Moravian Academy’s 7th Head of School, Adrianne Finley Odell, poses with students Lily Richardson ’32 and Wenlan Zhao ’32, on a chair made of 9,600 LEGO bricks by Downtown and Swain Campus students for her Installation Ceremony. Read more on pgs. 38-41
SPRING 2023
Features: Defining Excellence for Yourself: A Conversation with Kristin Arend, PhD
This Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard, Olmsted Scholar, and proud alumnus shares his
On this historic day, our school, like our students, considers the questions: Who am I and who can I become?
OUR MISSION
Moravian Academy’s mission empowers us to become limitless learners as we discover new ideas and create new self-expressions. We do more than check boxes; we celebrate the unique potential of every individual. Our path to academic excellence harnesses the teachable moments of both success and failure, as we explore the complexities of our world with curiosity, confidence, and compassion. Our commitment to courageous conversations means that we actively learn from and support the different identities we embody, we respect each other’s views, and we lead with head and heart. Immersed in an environment of love and understanding, our students answer the questions: Who am I and who can I become?
The theme of this issue of the Journal is excellence. As someone who knows our school well, this likely does not surprise you. Moravian Academy has long been synonymous with excellence in education in the Lehigh Valley. Our students’ genuine curiosity leads them to make discoveries and pursue artistic self-expressions, resulting in excellent outcomes.
The care and passion our students channel into their work is the true mark of excellence. Hanning Yan ‘25 won a prestigious writing award for a poem that paid tribute to the stories and experiences of her mother (pg. 3), while Okezue Bell ‘23 presented on the world stage of a climate conference because of his commitment to making a difference for our planet (pg. 4). Sophia Brancato ‘27 and Lia Nnenkwo ‘28 earned grant money to fund the “Day of Joyful Giving” because they understand the importance of serving their community (pg. 10).
As LCDR Rory Yoder ‘06MA will tell you (pg. 38), “excellence is a habit.” The Lions and their coaches showed us what this looks like in practice, with the boys soccer team bringing home one PIAA State Championship (pg. 32) and cross-country runner Virginia Kraus ‘26 running her heart out to bring home another (pg. 35).
Kristin Arend, PhD ‘92MA offers this advice (pg. 24): “Define excellence for yourself.” These words resonate with us as we reflect on the installation ceremony of Head of School Adrianne Finley Odell. On a historical occasion like this, it was important to Ms. Finley Odell that the ceremony be fun, joyful, musical, and--above all else--centered around what this next chapter means for our students. The strength of our collective community is a huge part of what generations of alumni and families have attributed to our continued excellence.
As you read about the experiences of students, alumni, and faculty from the Swain, Downtown, and Merle-Smith Campuses, we hope you will reflect on what excellence means to you, and find inspiration in the excellence (and compassion, curiosity, and courage!) of our community.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Vasta Director of Marketing & Communications Julia Fox & Amanda Kulakowski Associate Directors of CommunicationsThe Moravian Academy Journal is published two times per year. Unless otherwise noted, articles may be reprinted with credit to Moravian Academy.
Julia Fox
Stephanie Vasta
Imagevolution
Adrianne Finley Odell
Anika Agrawal ’23
Bud Brennan
Katie Buczynski
Dylan Deal
Darah Donaher
Kevin Ferdinand
Julia Fox
Ingrid Gerber
Tarik Haddad
Gracie Hylton ’23
Amanda Kulakowski
Matt Laubscher
Michele Leheup
Brian Lonabocker
Jennifer Mitchell
Rev. Jennifer Nichols
Adrianne Finley Odell
Manny Oudin
Susan Parent
Karin Reger
Grace Sanvito
Adrian Sauers
Cole Wisdo
Brian Yang ’25
Marc Yerrington
Bob Zaiser
Marco Calderon
Nathan Diehl
Darah Donaher
Julia Fox
Amanda Kulakowski
Heather Manning
Jennifer Mitchell
Susan Parent
Sara Polefka
Brad Pomeroy
Grace Sanvito
Adrian Sauers
Stephanie Vasta
Lindsay Woodruff
Sam Woodruff ’31
Bob Zaiser
Office of Institutional Advancement
7 East Market Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Office of Communications
7 East Market Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
my mother grew up poor in eastern china and when i was little she whispered to me (like a secret like a story like a prayer) that when the days were good her father, my grandfather, would bring back a single orange for their family to share. she told me that peeling that orange, that little ball of gold, felt like holding all the riches in the world. their family of four would get two wedges each and even on dark winter nights next to the fire each pocket of juice was a drop of sun.
(in china oranges are a sign of long life. prosperity. they are new year’s gifts. they bring good luck. they are the color of glowing gold, to give an orange is a shining sign of wealth.)
when she moved to america, my mother had nothing. coming to a new, strange country for the wisps of hope for a brighter future, isolated from friends and family, without the worldly comforts of 16 years of life. and then:
in her college’s dining hall there was always a bowl of fruit stocked with sweet oranges. a sign of the american dream. a sweet-smelling prophecy. the oranges my grandfather worked so hard for in such a casual bounty, like the plastic bowl was filled with little round miracles. with little pieces of hope.
(in the united states oranges are just a fruit. they are $1.99 per pound at the store because they are grown in abundance and often thrown away, merely another cheap fruit for the cafeteria.)
By Julia FoxHanning Yan '25 is a national gold medalist in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her poem
"The Significance of Small Suns."
Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation's longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. The program has an impressive legacy of being the first to acknowledge creative talent and is today's largest source of scholarships for creative teens.
i think my mother made it. she graduated college, became a working woman, married my father, gave birth to my brother and me. the american dream: a house in suburbia, two kids running around in the backyard. and every sunday when my father goes for groceries, he always comes back with two netted bags filled with the oranges that have followed behind my mother her whole life. my brother and i eat oranges by the handful. as my mother peels the skin off another clementine and passes it to my outstretched fingers i think that she is handing me a priceless gift. we will never have to be hungry the way she was. we will never know what it was like: to be cold and tired, to feel such joy from two little wedges, carefully pried apart. who knew one orange could mean so much?
By Julia Fox
In November 2022, Egypt hosted the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh.
In attendance at COP27—among the heads of state and scientists, policy-makers and activists, ministers and global citizens—was Okezue Bell ’23. For Okezue, curiosity about the potential to innovate through cellular agriculture ignited a keen interest in sustainable food systems and the possibility of creating exacting change to combat the climate crisis.
“I was initially intrigued by the science,” he says. “But then I started writing articles about it, and as I delved further into research, I started to realize that my biggest contribution could probably be in getting other young people to want to adopt these solutions. Because as the market transitions over to young people, we’re the ones who will need to buy into these solutions for their impact to be realized.”
Okezue’s desire to educate other youth found him conducting virtual and in-person workshops with schools in our area and around the globe. In this way, he had the “really cool” experience of connecting with people in places like Uganda, Kenya, and Syria. “It was through that work that I was invited by several different organizations affiliated with the United Nations to come to COP27, be a speaker, but to also participate in the discourse at large.”
More than 2,000 speakers presented on 300+ topics, but most notable to Okezue were the conversations surrounding accountability and complacency. His conference presentation focused on what he considers to be the next step in climate justice: to advocate for the solutions that are already being built and to ensure those solutions are inclusive. Seeing the diverse representation at the conference from indigenous and people of color as well as people from underresourced areas underscored a core theme in Okezue’s message: “The climate agenda has to be one where everyone wins.”
Now home from Egypt and inspired by the progress made at the conference, Okezue hopes to share his expertise with his peers at Moravian Academy. He plans to partner with Green Team, educate students here on the solutions he has extensively researched, and bring more voices into the climate action conversation.
By Brian Yang ’25
For my science fair project this year, I correlated 531,799 radon measurements from 241 zip codes in five PA counties (Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Bucks and Philadelphia) and correlated it to the geology of these counties in order to assess if there was a correlation between radon level and rock type.
My analysis found that there is a statistically significant correlation between elevated radon levels and sedimentary rock, notably shale. The strength of my study lies in the sheer number of radon measurements, 531,799 measurements, which were obtained over 32 years. (1990-2022). Of the five counties, Lehigh County, had the highest average radon measurements of 11.5 pCi/L.
