competitor in the Cleveland district, across all events. There are nine different events in which hundreds of students compete and Lena was selected from all of them. This is the first time a Gilmour student has been selected for this honor. Even more noteworthy is the fact that this was Lena’s novice year!

District Chairperson of the North Coast District Carrie Coffer stated that no other competitor in the district was even close to Lena’s record this year. Lena competes in the Original Oratory category and her speech examined why America should get rid of the death penalty.

Top 10 finishers at states from L to R: Allie Mikolanis ’19, Gwen Mascha ’21, Mollie Edmondson ’22, Emma Kaplan ’19, Sophia DiPuccio ’19 and Teeba Marlowe ’21

In March, Mrs. Gay Janis and Lena DiPuccio ’20 appeared on "Live on Lakeside" on WKYC to discuss Lena's award.

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Pictured L to R: (Front row) Lena DiPuccio ’20, Faith Smolik ’22, Teeba Marlowe ’21, Sophia DiPuccio ’19, Andrew Mayer ’22, Giovanna Piedimonte ’22, Clara Morgan ’22 (Middle row) Gwen Mascha ’21, Emma Kaplan ’19, Cayla See ’21, Mollie Edmondson ’21, Sami Sargi ’20, Allie Mikolanis ’19, Caitrina Barton ’21 (Back row) Joe Rottinhaus ’21 and John Lewis ’20 Not pictured: Brinn MacLellan ’21, Jackson Sturtevant ’21 and Madison Wagner ’19

AROUND CAMPUS

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS, WHO QUALIFIED FOR THE STATE AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS. Look for results from nationals in the summer issue!

State Qualifiers Caitrina Barton ’21 and Brinn MacLellen ’21 – Duo Interpretation Sophia DiPuccio ’19 – Dramatic Interpretation Faith Smolik ’22 - Dramatic Interpretation Sami Sargi ’20 - Humorous Interpretation Emma Kaplan ’19 – Informative Speaking Mollie Edmondson ’21 – Informative Speaking Andrew Mayer ’22 - Informative Speaking Jackson Sturtevant ’21 – Lincoln-Douglas Debate Lena DiPuccio ’20 – Original Oratory Clara Morgan ’22 – Original Oratory Madison Wagner ’19 – Original Oratory Teeba Marlowe ’21 – Original Oratory Joe Rottinghaus ’21 and John Lewis ’20 – Public Forum Debate Eric Brandt ’21 – Student Congress Gwen Mascha ’21 – Student Congress Cayla See ’21 – Student Congress

Allie Mikolanis ’19 – United States Extemporaneous and Student Congress Giovanna Piedimonte ’22 – Prose Poetry Interpretation (alternate)

At the state tournament, Gilmour’s team fared well.

The following students placed: Teeba Marlowe ’21 – 6th (Original Oratory) Sophia DiPuccio ’19 – 7th (Dramatic Interpretation) Emma Kaplan ’19 – 7th (Informative Speaking) Mollie Edmondson ’21 - 8th (Informative Speaking) Allie Mikolanis ’19 - 8th in semifinal chamber (Student Congress) Gwen Mascha ’21 - 9th in semifinal chamber (Student Congress) Cayla See ’21 – quarterfinalist (Student Congress) Madison Wagner ’19 – quarterfinalist (Original Oratory) Additionally, Teeba Marlowe ’21 won a special award for being the student who received the most “1s” in Original Oratory at the state tournament!

Now, four team members will move on to nationals, which will be held in Dallas from June 16-21!

National qualifiers include Mollie Edmondson ’21, Sophia DiPuccio ’19, Gwen Mascha ’21 and Allie Mikolanis ’19. The following students have qualified as alternates for nationals – Emma Kaplan ’19 (1st alternate), Teeba Marlowe ’21 (1st alternate), Cayla See ’21 (2nd alternate) and Madison Wagner ’19 (3rd alternate).

Jackson Sturtevant ’21 practices his speech for Mrs. Janis.

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Think outside the classroom.

Gilmour’s New Nature-Based Learning Program, Fall 2019 At Gilmour Academy’s Lower School, students don’t just learn the subject matter - they experience it. Our 144-acre campus serves as a living laboratory where students live out the lessons learned in the classroom. Whether it is discovering how bees produce honey in our apiary, creating a business selling farm-fresh eggs from the chicken coop, or feeding the hungry with crops grown in our gardens, Gilmour students are not just learning about our environment they are positively impacting it.

To schedule a personal tour or a Shadow Day, go to gilmour.org/visit

Gilmour Academy is an independent, Catholic, coed school in the Holy Cross tradition.

Montessori (18 months - Kindergarten) and Grades 1-12 Lower School 35001 Cedar Road | Gates Mills, Ohio gilmour.org

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“While extremely excited about the launch of our many innovative programs that will enrich the academic experiences of our students, I am equally excited by the innovation I see in our classrooms on a daily basis by teachers who are constantly exploring new ways to engage students and creating new opportunities for students to excel.�

- Brian Horgan Assistant Head of School, Director of the Upper School

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AROUND CAMPUS / REAL-WORLD

GILMOUR HAS A DISNEY DREAMER

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ilmour’s own Bryson Simpson ’20 is one of the 100 “exceptional young people” selected for the Disney Dreamers Academy!

Students were chosen for demonstrating intellectual curiosity, compassion, courage, a positive outlook and generous spirit, and optimism about the future.

The Academy is a four-day experience designed in partnership with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine to reward young dreamers who demonstrate potential. During their stay at Disney, they will enjoy interactive career workshops in everything from animation, journalism and entrepreneurship to culinary arts and zoology. They will also hear motivational talks and attend networking and interviewing sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the Disney campus behind-the-scenes and enjoy the theme parks during their March 21-24 stay.

Bryson was interviewed by Jim Donovan on WKYC in January.

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AROUND CAMPUS

THE LANCE EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION

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ilmour's online student newspaper, The Lance, received Gold Medalist recognition from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) after an extensive College/Scholastic Digital News Critique.

Columbia reviews student journalism in three main categories: essentials, verbal and visual. The Lance scored 872/1000 points, earning the publication top honors - Gold Medal recognition!

Then, a few weeks later, CSPA announced its Gold Circle Award winners, which are the individual awards. One of The Lance’s journalists, Zack Komoroski ’19, received a certificate of merit for his piece titled "From Cleveland to LA: Quinn L’Esperance’s Long Road to the Big Screen," about his classmate’s pursuit of an acting career. He is the first Lancer to earn honorable mention as part of CSPA’s Gold Circle Awards.

