Photo by Sarah Sledd
Seniors Say
The following word cloud was created from quotes by the seniors in this issue.
Small but mighty class of ‘25 prevailed
We all know that the senior class has left an ineffable mark on the NCS community. A group of pioneers, hard workers, dreamers and risk takers, the Class of 2025 is certainly one to be remembered. But why will we miss them so much? What makes them special, especially impactful or of sentimental significance?
For Caroline Welfare ‘27, it’s a bit hard to pin down. “I don’t think I can choose one senior to look up to,” she wrote. “Because they are all so accomplished and kind.” Their contributions are indeed without number, and they leave behind a legacy of leadership that rivals earlier generations, and leaves behind an immense calling for later ones.
For Monica Koene ‘28, it was all about influence. “They were a really small class, yet, they . . . made the most impact in the school community in my opinion,” she said. “They all have very different personalities, and, in some way, that’s what makes them a class that’s special.”
Even if it was difficult to define the class as a whole, which has undoubtedly shaped North Cross in a number of ways, bringing it down from the macro scale was a lot easier for many students. Margaret Bass ‘28 perfectly
Founded in 2010 and based in the Journalism elective, The Willis Hall Herald is the official student-led publication of the Upper School at North Cross School. The Herald may be published in magazine form three or more times per year. Founded in 2017 and produced by the Herald staff, GeoPrism: A Global Studies Journal may be published in magazine form once or twice per year. the Herald welcomes letters, commentary and submissions of original content that adhere to the Herald’s dedication to factual journalism. Letters and other content must be signed and may be edited for length and Herald style. The Herald does not guarantee publication of outside submissions. Submit letters to willishallherald@northcross.org. the Herald won Gold Medals from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association in 2012 and 2015. The Herald is also a member of the National Student Press Association, whih awarded The Herald “First Class” honors in 2024.
exemplified this. “[This] senior class [has been very involved] with the NCS community. Grace and Indira have been constant teammates on the lacrosse field. This year also had a lot of seniors in the cast of the winter play.” The way in which they not only went to North Cross, but were North Cross is very indicative of the class—and the people—they are. And they were never afraid to declare that out loud.
They are a class of friends. Of mentors. Of people who, in their own words, prevail. And it wasn’t just because they were the smartest or the most athletic or had the greatest successes, which, granted are true, but it was because they had an incredible sense of humility, of service, of humanity. And that was not lost on North Cross.
So, as we prepare to bid goodbye to our seniors, we must never forget to continue in their stead. To honor their commitment to our school by doing the same. Because the Class of 2025 weren’t just students. They were examples. A gold standard.
And if we could find it within ourselves to match their abilities, we’ll consider that a job well done.
Vol. XIV No. 5 Spring 2025
North Cross School 4254 Colonial Ave. Roanoke, VA 24018
www.willishallherald.org
Instagram: willis.hall.herald
Co-Editors-in-Chief .....................................Lauren Boone ‘25 and Jacob Johnson ‘25
Podcast Editors..............................................Anna Ciccozzi ‘26 and Mason Bibby ‘27
Calliope Editor-in-Chief...............................................................Aadeetri Pandey ‘26
GeoPrism Co-Asst. Editors-in-Chief................Hanchen Ou ‘26 and Victoria Real ‘27
Photography Editors......................................Monica Koene ‘28 and Akali Koeda ‘28
Junior Asst. Editor..........................................................................Kaitlyn Perkins ‘28
Calliope Asst. Editor ......................................................................... Akali Koeda ‘28
Opinion Editor................................................................................ Mason Bibby ‘27
Features Editors.............................Dara Kerman ‘27, Shree Patel ‘28, Isla Whittle ‘28
Arts and Entertainment Editor........................................................ Margaret Bass ‘28
Business Manager........................................................................ Joaquin Downey ‘28
Sports Asst. Editor........................................................................Luke Cocowitch ‘28
Staff Writers................................................................................................................
Fiona Parnell ‘26, Nola Daninger ‘27, Caroline Welfare ‘27, Mia Esposito ‘28
Advisor......................................................................................Robert Robillard P’35
By Mia Esposito Photo by Kathryn Hancock
This year’s recipient [of the Studio Art Award] has an artistic process that is filled with self-doubt, questioning, and indecision. These might not sound like characteristics associated with typical award winners. However, these qualities are precisely what have guided this artist’s work to increased complexity over the past five years in the Upper School studio, and this year’s award honors this student’s exceptional artistic growth.
Lauren Boone has been attending North Cross since she was in JK4. Her favorite subject was French with Chris Brandon. Boone had Brandon for all four years and was in AP French this year. She has only ever known NCS, but she strongly believes that, “I have the best friends ever, the best teachers ever, the most helpful people.”
One of those teachers was art teacher Amy Jackson, who honored Boone with the Studio Art
Boone, artist and editor, looks forward to High Point
Award, who said Lauren makes “sophisticated and powerful work. You’re an artist. You have an artistic voice worth hearing and saying.”
“She’s experimented fearlessly using Barbie dolls to print figures, incorporating text, even tearing up her own pieces to make new ones,” Jackson said. “Over the years, Lauren’s work has developed from collections of magazine images to exploration with mixed media scraps and layers that convey deep, personal meaning. The sustained investigation she developed for her AP portfolio centers around the idea of what makes a family through collage techniques.” (See Calliope for an example of her work.)
She rose to become Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Herald even though it was not her chosen path.
“I love how Lauren made the best of her three years in Journalism,” said Herald advisor Robert Robillard. “Her voice as the writer of our editorials this year made the Herald not just more polished, but also more powerful. I will miss her.”
Boone will attend High Point University.
“I’m really excited to live in North Carolina.”
She plans on majoring in criminal justice with a minor in psychology. Her inspiration? Watching true crime documentaries growing up.
“I’ve always felt like someone who really likes to
Johnson sprints to Randolph College as track team MVP
By Luke Cocowitch Photo by Morgan Kemp
“Enjoy what you’re doing because before you know it it’ll be the last time,” Jacob Johnson said. “Don’t let fear keep you from having fun or accomplishing something.”
The fearless 400m runner helped the Raider boys accomplish a state championship and earned the outdoor boys team MVP.
Johnson has been at North Cross for two years. He has participated in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, and is captain of the Indoor Track team. He won an indoor state championship in the 500m in February, which helped the team get the title.
While most students at NCS were new to him, he did see a few familiar faces when he arrived.
“I have known Nate Bonds and Brock Miles the longest,” Johnson said. “We went to Middle School together at Andrew Lewis. And then after my freshman year, their sophomore year at the
time, they transferred and then we all met back up our junior year here at North Cross.”
Johnson made international friends.
“I have known Jacob since my first day at NCS two years ago,” Cesar Suarez ‘25 said, “because we were both new and in Miss Jackson’s class we started talking.”
stop crime and make the world a better place,” she said. She also decided to follow her gut. When she sees injustices, she gets “a feeling in (her) body.”
“I feel like a lot of people don’t really have that,” Boone said, referring to her gut feeling.
In Boone’s sophomore year, she had American Literature with Dr. Britton Andrews.
“It’s been quite fun to see Lauren come out of that shell,” Dr. Andrews said, reminiscing on Boone’s 10th grade year. “She was incredibly quiet (in class).” She has bloomed especially when it came to, arguably, the most important part of her senior year - her speech.
One of Boone’s most notable achievements was her senior speech. The speech was one of the most important topics discussed this year. She discussed absent parent(s) and the effects it can have on a child. As someone who has divorced parents, I feel that she perfectly voiced my feelings. While I can positively say that we all have different family lives I can confidently say we (children of divorce) have never felt more seen.
Along with her impressive class load of three AP classes, she was the captain of the tennis team and worked at Hunting Hills Country Club as an Event Tech. Her favorite days are wedding days.
Coworker, Carter Levan ‘27, said, “I’m really going to miss her humor.” The Herald concurs.
“We were connected because of the school subjects we had together,” Suarez said, “and we both love sports in general.”
For The Willis Hall Herald, Johnson served as the Co-Editor-in-Chief, leading 20 students.
“Diligent, Jacob never missed deadlines,” said Herald advisor Robert Robillard. “Coachable, he always makes prompt revisions after initial and subsequent edits. Exemplary, Jacob proved so valuable to the program that he earned leadership roles and the Herald won a national award. I will miss his calm demeanor and reliable efficiency. I will miss everything about him.”
He also helped lead the DEI Club, setting up and celebrating many events like Pride Month, Black History Month and more.
“Jacob is a very talented and respectful young man and I have enjoyed having him in the DEI club, African American/LatinX Affinity Group, and hanging out in my office.” DEI Director Debbie Taylor said. “My most memorable DEI moment with Jacob was when he and Gabo were my MCs (Oscars reenactment) for Women’s History Month. . . . There will be such a gap in the morning without his ‘good mornings’ and ‘have a good day’ and his jokes about my good knees,” Taylor said. “Jacob is always willing to help out his friends.”
By Dara Kerman Photo by Sarah Sledd
Many NCS soccer fans will remember Bob Almenas for dying his hair blue to almost match his goalie jersey, for defending the goal with unmatched energy and ability and for even streaking down the field to help celebrate a teammate’s goal.
When Alejandro (Bob) Almenas Hernandez first came to North Cross in the the fall of 2023, when he was starting his junior year looking for a chance to play sports as well as “the opportunity to learn about a new community and make new lifelong friendships.”
Though originally he is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, he quickly became a part of the NCS family when he joined the boys varsity soccer team as the goalie and helped lead their team to many victories.
Almenas sets goal to keep protecting the goal in Spain Anderson acts with honor, hungers for knowledge, ‘moves with purpose’
His dedication to the school’s soccer program was clear in the way that he not only supported the boys team, but he “supports the girls team as well,” Monica Koene ‘28 said. Koene, the girl’s team goalie, said that he has great communication skills with his fellow teammates during games and he is an overall solid goalie. In 21 games this season, he allowed only 19 goals and helped the team get to the state semifinal. Sometimes coaches James Brown and Ezra Zigarwi would let Almenas play in the field and he scored one goal and assisted on three more.
When looking towards the future Almenas says that he’s planning to major in mechanical engineering at Colegio Loyola in Seville, Spain where he plans “to play for the local [soccer]club.”
Along with that, five years down the road he
By Kaitlyn Perkins Photo by Lauren Boone
Harry is someone I look up to as a role model because I hope to be as accomplished and well-rounded as he is when I leave North Cross. He is an inspiration at Cross Country and Track practice as he is always giving his all for the team. Although I have not had any classes with him, I hear about his accomplishments in classes, in the Honor Council and on various clubs from teachers. I know he is a devoted student, athlete, and teammate. He works hard both in and out of the classroom and has left a lasting impact on all those around him and in that way, I hope to be like him.
“I still remember the day that Harry came to visit North Cross and the middle school for the very first time,” Middle School English and French teacher and head Cross Country and Track and Field coach, Ed Dickenson, said, “He was a lot smaller than he is now but he had that same
look on his face, just exploring and seeing new things and taking on new challenges. You [Harry] have given so much to us (the school/the team).”
Harry Anderson has been at NCS since the seventh grade.
“Harry has a true hunger for knowledge. He is one of the most interested and curious students of physics I have ever had the pleasure of working with.” Dr. Timothy Naginey, Physics teacher said. “I will miss working our way through Quantum Field Theory together outside of class, as well as the challenging and innovative questions he asked in class. Harry knows how to turn even the most mundane problem into a probing inquiry into the foundations of physics.”
Of all things Anderson will miss of his time at NCS, he said he will miss the teachers because they cared so much. Some of Harry’s favorite classes included AP Comparative Government, taught by Ryan DeMarco, and AP Biology, taught by Mistie Dickenson.
“Harry Anderson is also a great critical thinker who loved to ask many questions in class,” DeMarco said. “He sparked good conversation and
sees himself “playing at a high soccer level and with a decent paying job.”
While starting a new chapter at college is exciting, there are still many things here at NCS that Almenas will greatly miss. For example, his favorite part of North Cross is the “friends that I have made here, and it will be very sad to say goodbye to everyone.”
Though most of his time was dedicated to sports, he made time for friends, too. “We do everything together,” said Victor Latz ‘27. “I’m gonna miss him a lot, really bad.”
always kept me on my toes.”
His favorite memory of his time at North Cross school is being with his cross country teammates. More specifically, he loved the annual Chocolate Milk Mile, in which one drinks a glass of chocolate milk and runs a lap around the track until vomiting or finishing the mile or both.
Anderson has been an important member of the Honor Council, as well as a member of the robotics team, the Model United Nations Club. He also earned the STEM distinction.
Andersons’s favorite movie is Fantastic Mr. Fox and his favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip. If he could have any superpower he said he would have the power to control time because, “there’s so much stuff you can do with that.”
Anderson will attend Washington and Lee University and plans to major in physics but also might major in politics or economics.
“Harry has been a great friend and a great teammate,” Josh Miao ‘25 said. “He’s always really supportive, helping you do your best and be your best. And he always pushes me in practice. Harry knows what he wants in workouts and in races. He moves with purpose every race.”
By Mason Bibby Photo by Sarah Sledd
Boaz Atia is a man of many faces. Students may spot him zipping around campus on his moped, upgraded to his fully fledged Harley-Davidson motorcycle earlier this year, or hard at work with the groundskeeping crew, working to make sure the campus was beautiful. Despite his toil in the sun or the cold, Atia always wears his work with a smile, ensuring that his optimism, friendliness, and can-do attitude always shine through. Born and raised in Israel, Atia, from his first arrival in the dorm, brought a fresh perspective to the NCS community.
Atia left an indelible mark on NCS hearts and minds
“Boaz has always been so kind and supportive to me the second I came to NCS,” Jacob Johnson ‘26 said. “As he was for most people and for everyone. Anytime he was at games or events he was always the loudest supporter. He’s a great guy. I wish him the best.”
Victor Latz ‘27 concurred.
“I think he was the person who had the most personality in the dorm. If he didn’t like something, he was always the first person to [tell] the truth and say ‘hey, this is not right.’ And I like that he’s always gonna go with the truth and [tell] the truth to you.”
But his impact extended far beyond Willis. Often donning the famous “Raider Joe” costume, Boaz was quick to spread joy and laughter among our younger North Cross Students. Whenever they saw the mascot, they were quick to exclaim “Boaz!” Because of this, he won a near and dear place in the hearts of upper, middle, and lower schoolers alike.