Why is this significant? Radon is a carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon has also been associated with the development of other cancers such as breast cancer, melanoma, and hematologic malignancies. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends mitigation if tests come back higher than 4 pCi/L, which is the equivalent to smoking 8 cigarettes/day or 200 chest x-rays/year. Unfortunately, radon testing is not required in
Pennsylvania, the state with the third highest average radon in the nation. An improved understanding of the relationship between geology and radon levels could help us focus on where to concentrate testing.
I presented my data at the 2023 Lehigh Valley Science and Engineering Research Fair which took place on March 10, 2023, at Lehigh University. I also competed at the Delaware Valley Science Fair at the Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
I had the privilege of presenting my study to PA State Rep, Milou Mackenzie, who represents District 131, the district with some of the highest levels of radon ever measured in the US. I also presented my study to PA State Rep, Mike Schlossberg, who represents District 132, which also has high levels of radon. I also had the opportunity to present my study to the Upper Saucon Township Environmental Board. It has been a great experience to meet with local state representatives in order to raise awareness of this environmental carcinogen and to press for more testing.
In the seventh-grade Life Science classes, students explored the amazing intricacies of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Throughout the unit, students built their own DNA models to explain the complex structure and properties of DNA before extracting actual DNA from organisms!
By Jennifer Mitchell
The Swain Campus sixth-grade science classes spent the second trimester researching and making jumbo replicas of plant cell organelles to create a cell installation in the science room. Once the plant cell installation was complete, students and faculty from all grades were invited to move through the cell member and enter for an immersive plant cell experience and student-led tour.
Tour guides in order of appearance
• Ryan James Doherty ’29
• Elise Gorigoitia Koprowski ’29
• Derrick “DJ” Lamont Brown ’29
• Nyomi Zanaya Russell ’29
Seventh-grade students led fourth-grade students on tours of the cell model and thoughtfully adorned each organelle with a QR code so the younger students could learn more about each organelle’s functionality. Just two weeks prior, fourth grade created their own models of animal cells using food items such as dried fruits for organelles and whipped cream for cytoplasm, a culminating activity of their learning about cells.
The eighth-grade designers have been busy working to complete their Engineering & Design independent projects in The Imaginate Center.
This trimester the Swain Campus makerspace has been full of hands-on learning, critical thinking, and safe fun! Using our digital design space and workshop, Swain Campus student leaders have created a variety of projects that highlight both their skills and interests. From push go-carts, pet rabbit enclosures, to a functional traditional boomerang, these young adults have impressed Engineering and Design teacher Mr. Sauers with their abilities.
Through the design process, our students have celebrated successes and have overcome obstacles in this fully
independent pursuit. Our makerspace is truly a place of self-discovery and creates an environment where students can have fun while learning valuable lessons in project management and material/tool understanding. These projects are the culmination of years of hard work empowering kids to do complicated tasks themselves.
Projects Include:
• Glass Case: Leland Naylor ’27
• Epoxy and Wood Table: Emma Sophia Estrada ’27
• Push Go Kart: Porter David Fegley ’27 and Jack Robert Duerholz ’27
• Table Top Game: Mirai Ambrose-John ’27
The second-grade students on the Swain Campus recently designed, built, and tested out snow sleds they built during Engineering and Design class.
After the recent snowfall, second-grade students were able to test out their sled designs with great success. Prior to constructing their creations, students learned about friction, absorption, and the parts of traditional snow sleds. Our second-graders then drew designs individually and were assigned to small groups. Collaboration and compromise were essential skills when the small groups selected materials from a variety of options and while they combined individual ideas. The students drew and cut out templates and traced them onto the selected materials. Extra add-ons and design flair gave each sled a unique look. All the sleds proved to be fast and sturdy!
Special thanks to Moravian Academy alum and current parent, Ted Rosenberger ’84 MA, for bringing out the snowmaker and creating a snow hill!
By Darah Donaher
On Tuesday, October 11, two students from the Community Service Elective, Sophia Brancato ’27 and Lia Nnenkwo ’28, presented a grant application for the Swain Campus “Day of Joyful Giving” to the TeenWorks Board. They received the full funding of $1,000.00 as well as a generous donation of another $200.00 from the Krysta Hankee Memorial Fund!
TeenWorks is a board made up of teens and adults through United Way of the Lehigh Valley funded by labor unions to encourage and fund young, local applicants who want to better their communities. This year Community Service has partnered with Joyful Giving, a 501(c)(3) volunteer-based non-profit organization that packages essential items that look and feel like gifts to create joy. The elective hopes to bring the joy of making a difference to Swain by
assembling joy maker bags with the entire school. There is a shared purpose for both the recipient and assembler of Joy Maker bags: GIVE JOY, GET JOY.
On November 22, the Community Service Elective ran “Day of Joyful Giving” where every student and their buddy made Joy Maker Bags together! The elective spent time learning about and researching different nonprofits that support youth in the Lehigh Valley and decided on a few where these bags will go, like Reilly Children’s Hospital, Promise Neighborhoods, and Sixth Street Shelter.
By Julia Fox
The Moravian Academy community has a world record holder in its midst: Mayuka Karthik ’24 holds a world record and earned Guinness record participation for Indian classical dance—Bharatanatyam.
On December 17, 2022, Mauka participated in an Indian Classical Dance (Bharatanatyam) World Record Event organized by International Carnatic Musicians and Dancers Association. The event comprised of ~9,000 dancers from around the world who participated online to execute a 15 min non-stop dance performance depicting the devotional aspects of Mother Durga, The Hindu Goddess of Power.
Earlier in August 2022, she also participated in a Guinness World Record event conducted by the world renowned Indian classical Dance Guru, Shri Madurai Muralidharan, where ~900 dancers danced online for 30 minutes non- stop for performance in praise of Tamil, the ancient Indian Dravidian language.
First grade activated their inner scientist, geared up for fun, and experimented with baking soda and vinegar!
First-grade science has been learning about science laboratory tools and how to safely do experiments. Students practiced measuring and mixing materials in the science lab while being safe and using proper protective equipment.
Students set up and performed their own chemical reactions by combining an acid (white vinegar) with a base (baking soda). When an acid and a base are combined, they react to neutralize each other which results in the release of carbon dioxide as an explosion of bubbles!
Students choose their own color for their reaction and got to witness the explosion up close!
By Cole Wisdo
Honors Chemistry got competitive in our Stoichiometry Olympics this week! Students chose teams of 4 or 5 to partake in a series of three events: Trashketball, A Balancing Act, and the Stoichiometry Relay. During these events, teams earned points by completing a variety of stoichiometry related challenges. In Trashketball, teams practiced nomenclature and calculating molar mass before shooting their answers at a basket for points. In A Balancing Act, teams raced to balance a chemical equation and then cross a series of “balance beams” to earn points. In the Stoichiometry Relay, teams completed a relay around the chemistry building before solving a stoichiometry problem related to determining the amount of moles, mass, volume, or number of particles in a reaction. At the end of the three events, the teams with the most points claimed victory and medals to commemorate their wins.
Want to read more stories about the teaching and learning excellence happening in Mr. Wisdo’s science lab? Scan the code to visit the blog!
Students learn to code beginning in first grade at the Downtown Campus with the opportunity to take their skills all the way to AP courses or the competitive robotics team at Merle-Smith. Along the way, they flex their creativity, grow their skills, and are inspired by female role models in STEM.
When Sara Polefka ‘87MA teaches fifthgraders how to do what she calls “word coding,” she says, “You would think I’ve handed them a pile of brownies on a plate. They think it’s the coolest thing ever.”
She’s referring to introducing students to languages Python and Java. It’s a part of the coding program she launched nearly a decade ago for first through fifth-grade students at the Downtown Campus. Younger learners begin with block coding through a program hosted by Code.org, and eventually move up to programs like Scratch, a highlevel block-based visual programming language. The background knowledge students build in earlier grades gives them the foundation to grasp new concepts and run with them, like conditional and if/then statements
and nested loops. They learn logical sequencing and problem-solving, but it feels like a game and inspires impressive projects.
By third grade, because most students have mastered the basics, they are allowed to work independently at home on their coding projects. For some, this is where their passion and aptitude for coding really begins to shine--students like Mark Zavilevich ‘30. “He’s beyond me right now,” says Polefka with pride. “I have him send his projects to me ahead of time so I can do them myself to make sure I understand how they work.”