Students who have contributed to the success of The Lance are (pictured left to right below) front row: Angela Liu ’20, Gracie Bujoll ’19, Kat Rankin ’20, Madison Wagner ’19, Charlie Xie ’20.

Back row: Natalie Mullen ’19, Zack Komoroski ’19, Marissa Ulchaker ’19, Gabby Dunlevy ’19, Gabe Gainar ’19.

Not pictured: Meredith Mallon-Jeffrey ’20, Allie Mikolanis ’19.

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INNOVATION NATION

AROUND CAMPUS / ARTS UPDATE

We are making great progress on The Lorraine and Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts! Project as of mid-March.

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AlumNEWS

AlumNEWS

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19 50s

LI GHT

ALUM

Who’s Doing What, When and Where

TOM ROHR ' 57

Tom Rohr ’57 and his friend, Arnold Palmer

When it comes to nicknames, “The Commish” was an appropriate one for Tom Rohr. The Hawaii real estate developer was given the moniker for his ability to orchestrate and manage star-studded golf tournaments.

He lived up to the name.

Rohr’s vision is widely credited with raising the bar in Hawaii’s leisure hospitality industry. He imagined, developed and promoted a golf lifestyle that has become commonplace throughout the U.S. Rohr arrived in Hawaii in 1960. By 1974 he was working as president and CEO of Maui’s Kapalua Land Company. Even now, Rohr says Kapalua was his masterpiece. “We took a pineapple field and turned it into a beautiful resort,” he says.

With the help of his friend Arnold Palmer, Rohr brought professional golf to Kapalua. Palmer and Rohr launched a pro-am tournament called “The Golf Party” at Kapalua. It was so successful, it set the stage for other tournaments to follow.

Those qualities Rohr inherited from his parents. “Dad was a courageous entrepreneur,” Rohr said. “He was always building something that he enjoyed.

When I had a chance, I tried a lot of things I had never done before. You only know about the winners.”

Throughout his career, Rohr has stayed true to the values Gilmour instilled in him, such as honesty and diligence. He cherishes the friendships he made there and will never forget winning the senior extemporaneous speech contest.

After a fortunate career, Rohr enjoys unwinding with his family, including his wife, Robin; daughter, Nina; her husband, Lance; and their spectacular 12-year-old grandson, Nicholas.

At 80, he says, “I just enjoy staying as fit as possible, enjoying life and breathing.”

While Kapalua was Rohr’s most recognized work, it wasn’t his last. Rohr spent 22 years as president and CEO of Waikoloa Land Company on Hawaii’s Big Island. He built the resort on insight he picked up during his time as a surfer and beachcomber. But developing a long-range project like Waikoloa took a leader with instinct, business know-how and persistence.

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AlumNEWS

The president and founder of Excellence Zone Marketing Strategies, Inc. makes her living helping clients solve their marketing and communications challenges. It’s a perfect fit for Allen, an enthusiastic go-getter who built her career on her passions.

“I love helping my clients solve their challenges, whether in marketing, communications, management or training,” said Allen, who earned her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her MBA from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. “To be an effective consultant, you have to connect with people where they are. I listen to their needs, then do my best to meet them. If you go in with your own agenda and nothing else, it’s not going to work.”

At Excellence Zone, Allen devises strategies for her

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clients ranging from social media and public relations plans to strategic planning and employee development. She helps them with marketing research, mission statements, integrated marketing communications, strategic events and just about every marketing strategy in between.

She especially enjoys using the full breadth of her skills, including writing and editing.

Allen built Excellence Zone on the principles she learned working for Fortune 100 organizations such as Campbell’s Soup, Merck and Procter & Gamble. These experiences showed her the value of cultivating professional relationships and having a strong vision to drive a project.

Allen loves the diversity of her role and uses it as a showcase for the skills she’s honed throughout her career. “Working in the discipline of marketing energizes me,” she said. “Every day brings new

SPOT

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GHT

Judith (“Judy”) Allen was born for marketing.

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challenges or allows me to solve an old problem in a new way. I find being innovative and helping my clients achieve their goals to be very exciting.”

Allen imparts her own wisdom to her business students at Cuyahoga Community College and Lakeland Community College. Being an instructor balances her career and allows her to share her expertise to educate others, she says. As a college professor she draws not only from her professional experience, but also from her experience at Glen Oak—an invaluable and transformative time in her life.

“Glen Oak embraced us as individuals,” Allen recalls.

“It was an exceptional place. It met all students where they were and played to each person’s strengths. It was unique in that way, and I strive to bring these same values to instructing my own students.”

If anyone has a knack for launching startups, it’s Randy Fagundo. He sold his most recent project, a self-serve key duplicating service called Minute Key, to Hillman Group in August 2018. Today, Fagundo serves as president of Hillman Group, overseeing the operation as he begins to also take responsibility for Hillman’s engraving kiosk business.

Fagundo’s move to Boulder, Colo. in 1987 led him to his first startup, a small company called American Coin Merchandising. “A lot of it was luck and timing,” Fagundo said. In 1995, Fagundo and his friend took the company public. They did a secondary offering in 1998, growing the business to $110 million in revenue. By 2004, the company was sold to Coinstar.

Fagundo parted ways with American Coin Merchandising in 2007. But it wasn’t long before he yearned for a new opportunity. An introduction to two brothers who had conceptualized Minute Key led Fagundo to his next exciting venture.

Today, you can find Minute Key kiosks in Walmart, Lowes, Menards and other chains nationwide. “It’s fun to grow a business and even more so to do it a second time, because you know what to expect,” Fagundo said. “It’s certainly more fun, even if it’s not easier.” To aspiring entrepreneurs, Fagundo says to expect lots of highs and lows—and there are as many highs as there are lows. “When you’re starting and growing a business, it’s all about resilience and perseverance,” he said.

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But make sure you have enough capital at the start, Fagundo said. “Most startups fail because they don’t have enough money to keep going.”

Fagundo attributes his own staying power to his Gilmour wrestling experience. “My freshman year in high school, I didn’t win a single match. My senior year at Gilmour, I didn’t lose a single match,” he said. “That was a big learning experience for me. I worked hard, didn’t quit and learned how to win.”

Even now, Fagundo never quits.

“Resilience is imperative to being successful in a startup,” he said. “You have to confront reality, be true to yourself and surround yourself with good people who can help you.”

Mike Collier ’78, Fagundo and John Harvey ’78 catching up at Reunion 2018

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AlumNEWS

With clients in 35 states and 60 cities spanning from Canada to the Caribbean, CID Design Group has grown exponentially, guided by Zella’s creative vision.

