Trinity Today – Summer 2023

Visual Arts at TCA

CONNECTING

EDITOR/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

KENDALL ELLIS

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

KRISTINA SPEARS, Director of Marketing and Communication

JAY ATTAL, Sports Information & Media Manager

HAVEN BURGOON ’16, Digital Media Specialist

CAREY ESTRADA, Photographer

ALUMNI OFFICE

BETH HARWELL, Director of Alumni

ADVISORY BOARD

DR. JEFF D. WILLIAMS, Head of School

SCOTT BERTHEL

BEV BIRMINGHAM

DON ENGLISH

KRISTY KEGERREIS

JENNIE KESLER

MATT LAMBRO

FRAN LEGBAND

BECKY LEWIS

SHAWNNAH PARRILL

AMY EDWARDS PRIDEAUX ’89

CAMILLE LANGFORD WALKER ’82

LISA WONG

JUSTIN ZAPPIA

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

STACEY DORÉ, Chair

DERIC EUBANKS, Vice Chair

MARK DYER, Past Chair

DAVID HARPER

WENDY HERMES

CRAIG WENNING

ABOUT US

TRINITY TODAY is published two times a year: Winter and Summer.

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 17001 Addison Road

Addison, Texas 75001 972-931-8325

TrinityChristian.org

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Send story ideas to Kristy Kegerreis at kkegerreis@trinitychristian.org and alumni information to Beth Harwell at bharwell@ trinitychristian.org.

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Making their mark

A VERY FREQUENTLY HEARD COMMENT from parents who attend our Mini School Nights is, “Hearing from these amazing teachers about their course content and goals for the classes makes me wish I was a student here.” It’s true that TCA’s faculty are some of the most knowledgeable, accomplished, caring and creative educators one would hope for as molders of young minds. But it is not just the abundance of men and women who are founts of knowledge in their respective fields that makes the educational experience at TCA such a lush garden of learning. The good soil of our eager students, whose own ideas, insights and creativity are ready to sprout up and flourish when nurtured, is a necessity. And it is in the hearts and minds of these students—their surprising perception, bright inquiries and often rapid growth—that we truly behold the beauty of the educational process.

In this issue, we highlight TCA’s visual arts program, which is one of the spots on campus where we often see this beautiful fruit growing from fertile ground. Our visual arts program is consistently the most decorated program in the DFW area, and Department Head Jon Millet ’84 explains that a combination of world-class instructors, a visionary curriculum, a master-apprentice model of teaching and even the quirky Art Wing itself all create an environment where students are budding both with excitement to learn and with original expression of their ideas. Our TCA

students are grounded in the truth of Scripture, and with that firm grounding, they are eager to express their thoughts on life—its beauty and its ugliness, the good and the evil, our shared delights and our mutual duties to one another as coheirs of God’s gifts and co-sojourners in this world.

You’ll also enjoy hearing from Lindsay Carreker, Lower School visual arts teacher, and Justin Zappia, director of auxiliary programs, who share how at TCA we are being intentional in sparking creativity at the earliest ages in our art classes and after-school enrichment program.

Read and be inspired by many examples of TCA students and TCA alumni finding their own unique ways of creating, excelling, leading and serving. Among them also are the students of our Upper School STEM program, who are applying problem-solving skills in the real world to meet the needs of their neighbors, locally and even globally.

As you read, just imagine, if this is the kind of mark these bold and imaginative students are making during their time at TCA, what kind of imprint on our culture could they make for the name of Christ out in the world one day!

KENDALL ELLIS Editor/Creative Director

Upper School art students discuss some of their artwork for printmaking class, led by visual arts teacher Adria Johnson Warner ’95. Art class photo and cover photo by Jeff McWhorter ’05

ART & SOUL

Department

LET’S CREATE

Art teacher Lindsay Carreker describes the joy of imparting not only artistic skills but also boldness of expression to young learners.

CLEAR POSSIBILITIES

Find out how the Upper School STEM Club has partnered with a team in Nicaragua to design a clean water system for a community in need.

ENRICHMENT@TCA

Read about how after-school enrichment classes are opportunities for growth for students and a blessing to TCA families.

62 LIFTING THEIR EXPECTATIONS

Our renovated Athletic Training Center provides a great space for our student-athletes to take their strength and fitness to the next level.

64 WINTER AND SPRING SPORTS SEASON RECAPS

78

This column highlights how former Trojans are influencing the world for the glory of God in their careers, ministries and other callings. In this issue we profile LUKE LANGFORD ’20 , HANNAH LANGFORD ’14 , and CANNON LEWIS M c CLINTOCK ’01 , who are using their gifts and creativity as visual artists, as well as DR. JOSHUA KAIN ’07, who is using his skill as a head and neck surgeon to help those halfway around the world.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY offers an unbelievable educational opportunity to Christian families. The environment in which children grow up has an immeasurable impact on their formation, and our goal is nothing less than the spiritual maturity of each child. Because schoolage children spend more waking hours with school leaders than almost anyone else, TCA faculty and staff must be “the living curriculum” who model a love for the Lord, a love of learning and love for each other. My philosophy of leadership prioritizes Christlike character and service.

Christian school leaders must embody servant leadership and godly character. The Greek word for Christlike love is agape, which is unmerited, grace-filled and constantly seeking the flourishing of others. Agape leaders move people onto God’s agenda, and they manifest Jesus’s call “not to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28, emphasis added). Godly character requires the highest standard of moral purity, ethical decision-making and biblical priorities.

Though often overlooked, Christian school leaders must prioritize building future leaders. Successful professional sports coaches are judged in part by their “coaching tree,” whereby they develop dozens of assistant coaches over the course of a career, launching them into leadership roles of their own. Similarly, Christian school leaders must empower all stakeholders to thrive and contribute. Educational researcher Dr. Jon Eckert’s book Leading Together notes that although most people label only the top tier of an organizational chart as leaders, “it is not possible for 10 percent of an organization to do all the necessary work to meet the mission” (Eckert, 16). School leaders must inspire both the adults and students in the TCA family to view themselves as essential co-laborers.

Furthermore, the Christian school leader must also design specific plans to equip students to bloom into the leaders God designed them to be. Leadership is not about position or title but ultimately about “the work that drives an organization’s mission.” Therefore, leadership development for students must be “competency based” (Eckert, 8). Rather than didactic leadership lectures, students must practice leadership by doing the work to achieve the school’s mission, side by side with teachers and administrators in a model known as collective leadership (Eckert, 14). To this end, TCA is launching a prefect and committee system for the 2023–24 school year to allow dozens of Upper School students to develop leadership skills by joining in the collective work of achieving our school’s mission.

Prefects are seniors who are highly committed to the school’s mission and embody servant leadership, deliberately avoiding special privileges. Bestselling leadership author Patrick Lencioni describes the “ideal team player” as someone who is “humble, hungry and socially intelligent” (The Ideal Team Player, 2016). In the same way, TCA prefects’ effectiveness will derive from their inspirational, loving servant leadership. Classical Christian educators call this mimetic learning; as others mimic the lived-out convictions of student leaders, the culture can transform.

The seven prefects are the admissions prefect, the academic prefect, the service prefect, the student life prefect, the unity prefect, the publicity prefect and the head prefect. Each will recruit and oversee a committee of Upper School students devoted to pursuing our mission.

Earlier this spring, juniors were invited to apply and interview with a selection committee made up of Upper School administrators, the chief administrative officer and five Upper School teachers, three of whom were selected by a vote of the current juniors. Applicants were encouraged to self-reflect: Are you willing to be different? Applicants must have parental support and commit to participate in a committee if not selected. The prefects will train and unify on a wilderness backpacking trip in Colorado this July, and each will be shepherded by a staff mentor throughout senior year.

In addition to the prefects, this spring brought another new TCA tradition, the Junior Leadership Inauguration. At this ceremony, all eleventh-graders were called to step up into servant leadership as the rising senior class. Each junior was presented with a medal inscribed with Luke 12:48, which reads, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”

Here at TCA, I desire to foster a flourishing community that raises up healthy, disciplined, grace-filled leaders. We are excited to watch the prefect and committee system bring to life this philosophy of leadership that aims to “conform [us] into the image of the Son” (Romans 8:29), Jesus Christ.

DR. JEFF D. WILLIAMS, Head of School

Seven rising seniors were selected to represent TCA in the coming year by embodying servant leadership (left to right): Kylie Jones, academic prefect; Molly Youn, head prefect; Kassadi Brown, service prefect; Lauren “Lulu” Janson, unity prefect; Lucy Dennis, admission prefect; Aidan Mills, publicity prefect; and Will Lehman, student life prefect.

Juniors received medals signifying their rise to leadership in the Upper School, and their parents prayed for God’s direction and blessing of their upcoming senior year.

HAPPY SUMMER! If you’re anything like me, you are enjoying a bit of a slower pace for a couple of months. I pray our entire community has an opportunity to rest and recharge this summer with family and loved ones.

As we reflect back on this past school year, the Board of Trustees wanted to provide a few updates that paint a picture of God’s continued faithfulness to TCA.

June 30 marked the first full year under our new head of school, Dr. Jeff Williams. Dr. Williams has brought fresh perspective, new energy and novel ideas to our campus, and we couldn’t be more pleased with his leadership. Most importantly, Dr. Williams has stayed true to our core Christ-centered mission of developing the whole person for the glory of God and expanded on this mission by incorporating a new passion statement to guide our path: “Our passion is to bring all students into a personal, growing relationship with Jesus Christ while equipping them to do with excellence all that God has called them to do.”

Dr. Williams accomplished a great deal in only his first year at the helm. He made some key hires and promotions, including hiring Tonja King as our chief administrative officer and Tony Van Slyke as our chief financial officer, and promoting Bob Dyer to director of biblical worldview and Fran Legband to chief academic officer. Dr. Williams also instituted the well-regarded prefect system in the Upper School and invited several senior students to share devotionals with the Board of Trustees at our meetings. (I cannot express with words what a blessing it has been for the trustees to hear from our senior students who are digging deep into God’s Word and thinking about how to apply it to their own lives.) Dr. Williams also took several faculty and staff members on professional development trips in order to foster an environment of continuous learning at our school. And he instituted a new evaluation system for faculty, beginning this fall. These are only a handful of the key decisions Dr. Williams made in his very first year, and we know there are many more exciting milestones to come.

As for the Board of Trustees, I shared with you in the last issue of Trinity Today that we committed to make several governance improvements last spring as a result of the accreditation process with the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA). I am pleased to report that we have made significant strides in meeting those commitments:

• We created a documented induction and education program for new board members and a policy for all board members to complete refresher training every two years.

• We completed our first annual board self-evaluation process, which gives board members a chance

to reflect on what the board does well and what opportunities for improvement exist.

• We updated the board’s bylaws.

• We maintained our focus on strategic direction for TCA, completing extended board discussions on the strategic topics of academics, admission, marketing, development, athletics, facilities and student life and spiritual growth. These are critical issues as we look forward to beginning our next strategic planning cycle later this year.

• We also increased our efforts to keep our community informed about the board’s work by providing these Trinity Today updates as well as email updates from the board and hosting a breakfast with faculty and staff in May. Board members also had the privilege of sharing a devotion with faculty and staff at their monthly meetings.

• We added three new board members effective June 1, fulfilling our commitment to prayerfully build a more diverse board of Christ followers, taking into account different career backgrounds, skill sets, age, gender, ethnicity and race. We are thrilled to introduce these new trustees to you, and we look forward to the new insights and godly wisdom each of them will bring to our board:

Lisa Chou brings more than two decades of marketing, development and programming experience to our board;

Brandon Waddell adds historical perspective to our board as an alumnus of TCA who has now chosen TCA for his children, and he is also a business owner who manages his own law firm;

Dr. Lisa Whitaker, who earned her PhD in health and public service, brings more than a decade of educational experience to our board.

We firmly believe that everything that transpired in the 2022-23 school year reflected God’s steady hand continuing to lead TCA. We are so grateful for all the Lord has done for our school. We are excited about next school year and look forward to continuing to partner with everyone in this exceptional TCA community to make TCA the school God intends for it to be!

STACEY DORÉ, Chair, Board of Trustees

Lisa Chou is director of global marketing at Teneo. Lisa and her husband, Mike, have three sons at TCA: Nathan (twelfth grade), Brandon (tenth grade) and Ryan (eighth grade). Their sons have all been at TCA since kindergarten. They attend Watermark Community Church in Dallas.

Lisa is honored and excited to serve on the Board of Trustees. “For the past 12 years, our family has been blessed by the TCA community. Teachers, staff, coaches and families have all played pivotal roles in our children’s lives, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

Brandon Waddell joins the Board of Trustees following six years of service on the TCA Alumni Association Board. Brandon is the managing partner of Waddell | Serafino, where he specializes in construction law. He attended TCA from kindergarten and graduated in 1997. He and his wife, Stacie, have two children. Willa is in sixth grade at TCA, and Eli is three years old.

Brandon is honored to serve on the Board of Trustees, and the entire Waddell family has been blessed by TCA. “TCA has had a profound impact on my life and on our entire family. We treasure belonging to a community focused on educating and developing the whole person for the glory of God, and I am honored to serve alongside my fellow trustees to positively impact the future of our beloved school.”

Dr. Lisa Whitaker serves as a director of operations for the Teaching and Learning Division of Dallas ISD. Lisa and her husband, Creston II, have two children at TCA, Lillian (fifth grade) and Creston III (third grade), and they came to TCA in 2019. The family attends One Community Church in Plano.

The Whitaker family believes in TCA’s mission of educating and developing the whole child for God’s glory. Lisa is deeply honored by the opportunity to serve TCA as a member of the Board of Trustees. “I am excited to serve TCA as an ambassador and supporter of the school’s mission and strategic plan. I look forward to serving alongside fellow trustees as we seek to glorify Jesus in all we do and support the community of TCA.”

GOOD WORKS

TAPPS Academic Champions

The TAPPS Academic Team recently participated in the 2023 TAPPS Academic/ Speech Competition. Students competed in various academic subjects, earning points in math, literature, writing, science, spelling, social studies and Spanish. The TCA team left with an overall victory for the third year in a row! Congratulations to these talented students.

Jenna Branstetter - Literary Criticism, First Place

Collin Dumas – Calculator Applications, Fourth Place; Science, Fifth Place

Bethany Grimm – Number Sense, Third Place; Advanced Math, Fifth Place; Ready Writing, Fifth Place

Kazia Handoko – Spelling, Seventh Place

Morgan Hausz – Literary Criticism, Second Place; Social Studies, Seventh Place

Karys Karlow – Math 1, Fourth Place; Literary Criticism, Third Place

Dylan Kinley – Calculator Applications, First Place; Advanced Math, Third Place

Virtue of the Month Awards

Annabelle Lee – Number Sense, Sixth Place; Science, Fourth Place

Sebastian Silva – Number Sense, Second Place; Calculator Applications, Second Place; Advanced Math, Second Place

Molly Youn – Science, Seventh Place; Ready Writing, Third Place

Nathan Youn – Math 1, First Place

Ana Sofia Zuniga – Spanish, Seventh Place

Samantha Zuniga – Spanish, Sixth Place

Also competing on the team: Heather Brownlee, Rose Duncan, Jackson Duke, Anna Garcia, Bruce Hinson, Samuel Qian, Dhamar Ramirez

TCA Endowment Wall

The TCA Foundation recently unveiled a wall to commemorate the top sixteen endowments that benefit student tuition aid and teacher enrichment. Friends and beneficiaries gathered to celebrate the impact the endowments have on the lives of TCA students year after year. We are grateful for the families who established these endowments and the legacy their generosity has created. (Pictured below are Rhonda Sanchez and friends of Christian Sanchez, who is memorialized by the Christian Sanchez Endowed Scholarship.)

STEAM Recognition

Lower School students study different virtues every month in chapel as they learn more about God and grow in their faith and understanding. Each month, teachers select a student who exemplifies that month’s virtue. What a joy to be able to celebrate the ways our students are learning and growing as disciples!

September (Love): Maggie McKenna

October (Trust): Jacob Bricker

November (Thankfulness): Cam Daugherty

January (Knowledge): Eleanor DeLuca

February (Respect): Quinn Kuster

March (Forgiveness): Molli Gullatt

April (Humility): Blake Lankford

Character Quality Awards

At TCA we love to celebrate the many accomplishments of our students. With a myriad of athletic and academic ceremonies and banquets, we also enjoy celebrating the character of our students and honoring who they are becoming at our annual Character Quality Awards. Faculty nominated students for these awards and then announced them at an awards ceremony in May.

Creativity: Jack Mullis

Curiosity: Ella Eubanks

Good Judgment: Olivia Tristan

Gratitude: Annie Blocker

Grit: Carter Bielecki, Grace Leverton

Growth Mindset: Parker Springer

Honesty: Dillard Leeds

Joyfulness: Max Merrifield

Kindness: Bryn Lawerence, Avery Kate Spence

Others-focus: Hannah Adams

Proactivity: Clary Bogda, Blake Broekemeier

Purpose: Claire Millet, Jack Rea

Self-control: William Lehman

Servanthood: Logan Walters

Director of Technology and STEM Lisa Wong was honored in April at the Women Who STEAM Luncheon. The event recognized seven women in the Dallas area who are promoting science, technology, engineering, the arts and technology. Mrs. Wong started the STEM clubs and the Honors Engineering class at TCA. She has a heart for encouraging others to use their skills and talents to help others. Congratulations, Lisa!