Iris Cheng ‘32 is another coding whiz. She beams as she describes her latest project, in which a family of wolves has a conversation. The user can choose which line of dialogue the characters (also illustrated by Cheng) say next, resulting in multiple story lines coded using if/then statements.
Mia Stubbfield ‘30 also enjoys programming her characters to talk and move. “Coding is a great opportunity to connect with yourself,” she says. “Since I want to be a vet someday, I could use coding to create a website for where I work. I really like to code with Python and Java script on Ozaria.”
In the Downtown Campus Middle School, Ryan Berger hopes his coding elective “sparks an interest” in programming. Collaboration is emphasized as students work together to create Scratch games and understand the math needed for their programs
to run. For instance, if students want to draw an eyeball, they need to know how many degrees are in a circle. When someone gets stuck, “one of their neighbors will lean over and help.”
Not everyone will become a professional programmer, but Berger believes the skills they learn are necessary and transferable, like problem solving, patience and perseverance. “They have to learn to go back and go over things repeatedly. We’re just so used to doing a grammar check or a spell check, and it’s done for you. It’s not done for you in coding.”
The “spark” and the skills learned with Berger in middle school are important; they bridge the gap between Polefka’s program and the Merle-Smith Campus’s Upper School program led by math teacher and all-around computer science maven, Ms. Lara Cesco-Cancian.
The computer science curriculum offers an introductory “Programming I” half-credit course, a more advanced independent study, and two AP courses (AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.) There is also an honors-level cyber security course, a Computer Science and Machine Learning Club, and the opportunity to code and engineer robots on the First Robotics Competition Team. For Cesco-Cancian, who teaches math in addition to computer science, it’s important to be a role model for students, especially girls. She says, “My favorite thing is bringing girls into computing and STEM and showing them that they can do it, and it can be girly and it can be fun, and we can have fun in class. It really is everyone’s thing.” As she brings more students into the fold, Cesco-Cancian would love to see her program grow into a full computer science department in the future.
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Allentown mayor, Matt Tuerk visited the Swain Campus second grade to discuss local government.
During the second trimester, secondgrade social studies focus on the structure of the government. Students learn about the three different branches of government, how they operate, and even the different levels of government.
The Mayor of Allentown, PA, Mayor Matt Tuerk came to speak with the second-grade classes. He discussed the
important work of a mayor and shared insight into how the local government operates.
The class was amazed by how welcoming Mayor Tuerk was to everyone in the room. He gave the students great advice for their future government simulation project where they will be acting as senators and representatives.
Finally, we ended with a Q&A session. Students asked thoughtful questions that built their knowledge about how governments operate.
Questions included:
• “What are the steps to become the Mayor?”
- Scarlet Anderson ’33
• “What’s your hobby?”
- Thomas Diez ’33
• “What’s the hardest thing you ever had to do as the Mayor?”
- Micah Tran ’33
• “How do you prioritize things?”
- Lydia Santucci ’33
This was an incredible experience for these students!
By Matt Laubscher
Victoria Jamieson is a New York Times best-selling author, National Book Award Finalist, and Newbery Honor Winner. On March 27, she visited Moravian Academy. Downtown fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth-graders as well as the Swain Middle Schoolers got the chance to meet Victoria as she presented a hands-on demonstration of her artistic and literary skills.
She explained the process of creating a book and drawing their pictures from concept to published work. She walked the students through a step by step instruction on how to draw a character in a story. She then described how she met her amazing co-author, Omar Mohamed, of her newest book When Stars are Scattered and what it was like to work on a graphic novel about life in a refugee camp.
After her presentation, she joined a select handful of students for a lunch with the author. She brought smiles to the faces of students and teachers as she answered questions and signed copies of her book.
For some clubs at the Merle-Smith Campus, membership is about collaboration and camaraderie as much as it is excelling in competition.
By Kevin Ferdinand
The Moravian Academy Upper School Quiz Bowl Team won the PBS39 Scholastic Scrimmage Competition for the second year in a row. This year’s team was entirely new from last year’s successful team, and consisted of two seniors, Ellie Capobianco ’23 and Okezue Bell ’23, and two freshmen, Tyler Shankweiler ’26 and team captain Nathaniel Schmidt ’26. Nathaniel also represented Moravian Academy in the All Stars match.
The team went on to compete at the state PBS contest, finishing second overall. The matches aired on PBS39 and are available to stream online at www.wlvt.org/education/scholastic-scrimmage.
The Moravian Academy Chapter of DECA has returned from an exciting five days in Orlando, Florida where the top DECA finalists from all over the world competed to earn recognition.
Moravian’s chapter had 14 students who qualified for the conference. They joined over 22,000 students who have created some of the most innovative business plans and entrepreneurial marketing campaigns for high school students in the world. Representing Moravian’s chapter this year were:
Sunny Chen ‘24, Abby Dubow ‘25, Ria Gandotra ‘26, Roshen Gandotra ‘23, Kanchan Gupta ‘24, Krish Gupta ‘24, Laura Li ‘26, Katie Lu ‘24, Rayna Malhotra ‘24, Lena Nifong ‘24, Ginevra Toso, Wisdom Ufondu ‘23 and Emma Xu ‘25. (Okezue Bell ‘23 qualified but was unable to attend).
Each student met with judges who evaluated them on the content and innovation of their written work, their presentation and public speaking skills, and their creativity. While all the students did remarkable work, we had two student projects who placed in the top 10 overall for their category.
Wisdom Ufondu ‘23 (and Okezue Bell ‘23) placed in the top 10 with their Innovation Business Plan and Sunny Chen ‘24 & Krish Gupta ‘24 placed top 10 with their Independent Business Plan.
By Bud Brennan
On February 11, 2023, our school hosted its first speech and debate tournament at the Merle-Smith Campus: The MA Invitational. Student competitors from five area schools attended the competition, with Moravian’s speech and debate team leaving the tournament with strong placings:
• Okezue Bell ’23 and Wisdom Ufondu ’23
2nd Place Public Forum
• Rayna Malhotra ’24 and Alizeh Ali ’24
4th Place Public Forum
• Shaan Ailawadi ’26 and Aveer Chadha ’26
6th Place Public Forum
Creative self-expression is an important part of the overall student experience at the Downtown, Swain, and Merle-Smith Campus. Over the fall and winter months, our community enjoyed student performances in the visual and performing arts, including:
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Coffeehouse
• Frozen Jr (The Lower School Players)
• A Year with Frog and Toad (Swain fifth grade)
• Wanda’s World (Swain middle school)
• Winter Musical Performances (Swain Campus)
The mission of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) is to advance comprehensive and innovative music education for all students through quality teaching, rigorous learning, and meaningful music engagement.
Throughout the fall and winter months, students showcase their musical talents in PMEA chorus, orchestra, and band festivals, with a number of students ultimately advancing to all-states.
The annual National Association of Teachers of Singing Vocal Competition Auditions was hosted at Muhlenberg College.
to perform a piece in a recital for the participating vocalists and their friends and families.
By Marc Yerrington
Though the winter has presented us with mild weather this season, our Middle School Ski Club has had a few opportunities to hit the slopes at Bear Creek Mountain Resort. The lessons provided new skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to try the sport, while many were also able to refresh their basic skills and take to the different levels of terrain. These valiant athletes get the chance to grow beyond their comfort level by joining different groups of friends, participating in new experiences and taking risks they know they can handle, with the support of the right people surrounding them.
Comments from students have ranged from “I love that we get the independence to try out what we think we can handle” to “I was ready to quit; I’m so glad I gave it another chance and came back this week! I love skiing!” The skills that these students are developing are invaluable, but even more so are the memories they are creating!
Kristin Arend, PhD ’92MA is a special kind of environmental steward. As a fish biologist for the Bureau of Reclamation in California, she is a careful overseer of the water, protector of the delicate ecosystems and fish populations of The Delta, and a trusted advisor of water operations from the biological perspective.
Her interest in aquatic ecology began as far back as her Upper School years at Moravian Academy. “It was not a surprise to my friends from Moravian that this is the direction I headed,” she says. She remembers fishing on a lake in the Adirondacks and being fascinated by the water. Her curiosity blossomed into a deeper desire to understand the “land to water connection” and the impact of humans on aquatic systems.