“The turning point in our company’s growth happened after I had my first child eight years ago,” says Zella, the mother of two. “For many years, I was muscling through. It wasn’t until I had kids that I started delegating, empowering our team, and letting them unleash their own talents more freely.”

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CID Design Group has been doubling its revenue, year-over-year, ever since then. The company’s growth also has been fueled by the success of its annual design forecast, where CID shares research within the industry so that others can learn from it and share ideas. It has positioned CID as the go-to expert in the hospitality design industry.

“It’s been incredible for our company and useful for training our team to focus on the things that we believe are important,” Zella says. The forecast is also a charitable vehicle, through its product spotlights that raise money for the Humane Society, a local school of the arts, The Shelter for Abused Women and Children, and more.

Being a talented designer requires strong listening and problem-solving skills, a knack for viewing

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In Jenn Zella, design seems to come alive.

The cofounding principal and “chief visionary officer” of Naples-based CID Design Group, Zella has appeared on the 40 Under 40 list in her local community magazine, also on Interior Design Magazine’s 2018 List of The Top 100 Giants and has helped to put her firm on the map.

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things in 3D, and a timeless focus. Talented designers have a way of designing with endurance, Zella says. “They have a long-range vision that empowers them to create lasting work.”

In reflecting on Gilmour, Zella recounts the writing skills she acquired there. "I use those every single day. It was amazing how much they pushed us to be good writers, and when I went to college, I felt prepared. It's a skill I can truly attribute to Gilmour." Zella also said Gilmour instilled in her a deep social consciousness and that her teachers served as mentors. Today, she mentors aspiring designers in that same way.

"As I work with families looking at Gilmour for their sons or daughters, I am continuously energized as I describe the full spectrum of opportunities that await their children. And those opportunities just continue to grow. The innovation happening on this campus is incredible and the lens through which we do it as both a Catholic and independent school is a true differentiator."

- Beth Titas Lazzaro Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing/Communications

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A L E X HOSTOFFER ’05 On Saturday, August 18, Alex Hostoffer ’05 was one of five young men to make the promise to live as Capuchin friars for the rest of their lives at the Mass of Profession held at St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia. The road to making these final vows was a long one. Upon applying to the Capuchin postulancy program, Hostoffer completed a year of training in the Capuchin way of life. After that, he spent a year as a novice, which was a year of intense discernment and prayer. This was followed by year-long temporary vows. At that point, after three years of preparation, Hostoffer was able to request that he make perpetual vows.

An article titled “Vowed for Life” in Cords Magazine, published by the Capuchin Friars, described the five young men who recently made their perpetual profession.

Brother Alex was lauded for his academic prowess, his dedication to health and fitness and his capabilities as the order’s “Mr. Fix-It.” He fixes any squeaky door or leaky faucet and also serves as a personal trainer to any friars looking to improve their fitness levels.

Congratulations, Brother Alex! You are certainly living the Gilmour mission each day.

Brother Alex’s path from Gilmour took him to Northwestern University and then to Case Western Reserve University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy at Capuchin College in Washington, D.C.

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AlumNEWS

He spent the summers of his youth in Jackson, Wyo., passing the time at a dude ranch with his grandparents or learning to fly fish. From the get-go, the Tetons lured Barber like a siren song.

After college, he packed it up and moved there.

By now, Barber has made a name for himself as one of Jackson’s premier river guides. From March through October, he leads tourists and locals on excursions down the Green and Snake Rivers for Snake River Anglers. He’s built a dedicated clientele. In the off-season, he leads saltwater fishing expeditions to Mexico, helping clients angle for tarpon, snook, bonefish and permit.

Only 25 percent of guiding deals with fishing, Barber said. “The rest is about people. You spend eight hours a day with strangers in a boat. If you can’t connect with them, you’re going to struggle in the profession.”

Barber strives to understand what his clients want from their experience, then delivers it. The key is making them feel welcome, safe and at ease.

While he enjoys teaching, he’s been a student all his life. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Barber studied the music business and management. Like fishing, music is among his biggest passions.

“But what I really love is learning and the endlessness of it,” he said. “I’m always chasing

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after things I don’t know, because I want to know. It’s super valuable for any teacher of any subject to continually make themselves a student again.”

Barber credits Gilmour with making learning fun. His teachers empowered him to learn in his own way and channel his passion for music productively. “I had incredible faculty who cared about me as a student,” Barber said. “There’s no price you can put on that.”

During ski season, Barber brings the joy of music to adults with disabilities through a nonprofit.

“What really clicked for me was connecting with a resident who’s non-communicative,” Barber said.

“Within a month of me going there, he peeked outside his room, then he started coming to the music group.”

The man got a bit closer to Barber every week.

Now, he sits right next to him. “The power of music literally pulled this person out into the community,” Barber said. “That’s such a cool thing.”

AlumNEWS

Two loyal Gilmour Academy alumni were feted at the school’s annual Christmas at the Academy holiday party on December 15. During a special presentation, Cheryl Forino Wahl ’87 and Jim Conway ’67 were awarded the 2018 Alumni Woman and Man of the Year Awards.

Wahl attended Colgate University, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in classical studies with a minor in philosophy. She then earned both her master’s degree in medical ethics and her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been providing legal, regulatory and compliance advice in the health care industry for more than 20 years. She began working at University Hospitals (UH) in 2002 as associate general counsel. In 2005, she became the organization’s chief compliance officer and held that role until 2015. During that time, UH was recognized three times by Ethisphere Institute as a World’s Most Ethical Company. In 2015, Wahl began as the chief compliance officer at EnvisionRx Options, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rite Aid Corporation. Then, in 2017, she was appointed to a newly created position at The MetroHealth System. She serves as the senior vice president/chief ethics and compliance officer and is responsible for the overall program development, implementation and ongoing operation of an enterprise-wide comprehensive compliance program.

Wahl was recognized in 2016 as one of the Most Influential Women in Retail by Mass Market Retailers, in 2013 as a Top Ethics and Compliance Officer by Ethisphere Institute, and in 2004 by the YWCA as a recipient of the Women of Professional Excellence Award. In 2015, she was admitted into In Counsel with Women, a selective organization of executive women. Wahl serves on the boards of both Gilmour and St. Martin de Porres High School.

As a Gilmour Trustee, she is a member of the Institutional Advancement and the Marketing & Enrollment Management Committees.