He also won repute within the upper echelons
Basile: humble record setter
By Mason Bibby Photo by Sarah Sledd
We are all familiar with the expression “jack of all trades, master of none.” Many don’t know, however, that it goes further: “But oftentimes better than a master of one.” Hunter Basile has constantly and consistently demonstrated that he is a man of many talents.
As SCA Secretary, North Cross soccer superstar, Honor Council member, and an academic weapon, Basile does it all with an upright humility and personal integrity. He never brags, never boasts, even when praise is appropriate and credit is due. But he, of course, is more than deserving of veneration.
He earned an armful of books and plaques at the athletic and academic awards assemblies, including the Mark Higgins Award, B’Nai B’rith, Computer Science Award, STEM, Cum Laude, and best of all, Valedictorian honors.
Throughout his seven years playing soccer for the Raiders, Basile punched far above his weight, approaching situations with opponents on the field and interactions with teammates off the field both pragmatically and logically. He dominated the field this season, carving out a historic school record of 38 goals and 9 assists for 85 points. Furthermore, he had 31 goals and 28 assists prior
to his senior season, placing his career comfortably at a total of 69 goals and 37 assists for a whopping 138 points.
For his final spring season as a Raider, Basile decided to join the lacrosse team as an athletic role player winning 32 ground balls, scoring once and assisting twice. He added a ring to go with the one he won with soccer in ‘21.
of our faculty. So, whether it was through his tenure on our various athletic teams or picking up the slack wherever needed around the grounds, Atia was sure to do it all with a smile and that same charisma that everyone has come to know him for.
“I loved having conversations with Boaz,” Journalism teacher Robert Robillard said. “They might start with something he saw in the Herald, and then go to some of the business ventures he had in mind. He might be one of the best conversationalists I’ve ever met. He’s still a teenager, but he seemed wise beyond his years. I have no doubt that he could be a very successful businessman someday soon. He’s one of those bright minds who may not need a formal education to be successful.”
So what’s the verdict on Boaz Atia? Is he a landscaper, a student, a motorcycle enthusiast, an entrepreneur or simply a friend? To tell you the truth, it’s all of them, but especially the latter. He was and is an incredible asset to North Cross School, and we will miss him dearly as he moves on to the next step of his life.
“Playing with Hunter Basile was just an honor,” teammate Brandon Carey ‘26 said. “He’s so skilled and he’s a great leader. He’s nice to everyone regardless of how young or unskilled you are at soccer. He’s just an amazing leader and friendly player on the field.”
But nevertheless, his penchant for avoiding boasting or bragging has won him the favor of students and faculty alike.
“It didn’t take long to realize he was a natural born leader and a genius,” SCA Advisor Susan Wenk said. “When he talks, people listen because when he talks, he has something truly important to say. Hunter is respected because he is a role model. He takes hard classes, does his homework, studies hard, respects his peers and teachers, and puts others before himself.”
That sentiment has been proven time and time again via his contributions in every facet of student life. From approaching honor cases with
empathy and poise to providing thoughtful contributions to Student Council meetings, there isn’t a place where you won’t find Basile making an impact. Yet even staring down the end of his time in high school, he didn’t take credit for himself.
“[My friends have played] a huge role,” he said. “I’ve been with them every hour of my life at North Cross. Hanging with them outside of school, so it’s not just in school, it’s affecting my life outside of school. A lot of our values—my values—have been developed through our experiences together.”
The University of Virginia is lucky to have him, and our community will certainly miss, but never forget, his indelible contributions in the realms of STEM, leadership and athletics.
Few of us can say they were Homecoming King, soccer scoring champ, Valedictorian or a model of humility. Basile is all of these and more.
Bloomfield leaves indelible footprints on campus
By Lauren Boone Photo by Robert Robillard
“T Bloom,” or Tyler Bloomfield, has left indelible footprints in and out the halls of Ellis, Eaton and Willis. As his classmate along the way, we have many shared memories.
We stood in awe while our Lower School teacher Betsy Cook danced on a table with a flower in her mouth on the first day of spring.
T Bloom told more hysterical stories during the Fat Pencil ceremony (see photo illustration).
“Probably the most embarrassing story from Lower School was from fourth grade,” he said. “The rule that year was that you had to take a bathroom pass when you left the room, and two people were not allowed to go at the same time. Leyton was in the bathroom one day for way too long, and when he finally came back, it was a little too late. As I sprinted to the bathroom, I felt a little trickle running down. By then, I didn’t want anyone to know, so I spent the whole recess drying my shorts. When I finally came outside, my friend, who knew, asked me what took me so long? I replied, ‘My stomach hurts.’”
His favorite memory of high school was “win-
ning four state championships.” He was an instrumental player in all four titles, especially playing No. 2 doubles with George Lugar ‘28 the last two years. They lost only once this season. Bloomfield won consistently at No. 4 singles. He has been playing frequently since he was a child. He played soccer and basketball as well. When in season, Bloomfield loves to spend his time watching college football and basketball.
he said, “It can be calming, relaxing, or motivating– and listening to a band also can really get me going.” Bloomfield especially enjoys singer Billy Strings’s music.
What helped him thrive throughout was his “loving and very dedicated mother,” (Second Grade teacher Allison Bloomfield).
Bloomfield can usually be found in the kitchen, dancing at a concert, or hanging out with his siblings or group of friends. He is an avid music listener, a concert lover and an epicurean. He is the youngest of three siblings; Madison ‘14, Campbell ‘18 and Grayson ‘21.
Bloomfield is in a band with his brothers and a cousin. He plays the bass. Bloomfield played the flute in Lower School band. He is a huge fan of rock bands such as the Grateful Dead and Goose.
“Music makes me the most happy, always,”
Bloomfield has been a member of SCA for three years. Meanwhile, he has stayed on top of his school work for all of high school, always earning first or second honor roll while juggling multiple AP classes. He is a dedicated Virginia Tech fan and will be a Hokie along with his brother Grayson, who graduated from VT earlier this month. His sister Madison and oldest brother Campbell attended Wake Forest University.
A not-so-fun fact about Bloomfield is that he got a craniotomy when he was a 1-year-old.
To younger students, Bloomfield advises, “Slow down, don’t rush and live in the moment. Life moves so fast.”
By Joaquin Downey Photo by Lauren Boone
“Nate is one of the most kind individuals
I’ve ever met in my entire life,” said Susan Wenk. “He speaks to you every single day. He puts his arm around you and gives you a hug.”
As she said, Nate Bonds is one of the most kind and considerate individuals in this school. From his journey in elementary here at North Cross, to then coming back last year for his junior year after leaving to go to Salem and Roanoke Catholic, Bonds has always been compassionate towards everyone he talks to.
Bonds makes mark on football field,
sprints, shot put, discuss, jumps, kindness
While he doesn’t believe it, everyone who knows him agrees that he is known for being a very funny person and a great guy to be around.
“He’s full of passion and he cares about his teammates and he cares about his coaches,” Wenk continued.
Bonds is also a star out on the field, being one of the school’s top players in football as a linebacker and then taking it a step further as he continued to carry the track team with both his running and throwing capacities. With an impressive 133.2 feet in disc and an average of 43 feet in shot, Bonds has impressive technique and skill when it comes to throwing. He plans to play collegiate football at West Liberty University in West Virginia
Believe it or not, when asked about something few people knew about him, Bonds said, “I play Zelda and like just games you probably wouldn’t
think I play.”
Bonds not only cares about his teammates on the field, but also helps everyone and anyone on the field both academically and with personal matters.
“Don’t get too discouraged, because there’s always gonna be a wall trying to stop you,” he said. “You have to go around the wall, over the wall, or you could go straight through it.”
Bonds credits his academic and personal success to the staff and teachers at North Cross, along with his parents, family, and friends around him.
“Nate Bonds, great guy. He’s like my brother, you know what I’m saying?” said Nathan Hayes ‘26. “Not only is he great on the track and on the football field, but also he’s a great person, and any accomplishment or anything that he has coming his way, I hope he succeeds in life and that he’ll be prosperous.”
By Joaquin Downey Photo by Lauren Boone
I’m writing this article about a good friend of mine, and while I have only known him for one year, it’s been one heck of a ride with him.
Chris Carter is one of the funniest people I know, always bringing smiles and laughter to everyone around him. He always defends his opinions to the very end during our conversations at lunch, even when he knows he’s outnumbered on a topic, he never gives up.
Carter has attended NCS for three years now after transferring from Hidden Valley, and has described the experience as a “fun time.”
A dynamic athlete, Carter played lineback-
Carter takes his talent for football to Dean College
er and running back for the football team and ran sprint events during track and field seasons. He helped the team become state champions in the fall of 2023. This year, he totaled 19 solo tackles and scored a touchdown.
This year he joined the team during the indoor season, where he enjoyed the practices with his friends. He helped the boys win the 2025 state championship.
Next year Carter plans to attend Dean College, playing Division III football. A multisport athlete, Carter also runs track. During his season Carter managed to run the 100 in 12.23 seconds and the 200 in 25.98 seconds.
Even during his injury he had support from his friends, classmates, and coaches.
Carter also mentioned how he would not have been able to be where he is today without the help of his coaches, especially head coach Dwayne Priest.
Though he takes sports seriously, he encourages younger students to “make sure your schoolwork
Corliss wins B’nai B’rith, heads to Indiana University
By Shree Patel
Photo by Lauren Boone
Julia Corliss takes two steps, gathers her feet, launches upward and spikes the ball creating a flawless kill. The opposing team is left speechless with their jaws on the floor. This happened 214 times in the three years Corliss played for the Raiders.
Corliss has played volleyball since the third grade. Of the three years Corliss was a Raider, she served as captain for two. Throughout her volleyball career with NCS, Corliss received 700 ball.
She earned the role of captain for her junior and senior seasons on the volleyball team and was honored as Second-Team All-Conference in 10th grade, her first season on the team.
Teammate and close friend Remi Lewis ‘27 says, ”Julia has been so kind to me and has helped me find my way at North Cross. She is a light and good teammate. I am sad to see her leave and excited to see how she does in college.”
Though Corliss’s favorite sport is volleyball, she is a multi-sport athlete who played soccer in the spring. Playing on the soccer team as goalie, Corl-
iss saved 115 shots on goal. This season she allowed only 1.7 goals per game in the 17 games when she played goalie. She sometimes played in the field when Monica Koene ‘28 would defend goal. She was also a captain on the soccer team.
comes first and then sports come second.”
Carter has had his fair share of injuries throughout his seasons, and because of this, he decided to help aid fellow athletes by teaching them how to deal with sports injuries through his DeHart presentation.
“By focusing on rehabilitation and training they can work hard to recover and come back stronger,” Carter said. “Stay locked in on school work, make sure your school work comes first and spots come second.”
Carter has made many friends along his journey through NCS, many of whom are fellow football and track athletes.
“Chris Carter, he’s a funny guy. He always lightens up the mood and he knows how to make you smile,” said Daven Reed ‘28. “During the track meets he’s hilarious, and also [in] fourth period English. I hope he gets a lot of playing time at the next level, playing football and I hope he does great in school, and gets a degree [and] a good job after that.”
Her athletic ability along with her strong character helped her earn one of the major athletic awards – the B’nai B’rith Award. The yearbook also named her most athletic for her superlative.
Corliss appreciates what NCS provided.
“I think everyone as a community helped me thrive throughout my time at North Cross,” she says.
Corliss has been grateful to experience her time at NCS and values the memories she has been able to share with her fellow classmates.
Corliss offered advice to younger students: “You should always ask your teachers for help if you need it.”
Corliss wishes she had known this and how to properly study. Corliss mentioned her favorite classes are leadership development with SCA advisor Susan Wenk and economics taught by Scott
Wilde. As a senior she took both AP Calculus and AP Statistics. She is a bright light and confidant to her peers.
She was Honorary SCA all three years of her time on campus and was on the Homecoming Court for her senior year.
This year her favorite activities were volleyball, soccer, ski club and the winter play (Alice in Wonderland). Besides eating sushi outside of school, Corliss loves to surf off the back of her family’s boat and spend time with her friends. Next year she plans to major in finance at Indiana University located in Bloomington.
Corliss says, “I chose [Indiana] because it has one of the best schools of business in the U.S.” Corliss ends by saying she is going to miss the embracing community and the connections between her and her classmates.
Chaney: kind champion helped build track program
By Kaitlyn Perkins Photo by Lauren Boone
Iremember seventh grade after finishing my middle school cross country race at Blue Ridge going to watch the finish for the high school girls’ cross country race. I was in awe watching this legend that even I knew about as a middle schooler attending Roanoke Catholic School at the time. Kerrigan ran so fast and with such ease. Little did I know I’d be lucky enough to spend a year running on the same team with her when I transferred to NCS this year. I think back to this memory and smile because there are many people who know Kerrigan for her incredible talent and records. But what makes her such a special teammate for me is how much of a role model she is. She works so hard in practice, but what amazes me most is how humble and kind she is. Kerrigan is incredibly supportive and I always enjoy her company when warming up together. Though our paces are different during races, we both complain about soreness or tiredness (even if her soreness means a five-minute mile and mine means- a six-minute one). She is easy to talk to and a leader. And although I have only been her teammate for a year, I know I will miss her and I am excited to cheer her on at a few of her races at UVa next year.
Kerrigan Chaney has been at NCS for 15 years, since she was just 3 years old. She is an incredible runner who has won a number of state championships and titles in both cross country and track and field.
“It takes me a long time to think back to the time when Kerrigan was not on this team,” head coach Ed Dickenson said. “She was here at our very first indoor track meet ever, she watched as we built our outdoor track team from a very small distance-based team to a state-championship team and took her own state championships and won so many honors along the way.”
Chaney’s hidden talent to those who don’t know her very well might be that she can crochet very well. She makes all sorts of things like dinosaurs, teddy bears and gingerbread men.
“Kerrigan is such a kind soul and meticulous artist,” art teacher Amy Jackson said. “She pays attention to every detail. Her talent with crochet is so impressive, and she gifted the Upper School studio by teaching so many of us (including me!) how to crochet. It has been such a pleasure sharing the studio with Kerrigan and watching her grow, create, and run over the past five years. I am excited for her next chapter at UVa!”
Her favorite class ever was Film Studies with Chris Brandon, “I loved learning how
By Joaquin
Man, where do you start when talking about Cole Cass? He has been kind and fun loving ever since I met him at the very beginning of the year. We bonded over our love for lifting, and the rest is history. Cass came to North Cross four years ago after being homeschooled.