After graduating in 1992, Arend attended Oberlin College where she majored in biology. She then took a few years to explore the different avenues her career could take before receiving a master’s degree from Ohio State University studying larval fish and their diets, sparking her interest in aquatic food webs, which then became the focus of her research in a PhD program at Cornell University—specifically fish and food webs in the coastal wetlands around Lake Ontario.
Arend spent some time teaching biology and conservation classes at a small university in Michigan, and while she loved working with students, she missed being in the field. After teaching, she spent seven years as the head of the research program at Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve on Lake Erie.
Now that she is in California at the Bureau of Reclamation, Arend works on what’s called The Delta, which is the upper portion of the San Francisco Bay Estuary. Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the country with a mission to “manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.” There, she works to ensure the Bureau is compliant with environmental and endangered species and marine mammal act protections. She explains:
For some of my work during parts of the year, we do what’s called real time operations management. Every week we’re looking at information on the populations of endangered fish species in the Delta and where they are in their life history. Are they migrating through the estuary? Are they spawning? Are there larva out there? And then we look at that and consider it in the context of water operations.
The idea is to adjust the amount of water being pumped in order to reduce harm done to fish and other organisms that might get sucked toward or into the pumps. Arend also considers how water operations might impact the
occurrence of toxic algae blooms, and how water extraction impacts the ecosystem and endangered fish species. The research, however, is only one side of her job. She’s also a negotiator. Through a process called “structured decision making,” Arend collaborates with state and federal agencies to decide how best to allocate water within the Delta to improve the habitat and food web.
In her career, Arend sees excellence as maintaining scientific integrity, focusing on solutions as opposed to problems, fostering strong and positive collaborations and working relationships, and providing guidance and opportunities to students and early-career professionals. When asked what advice she has for current MA students, Arend doesn’t hesitate. “Find your own path,” she says. “Define excellence for yourself. Don’t feel pressure to fit into some societal or discipline-specific definition of excellence.”
As clear as the lake water that first ignited Arend’s curiosity of aquatic wildlife, her path to excellence was one that always seemed to lead toward being a protector of the fish and their ecosystems.
“ Find your own path. Define excellence for yourself. Don’t feel pressure to fit into some societal or discipline-specific definition of excellence.
Star-gazing from our Spring Break campsite, we spotted the crescent moon. “Look, it’s Ramadan!” I said. “Happy Ramadan,” said my third-grade daughter. Then we went on, trying to pick out constellations. As Christians, we don’t celebrate Ramadan, but we do celebrate our Muslim friends. This is a gift we have received from Moravian Academy.
Ours is an interfaith community. We welcome and include people from all faiths, and none. We don’t just make room for one another, we celebrate and learn from each other. From student panels and presentations to class projects and community events, there are many ways that we celebrate and share.
Holidays tend to come in clusters, as diverse cultures experience similar longings at similar times of year. In the fall, as days grow shorter, there are beautiful celebrations of light. Spring holidays share common themes of liberation, hope, and renewal. We have a choice when we talk about religion and culture: to focus on what separates us, or on what we hold in common. Holi, Ramadan, Passover and Easter each occur on a lunar calendar (making their Gregorian dates change every year). Think about our ancestors, hundreds and thousands of years ago, all marking time by the moon, by the meaning and mystery of the night sky. When I look up at night, I feel a spiritual connection to those whose stories I inherited, and to those whose stories belong to my students, colleagues and friends. These stories
call us toward remembrance and renewal, liberation and love, and a greater balance with the rhythms of the universe.
When we consider our distinctives, toward a more complete education and a fuller sense of belonging, we have another choice: to set ourselves apart from one another, or to learn from and celebrate one another. In 1632, early Moravian thinker, John Amos Comenius, wrote: “The sun sends its rays upon us directly, paying no heed that we look askance at one another. The rose smells sweetly to the Jew and the Christian and to the Muslim too.” It’s a gift to have such forward, inclusive thinking as a building block for our modern school, especially as we seek a common identity from three unique and beautiful campus cultures.
We don’t all see or understand the world in the same way. Ancient Greeks looked up at the night sky and saw Orion. The Navajo called these stars “Atse Ats’oosi,” pictured sometimes with a bow and arrow, ready to defend, and sometimes with a digging stick, ready to plant and grow food to feed his people.
We don’t all see the world in the same way, but because of that, we can be one another’s teachers. We are, after all, a community dedicated to learning and growth. It’s a great privilege of our diverse community that we can learn from one another’s stories, and then return to our own with greater depth and insight.
The Women’s Awareness Club hosted a Women’s History Month Chapel in March 2023. Students played a Kahoot! to learn about important dates, statistics, and figures in Women’s History, a lot of which were surprising to most people. We listened to powerful speeches from Peyton Lauden ’26, Gracie Hylton ’23, Ava Noel ’24, and Audrey Boucher ’23. There were also readings from Anika Agrawal ’23, Emily Cho ’24, and our advisor, Mrs. Weems. The rest of the club members came together on stage to share anonymous stories from women and girls in our community about how identifying as a woman has impacted their school experiences.
This Chapel provided a space for our community to reflect on gender biases and hear the personal experiences of their peers, which put gender issues into a different perspective. Often, people consider these problems more deeply when they affect people they know personally. The audience was moved and inspired by the reflections. We finished Chapel with an emotional performance of Pink’s “Perfect” by the Women’s Chorale.
By Dylan Deal
The humble educator knows there is as much to learn from our students as there is knowledge to impart. And sometimes, the lesson is so powerful it becomes a paradigm for other lessons or a fixed lens through which we see ourselves and others more clearly.
February’s Black Student Union Chapel shook the foundations, to borrow from Paul Tillich, so that we, with a cornerstone of justice, belonging, and love, can build ourselves and our community up to be a beacon for those in need of such revelation. We move closer to being that beloved community and the moral imperative to be radically hospitable thanks to the courage and authenticity of our BSU. Thanks go to panel speakers Meliane Teleo ’25, Jeswill Equngkem ’25, Janiyah Ross ’25, Sai Rukambe ’25, Melanie-Rose Wentum ’25, Nadia Ali ’25, Okezue Bell ’23, and Monah Mitchell ’23.
In and outside of the classroom, our faculty uphold our standard of excellence as they share their knowledge with their students and in their communities.
Dr. Abby Mahone, Director of the Downtown Campus, was one of six women in Lehigh University’s Educational Leadership doctoral program to serve as a panelist in an event entitled “Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Many Paths for Lehigh Valley Women in Education.” According to Lehigh, ”The event created a space for interactions between existing educational leaders and aspiring educational leaders to increase knowledge around leadership topics and ignite ideas throughout the Lehigh Valley in an inspiring environment.”
Faculty and assistant coach of the varsity boys soccer team at Moravian Academy, Fernando Carrizo, attended and presented at the United Soccer Coaches Convention from January 11-15, 2023. The United Soccer Coaches is one of the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organizations that serves members at every level of the game. Coaches from across the US, Mexico, and Europe took part in the Convention in Philadelphia, where Carrizo proudly represented our community—he was the only Lehigh Valley soccer coach to present a field session. Carrizo, who has been coaching youth and semi-pro soccer for over 25 years, presented a “Passing/Receiving” clinic, instructing participants on first touch, proper technique with both feet, opening up the body to receive the ball, communication, weight of the pass, and work rate.
Dave Sommers, Spanish teacher at the Merle-Smith Campus, spent a semester away from campus traveling and teaching in Latin America, in partnership with the Moravian Church’s Board of World Mission. After previously participating in a retreat in Peru, Sommers was invited to a conference in Panama for Moravian Church members, leaders, and pastors. “My role was to give a morning workshop on the use of art and teaching and how you can expand your range of teaching and communicating through the use of visual art,” he says.
Sommers not only spent time demonstrating the importance of integrating art into teaching as a gateway to meaningful conversations, but he also focused on his own craft. His painting of Green Pond, a familiar view for our community, is displayed in the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Learn more about his art at www.davidsommersart.com.
After clinching the District XI title for the tenth consecutive year, the boys soccer team headed to the PIAA state championship game, where they won 2-1 in 2OT against Winchester Thurston.