FWCD Photo Competition

TCA had 11 pieces selected for exhibition and seven awards in the Fort Worth Country Day Black and White Images contest from 545 submitted from 11 schools in Dallas and Fort Worth. Congratulations to these TCA photographers:

Annie Blocker

Third Place, Photojournalism

Cece Bogda

First Place, Still Life and Best in Show (above-1)

Katherine Broyles

Second Place, Architecture (above-2)

Second Place, Portrait

Hunter Daughdrill

State Fair Photography Competition

Ava Dewey

Two pieces accepted

Hayden Key

First Place, Cityscape/ Landscape (above-3)

Lucy Massinger

Elizabeth Rylander

Noah Simpson

Third Place, Still Life

NAHS Art Competition

Cece Bogda’s winning black and white photo was also selected to be a part of the National Art Honor Society’s National Juried Exhibition. Out of a record 2,410 submissions from across the county, only 127 pieces were chosen for exhibition by the jurors from prestious art and design schools. Congratulations, Cece!

Young American Talent Competition

TCA had 10 pieces accepted for exhibition in the Young American Talent Competition. Congratulations to the following artists: Rose Duncan, Richelle Kim (three pieces accepted), Harper McFarlane, Reed Neatherlin (two pieces accepted), Maya Nguyen, Adelynne Orozco (honorable mention, mixed media) and Noah Simpson (third place, photography).

Dallas Young Artist Exhibition

Nine AP Art students were selected to be showcased in the Dallas Young Artist Exhibition. Elleanna Berthel, Cece Bogda, Rose Duncan, Jaxon Liethen, Aidan McCauley, Maddie McMullen, Gabrielle Parker, Parker Prideaux and Josie Wilder all represented TCA at the Blue Print Gallery. (See story, page 48, for more about these students’ work this year.) Rose’s artwork won Best in Show, which included a $5,000 prize, and sold at the show for $750.

In the photography competition, junior division, at the State Fair of Texas this year, three TCA students received a total of six awards:

Kate Barclay

First Place, Color Action (right-1)

Second Place, Children/People

Caroline Broyles

First Place, Black and White

Photography (right-2)

Second Place, Color Photography

Honorable Mention, Color Photography

Katherine Broyles

Second Place, Black and White Prints

GOOD WORKS

Band Honors

Congratulations to the following students for recognition from the Texas Private School Music Educators Association and the Association of Texas Small School Bands:

ATSSB All-State Concert Band

Dylan Kinley (clarinet)

TPSMEA High School Region Honor Band

Brian Rodriguez (trumpet), Sebastian Silva (trumpet), Ally Gerard (french horn), Jackson Duke (percussion)

TPSMEA Middle School Honor Band

Ben Bowman (trombone), Austin Sonju (euphonium)

TPSMEA Solo and Ensemble Contest

Superior Rating at State: Brian Rodriquez (trumpet), Jackson Duke (percussion)

Superior Rating at Region: Taylor Hervey (flute), Brian Rodriguez (trumpet – state qualifier), Sebastian Silva (trumpet – state qualifier), Jackson Duke (percussion – state qualifier)

TPSMEA Vocal Music Awards

Congratulations to the following Upper School choir students for their achievements at the TPSMEA Region 1 Solo/Ensemble Contest: Solos

Class 1 song, Superior rating at Region and at State: Payne Bator, Sneha Daniel, Olivia Hammonds, Beck Henry, Lexi Meador

Class 1 song, Superior rating at Region (qualifying for state contest): Gable Delp

Class 2 song, Superior rating: Ella Bricker, Anna Garcia, Ivy Jordan, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, MC Petersen

Class 3 song, Superior rating: Samantha Niederhofer

Class 1 song, Excellent rating: Hannah Ball, Audrey Bryant, Reese Cherry, Grace Fuller, Kazia Handoko, Kendall Truitt

Class 3 song, Excellent rating: Lacie Betts, Max Burchett

Ensembles receiving Superior rating at State: Lexi Meador, Grace Fuller, Ivy Jordan, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Olivia Hammonds, Lacie Betts, Kazia Handoko, Libby Smith

Lexi Meador, Samantha Niederhofer, Chloe Mae Kimbrough, Sneha Daniel (Ella Bricker – performed at Region)

Qualified for State: Gable Delp, Peyton Townley, Sarah Dobry, Samantha Niederhofer, Anna Garcia, MC Petersen, Reese Cherry, Audrey Bryant

The Middle School Boys Choir, Girls Choir and Select Choirs all received Superior ratings from all judges, and the Select Choir won sweepstakes for straight Superior ratings in concert and sight reading at the TPSMEA State contest in Houston.

Additionally, five soloists qualified for the Middle School State Solo/Ensemble: Hannah Applewhite, Chloe Belew, Hunter Severson, Audrey Volbeda and Caleb Wenning.

College Commitments

Congratulations to the following TCA athletes who will continue their sports at the collegiate level:

Luke Johnston University of Arkansas, Football

Joshua Liu Wheaton College, Baseball

Riley Ries Texas Tech University, Cross Country

Hunter Springer Brown University, Track

Blake Muschalek Auburn University, Basketball

Hannah Schneider University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Soccer

Emma Edmundson Harding University, Cheerleading

Middle School Math Olympians

Middle School had a strong showing at this year’s ASCI Math Olympics Competition! Fifth- through eighth-grade students represented TCA in computation and reasoning, and students brought home ribbons in both categories. Congratulations to our winners!

Fifth-Grade Computation

Tanya Chiang – Second Place

Daniel Smith – Third Place

Chloe Li – Fifth Place

Fifth-Grade Reasoning

Henry Chen – Second Place

Everly Ballard – Third Place

Vera Vevang – Third Place

Sixth-Grade Computation

Parker Lowe – First Place

Seventh-Grade Computation

Will Anderson – First Place

Abby George – Third Place

Brady Lee – Fourth Place

Seventh-Grade Reasoning

Daniel Russ – First Place

Amanda Greene – Fifth Place

Eighth-Grade Computation

Trey Nunnally – Second Place

Reid Johannson – Fourth Place

Eighth-Grade Reasoning

Kaden Handoko – Tied for First Place

Caleb Kim – Tied for First Place

Service Academies

Congratulations to these graduates who will be attending service academies next year:

Jammie Awards

At the end of every school year, the Middle School holds a character quality award ceremony known as “The Jammies.” The faculty votes on outstanding character qualities they have seen their students display throughout the year. Each award recipient goes home with a onesie or “jammie” of their choice. Congratulations to our 2023 Jammie Award winners.

Kindness:

Amelia Akin

Tyler Basom

Caroline Bylerly

Thomas Clack

Addy Gadoci

Annie Lou Hubbell

Bentley Long

Cooper Nolen

Elle Pittman

Kinley Poole

Ella Purcey

Brynn Sanford

Olivia Spence

Willa Waddell

Caleb Wenning

Diligent Scholar:

Quentin Ho

William Pattillo

Honesty:

Jordan Macatee

Caroline Muccio

Parker Reed

Perseverance:

Bri Eidsvig

Lizzy Furlich

Maddie Griffin

Taylor Lang

Bryant Lankford

Farrah Long

Emi Nguyen

Caytlyn Parker

Michael Pigneri

Gratitude:

Gavin Dobry

Christina Dominick

Scarlett Dougherty

Gillian Futrell

Izzy Garcia

Anna Gurganus

Riley Lindsay

Risk-Taker

Nicholas Beaty

Barrett Butler

Julien Gean

Sloan Wilson

Initiative:

Caleb Kim

Jordyn LaCour

Emma Lewis

Gray Morris

Raylee Toney

Service:

Shepherd McMullen

Self-Control

Matthew Carter

Knox Giles

Jackson Pattillo

Purpose

Nathan Cheung

Abby Tapp

Creativity:

Molly Ellis

Zachary Fitzgerald

Wisdom:

Caroline Craighead

Eddie Franco

Austin Sonju

Faithfulness:

Andrew Beumer

Ally Gerard – United States Military Academy at West Point

Ajay Goluguri – United States Naval Academy

GOOD WORKS

National Latin Exam

Congratulations to these outstanding Latin students:

Eighth Grade

Summa Cum Laude–Gold Medal: Kaden Handoko, Andrea Johnson, Trey Nunnally, Elle Pittman

Maxima Cum Laude–Silver Medal: Andrew Crawford, Evelyn Keramidas, Caleb Kim, McLain Schulte (Intro Exam), Kat Taylor (Intro Exam), Andrew West

Magna Cum Laude: Lauren Couturier, Grant Daelke, Elena Garcia, Brady Grantham, Kaki Hanna, Carolyn Nguyen, Emi Nguyen, Elliott Severson, MJ Smith, Katherine Sunwoo

Cum Laude: Lily Brewer, Jillian Gulbas, Reid Johannsen, Brandon Lankford, Noah Liu, Grayson May, Kapp McKelvey, Austin Sonju, Catherine Wilmer

Seventh Grade

Summa Cum Laude–Gold Medal: Will Anderson, Abby George

Maxima Cum Laude–Silver Medal: Nathan Cheung, Amanda Greene, Jordan Macatee, Jackson Pallo, Kinley Poole, Parker Reed, Daniel Russ

Magna Cum Laude: Nicholas Banderob, Owen Burch, Blake Kruse, Cullen May, Greyson McCauley, Duncan Ramsey

Cum Laude: Caydia Estrada, Carter Fagan, Eleanor Fusch, Winnie Henderson, Braden Lee, Margo McClintock, Cashdon McKinney, Max Scott, Olivia Spence, Mack Sykes, Isabella Wallace, Sadot Zuniga

Eighth-Grade Awards

Band: Caleb Kim, Reid Johannsen, Austin Sonju

Bible: Hannah Applewhite, Iris Bell, Zachary Fitzgerald

Bible Memory: Kaden Handoko

Choir: Hannah Applewhite, Chloe Belew, MJ Smith, Audrey Volbeda, Caleb Wenning

History/English: Iris Bell, Jillian Gulbas, Andrea Johnson, Natalia Kattan, Evelyn Keramidas, Elle Pittman

Latin: Andrea Johnson, Evelyn Keramidas, Grace Powers

Math: Kaden Handoko, Evelyn Keramidas, Caleb Kim, McLain Schulte

Science: Emi Nguyen, Izzi Opsal, Josef Vidaud

Speech/Drama: Reegan Anderson, Elena Garcia, Jillian Gulbas, Andrea Johnson, Grayson May

Technology: Lauren Couturier, Noah Liu

Visual Art: Iris Bell, Andrew Beumer, Lizzie Furlich, Ellie Lord, Izzi Opsal, Raylee Toney

Grades 9–11 Awards

Bible

11th Grade: Blake Broekemeier

History/English

9th Grade: Sophie Dennis, Cavanaugh Tripp, Camille Williams

10th Grade: Lily Gossett, Mae Sharpe, Ella Stewart

11th Grade: Heather Brownlee, Georgia Clay, Collin Dumas

Mathematics

Algebra I: Boaz Henderson

H Geometry: Chloe Mae Kimbrough

Geometry: Anna Garcia

Algebra II: Parker Springer

H Algebra II: Nathan Youn

H Trig/Intro to Calculus: Aidan Mills

H Trig/Calculus A: Ally Lee

AB Calculus: Collin Dumas

Performing Arts

Drama I: Caroline Hatton

Drama II: Claire Lazenby

Advanced Drama: Sneha Daniel

Spring Show Award: Quade MacFadyen

Theater Director’s Award: Katherine Broyles

Outstanding Alto: Sneha Daniel

Outstanding Bass: Beck Henry

Director’s Inspirational Award: Payne Bator, Max Burchett

Woody Herman Jazz Award: Brett Yanof

Director’s Award: Jackson Duke, Brian Rodriguez

Band Member of the Year: Kylie Jones

Science

Biology: Tyler Chiang

H Biology: Lauren Prideaux

Chemistry: Hudson Smith

H Chemistry: TJ Friesen

Physics: Gabe Bibawi

AP Physics: Karys Karlow

Technology

H Game Design: James Crawford

H Web Design: Caleb Olson

AP Computer Science: Collin Dumas, Daniel Yang

AP Computer Science Intern: David Meiser

H Python: Luke Forrister, Collin Kilgore

H Entrepreneurship & Marketing Strategies: Katelyn Westover

H Tech Intern: Collin Dumas

Visual Arts

H Studio Art: Luke Forrister, Collin Kilgore

H Photography: Katie Craighead, Noah Simpson

H Drawing/Painting/Printmaking: Bliss Bell, Adysen Thibadeau

H Digital Art: Ava Dewey

H Drawing II/Painting II/Printmaking II: Audrey Spence

World Language

French I: Theodore Cheung

H French II: Ava Dewey

H French III: Heather Brownlee

Spanish I: Hannah Adams, Nathan You

Spanish II: Caleb Su

H Spanish II: MC Petersen

Spanish III: Benjamin Davis

H Spanish III: Karalyn Ehmke, Kylie Jones

College Book Awards

Three juniors were awarded college book awards this spring, recognizing them for their outstanding achievement inside and outside of the classroom, strong character, intellectual curiosity, innovation and creativity and citizen leadership:

Lucy Dennis – Dartmouth Book Award

Collin Dumas – Yale Book Award

Molly Youn – University of Virginia Jefferson Book Award

Senior Awards

Valedictorian: Richelle Kim

Salutatorian: Kazia Handoko

Trinity Spirit: Daniel Richardson

Good Citizenship Award: James Jeter, Olivia Ouimette

Athletics

Trojan Heart: Aly Heidelbaugh, Blake Muschalek

Scholar Athletes: Bethany Grimm, Dylan Kinley

Tri-Athletes: Courtney Anderson, Claire Dumas, Ally Gerard

Bible

Senior Bible: Elleanna Berthel

History/English

AP English: Richelle Kim, Emma McIntyre

Senior Thesis: Jenna Branstetter, Jocelyn Youn

Government: Jack Drake, Logan Walters

Mathematics

Finite Math: Kendall Reding

Trig/Intro Business Calc: Chris Sharon

AP Calculus BC: Dylan Kinley

AP Statistics: Landon Littleton

Performing Arts

Spring Show Award: Mac Anderson

Outstanding Theater Student : Cara Smith

Choral Director’s Award : Hannah Ball, Lexi Meador

Outstanding Musician Award : Gable Delp, Soprano; Daniel Richardson, Tenor

John Philip Sousa Award : Dylan Kinley, Lily Yassa

Louis Armstrong Award: Ally Gerard

Trojan Band Award: Mason Smith

Science

AP Biology: Emma McIntyre

AP Chemistry : Dylan Kinley

Honors Anatomy & Physiology: Ally Gerard, Olivia Ouimette

Honors Astronomy: Bethany Grimm

Field Ecology: Cece Bogda

Honors Engineering Design: Reed Neatherlin

Technology

Yearbook: Camie Jobe

Visual Arts

AP Art: Elleanna Berthel

World Languages

AP Spanish IV: Taylor Hervey

AP French IV: Jenna Branstetter

Junior-Senior

Banquet

This year’s Junior-Senior Banquet took place on Sunday, April 16, at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. This event is a long-standing TCA tradition in which the junior class hosts a banquet to honor the seniors and present them with their individual character qualities, written by the juniors. Micki Wayman was the speaker chosen by the senior students to give the address for the event. Micki is an Upper School science teacher. The message was thoughtful and inspiring. Seniors, their parents and junior students enjoyed a lovely dinner.

Thank you to Karen Pou and Flora Neuhoff, this year’s JSB co-chairs, and their entire committee for all their work on this event: Liz Brantley, Julie Brown, Tanya Clay, Shannon Copeland, Katherine Flatt, Lisa Henry, Ruth Ann Janson, Melissa McFarlane, Cristin Mills, Tara Myers Heidi Nilson, Elizabeth Pounds, Kelly Valenta and Brooke West. Thanks also to all the junior parents who helped make this event such a special night for the seniors and their parents and to the additional volunteers who signed up to help.

Concessions

Thank you to Kelly Barker, who served as the concessions coordinator for the sophomore class. Kelly and her team, along with the entire sophomore class of parents and students, have done such a fantastic job for this fundraiser. We are so grateful for her sacrifice of time on behalf of TCA. Kelly has led hundreds of parent and student volunteers in the class fundraising effort manning the concession stands for TCA home sporting events for the entire year. If you were an opener, closer or a member of the Friday night football concession team, we could not have done it without you! All the money raised from concession sales are used for the senior class trip for these students. Thank you, Kelly and your entire team, for your hard work; you all did a tremendous job!

Uniform Resale

PTF would like to thank Lacy Ingram, this year’s Uniform Resale coordinator. We are so grateful for her hard work on behalf of PTF and the school. This project is under the leadership of PTF Treasurer Wendi Byerly. Over the past year they have been sorting, washing, steaming and mending uniforms to prepare them for resale in Big Blue. The community is so grateful to PTF for providing this service to TCA families. It is a huge cost savings in uniform purchase for so many families, and it could not have been done without the help from these ladies. Thank you so much, Lacy and PTF, for your willingness to serve all year!

Thank you, PTF board!