2018

ALUMNI MAN AND WOMAN OF THE YEAR

After graduating from Gilmour, Jim Conway attended Georgetown University, where he earned a degree in business administration before working for Arthur Andersen in Chicago for three years. He then moved back to Cleveland to work for Beverage Distributors, Inc. Conway and his father purchased Beverage Distributors Inc. in the mid-80s and he served as president from 1989-2012. Today, his son, Michael, a current Gilmour parent, serves as president and Conway works part-time as the company’s CEO. Conway and his wife, Mary, have three children – Kara ’94, Kristen ’97 and Michael. All three live in Cleveland with their spouses and children.

Conway and his family have supported Gilmour’s scholarship program for years and, in 2015, established the Conway Scholarship, which provides qualified students the opportunity to receive a Gilmour education. He has supported Gilmour in a number of other ways as well – as a past member of the Alumni Board of Governors; as a sponsor of the annual golf outing; as a charter member of Gilmour’s Blue & Gray Society; as a Class of 1967 leader for the Promise & Renewal campaign; and through his involvement as an alumnus, a parent and a grandparent.

Wahl was presented with her award by her longtime teacher Rich Grejtak, who inspired her love of Latin and her study of the classics at Colgate. Conway’s award was presented by his three children, who spoke of his extraordinary generosity in every part of his life.

Head of School Kathy Kenny closed the ceremony by reflecting on the lives changed by Wahl and Conway. Whether through Cheryl's work with the Board of Trustees or Jim's longtime support of the scholarship program, these alumni are impacting students’ lives.

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LANCER ATHLETICS

Remembering

MR. GILMOUR Reprinted with permission from Chris Lillstrung.Article originally appeared in The News-Herald on January 29, 2019.

A

s Vern Weber's life was celebrated January 26 at Gilmour, there was a beautiful tribute elsewhere on campus as well.

It's likely no one even realized it.

The stadium, named for Weber since 1983, sat tranquil, covered in snow but with two noteworthy signs of activity amid its order.

The north gate to the field and track was open, and one set of footprints tracked outbound. Vern Weber has gone home.

But the imprint on every step around Gilmour's campus, and in a life well lived, is indelible with generations there to appreciate it and be forged in part by it.

Weber, who served as the Lancers' football coach from 1958-82, athletic director from 1960-79 and school ambassador for more than five decades, died January 21, six days shy of his 87th birthday.

“If you do anything you believe in, you make a commitment to the belief,” Weber once said. “And this belief becomes a passion. Then you really become focused on those terms, on what you’re doing.”

That commitment for the man known as "Mr. Gilmour," with every footstep in his life, was unwavering.

in track and field.

In 1949 and 1950, Weber opened Solon's Class B state champion 880-yard relay, teaming with Jack Ramage, Don Sutherland and Grover Jewett. At the time, it was believed to be the first instance in Ohio the same quartet had repeated in the same relay event.

Weber was recruited for football at Ohio State, but decided to attend Dayton. He earned three letters in football as a fullback and linebacker, graduating in 1954. In the 1952 team picture, Weber sat in the second row, behind one of Dayton's captains, Chuck Noll.

It was at Dayton in a speech class he met his wife Beverly, to whom he would be married for 60 years and have five children, Gilmour alumni sons Larry, Terry and Tony and daughters Tracey and Heidi. After earning his Master's from Ohio State in 1955, Weber served 16 months as a lieutenant in the 17th Infantry Regiment in Korea.

Before being discharged, Weber got a call asking if he would be interested in a job when he returned. He accepted the job, as a football defensive coordinator and teacher at Dayton Chaminade for the 1957-58 school year.

In 1958, Joe Young was stepping down as Gilmour football coach. Young contacted Weber, asking if he would want to interview for the vacancy.

Weber was born January 27, 1932, in Bedford. After growing up in Cleveland, his family moved when he was 13 on VJ Day, August 14, 1945, to Brainard Road in Solon.

Father John Blazek, a 1958 Gilmour graduate and longtime campus minister at the school who knew Weber for decades, recounted Young told Weber, "This would be a job of a lifetime."

Weber was a 1950 Solon graduate, when the community was much smaller. He earned 12 letters — four in football, three each in basketball and baseball and two

Weber interviewed and was offered football coach and social studies teacher. His hiring was announced August 16, 1958. There were opportunities to leave,

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including interviews in 1962 that also included Bill Gutbrod to return to Dayton as football coach. But he never left Gilmour.

“He really had a very unique gift of making you feel like you were the center of the world," Blazek said. "He had the ability to draw and make you feel good about yourself and to reach for a new bar, a new level. He just had that way about him, and kids loved him for it.”

Over 25 years as football coach, the Lancers went 136-82-11, including a 77-14-2 stretch in the 1960s that featured undefeated campaigns in 1963, 1964 and 1968. In 1965, Gilmour was on a 26-game winning streak, the longest in Ohio.

Weber was an innovator known for double passes, reverses, screens, draws and traps long before it was en vogue.

In 1963, while passing a department store in Eastgate, Weber saw the store trying to draw customers in with footprints.

Inspired, Weber constructed a 4-by-8-foot plywood board with painted steps, showing where quarterbacks should step for every Lancers' play. Gilmour went two years without fumbling.

In 1968, the Lancers finished a 10-0 season in unique fashion against Solon, Weber's first game against his alma mater. With standout halfback Larry Chollet in contention for the district scoring title, Chollet needed 42 points.

He had 36 as time was running out, so Weber called a reverse for Chollet's brother, David.

"I was an egomaniac," Weber later joked.

David had strict orders to go out of bounds at the 2 if possible, so Larry could try to score on the next play.

They both did as asked. Weber and his charges wanted 10-0 and the honor for Chollet, but he got a police escort off the field. He saw his father, who quipped, "When are you leaving town?"

Larry Chollet was one of many gridiron greats for the Lancers under Weber's tutelage, including accomplished performers such as Andy Selfridge and Eric Penick.

One of the two-way starters for Weber's

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1968 team was Steelers owner Art Rooney II. Weber once asked Rooney's father Dan if he could help get him get a speaking slot at a national coaches’ conference in Pittsburgh. Weber spoke on his off-tackle play and motivating high school student-athletes. He spoke after Joe Paterno and before Grambling State legend Eddie Robinson. As Paterno exited the dais, Weber kiddingly asked if he remembered when Weber's brother Mark once made an interception for Syracuse to beat Penn State. Paterno responded, "I'll never forget it."

All three of Weber's sons played for him at Gilmour. When Weber won his 100th career game in 1974, 28-0 over Columbus Academy, Terry Weber had two interceptions.

In the early 1960s, a tennis pro and his son would play a few sets at Gilmour, then go watch football. Afterward, they met up with Weber and discussed what went wrong. That son, editor of the school newspaper and the "underground" paper on campus, was 1964 Gilmour graduate Douglas Kenney.