He played lacrosse for three years and soccer in 10th grade. While he didn’t play any sports this year, Cass is avid about lifting and can be found in the weightroom almost every day, around four to five days a week. His most impressive lift this year was his max deadlift of around 405 lbs. He
to analyze movies and now whenever I watch a movie I think of all those things I learned.”
If Chaney could have any superpower, she would have flight as opposed to super speed because she wouldn’t want to have an unfair advantage in races.
Chaney said the person who has made the biggest impact on her while at NCS was coach Dickenson. “He became my second family,” she said. “And he helped push me in running which helped motivate me to be better as a person overall.”
“Kerrigan, it’s been a long journey,” Dickenson said at the senior day ceremony. “I’m glad it’s not over yet. I’ve loved serving as your coach, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve brought to this program.”
Chaney will run for the University of Virginia and might study interior design or spatial design.
“Kerrigan is well known as an excellent and dedicated athlete, but what I think goes underappreciated is how good of a person she is,” her brother Finn Chaney ‘27 said. “Wherever she goes, she is always so nice and kind to other peo-
Cass builds strength and friendships on his way to VT
cheers fellow classmates on while they lift their weights and is always willing to spot anyone who needs help.
Not only is he a lifter, but he’s an inspiration in the classroom as well. Cass is a diligent and avid worker who offers help to anyone who needs it.
“The most important thing that you can learn is time management, because that’s gonna help you for the rest of your high school years,” Cass said. He has continuously stayed on top of his work and worked hard to make up any assessments or assignments he has missed. He took AP Human Geography, Introduction to Engineering and Astronomy as electives in his senior year. He enjoyed
the group projects in those classes -- especially in Engineering.
“He can be very funny sometimes, as well as being kind when meeting new people,” Lucas Cass ‘27 said about his brother. “I wish for him to have fun and be focused on his goals next year.”
Cass credits all of his success throughout his high school years to his parents and his brother Lucas. He plans on attending Virginia Tech next year, where he will pursue a course in business.
There, he can continue to live by the quote of Sam Levinson, that he submitted to the yearbook: “Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” Best of luck Cole.
Downey Photo by Lauren Boone
By Mason Bibby Photo by Lauren Boone
Ask Dean Cote why he ran for Student Council Association President, and you won’t get a canned response about college applications. You’ll get a story on how he wanted to make every student in Willis Hall feel like they belonged, one announcement, one homecoming, and one prom at a time. Because for him, there was a passion. Not for accolades, but to make positive change. And, from the moment he stepped foot in the Upper School, he was doing that. At the beginning of his freshman year and, by extension, his first year at North Cross, he knew he wanted to make a difference in any way, shape, or form.
Cote provided leadership, excelled academically
“Dean is a great guy, always someone you can talk to,” classmate Josh Miao ‘26 said of Cote. “He’s had a great impact on the school community as president of the high school.”
His statements were echoed by other members of the Willis Hall community.
“Dean is not just a president, he’s a leader,” Mac Byrd ‘27 said. “He is very kind [when] opening up to everyone. He talks to everyone and makes them feel included.”
Because of his kind, welcoming and friendly demeanor, Cote has won the admiration of nearly everyone in the Upper School. From the pep in his step during morning assemblies to the casual greetings in the hallways, Cote shares a piece of his heart within every smile, piece of advice and act of charisma.
“Dean is funny and outgoing,” SCA Advisor Susan Wenk said. “He is a communicator, [and] he rallies students to participate in all activities and makes sure everyone is included.”
But of course, his talents in dazzling friends and
Dalaski leaves legacy of growth on lacrosse team
By Lauren Boone Photo by Lauren Boone
Ava Dalaski made an impact on many students, but especially on the lacrosse team – especially her younger teammates – in ways that statistics might not show.
“What makes Ava so special,” Millie Chopski ‘26 said, “is her perseverance and drive. She’s been playing varsity lacrosse for five years, still pushing through and doing amazing things.”
“I think Ava is such a sweet girl and so kind to everyone,” Gabby Miller ‘26. “My favorite memories with her are our bus rides for lacrosse. I just love her so much.”
Coach Stephen Belderes relayed his comments from the senior day ceremony.
“Ava is quoted as saying, ‘playing with these girls has really taught me a lot about taking care of my team. I have loved to watch all these girls grow as players and really grow as a team.’”
“On a personal note, we asked a lot of Ava,” Belderes said. “Oftentimes, Ava plays multiple positions in games. She might play defense in the first half and have to move to attack in the sec-
ond. She’s a great player and incredibly versatile. Her witty demeanor and commitment to this lacrosse program will be missed.”
While at North Cross she said that she has loved “watching the team grow.”
opponents alike held a special place on Willis and Cook Fields, where he showed his acumen in both soccer and lacrosse, and participated on the 2021 VISAA State Championship soccer team and the 2021, ‘22, and ‘23 VISAA State Championship lacrosse teams.
“Dean brings a positive vibe to the team,” Ethan Grigas ‘26, said of his teammate. “Dean’s always the first person to bring a smile to the team during practice or a timeout during the game.”
Regardless of the area—academic, athletic, or otherwise—Cote has proven himself time and again to be a capable leader, a steady voice, and a dear friend. North Cross will miss him as he attends the University of Virginia along with several of his classmates, and leaves big shoes to fill, regardless of where they are.
“Life’s not always a cakewalk,” Cote said. “It can get tough, sometimes it can get hard, but having people around you that you can talk to, people you can count on, it’s definitely important.” For many in Willis Hall, Dean has been that person, and we will miss him dearly as he is off to better and brighter futures.
During the spring athletic awards, Belderes recounted how Dalaski had been part of the program for six years, helping the program go from JV to varsity to making the semifinals of the state tournament.
Outside of lacrosse, Ava is involved in NCS Varsity Field Hockey, Media Club, and Help Save the Next Girl.
Dalaski has been at NCS for eight years. She will be attending Roanoke College with her brother Ethan Dalaski ‘23 and boyfriend Sander Frogner ‘25. She works as a hostess at Lydia’s restaurant in Salem.
Dalaski is interested in traveling, fashion and psychology. She wants to live in Norway when she is older after visiting there over winter break. She has traveled to over 40 states in the U.S.
Her senior speech was titled, “Siblings Play a Pivotal Role in Social and Emotional Development,” in which she spoke about the importance of how relationships with our siblings shape who we are.
“She’s not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believes is right,” Lillie Dearing ‘26 said.
Her favorite memory is of freshman year Homecoming.
“Being with my friends and staying connected with my teachers was really what helped me strive throughout high school,” she said, “To younger students, do your homework and take advantage of all that NCS gives you.”
Dancea goes far to study bio
By Akali Koeda Photo by Lauren Boone
“You’re probably thinking; what could a fat bald person of no specific gender know about love?” she said with a dramatic flourish of her hand. With her sagging suit and her bald cap, Valeria acted as the most impactful (and hilarious) character in the Addams Family, Uncle Fester. Once backstage, she spent her time comforting and reassuring fellow actors through their anxiety. She danced around on and off stage, always bringing an infectious energy to the entire cast.
Valeria Dancea, widely known as Via, transferred to North Cross School in the sixth grade. She is known for her acting skills, including crucial roles in plays and musicals such as Winnie Foster in Tuck Everlasting, Uncle Fester in Addams Family, Alice in Alice and Wonderland and Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda. Her favorite role in her highschool theatrical experience is her role as Mrs. Wormwood, which she described as “wild”, “crazy”, and “a role like no other”.
“I will miss Via’s absolute incredible energy that she brings to every performance,” said Polly Jones, head of the English department, “My favorite memory was her improvisation during Pygma-
lion, when she couldn’t find a ring that was thrown too far away. She handled it perfectly, crawling around the carpet for a minute looking for it before sitting in despair.”
“Via is a very talented and gifted actress and singer,” Emily Nguyen ‘27 said. “She always impresses me with her acting skills because she’s never shy on stage, and her passion in theater is very impressive. She’s also a very nice person; one of the first seniors I got to talk to.”
tends to major in biology. For her DeHart presentation, she chose to present about The Importance of Urban Green Spaces in the United States.
Although there were many teachers, advisors, and mentors who supported Dancea at NCS, she said that one teacher stands out; art teacher Amy Jackson. One of the things that Jackson will miss most about Dancea is her dedication to spending study halls and after-school hours during her junior and senior year on her pottery projects that she wanted to do on “her own time.” “Via has a deep sense of humanity and care that she brings to her artwork, her fellow artists, and the studio space,” she said. “I will long remember times she gently worked to share this with others.”
She plans to attend the University of St. Andrews, located in St. Andrews, Scotland, and in-
Evie Eagan created a show-stopping dress for her final prom. She drilled holes in purple and black guitar picks and sewed them onto the fabric of her dress in a pattern like overlapping scales. The creation of the final project took her months, and the final result was a masterpiece.
Eagan has given the same dedication to keeping the GSA club alive, organizing a table as club president at the beginning of the year. The table included games, prizes, food and information about LGBTQ+ identities and facts that stumped a few people. Thanks to the table, even a few staff members learned something new.
She is a dedicated soccer player, playing year long. Her favorite position to play is left back. She won the Coaches Award at season’s end. Head Coach James Brown said Eagan was, “the epitome
“If I had a guess, she probably has at least 80 plants at home, each with her own unique story of how it became a part of her collection,” said Abram Sherman ‘24, who introduced her.
“I wanted to do something that was relevant and important to the world,” Via said, “and something that had to do with biology, since that’s what I’m majoring in.”
Her favorite memory through her senior year was their senior trip, an activity that brought the class of ‘25 together for a final trip.
“Don’t put school over everything else,” she said, as her advice for the freshman class. “Y’know, prioritize it, but it doesn’t have to be number one.”
Eagan: multi-multi-talented
of hard work, resilience and a team-first mentality throughout her four years with the program. Her performance as a defender was nothing short of outstanding. She rarely got beat, and when she did, she showed great speed, tenacity and a heart to win the ball back time and time again. She anchored our defense with tremendous grit this season, truly showing what it means to have both the will and the way.”
Eagan has been the lightboard worker for most of theater productions since ninth grade, citing her dislike for being in the spotlight. Her favorite memory from those performances was watching the pre-show dance to the “500 Miles” song.
“Evie has been a joy to have on the theatre production team the past few years. She has been very committed to helping out with our productions while balancing other commitments, like her participation on the soccer team in the spring.” Theater Director Thomas Costello said. “(She) even helped design some of the lights for our productions this year. Running lights for a musical is not as easy as one may think. Timing is key. Evie stepped up above and beyond in the way that she is always focused and on top of it. I never have to worry about the lights when Evie is at the board.
Her presence will be missed next year!”
Furthering her theatre experience, she has been Vice President of the Thespian Society at North Cross, global troop number 7924. Evie is a threestar thespian, with 38 points.
Eagan is going to Virginia Western Community College to study many different trades. Her family and friends are excited to see how she continues to grow outside of North Cross.
Her favorite class this year was Thematic Literature taught by Dr. Andrews.
Introducing Eagan for her senior speech about AI in music was Suvi Hanson ‘26, who named her dedication to excellence in music. She is also a member of the band Tofu Wizard, who played at the Justice for Africa event. Eagan’s friend Jahanvi Patel says that her favorite memory of Evie is watching her perform at Muses At Bay, where she demonstrated her skill on the electric guitar.
“Her positive energy is contagious and being her teammate the past four years has been a privilege. Even though she is quiet she is a leader and the team really looks up to her.” Evie has been on the soccer team since her 6th grade year of middle school and is known to be a very reliable soccer player and teammate. Viktoria Iarkova ‘25 said, “Evie is such a good teammate, she always supports everyone. She is also always ready to play.”
By Caroline Welfare Photo by Compass Staff
By Isla Whittle Photo by Morgan Kemp
Last year, Addie Finch ‘25 was competing at a state swim qualifier meet in her junior year. She missed the cutoff by less than a second. “I was frustrated with myself,” Finch admitted. However, this year, as a senior, she pushed herself as hard as she could, and made the cut.
“I wasn’t able to go to states this year because I was sick, this memory will stick with me because I was able to show myself that if I really want something and I push for it, I can achieve my goals.”
Finch: plays hockey, swims, aims for Coast Guard
Adelaide Finch finishedis a current senior approaching graduation. This is her second year at North Cross; she came as a junior. She had been homeschooled until she arrived here. She wants to go to the Coast Guard. In only two years, she participated in varsity swim, varsity soccer, Sscouts, and travel ice hockey. She is passionate about hockey, as even her senior speech was about the danger of concussions in ice hockey.
Grace Sheppard met Addie when she first came to the school. They quickly became close friends.
“Addie is very hardworking and determined to accomplish her set goals,” Sheppard said.
Fincc’s favorite class was AP English Literature.
“Dr Andrews was a great teacher,” she said, “and would encourage discussions and debates about complex topics and would allow us to come to our own conclusions without his input.”
“Addie is so kind and respectful, and she works
Frogner comes from Norway to NCS for football, learns lacrosse
By Monica Koene Photo by Lauren Boone
When Sander Frogner ‘25 arrived at North Cross, he was expecting three things: good food, hot weather and fun football. He got all three, and a lot more. Over two seasons Frogner achieved 149 solo tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 interceptions, making him a key player on the team that won a state championship.
“Sander Frogner is one of the best football players to come to North Cross School from Europe,” said Coach Bennett Dorton ‘14. “He’s also one of the best students to come here. He’s very funny, has a great personality, and is very enthusiastic.”
Although football was his first reason to come here, it wasn’t always in Frogner’s mind.
“The one who got me the football was my dad,” he said. “Because I was playing biathlon [cross country skiing with shooting], but I wasn’t really good, so he said, you should try football. And then I started playing football and I liked it.”
Back in Norway, “Football was not popular at all in Norway. It’s very small,” Frogner said. “It’s much faster and harder here, and it’s very fun here.”
Frogner became more than just a linebacker. “He’s a great dorm leader,” said Dorton, who also
works in the dorm. “He would be a great addition to Roanoke College and any other future endeavors he chooses to do.”
Frogner will play linebacker for his former Raider football coach Shannon Taylor at Roanoke College.
hard, too!” said Dr. Andrews. “I am going to miss the positive energy and fun that she routinely brought into my classroom.”
Her favorite memories were the sports teams that she was on.
“Playing swim and soccer are my favorite memories from high school,” Finch said, “because I made fun memories with my teammates and pushed myself to become a better athlete.”
Finch has advice for younger students.