A tremendous thank-you to the 2022-23 PTF board: Shawnnah Parrill, president, Noel Pierce, vice president, Wendi Byerly, treasurer, and Rachel Taylor, secretary. TCA is grateful for all the time you devote to the school and all the support you provide through the grade-level coordinators, class liaisons, hospitality program, uniform resale, rebate programs, teacher appreciation events held throughout the year and the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Thank you for your service and for volunteering in such a signifcant and crucial role!

Faithful to the Finish

A TRIBUTE TO HANK AND DIANE HARMON

THROUGHOUT THE 50-PLUS YEARS of TCA’s history, there have been exceptional individuals whose unwavering dedication leaves an indelible mark on the lives they touch. Hank Harmon, a remarkable teacher who coached, taught Bible and photography for over four decades here at TCA, exemplifies the transformative power of faith on education and on a life well lived. Hank has had a profound impact on his students, his peers and his community. His passion for embodying faithfulness leaves an enduring legacy behind him. Along with his wife Diane, Hank is retiring this year, but the mark the Harmons have left on the TCA landscape will not soon fade.

Hank Harmon possesses a rare combination of charisma, wisdom and compassion that has endeared him to both his students and colleagues. For over 40 years, he has greeted each new school year with enthusiasm, fostering an environment where students explored their faith and talents. Whether awakening sleeping teenagers on the end-of-the-year class trip to Arkansas with “Rise and shine! It’s another beautiful day in the Ozarks,” or allowing everyone to get in front of him in the lunch line, Hank’s positive kindness has been a consistent part of his personality and manner with students and teachers alike.

Because of his background in outdoor education, Hank was eager to bring that type of experience to TCA students when he came in 1982. He inaugurated an outdoor hiking, camping, canoeing and climbing trip to northwest Arkansas, memorialized as the Wilderness Trip. Decades of rising ninthgraders have experienced a week of physical challenge and personal and spiritual growth that remains a core memory for them. Many students renew their commitment to the Lord or make that commitment for the first time there. Hank’s larger-

than-life leadership on that trip is a foundational part of student life at TCA.

40 YEARS

As a Bible teacher, Hank Harmon has always recognized the significance of intertwining faith and education. He has invested himself in a deep study of Scripture as well as a commitment to live out its values. He has encouraged students to delve into the Scriptures with both intellectual curiosity and, even more, with a heart of commitment. In his last chapel talk this spring, Hank shared from Romans 12, encouraging all of us to not be “conformers” to the society we find ourselves in but rather to be “transformers” of culture. The audience left convicted; we listened to someone who has successfully lived out so fully the message he just taught. Through thought-provoking discussions and by being a strong example, he has introduced and modeled to his students a strong biblical foundation, helping them to navigate the complexities of life beyond the classroom.

In addition to teaching Bible, Hank’s love for photography served as a gateway to self-expression and appreciation for the world around him. With an artist’s eye, he encouraged his students to see beyond the surface and capture the essence of their subjects. Through his example, many young, aspiring photographers discovered their own unique perspectives, honed their technical skills and learned to tell compelling visual stories. Being a part of the Visual Arts Department was always special to Hank and important to him.

To know Hank Harmon is also to know his wife, Diane. Their marriage of more than forty years serves as a testimony to their identity in Christ and as a couple. You always know wherever one is, the other isn’t far behind. Diane has coached various sports for 38 years at TCA along with teaching a government class. But it’s the personal relationships that really characterize this couple. Together, Hank and Diane began a TCA mission trip in 1989 to Reynosa, Mexico, to Casa Hogar Rio Bravo (Rio Bravo Children’s Home), an orphanage established by Ray Hansen and his wife. For many years the Harmons would take over 100 students down to Mexico around Easter break to supply labor and encouragement for the good work going on at the orphanage in Reynosa. For the last several years, the Harmons have also sponsored a Christmas gift drive so that all the orphans—and there are over 80 at Rio Bravo—have personalized Christmas presents that they have asked for. Hank and Diane then drive these presents, along with winter clothes collected from the TCA community, down to Reynosa each Christmas break to celebrate the Savior’s birth with this dear community.

Hank’s influence has also extended far beyond the confines of the classroom. He has served as a mentor, guiding his students through pivotal moments in their lives. Many former students fondly recall his unwavering support during their formative years and credit him with shaping their character, values and career choices. Hank has remained a trusted advisor and friend to countless individuals, even after they graduated, who have sought his wisdom and counsel. He’s been an officiant at many weddings of former students and has preached at several of their funerals as well. His heart for people is one that both he and Diane share. Together, Hank and Diane started TCA’s Middle School Bible

20 YEARS

study program, in which they trained juniors and seniors to teach Middle School students about Jesus every Friday. Diane also established a successful mentoring program for senior girls. She personally paired them up with a school faculty or staff member and shepherded and supported the girls through the school year.

Hank and Diane have left their mark on the senior trip as well, which Hank and other TCA staff established in Colorado many years ago. This trip is a highlight for students as they begin their senior year bonding with each other in the beauty of the Rockies. The Harmons also have sponsored a trip to Israel each year for students, alumni and parents to journey to the Holy Land to experience the places where Jesus walked, making the Bible come alive even more. Whether coaching, teaching, leading trips or mentoring, Hank and Diane have faithfully poured out their lives in service to Jesus for decades.

Hank Harmon’s remarkable journey as a coach, teacher and faithful follower of Jesus epitomizes the transformative power of Christian education. His unwavering dedication to his students, his commitment to integrating faith and learning and the lasting impact he has had on the lives of those he taught will always be remembered. Hank Harmon’s legacy serves as a testament to the profound influence that a passionate and caring educator can have on shaping young minds and souls. The longtime motto of the Wilderness Trip to Arkansas epitomizes the way Hank has served here at TCA: “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.”

Thank you, Hank and Diane, for being faithful to the finish of your time here at TCA and for showing us what sacrificial devotion to Christ and to others looks like. We are eternally grateful.

FACULTY FOCUS

30 YEARS

25 YEARS

15 YEARS

40 YEARS

5 YEARS

20 YEARS

10 YEARS

Kerry DeWeese, Holly Hatton, Shelley Hill and Courtland McMullen;

Not pictured: Kristen Holden

Kathie Denny, Dawn Booth and Vicki Gillespie

Kyle Morrill and Hank Harmon (see story, page 16)

Karen Compere

Russ Betts, Susan Jackson, Zoe Ellen Azzi and Diane Harmon (see story, page 16)

Front row: Lindsay Carreker, Sally Pearce ’06, Frances Russell Allen ’10, Kaitlyn Forster, Susanne Jones, Rebecca Herrell, Melissa Smith and Nita Brewer;

Back row: Heather Lipscomb, Micki Wayman, Samantha Friday, Dina Brown, Jennie Kesler, Summerlyn Sharpe and David Smith; Not pictured: Kelsey Duncan, Jennifer Franz, Leah Little, Jamie Mills, Joel Sharpe and Amy Stupka Massinger ’94

Bonita Sawatzky, Laura Ouimette and Kathryn Goldsmith; Not pictured: Lisa Wong

Dedication to our Mission

These outstanding teachers who are leaving this year have served our TCA students, families and community with excellence and grace for decades! Read what our school heads had to say about these TCA treasures whom we will miss dearly.

Norma Browning, 36 years

“Passionate. When we think about Norma Browning during her 36-year journey at TCA, most of us would use the word ‘passionate’ as one of the first words that comes to mind to describe her. Anyone who knows Norma can see and feel her passion in all aspects of her life. She is passionate about following Jesus and trying to please Him in everything she does. She is passionate about her family. She is passionate about the choral program at TCA and the world of music. Norma has directly or indirectly impacted thousands of students, faculty and parents during her 36 years at TCA. She has taught so many students in the choir room that we would be hard pressed to find a classroom teacher who has taught more. Norma also has a long involvement with our spring musical productions. The quality of those musicals has been amazing and memorable. So many people from inside and outside the TCA community have witnessed the excellence of these many musical productions. Many might not know that Norma also wrote our TCA alma mater, so her influence will be felt every time it is sung at a TCA event over the next many decades. To quote a line from the alma mater that she penned so many years ago, Norma has demonstrated ‘honor, wisdom, justice and courage’ as she has lived out God’s Word.”

Kyle Morrill, head of Upper School

Didi Henderson, 27 years

“Didi Henderson leaves a legacy at TCA of exceptional teaching and a deep desire to lead her students to Christ. Didi navigates each year with joy, laughter and God’s truth. With passion she leads her students to hide God’s Word in their hearts, sing beautiful hymns and learn the power of prayer. She trains prayer warriors in her classroom. She speaks biblical truth into her students, planting seeds for a lifetime of spiritual growth. Didi has immense joy in sharing the grace and truth of our God with her class. She understands the mission of TCA ‘to educate and develop the whole person for the glory of God,’ and she faithfully upholds it. She has left an imprint on her children’s hearts as she guides them in the truth of Scripture. She is deeply admired by all who serve alongside her, and the community is eternally grateful for her 27 years of service at TCA as she has lived out Deuteronomy 6:6–7: ‘These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’”

Anne Badger, head of Lower School

Thank you to these special employees who are also leaving us: Lynn Bishop (4 years), Christy Skeeters Broyles ’91 (2 years), Paul DeMaagd (1 year), Kelsey Duncan (5 years), Randy Feemster (14 years), Bertha Figueroa (14 years), Paula Hardick (4 years), Janelle Hernandez (4 years), Shelley Hill (15 years), Matt Lambro (7 years), Sharon Metz Duncan ’90 (11 years), Shannon Ng (2 years), Christy Nicholson Robbins ’84 (16 years), Raegan Plattner (3 years), Sherry Romano (13 years), Joel Sharpe (5 years), Kristina Spears (9 years), Nichola St. James (1 year) and Meg Wadlington (6 years).

CLASS ACTS

ANIMAL FUN

PreK learned all about animals during a visit from the Creature Teacher. From a baby kangaroo to a chinchilla to a snake, it was a fun day for our littlest Trojans as they made new animal friends!

ONCE UPON A TIME…

Reading came to life for first-graders as they filled the halls of the Lower School dressed as their favorite storybook characters. Creative costumes marched through the halls in the signature Character Parade as they proudly celebrated the stories that make learning to read so fun.

HISTORY COMES TO LIFE

Ever wanted to hear from Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, Queen Elizabeth II and Steve Irwin about their lives and accomplishments all in the same room? If you stopped by third grade on Wax Museum Day, that’s exactly what happened! After extensive biographical research, students dressed up as their favorite person from history and presented an autobiography to all who came through the “museum.” We love this classic TCA tradition!

100 DAYS SMARTER

Kindergarten celebrated 100 days of school in style! Dressed as their 100-year-old selves, they counted out 100 snacks, took a 100-second nap and tried out 100 dance moves. What a joy it is to celebrate all the ways our students are learning and growing each day they are at TCA!

THANKS, DAD!

Dad’s Day is a fourth-grade fan favorite every year. Dads share a meal at school with their children and then take a few minutes to publicly talk about the character qualities they admire in their children. Thanks, dads, for taking the time to join us!

PIONEERS

Laura Ingalls Wilder had nothing on our secondgraders during Pioneer Day! After reading the famous series, students spent the day as the old-timers did. They learned how to make campfire music with pioneer instruments like gourds and washboards, tested their skills in marbles and jacks and sat up as straight and as still as possible to avoid the infamous dunce cap in pioneer school. There’s never a boring day in second grade!

CLASS ACTS

ROMAN FORUM FUN

To culminate the study of the Roman Empire, fifth-graders successfully hosted another “Roman Forum.” The MS playground was filled with young Romans dressed in togas selling many types of “goods.” At least 10% of the proceeds from the sale of various items goes to Feed My Starving Children. This year, fifth-graders donated $2,608! The generosity of our fifth-graders will provide a daily meal for 28 children for a year. The Roman Forum is a wonderful opportunity to learn many lessons, especially the blessing of giving!

HOG HEAVEN

Seventh-grade science teachers kicked off the pig dissection unit with a pig-themed day as students prepared to learn how God makes each living organism complex yet perfect. The TCA Science Department never misses an opportunity to teach students to wonder at God’s power and intricacy in creating . . . or to dress up as pigs!

PACK YOUR BAGS

Welcome to TCA Airways! After learning and presenting about countries around the world during the annual Caravan project, sixth grade took students around the world, complete with passports, a flight crew and a handmade plane. Just another fun day at TCA made successful due to the dedication and imagination of our amazing teachers!

Photo: Julie Francis

COOL CONSTRUCTION

The bridge project has been a staple of the eighth-grade science curriculum for many years. Its engineering purpose is to spark curiosity, exploration and discovery as students build truss bridges that can hold hundreds of pounds. Through explorative measures, our students engage in the foundations of science to truly wonder about the God who designed the laws that govern our physical world. Throughout this process, students begin to change their mindset of what seems “impossible” to “possible.” This year, Lyla Swaldi and Drew Parrill shattered the school’s record and built a bridge that held 276 kg (608 lbs.)!

CLASS ACTS

REACHING OUT, HAND IN HAND

Upper School students served alongside some younger Trojans this year.

The Upper School Reach Every Corner (REC) club gathers every month to pack bags of snacks and resources to give to people who are homeless that the students meet in the community.

Brandie Rodgers’s Rooted in Faith enrichment class decided to tag along with REC to learn about serving God by serving others. The Lower School students got to learn from the example of older students what it looks like to be loving and committed followers of Christ and one of the many ways they can live out their faith!

SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR SPECIAL KIDS

Students in Honors Engineering Design worked in three teams for their final class projects to design and create products to help children with special needs. Partnering with Joni and Friends, a local non-profit whose mission is to minister to families dealing with disabilities, engineering teacher Teresa Rosario and the engineering students were connected to the Bales family, Connor and Mary Bales, who have five children, two of which have Trisomy 16, a genetic disorder. This disorder is extremely rare and has resulted in these two girls, Libby, 14, and Hannah, 10, needing help with basic daily tasks.

One group was tasked with designing a chair/support device to help in dressing the girls each day. Since they are unable to sit up on their own, and they have grown up so much, the Connor and Mary wanted a bed support chair to help the girls sit more upright to aid in dressing them.

A second group was tasked with designing a sunshade to be used with Hannah’s and Libby’s outdoor wheelchairs. The umbrella attachments that came with

the wheelchairs were not workable, since the girls had grown to be much taller, and the current umbrellas obstructed their view.

In addition, Lisa Wong, director of technology and STEM, connected Mrs. Rosario to the Baird family, Christian and Candace Baird, who have a three-yearold daughter, Collins, who was born at just less than 25 weeks. Her development has been delayed in many aspects, and the Bairds wanted something to aid Collins in learning to walk. The third project group designed and constructed a collapsible, adjustable walker sized just for Collins, who is 36 inches tall, and equipped with a waistband to support her torso. The goal is for Collins to use the walker for around six months until she can walk on her own.

What a testament not only to these students’ ingenuity but also their Christlikeness that they are seeking to use the skills they have learned in ways that serve those in our community with special needs and to be a blessing to those families!

Nominated for Seven Schmidt & Jones Awards: Best Stage Manager–Camie Jobe, Best Lighting Design–Owen Ellis, Best Male Ensemble Member—Jackson Duke and Collin Kilgore, Best Female Ensemble Member—Olivia Ouimette, Best Supporting Actor—Mason Smith and Best Supporting Actress–Lexi Meador

THE 2023 TRINITY CLASSIC GOLF & TENNIS TOURNAMENT and the TRINITY CLASSIC ONLINE AUCTION hosted by the TCA Foundation were a great success! Thank you to our generous community for your participation and support of Student Tuition Aid.

• $ 387,746 Total Raised (cash and gift-in-kind)

• $ 199,346 Golf & Tennis Tournament

• $ 188,400 Online Auction

• 18 Tournament Sponsors

• 170 Golfers

• 48 Tennis Players (Tennis Tournament sold out!)

• 43 Volunteers

• 59 Auction Items

• 236 Bidders

• 438 Bids Placed

The tournament was held at the beautiful Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco. Golfers enjoyed a day of friendly competition with 42 teams playing in two flights on two courses with fun contests like hole-in-one, putting, longest drive and air cannon advantage shots. The golf tournament concluded with a fiesta dinner and awards ceremony on the patio. Players shared encouraging comments about the event, saying, “This is a beautiful course! The golf game flowed great, and we had a fun time with our friends,” and “This is the best tournament I have ever played in.”

Tennis players enjoyed a round-robin format playing in two flights against multiple teams. The sold-out tournament was split into morning and afternoon sessions with all players attending a luncheon and raffle.

Dr. Williams shared “The TCA golf and tennis tournament was an outstanding event. It was great to participate and visit with all the friends and family of TCA and raise money for STA. A tremendous thank-you to all involved.”