When Kenney created “Animal House” he penned a character in Weber's mold as a campus figurehead: Dean Vernon Wormer. Weber said Kenney called him and said, "I had to get

you in someplace."

In 1974, Weber was at an awards banquet with Yale coach Carmen Cozza. Cozza, who had once coached Gilmour, asked Weber if he knew of any secondary men for his struggling pass defense. Weber nodded to the next table to a defensive back who was planning to attend Northwestern for theater but not for football. Steve Skrovan and his father later visited Yale, and Skrovan decided to major in drama and play football there. The 1975 Gilmour graduate was an all-Ivy League defensive back and later went on to be an executive producer on "Everybody Loves Raymond" and also worked on "Seinfeld."

When Weber was hired as athletic director in 1960, he was the first lay AD in the Cleveland Diocese. He also helped introduce cross country at Gilmour, coaching it himself on Mondays until he got another coach. He helped start soccer with Tiho Teisl. He was the legendary Penick's first track and field coach. He coached swimming, learning how by reading manuals and getting his water safety license. He even guided the basketball team for one year, and it went 16-4.

"He just went from one season to the other," Blazek marveled. "He was just like sort of a perpetual coach.

Because he saw athletics and sports as a way of life.”

LANCER ATHLETICS Weber announced his retirement as football coach March 29, 1983. He stayed on as alumni director and was also a longtime middle-school Ohio History teacher. Beverly taught at Gilmour's middle school, too.

When Weber was honored on alumni weekend in 1983, he was given a watch, which was inscribed with "Most Valuable Coach 1958-82."

He retired from Gilmour on his 65t h birthday in 1997. It was once said, and is confirmed by Blazek, that Weber had instant recall for any student who stepped through Gilmour.

“He was amazing at how he remembered stories and years of graduation," Blazek said.

Weber and Beverly retired to Cape Cod, but showing the bond he had with past students, his new phone number and address were published in the alumni magazine.

They returned to Northeast Ohio and spent their last years in a senior living community in Chagrin Falls. Often, Weber grabbed his backpack and took the two-mile roundtrip downtown to pick up supplies.

“He was a man who saw value and worth in every person," Blazek said. "I don’t ever remember him ever emphasizing a negative quality about somebody. And he was able to uncover goodness, even in the darkest moments. He would always have a but, and he was a man filled with hope.

"He was a man who was able to — it didn’t make any difference where you came from, if you came from the inner city or if you were a millionaire’s son. Everybody was welcome and equal at his table.”

Forever a Gilmour man, Weber’s obituary requested, in lieu of flowers, for donations to be made to the Weber Stadium renovation project or to the school's Vern Weber Scholarship in his honor.

To donate please visit www.gilmour.org/WeberStadiumRenovation.

His Chagrin Falls home had a wall filled with mementos from his Gilmour days and pictures of Beverly, who died in 2014.

Weber was a regular on campus to the end, including attending football games, regaling those in the press box with stories. He would also deliver pregame speeches to other teams at the school.

Once, when I was working on a Penick retrospective on his track and field career, I called Weber and we spoke for nearly an hour about one of his most prized pupils. Weber even pulled out a scrapbook and proudly read an old Cleveland Press story verbatim to me about Penick. Just hearing Weber tell tales of his life was riveting.

In December, Gilmour hosted a reunion for its unbeaten football teams from the 1960s. Each team gathered around Weber with a football for him to sign and wanting to hear stories from their coach.

“It was like they had been together forever, and Vern was having the time of his life," Blazek said.

One month later, Weber's journey came to a close.

In the midst of winter, Weber Stadium will sit peaceful for a few more months. And those footprints in the snow will disappear under new accumulation.

But the imprint in that football stadium, and on the campus adjacent to it, will live on forever.

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he varsity football team concluded the regular season with a perfect 10-0 overall record and a 5-0 North Coast League (NCL) White Division record. The Lancers earned the conference championship title in their inaugural season in the league. This was the first undefeated regular season since 2004.

The team made it to the second round of the playoffs before losing 50-43 in triple overtime to the eventual state champion, Orrville.

SENIOR GUARD MAKES A NAME FOR HERSELF

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n the heels of last season’s state run, hopes were high for the girls basketball team, led by Annika Corcoran ’19. The Division I University of Detroit Mercy commit had a great season and her efforts did not go unnoticed. Despite losing a heartbreaker in the district finals to Perry High School (47-44), the senior guard was recognized for her stellar senior year. Corcoran averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. In the sectional final game against VASJ, her last game in Lancer Gymnasium, she had 13 assists, setting a single-game record!

She was named the 2018-2019 Northeast Lakes All-District Division II Girls Basketball Player of the Year and was one of eight finalists for the prestigious News-Herald Player of the Year. She also earned Academic All-Ohio honors from the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association.

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LANCER ATHLETICS

BIG SEASON ON THE GRIDIRON

LANCER ATHLETICS NOT MANY HONORS HE DIDN'T WIN

CJ

Charleston ’19 is not done yet. He has a final season of track and field ahead of him. But in his time at Gilmour, he has certainly made his mark and leaves some pretty big shoes to fill.

The list of football honors the Youngstown State commit received his senior season alone is extensive. He was the Ohio Catholic Federal Credit Union Impact Player of the Game for his efforts in a September 29 game against Trinity High School, the 2018 Fox 8 Friday Night Touchdown Player of the Year, the 2018 Tony Fisher Award winner, the 2018 Northeast Lakes Division V All-District Offensive Player of the Year, the 2018 All-Ohio Division V Offensive Player of the Year, the 2018 North Coast League Offensive MVP, was named to the 2018 Division V All-Ohio First Team, and was the winner of the team’s Lancer Award, which is the highest honor a Gilmour player can receive.

As a junior, in only his first season on the track team, he was the OHSAA Division III state champion and school recordholder in long jump; he also was a member of the OHSAA Division III state champion and school record-holding 4x100m relay team. He was even featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” column in October 2018.

We look forward to watching Charleston next year when he takes the field for the Penguins. While we will miss him at Weber Stadium, at least he’ll still be playing just a short drive away.

Charleston was one of eight finalists for 2018 Ohio Mr. Football, tied for second all-time in Ohio for touchdowns scored in a season (51), tied for second all-time in Ohio for rushing TDs in a season (49), finished fourth all-time in the state for total individual points scored in a season (312) and tied for 28th all-time in the state for rushing yards in a season (2,585).