“Not everything in life will be handed to you, and if you really want something to happen you have to work hard to achieve it,” she said. “[Also,] finish high school out strong because you don’t know what the future holds for you. Don’t regret being lazy in high school and not joining that club, not playing that sport, or not finishing a class strong. And don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone because that is where you will truly excel and learn more about yourself.”
On other fields, Frogner was just as impressive. He placed third in track and field shotput, picked up lacrosse unexpectedly, and won state championships in every one of the sports he played.
“When I got here, I was only planning to play football,” he said. “But then I started doing track. I started doing lacrosse, and I didn’t plan to do that.”
His lacrosse coach Chris Pollock had a plan to make Frogner his face-off specialist, and Frogner won the job and the Coaches Award.
“Frog, as he is called, became more than a face off kid,” Pollock said. ”He was a defensive specialist that also faced off for us this season. He’s one of the nicest kids to coach.”
Katelynn Branciforte, the dorm director, got to know him very easily.
“He consistently showed reliability and humor and kindness to everybody, and we could not be more grateful for that from Frog,” she said. “I
don’t have a favorite memory with Frog, because every interaction with Frog is always something that’s very memorable. I have enjoyed our many lunches at Cava together, and enjoyed getting to know him as a human being, as a student, as an athlete, and more importantly, getting to know him as a leader within our spaces.”
Frogner plans to stay in Roanoke after graduation and continue his football career. But he leaves behind more than just stats.
“Sander Froggy is my friend, my partner of life. He’s really funny, he’s mature, he’s nice, he’s responsible, and he’s sympathetic,” César Suárez ‘25 said. “He’s a person that I’m going to miss a lot next year. He’s a really good friend for me and I know I’m not going to forget him in my life.”
While mostly known as a star athlete for his strength and dedication, what surprises people the most might just be what he quietly knows about himself: “Maybe that I’m nicer than you would think.”
Gibbs made her mark quickly
By Isla Whittle
Photo by Lauren Boone
After prom, Mackenzie Gibbs and a group of her fellow seniors gathered together with SCA Advisor Susan Wenk and sang “All Your’n” by Tyler Childers.
“It showed how much of a family North Cross truly is,” Gibbs said, “everyone loves each other.”
Kenzie Gibbs came from Columbus, Ohio and started at North Cross her junior year 2023-2024.
“Coming to North Cross as a new student junior year was definitely super hard and forced me to grow,” she said, “but the students and staff made it such an easy transition and I immediately felt at home.”
Even though she has only been here for two years, she has participated in many clubs and sports, like lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, ski club, honorary SCA, the winter play, Morgan’s Message and media club.
Kenzie noted that Dean of Students and AP Calculus teacher Stephen Belderes helped her throughout her two years at NCS.
“He has been a great teacher,” she said, “and I can always go for him for advice or to complain if I need to.”
Belderes taught her AP Calculus BC this year.
“I’ve known Kenzie Gibbs since she moved down from Ohio,” he said. “I’ve had the amazing opportunity to teach her calculus this year. Without a doubt, she is one of the most amazing mathematicians that I’ve had the privilege of teaching. She is an incredibly intelligent human, and that coupled with caring about what she’s doing, she is a force. I expect her to literally start taking over UVA when she moves there in the fall.”
One of Kenzie’s closest friends is Julia Corliss, also a senior. She can be seen featured in Kenzie’s Instagram profile, for Sadie’s, the senior trip and prom. “I met Kenzie last year but we became close at the beginning of this year. We have a lot in common, and we work well together.”
Her favorite class was AP Chemistry with Jennifer Landry. “Because of all the fun experiments, Mrs. Landry made learning the material so interesting.”
When asked about her favorite memory, she said, “The senior trip.” The seniors went to Charlotte, first visiting Carowinds, and on the next day going to Top Golf. “I loved the senior trip because I got to hangout with all my classmates at such
By Hanchen Ou Photo by Lauren Boone
Strength training is very important for student athletes because it can not only make student athletes stronger but also boost their athletic performance on the field. However, all the improvements take time to accomplish. The summer of 2024 was crucial for student athletes who will be graduating from high school in 2025, because it was their last opportunity to make college commitments before they enter their senior year. Thomas Greer used this time period very wisely.
In the summer of 2024, he usually worked out at LAB Sports Performance, where he has his personal trainer instruct him and correct his form when something is going wrong. I went to the LAB with Greer once, and found out that he practices very seriously in the gym, and always tries his
fun places for one last time.”
Kenzie will be continuing her studies at the University of Virginia, where she will be studying neuroscience. She wants to someday work in the medical field.
“I chose UVa because it’s an amazing school with an awesome environment. I also love Charlottesville because there is so much to do, and I’m still close enough to home to visit my family.”
Her advice for younger students is to understand that it’s okay not to do perfect on every assignment. She also said, “I would say to try everything. Even if you are scared or may not be good at it, it’s worth trying everything once. I have done three new sports, the winter play and so many clubs here and have loved the memories and people - I don’t regret any of it.”
Greer: Champ of character will play next level lacrosse
best. Greer is not afraid of asking trainer questions like “What weight should I use for this exercise?” I wondered why he kept asking his trainer this question, so I asked him.
“I ask my trainer about the proper weight I should use because I want to maximize the effort that I need to complete the exercise,” Greer said. “All the effort I put into work now will pay off in spring when the lacrosse season comes.”
Just as he said, all the hard work paid off in his senior season. Greer earned First Team All-Conference in the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference and has played a huge role on and off the field. He helped the team win four state championships in the five years he has been on the team.
Aren Barranco ‘26 has played lacrosse with Greer for three years as a Raider.
“Thomas Greer stepped up as a captain when we needed him,” Barranco said. “He led us to stretch before every single practice and games and he also encouraged everybody during the game, he has become our team spirit.”
Not only Greer’s teammates comment well on him, his trainer thinks of him in the same way.
Justin Jensen ‘16 was a student in North Cross, and became a strength trainer in LAB Sports Performance after he graduated.
“Thomas Greer’s consistency, discipline, and mindset set him apart,” Jensen said. “and they are exactly why he is taking his game to the next level. Greer has added 20 pounds of muscle, sharpened his speed, and became more explosive in every direction during the off season. All these changes will transfer into the game every time he steps on the field.”
Greer is heading to Randolph-Macon College this fall to continue his academic and athletic career. He plans to study International Business and Spanish.
Greer was involved in the Spanish Honors Society, Russian Club, Argentinian Exchange Program, Cave Spring United Methodist Church and Ski Club.
Greer is going to miss everything about North Cross the most.
“I have attended North Cross for 16 years,” Greer said, “I have lived in North Cross for my whole life, I am going to miss North Cross where I learned and grew up.”
By Isla Whittle Photo by Lauren Boone
On spring soccer Senior Night, Kathryn Hancock gets handed a handmade poster and bag of her favorite snacks by soccer teammates and best friends, Eliza Vogel ‘26 and Scout Kappes ‘26. Vogel and Kappes return to their spots with the rest of the team who aren’t seniors, trying their best not to get too emotional.
This senior night was an emotional one for all of them, as they have been best friends ever since Hancock came to North Cross in seventh grade. She has participated in a variety of sports and clubs in her six years at the school, including volleyball, basketball, indoor track, field hockey, soccer, and SCA. She also works at Sugar Magno-
Hancock: ‘A class act’ on field and in Willis Hall
lia outside of school.
“[Coming to North Cross] taught me the importance of discipline and building good habits. Also, becoming friends with all different [grades] taught me the importance of friendship and knowing people from all points of view.” Her favorite memory was “becoming close with Scout and Eliza.”
Her favorite class was her ninth grade English class with Nicki Dabney.
“It was a great group and we had some amazing discussions,” Kathryn said. She noted that Dabney helped her out a lot.
“I remember teaching Kathryn in World Literature as a freshman and observing how her classmates would look to her when they weren’t quite sure what to say. In the four years I’ve known her, I have come to realize just how much of a leader she truly is,” Dabney said. “Kathryn is a deeply compassionate individual who cares very much about integrity and morals. I am so proud of how she conducts herself on the field, in the classroom, and as a person. She is a class act.”
Iarkova makes big impression
By Victoria Real Photo by Lauren Boone
“
My name is Viktoriia Iarkova. I’m a senior. I’m 19, and I’ll be attending Roanoke College in the fall.” That’s how Viktoriia, who came to North Cross from Russia two years ago, introduced herself to me. What followed was a glimpse into her world—past, present and future.
She joined North Cross as a junior, coming from Kemerovo, a city in Siberia. The first thing that stood out to her? The teachers. “They were just so different from Russian teachers. More positive and welcoming.”
When asked what others at school might associate with her, she hesitated: “I think ‘quiet’... I didn’t talk to a lot of people last year.” But Viktoriia has changed. “I started speaking up more this year—for myself, for others, and for my opinions. I became more open-minded.”
Jadyn Rhodes ’24, her close friend, saw this transformation firsthand:
“She just always puts her friendships first, and she’s always encouraging me… she’s always just looking for the best in me.”
Over her two years, Viktoriia joined the DEI Club, the Russian Club, varsity volleyball, basketball and soccer.
Her favorite memory was “The away game at Altavista when I scored my first goal!”
“She’s just my best friend in soccer,” said Maria Albishah ’27. “When she’s not there, it’s just, like, the worst day ever.”
“Volleyball taught me it’s more about relationships with teammates than winning,” she said.
“Kathryn always gives the best advice and is like an older sister to me,” Kappes said. “She is the kindest and most genuine person I know and she always knows how to make me laugh.”
Vogel echoed the point.
“My favorite memory is of being on the bus with Scout, Elinor, Kathryn and me,” Vogel said. “We were being so loud that on every bus ride Ezra had to tell us to be quiet. I also love Frosted Coffee Fridays with Kathryn, when Kathryn would take all of us to Chick- Fil-A.”
Hancock will continue her studies next year at the University of Virginia.
“I have wanted to go to UVa my whole life. I love Charlottesville.”
She plans on studying Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law.
Hancock wants to leave the younger students a couple more things:
“Please give yourself grace and know that the Earth is going to turn, no matter what happens. [I wish I had known that] everything is going to be ok and nothing is that serious.”
Through the Russian Club, she showed peers her culture. “Not all Russians are bad,” she said. “Just because I’m from Russia doesn’t mean I’m a bad person.”
Antoine Finot ’26, a fellow Russian Club member, shared:“She’s kind of like the teacher. She teaches us how to say hello, privyet, thank you— stuff like that. She really helped me learn faster than before. She’s a really kind person.”
Living in the U.S. taught Viktoriia to recognize her emotions. A moment that makes her laugh? “Junior year in the dorm. So many fun memories.”
“She’s the dorm representative,” said Kamen Petkov ’25. “She helped many events happen… people believe in her.”
Katelynn Branciforte, Dorm Director, added: “Vi has been a huge part of the SCA commu-
nity and has represented the dorm so well. She makes sure that every school event includes dorm students, and we could not be more grateful. At the dorm, she’s a natural leader who always ensures students feel welcomed. We’re going to miss her, oh!, so much.”
She journals every day and turns to music and TikTok to relax. Her dream day? “Waking up late, breakfast, music, friends, and relaxing at night.”
At Roanoke College, she’ll major in psychology, minor in business, and join the dance team. “I haven’t danced in two years. It helps me mentally.”
Her advice for future freshmen? “Plan your future early. Don’t wait.”
To Viktoriia: thank you for your leadership, your kindness, and for representing the dorm so beautifully this past year. Wishing you the best of luck.
Golf captain Jackson plans to build career in agriculture
By Lauren Boone Photo by Lauren Boone
Will Nolan Jackson, son of art teacher Amy Jackson, is a mower fanatic. He currently has 12 mowers and knows how to weld to work on his agricultural tools.
“What’s so special about Will is his brightness,” said Thomas Greer ‘25. “He’s very, very creative; he’s great at building and fixing things, whether it’s a lawnmower or some sort of engine.”
Jackson wrote and gave his senior speech on “Precision Agriculture: Modern Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Sustainability.” He concluded with “In the years to come, we will all either use elements of precision agriculture in our own gardens or we will eat food grown by its technology.”
“Will has a passion for work,” Dean Cote ‘25 said. “He’s always a hard worker, which is something you don’t always see in everybody, especially at this young age. He has a strong emphasis and focus on working hard.”
Jackson also worked as a student-athlete – espe-
cially as a key member and captain of the golf team.
“I have known Will Nolan for 6 years,” said his golf coach Scott Wilder. “He has always been a solid golfer, team player, and dedicated contributor. Over the last two years, I have realized how much of a leader he has become. I do not have an assistant coach, and Will Nolan has served in that role for me. His senior year, he was a golfer, captain, valuable teammate, and assumed assistant coach. I will miss him dearly.”
Teammates echo Wilde’s sentiment.
“Will was always a great captain and would always cheer us on on the bus, on the way, and to and from matches,” Zuhair Mirza ‘27 said. “One of my favorite memories of him was these past two years when in both practice rounds of our state tournament he went fishing at the ponds in the middle of the golf courses and that just shows how much he loves nature.”
“When I played with Will in tournaments and matches, he would always hype me up and help
By Caroline Welfare Photo by Lauren Boone
The cast and crew had searched the backstage storage for a prop worthy of the Caterpillar, who in the Alice in Wonderland script had a hookah. There was not a hookah backstage, and Mallory Kern, who played the insect as well as Tweedledum, was NOT going to settle for a fake cigar. So she purchased a real, usable hookah from Amazon, which advertised it as a flower vase, and proudly used the authentic prop as she perched on her custom made mushroom in her specially altered costume. (The original Caterpillar costume resembled corn.)
me out if I hit a bad shot or if I ended up in a bad place,” Brandon Carey ‘26 said. “He always helped me to get out of or stay in the right headspace.”
His favorite memory from Lower School was playing California kickball in P.E. and football at recess. No matter the weather, Jackson and his friends loved playing “knockout” in the mornings before class in Middle School.
Jackson has only known North Cross as a student on his way to Hampden-Sydney to study agriculture.
He advises younger students to “Always do your homework on time. Always talk to your teachers one on one.”
Cat lover Kern’s light burned brightly in Fishburn Theater
Her favorite memory was the ninth-grade trip because she felt like she bonded with her class. She’s been bringing smiles to everyone’s face since before then, right from when she walked through the front doors for the first time in sixth grade.
NCS alumna Kenzie Raub ‘24 returned to introduce Kern for her senior speech, about animal cruelty in cosmetic testing.