Special thanks to golf chairs Darren Dortch and Blake Priest ’92 and tennis chairs Monica McGraw and Mary Kay Sheldon

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS

Toyota of Dallas/Cathy and Darren Dortch

The Long Family Texas de Brazil

evolv Consulting

Cherry Coatings

Knightvest Residential

Higginbotham

Knight Commercial

Skin Care Consultants and Elevate Medical Spa

GOLF TOURNAMENT WINNERS (FAZIO COURSE)

Marshall Edwards

FreshOne Holdings

Campus Services Group

CMH Advisors

Ecclesiastes Wealth Partners

Thomas Printworks

Paper Affair

Chick-fil-A

Xact Xpressions

First Place (Flight 1) – Ryan Long, Chris Carreker, Blake Fusch and Tucker Wadkins

First Place (Flight 2) – Rob Dillenback, Justin Arnett, Jeff Stacey and Hutton Lunsford

Second Place (Flight 1) – Justin Johnson, John Bryan, Clay Parks and Marc McClatchy

Second Place (Flight 2) – Chris Brown, Kyle Thomas, Gary Taylor and Justin Kappeler

Third Place (Flight 1) – Jamie Walk, Charlie Holland, Jonathan Solomon and Adam Curran

Third Place (Flight 2) – Sam Johnson, Carter Cochran, Brad Niemiec and Matt Gantt

GOLF TOURNAMENT WINNERS (DYE COURSE)

First Place (Flight 1) – David Wright, Bill Deraleau, Rick Whitney and Mark Varan

First Place (Flight 2) – Darren Dortch, Cathy Dortch, John West and Brooke West

Second Place (Flight 1) – Tanner Harrington, Will Harrington, Anthony Broussard, Andy Redus and Jack Morrison

Second Place (Flight 2) – Blake Priest, Scott Polk, Don Speckman and Roger Harris

Third Place (Flight 1) – Kent Long, Brett Lowrey, Scott Parrill and Luke Jun

Third Place (Flight 2) – Brandon Waddell, Jim Welch, Steve May and Kelly Fisher

GOLF CONTEST WINNERS

Closest to the Pin (Fazio Course) – Mark Denny

Closest to the Pin (Dye Course) – Don Speckman

Straightest Drive (Fazio Course) – Chris Prideaux

Straightest Drive (Dye Course) – Bill Deraleau

Longest Drive (Fazio Course) – Tucker Wadkins

Longest Drive (Dye Course) – Anthony Broussard

Putting Contest (three-way tie) – Andy Burgess, Drew Crawford, Cody Freeman

TENNIS TOURNAMENT WINNERS

Flight 1 – AM Session – Margaret McDonald and Brittany Bandy

Flight 2 – AM Session – Brittany Dillenback and Carley Arnett

Flight 1 – PM Session – Katelyn Parks and Robyn Dickinson

Flight 2 – PM Session – Kristina Hodges and Laura Rosinski

Once again, the TRINITY CLASSIC ONLINE AUCTION did not disappoint! Danielle Long (Chair), Lauren Burch, Morgan Gulbas and Niki Lowrey secured fabulous auction donations, including travel packages, vacation homes, sporting events, experiences, memorabilia, gifts and more. The closing night of the five-day auction was exciting with people outbidding each other until the last seconds. Thank you to the TCA community, alumni and alumni parents for participating—a fun way to win great prizes and support STA!

WRITERS IN THE ROUND – WHAT A SPECIAL NIGHT!

Hosted by the TCA Foundation, the Writers in the Round concert was held April 15 at the Westin Galleria Dallas. Award-winning singer-songwriters Brandon Heath, Andy Gullahorn, Heather Morgan and Brett James were outstanding as they shared funny and sentimental stories and performed many of our favorite songs, including “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Give Me Your Eyes.” As the evening concluded, Dr. Williams encouraged the audience to support STA and impact a young life through a Christ-centered education. TCA families shared, “What a great and unique event—please definitely do it again!”

MAKING AN IMPACT

STEM Club Students Design Clean Water System for Community in Nicaragua

BY LISA WONG, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND STEM

The STEM program at TCA stands out among other schools because we focus on teaching students that they can use science, technology, engineering and math to bless others in the world. This begins in Lower School STEM classes where students design paper playground models that are accessible for the physically disabled. This continues to seniors in the Honors Engineering Design class where students design devices for children with disabilities in the Dallas area. There is continuity and opportunity for students to live out 1 Peter 4:10, which says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

This year, the Upper School STEM Club turned this focus to a global project. Senior officers Jocelyn Youn, Dylan Kinley and Sebastian Silva designed a clean water system for the rural community of Cerro de Agua in Nicaragua. We worked with an organization called Global Brigades, an international non-profit that uniquely implements a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. One of its arms is the Global STEM Squads, whose mission is to provide access to clean water in rural underserved communities through applying STEM skills.

MAKING AN IMPACT

Cerro de Agua, Nicaragua, has a population of 85 and has 23 homes. Only a few houses have electricity, and none have a clean water system. There is no access to safe drinking water due to lack of a water treatment system. The water becomes polluted due to pesticides, open toilet use and dirt/soap from cleaning clothes. Drinking this untreated water has caused illness among the families. The community spends about five hours each day taking multiple trips to gather water from other areas.

Therefore, our STEM Club made its goal to help design a clean water system for this community in need. For six months, students had virtual meetings with a Nicaraguan engineer, Julio Granados, via Zoom. TCA students’ knowledge of the Spanish language helped with some of the translation issues.

Each month, progress was made using the following applications:

Using concrete, PVC, steel pipes and water treatment materials, the students’ design included a catchment system by an existing spring, a water storage tank and a submerged pump-and-pipeline system to carry water from the spring to the storage tank.

This map the students are examining in the photo above is the pipeline layout. It starts at Fuente Alfredo Altamirano where it flows into storage tanks before distributing water to the houses. A large water pump near the reservoir is used to transfer the water uphill to the main storage tank. One of the most difficult parts of designing the pipeline was to make sure each house had a water pressure of at least 35.5 psi. To do this, students added two small water pumps

EPANET - used to construct the pipeline as well as simulate water flow

Google Earth - used to determine elevation of different pipe nodes and viewing terrain

MapSource - used to determine distance between different houses and pipe nodes on the map

Seniors Jocelyn Youn and Sebastian Silva discuss the pipeline layout of their clean water delivery system designed for Cerro de Agua, Nicaragua.

at the intersection after the tank to increase pressure. A problem caused by the intersection pumps is that the water pressure may be above the recommended threshold for houses as the water travels downhill. To combat this, students added pressure-reducing valves at needed areas.

I love seeing how the students met the challenge of needing to redesign certain parts of the system because that is how the engineering world works in real life. Perseverance and creativity are required to address problems during the redesign phase until a solution is found!

This was such a great project that gave students exposure to a developing part of the world. Senior Jocelyn Youn said, “This project gave me a new perspective on the living conditions of the rest of the world. It is important because we need to be more conscious of others and empathetic to their situations.” And senior Dylan Kinley said, “I learned that we need to be mindful of people’s circumstances around the world and think of ways we can help them, and we can do just that by using the abilities God has given us. This project

was extremely important to do because we were directly helping a community without clean water. Almost everybody in America takes easy access to clean water for granted while there are hundreds of millions of people in the world who need to set aside multiple hours a day for gathering it. Upon learning about how the residents of Cerro de Agua spent hours per day just to get water, I realized the sheer magnitude of our work. Overall, this project was very eye-opening to how people live in the world and the importance of helping to improve their lives. If the three of us could design a water system for Cerro de Agua in under a year, then who knows how many other communities can be served? The thought of giving access to clean water to the majority of the world may not seem so daunting after all!”

The total estimated cost of the project is $41,000, which includes materials, labor, electricity and water quality testing. By God’s grace, Cerro de Agua has raised 80% of the budget. The rest of the funds for building the water system will come from working with the local government and the community members themselves. They hope to begin construction of the water system in early summer.

Global Brigades staff from Nicaragua inaugurate a water project in the community Sierra Morena. Julio Granados, the engineer who worked with TCA’s STEM Club during the 2022-23 school year, is pictured bottom left, along with GB’s executive director, technicians, admin team and other program managers.

—Dylan Kinley, senior

THE 53 rd GRADUATING CLASS of Trinity Christian Academy gathered with family, friends and faculty on Thursday, May 18, to join their place among our now 4446 alumni, celebrating their outstanding accomplishments and being reminded once again of the faithfulness of God who has blessed and guided them through their educational journey.

This year’s class boasted nine National Merit Commended Students, five National Merit Recognition Scholars, eleven National Merit Finalists, six students going on to compete in college athletics, over

$15.1 million in scholarships offered, a class average GPA of 4.1 and over 21,000 hours of community service in the last four years. Our seniors were accepted to a total of 96 colleges and universities, spanning 31 states, including three military service academies, attesting to the excellent educational training that our students receive at TCA.

Congratulations, Class of 2023! We anticipate and pray that you will continue to represent TCA and the Lord well both in your achievements and in your pursuit of His glory!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF M c WHORTER ’05

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Jovyn Amaziah Babatunde Abebefe

Texas Tech University

Mia Claire Amezcua

Baylor University

Courtney Paige Anderson

Texas Christian University

MacKinley Dawson Nolan Anderson

Samford University

D’Nard Dawes Arthur

Texas Tech University

Hannah Havens Ball

University of Arkansas

Katherine Elizabeth Barclay

Texas A&M University

Chase Bradley Beeson

University of Oklahoma

Luke David Bennett

Oklahoma State University

Lucian James Berglund III

University of Oklahoma

Elleanna Lucia Beatrix Berthel

St. John’s College (Annapolis)

Cecelia Marie Bogda

Clemson University

William Lawrence Bowling

Texas A&M University

David Seaborn Boylan

Southern Methodist University

Jenna Marie Branstetter

Baylor University

Hannah Ai-Yan Buford

Texas Christian University

Jake Allen Callahan

University of Georgia

Matthew Randall Campbell

Cedarville University

Kyle Joseph Causey

University of Oklahoma

Tanner Clark Conine

Montana State University

Cole William Coronado

Texas Tech University

Caleb Harrison Crow

Montana State University

Hunter Williams Moss Daughdrill

University of Oklahoma

Willis Rex Day

Texas A&M University

Lauren Abbigail Deaton

The University of Texas at Austin

Gable Ann Delp

Texas Christian University

Jack Walker Drake

The Ohio State University

Claire Ellen Dumas

University of Georgia

Rose Caroline Duncan

Southern Methodist University

Shannon Elizabeth Dunigan

Florida Gulf Coast University

Emma Grace Edmundson

Harding University

Apryl Joy Elkhay

University of Arkansas

Jade Cierra Ellis

Texas Tech University

William Scott Ferem

Baylor University

Ayla Christine Francis

Texas A&M University

Kellen Anderson Frye

Texas A&M University

Allison Laurel Gerard

United States Military Academy at West Point

Ajay Bryson Goluguri

United States Naval Academy

Michael Davis Graham

Texas Christian University

Bethany Mu-Yang Grimm

The University of Texas at Austin

Caitlyn Grace Hackney

Texas A&M University

Carly Grace Haggard

Westmont College

Joseph Landon Ham

Clemson University

Kazia Victoria Handoko

Princeton University

Peyton McKenzie Hatfield

University of Colorado Boulder

Owen Sinclair Hattendorf

University of Arkansas

Morgan Michelle Hausz

University of Oklahoma

Hayden Brooks Heflin

Auburn University

Alyssa Renee Heidelbaugh

Texas A&M University

Taylor Gabriella Hervey

Trinity University

James Dunwody Jeter

Texas A&M University

Camryn Lee Jobe

Baylor University

Luke Gregory Johnston

University of Arkansas

Richelle Jang Kim

Columbia University

Dylan Cyrus Kinley

Texas A&M University

Caroline Jane Laible

Baylor University

Andrew Ross Lazenby

Samford University

Charley Kate Ledebur

Auburn University

Jason John Leverton

Baylor University

Jaxon Robert Liethen

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Landon Quinn Mahler Littleton

Baylor University

Joshua Yong Zu Liu

Wheaton College

Trinity Leeana Martin

Texas A&M University

Aidan Michael McCauley

Southern Methodist University

Emma Grace McIntyre

The University of Texas at Austin

Madison Kate McMullen

New York University

Lola Frances McNeill

Auburn University

Alexandra Deann Meador

The University of Texas at Austin

Emily Alyse Mercer

Texas A&M University

Max David Merrifield

Samford University

Wyatt Nelson Merrill

Indiana University (Bloomington)

Sophia Hope Miller

Texas A&M University

John Porter Montgomery Jr.

Auburn University

Maxwell Vann Morland

Oklahoma State University

Jack Andrew Mullis

Baylor University

Blake Andrew Muschalek

Auburn University

Reed Michael Neatherlin

University of Arkansas

Charles David Nine

University of Mississippi

Jake Alexander Nolan

Texas Tech University

Evan Richard Olson

Samford University

Tyler Witt Osterloh

Baylor University

Olivia Ruth Ouimette

University of Arkansas

Gabrielle Elizabeth Parker

Auburn University

Hailey Elizabeth Parmenter

The University of Alabama

Natalie Perez

Texas Christian University

Seth Joseph Pinto

Texas A&M University

Lillian Rebekah Pool

Auburn University

Parker Layne Prideaux

University of Oklahoma

Ella Kate Priest

Blinn College

Dhamar Fernanda Ramirez Gomez

Claremont McKenna College

Jack Marshall Rea

Texas A&M University

Kendall Grace Reding

Texas A&M University

Daniel Norris Richardson

Baylor University

Kathryn Collins Richardson

Baylor University

Riley Paige Ries

Texas Tech University

Jacob Harmon Riley

University of Arkansas

Carson Haskell Roach

The University of Texas at Austin

Emma Elizabeth Roos

American University

Jordan Mckenzie Rutledge

University of Arkansas

Hannah Noel Schneider

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Christopher Robert Louis Sharon

University of Oklahoma

Carlos Sebastian Silva

Texas A&M University

Cara Elizabeth Smith

University of California (San Diego)

Kate Elizabeth Smith

Baylor University

Mason Jeffrey Smith

Dallas College

Chance Weston Snyder

Texas A&M University

Alana Elle Soileau

Texas A&M University

Kate Michael Solomon

Texas A&M University

Hunter Derek Springer

Brown University

Joshua Thomas Staz

Baylor University

Hunter Ryan Stegman

Baylor University

Emma Katherine Sullivan

University of Oklahoma

Justin Hyuk Sunwoo

University of Southern California

Collin Michael Truitt

Texas A&M University

Logan Ellis Walters

Texas A&M University

Ruby Lauren Watts

Pepperdine University

Nicholas Ryno Wenzel

University of Oklahoma

Josephine Isabella Wilder

Samford University

John Abraham Woods

University of Oklahoma

Lillian Diane Yassa

Texas A&M University

Andrew James Yates

University of Colorado Boulder

Brian Scott Yates

Baylor University

Jocelyn Sanghee Youn

Rice University

Samantha Zuniga

The University of Texas at Austin

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

—Ephesians 2:10

BY LINDSAY CARREKER , LOWER SCHOOL

I T IS T H E DES I R E of the visual arts teachers that students cultivate an appreciation and develop skills for creative expression, which has been demonstrated to us by our creator, God. We serve a magnificently creative God. He created us in his image, and therefore we are ALL capable of creating. It isn’t simple though. It takes time. This is one of the many reasons we begin as early as possible learning art in the TCA Lower School.

As we pursue developing the whole child for the glory of God, there are many ways visual art practice helps achieve that. Physically learning to draw is just the beginning. Imagine yourself in a room full of your peers. You are being asked to create unique and inspired artwork. How would you feel? Slightly nervous or a bit unsure? Your children grow through that feeling every week and rise to the task set before them in art class. French artist Henri Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage,” and our TCA Lower School students possess just that. They are steadily becoming more comfortable with uncertainty as they make mistakes in (gasp) permanent marker and yet persevere.

As our students create, fine motor skills are developing with each brush stroke or pencil mark. TCA Lower School artists have so many ways to build strength . . . and patience. Even our youngest artists are cutting with scissors, squeezing glue bottles, kneading clay, stringing beads and tearing paper—sometimes all in one class! Each task has a purpose, and all work to produce a more capable child.

Our preK and kindergarten students visit the art classroom once each week. There they enjoy a creative working environment where all their senses are put to use playing and learning. Sometimes students experience art through the squish of cold clay in their hands or simply watching the vivid colors of watercolor paints as they swirl. In the Lower School art classroom, we aim to put a wide variety of materials into the students’ hands because the more they try new things— maybe second guessing themselves, then eventually succeeding—the more their confidence builds.

VISUAL ARTS TEACHER

In addition to being courageous, our youngest artists are problem solvers. Moving into first and second grades, TCA art students should be able to understand both two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Often our projects are not completed quickly. They can be multi-step processes, and our artists learn to break down tasks into manageable pieces. Students often start to draw on skills learned in earlier grades to solve problems. They may recall basic color theory in order to create a color they need and don’t have, or they experiment with how large to build a sculpture before it leans. A strong design foundation is also being laid at this point as we discuss elements such as pattern, shape and texture.

Art education helps students strengthen social and emotional skills as well. With some maturity and trust in their teacher and peers, our third- and fourth-grade students begin learning how to hear critique of their work. Receiving feedback and remaining flexible on revisions is preparing our artists to launch into Middle School, and let’s be honest . . . life. We begin introducing concepts like showing form with shading, attempting to draw likeness from real objects and understanding composition. Sitting in groups allows students to offer suggestions to one another. That interaction helps foster

communication and compromise. We often discuss our varied preferences in art and how that reflects Christ’s unique work in us.