Charleston is also a force on the hardwood and on the track. He became a 1,000-point scorer during his junior basketball season and, early this season, became the all-time leading scorer for the Gilmour boys basketball program. He was also named Academic All-Ohio by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association.

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#00 – FOREVER IN THE RAFTERS

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he Gilmour Academy athletic department hosted a ceremony on December 22 to officially retire #00, the number worn by girls basketball standout Naz Hillmon ’18.

During her four-year varsity career at Gilmour, Hillmon led the team to a Division II state championship in 2017, recording 24 points and 17 rebounds in the title game, and a Division II state runner-up finish in 2018.

Along the way, Hillmon earned a variety of honors. She was a twotime Associated Press Division II Player of the Year (2017 and 2018); was named to the 2018 All-USA Ohio First Team by USA Today; averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds and 2.7 assists and 2 steals per game as a senior; was a twotime finalist for Ohio Ms. Basketball; was the 2018 All-Ohio Player of the Year in Division II and the 2017 cleveland.com Player of the Year; was ranked No. 58 and a four-star recruit

by ESPN HoopGurlz;

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and was nominated for the McDonald’s All-America game. She also holds the school records for career points (2,057) and career rebounds (1,607).

Last May, Hillmon was selected to the 12-person roster for the USA Basketball Women’s U18 Team. In August, the team won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Mexico City.

Today, the 6-foot-2 forward is playing for the University of Michigan Wolverines, where she earned Big Ten Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week honors six times this season and several end-of-season conference awards.

She was voted Big Ten First Team, All-Freshman Team and Sixth Player of the Year by Big Ten coaches and First Team and Freshman of the Year by the media.

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e r u t a ign

S Megan Brzozowski ’19

volleyball at Division I Fordham University

CJ Charleston ’19

football at Division I Youngstown State University

TAKING THEIR TALENTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Congratulations to the following students who made commitments to continue their athletic careers at the next level:

Annika Corcoran ’19

basketball at Division I University of Detroit Mercy

Katie Engle ’19

cross country and track & field at Division I University of Cincinnati

Ani FitzGerald ’19

ice hockey at Division I Northeastern University (for 2020-2021 school year)

(pictured left to right) Megan Brzozowski ’19, Annika Corcoran ’19, Katie Engle ’19, Ani FitzGerald ’19, Meadow Hynd ’19, Jack Kasar ’19 and Matt Sutton ’19

Annie Greene ’19

soccer at Division I Northern Kentucky University

Meadow Hynd ’19

swimming at Division II Barton College

Celeste Koerwitz ’19

swimming at Division I University of Maryland Baltimore County

John (Jack) Kosar ’19 football at Division I Brown University

Matt Sutton ’19

hockey at Division I Brown University Celeste Koerwitz ’19 and Annie Greene ’19

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LANCER ATHLETICS VARSITY B BLUE/16U HOCKEY: LANCERS WIN JV STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

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or the JV state championship title, Gilmour faced off with St. Ignatius.

The game was scoreless after a first period that saw GA register six shots and St. Ignatius get four.

The second period started similarly to the first, with Gilmour pressuring hard and controlling the play, yet unable to score. Midway through the period, Ignatius dumped the puck into the Gilmour end and both teams were in the process of changing lines. Joe Roddy ’21 retrieved the puck in the Gilmour defensive end and passed to Connor Underwood ’22, who found Shea Hofstrom ’22, who was coming off the Gilmour bench at the far end of the neutral zone, to spring him for a breakaway. Hofstrom fired the puck by the Ignatius goalie to give Gilmour the lead with 7:21 remaining in the second period. The score would remain 1-0 at the second intermission.

With 5:57 remaining in the game, St. Ignatius banked a shot from below the goal line off the back of the leg of Gilmour goaltender Dylan Stefan ’22 and into the net to tie the game at one. On a power play, Jack Starr ’21 put home a rebound off of a Hofstrom shot with 2:23 remaining

in the game to give the Lancers a 2-1 lead.

Roddy also assisted on the goal.

The Wildcats pulled their goaltender to gain an extra attacker as the period wound down and mounted a great comeback attempt. The Lancers scrambled to maintain the lead, diving to block shots and clear pucks out of their defensive zone as the clock ticked down.

With 21 seconds left, there was a faceoff to the right of Gilmour goaltender Stefan. Frankie Valenti ’21 won the draw for the Lancers but Ignatius won the race to the puck and collected it for a shot from the point. The shot sailed high and Stefan deflected it to the boards,

KOSAR HONORED BY NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION

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ancer football player and NCAA Division I Brown University commit Jack Kosar ’19 was recently honored at the 31st Annual Mike Cleary Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation Awards as a 2018 Scholar Athlete. Kosar was one of 22 total players selected from the field of 235 schools to receive such an honor for his excellence in the classroom

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where Hofstrom was able to clear it.

The Wildcats regrouped and mounted one last rush into the zone. After a shot attempt from the point was partially blocked by Valenti, the puck bounced in front of two Ignatius players near the net to the left of Stefan. Ignatius couldn't corral the bouncing puck as Max Treppo ’22 slid in front of the net to block any shot attempt and Stefan saved the final shot by the Wildcats as time expired.

What a fun and exciting end to a welldeserved JV state championship!

while performing on the gridiron as a varsity football player. The banquet featured guest speaker Jim Harbaugh, a Toledo, Ohio native who is currently the head football coach at NCAA Division I University of Michigan. Lancer head coach Chris Kosiorek attended the event alongside the program's senior co-captain and said, "It was great to see Jack receive this award because it is the culmination of all his hard work both in the classroom and on the football field."

“Between our existing Athletic Center and ice arena, the renovation of Weber Stadium, and the completion of Figgie Field at Sharnsky Stadium, Gilmour will have the premiere high school athletic facilities in all of northeast Ohio. With more than 85 percent of the student body involved in athletics, it is exciting that, upon completion of these transformational projects, we'll be able to have all of our teams practicing and playing in state-of-the-art facilities.�

- Sean O'Toole Athletic Director

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• Memorial -

This list includes all alumni and family members of alumni and faculty/staff who passed away before February 1, 2019.