As coach George Andriko ‘07MA told lehighvalleylive.com in Decade of dominance: Moravian Academy boys soccer wins 10th straight District 11 title, “This feeling never gets old.”
The Lions dominated the season with excellent performances by the team as a unit, but it was Trey Sheeler ‘23 who scored both of the goals that won the Lions their third championship game (previously won in 2014 and 2019). Sheeler told lehighvalleylive.com: “It’s just unbelievable. It’s just like the culmination of four years. I’m just speechless, it’s amazing.”
By Manny Oudin and Julia Fox
The Lions took on Pine Grove with a score of 1-0 to clinch yet another District XI Championship on November 2, 2022.
“It’s an unreal feeling.” Izzy Tran ‘24 told lehighvalleylive.com. “Five years in a row, I’m lucky to be a part of three of them and it’s hard to describe. It’s like floating on a cloud.”
It takes a lot of talent, a lot of trust, and a lot of tireless practice to make a championship tradition. “It’s a great experience, I’m so thankful for it. I’m so thankful for this team that is able to go through it with me. This team has a lot of sophomores so these guys are going to be with me till the end and go through this journey,” Angelena Deluhery ‘25 said. “I’m so hyped that we got it this year.”
While the girls ultimately fell to South Williamsport in the PIAA quarterfinals, the promising team will look to take it all the way to the PIAA state championships in fall 2023.
By Manny Oudin
Monday, October 3, was a good day on the links for the golf team! The team earned a silver medal in the District team competition. Evan Eichenlaub ‘23 and Mara Dubacher ‘26 both won gold medals in the individual titles and advanced to the PIAA State Championships.
On December 25, 2022, The Morning Call announced that golfer Evan Eichenlaub ‘23 was named one of its players of the year. Below is an excerpt from “All-area golf: Liberty earns team, coach of the year honors; Matt Vital, Moravian Academy’s Evan Eichenlaub share player of the year award” by Tom Housenick for The Morning Call.
“Matt Vital shares the golfer of the year award with Moravian Academy’s Evan Eichenlaub [...] Eichenlaub won the Colonial League and District 11 2A championships this season and finished fourth at states.”
“Eichenlaub shot 4-under to cruise to the league title, then survived an 18th-hole lip out by Palmerton’s Tyler Hager to win the district crown on the first extra hole. The Lions senior was at the top of the leader board at states with four holes to play before finishing fourth.”
“He consistently improved his game throughout his four-year career to the point where he was in contention in every event this season.”
Congratulations, Evan, on an incredible season and this well deserved community recognition.
By Manny Oudin and Julia Fox
Hailed as the “freshman phenom,” cross-country runner Virginia Kraus ‘26 wasted no time during the fall sports season. She won the PIAA District XI 1A Girls Championship with the fastest time of any runner in any class on the day, with repeat performances all the way to the PIAA State Championship, where she crossed the finish line 45 seconds faster than the second-place runner.
The varsity girls’ and boys’ cross-country teams both had solid seasons. The girls’ team finished in 10th place in the Colonial League while the boys’ team ended up in 6th place. Senior Drew Mariani ‘23 had an excellent season as he finished in 6th place overall in the Colonial League Championship meet and followed that performance with a 4th place medal in the District XI Championship. As a result he earned a well deserved spot in the PIAA State Championship to finish his high school career. Both teams also had strong performances in the District meet as the boys’ team finished in 5th place with the girls’ team earning 7th place.
Our varsity field hockey program had a successful season. The team’s overall record was 12-3-1 and finished with a 11-2-1 Colonial League record. They advanced to the Colonial League playoff, but lost in the quarterfinal round to Palmerton. The team then competed in the District XI Tournament where they eventually succumbed to District Champion Northwestern Lehigh.
It was an impressive season for the Varsity girls’ tennis team as the team took home championship trophies in both the Colonial League and the District XI postseason tournaments. The team posted an unblemished record in the Colonial league with 12-0 finish and only lost one match during the regular season to eventual 3A District Champion, Parkland. Chessie Bartolacci
‘24 was dominant in the District XI singles tournament and won gold. The doubles pair of Yan Yu ‘23 and Laura Li ‘26 earned silver medals in the District XI doubles tournament.
Under the leadership of new Head Coach, Avon Mack, the team experienced a solid season. With a 10-12 overall record, the team missed out on a Colonial League playoff spot by finishing in 8th place overall. However, they qualified to the District XI tournament where they lost in the quarter final round to eventual District runner up, Tri-Valley. With a number of returning players, the team will look for continued growth heading into next season.
The varsity boys’ basketball team experienced an up and down season this past winter. The team demonstrated that they could compete with some of the best teams in the Colonial League. Their overall record 9-13 was not enough to qualify for the District XI playoffs. The team also finished with a 7-11 league record to finish in 8th place overall, 2 spots out of league playoff contention.
The varsity boys and girls swimming and diving teams both had successful seasons. Under the direction of new head coach, Sarah Bochini, and new assistant coach, Camie Kornely, the teams demonstrated some strong performances. The boys’ team finished in third place overall in the District XI meet while the girls earned a 10th place finish. The boys’ team had an impressive 11-2 record with the girls’ team finishing the season with a 4-9 record.
By Julia Fox and Grace Sanvito
Rory Yoder ’06MA is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard.
He’s a third-generation military aviator with a true curiosity and compassion for foreign cultures, language, and people. He is a husband and father. At Moravian Academy, he loved art and played varsity soccer. Now, he’s an Olmsted Scholar living and learning in Croatia.
But above all else, Yoder is unabashedly a nerd. “Nerds are just people who care about stuff,” he says. “But nerds tend to run the world too.” According to Yoder, you don’t have to be the best at something to be a nerd, but you do have to be passionate about it and pursue it with seriousness. In his experience, Moravian Academy is the “perfect place” to be a nerd. And he would know -- he’s from a military family, having moved around the country 13 times before landing at the Merle-Smith Campus for his high school years.
As a student, Yoder played varsity soccer for four years under the direction of longtime former coach Bob Hartman and made “some of the best memories” and friendships that “last to this day.”
With a father and two grandfathers who were high ranking military officers, it might seem now that his future success in the Coast Guard was written in stone. As a student, however, Yoder considered following his passion for art under the tutelage of Mrs. Sue Maurer. He says, “I’m very thankful for Mrs. Maurer, especially, for cultivating my love of art and for being a positive and encouraging role model.”
Excellence is a frame of mind, and my favorite word in any language is balance. “Top photo: LCDR Rory Yoder ’06MA, his wife Sarah, and son Marcus at the Savica waterfall in Bohinj, Slovenia in 2021. Bottom photo: LCDR Rory Yoder ’06MA and his grandfather in flight school, with photos taken 50 years apart.
His gratitude for his alma mater is expansive, and he knows his Moravian Academy faculty and peers are a big part of what prepared him for the rigor and intensity of the Coast Guard Academy. “Looking back on it now,” says Yoder, “I’m so thankful for being around people of different faiths, from different backgrounds, people who are first- or second-generation Americans, and just the academic caliber that I was exposed to [at Moravian] really made the Coast Guard Academy that much more endurable.”
Inspired by seeing the “unquestionable good” of the Coast Guard “helping people on our own soil” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Yoder knew this would be his path. And, despite his inclination for leadership and his undisputable work ethic, the success of his journey is partly due to serendipity. He explains: “I signed up to be a naval architecture major at the Coast Guard Academy, but the registrar made a mistake and signed me up for civil engineering. By the time I got around to being able to change it, I decided that it was actually pretty cool.”
As the honor graduate in his major, he qualified for flight school (one of only seven in his class to do so) and ended
up stationed in Sacramento, CA where he excelled and became an aeronautical engineering officer. During his next tour in Clearwater, FL, he would oversee 125 people and four airplanes worth $130 million before he was 30 years old. It was that leadership experience that launched him into his next big opportunity as an Olmsted Scholar.
Established in 1959, The Olmsted Scholar Program gives high-performing military officers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a foreign country while pursuing graduate studies in the language of that country. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity called to Yoder, who “did a lot of flying in Central and South America’’ and “always loved interacting with foreign cultures, especially to achieve a common goal.” In March 2020, he and his family were accepted into the elite program; Yoder would be an Olmsted Scholar in Croatia with minimal native language skills, a baby boy, and a genuine eagerness to grow as a leader.