As students wrap up their time in Lower School the desire is that they have a full range of artistic capabilities. This not only includes mastering a wide array of art mediums but also learning about art in historical context. Many of our projects in every Lower School grade level feature an artist from history. We also enjoy learning about contemporary artists as well, even discussing modern day illustrators, graphic designers and architects.

Between paint spills and chalk dust, we also find time to experience art outside the classroom. We may venture out to observe the campus and draw outdoors or make a trip over to the TAG. Our Trinity Art Gallery (TAG) is on the second floor of the Upper School. Our students benefit from seeing a variety of exhibits. We even have a preK–12 art show each January where the children may have pieces of their own displayed. The halls of our Lower School building are regularly outfitted with work from our students, and those displays change many times throughout the year. Our gallery walks are more frequent in the third and fourth grades, although in December, we make sure each Lower School child gets to visit the TAG and cast his or her vote in our annual gingerbread house competition featuring works by our Middle School and Upper School art students.

LINDSAY CARREKER is the Lower School art teacher for grades 1, 3 and 4. Lindsay came to TCA in 2018 after working for many years in the field of graphic design. She received her bachelor’s degree in fine art from Auburn University where she also met her husband, Chris Carreker, who is a TCA alumnus from the class of ’98. Lindsay is a working artist who creates primarily as an abstract painter with a big love of color and texture.

LAURA HENDERSON is the newest member of our visual arts faculty, teaching preK, kindergarten and second-grade students. Laura graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is married to alumnus Nate Henderson ’02.

ART & SOUL

BY JON MILLET ’84, VISUAL ARTS HEAD

“The walls are gray with smudges. The floors paint the bottom of my shoes black, and I never come out without a few stains on my shirt. However, it is here I feel included because this place creates families. Kids who have never interacted suddenly find themselves close friends. This is the place where I stay late after school because I cannot bear to leave. My ideas are treasured here—the crazier, the better—and thinking outside of the box isn’t just recommended; it is required. The ideas begun here swirl, bubble and tangle until they form new, beautiful creations. I lie awake thinking about what the next day here will hold, what will emerge from this place. I will never forget the place where I am most content: the Art Wing.”

These words, found in a college application essay entitled “My Place” by alumni Rebecca Thornton ’14, perfectly capture the magic of the TCA Art Wing the colorful, quirky living embodiment of the beloved TCA Visual Arts Department. Here we invite students to explore, to imagine, to step outside of normal academics and step into a world that’s a bit different, a bit zany, a place where they can feel free to express themselves and a place that facilitates imaginative thought.

Why teach art at all? First and foremost, we celebrate art because we are a Christian school that believes in a creative God, one of the very first attributes seen in Scripture concerning the nature of God. Humans bear the image of that creative God. Every student who walks into our classrooms shares that same imaginative quality by nature and therefore has creative potential. Visual art is just one manifestation of creativity, and within the visual arts there are many avenues, mediums of expression and techniques for students to engage in. We simply facilitate the student’s own self-expression. Failure in art is not seen as a loss but an opportunity to learn, to discover and redeem. In this way, art relates to the redemption story found in Scripture. When asked about how TCA has had continued success in the visual arts, I answer quite simply that we have the perfect fertile environment. one person,

But perhaps the most important component of our department’s success is that TCA students learn Scripture from an early age. Scripture does not come back void; it creates awareness that truth is often underneath words, parables and stories. Studying Scripture teaches students to dig for deeper, more profound meaning and context, so students trained in Scripture are better thinkers

“Our true objective is to mold our students into art theologians.”

and therefore better artists. Once when our students were participating in an art contest at UT Dallas, a graduate student there pulled me aside, stunned that a Christian school had such profound artwork. She expected stereotypical sheep and crosses, yet she found our students’ work insightful and smart. She was blown away and proud that we won many awards including Best of Show at that competition that year. Our true objective is to mold our students into art theologians. This generation is highly visual, so TCA students must master visual arts to speak to our current culture. They need to understand the terms, the techniques, the methods, the value and the principles that guide artistic expression today. Acclaimed author C. S. Lewis was a contemporary of Surrealist artists such as Rene Magritte and Salvador Dali. Endeavoring to communicate in the cultural language of his generation, Lewis brilliantly incorporated Surrealist techniques into his most beloved book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series. His famous wardrobe was a portal, a common Surrealist device, into a world where he could illustrate sin, atonement and the need for a savior through the beloved Aslan the Lion. Our hope at TCA is that our students will creatively present their faith in the language of their generation, articulating the ever-present need for redemption. For decades, the vision of a program that both elevated the best in artistic expression and honored God’s intention for the arts has been at the heart of our instruction and initiatives. In the earliest days of TCA, volunteer moms known as the “picture ladies” would visit elementary classrooms, taking large reproductions of famous art history images and giving small lessons on the artists. My mother, an art history major, was one of the very first picture ladies. In 1979, TCA established its first official art classes, led by the dynamic Wally Linebarger and talented ceramicist Cindy Joldersma. Hank Harmon, who came to TCA in 1983, helped to establish the photography classes for the department. As TCA grew steadily through the 80s and 90s, art classes settled into the building now known as the Art Wing. Two industrious art students, Lee Chu and Christina Beckett, coordinated art auctions that raised over $140,000, allowing for a full renovation that created the first Visual Arts Computer Lab, studio rooms geared toward specific media such as sculpture or printmaking and an AP Art Studio where all students are assigned dedicated studio space for their senior year. This was

To prepare students for their work as art theologians who are on mission in America in 2023, our art curriculum follows the collegiate model of art education that takes students through classes based on the study of mediums such as drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, digital art and sculpture. This is based on the idea of the master teacher–student apprentice model. We hire master teachers who are experts and working artists in certain mediums and schedule the teachers to teach their best skill set to

the students. For example, my MFA is in printmaking, and I’m currently finalizing a 9/11 sculpture memorial for the City of Rowlett. Art teacher Adria Warner leads small groups in ceramics, fibers and mixed media at Woven Earth Studio. Frances Allen graduated with a fibers degree from Savannah College of Art and Design and worked alongside artists Lesley Dill and Nene Humphrey in New York before coming to TCA. She continues to create artwork in her home studio that is shown both locally and nationally. David Goerk, a Navy veteran, has an MFA in sculpture and expertise in carpentry, while Nikki Stinson has years of experience in advertising and runs a paper products design company. The highlight of my career is working alongside bright, imaginative, insightful, hardworking, humble colleagues who are both master art teachers and gifted artists.

Maximizing the expertise of our faculty artists, this past year we revised the curriculum to create foundational design courses as entry-level classes: Studio Design, 3D Design (geared toward sculpture and ceramics), Media Design (a blend of photography and digital art) and Product Design (which incorporates business marketing skills). For advanced art students, we have honors classes focusing on painting, drawing, printmaking, digital art, animation, photography, sculpture and ceramics. The most serious art students may choose senior-year AP Art, which is an intensive year of developing a body of work, culminating in a portfolio and Spring AP Art Show in the Trinity Art Gallery. (See more about the TAG and some of the work displayed by our AP Art students this last year on the following pages.)

In addition to our quirky building and rich curriculum, fun activities create tradition and build artistic culture within the TCA community. These annual events include a preK–12th grade student exhibition in the Trinity Art Gallery, “Art-A-Que” Barbecues, a National Art Honor Society retreat for juniors and seniors, an AP Art trip to New York each fall, art shirts, a gingerbread house competition, the annual Alumni Art Show and even impromptu 30-second dance parties. Now in my 31st year, I am grateful for faithful colleagues who have inspired decades of students. Linda Otstott, Hank Harmon, Judy Meredith, Faith Scarborough, Mary Morgan, Chong Chu, Amy Walkup, Tiffanie Mutlu, Anita Horton, Jimmie Hudson, Rachel Dobrey and Jen Huffman have all been instrumental to the success of the Visual Arts Department. I have been immensely proud to teach alongside four TCA alumni, and it is a joy beyond measure to have former students rise to become valued, trusted friends and colleagues. Thank you, Adria Johnson Warner ’95, David Connolly ’93, Jay Henderson ’00 and Frances Russell Allen ’10, for giving the joy you found in the TCA Art Wing back to a new generation of students.

In their own words, our art students express love for our faculty artists, the “living curriculum” of our department. One described Mrs. Allen’s gift of “motivating and reassuring” students, and another noted her “thoroughness and thoughtful perspective that allow students to develop as independent, unique and introspective artists.” Mr. Goerk is known as a “problem solver and a visionary” who “asks the right questions, pushing students to explore.” Mrs. Warner “empowers students” by “giving the biggest vote of confidence” and is always “intentional, soulful and calm.” Students love how Mrs. Stinson “creates a safe environment” through her “kind and gracious” actions. Students appreciate how Mr. Harmon is “a patient teacher” who “always makes sure each student understands” photography techniques.

As TCA kids grow from students of Scripture to apprentices to art theologians, we pray they will be effective ambassadors for the kingdom of God. Shepherded by Christian artists in this eccentric little building, we hope they are formed into bold ambassadors of Christ who can translate the gospel through the visual arts for their generation.

TAG for

GED greatness

IN THE THIRTEEN YEARS since its beginning, the main concern of the Trinity Art Gallery (TAG) has been education, with a focus on developing an ongoing educational program that serves academic and local community audiences. After the addition of the Performing Arts Center and classrooms came to a completion in late 2010, there was an upstairs corridor, filled with a few chairs for students to hang out, but ultimately unused. After seeing the potential for this area, the Visual Arts Department and former art teacher Jimmie Hudson set out to transform the space to be imbued with new energy. Made possible by the generosity of former families and incredible work put in by former faculty, we have been able to create a professional space that rivals other galleries in the area by adding track lighting, concrete floors and resurfaced museum walls. After thirteen years of compelling professional and student art exhibitions in the gallery, the attitudes, perceptions, knowledge and sensitivities about art have surely changed within our community.

The Trinity Art Gallery hosts five to six shows every year, integrating the visual arts curriculum in all classes to match the themes, techniques or overall focus of the exhibitions. Art is made accessible and comprehensible to the TCA students by attending art openings and engaging in gallery talks with qualified art professionals in addition to vital classroom time. You don’t only see art students enjoying the TAG. On any given day, you may find world language students writing poetry based off of some of the artworks, a surge of Lower School students scurrying about voting for their favorite gingerbread houses or members of our maintenance staff discussing an artwork’s intended meaning.

Our vision for the gallery is to use this space to create community. By hosting our annual alumni show, we expose our students to a range of art professions as well as create an opportunity for past graduates and TCA employees to create work alongside others with a shared faith. This upcoming fall of 2023, we will be inviting family members of past and current students to participate in our alumni show as well. Aside from our preK–12 art show, the Trinity Art Gallery hosts various competitions where we invite local middle and high schools, both public and private, to engage with one another to celebrate the creativity that God has gifted all students with.

By attending a preK–12 institution, art students have grown up seeing the work of both peers and upperclassmen, and for some, the TCA art experience culminates in the AP Art show, where every senior in the class creates a body of work that truly represents who God has created each one to be. Very purposefully, this is the final show in the gallery for the calendar year, sending the seniors out into the world to replicate this sense of community and calling that the Lord has placed on their hearts. This year’s graduating AP Art class, comprised of thirteen talented individuals, produced a show with incredible meaning and craftsmanship, which can clearly be seen by the selection of artworks and the accompanying statements of some of those students on the following pages.

FRANCES RUSSELL ALLEN ’10, Gallery Director and Visual Arts Teacher

Artists showcased and community fostered by the Trinity Art Gallery

“Innately wired to make marks on one another, humans and their landscapes constantly change to adapt to the world around them. The natural beauty of the earth is a common agreement among several cultures, communities and societies, connecting people through celebration, creation and provision. All civilizations are different and create imprints on this world, but every group can be tied back to the fact that they mirror the ground they stand on. Using an excess of materials, such as paint, glitter, clothing and foam, by drawing inspiration from topographical maps, I hoped to convey how each unique culture is brought together through God’s creation. Constructing certain narratives by combining specific mediums, I wished to show this deeply rooted connection within us humans since the Genesis.”

Maddie McMullen

“I’ve always been fascinated by the way people can make something truly theirs Everything around us bears the touch of a person, some sort of mark that person has left on it that fundamentally and irrevocably deems it unique. We are surrounded by this handcrafted ecosystem from the moment we’re born; our surroundings greatly influence us as people, and we in

turn greatly influence our surroundings. In my work, I hope to capture the ephemeral feeling of locations that feel familiar yet alien, locations that we feel we once knew, yet the passage of time has warped them into something foreign. By incorporating aspects of my own upbringing, I aim to create a sort of universal setting. Here viewers can recognize elements of their lives and ponder the history of that which they’re unaccustomed to while also grappling with their own stories.”

Jaxon Liethen

“This series of reliefs is all about conveying the feeling of being sucked in and pinned down, stuck in the throes of pain and sin. Taking inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, apocalyptic visions from the Bible and Renaissance artwork, I sought to create my own interpretation of hell. Transforming found objects, like action figures, to an almost unrecognizable state, I wished to highlight the evil powers’ ability to change and destroy. Toys, often symbols of joy and creativity, are often playfully manipulated by a child’s imagination; however, these figures are cemented in a place of wrestling and discomfort, desperate to escape from their entrapment.”

Aidan McCauley

“What is cultural identity? As an immigrant, my identity has most of the time been guided by naivety and desire for belonging instead of my own culture and beliefs. When having to intermingle and maintain a sense of identity in a new reality, it can feel like one is stuck between two worlds, seeming like one is the correct answer. With the use of found images from magazines disrupted by heavy paint, I wish to create a feeling of displacement and unfamiliarity. With the images painted on top with multiple mediums, I desire to create a sense of chaos that represents cultures colliding. I hope this piece can pick up the pieces of my cultural experiences and assemble them into a defined story of my battle with identity.”

Dhamar Ramirez Gomez

“Exploring human nature through familiar scenes and experiences, these pieces serve as an intimate glimpse into personal history. Each charming or perhaps unsettling moment forces the viewer to wrestle with the past, the present and the future. Investigating the notion of memory, I illustrate our universal desire to seek significance. We all long for something more. C. S. Lewis comments that this desire is often diminished with the label ‘nostalgia’ and is rooted in a superficial longing to reenact our pasts. Temporarily exiled to the other side of the eternal door, we ‘now feel cut off’ from the divine yet attempt to bridge this estrangement with capturing mortal beauty.”

Rose Duncan

“As I grow older, dying has become more prevalent in my daily life. From collectively struggling against the repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak to witnessing senseless gun violence, we have experienced incredible grief in the aftermath of death. These events and experiences have all occurred during a small window of time but have had a huge impact on how I have wrestled with what the beginning and end of life truly mean with how quickly we take our first breath and how soon our last one approaches. Death ultimately gives meaning to our lives as much as it produces grief and anger in whom it leaves behind. Through this series of paintings, I wanted to face my own personal fear of death by visually portraying what the journey of dying might look like, what crossing over from this life to the next truly means.” Elleanna Berthel

“Through my work, I focus on the relationship between children and what they consume. Viewing these children in the midst of eating or drinking offers a sense of unfulfillment as they remain under parental control and supervision. With

the absence of full parental figures and their guidance, children become susceptible to ingesting influence from society before they develop full comprehension and understanding of reality. When supervision grows too overbearing, it can interfere with

the fundamental growth discovered in freedom as it forces isolation. The same consideration of balance and discipline demonstrated while eating becomes necessary to apply when monitoring and guarding from the influences of society.”

Parker Prideaux

Enriching Your Days Away at TCA

BY JUSTIN ZAPPIA, DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY PROGRAMS

IT IS SO MUCH FUN to walk into the Lower School shortly after three o’clock each day and to hear the buzz of children excited about the learning adventure on which they are about to embark. This is about the time that most classrooms have emptied, and the steady cadence of called carpool numbers can be heard in the distance from the cafeteria. On any given day, however, approximately one quarter of TCA’s elementary population remains at school to participate in after-school care or to join one of the extremely popular enrichment classes that are offered as semester-long enhancements to the learning experience.

At the conclusion of the 2022–23 academic year, Enrichment@TCA completed its third year (with a short hiatus in 2020–21) offering supreme convenience to families who want experiences that enrich the lives of their TCA students beyond the school day. Adding valuable extensions to the already excellent educational programs in TCA’s Lower School and Middle School has created opportunities for students to grow in various academic areas, build on artistic and athletic skills, participate in recreational activities with like-minded classmates and work toward TCA’s faith-based mission. The program has even provided a competitive outlet for TCA students.

ACADEMICS

Enrichment@TCA has become an important extension of the school day for students who need extra academic practice and for parents who love the idea of getting a bit of extra work done before coming home on a given day. One of the most popular academic classes has been the Homework Helper series, offered for first through fifth grades. Getting guided assistance with homework before returning home for the day is very appealing to many TCA families and a blessing when outside extracurricular schedules may impede a student from completing work in the evening. Additional math and reading practice classes have also become an important extension of the math curriculum. Classes such as Math Mondays for fourthgrade students and Math Mastery for third-graders have been a popular way for students to get the extra practice they need in a way that makes learning fun. Enrichment offerings are becoming a way to more easily sell the idea of gaining extra assistance to a child due to the familiar environment and the playful association most kids have with after-school classes. Classes like Fine Motor Fun run by Candace Redden and Connect led by staff members from Holland Speech Therapy have managed to engage children in building motor skills and practicing social interaction in a non-threatening way.