Gilmour Academy expresses sympathy to the families of the following: CHARLES J. DOYLE ’57 TERESE ASMAN G.O. ’73, sister of Suzanne Asman Weber G.O. ’76 LAWRENCE P. DALY ’72 MATTHEW P. FIGGIE ’84, father of Madeline ’25; brother of Mark ’74; uncle of Harry IV ’02 and Catherine ’03 Figgie JOSEPH R. SCAROLA, JR. ’76 MICHAEL F. VELOTTA, JR. ’50, brother of Robert ’52; grandfather of Maria Donaldson ’05; uncle of Christiane Rader ’87

Our sympathy is also extended to the families of the following: LOUIS J. AMER, father of Michael ’71 and Kevin ’80 Amer ROSEMARIE AMSTADT, mother of Mary Amstadt Ricotta G.O. ’74 and Denise Amstadt Voss ’84 MARY CATHERINE ANCHORS, grandmother of Michael ’88, Christopher ’90 and Colleen ’96 Kiely MARJORIE A. BALDWIN, former Gilmour Academy Upper School instructor CARL S. BARTOLONE, grandfather of Madison ’14 and William ’16 Levand and Jackson ’17 and Reegan ’19 Clark ELIZABETH BOOHER, grandmother of Gilmour associate athletic director Kristy Booher Angelo JUANITA J. BYRD, grandmother of Bethany ’08 and Amber ’13 Byrd PETER P. CARLIN, longtime friend of Gilmour Academy

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CAROLE A. CARR, Gilmour Trustee, former Gilmour Academy employee, wife of Gilmour Trustee David D. Carr, and step-mother of David M. Carr ’79

REGINA M. DOWIDCHUK, mother of George ’86, Alex ’87, Katrina ’88 and Alexis ’90 Dowidchuk; mother-in-law of John Wenstrup ’90

DOMENIC CAPORALE, father of Ray Caporale ’81; uncle of Raymond Screnci ’86; great uncle of Rocco Screnci ’13

JOHN M. ERB, SR., father of John, Jr. ’75 (deceased), William ’78 and Kurt ’82 Erb

ROBERT R. CLOUGH, uncle of David Clough ’92

JOHN T. FAGAN, father of James ’91, Daniel ’96 and John (Gilmour Academy swim coach) Fagan

BOB DeANGELO, Gilmour Academy maintenance department staff member

JANE B. FAVRET, mother of Thomas ’69 and John ’73 Favret

ANTHONY DeGIROLAMO, grandfather of Payton ’13 and Logan ’18 Wright

DANIEL A. FINELLI, father of Caitlin ’09 and Kiera ’11 Finelli

LUCIA DEL PRETE, mother of Tony Del Prete ’95

ROBERT C. FISHER, former Gilmour Academy trustee; father of Joseph ’78 and Allen ’80 Fisher

GUIDO DiVINCENZO, father-in-law of Nancy DiVincenzo, Gilmour Academy nurse DOROTHY O’NEILL DONAHEY, sister of William J. O’Neill, Jr. ’51; grandmother of Megan Donahey ’12

NORBERT FOXX, father of Norbert Foxx II ’85 STEVE FUDALI, uncle of Kara Dolling, Gilmour Academy athletic trainer

GILMOUR MEMORIALS

MATTHEW GALLATIN, brother of Krista Gallatin ’83

ANNE MALCARNEY, mother of Eric Malcarney ’17

JOHN SBATELLA, grandfather of Anthony ’19 and Vincent ’21 Bandwen

LILLIAN GALOSE, grandmother of Sophia Garofalo ’21

PATRICIA MAWBY, grandmother of Brittan ’07, Madison ’08 and Allison ’11 Mawby

VIJAY SINGLA, brother of Neena Goel, Gilmour Academy Upper School instructor; uncle of Nikhil ’13 and Nupur ’17 Goel

DOROTHY A. MAY, grandmother of Gabrielle DeFrancesco ’11

RICHARD SLATER, brother of Deborah Marcum, Gilmour Academy Lower School instructor

PATRICIA GARBO, mother of Flippi Garbo ’03 EMMELYNE GAUJEAN, mother of Max Gaujean ’81; aunt of Stephan Havas ’86 LINDA GEIGER, mother of Michelle Geiger Switka ’85 and Ruth Geiger Lasecki ’86; grandmother of Lily Switka ’18 and Isabella ’22 and Nicholas ’23 Lasecki THOMAS M. HAFFEY, father-in-law of Christopher Anton ’78 MICHAEL J. HAMMER, brother of Peter Hammer ’76; uncle of Scott Zettlemeyer ’90 and Michelle Zettlemeyer Aleshire ’91 and Jessica Hammer ’09

WILLIAM McGINLEY, grandfather of Elizabeth Edmondson, Gilmour Academy director of curriculum; great-grandfather of Mollie ’21 and Abbey ’23 Edmondson MARGART MEYER, wife of Michael Meyer, former Gilmour Academy instructor AGNES MUHIC, grandmother of Matthew Muhic, Gilmour Academy technology associate BARRY NICHOLS, uncle of Duncan Nichols-Delay ’19

PAMELA M. HICKEY, RSCJ, former Glen Oak instructor

JOSEPH H. NOOK, JR., brother of William Nook ’62

PRISCILLA WISHARD HOBBS, grandmother of Noah Hirshman ’09

ROSEMARY M. O’BRIEN, grandmother of Timothy ’06

NANCY JUNGLAS, wife of Donald ’51 (deceased); mother of William ’77 and Philip ’83; grandmother of Jessica ’88 and Timothy ’02 Junglas; mother-in-law of Lynn Kriessler '83

VIOLET T. ONDREY, mother of James Ondrey ’74; grandmother of Clare Ondrey Carr ’03

NABIL KHOURY, father of Michael Khoury ’99 RONALD KEIM, uncle of Olivia Hunyadi ’20 LYNN KILGORE, niece of Br. Robert Lavelle, C.S.C., headmaster emeritus RAYMOND W. KING, JR., father-in-law of Elizabeth Blanchfield, Gilmour Academy senior annual giving officer GERALDINE LAZZARO, mother of Thomas ’82 ANNA MAE LESKO, grandmother of Adam Lesko ’05 WAYNE LOBUE, former Gilmour Upper School instructor; father of Daniel ’82 and Paul ’83

RICHARD A. OVIATT, father of Katherine Oviatt Livingston ’89; grandfather of Leonard ’09, Madeline ’10 and John ’12 DeFino; father-in-law of David Livingston ’90 SCOTT POLISH, father of Carson Polish ’18 JOANNE RANDAZZO, mother of Jennifer Moe, Gilmour Academy Lower School instructor; grandmother of Ava Moe ’22 GERALD REYE, great-uncle of Devin ’18 and Reese ’21 Fedele CONSTANCE J. RICHARDSON, mother of Darci Sanders, Gilmour Academy nature-based learning coordinator BERNARD J. RILEY, longtime friend and supporter of Our Lady Chapel and Gilmour Academy