“I met Mallory when I was in 10th grade when we began talking in graphic design class,” Raub said, “and I knew I had just made a new best friend.”
Kern later played Mrs. Phelps in Matilda (as shown in the photo illustration). She was fantastic in her role as the memorable and lovable librarian, some of her own quirkiness shown through in her amazing performance.
An academic star, Kern earned book awards each year of high school, meaning she maintained her place on First Honor Roll all year, every year.
She also played volleyball for a few years before switching to managing her team.
One of the first nights I was running the scoreboard for the middle school team, she was there to show me the ropes.
Kern is committed to Virginia Tech as a biology major to eventually go into medicine. Her favorite class this year was AP Biology, which makes sense for her plan. She was involved in the Green Club run by Dickenson as well.
“She has been a joy to teach,” Biology teacher Mistie Dickenson said.
Kern showed her love of animals again this year by giving a passionate DeHart speech about animal testing for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; her final art exhibit is about that same topic.
She has an ever-growing, undisclosed number of pets at home and is planning to bring her kitten, Gatsby, with her to college.
Adding to her reputation for feline fanaticism, the yearbook published this superlative: “Most likely to be a crazy cat lady.”
By Nola Daninger Photo by Lauren Boone
Christian Lang states that his favorite part about North Cross School, and the thing that he will miss the most, is the friends he made over the years and his teachers.
“The first time I met Christian was on the first day of first grade,” Kathryn Hancock ‘25 said when she introduced Christian for his senior speech. “He walked in wearing a neon yellow shirt in neon shorts. While his style has changed since then, his caring personality and selflessness has not.“
Lang was named “Best Dressed” in his senior yearbook.
Lang will ‘go exploring’ graphic design at App. State
Lang ‘25 has been going to NCS for five years and plans to continue his schooling at Appalachian State in North Carolina. Lang grew up in Roanoke and before North Cross, attended James Madison Middle School.
He has participated on the tennis team since ninth grade, and helped the team win four consecutive state championships and five consecutive conference titles. His victory at No. 6 singles in last year’s final match secured the 5-2 victory over Covenant.
Lang plans to major in graphic design next year at Appalachian State.
“In five years, I see myself doing something graphic design related, something cool,” he said.
He took multiple graphic design classes.
“Christian has consistently demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation throughout his senior year,” graphic design teacher Morgan Kemp said. “His designs are not only visually
Lifelong Raider Lenkowski loves computer science
By Mia Esposito Photo by Lauren Boone
Paul Lenkowski’s sister Lily ‘28 says one word to describe him would be “whimsical,” because “when [I] talk to him, he has a way about him that’s very like fun.”
Lenkowski plans to attend Radford where he is going to study software engineering and cybersecurity. His interests vary, but this one has never wavered. The classes that got him there include AP Computer Science further showing his love of the subject. He can often be found milling about with his friends by the end of the hallway next to Room 9, the Makerspace.
Chatting, laughing, and hanging out with his classmates, he ultimately is known as an unassuming friendly face in a crowd of upperclassmen.
But above them all is his favorite, which is “yearbook because of getting to talk with and interview people you might not normally talk to.”
Lenkowski was a senior editor on the staff.
“He was really good with covering the faculty and staff page,” Suvi Hansen ‘26 said.
striking but also conceptually strong, showing a deep understanding of visual communication and attention to details. But it is also important to see how far Christian has come in his time. While looking through his past work there is a consistency and an unique perspective that speaks to him as an artist.“
A piece of advice that Lang would give rising ninth graders is to “study for AP exams and not procrastinate studying.”
Outside of school, Lang enjoys playing music with his friends and skateboarding in his free time. Short rib pasta will be Lang’s comfort food to settle into college, helping him adapt to the big change.
Lang offered a Calvin and Hobbes quote for his senior page in the yearbook.
“It’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy . . . let’s go exploring.”
Nicki Dabney taught Lenkowski his freshman year in World Literature, “I really love Paul’s easy going nature.”
They will both be going to Japan this summer with the school.
That will not be his first trip with the school. Ainsley Myles ‘27 went to the United Kingdom with him. “He’s pretty cool,” she said, “He likes geometry dash.”
His favorite memory of NCS is “finishing my senior speech and getting to take my family to breakfast.”
Lenkowski spoke about why we should be concerned with the rapid growth of A.I. His sister says that computer science and everything related to it is “his whole world.”
The lifelong Raider offered advice to younger students. “Build a solid relationship with your teachers,” he said, “this will make it easy to talk to them, asking questions or for extensions.”
In his Fat Pencil speech, Lenkowski reminisced about his 13 years as a Raider. He recounted getting his dad to buy his group hot chocolate on
the DC trip, digging for quartz but only finding regular rocks in the school’s playground and interruptions to life and learning during the pandemic when he and his classmates experienced the cancellation of the trout farm project.
Beyond his devotion to yearbook, Lenkowski shared a story about the ninth-grade trip, in which he and a friend or two snuck out on the lake in kayaks and splashed each other with paddles despite the cool fall air until they “almost got hypothermia.”
“Looking back,” he said, “I truly cherish these moments, the fun, the friendships and the small adventures I have. They all meant a lot to me. I’m grateful for these memories I’ve made at North cross, and I look forward to making many new ones in the future.”
Lugar: Salutatorian gets MVP, Spirit Award among honors
By Luke Cocowitch and Anna Ciccozzi
Photo by Akali Koeda
One of the most accomplished student-athletes in the class of ‘25, or any year, Henry Lugar leaves an incredible legacy of leadership on the Honor Council, SCA, Robotics, Swim and Tennis teams.
“My first thought when I met Henry Lugar is,” Susan Wenk said, “I hope he will be in SCA. Henry is a leader!” Lugar was Treasurer all four years.
The UVa-bound lifelong Raider was the only senior who earned both the Global Studies Diploma and the STEM Distinction while completing 12 AP classes and earning Cum Laude status.
“I look up to Henry because he’s a great leader on and off the court,” tennis teammate Kemper Prillaman ‘28 said. “I’ve gotten to know Henry really well this year through our exciting drives home and fun practices together. He always tells me how to do the right thing and how to be a leader.”
Lugar leaves an unmatched record as a tennis player. He was First Team All-State and All-Conference every year of high school and even Second Team All-State his eighth grade year. He helped
the team win conference championships and four state titles. He was voted MVP twice, including this year and won the coaches award during his junior year. Lugar said he loved coming back from 2-4 to win 5-4 in the State Championship in 2022 at Hampton Roads Academy.
“You know, as a true leader, he’s the ultimate MVP,” Coach Schaefer said. “Plays with intensity and focus, always conducts himself with class and sportsmanship. He’s been a mentor to our younger players, and they always look to him to set the tone with the beginning of each match. . . He’s always played at the top of the line, it’s toughest teams play and position. He’s been the heart and soul of our team for years.”
In addition to tennis, Lugar swam every year, winning awards and serving as captain. He tried to recruit more guys like Ryan Thomas ‘26.
“Henry is a good friend of mine and we have been good friends since our first days together,” Thomas said. “We share a lot of memories including our swim days together. He encouraged me
By Kaitlyn Perkins Photo by Lauren Boone
Josh Miao works unbelievably hard at practice and he is definitely a motivation for me to work hard as well. I think he surprised me the most at the Muses at Bay talent show this year. Josh and his brother Caleb performed a duet with Josh playing the violin and Caleb on the piano. I am not the type of person to listen to classical music or music of that kind but I was entranced with the music as they played. As our Cross Country and Track and Field coach, Ed Dickenson said, “If you have not heard him play the piano or the violin, you missed something because he is immensely talented.” This could not be more true because Josh’s talent and work ethic is indescribable and he is most definitely an inspiration to me.
Miao came here for his sophomore year after being homeschooled. His favorite memories are
to swim, provided leadership by getting me to do swim, and more. Also in forensics class, he guides me and Christian to be on the right route.”
Henry will miss Thomas, who reclassed.
“In first grade on dinosaur day . . . . I was paired with my best friend Ryan Thomas. Ryan and I were born three days apart in the same hospital. We have been friends since we were just six weeks old, so I was really excited for him to be my partner, even though we didn’t know what the Velociraptor was.”
For his tennis senior day, Lugar explained what the experience has meant to him. “It has been amazing to have the opportunity to work hard and get close with this group of teammates and friends,” he said.
Miao, master musician, 3-season athlete, takes multiple talents to UVa
winning Cross Country States in 2023 and the senior trip to Carowinds. He was also part of outdoor and indoortrack championships.
“Josh is one of those people I can put in any event and know he is going to give his all,” Dickenson said.
His favorite class was AP Comparative Government with Ryan DeMarco.
“Josh Miao is a diligent student and an excellent critical thinker,” DeMarco said.“I have loved having him in my class. I also enjoyed playing music with him throughout the year in a few concerts.”
Miao is well-known for phenomenal musicianship. He plays the violin and the piano and has performed at multiple school concerts and talent shows. As First Violin of the Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra, he was Concertmaster.
He completed the STEM distinction and is part of Honorary SCA.
“It’s been great knowing him,” Tyler Bloomfield said; “he’s been a great friend.”
When it comes to pizza toppings Miao prefers
plain cheese pizza. His favorite movie is The Godfather. His brother Caleb Miao noted that what most people don’t know about Josh is that he loves protein shakes and electrolyte drinks.
“Josh, he’s great,” Jacob Johnson ‘25 said, “even before we got real close on track, we were real big on talking about music, talking about people like Outkast, Ice Cube, we have the same Ice Cube shirt, that’s pretty cool. And when we got into track it was really cool to get to know Josh in a whole different light and a whole different way.”
Miao is going to the University of Virginia next year. His major is still undecided, but he will probably major in biology, finance or both and maybe music.
“He’s been a really good friend,” Henry Lugar ‘25 said. “He’s someone that always checks up on me and is always making sure that I’m doing well. He’s very selfless; he’s thinking about others a lot. And he’s very concerned with supporting other people and he’s a hard worker. He’s been a good person to surround myself by in the past few years.”
By Jacob Johnson Photo by Lauren Boone
Raiders QB Brock Miles, who started for the last two years, shook hands with football head coach Dwayne Priest moments before signing to Bridgewater College. The moment signified a goal achieved for Miles, who came to NCS hoping to be given an opportunity to play the sport he loves.
Miles came over to NCS in the 2022-23 school year as a reclassed sophomore. Miles, like myself, came over from Salem High School. Just as at NCS, Brock played quarterback at Salem also.
“My time at NCS has been great,” Miles said, reflecting on his three years in our community. “From academics to athletics, the coaches and
Miles threw touchdowns but also kindness
teachers are awesome and they always push you to be your best. Also, the community is very special here because everyone is supportive of each other. I’m really glad I got to be a student at North Cross.”
NCS students, staff and faculty were glad enough to have Miles on campus that they voted him to receive the Scott Robertson Good Citizenship Award.
During his time here Miles threw for 3450 yards, nearly two miles! He earned Second Team All State honors as quarterback two years in a row for leading the Raider offense. As a junior, he led the run-oriented offense to a state title. As a senior, the team fell just two points short of repeating as state champions. Overall in his final season, he threw 22 touchdown passes and was only intercepted six times. Brock also competed as part of the indoor and outdoor track team for his sophomore and junior year, but opted out of running his senior year as preparation for working towards being a star QB at Bridgewater College.
Mitzkewitz’s helped find his teammates for goals
By Jacob Johnson, Kaitlyn Perkins, Victoria
Mario Mitzkewitz came to NCS in his junior year in 2023. Ever since he has been a crucial part of the soccer team and even got close to a ring. Upon arriving at NCS Mitzkewitz was happy to meet other Spanish speakers who also played soccer and lived with him in the dorm. The midfielder quickly became close with forward Cesar Suarez Cuenca and goalie Bob Almenas.
He has also become close with Leyton Sturm ‘25, Aren Barranco ‘26 and Jason Phan ‘25.
“I started to hangout with Mario because he was Didi’s (class of 2024) roommate but I quickly realized he is a great person,” Barranco said.
“Mario is a nice guy,” Jason Phan ‘25 said. “Whenever I have no money for food he is always willing to buy me food. He’s been teaching me in homeworks like math, science, and he’s really good at soccer. He is literally The Guy himself, he knows everything.”
Mitzkewitz came to North Cross to play soccer and has definitely made an impact in his just two years here. He concluded his senior season with 39 points, 11 goals, and 17 assists. Many of those assists helped striker Hunter Basile score hist 38 goals.
He kicked off his senior year with his speech based on the transfer portal and the effectiveness of it. Perhaps after big seasons with Division III Bridgewater, Miles will be recruited to transfer.
Miles’s family, as many may know, own the Chick-fil-A in Salem right infront of Salem High School. Often blessing NCS students, athletes and even the parents sometimes. What some might not know is that he’s been working there for quite some time, - years to be specific. Those who sit with him at lunch can see that he more than likely has a Chick-fil-A meal packed.
After all the long touchdown passes and chicken sandwiches, perhaps the most important moment of his time at NCS happened during the recent Spring academic award assembly. Upper School Director Allie Kier announced Miles collected the Scott Robertson Good Citizenship Awardd for the way he treated everyone in the school with kindness -- seemingly at odds with the image of a footballe player.
The highlight of his time at NCS was “playing soccer with my team and being coached by Coach Brown and Ezra.”
“He ended up being First Team All Conference, First Team All State. He really did a great job for us in the midfield, he even played in the back,” Head Coach James Brown said. “He’s one of the most technical people we have had. He has an unbelievable vision, one of the best that I’ve ever seen. His size, skill, that just made a tremendous impact for our team.
“He combined well with the kids we already had. He came in as a junior and he’s been really nice and helped us achieve the 34-2-6 record. He is someone who knows the game really well, so he’s able to get people to [grow] you know. We got
some players that haven’t played a ton of soccer, and he was able to help them a lot and make sure that they were doing the right things.”
Mitzkewitz says the person who made the biggest impact on him while at North Cross is Sturm.
“Knowing Mario, it’s been a great pleasure,” Sturm said. “He’s a wild guy. He pretty much taught me Spanish. It’s been really fun getting to know him.”
His favorite class was Sports Business with Christopher Pollock, lacrosse coach and Assistant Athletic Directo.
His favorite food is “paella from my grandpa.” And if Mitzkewitz could have any superpower he would have invisibility because “I could sneak into places without being noticed.”