“Nothing went according to plan. Not a single thing. But does it mean that it was a waste of time? No, it means it was amazing. That’s the beauty of this program.”
“Always take the job seriously, but never take yourself too seriously.”
This, according to Yoder, is the path to excellence. It’s how he ascended the ranks of the military, furthered his education, and became the type of leader unafraid to uproot his life in pursuit of complete cultural immersion and the growth that comes from the unplanned messiness of new experiences.
He says, “Excellence is a frame of mind, and my favorite word in any language is balance. Learning to be objectively critical of what you didn’t do well and learning to give yourself praise for what you did do well… It’s always dynamic. It’s always moving. So if you’re excellent today, it doesn’t mean you’ll be excellent tomorrow.”
In short, Yoder says, “excellence is a habit.”
To learn more about the Olmsted Scholar Program, visit www.olmstedfoundation.org.
Nick Tonkay ’06MA, Ryan LeBlond ’05MA, Man Hoang ’06MA, Sky Rimmele ’06MA, Myles Dowling ’06MA, Adam Welch ’06MA, Adison Weseloh ’06MA, Gabriel Schwartz ’06MA, and Rory Yoder ’06MA at Yoder’s 16th birthday party.
On Friday, April 14, Moravian Academy’s seventh Head of School, Adrianne Finley Odell, accepted the charge of the Board of Trustees during her Installation Ceremony.
The day was as much a celebration of Adrianne Finley Odell and the historic milestone her appointment marks for our school as it was a celebration of our unified community. From the interlude to the recessional, the ceremony was buoyed by musical performances from more than 300 students playing in the Merle-Smith Campus, Middle School, and All-School Orchestras, the MA Ringers, Swain and Downtown Choruses and combined Orff Ensemble, All-School Chorus, and Pep Band.
Murals featuring the handprints of our early childhood students hung above the stage in the Athletic and Wellness Center. Ms. Finley Odell would sit upon a Lego chair comprised of 9,600 pieces, made by Downtown and Swain students.
Upon accepting the charge from Board Chair Chris Weiler P ‘18 and Vice Chair Lori Schoeneman P ‘25, 28 to serve our school faithfully, Adrianne Finley Odell was presented the key. Alicia Gordon ‘24, Krish Gupta ‘24, Olivia Laible-Warner ‘27, Wenlan
Zhao ‘32, JJ Kim ‘27, and Lily Richardson ‘32 gifted Adrianne Finley Odell with special charms, each one symbolic of one of our three campuses.
In her response, Ms. Finley Odell shared her immense gratitude for the many people who helped to make the event a success before expressing pride in the progressive history of our school and excitement in the possibilities of our future. Just like our students, Moravian Academy sets out to answer the questions: Who am I and who can I become?
“We know our destiny relies on people like them who have been a part of our legacy for hundreds of years. The Moravian of tomorrow depends on the people here in this room, both adults and students who will graduate from our school and go on to do remarkable things. As we look ahead to the future, one that is complicated by the rise in exponential technology, the effects of climate change, mental health challenges, and the inability of our leaders to engage in civil discourse, I believe that Moravian Academy can take a leadership role among schools to contribute to a transformation in how we approach these important issues with young people.”
— Adrianne Finley OdellDuring my visit to the Academy, I was thrilled to experience the warmth of the community. I was humbled by the tireless work and commitment of the faculty over the last several years of pandemic and transition, and energized by the forwardthinking teaching and learning that I saw in classrooms and campus spaces. I was impressed by the insightful questions of the students and compelled by their hopes for an even more connected, inclusive, and engaged student body. The parents that I met are eager to partner, learn, and contribute to the future of the school.
— Rachel Wright, Ed.D.
By Adrianne Finley Odell
After six years as Director of the Merle-Smith Campus, having made a wide-ranging impact to the benefit of our students, faculty, and staff, Dylan Deal departs Moravian Academy to serve St. Mark’s Cathedral School, a co-ed, preschool to 8th grade Episcopal School in Shreveport, LA, as its next head of school. Please join us in welcoming his successor, Rachel Wright Ed.D.
Rachel Wright Ed.D., will be joining Moravian Academy as our Director of Merle-Smith Campus for the 2023-24 school year, effective July 1. Rachel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Development Sociology with a minor in Education from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Doctorate in Education: Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University by completing her capstone thesis entitled “Leadership Development in Independent Schools.”
Rachel launched her teaching career as a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia before moving to Florida to serve as a math teacher at Ft. Lauderdale Preparatory School. When Rachel returned to the northeast, she joined Cheshire Academy, a boarding/day school for grades 9-12 in Cheshire, Connecticut, where she has served for 12 years. Throughout her tenure, Rachel has taught mathematics courses from algebra to International Baccalaureate, served on the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation steering committee, chaired the Math and Computer Science Department, served as the Dean of Teaching and Learning, and ended her time at Cheshire as the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs.
On a personal level, Rachel is a lifelong learner, an avid reader, and an active choral singer. She and her partner, Nathan, have three school-aged children, with whom they enjoy hikes in the woods, decorating the house for holidays, visiting extended family, and watching Doctor Who.
Cristina Usino began as the Director of Community, Inclusion, and Belonging in May 2023. On July 1, 2023, Kelvin Sealey, Ed.D., will begin as Director of Strategic Partnerships and External Programs.
During the comprehensive search process, Cristina Usino impressed faculty, staff, and parents with her positive energy and thoughtfulness. She is an experienced diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist as well as an educational strategist with a proven track record of empowering students to think critically about the identities they hold and to examine how their identities interact with socio-historical frameworks of privilege, power, and oppression to create what we often call “the student life experience.” I am thrilled to have Cristina join our community. She joins us from Wesleyan University, where she was the Associate Dean of Admission and Director of Diversity & Partnerships.
Kelvin Sealey, Ed.D., began his career in business, but ten years ago he transitioned to academics, where he began as Dean of Students and Dean of Multicultural Affairs at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY. During his tenure, Kelvin took a one-year hiatus and served as Senior Advisor on Climate Change & Education Grenada, West Indies’ Mission to the United Nations. Kelvin then transitioned to independent schools, where he was appointed Director of International Programs at St. Paul’s, a grade 9-12 boarding school in Concord, NH, and then served as chair of the Humanities Department at Miami Country Day School in Miami, FL. In 2019, Kelvin was appointed Head of School of the Dragon Academy for Gifted and Exceptional Learners in Toronto, and today serves as the Founding Head of School at CaST, also in Toronto.
I am thrilled and honored to join the vibrant Moravian community and inspired by the deep commitment to architect learning that is rooted in community, inclusion and belonging. In all of my work thus far, I have been guided and rooted in bell hooks’ belief that learning is a place where paradise can be created. I am elated to partner with faculty, staff, students, and families to continue on the path of inclusive excellence.
— Cristina UsinoI couldn’t be more thrilled with the prospect of working to deepen Moravian Academy’s academic footprint across the Lehigh Valley in service of more great teaching and learning opportunities for our students. To my mind, and as a result of conversations I had with parents and teachers while visiting, Moravian’s parent, alumni, and student communities are rich with possibilities for expanding Moravian’s engagement within the Valley and the wider world, and I am honored to be invited to join you in strengthening our learning programs for the benefit of current and future students. — Kelvin Sealey,
Ed.D.,Saturday, October 14, 2023
Campus
Monday, October 16, 2023
Lehigh Country Club
By Michele Leheup
The International Festival for All Families was held on Friday, March 31, at the Merle-Smith Campus, and it did not disappoint. Each year, this event seems to grow in popularity as we celebrate the many different cultures that make up our Moravian community through crafts, activities, music, and food. Led by Fatima Jaffer and Kelli Greene, along with the DEI Coordinators, Juan Rojo, Heather Manning, and Barbara Medina, this year’s event was packed with project displays from all three campuses.
The Swain Campus shared fifth grade Asian-American study projects. They also provided information about the
Chinese Lunar New Year and children were able to create their own Lunar New Year Lanterns. Downtown Campus set up a display of projects celebrating Black History Month. Students created small posters about historical African American leaders and each included a QR code containing a mini-video about the leader they researched. Other activities that were enjoyed by many were the creation of Ukrainian flower wreaths, Japanese origami, a henna artist, and a zumba class led by Dance Fusion.