HESTER J. SMITH, grandmother of AVI associate Carleton Smith SARA SPICUZZA, cousin of Fr. John Blazek, C.S.C. ’58, Our Lady Chapel campus minister FLOYD STEFANSKI, father of Brian ’05, Gavin ’07, Evan ’11 and Amanda ’13 Stefanski; brother of Ben ’56 and Marc ’72 Stefanski; father-in-law of Jill Stefanski, Gilmour Academy Lower School instructor NORMAN J. STIH, uncle of Tracy Stockard, Gilmour Academy director of college counseling TERESA SULLIVAN, former Gilmour Academy Business Office staff member; aunt of Kelly Kearney, former Gilmour Academy chief financial officer; great-aunt of Christopher ’09 and Bridget ’13 Kearney DORIS TAINER, mother of Diane Tainer Bickett G.O. ’80, Daniel ’80 and Christopher ’86 Tainer; mother-in-law of Timothy Bickett ’80 JANET TASSI, mother of Arthur Tassi ’72; grandmother of Holly Tassi ’06 DOMINIC JAMES TAYEK, son of Douglas Tayek ’00; nephew of Gabrielle Steiner ’04 CARL TEGEL, grandfather of Frank ’76 and Carl ’78 Tegel ROBERT TOMSICH, grandfather of Blake Fountain ’16 BARBARA TRISKETT, grandmother of Kelly Strand ’03 RICK TUSSEL, uncle of Jason Wesley ’20

LYNNE SALAY, former Gilmour Academy staff member; mother of Kyle Salay ’97

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KATHERINE C. VAIL, grandmother of Kristen Vail Connell ’97 JEAN M. VANTINE, grandmother of Michael Howley ’01 and Margaret Howley Mitkus ’03 JACQUELINE VELOTTA, daughter-inlaw of Michael Velotta, Jr. ’50 (deceased) VERNON E. WEBER, retired Gilmour Academy coach, athletic director and instructor; husband of Beverly Weber (deceased), former Gilmour Academy instructor; father of Larry ’73, Terry ’76 and Tony ’80 Weber, Tracey Stoffer G.O. ’78 and Heidi Herten ’84; grandfather of Hope ’13 and James ’15 Herten; father-in-law of Kevin Stoffer ’76 JOAN B. WRIGHT, mother of Robert Wright ’71 JUNE C. ZAVAGNO, grandmother of Michael ’11 and Katharine ’14 Zavagno

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“Those we hold most dear never truly leave us; they live on in the kindness they shared and the love they brought into our lives.”

GILMOUR MEMORIALS

In Memoriam: Carole Carr

T

he life and legacy of Carole Carr, who died on October 31, was celebrated in Our Lady Chapel on November 10, amidst friends and colleagues who realized the significance of the quote in the memorial program: “Those we hold most dear never truly leave us; they live on in the kindness they shared and the love they brought into our lives.”

The love and kindness that Carole shared with Gilmour Academy will certainly live on and her impact will be felt long after her passing. Her Gilmour story began in 1977 when she began working in the Business Office as the Business Manager. Tasked with fiscal oversight for the school, she worked closely with Finance Committee members David Carr and Vince Chiarucci. In 1982, Carole and David were married and together they served on the Board of Trustees and championed Gilmour for the next four decades. Their leadership and support impacted the endowment, the scholarship program, renovation of the campus and support for new facilities.

Carole was involved in so many initiatives at Gilmour through the years, always leading with the highest level of professionalism and a fierce commitment to the cause. She and close friend, Carole Keating, co-chaired the school’s first major benefit in 1984 to celebrate the opening of Figgie Field House. Her leadership in school auctions was pivotal and most memorable was the 50th anniversary gala in 1996, when Carole and her committee transformed the fieldhouse into an elegant sea of roses filled with 800 people and the largest Silent Auction the school has ever seen. She spearheaded the fundraising efforts for the renovation of Gilmour’s Classroom Building in 1998 and chaired the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Kelley Middle School in 2004. In 2014, Carole and former Trustee and past parent Tom Marrie chaired the corporate sponsorships committee for the Evening in Paris fundraiser, raising close to $300,000 through their focused efforts.

And in 2015, Carole and David hosted an extravaganza, complete with a live band and fireworks to rival any 4th of July celebration, at their home to celebrate Kathy Kenny’s appointment as Head of School.

While Carole was behind so many of these high-profile initiatives and events for Gilmour, she and David did just as much behind the scenes, away from the spotlight. They steadfastly donated to the

Annual Fund and were founding members of the Blue and Gray Society. Their support impacted other campus initiatives, including technology, the Faith in Our Future campaign, the Holy Cross Restoration Fund, the Holy Cross Heritage Fund, an endowment for Tudor House, the Promise & Renewal campaign, the Gilmour Golf Classic in Memory of Charlie Tremont ’70 and The Lorraine & Bill Dodero Center for Performing Arts. In 2013, the couple started a scholarship in memory of Carole’s mother, Annie Kuznik, which has been awarded each year since to a qualified student. In addition to this named scholarship, the pair has quietly supported many students during their years at Gilmour, never looking for recognition or fanfare.

Kathy Kenny, Head of School and longtime friend of Carole Carr, said of her impact, “Since the day I started at Gilmour in 1978, Carole was a positive force. She set the bar very high for herself and expected the same from others.

Carole had an incredible talent for gathering people from all professions and interests, and holding them close. In turn, she widened the network and expanded the potential for every nonprofit to which she committed. Gilmour is blessed that she and David were so devoted to our Holy Cross mission and our growth as an independent school.”

In addition to her loyal support at Gilmour, Carole lent her leadership, expertise and generosity to a number of other organizations throughout the city of Cleveland. She led University Hospitals’ Five Star Sensation for years, raising more than $20 million for patient care, research and supportive programs and services at UH’s Seidman Cancer Center. She was a trustee at Cuyahoga Community College and an ardent supporter of Playhouse Square and Providence House.

She also at one time served on the board of The Cleveland Ballet.

Carole was a friend to so many and truly cherished her family.

She leaves behind her beloved husband, David; Cathy Merckens and David M. Carr ’79 (Angela); grandchildren Samantha and Charlotte Merckens and Joseph, Justin and Michael Carr; and great-grandson James. Auntie Carole had dozens of nieces and nephews who join her family, and our Gilmour family, in mourning her loss and celebrating her life with gratitude.

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Gilmour Academy 34001 Cedar Road Gates Mills, Ohio 44040-9356

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“Our kids are going to change the world and it is our commitment to give them the support, structure, skills and encouragement to do so.�

- Kathy Kenny Head of School