Real and Monica Koene Photo by Lauren Boone
Nine seniors get Fat Pencils
Class of 2025 College
Arizona
University
New
of Arizona: Leyton Sturm
New Mexico
Mexico Military Institute: Daniel Skoog
ROLE MODELS: After entertaining the audience with stories of growing up on campus, lifelong Raiders were given their Fat Pencils by their JK4 buddies. Tyler Bloomfield with Oren Dempsey, Paul Lenkowski with Eliot Harf, Kerrigan Chaney with Caitlin Olsen, Leyton Sturm withDominic Angelini, Lauren Boone with Ahana Jaiswal and Avery Morales, Indira Weed with Leela Bharath and Kaira Pandey, Henry Lugar with Lincoln Brandt, Will Nolan Jackson with Thomas Latchman, Thomas Greer with Cortland Elder. Photo by Robert Robillard
Leyton Sturm and Sander Frogner show the strong connection they made in the two years since ‘Frog’ and Daniel Skoog arrived.
Photo by Sarah Sledd
Destinations as of May
Illinois:
University of Illinois
Chicago: Ezra Vu
Indiana: Indiana University: Julia Corliss
Ohio:
College of Wooster: Kamen Petkov
Scotland
St. Andrews University: Valeria Dancea
New York:
Pratt Institute: Jahanvi Patel Wagner College: Carter Smith
West Liberty University Nate Bonds
Virginia:
North Carolina: High Point: Lauren Boone
South Carolina:
College of Charleston: Henry Schumm
Florida:
University of South Florida: Jason Phan
Massachusetts
Dean College: Chris Carter
More than half of senior class will stay in Virginia
Bridgewater College: Brock Miles
Hamden-Sydney Colllege: Will Nolan Jackson
Radford University: Paul Lenkowski
Randolph College: Jacob Johnson
Randolph-Macon College: Thomas Greer
Roanoke College: Ava Dalaski, Sander Frogner, Victoriia Iarkova
University of Virginia: Hunter Basile, Dean Cote, Kenzie Gibbs, Kathryn Hancock, Henry Lugar, Josh Miao
Virginia Tech: Tyler Bloomfield, Cole Cass, Mallory Kern, Grace Sheppard, Indira Weed
Virginia Western: Evie Eagan
Washington and Lee University: Harry Anderson
Madrid
Voxel School University
College of Digital Arts: Cesar Suarez
Seville
Universidad Loyola Bob Almenas
Destino España: Cesar Suarez will stuy in his hometown of Madrid, while Bob Almenas will move to Seville.
Appalachia State: Christian Lang with
Ezra Vu and Thomas Greer enjoy the end of commencement ceremonies. Photo by Sarah Sledd
Henry Lugar and Nate Bonds perform for the camera at the end of commencement ceremonies with Josh Miao and Lauren Boone recess. Photo by Sarah Sledd
Patel leaves legacy of dance
By Shree Patel Photo by Sarah Sledd
Jahanvi Patel dazzled the NCS community at the Legacy night event on the Thursday before graduation. She performed a lovely interpretive dance, while the senior gift was revealed. Using a bright red cloth to indicate the graceful, sailing motion of the gift, she used her dancing acumen to convey this point. The crowd, starstruck, ultimately celebrated when the gift was revealed: new sails to protect spectators from the elements at NCS’ revered Cook Field.
She practices almost daily, pushing up and holding position in pointe, a motion which her body has become accustomed to having trained as a classical dancer at Roanoke Ballet Theatre.
Patel has been dancing all her life. She takes ballet, pointe, temporary and modern. Annabelle Coles ‘27 says, “We have been dancing since we were little. Her passion for the arts really stood out to me and how she cares about our community. She is always kind to people and I am going to miss her next year.” Jahanvi is not only an impeccable dancer, she is just as good at art. Her
favorite pastime includes printmaking and drawing. She has been a part of the International Thespian society for the 2024-2025 season. She served as the secretary. As she goes off to college she inducted next year’s members Margaret Bass ‘28, Hayden Saunders ‘28, Akali Koeda ‘28 and Mia Esposito ‘28. Patel ended this year with 39 poits. Throughout her time at North Cross she has participated in the Fine Art Distinction.
High School.
She plans to attend Pratt Institute, a private university in Brooklyn, New York famous as a top art school. Her interest in fashion is the reason she chose this specific college. She will major in fashion design.
“She is nice and it was fun seeing her artistic skills this year when she did the play Alice in Wonderland,” Taahir Imam ‘26 said. “I am going to miss her and her great henna skills. I hope she visits next year.”
In the winter play she played the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland. Patel has been at North Cross for three years since her sophomore year. Before North Cross she attended Community
By Hanchen Ou Photo by Lauren Boone
Almost nobody does math problems in their spare time, especially the day before the first day of school. If there is an exception, it will be Kamen Petkov. It was the day before the first day of school, all the dorm students from all around the world gathered together and had dinner together for the first time. As most of the students finished up their food and went upstairs, a lonely back caught my eye before I went upstairs. I tried to introduce myself to him but as I came closer to him, I started to realize that he was doing math problems by himself. I was afraid of interrupting him, so I left him alone. Later I learned his name is Kamen.
Petkov is from Bulgaria and came to NCS in the fall of 2023. He joined the soccer team and in the first game of his senior season, he scored
One thing she wishes she knew when she was younger was how the workload would change between her time in middle school and high school.
Throughout her time in WIllis Hall her favorite teacher has been art teacher Amy Jackson. She has helped her thrive, even was her advisor for her DeHart presentation. Her topic reflected on the importance of dance and how everyone can impact it. Her thesis specifically was “The Mental Struggles of Dance.” She emphasized the history of dance, mental and weight struggles dancers go through but also the benefits like relaxing, clearing negative thoughts, and increasing self confidence. She encourages younger students “to try new things and to do their best.”
Petkov: Bulgarian sprinter wins Spanish Award
a goal.
This year he tried the track and field team and played a huge role on the team as a rookie. He has a personal record of 11.49 seconds in the 100 meters and 22.66 seconds in the 200 meters. He was also a member of the 4x100m relay team that placed second in the state meet, earning the crew Second Team All State medals.
He served as a member of the Honor Council this year, a rare honor for an international student, joined the Russian Club and became co-president of the Spanish Club.
Petkov is very confident about his ability to solve math problems, he demonstrates that by this remark: “I’m the best math student in North Cross,” Petkov said.
Dorm students were talking about who the best math student is at North Cross, Petkov responded to the question as soon as he heard it and without any hesitation. Although everybody laughed at it, he proved himself right over time. People can always see Petkov teaching dorm students math in the dining room. He became a dorm math teacher very quickly. He is a teacher not only in the dorm,
but also in school. In AP Calculus BC class, I once got confused by a problem. I went to Kamen for help with a try-it attitude. Surprisingly, he is not only very logical but also very patient. He spoke very slowly and tried to make sure I understood each step.
Katelynn Branciforte is the dorm director, who spoke very well about Petkov.
“Kamen is a very devoted student,” Branciforte said. “He loves helping out here in the dorm, all students who struggle at school. I also like when he demonstrates what a great leader he can be, especially when some dorm events have to be organized. I will truly miss him next year, for me he is irreplaceable.”
Petkov speaks four languages fluently and he clearly demonstrated that when the Argentinians students came to visit North Cross. He also loves helping people out as every weekend he is somewhere doing community service.
He will be going to the College of Wooster in northeast Ohio to study engineering.
“What I am going to miss in North Cross the most is the close teacher-student connection,” Petkov said, “and every team sport I have participated in.”
By Hanchen Ou Photo by Lauren Boone
Speaking two languages is not very rare in Willis Hall, there are many international students and every student at North Cross is required to take a language class. However, there are very few students who can speak three languages and Jason Phan is one of them. Phan is from Vietnam and was assigned to Chinese class when he arrived in 2023. Since he started learning Chinese, he has developed a strong interest in Chinese language and culture.
Living under the same roof in 303 in the Boxley building, I can always hear Phan playing Chinese songs when he is taking a shower. One day, he learned how to introduce himself in Chinese. He came over to me pleasantly to show me the new sentences he had learned. Although he stuttered a couple words, I can tell he has already
Phan gets more multilingual, heads for Southern Florida
practiced it several times in private and learned very seriously in class before he came over to me. I praised his Chinese and told him to keep improving his Chinese and he started to speak to me in Chinese every day after that. Over time, it became a habit between us and his Chinese got better and better, and now he is able to communicate with me fluently in Chinese.
Phan has been trying to adapt to not only Chinese culture but also American culture.
“My real name is Phan Gia Bach,” Phan said. “I use the name Jason in the United States because it’s easier to remember for American students and it is also a sign that I am trying to adapt to American culture.”
Phan is a soccer player, and joined the soccer team for the two years he spent at North Cross. During his two years in the United States, he was attracted to American football and he is very interested in American football now.
Phan’s favorite experience during hiis time at NCS was the dorm senior trip.
“We went on the boat, just chilling and relaxing with my friends on the boat,” Phan said. “I re-
Schumm spins fast, makes the most of friendships
By Lauren Boone Photo by Lauren Boone
Henry Schumm has been a Raider since his freshman year, but he embedded himself into the community as if he had always been part of the class.
“Always do what is expected of you,” he says. Schumm is an experienced, nationally ranked mountain bike racer. He thoroughly enjoys it and takes lots of time doing it, riding 10-15 hours per week as he prepares for races.
Schumm spoke about “How the Power Meter Changed Cycling Forever” in his senior speech.
“Henry chose me to be the advisor to his senior speech,” said Herald advisor Robert Robillard. “This was an honor for me. As a former cyclist and data geek, I loved his topic: I knew he would work diligently and commit himself to meet deadlines. Not only did he accept my minimal critique, but sought feedback. I would have volunteered to advise him. I thought myself informed about da-
ta-driven cycling. He taught me a lot more about a fascinating topic.”
Aside from his athletic and academic talent, he is kind toward everyone.
“Talented, ambitious, and disciplined in pursuit of academic and athletic success,” Robillard said, “Henry also comports himself in a kind, courteous way.”
ally felt the connection with friends on the boat.”
Kevin Tran ‘26 is one of Phan’s best friends in the school, he knows Phan’s personality very well. “Jason Phan is a very kind person, he always gives me his ramen when I am hungry.” Tran said. “The ramen that he gave me is always from Vietnam, and it always reminds me of the taste of my home when I eat it.”
Teachers say they will miss him as well.
“Jason is an excellent student of Chinese,” Chinese teacher Nicki Dabney said. “His first year at NCS [was] stressful; I know he felt a lot of academic pressure. He’s always been a top performer in class, and it’s been fun to see his personality shine through this year. I’m really going to miss him.”
Phan feels the same way as he departs for the University of South Florida.
“I will [miss] North Cross the most about the Chinese class,” Phan said. “I love Mrs. Dabney’s teaching style and all my classmates in the class. I will keep improving my Chinese in college and hopefully I can speak better Chinese than Mrs. Dabney one day.”
ry Lugar ‘25. “He will help you with what you’re going through.”
“He’s special,” said Thomas Greer ‘25, “he really thrives in biking. He’s a great athlete with a great future.”
Raiders can see Henry compete against the nation’s best off-road cyclists this July when Roanoke hosts the national championships.
He spends his school days and weekends with his senior best friends Tyler Bloomfield, Cole Cass, Henry Lugar and Josh Miao. (after he works out and goes on a bike ride.) He loves country music.
“He’s a very funny, comedic guy. He’s always reaching out to hang out and connect,” said Hen-
“I admire how he never takes things too seriously; he’s always wanting to have a good time, no matter what is going on around him,” said Hunter Basile ‘25, “he’s really fun to be around.”
In school, he excels like he does on his bike.
“Henry is sharp and always comes in class with a positive attitude,” AP Human Geography teacher Brett Odom said.
His friends agree.
“Schumm is a dedicated student and dedicated athlete,” Tyler Bloomflied ‘25. “Also he is a very good friend, as he always makes time to support his friends at their sporting events.”
Sheppard epitomizes well-rounded student-artist-athlete
By Margaret Bass Photo by Lauren Boone
Grace Sheppard ‘25 steps onto the stage in Fishburn Auditorium, decked out in her outfit meant to resemble a playing card, and speaks her first lines in the Winter Play Alice In Wonderland. It was Sheppard’s first time participating in the winter play and she loves all of the memories she made with the cast throughout the rehearsal process and their two productions.
Participating in the play helped Sheppard complete the requirements for the Fine Arts Distinction. Also announced at the Academic Awards assembly, Sheppard became a member of the Cum Laude society, which honors the top 20% of each graduating class. Furthermore, she won the History Award.
Sheppard joined the North Cross community from Hidden Valley in November of her freshman year because of the in-person classes and opportunities it provided during the height of the Covid pandemic. Since transferring to NCS, she has been very active in many of the amazing things that our
school has to offer. She served as Sergeant of Arms in our Student Council and on the Honor Council for both her junior and senior years.
“She is mature, kind, smart, and so genuine,” SCA Advisor Susan Wenk said. “Grace is someone I can rely on for anything. She is one of the most responsible students I have ever known. It does not matter what the situation is, I know I can depend on Grace!”
she will be leaving behind her two younger siblings Levi Sheppard ‘28 and Nila Sheppard ‘30. One word Levi would use to describe his sister would be “athletic.”
Sheppard also did two years of Model United Nations and has played lacrosse for all four of her years at North Cross. Lacrosse coach Stephen Belederes has known Sheppard for four years, but only became her coach for her senior year.
“She’s one of, if not the, most reliable student athletes at North Cross School,” he said. He said she brought an unmatched consistency to the team that he’s never seen before. “She shows up, and that’s 98% of what needs to be done.”
Sheppard is moving onto bigger and better things next year at Virginia Tech. She looks forward to taking new classes to see what she wants to pursue as a major. When Sheppard moves out
By Dara Kerman Photo by Lauren Boone
“The main thing I remember with me and Skoog was our Madden matches against each other,” dormmate Aren Barranco ‘26 said. “It was a lot of fun going against each other because we were pretty evenly matched. When he asked me to introduce his speech, I felt very excited. I was very excited because he’s a really good friend of mine.”
One of Daniel Skoog’s closest friends at NCS, Barranco introduced his senior speech.
“Ever since I met Daniel he was interested in students and how they can maximize their performance,” Barranco said, “in the classroom and field . . . . he is the perfect person to talk about
He also mentioned something that many people might be surprised to learn about Grace.
“She has a rabbit that takes up half her room.” This rabbit’s name is Vinnie. Nila Sheppard ‘30, Grace’s little sister, calls Grace “innovative,” and some of both her and Levi’s best memories with their sister include when they went to their lake house and would jump off of the dock from the roof into the water.