The festival wouldn’t be complete without all the wonderful food, donated by our generous parents. Popular
entrees and desserts from all different parts of the world were enjoyed by all. Chicken pulao (Indian), egg curry (Indian), tteokbokki (Korean), jambalaya (American Creole & Cajun), sauerbraten (German), and mandazi (East African) in addition to vegan apfelkuchen, carrot dessert, shoo-fly pie, and Meringue cookies are just a few examples of the wide variety of dishes that were available to choose from. Whether you wanted to try something new or something familiar, you were sure to find something that tantalized your taste buds.
This past year, more than 130 individuals and businesses have supported Moravian Academy through the EITC Pennsylvania Tax Credit Program donating more than $1.9 million since 2018. Since 2001, Pennsylvania’s EITC program and later the OSTC program has allowed businesses and individuals to use their their state tax obligation as a vehicle to donate to like Moravian Academy. The EITC program allows a 90% tax credit against your PA tax liability while Moravian receives 100%. For example, a $3,500 EITC gift will earn you a 90% tax credit of $3,150 against your Pennsylvania taxes, while Moravian receives $3,500. Pennsylvania personal and business income, capital gains, and other taxes all qualify.
When working with individuals on the EITC program, Moravian Academy partners with The Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund, BLOCS and The Children’s Tuition Fund. Funds raised through the EITC Pennsylvania Tax Credit Program must be used by Moravian for financial assistance.
To participate as a Pennsylvania resident in this program or for more information, contact Bob Zaiser, Director of Institutional Advancement, at bzaiser@mamail.net.
Please go “All In” on the fund of your choice by June 30! Your gift celebrates:
• one school where teachers inspire students
• students who offer a promising future
• parents who build community
• leadership who support signature programs
• all learners at the heart of our mission
Please go “All In” for the fund of your choice with a gift by June 30! To make your gift, visit www.moravianacademy.org/give.
Bob Zaiser, Director of Institutional Advancement, and Adrianne Finley Odell, Head of School, brought California alumni together March, 2023. Neil Johnson ‘73, Mary Ann Groner ‘74, Troy Wilford-Hunt ‘17, Oliver Scott ‘17, Chelsea Severson ‘02, Sarah Stoneback ‘96, Natalie Williams ‘19, Gina Low ‘60P, Nicholas Yukich ‘03, Molly Kistler Rinke ‘99, Julia DePillo ‘17, and Sarah Trebat-Leder ‘09 joined up in Los Angeles. San Francisco alumni included Evan Briggs ‘96, Anita Thomas ‘03, Gillian Kindel ‘03, Emily Leib, Doug Abbott ‘04, Byron McCan ‘70P, and Ellie Tobkes. Washington and Oregon brought together Richard Nepon ‘69, Barbara Dugan ‘59S, Jim Orsi ‘89, Josh Barbour ‘92, and Stefan Joseph ‘15.
Then Susan Parent, Director of the Annual Fund, and Adrianne Finley Odell gathered alumni in Washington, D.C., including Naveen Ailawadi ‘19, Erin Campbell ‘17, Vinith Annam ‘06, Ethan Green ‘15, Jai Ailawadi ‘22, Matt Moravn ‘92. Additionally Jeanette Zug ‘61P, John Fulton ‘61P, Carol Herman ‘61P, and Carol Boquist ‘62S met Susan. Virginia visits included Chasey Augustin ‘20, Maya Ettle ‘20, Kathrine Yeaw ‘20, Cam Warner ‘76, Cait Davies ‘08, Arialle Siner ‘13 in Richmond and Dhruv Krishna ‘20, Soren Gandhi 22, and Helene Sage ‘65P in western Virginia. Maryland alumni included Evan Edlman ‘20, Christopher Seybolt ‘83, and Deanna Egelston ‘90 followed by Adel Drake ‘04 and Katie Fisher ‘19 in Delaware. Keep the Moravian Academy connections coming!
By Grace Sanvito
Engagement between alumni and current students is an important part of the Moravian Academy community! That came to light on Friday, January 27, when seven alumni from the classes of 2020 and 2021 joined us virtually to participate in a panel discussion with our current students from 9th-12th grade. Within small breakout rooms, students had the opportunity to ask alumni about their post-Moravian experiences and college life.
Meghan Connors ’20MA addressed a student group from a wide range of grades. “Take this advice as you need,” she said to ninth-grade students. “Don’t over worry about your college choices right now. You have four years to figure that out.” To the sophomores and juniors she said, “If you have any questions for us, I know the next year or two years is
We want to give special thanks to the following alumni who took the time to join our call, share their experience, and reconnect with our MA community:
Dale Berkove ’21MA
Case Western Reserve University
Meghan Connors ’20MA
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Julius Ewungkem ’20MA
Harvard University
Brooke Foran ’21MA
Will begin at Maritime Academy in Fall 2023
Willem Parent ’20MA
Cornell University
On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, Swain Campus hosted the well-loved tradition of Harvest Feast, and twenty-two Swain Campus graduates from the Class of 2022 joined us back on campus to celebrate.The halls were filled with excitement, hugs, and positive energy. After Harvest Feast ended, they concluded this funfilled day by participating in a panel for current Swain students to ask questions. We enjoyed reminiscing with our alumni back on campus and are excited to host additional events to bring us all together! going to be a lot. It’s going to be hectic, but it’s going to be fun. And then once it’s over, it’s a breath of fresh air.”
Chloe Wreaks ’21MA
Babson College
Kathrine Yeaw ’20MA
University of Richmond
“Thanks for being willing to share your insights and a little bit about your experience,” said Head of School Adrianne Finley Odell. “You will reduce the anxiety a little bit for our students who will soon be in your shoes. I look forward to welcoming any of you back to campus when you have a chance.”
SUBMIT YOUR NEWS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE!
We love to help you celebrate your milestones. Send us a quick note and a picture if you have one and we’ll include your news in the next issue of the Moravian Academy Journal.
Swain Campus alumni, we look forward to featuring your notes in future issues! Be sure to share your news with us!
Send submissions to: bzaiser@mamail.net
Nancy Fillman Frankenfield ’64P and Jeff Frankenfield ’65P shared “We recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Jory Berkwits (x’65) and his wife, Kandi, at a waterside restaurant in SW Florida! We figured it’s been more than 60 years since Jory left Moravian Preparatory School for boarding school, his parents moved out of the Lehigh Valley and he never had occasion to return. That changed in the early twentyfirst century when he visited Allentown again and began researching a book entitled My Bittersweet Homecoming, which was published in 2015. Jory reported that most of his working life was with Merrill Lynch in New England. We had a great visit, and Jory recalled both English teacher Mrs. Kramer and her passion for proper grammar, as well as Latin teacher Mrs. Worth. He expressed interest in returning again for
any future reunions of either of our classes!”
Lawrence B. Fox ’66P fifth stage play titled “Ol’ Sparky” was produced live on stage by the Pennsylvania Playhouse, a community theatre located on Illick’s Mill Road, in Bethlehem, on April 28, 29, and 30. The play focuses upon a U.S. Supreme Court case promulgated in 1944. That Appeal dealt with a 16-yearold juvenile convicted of murder who was sentenced to be electrocuted in Louisiana’s portable electric chair. The electrocution failed to kill the defendant and the Supreme Court was called upon to decide if a second execution could take place.
Christina Denzel Connar ’69P shared “We were blessed with a second granddaughter, Olivia Grace, 2 1/2,
who joined her older sister, Evelyn Hazel, 9. Our daughter, (their mom) Christa, and her husband, Chris, live in Gladwyne, PA, so we do get to spend lots of special time with them all. They are our world! My husband, Mark, retired about 5 years ago, and has spent many hours researching the “President Pump” which is not far from our home. Only the ’house’ walls remain, but the hope is to have it made into an historical park. The surrounding area, including the remaining quarry, is beautiful. Last September, Mark, our daughter, her older daughter, Evelyn, and I went to Cornwall, England, where Mark was sworn in as a Cornish Bard. There are only about 500, so it was a very special ceremony and event! He received the honor due to his contribution to Cornish culture, through his work on the President Pump, which was built by Cornish men. They were considered experts in the field, and it
was the largest one ever built. Mark & I especially enjoy summer at our places in Stone Harbor, NJ, and month-long trips to Anguilla. We do miss our friend, Bruce Becker, a fellow MPS ’69 graduate! We have many fond memories of him, and get to spend some time with Nancy, his widow, who lives nearby. Hopefully, others from MPS ’69 send in notes about where they are, what they’re doing, etc.! It would be fun to read them!”