“Getting guided assistance with homework before returning home for the day is very appealing to many TCA families and a blessing.”

ARTS AND ATHLETICS

Several of TCA’s amazing art teachers offer classes after school. Recently, preK students worked on a semester-long sculpture project with Adria Warner, while Lindsay Carreker’s fourth-graders put their energy into several ceramics pieces during the term. It’s especially inspirational when a teacher who has a passion for a topic steps out of his or her subject area to take children on an artistic adventure of their own. Children working in kindergarten teacher Carrie Kunkle’s creative Fine Arts for Kids class or in a painting session with preK teacher Morgan Potts have loved seeing their regular classroom instructors expressing and sharing their creativity with them after school. TCA has begun to introduce elements of the performing arts after school too. Acting and music classes have been offered in years past, but one of the most popular additions has been the introduction of private piano lessons during after-school hours. This past semester TCA had 28 students participating in weekly lessons with one of our three piano instructors. Students grow so much in their musical abilities and understanding, and most often they continue to participate in lessons throughout their elementary years and into middle school. TCA is looking at expanding our piano lesson offerings in 2023–24 in an effort to reach even more of the mini Mozarts on our campus. Sports enrichment classes have also become extremely popular in the Lower School. Soccer clinics led by Varsity Head Coach Zach Loyd, tennis sessions led by Varsity Head Coach Lance Hagan and basketball training led by JV Coach Kaylen Morrison have been some of the more sought-after offerings in recent memory. TCA has recently partnered with Kidokinetics of Dallas to offer some great sports alternatives that allow children to stretch their understanding of sports and physical activity. Topics such as tumbling, flag football and even pickleball were a huge hit last semester. Tae kwon do, offered by David Abadie from North Dallas Martial Arts, has been one of the strongest and most consistent programs offered since the inception of Enrichment@ TCA in 2019.

RECREATIONAL SKILL BUILDING

Many of the topics offered through the enrichment program present a unique twist on learning. These are the classes that challenge our students to grow in their understanding of a topic in a way that feels more like playing with friends than learning and skill building.

STEM classes through our enrichment program have come in many forms and fashions over the last few years. STEM activities can involve building with found objects and recycled materials, as has been offered by Reagan Plattner in her Toy and Games class and through our partnership with Challenge Island, where students explore creative problem-solving by focusing on a topic for the term—saving the rainforest or exploring natural disasters, for example. STEM challenges can also utilize Lego® materials. Free-building to solve a problem presented by a teacher is the method that our partners at Play-Well Teknologies like to introduce to our children. Amy Massinger guides our youngest preK and kindergarten kids through Lego kits and other structured builds during her fun and creative Lego Land offering.

Learning the game of chess has been another fun way for kids to develop concentration and critical thinking skills. John Garcia has pioneered Chess Club on the TCA campus even before enrichment classes were popular at TCA. This has been a great way for students to learn the classic board game in an environment where they can challenge others (and themselves) in a friendly way.

FAITHFULNESS

Sunshine Girls, led by kindergarten teacher Candace Redden, has been a mainstay on the TCA campus for many years. Candace does an amazing job of guiding the girls in a way that follows Christ’s example by loving and serving others. Students are provided hands-on opportunities to help those in need locally, nationally and worldwide throughout the Sunshine Girls experience. In addition, Brandie Rodgers has begun a class called Rooted in Faith. She walks students through gospel truth and emphasizes

that rooting themselves in Jesus means establishing a strong faith and reliance on Him so that they will not fall or be shaken during trials. Students learn faith habits to help them establish strong roots in the Lord such as daily prayer, Scripture journaling, quiet time and even service projects. Enrichment@TCA has become an important way for TCA to continue to reinforce the most important part of the school’s mission—commitment to integrating biblical faith and learning.

“Enrichment@TCA has become an important way for TCA to continue to reinforce the most important part of the school’s mission—commitment to integrating biblical faith and learning.”

COMPETITION

As students grow into their middle school selves, they become less interested in the playful aspects of enrichment and are more likely to stretch themselves through competitive channels. TCA has found great success through academic and athletic team competitions that have been added to the enrichment offerings in recent years.

The Middle School Destination Imagination (DI) team has had great results over the past two years. DI challenges teams of seven students to work on a semester-long project that has them creatively solve a problem through a performance-based skit. TCA’s Middle School teams have placed first in their Texas region the past two years and finished high enough in the state competition to qualify for participation in the Destination Imagination Global tournament.

Another competition group born at TCA through enrichment is Future Problem Solvers (FPS). This group learned the six-step problem-solving process throughout the term and then worked in teams to fine tune their techniques in practice competitions. Both of the TCA Middle School teams qualified and competed in the Texas State Competition in Waco. The concept of competition fostering growth led Middle School teacher and soccer coach Joel Sharpe to take a different approach to select soccer through Enrichment@TCA. Coach Sharpe wanted to offer our younger Middle School girls an opportunity to build chemistry and their skills before seventh and eighth grades. As fifth- and sixth-graders, the girls were offered an opportunity to join a Plano-based select league with their team practices held at TCA. The result was that the girls grew tremendously as a team, enhancing the Middle School soccer program as they move up into the seventh- and eighthgrade teams.

We are proud of all the growth that our competitive enrichment teams have displayed over the last several years!

It is hard to believe there was a day in the not-sodistant past when Enrichment@TCA did not exist. These programs will only continue to grow. Ask any child involved in the programs, and they will tell you how Enrichment@TCA is one of the many highlights of their day!

BY JEFF M c WHORTER ’05; LAYOUT DESIGN BY CLARISSA WONG ’19

Lifting Their Expectations

TCA STUDENTS RAISE THE BAR ON THEIR OWN ATHLETIC SUCCESS WITH THE HELP OF RENOVATED TRAINING SPACE

BY JAY ATTAL, SPORTS INFORMATION & MEDIA MANAGER

TCA ATHLETICS IS IN A SEASON OF TREMENDOUS GROWTH.

The 2022-23 academic year featured over 50 teams competing in 14 sports across the Middle School and Upper School levels. This growth is evident not only in the program’s size but in a heightened standard of excellence on the field of play. Just this spring alone, varsity boys tennis, varsity boys golf and varsity baseball all won state championships, rocketing the TCA title count up to 88. The Trojans ended the school year with more momentum than anyone in the state, and preparations are in place to keep the good times rolling into the fall.

Big things are also happening in sports training on campus. You can see for yourself inside the newly renovated Athletic Training Center (ATC). Thanks to the generous contributions of the Trojan community, a five-year, $250,000 project is now complete and ready to equip student-athletes for years to come.

A wall that once separated and limited the functionality of the space has since been knocked away, more than doubling the workout capacity and giving coaches improved sightlines for safety and instruction. Eighty athletes can now comfortably work out in the ATC at the same time, each receiving individualized information through iPads mounted across the facility.

“The renovations to the ATC will help build a culture across all grades and all sports. With the increased space, we can now have Middle School athletes working out at the same time as Upper School students,” explains athletic trainer Russell Betts. “Middle-schoolers now get a chance to see how serious the older students are about getting bigger, stronger and faster. This helps set a precedent and build a culture of understanding just how important the weight room can be.”

The floor beside the basketball court is layered with premier multipurpose mats for Olympic lifts and other high-impact exercises. Back inside the weight room, a bell stands proudly in the middle of the workout space that students ring to celebrate personal bests. New squat racks line the left side of the room, each glistening with new Trojan decals in TCA colors.

After workouts, students are encouraged to grab chocolate milk from the fully stocked recovery fridge beside the cardio center. They then exit through a completely remodeled foyer featuring a TV that cycles through the latest news in Trojan athletics.

“The renovations have definitely created a more inviting environment to work out in,” says senior Sawyer Tripp. “I no longer feel separated from the rest of the team as we lift together. The ATC has truly become a better space in which teams can work out more consistently.”

The ATC is now a state-of-the-art fitness facility that would not exist without the efforts of the Athletic Booster Club, North Texas Giving Day funds and the generous hearts of the TCA family and Trojan fans.

Members of the varsity volleyball team do some spring weight training in the newly renovated Athletic Training Center, keeping track of their progress electronically.

ATHLETICS

TROJAN BOYS BASKETBALL put together a 31-win campaign that included a 12-game winning streak and a trip to the TAPPS 6A Final Four. The Trojans played one of the most difficult schedules in the state, competing in multiple preseason tournaments and scheduling 11 games against UIL programs 4A or higher.

Senior combo guard BLAKE MUSCHALEK (below—left) broke the program’s all-time scoring record with 2,349 career points. The veteran Trojan broke the 22-year-old record set by Chad Gono in 2000. Offensively, the Trojans were a force to be reckoned with. TCA cashed in a record 381 three-pointers and did an excellent job chasing opponents off the perimeter. Defensively, the Trojans held opponents under 49 points 24 times this year, going an incredible 23-1 in those contests.

The signature win of the year came against No. 2 seed Antonion Prep in the TAPPS 6A Regional Playoffs. Blake Muschalek led the way with 48 points on 13-20 shooting to lead the Trojans to their first Final Four appearance in eight years.

Congratulations to the following players for earning state and district awards:

Blake Muschalek – First Team All-State, All-Tournament Team, First Team All-District, District Offensive Player of the Year, Academic All-State

KELLEN FRYE – Honorable Mention All-State, All-Tournament Team, Second Team All-District, Academic All-State

THOMAS HUNT – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State

NATHAN KIM (below—right) – Honorable Mention All-District

CHANCE SNYDER – Honorable Mention All-District

VARSITY BASKETBALL

LADY TROJAN BASKETBALL went through a season of tremendous growth this year. Seniors DHAMAR RAMIREZ GOMEZ, SOPHIA MILLER, PEYTON HATFIELD and EMMA M c INTYRE (right) modeled leadership that the underclassmen can take into next year.

The group won eight games in 2022-23, highlighted by a three-game win streak spanning from November 22 to December 1, where TCA outscored opponents 147-56. Junior point guard GRACE LEVERTON (left) made history on December 6 when she became the ninth Lady Trojan in program history to score 1000 career points.

Leverton ended the season with Second Team All-State honors as well as Second Team All-District and Academic All-State distinctions. ELLA EUBANKS (above) was the second Lady Trojan to earn postseason honors, earning Honorable Mention All-District after playing and starting in all 31 games for TCA.

THE VARSITY CHEERLEADERS had a great year cheering on the Trojans. The talented squad filled up the fall season with dynamic routines, putting on pep rallies, performing at games and decorating the Upper School to bolster school spirit and support our wonderful sports programs. The team cheered on football in Belton during the TAPPS playoffs and was on the baseline during basketball's Final Four contest versus conference rival Prestonwood.

Captain HAILEY PARMENTER , Co-Captain GABLE DELP, Spirit Officer EMMA KATE SULLIVAN and Chaplain

KENDALL REDING led the team with creativity, skill and passion. The leadership group created a united squad and a bonded atmosphere that was filled with fun and laughter. A mixed squad of varsity and junior varsity cheerleaders prepped all season for the TAPPS Cheer Championships in December. The competition team placed second overall, with several standout performances from the Trojans.

Hailey Parmenter, AVERY SULZEN, LUCY TREDENNICK and ANNIKA POWERS won the stunt group championship. Lucy Tredennick earned the individual tumbling title, and Hailey Parmenter earned a top-five finish in the same category. The duo of Gable Delp and Hailey Parmenter both earned First Team All-State and Academic All-State honors. PARKER PRIDEAUX also earned an All-State Honorable Mention.

“Overall, we had an incredible year led by an amazing group of seniors. We thank them for their leadership as we move into a new season with a new squad,” said cheer coaches Erika Toney and Sally Pearce. “Trojan Cheer looks forward to great performances and leading the student body in support of our sports teams."

THE TROJANETTES had a great year. The squad filled the fall and winter seasons with dazzling performances at football games, pep rallies, competitions and more. In the spirit of Christmas, the team presented a Christmas Show on December 2. In place of tickets, canned food items were donated to help support the North Texas Food Bank.

The team then traveled to Waco for the TAPPS Dance Championships and delivered several great performances under the bright lights. OLIVIA OUIMETTE (left) was named a First Team All-State selection, while teammates CECE BODGA and CAROLINA ANDERSON garnered Second Team selections. ADDISON RACKLEY was the fourth and final Trojanette to earn honors, picking up an All-State Honorable Mention.

The Trojanettees capped off the year at the Crowd Pleasers Dance in Frisco. TCA finished second overall in the division and performed a total of 22 routines. The Trojanettes earned first runner-up in the small varsity classic division and best in class in the team kick and team open divisions.

The following Trojanattes earned TAPPS academic honors:

Carolina Anderson – Academic All-State

Cece Bogda – Academic All-State

Olivia Ouimette – Academic All-State

CHEER

THE TROJAN SWIM TEAM dove into the heart of its schedule at the start of 2023 with the New Year’s Classic hosted by Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Both the boys and girls finished sixth out of 15 teams, landing numerous Trojans on the podium in an encouraging display of what was to come.

The boys team then put together one of its strongest performances of the year a week later, placing fifth in the TAPPS Pre-Regional Qualifier. The relay team of TYLER CHIANG, EVAN OLSON (bottom of page), BRUCE HINSON and MASON SMITH finished fifth in the 200 medley and third in the 200 free. Tyler Chiang also picked up a pair of podium finishes individually, placing third in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke.

A strong showing at the TAPPS Regional Meet on January 27 filled the bus with Trojans who punched tickets to the State Championship Meet in San Antonio. Bruce Hinson, Evan Olson, Tyler Chiang and SOPHIA PFANNSTIEL (below) earned individual bids, and five relay teams also made the trip and helped TCA score valuable points.

Sophia Pfannstiel ran away with the state title in the 100 fly with a TCA record time of 57.47 seconds. She rewrote the history book a second time with a 59.35-second mark in the 100 backstroke that earned her state runner-up. Tyler Chiang also earned himself a place on the podium. The freshman phenom led the way for the boys team with a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.

Still a sophomore, Pfannstiel’s resume already includes two individual state championships, a state runner-up honor, five TCA school records and two team MVP trophies.

Eight swimmers earned TAPPS postseason honors or state bids in 2022-23:

Tyler Chiang – State Qualifier, State Runner-Up 100 Breaststroke, Team MVP

ALLY GERARD – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

Bruce Hinson – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

HAYDEN KEY – State Qualifier

LUCY MASSINGER – State Qualifier

Evan Olson – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

Sophia Pfannstiel – State Champion 100 Fly, State Runner-Up 100 Back, Team MVP

Mason Smith – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

ATHLETICS

LADY TROJAN SOCCER had a great season. Perseverance and grit were how this team defined itself, and the team modeled those characteristics time and time again throughout the year. After a slow start to the season, TCA rattled off three wins in the final four games to finish the season with an overall record of 11-12-1 and a district mark of 4-8-0. Highlights of the year include a seven-goal outburst against Prestonwood, a sweep of Nolan Catholic and a 7-0 rout of Concordia Lutheran in the TAPPS regional playoffs before falling to eventual state champion Ursuline.

Senior striker HANNAH SCHNEIDER (right—bottom) led the offensive charge with 20 goals scored. ALY HEIDEDLBAUGH (right—top) was the chief playmaker with a team-high 19 assists. CATE POU and EMMA HELT both contributed in the midfield, and AVA DEWEY and MAE SHARPE anchored the defense.

Coach Truman Blocker and assistant coaches Giampaulo Pedroso and Sara Fusco want to thank the seniors who have been so impactful during their time with the soccer program: LAUREN DEATON (captain), Aly Heidelbaugh (captain), Hannah Schneider (captain) and COURTNEY ANDERSON

Congratulations to the Lady Trojans who earned state and district awards: Hannah Schneider – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State

Aly Heidelbaugh – Honorable Mention All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State.

Ava Dewey – Honorable Mention All-State, Second Team All-District

SYDNEY RIDNOUR – Honorable Mention All-District

THE VARSITY BOYS SOCCER TEAM won six games during the 2022-23 season. The highlight of the year was a 2-0 win over St. Pius X in the TAPPS playoffs. After 78 minutes of a scoreless stalemate, TCA struck for the go-ahead goal and quickly added insurance to put away the Panthers at Tom Landry Stadium. DAVID BOYLAN found the back of the net on a soaring set piece that gave the Trojans the lead. Then, seconds later, JACK REA (right) iced the game with a strike from the left side of the pitch. The victory sent TCA to the Elite Eight, just two wins shy of the state championship.

In total, five Trojans took home TAPPS postseason honors:

JOHN BADGER (below) – Second Team All-State, District Goalkeeper of the Year (second consecutive year), First Team All-District, Academic All-State

GABE LOYD – Second Team All-District, District Newcomer of the Year

Jack Rea – Second Team AllDistrict, Academic All-State

David Boylan – Honorable Mention All-District

TYLER HERVEY –Honorable Mention All-District

TROJAN WRESTLING demonstrated tremendous growth in year two under coach Wes Brenner. The roster of MATTHEW CORTEZ, BROOKS LOUKAS, BECK NEATHERLIN, WYATT NILSON, CALEB OLSON, BRIAN RODRIGUEZ, SAMUEL ROMAN, CALEB SU and PARKER WALTON applied the lessons they learned in practice to each competition this season.