“She is one of the most responsible students I have ever known,” Wenk said. ”It does not matter what the situation is, I know I can depend on Grace.”
Skoog: Swede scores points on field, in dorm, in class
discipline and balance.”
Skoog’s speech showed how students can manage their academic and athletic lives. Skoog joined the NCS family in the fall of 2023 after coming from his home country of Sweden.
“I will never forget rolling down the hallway during lunch one day,” said Journalism advisor Robert Robillard. “And I heard Daniel and Sander speaking some Scandinavian languages with each other. I asked them about it, and they said they speak their native languages to each other and understand because Swedish and Norwegian are so closely related. These two amazing athletes from distant lands speaking different tongues as if it were so natural. It was one of those moments that made me realize how much the international program has transformed Willis Hall.”
He said that his main deciding factor when settling on coming to NCS was that he would be given the chance to play football with the Raiders.
He became an essential member of the team, helping them win a state championship in the fall
of 2023. Skoog kicked for the Raiders including converting 48 of 50 PATs.
On defense, he played on the defensive line and dominated opponents both years, finishing with 63 solo tackles including eight sacks. He earned Second Team All Conference.
On offense, Skoog showed his speed and skill at getting open, forming a big target for Brock Miles to throw to. He caught 25 passes for 420, most of which came in his senior season.
It’s clear that football was a big part of Skoog’s career as a Raider. He not only dominated the football field, but he also spread his love for the sport through his senior speech that focused on it.
His love for football will certainly carry into a college career at New Mexico Military Institute while playing football for the two-yeaar school before transferring. Though he is excited to start a new chapter of his college life, he’ll miss “the close relationships with all the classmates and teammates” that he made throughout his time at North Cross.
By Monica Koene Photo by Lauren Boone
If you’ve ever met Carter Smith ‘25, you probably wouldn’t describe him as loud. But ask anyone who knows him well, and you’ll hear the same thing: he made a huge impact at North Cross.
Smith came to North Cross from Canada with one big goal: to play Division I lacrosse. And he made it happen.
“He worked really hard to achieve that goal, and he’ll be playing Division I next year at Wagner University,” Coach Bennett Dorton ‘14 said. “He’s very quiet but a very sweet kid, and he will be a great addition to Wagner University and anything else he chooses to do.”
“The biggest adjustment was probably the most obvious one, just not being around my family anymore, not being in my home, in my same bed that I love sleeping in,” he said. ”Getting away
Smith came for lacrosse, made multi-national friends
from friends and family, that’s definitely the biggest adjustment.”
On the field, Smith led by example. His roommate and teammate Antoine Finot ‘26 called him, “kind of the MVP of the team.” He adds, “we can see that by his leadership, by all the assists he gives to all the players in the team, that he’s carrying the team. He’s making the team better.”
His passion for lacrosse started early.
“Where I grew up lacrosse is a hot sport,” Smith said. “I had lots of friends around that played it, so I just kind of grew up with the sport.”
But Smith isn’t just a great athlete, he’s also a great roommate and friend.
“He’s a really chill roommate,” Finot said. “He’s in the room every time we have to clean the room during Sundays. And he really speaks good French, too.”
Smith’s ability to speak both English and French helped him connect with other students. Rabia Ferron ‘26, who’s also from Canada, said, “He seems shy, but once you get to know him he has a really big personality and he has a really big passion for lacrosse.”
Being quiet hasn’t stopped him from making good memories with everyone around him. “One
Sturm raised awareness of childhood diabetes
By Jacob Johnson Photo by Lauren Boone
Leyton Sturm could be found celebrating victories with teammates on the baseball diamond, soccer pitch or basketball court -- an athlete who competed despite the challenge of diabetes. Overcoming that limit was his most important victory.
He earned Second-Team All-BRAC honors in Baseball and got a ring as a member of the soccer team.
Sturm has been a part of the NCS community for 16 years. This more than qualifies him as a Fat Pencil and gives him one of the best positions to speak about NCS. “It’s a great community where students get closer relationships to teachers with smaller class sizes and a tight knit community,” Sturm said.
In his Fat Pencil speech, he summed up his time. “From my first grade, starting lower school with Miss Cook, teaching me how to write in cursive and all the facts about dinosaurs, to my
senior year, finding out where I would be going to college, finishing my exams and gearing up for the next steps of my life, every day I consider that I’ve had a great time at North Cross.”
Sturm has been the front runner of many events. For example, he coordinatd multiple American Red Cross blood drives, and he initiated the yearly dodgeball tournament that helps support childhood diabetes. SCA advisor Susan Wenk recently announced the continuation of this event in the future. To top all of that off, the event will be named after Leyton in recognition of his leadership and coordination of the event.
of my favorite memories with Carter is when we were on our way back from, it must have been a lacrosse game or a practice or something, and we were chatting about movies. Carter and I have one of our favorite movies in common, Interstellar. Therefore, he obviously is a movie connoisseur,” dorm manager Katelynn Branciforte said.
Finot also shared a memory he will never forget. “My best memory with Carter Smith was after a win against NSA during the way back and in the room. We were celebrating the victory in the room, putting on some music, good vibes. We put some rap in English. Some in Vietnamese too.”
Now a senior, Smith is getting ready to take his next big step: playing Division I lacrosse at Wagner University. “I knew time went by fast,” he said, looking back on his high school experience. “But you don’t realize it until you get older that it just goes really fast.”
Reflecting on his time at North Cross, “I’d say my perspective’s grown,” he said. “Just being here, seeing different cultures, and meeting people who believe different things.”
As he prepares to graduate, his friend Madelyn Bibby ‘26 said, “We’ve gotten pretty close over the past two years he’s been at North Cross. He is really funny and he’s such a fun person to be around. I’m really gonna miss him next year.”
ta Rica,” Aren Barranco ‘26 said. ”Since then, we hang out all the time and are great friends.”
Anyone who sees his artwork knows Sturm has skill. With many art assignments resembling graffiti. This connected to his senior speech in which he spoke on how graffiti is a form of art and should be treated as such.
Sturm has made many close friends throughout the years. Many of the weekends he invites some of the students who live in the Boxley Building dorm in downtown Roanoke over at his house.
“Me and Leyton met each other and became friends in my 8th grade year on the trip to Cos-
“NCS is like a second home,” Sturm said. “I grew up here and attended for 16 years. I have made countless connections and opportunities through this community. It has always been a place where I can improve myself everyday.”
By Jacob Johnson Photo by Lauren Boone
Fútbol finalé: On a chilly evening (by Spanish standards) César Suarez Cuenca, escorted by Zoe Mullins, Spanish teacher, receives his senior board on his senior night for soccer while holding up his iconic thumbs-up hand sign.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Suarez arrived at NCS at the beginning of his junior year in 2023. From the second he stepped foot on campus his name began to generate buzz. This was due to his undeniable talent on the soccer field. He scored 12 goals and assisted on nine more for 33 points in his senior season.
“We got closer mainly through practices because I would usually go up against him in practice,” Suarez’s teammate, classmate and friend Bob
Suarez Cuenca scores goals and friends in his two years Vu leaves artistic imprint on her way to study business
Almenas said. “I mainly connected with him in practice because he shot on me when he shot at the goal. It also helped being Spanish and having similar cultures.”
Goals weren’t the only thing made easily by Suarez. He easily gained many friends throughout the NCS community. “Due to the positions [Almenas as goalie and Suarez as midfielder] we didn’t link up as much as I would like to but as the year went on we got closer,” Almenas said.
Suarez will return to España and attend Voxel School University College of Digital Arts. He reflects on his time here at NCS very fondly.
“NCS has been more than a school, it felt like home. I’ve been here two years and I’m not going to forget them in my life,” Suarez said. “The
“I think when I first arrived here, I noticed that there are many people from different countries,” said Ezra Vu, who arrived from Vietnam two years ago. “This creates a diverse community with many different cultures.”
The dorm quickly became a central part of her experience.
“At first, I felt a little stressed because I didn’t know anyone,” she said. “However, after being here for a year and now in my second year, I feel much more comfortable. It feels like a family.”
Emily Nguyen ‘27, a close friend, affirmed something similar.,
“Ezra is my first and only Vietnamese friend at North Cross School. She is always the most caring, funny, and gentle person.”
The Dorm Director, Kate Branciforte, fondly added, “Ezra has graced our community with her artistic ability, her sense of humor. her biggest contribution has been the way that she kind of brightens up a space even though she’s sometimes
quiet. To know Ezra is to love Ezra.”
While exploring activities, Vu found her passion in AP Art. “The most exciting part of this year is my AP Art class. I am very excited that our teacher, Ms. Jackson, helps us with our ideas.”
Art teacher Ms. Jackson lauded Vu’s talent: “Ezra hadn’t taken art at North Cross before, but she definitely has strong talent. Her style is characterized by colorful artwork. Ezra definitely could do something in the future in art.”
Reflecting on her growth, Vu noted, “I feel more open to communicating with people, especially in my second year. I feel much more comfortable meeting new people.”
“She is very open and welcoming to new students,” Pietra Fischer ‘26 added.
Rabia Ferron ‘26 agreed, “She is one of my best friends. I love Ezra. She brings a lot of energy and happiness to North Cross School.
“She has an amazing energy and an amazing personality. She always finds a way to make you smile.”Tina Chiwata ‘26 said.
Beyond her vibrant personality, Vu’s helpfulness and intellect have also left a mark. As Kevin Tran ‘26 noted, “She loves to help people and is very smart.”
Beyond her artistic talents and academic focus,
teachers are really nice and they listen to you. The people I meet here are like family for me. I know I’m going to be friends with them all my life.”
Suarez’s feelings about the teachers here are not one-sided. He had made a special connection with many staff members here at NCS, especially Donny Akers and the rest of the very kind and helpful cafeteria staff. He enjoyed his math teacher Scott Wilde and Spanish teacher Zoe Mullins, who was senior speech advisor for Suarez and me, and the same person who escorted him on his senior night for soccer.
Vu cherishes downtime with movies like “Modern Family” and her favorite Vietnamese dishes, such as crab noodles and ‘bun bo hue.’ Her love for travel includes a special fondness for Japan.
These personal joys are often shared with friends at North Cross. “Many people would come to our room to hang out and have fun. It was really enjoyable,” Ezra recalled. Memorable times, like the senior trip that Jason ‘25 found “really fun,” and personal moments like Jiale Qin ‘26’s anniversary dinner, highlight these connections.
Looking ahead, Ezra will bring this spirit to the University of Illinois Chicago, where she’ll study management with a minor in international business, aiming to engage globally and thrive professionally within five years.
As Ezra gets ready for her journey in Chicago, there is a mix of emotions in the North Cross halls, particularly in our dorm room, which will inevitably feel a bit less lively without her joy and late-night conversations. Chicago is gaining a shining star, but a part of our North Cross family will always support her in every step of her path. We wish you nothing but the best, mi compañera de cuarto/cô ban cùng phòng cùa tôi. May your experience in the Windy City be as colorful and lovely as the art you create and the kindness you spread to others.
By your Spanish roommate, Victoria Real
By Margaret Bass Photo by Lauren Boone
Indira Weed ‘25 sits in her Kindergarten class in Ellis Hall after her class watches the Upper School’s performance of Aladdin The Musical. Even a month after this trip, she and her classmates sing the words to “Never Had a Friend Like Me” at the top of their lungs.
Weed has been a student at North Cross since she was three years old. Her parents enrolled her after her sister, Kalani Weed ‘23, was thriving. North Cross started off as just a good day care for Weed, but as she grew up it became much more
Weed aims for industrial design degree at VT
than that. Weed says she is pretty well known for her artwork. As well as being an impressive artist, She played volleyball and lacrosse for four years, participated in Media Club, Help Save the Next Girl, Model United Nations, and yearbook. Weed has only been doing the yearbook for the past two years, but she rose to the role of co-editor this year.
The Compass staff voted and awarded her the Yearbook Award. Because of her work with the yearbook, her graphic design and theater involvement, she completed the Fine Arts Distinction.
Weed will be attending Virginia Tech for industrial design. She chose VT because, “their industrial design program is really good, and I toured it, and it just felt like it was the right place.”
Hearing that Weed is pursuing industrial design isn’t much of a surprise after hearing from Katherine Clark, previous lower school and current middle school science teacher. Clark taught
Weed when she was in fifth grade. and says,
“I remember how kind she was, how hardworking she was,” Clark said. “She’s also very, very smart.” She even remembers Weed winning her Sscience award in fifth grade. She also enjoyed coding with code.org during that class many years ago.
Weed is also an AP French student and her previous French teacher from middle school, Edward Dickenson, had nothing but nice things to say about her.
“Indira was fun and creative,” he said, “she always brought that creative side of her to what we did in class.”
Like Clark, Dickenson said that Weed was always willing to work hard and participate in any way she could.
“Indira was just really good at working with other students in class, and she was always quick to get into oral activities and working with other students.”
4 faculty depart Willis Hall alongside seniors
Dr.
Finney retires, Wilde semi-retires, DeMarco moves on from teaching and Odom returns to home state of Georgia.
Seniors? Along with the departing seniors, some faculty will leave Willis Hall. Dr. Wanda Finney began teaching Latin and cheering on teams in 2011.“My favorite memory of Willis Hall that will stay with me after I leave is joking around with the kids in the hallway.” Photo by Sarah Sledd. Scott Wilde joined the math department a year later, and coached three sports, including golf for the past eight years. He plans to keep teaching his wildly popular Economics and Personal Finance class. Photo by Eason Zhou. Beloved by the graduating seniors, Ryan DeMarco brought his love of history to campus in 2018, eventually leading the history and global studies programs. Photo by Robert Robillard. After three years of dazzling students with his love of poetry, politics and geography, Brett Odom goes home. He hopes to live in Athens and commute to the George Walton Academy. Photo by Anna Ciccozzi MAY 2025 PAGE 25
ACADEMIC AWARDS
SENIORS:
• TOM SLACK AWARD: GRACE SHEPPARD
• CUM LAUDE SOCIETY: HARRY ANDERSON, HUNTER
• BASILE, DEAN COTE, VALERIA DANCEA, KENZIE GIBBS, HENRY LUGAR, GRACE SHEPPARD
• VALEDICTORIAN: HUNTER BASILE
• SALUTATORIAN: HENRY LUGAR
• WILLIS HALL DIRECTOR’S AWARD: EVIE EAGAN
• SCOTT ROBERTSON GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD: BROCK MILES
• DEHART PROJECT AWARD: KENZIE GIBBS
• GLOBAL STUDIES SCHOLARS: TYLER BLOOMFIELD, HENRY LUGAR
• STEM SCHOLARS: HARRY ANDERSON, HUNTER BASILE, DEAN COTE, HENRY LUGAR, JOSH MIAO
• FAD SCHOLARS: GRACE SHEPPARD, JAHANVI PATEL INDIRA WEED
• COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD: HUNTER BASILE
• HISTORY AWARD: GRACE SHEPPARD
• SCIENCE AWARD: KENZIE GIBBS
• MATHEMATICS AWARD: HARRY ANDERSON
• SPANISH AWARD: KAMEN PETKOV
• FRENCH AWARD: VALERIA DANCEA
• ENGLISH AWARD: VALERIA DANCEA
• DRAMA AWARD: VALERIA DANCEA
• STUDIO ART AWARD: LAUREN BOONE
• YEARBOOK AWARD: INDIRA WEED
JUNIORS;
CHANGING OF THE GUARD:
Indira Weed connects with her advisor, Sarah Sledd, who sits in the front row to photograph commencement. Weed, along with Suvi Hansen ‘26, led the Compass staff to produce this year’s book centering on the theme of “Change.”