Dick Nepon ’69P says “I’ve reinvented again. I work full time from home, fielding requests for road service for AAA. I’m quite active on numerous county boards and advisory committees.”
Leslie Jones-Wentz ’71S shared “I am still teaching science in the primary school of a private all-girls school in New Jersey! My big news is that I am
a very proud grandmother of two! My grandson just turned two years old in March, and his little sister, my granddaughter, is 8 months old. I enjoy spending time with them as they are also in New Jersey!”
Pam McLean Wallace ’72MA performed in “The Rising: The Irish Rebellion in Song and Verse,” the story of the spirited men and women who stood up to fight.
Matthew Salazar ’93MA shared “In March of 2020, the car dealership I worked for closed down due to COVID. However, there is a bright side. Shortly after, thanks to my wife, I got an interview with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board in November 2020. Today, in 2023, I am Assistant Manager of a Premium store in Allentown while
my wife is an Assistant manager at a different store in Allentown. Our 3 boys are happy and healthy...22, 20 and 17 respectively...still figuring out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Amy and I still live in the same home in Bethlehem and on the side we run a modest craft business called Amy’s Treasure Trove, selling online through Facebook and traveling to various craft venues in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.”
Jackie Lester Kallman ’99MA lives in Australia and stopped by Moravian Academy in November 2022 while in the states visiting family.
Rashi Rohatgi ’03MA shared, “This spring, my third book, the novella Sita in Exile, comes out with Miami University Press.”
Jamel Rowe ’03MA welcomed her son Ellison on October 7, 2022. Mom and baby are doing swell and looking forward to Ellison meeting his MA family: Varsia Russell (’02), Neha Rastogi (’03) and A. Lester (’03).
Brooke Zumas ’03MA was featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer article titled Girls’ wrestling is on the cusp of being sanctioned by the PIAA. Here’s where it stands.
Liz Hartmann-Dow ’06MA has been promoted to be an Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase, and has been asked to be the Manhattan Site Lead
for JPMC’s global women in technology business resource group, Take It Forward.
Kristin Noonan Hutchins ’02SS, ’06MA, a Wellesley College and Villanova Law School graduate, and a third-generation attorney in her family’s practice, Noonan Law Office, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania has been named a partner in the firm.
Karalynne Clark Parzych ’07MA and Alex Parzych ’07MA welcomed their second child, Cameron Tobias Clark Parzych, into the world.
Cait Davies ’08MA wrote “I love living in Richmond, VA. My job as a Clinical Lead PT and Board Certified Neuro Clinical Specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute is uplifting and
motivating;great combo of bedside patient care and research and program development. I’m growing further in the PT world as the newly elected Central District director for the VPTA. Hank, my 9-year-old ginger cat, keeps me on my toes when I’m not out riding my bike or running. If you’re ever down in the River City, let me know. We have great breweries, museums, and lots of outdoor fun opportunities (and it isn’t as cold in the winter).”
Shannon Brady ’10MA shared that “I am continuing along the long process that is the medical training system! I finished my Pediatrics residency in 2021 and am now a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with a focus in pediatric trauma care as well as global health. I am planning to travel to Tanzania this spring to continue work
on a trauma research project. Apart from medicine, I continue to enjoy all the outdoor activities Utah has to offer and have been on several climbing and mountain bike trips all across the Mountain West. Most recently, I climbed the Grand Teton during the summer and just biked the 100 mile White Rim Trail in a day in Moab! I am really loving the Utah “work hard, play hard” culture!”
Ian Gutgold ’10MA shared that on March 18, he was married to his longtime girlfriend Lucy Sullivan in Durham, North Carolina with Dave Sommers serving as officiant and Catherine, David, and Colin Moore in attendance. He is currently finishing his PhD on Black and White abolitionism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and expects to graduate next academic year. He misses MA dearly and has the fondest memories of his time as a student and faculty member. He hopes to visit soon! Photo from MKM Photography
Ian Gutgold ’10MA
Shannon Brady ’10MA
Shannon Brady ’10MA
Rissa Senderowitz Ntonados ’10MA got married in September 2022 and is moving to Florida next month.
Trevor Parkes ’11MA married Elizabeth Greiter who he met at the University of Michigan Law School in Minneapolis, MN on October 15, 2022
Jessica Morrissey ’13MA began her first business venture by opening up a Bethlehem location of franchise Toastique Gourmet Toast and Juice Bar. Visit www.toastique.com to learn more. Photo provided by Morning Call.
Erin Danaher ’16MA says “I’ve recently accepted a new job at Black & Veatch as a Structural Engineer, and I’m graduating from my master’s program at Northeastern in the next few months!”
Jessica Morrissey ’13MA Rissa Senderowitz Ntonados ’10MA Adrianna DiMarco Smith ’16MAAdrianna DiMarco Smith ’16MA previously Adrianna DiMarco got married last July to Wesley Smith, Mayor of Wind Gap at Skytop Lodge in the Poconos. They are expecting their first baby this August!
Lev Rotkin ’17MA shared “Since graduating from Moravian Academy and going to the Pennsylvania State University I have gone through many life-changing experiences and decisions. While I started out on the path into natural sciences in chemistry, I dabbled in engineering and computer science before finally deciding on forestry as my desired future. The blood and heart of the Keystone State; forestry is emblematic of what it means to be from Pennsylvania, something that is lost in today’s education. But one thing I know is for certain, the Moravian Academy Outdoor Education program certainly helped shape me into the man I am today, and I hope that it continues
OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WE HAVE LOST.
Thomas Cochran ’74MA
January 25, 2023
William Cumings ’61P
January 19, 2023
Christopher Detrixhe ’89MA
March 20, 2023
Marilyn Emerich ’67P
January 13, 2023
Philip Hublitz ’58P
April 9, 2023
to expand the minds and spirits of future generations to come and open their eyes to life outside of their classrooms, cities, and suburbs.”
Shaylan Patel ’18MA shares “Life has been pretty wild...I graduated from college last May and received a full-time offer from Chanel a few weeks after. I now sit on the brand’s Global Long-Term Development team, specifically focused on retail concepts and innovation. Our team created Chanel’s first-ever beauty concept store here in New York (https:// atelierbeaute.chanel.com/), and we have more exciting projects brewing...I’ve also begun piloting an internal D&I series on my own, spotlighting marginalized folks during key moments. We recently had a panel in honor of Women’s History Month, which featured a diverse group of internal individuals sharing their experiences as women in the workplace and beyond.”
John “Jack” Jacob (Honorary Alumnus)
October 19, 2022
Susan Willis Johnson ’60S
November 5, 2022
Jeffrey LaRose ’72MA
May 17, 2023
Marjorie Lerch Politz ’67S
May 12, 2023
Guillermo “Bill” Racines (retired employee)
November 6, 2022
Bettyjane Sullivan Ramsdell ’41P
March 18, 2023
Elizabeth Willard Rusnell ’56S
November 21, 2022
Catherine Welch Strauss ’68P
December 19, 2022
To view a full list of events, visit www.moravianacademy.org/calendar.
June 23, 2023
August 28, 2023
August 29, 2023
September 4, 2023
Moravian Academy Language Immersion Conference
Merle-Smith: No classes, conferences
Downtown & Swain: No classes, conferences
Merle-Smith: Regular schedule begins
School closed - Labor Day
September 25, 2023 School closed - Yom Kippur
October 9-10, 2023 School closed - Fall Break
November 3, 2023
All-Campus Conference Day
November 22-24, 2023 School closed - Thanksgiving Break
December 20-January 2 School closed, Winter Break
Our Community Welcomes You!
If you or a family you know is considering a Moravian Academy education, we would love to meet you! Connect with our Admissions team to discover how Moravian Academy fosters the unique potential of every student.
Visit our website to:
• Schedule a campus visit
• Take a virtual tour
• Message with current parents through PeerPal
• Save the date for upcoming admission events
• See application deadlines