The entire roster flashed incredible grit at the ESD on January 26. TCA earned a gritty 32-30 win over ESD in a head-to-head contest on Teacher Appreciation Night to celebrate the wrestling program’s only home event of the season. “These kids wrestled for God all season,” says coach Wes Brenner. “This is a small team. For each and every one of them to show heart when they need to show heart and compete when they need to compete has gloried God all season long.”

That heart was on full display at Prep State on February 4. Parker Walton (below), Caleb Su, Brian Rodriguez and Matthew Cortez (right) all got off to a hot start at the event, picking up wins to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals. Although they fell in their quarterfinal contest, the four found success in the consolation bracket.

The culmination of the season was the TAPPS State Wrestling Championships. Parker Walton earned a place on the podium, finishing as state runner-up with wins over First Baptist Christian Academy and Texas School for the Deaf. In an exciting finals match, Parker donned the white championship singlet and fended off multiple attacks in the early round. He was pinned with one second left on the clock to complete a terrific sophomore season that earned him team MVP honors. Walton was joined at the state championship by fellow qualifiers Caleb Olson, Wyatt Nilson and Beck Neatherlin.

VARSITY WRESTLING

STATE CHAMPIONS!

VARSITY BASEBALL put together an unforgettable 2022-23 season. TCA erased a four-run deficit to walk off Houston St. Thomas by a score of 7-6 in the TAPPS Division I State Championship for the program’s ninth state title and the first since 2006.

“Preparation for the championship run began during the offseason. We spent the entire offseason working to get stronger, develop our baseball skill set and build team chemistry through meetings and devotionals,” says coach Pat Leach. “Our success stemmed from the players’ commitment to Trojan baseball, strong leadership, a never-give-up mentality and playing for each other and our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.”

The Trojans entered postseason play after clinching the No. 2 seed with an 18-12-1 overall record and a district mark of 8-4. Highlights from the regular season included series sweeps of Bishop Lynch, Nolan Catholic and Parish Episcopal. A TCA offense that averaged nearly seven runs per contest (6.6) during district play was forced to gut out several gritty victories in the postseason. In the state semifinal against a formidable Concordia Lutheran squad boasting an incredible 33-2 record, TCA fended off the Crusaders for a 4-3 win. Then, less than 24 hours later, the Trojans stormed back from a 6-2 deficit to defeat Houston St. Thomas, 7-6, in the state title game.

Numerous Trojans were honored with both TAPPS and team honors following the successful championship campaign:

WILL LEHMAN (far right—bottom) – First Team All-State, First Team All-District, District Defensive Player of the Year, Academic All-State, Big Stick Award (team award)

AJAY GOLUGURI (right—bottom) – First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State, Steve Adair Award (team award)

HAYDEN HEFLIN (right—top) – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State, The Dude Award (team award)

SAMUEL JENKINS – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State, Big Stick Award (team award)

STEVEN RAMOS – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State

JOSH LIU – All-District Honorable Mention, The Fireman (team award)

ABE WOODS (far right—top)– All-District Honorable Mention, Gold Glove Award (team award)

ANDREW YATES – All-District Honorable Mention

DANIEL RICHARDSON – TeamME Award (team award)

VARSITY BASEBALL

THE TROJAN SOFTBALL TEAM ended district play as the No. 3 seed in District I with a record of 12-11-1, 8-3 in district. TCA shined in league play throughout the year and was in contention for the top seed up until the final Friday of the year. The highlight of the regular season was a five-game winning streak from April 1 through April 18. During that stretch, TCA shut out opponents three times while averaging 9.0 runs per game for an incredible run differential of +40.

In the postseason, Trojan Softball fell to Antonion 9-1 in the TAPPS Regional Playoffs. A crooked number in the second inning told the story of the game as the Apaches pushed seven runs across a historically staunch TCA defense. The Trojans were hardly outhit on the road, putting seven hits on the board compared to eight for Antonian. Still, just one of TCA’s eight baserunners would find their way home courtesy of an infield single from PEYTON HATFIELD (right—bottom).

TCA reached the regional round following a 6-1 win over the Concordia Lutheran Crusaders at home. Junior AVERY BOOKER (right— top) left her fingerprints all over the game, striking out 14 while cashing in two extrabase hits for a game-high 3 RBI.

Booker’s scorebook finally closed after a dominant 2023 campaign. The third-year Trojan ended up with an incredible .545 batting average across 49 plate appearances. Booker crushed a team-high seven home runs for 20 runs batted in. When handling pitching duties, she hurled 152 strikeouts over 86.0 innings of work for an ERA comfortably below 2.00 (1.547).

The following ladies earned TAPPS and team postseason honors:

Avery Booker – First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State, District MVP, Team MVP

MAE SHARPE – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District

ANN MARIE MARTINEZ – Honorable Mention All-State, Second Team All-District

KATE SOLOMON – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State

Peyton Hatfield – Honorable Mention All-District

ELLA KRONE – Honorable Mention All-District

NATALIE PEREZ (right—middle) – Honorable Mention All-District

VARSITY SOFTBALL

VARSITY TRACK & FIELD

THE TCA GIRLS AND BOYS TRACK TEAMS experienced a truly remarkable season as they combined into one unified program for the first time. The athletes embraced this change wholeheartedly, expressing their happiness and a sense of camaraderie that flourished within the team. This newfound unity propelled them to incredible achievements, both as a team and as individuals.

The girls team, one of the largest teams ever, showcased strength in numbers. Their dedication and hard work paid off as they clinched first place in three meets and secured second place twice. The season reached a pinnacle when the team achieved an impressive third-place finish at the TAPPS 6A District Championship and a commendable sixth-place finish at the TAPPS 6A State Championships. These achievements marked the best finishes by the girls team since the 1990s, showcasing their immense talent and determination.

Individually, the girls team broke four school records during the season. LUCY TREDENNICK (left) shattered the pole vault record, reaching an impressive height of 10’0. RILEY RIES demonstrated her exceptional skills in the 1600m and 3200m events, setting new records with times of 5:17.72 and 11:16.90, respectively. Finally, the 4x100m relay team of Lucy Tredennick, SAWYER TRIPP, HANNAH SCHNEIDER and SHANNON DUNIGAN set a new record with a time of 50.68, breaking a school record set in 1987.

At the state level, the girls continued to shine. Notable performances included ELIOT BROOKSHIRE placing seventh in the 1600m, HEATHER BROWNLEE securing third place in the high jump to earn an honorable mention and Lucy Tredennick, Sawyer Tripp, Hannah Schneider and Shannon Dunnigan earning honorable mentions in the 4x200m relay. Other outstanding achievements included ELLA EUBANKS placing seventh in the discus, ALLY GERARD finishing sixth in the discus and MORGAN LOHR placing eighth in the 400m. Riley Ries demonstrated her skills by becoming the state runner-up in the 3200m and placing fifth in the 1600m. KATIE SPEARS impressed with a sixth-place finish in the 300m hurdles.

Despite its youth, the boys team showed tremendous improvement throughout the season. With only two seniors graduating off the roster, the bulk of the team will return next season, eager to build upon their achievements. They placed fifth at the TAPPS 6A District Championship and placed top ten in the TAPPS 6A State Championships.

The boys team also had notable performances at state. KEVIN CARTER placed sixth in the pole vault, and REED NEATHERLIN finished fourth. RYAN ELMS (left) became the state runner-up in the 400m. Additionally, ANDREW LAZENBY was dubbed district champion in the 110m hurdles and was the state runner-up in the same event. Other commendable performances included NATHAN CHOU, Reed Neatherlin, TAKASHI SHAW and Ryan Elms placing seventh in the 4x400m. BRADEN SHULTS placed seventh in the long jump, and CHRISTIAN YANG placed eighth in the 110m hurdles.

Congratulations to these athletes who also earned TAPPS Academic All-State honors: Heather Brownlee, Nathan Chou, Shannon Dunigan, Ally Gerard, Andrew Lazenby, Reed Neatherlin, Riley Ries, Braden Shults, Lucy Tredennick, Sawyer Tripp and Christian Yang.

STATE CHAMPS!

FOR THE VARSITY TENNIS TEAM, it was a year to remember. The Trojans battled the elements throughout the season, as rain delays forced the team into irregular match and practice schedules. But TCA still got off to one of the best starts in recent memory, going undefeated through the first two months of the season. The boys won the TAPPS 6A State Championship at the Waco Regional Tennis Center on April 18. The title snapped a 19-year drought for the program and secured the first team title on the boys or girls side since 2004.

Six senior boys made the trip to Waco, each submitting strong performances that bolstered TCA’s point total. But the key to victory was outstanding doubles play. WYATT MERRILL and JOSHUA STAZ won their first two matches to reach the second day of the championship. The tandem then fought valiantly against the No. 1 seed from Nolan Catholic, ultimately falling 4-6, 2-6 in a prolonged semifinal showdown. Two courts over, TCA’s BLAKE MUSCHALEK and DAVID BOYLAN (below—left) emerged victorious from their semifinal match (6-0, 6-1) and set their sights on a third consecutive 6A Doubles Championship. They then squared off with the top-seeded team in the tournament, gutting out a 6-2, 7-6 win to cement the three-peat and their spot in TAPPS tennis history.

“This was a total team effort,” said coach Lance Hagan. “We took third last year in total points, and this year we accumulated 4.5 points on the singles side to help push us further over the line . . . and for Blake and David to three-peat is just absolutely incredible.”

The girls were also well represented at state, as COURTNEY ANDERSON and the doubles team of ALY HEIDELBAUGH and PARKER PRIDEAUX (below—right) punched tickets to the state championship after picking up big wins in the district tournament.

Congratulations to the Trojans who earned TAPPS postseason and team awards:

David Boylan – State Qualifier, Doubles State Champion, Academic All-State, Team MVP

Blake Muschalek – State Qualifier, Doubles State Champion, Academic All-State, Team MVP,

Aly Heidelbaugh – State Qualifier, Academic All-State, Team MVP

Parker Prideaux – State Qualifier, Academic All-State, Team MVP

Courtney Anderson – State Qualifier, Academic All-State, Team Most Improved

Dylan Kinley – State Qualifier, Academic All-State, Team Most Improved

Wyatt Merrill – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

Charlie Nine – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

Joshua Staz – State Qualifier, Academic All-State

ANNABELLA HAYS – Team Trojan Heart

CARSON ROACH – Team Trojan Heart

SIX IN A ROW!

TROJAN BOYS GOLF captured its sixth consecutive TAPPS 6A State Golf Championship this spring, securing the 11th state title under Head Coach Marshall Edwards and the 20th in school history. TCA shot an incredible 6-under par (570) to best the field by an eye-popping 48 shots. NATE MILLER (135, 67-68) won the player tournament with a 9-under-par scorecard. The sophomore (right) saved his best golf for when it mattered most, rattling off a bogey-free back nine to fend off a late rally from state runner-up Kristoffer Kuvas (140) from The Village School–Houston.

TCA got production from all over the roster. A TAPPS record six members of the sevenman lineup earned medalist honors. AIDAN DORTCH (141, 70-71, below-right) joined Miller under par for a third-place finish. DEACON DORTCH (below-left) rounded out the Trojans in the top five with a 145 final tally. CARSON HARRIS (151) earned a share of seventh with a 71 in the final round. Senior EVAN ACEVEDO playing as an individual also received medalist honors after tying fellow Trojan SEAN MEADOR (152) for 10th place. Evan, Aidan and Deacon also were recognized with TAPPS Academic All-State honors.

TCA’s state title was historic for numerous reasons. Not only was it the program’s sixth in a row, but it also marked the first time the Trojans won seven tournaments in a single season. TCA won seven of the 11 tournaments it competed in during the academic year.

Some other notable highlights added to a tremendous season for our Trojan golfers. TCA was ranked number five in the nation by the PGA National High School Golf Association.

Junior Aidan Dortch shattered the Trojan scoring record for a 36-hole event with a 13-underpar 131 (65-66) to win the District/Regional Championship. In addition to his individual state championship, sophomore Nate Miller won the East Texas Challenge with a 1-under-par 143 (70-73) and the Vernon Newsome Memorial with a 6-under-par 138 (66-72). Sophomore

Carson Harris claimed the solo title at a weather-shortened event, firing off a terrific 2-under-par 69 to finish ahead of Preston Stout of JJ Pearce, a top-five player in the country. And Sophomore Sean Meador won the Jim Osborne Invitational with a 1-under-par 71.

THE LADY TROJAN GOLF TEAM put together a strong spring season. Despite having just four players on the roster, TCA placed second at District/Regionals and placed third at state with a 51-shot lead over fourth-placed Incarnate Word High School.

The highlight of the year was the East Texas Challenge, March 11–12, where the Lady Trojans teed off at the Tempest Golf Club and won the event by 92 shots. SUMMER JAKUBEK led the Trojans individually with four top-10 finishes this spring; however, the contributions of the full roster Summer Jakubek, ABIGAIL JUN, BAILEE DORTCH and SOPHIA LATHAM were vital week in and week out for the team to find success on the course.

“We were a very tight-knit group this season,” explains Dortch. “If we were missing even one player, we couldn’t play as a team, so it became incredibly important for everyone to keep their scores as low as possible.”

Bailee Dortch picked up a pair of top-three finishes during the season, and Sophia Latham grabbed sixth place at the Regional Preview on April 4. All four girls earned Team MVP honors at the spring awards ceremony.

With the entire team eligible to return next season, the future looks bright for Lady Trojan Golf.

GIRLS GOLF PHOTO: JEFF M c WHORTER ’05

Letter from the Alumni Association President

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION hosted Spring Alumni Weekend on April 21– 23, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. The weekend kicked off with an event at Gleneagles Country Club, and our alumni family was able to thank Didi Henderson and Hank and Diane Harmon for their amazing service to TCA. Didi has taught first grade at TCA for 27 years and has been a leader in the Lower School for decades. Hank Harmon has served at TCA for 40 years, including teaching Bible classes and photography, and Diane Harmon has taught for over 20 years. In addition to teaching classes, the Harmons have coached football, basketball, track and swim teams as well as organized the eighth-grade Wilderness Trip that so many of us adored. There is no doubt that Mrs. Henderson and the Harmons have had a lasting impact on the lives of our alumni and on TCA, and we are forever grateful for their dedication and service!

On Saturday, the alumni baseball team played the TCA varsity baseball team. The alumni team was comprised of players from classes spanning 1983 to 2019, and despite an excellent effort, the alumni team lost to a very talented varsity squad (and eventual state champions!) by a score of 6-2. Hank Harmon threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and the alumni players were Mason Anders ’05, Billy Bos ’83, Byron Mitchell ’84, Matt Biermacher ’01, Matt Williams ’05, Cash Riley ’95, Connor Harwell ’17, Brett Bartol ’17, Wes Tarbox ’86, Phillip Yarbrough ’98, Craig Stites ’97, Casey Pascuzzi  ’99, Shannon Weir ’05 and David Asche ’19. I’d like to thank Lane Conner ’99 for his vision and leadership regarding the alumni baseball event. Over the course of five years, this has grown from “just a game” to a well-attended event for the entire family with face-painting, inflatables and food trucks. If you didn’t make it to the game this year, I highly recommend that you attend next spring.

Our Spring Alumni Weekend concluded with a matinee production of the TCA Upper School spring musical, Curtains. We had a wonderful turnout of alumni and their families for the event, and I’m amazed at how the students of TCA can perform at such a high level.

As my term concludes as the president of the TCA Alumni Association, I’d like to thank the entire Alumni Association Board and our director of alumni, Beth Harwell, for her commitment to the TCA alumni family and her selfless dedication to making Spring Alumni Weekend a success. It’s been an honor to serve the TCA community, and I look forward to the school’s future. May God continue to bless TCA!

BRANDON WADDELL ’97 Alumni Association President

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Hannah Langford ’14

TEXTILE DESIGNER

“The first five words of Genesis are ‘In the beginning, God created.’ Whether I am designing at work or painting in my free time, the desire to make things beautiful reminds me of my Maker.”

UPHOLSTERED, INLAID, tufted, gilded, lacquered? Loom, plait, stitch, warp and woof? These words may be all Greek to most audiences, but to industrial/product design student Luke Langford ’20 and his sister, textile designer Hannah Langford ’14, they’re just another day at the office. The Langford family has been deeply woven into the TCA community for decades as four Langford kids have graduated from TCA: Sam ’09, Katie ’13, Hannah ’14 and Luke ’20. Hannah recalls, “I’m one of four kids who went to TCA, so TCA has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My oldest sibling was in kindergarten at TCA when I was born, and my younger brother graduated 25 years later, so to say the school was a huge part of our lives is an understatement. I think my parents were drawn to the sense of community at TCA; little did they know they would have the opportunity to be a part of it for so long!”

Luke Langford, class of 2020, recalls happy memories from Lower School, including Willy Wonka Day. Middle School teachers made science come alive for Luke. He recalls, “my all-time favorite field trips were in seventh grade, birdwatching at White Rock Lake as well as going on the dinosaur dig with Mr. Blagburn. In Upper School, the AP Art trip to Los Angeles was awesome.”