“This volume of the Compass will be one of the best in school history,” Herald advisor Robert Robillard said.
“I admire everything about the book from the creative design to the vivid photography to the storytelling. I love every page.”
• THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD: SHAR NANDA
• JEFFERSON AWARD: ANNA CICCOZZI
• WILLIAM AND MARY LEADERSHIP AWARD: MILLIE CHOPSKI
• RENNSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AWARD: SHAR NANDA
• CALCULUS AWARD: HANCHEN OU
• EXCELLENCE IN WRITING AWARD: SHAR NANDA
• FINE ARTS DISTINCTIONS: CARTER KRZEMINSKI
• BIOLOGY AWARD: ZUHAIR MIRZA
• CHEMISTRY AWARD: COLIN CHANDEL
• GRAPHIC DESIGN AWARD: TILDEN AYERS
• IMPACTFUL CONTRIBUTION TO YEARBOOK AWARD; SUVI HANSEN
• PHYSICS AWARD: NOAH SHOREY
SOPHOMORES:
• NEWSPAPER AWARD: MASON BIBBY
SURPRISE!?! Grace Sheppard is announced as the Tom Slack Award recepient, which is called the school’s highest honor and only announced at graduation. Below: Valeria Dancea smiles for the camera during the recessional. Dancea was honored multiple times at the academic awards. Photos by Sarah Sledd
ATHLETIC AWARDS
B’nai B’rith Athletic and Achievement Award– Awarded to the male and female seniors who have demonstrated outstanding performances in the areas of athletics (50%), scholarship (30%), and their personal lives (20%). Hunter Basile, Julia Corliss Photos by Sarah Sledd
Mark Higgins Award - Presented to the senior boy or girl who exhibits excellence in and dedication to sports throughout his/her career at NCS: Hunter Basile Spirit Award – Awarded to the senior who has exhibited throughout his or her career at North Cross an unselfish support and enthusiasm for North Cross athletics. This award, selected by the coaching staff, further signifies that the recipient embodies the spirit and character North Cross would like to develop within each individual: Henry Lugar
Junior Scholar-Athlete Award: Millie Chopski, Carter Krzeminski
Girls Lacrosse: BRAC and VISAA D II Semifinalist
• Coaches Award: Julia Cephas ‘28
• MVP: Millie Chopski ‘26
• BRAC: 1st-Team; Julia Cephas, Millie Chopski, Fiona Parnell; Honorable Mention: Gabby Miller, Grace Sheppard
Boys Tennis: BRAC and VISAA D II Champions
• MVP Award: Henry Lugar ‘25
• Coaches Award: Sam Schaefer ‘27
• BRAC and VISAA D II Player of the Year: George Lugar ‘28
• VISAA D II: 1st-Team: Henry Lugar, George Lugar, Jacob Juneau ‘26; 2nd-Team: Tyler Bloomfield ‘25; Honorable Mention: Sam Schaefer ‘26
• Coaches Award: Sander Frogner ‘25
• MVP: Sebastian Miller ‘26
• BRAC: 1st-Team; Thomas Greer ‘25, Ethan Grigas ‘26; Mason Jolley ‘26, Sebastian Miller; Christian Stanley ‘26; 2nd-Team: Carter Krzeminski; Honorable Mention: Carter Smith ‘25
VISAA Three-Season Senior Athletes:
Harry Anderson: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field
Nate Bonds: Football, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field
Kerrigan Chaney: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field
Sander Frogner: Football, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field and Lacrosse
Jacob Johnson: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field
Josh Miao: Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track/Field
Golf: BRAC and VISAA D II Runner-up
• Coaches Award: Will Nolan Jackson ‘25
• MVP: William Hendrickson ‘28
• BRAC: Turner Faires ‘26, William Hendrickson,
• Zuhair Mirza ‘26
• VISAA D II: William Hendrickson, Zuhair Mirza
Baseball: BRAC Semifinalist and VISAA D II Quarterfinalist
• MVP: Tristan Lange ‘26
• Coaches Award: Hanchen Ou ‘26
• BRAC: 1st-Team: Tristan Lange, Hanchen Ou; 2nd-Team: Ryan Thomas ‘26
Girls Soccer: BRAC Semifinalist, VISAA D II Quarterfinalist
• MVPs: Isla Whittle ’28
• Coaches Award: Evie Eagan ‘25
• BRAC: 1st-Team; Sophie Dalton ‘28, Mercedes Herrera ‘27, Isla Whittle 2nd-Team: Maddie Howes ‘27
• Boys Coaches Award: Kamen Petkov ‘25 BRAC 2nd-Team in 4x100m and Honorable Mention in 200m
• Boys MVP Award: Jacob Johnson ‘25 VISAA D II 2ndTeam in 4x400, BRAC Honorable Mention 4x400
• Girls MVP: Kerrigan Chaney ‘25 VISAA D II Champion in 1600 and 3200; 2nd-Team in 800
• Girls Coaches Award: Brooklyn Chen ‘26 VISAA D II Champion in Shotput
Henry Lugar. Photo by Sarah Sledd
Varsity Track and Field: VISAA D II and BRAC Boys Runners-Up
Boys Lacrosse: VISAA D II Champions
Raiders beat Seton School 5-0
Victory caps a dominant season in which the team went 18-1.
how many state
Lugar ‘25, Tyler Bloomfield ‘25, Higgins Harlow ‘29, Ameer Albishah ‘26, Anderson Ratliff ‘26, Sam Schaefer ‘26, Shar Nanda ‘26 and Asst. Coach Ryan Schlachter.
FINAL FOREHAND: No. 1 singles player George Lugar ‘28 hits one last forehand to win 8-0, earning the team’s fourth set in the match. Lugar was named VISAA Div. II Player of the Year for a season in which he went 17-2 with his only losses coming against Div. I players. Photo by Robert Robillard
CAPTAIN CONGRATULATIONS: No. 1 doubles players Henry Lugar ‘25 and Jacob Juneau ‘26 keep the spirits high after every point en route to an 8-1 victory over their opponents. The duo lost only twice all season. Over the last three seasons, Lugar and Juneau have a doubles record of 38-10. Lugar graduates with 118 singles and doubles victories over five seasons. The VISAA Div. II committee has honored Lugar with First Team All State status the last four seasons. Coach Schaefer honored the team captain with the MVP award this season. “You know, as a true leader, he’s the ultimate MVP. Plays with intensity and focus, always conducts himself with class and sportsmanship. He’s been voted two time team captain. He’s been a mentor to our younger players, and they always look to him to set the tone with the beginning of each match.. . . He’s been the heart and soul of our team for years.” Photo by Robert Robillard
SUPER SERVES: Above, Tyler Bloomfield ‘25 extends fully while keeping his eyes on the ball on a first serve during the No. 2 doubles match, which he won with George Lugar 8-1. Below: No. 3 doubles player Sam Schaefer ‘26 launches an unreturnable serve. Coach Schaefer also said of his lefty serve,“It’s like cheating, especially to serve like he does.” He and Anderson Ratliff ‘26 won 8-6 to complete a sweep of the doubles sets. Schaefer won his singles No. 5 set 8-2 to finish the match. Sam received the Coach’s Award for working “hard constantly to improve his game on and off the court.” Photos by Robert Robillard
FOUR SURE: Chomping on their medals, the team shows
championships they have won in a row. From left: Head Coach Jim Schaefer, Kemper Prillaman ‘28, George Lugar ‘28, Jacob Juneau ‘26, Nicolas Cobas ‘26, Christian Lang ‘25, Henry
Photo by Robert Robillard
CHAMPIONS AGAIN!
RAIDERS WIN 4TH TITLE IN 5 YEARS
Team gets 6th state title; beat Covenant for 3rd time this season.
RAINING CONFETTI: Confetti rains down on players while they celebrate the 13-8 victory over Covenant -- the fewest goals they have allowed Covenant. Teammates pile on top of goalie Chris Stanley ‘26, who filled a key position for the Raiders blocking shots. Number 20, Coaches Award Sander Frogner resists the urge. North Cross won with strong defense, smart play and the unstoppable energy of the home crowd. For French exchange student Antoine Finot 26, this win was more than just a dream — it was the goal he set when he arrived in the U.S. “I’ve learned so much here,” he says, “from the coaches, my teammates, and every single practice. Now I’m ready to take all that experience back to France and work toward joining the national team.” Photo and caption by
CONSPIRACY: Above: While fans see what’s coming, Athletic Dirrector Jeremy Eubank smirks as he put a medal around the neck of Head Coach Chris Pollock to distract him long enough for the players to dump the Powerade cooler over him.
Dynamic duo: Above left: Ethan Grigas ‘26 and Mason Jolley ‘26 poke holes in the Covenant defense. Both players were first team all conference performers.
Super senior: Below left: Captain Thomas Greer lifts the championship plaque. He will take his championship pedigree to Randoph-Macon in the fall. Photos by Koeda
HIGH FOUR: Carter Doubman ‘27 celebrates Sebastian Miller’s ‘26 goal. Miller won the team MVP award for his two-way play in the midfield all season.“The old saying is, offense can win games, but defense wins you championships,” Coach Chris Pollock said. “His play was [as] a leader on both sides of the field.”
Monica Koene
Photo by Akali Koeda
CHANEY AND CHEN REPEAT AS STATE CHAMPIONS!
Numerous Raiders place top-3 for All-State honors.
FINALITY: Kerrigan Chaney '25 runs the final lap of the 3200m at the VISAA DII meet on May 16. Although she had already run the 1600m and the 800m, Chaney was able to dig deep and pull out a win in 11:55.35 for her final high school race. She placed first in the 1600 in 5:16.56 and third in the 800m in 2:21.27. She went home with three medals and two state championships. Caption by Kaitlyn Perkins
Girls 3200m
Kerrigan Chaney ‘25 =11:03 NB 11:55.35 V
Kaitlyn Perkins ‘28 =12:24.16 V3
Boys’ 3200m
Spencer Britton ‘27 =10:03 NB 10:04.41 V2
Finn Chaney ‘27 = 10:27.25 10:17.52 V7
Bryce Austin ‘28 = 10:22.63 V8
Boys’ 1600m
Spencer Britton = 4:32 *N
Finn Chaney = 4:45.01
Bryce Austin = 4:34.32
Boys’ 800m
Spencer Britton ‘27 = 2:03 *N
Harry Anderson ‘25 = 2:17.92
Josh Miao ‘25= 2:18.33
Boys’ Triple Jump
Jase Rhodes ‘26 = 44-6.25
Girls’ Long Jump
Faith Johnson = 15-5
NOT A RACE: Threee-sport athletes Jacob Johnson and Harry Anderson recess at the end of graduation. Captain of the team, Johnson was named the Track and Field team MVP for running multiple events and also doing the long jump. Anderson helped the cross country, indoor and outdoor teams win state titles over his career. Photo by Samantha Belderes
2025 Outdoor Top Finishes
Girls’ 1600m
Kerrigan Chaney = 5:16.56 V
Kaitlyn Perkins = 5:39.84 V8
Girls’ 800m
Kerrigan Chaney = 2:21.27 V3
Ainsley Myles = 2:40.48
Boys’ 400m
Ja’ziel Hart ‘26 = 53.15
Jacob Johnson ‘25 = 53.84 V8
Parker Britton ‘28 = 54.73
Boys’ Discus
Nate Bonds ‘25 = 124-7
Nate Hayes ‘26 = 107-3
Girls’ 100
Gabby Miller ‘26 = 13.59
Faith Johnson ‘28 = 13.64
Girls’ 200m
Faith Johnson = 28.79
Gabby Miller = 28.36
Boys’ Shot Put
Nate Hayes = 45-5.25
Sander Frogner = 44-5.50
Boys’ Long Jump
Jase Rhodes = 20-2.25
Nate Bonds = 18-10.25
Jacob Johnson = 18-7.25
THREE-PEAT! Brooklyn Chen '26 puts the shot in the finals at the VISAA Track and Field State Championship. She threw a total distance of 37-5.5, placing her in first by four inches over the next competitor and taking her third consecutive state title. She also set a new school record. Caption by Kaitlyn Perkins
Girls’ Discuss
Brooklyn Chen = 87-0 N
Girls’ Shot Put
Brooklyn Chen = 37-5.5 NV
Boys’ 100m
Kamen Petkov ‘25 = 11.39
J.D. Grubb = 11.53
Boys’ 200m
J.D. Grubb ‘26= 23.81V3 22.58
Kamen Petkov = 22.66 B2 24.06 V6
Ja’ziel Hart = 23.90
Boys’ High Jump
Jase Rhodes = 6-00.00
Ja’ziel Hart = 5-10.00
V indicates VISAA Bold denotes Champion/Number shows place Bold N indicates NCS record
B indicates BRAC Bold denotes Champion/Number shows place
2033 Electric Rd. Cave Spring, VA 24018
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 4:30-9 PM
Saturday-Sunday: 12-9 PM
gingersjewelry.com
Instagram: gingersjewelryroanoke
3565 Electric Rd Suite C Roanoke, VA 24018
Tel: (540) 563-5559
Email: ginger@gingersjewelry.com
Store Hours: Mon to Fri: 10:00am - 6:00pm Sat: 10:00am - 5:00pm Sun: closed