Hannah Langford has a long list of favorite moments as well. She remembers, “I loved dress-up days in the Lower School. The teachers put so much work into decorating, and I loved getting to show up to school in a costume. In fifth grade, I enjoyed Roman Forum because it was so fun to come up with a ‘business plan’ with my group and sell all forms of glorified junk to our peers. My favorite memories from high school were going on the AP Art retreat and taking Mr. Adams’s Field Ecology class.”

In the Upper School, both Luke and Hannah saturated themselves in the TCA art curriculum, igniting skills and passions that fueled their adult careers. Luke remembers, “I took as many art classes as I possibly could at TCA, culminating in AP Art senior year. The Art Wing was always my favorite place on campus at TCA; it was an escape.” Hannah also cherished the Art Wing, recalling, “I remember spending as much time as I could in the Art Wing, and I’m beyond grateful for the teachers who invested in me and sparked a passion for the visual arts. I was a reserved and shy kid, so having teachers who mentored and encouraged me as an artist did nothing short of changing my life.”

After graduating from TCA in 2014, Hannah went on to study textile design at Savannah College of Art and Design. She resides in Dallas and has designed woven textiles for Perennials Fabrics for six years. “The instruction I received in TCA’s art classes has been fundamental to my career today,” Hannah says. “My job is equal parts creative and technical, as I see a product through all stages from ideation to production. I work in a studio full of looms, so I use the skills I learned in TCA’s art classes daily to design new fabrics.

“I was made to be a maker. I am always tinkering with things. More than anything else, I feel a strong connection to the Creator when I get into a creative flow state.”

—Luke Langford ’20

I also have a side business doing customillustrated invitations, so I’m lucky to spend a majority of my time getting to be creative.”

Following Luke’s graduation in 2020, he headed to Savannah College of Art and Design to study industrial/product design with a minor in furniture design. At SCAD, he helps run the Industrial Design and Furniture Shop, “learning to design and manufacture any product one could possibly imagine.” Looking back, Luke reflects, “Academically, TCA has helped me tremendously in college. Learning to study and being pushed has put me ahead.”

Studying in the design field, Luke says, “Art is now a part of my daily life. I am surrounded by it constantly. All the sketching I had to do throughout the years at TCA has paid off, and many of the teachers had a great impact on my life.”

Luke’s years at TCA helped him to discover the gifts and callings God placed in his life. He notes, “I was made to be a maker. I am always tinkering with things. More than anything else, I feel a strong connection to the Creator when I get into a creative flow state.” God can be worshiped through sermons or songs, but He can also be worshiped through using one’s gifts to his glory and emulating his creativity, a truth Luke discovered through the visual arts at TCA.

Reflecting on her time at TCA, Hannah recalls, “Growing up in an environment where I was encouraged in my faith has greatly impacted my life. I encountered countless passionate, talented teachers during my time at TCA, and I’m beyond appreciative of the love of learning that they instilled in me.”

Hannah loves the way creativity, study of the arts and faith were woven together at TCA and modeled in the art faculty: “I feel an innate calling to be creative, and I know that this is because we are made in the image of a creative God. The first five words of Genesis are ‘In the beginning, God created.’ Whether I am designing at work or painting in my free time, the desire to make things beautiful reminds me of my maker.”

Luke Langford ’20

INDUSTRIAL/PRODUCT DESIGN STUDENT

Cannon Lewis McClintock ’01

JEWELRY DESIGNER

TELL STORIES WITH STONES. From engagement rings to bespoke necklaces to the occasional custom belt buckle, fine jewelry designer Cannon Lewis McClintock ’01 works to fuse organic and natural design in her heirloom-quality pieces as she tells a family’s story in aquamarines, emeralds, Alexandrites, morganites and more.

Cannon’s parents, Keet and Margaret Lewis, searched for a school that blended rigorous academics with Christian formation for Cannon and her sister Caroline Lewis Abbott ’04. Cannon found those academic and spiritual essentials in spades but also recalls, “TCA was so fun! There was always something to celebrate, a game to drive to or a theme day. School spirit was never lacking, and it was a really positive school environment. I loved and looked forward to the Mexico Mission Trip every year. I loved constructing the buildings and paving driveways. My dad, who can build and fix just about anything, came with me one year, and that was a really special experience.”

Looking back at her formative years at Trinity Christian Academy, she says, “I’ll never forget the Carby family’s ‘open door policy.’ Gary and Candy Carby had three sons, and Russell was in my grade. They lived right by TCA, so any time we had offcampus lunch, we would hang out in their kitchen, watch a game and make their house our home. Overall, I am so grateful to TCA for the friendships I’ve made. I am still very close with my friends from

high school, and years later it is so special to have lifelong friends who have walked the up and down seasons of life with me.”

Cannon found a home in the TCA Visual Arts Department. She recalls, “I did all kinds of art at TCA, though printmaking was my favorite. I loved studying under Mr. Millet and Mr. Chu. In AP Art my senior year, I focused on oil painting.” Little did she know that exploring a variety of artistic and creative modes would evolve from hobby to career. She remembers, “I started designing jewelry when I was a junior in the Upper School at TCA, making jewelry to match prom dresses. The jewelry quickly grew in complexity as I explored metal work and casting semiprecious and precious stones.”

Following graduation from TCA, Cannon studied art history at Baylor University, a choice that allowed her to continue taking some studio art classes. She tentatively planned on a career appraising art or perhaps working in the decorative arts or interiors. However, Cannon’s jewelry line was accepted into upscale department store Barneys New York when she was only a junior at Baylor. She says, “I never thought I would still be designing jewelry 23 years later, but it’s still happening!”

Today, Cannon’s jewelry company is based in Dallas, where she lives with her husband Gavin and daughters Margot, Adeline and Charlotte. She works to incorporate a “timeless, lyrical soulfulness” in the beautiful custom-made pieces she creates for clients. She adds, “I often use imagery of trees, roots and leaves in my jewelry. I have a favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 17:7–8, that depicts the strong visual image of a deeply rooted tree. I went to camp every summer in the Texas Hill Country, so in my mind I see this tree as one of the towering Texas Cypress trees that grow along the Guadalupe River: ‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. That person will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’”

She says, “You only have to walk out in nature for a moment to discover the incredible intricacies of God’s art: His creation.” For Cannon Lewis McClintock, faith and fine jewelry forge together to create wearable beauty, a creative pursuit born out of her artistic training at TCA.

“You only have to walk out in nature for a moment to discover the incredible intricacies of God’s art: His creation.”

MY TROJAN JOURNEY began with my parents, Joe and Arleen Kain, who chose TCA for my brother Jacob and me after hearing about the Christ-centered mission from family friends. They placed an extremely high regard on us knowing Jesus and having a learning environment where we would be taught about God and the Bible consistently. As a TCA “lifer” who attended from kindergarten through twelfth grade, I cherish many memories and relationships, starting with my beloved Lower School teacher Mrs. Mary Helen Nolan, who taught me that “kindness was coolest.”

In Middle School and Upper School, Hank Harmon, who retired this May after forty years of teaching and coaching at TCA, was a strong influence in my life. Thinking back on my whole life, Mr. Harmon is my most trusted and loving mentor outside my family. He put up with me as a prank-obsessed middleschooler. One of my favorite memories was from the TCA Mexico Mission trip. Overhearing me sing while listening to music with headphones, Mr. Harmon quickly realized I had an absolutely atrocious voice. He thought it was hilarious and let me try singing full blast with my headphones on in front of the whole group on the last night. We were all in tears laughing. He stuck with me

all the way to performing my marriage ceremony to my wife in Birmingham, Alabama, five years ago.

Overall, the greatest blessings from TCA are godly relationships and lifelong friendships. Seven of my groomsmen were from TCA, despite years of living out of state. Those kinds of relationships just don't happen by coincidence without a foundation in something as rich as a mutual love for Christ and desire to live in community. I will never stop being grateful for that lasting gift.

After graduating in the TCA Class of 2007, I headed to Texas A&M University to study biomedical science and then attended medical school at the University of Texas at Houston. I completed a general surgery internship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham followed by an otolaryngology head and neck surgical residency, where I served as chief resident. I met my wife, Raeann, while I was a general surgery intern and she was a PA student. We now are the parents to a beautiful boy, Noah Joseph Kain, who joined us in March 2022 and is the delight of our life.

Packing up once again, I trained at the University of California, Davis, for a fellowship in head and neck oncology, skull base and microvascular reconstructive surgery. Currently, I am back in Texas serving as a surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital with a specialty in head and neck oncology, robotics, skull base and microvascular reconstruction.

I see God clearly at work. I am fortunate to get to care for people in their greatest times of need in their life. It is a constantly sanctifying process; I cannot help but see and feel God every day, in highs and lows alike.

Recently, the Lord allowed me to undertake a lifechanging medical mission trip to Ukraine. Face the Future, an organization that performs international children's cleft lip and palate surgery, had a heart to address the unjust suffering occurring in Ukraine. My wife and I prayed about my going, and the answer was clear—I needed to go.

Dr. Joshua Kain ’07

HEAD AND NECK SURGEON, MEDICAL MISSION TEAM MEMBER

“The four days of performing surgeries in Ukraine were nothing less than a miracle—the Lord was providing everything we needed for each moment.”

Over the next three months, my wife would graciously allow me to spend three to four hours each and every Saturday morning doing Zoom calls with my new-found Ukrainian surgeon colleagues. We screened about 100 injured soldiers and civilians by looking over CT scans, photographs, videos and medical records together virtually. In the end we planned to operate over a 12-day mission to Ivank-Frankivsk, a mountainous town in western Ukraine.

In March 2023, our team arrived in Ivank-Frankivsk and hosted a teaching symposium on head and neck reconstructive plastic surgery for war injuries. Much to our pleasant surprise, the dark hospital basement was filled to capacity with over 100 surgeons in person and 600 more by virtual telecast.

Over the next few days, we screened patients, finally able to see the injuries firsthand. Patients saw four surgeons with various specialties and then completed preoperative photographs, anesthesia clearance and consent discussions with medical translators.

Next came four days of surgery that were nothing less than a miracle. I think back on it and know in hindsight that the Lord was providing everything we needed for each moment. He wanted our trust to provide daily bread, and that is what He accomplished.

We were able to complete all planned 33 surgeries (totaling over 100 procedures) with complete safety and good outcomes. The most memorable surgery for me was a twenty-year-old soldier, Olexsandr, who caught a large piece of bomb shrapnel, obliterating the left side of his lower face. He had received battlefield care, which left him stable but nonetheless paralyzed and expressionless. By God's plan, we met one another, two strangers living continents apart, and God used me to rebuild the nerves to his left face that will hopefully restore human decencies such as smiling, blinking and holding food in his mouth properly. I am truly grateful that the Lord had it in His divine plan to allow me to meet him, and I will count the days until I get to see Olexsandr smile next year.

Perhaps the most heartache was talking to Ukrainian doctors, because every one of them had close loved ones suffering from the war, either injured, killed or in combat. I did not meet a single Ukrainian person who felt distance between them and the atrocities occurring now in their country. This pains my heart.

My last night in Ukraine, a surgeon to whom I had grown close showed me his Instagram feed. He makes a tribute post each time he loses a friend or family member to the war. My heart sank to my ankles as he scrolled past at least two dozen pictures of his childhood friends, college roommates, cousins and others. I still cry thinking of it now. I was overwhelmed in that moment and at an utter loss for what to say to him or anyone else living through a modern-day nightmare.

Ukrainians are the most resilient, meek and kind people you will ever meet. They are the quintessential hosts in the way Christ instructs us to be. They have courage and faith unlike I have encountered. And they are fighting for their families to grow up knowing freedom and not oppression, trusting that it is still a possibility.

Ukrainians need us in very tangible and direct ways. They love Americans and what the American people are doing to support their country, but it is still far from enough. For ten miles on either side of the border there are trucks filled with supplies that cannot move through the impossibly tight crossings and checkpoints. Diapers filling a dozen buses 100 yards from the country’s gate are sitting idle but cannot reach the families in need of them because their security is in such peril.

My organization, Face the Future, plans on investing in the surgeons of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, for the long run. Our mission is to “work ourselves out of a job.” We hope to equip and train a generation of surgeons and medical professionals to care for their own injured in the ways we would here in the States.

Most of all we covet the powerful and effective prayers of a God-fearing community for peace to reach these oppressed people and the millions affected on both sides of a tragic and unnecessary war in Ukraine.

Keeping you connected . . .

TCA HAS ALMOST 4500 ALUMNI, and the TCA Alumni Association Board is here to serve our alumni and keep you connected to TCA.

This past spring Fran Legband, assistant head of the Upper School, and I visited over 150 of our alumni on university campuses in Texas and Oklahoma. We visited our alumni at Texas A&M, the University of Texas at Austin, Baylor University and the University of Oklahoma. We leave these trips so proud of our alumni after hearing about all their achievements on their campuses.

We hosted over 400 alumni at our Spring Alumni Weekend this past April. Be sure to check out the Spring Alumni article on page 76 for more details.

We gave our newest alumni, the Class of 2023, their first alumni T-shirts. It is a tradition for the seniors to wear their new alumni shirt the last week of school. Plus, at graduation, we give a cord to our legacy students and a lifer pin to our lifer students. We give all graduates the devotional book My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

We are looking forward to Homecoming on October 6, 2023, at TCA. Please join us for a wonderful dinner on the patio of the Upper School Commons, visit the Alumni Art Show upstairs in the Trinity Art Gallery and then go watch the Homecoming festivities on the field, including the Trojans defeating the Prestonwood Lions. The dinner and entrance to the game is free for all alumni families.

Reunions for the following years will be held Saturday evening, October 7: 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018. Your class agent(s) will be notifying you with more information regarding your reunion.

The Alumni Association Board is working on new projects, including networking within the TCA community, prayer meetings and continuing our alumni games in all sports for men and women. We are also making plans to host our legacy families on campus for more events. We strive to keep our alumni connected relationally, professionally and spiritually with the TCA community. We hope to see you on campus soon!

BETH HARWELL Director of Alumni

UPCOMING EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

HOMECOMING WEEKEND

OCTOBER 6 – Join us Friday night of Homecoming weekend for the TCA varsity football game and the annual alumni dinner in the Upper School Commons. Also visit the Alumni Art Show in the Trinity Art Gallery. All events are free for alumni and their families.

OCTOBER 7 – Reunions will be held for the following classes: 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018. Look for more details to come from your class agents and Beth Harwell, director of alumni.

CALLING FUTURE TROJANS

Alumni and alumni parents, have you considered TCA for your children or grandchildren? We invite you to discover how TCA can serve your family today. If you are interested in applying, contact the Office of Admission at 972-931-8325, ext. 2921, for more information and the alumni code to waive the application fee. Also, mark your calendar for our alumni preview scheduled this fall on October 24. Learn what’s new at TCA and what traditions are still the same!

NEW LEGACY FAMILIES

Welcome back! We have several alumni who will be returning to TCA in 2023 as parents:

Rachel Barbaro Arrieta ’06

Laura Denny Bates ’09

Scott Beckwith ’10

Molly Bastian Coulter ’08

Hunter Dehn ’97

Carson Dennis ’07

Craig Fusch ’00

Holden Lunsford ’07

Cassie Roman Mason ’10 and Lex Mason ’11

Kiersten Cervin Medanich ’07

Morgan Churchwell Potts ’08

Conner Price ’07

Clayr Simnacher Schreiner ’04

Lydia Hurt Shellenberger ‘09

Skylar Hurt Worley ’07

PAVERS

Honor a current student, alumnus, faculty, staff or family member with a brick paver. For $150, a paver may be purchased and placed in the Alumni Garden next to the TCA Performing Arts Center. All proceeds benefit the Alumni Association and Student Tuition Aid. Go to www.trinitychristian.org/alumni for more information or to order.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

Thank you to the Alumni Association Board for serving during the 2022-23 school year. We are honored to have you serve our alumni.

Brandon Waddell ’97, President

Lane Conner ’99, Past President

Ashli Burbridge Avery ’98, Vice President of Legacy Families

Kate Lynch ’97, Vice President of Communications

Jo Ann Ferrell Hodges ’87, Vice President of Community Events

Tyler Galvin ’15, Vice President of Seniors

Justin Ridnour ’90, Vice President of Class Agents

John Bundren ’10

Rebecca Beckett Cohenour ’04

Erin Vittetoe Hammonds ’97

Haleigh Lee Manhkong ’09

Chris Millet ’82

Michael Novakovich ’15

Justin Ridnour ’90

FOLLOW US

www.facebook.com/ TCAAlumniAddison

www.instagram.com/tca_ alumni_ addison

2023 LEGACY GRADUATES

Jordan Rutledge

Emmy Harmon ’00 Luke Johnston

Niki Moore Johnston ’85

Rose Duncan Sharon Metz Duncan ’90

Eight 2023 graduates are children of TCA alumni. See their senior photos below, along with their alumni parents’ senior photos. Congratulations to these legacy graduates!

Ella Kate Priest Debra Dossett Priest ’91 Blake Priest ’92

Will Walters ’82

IN MEMORIAM SUMMER 2023

Edward Burford, alumni parent

January 7, 2023

Robert Pool Thompson, alumni parent

January 13, 2023

Ray Edward Jones, alumni parent

February 2, 2023

Jennifer Lee Daniels Andreas, parent

February 4, 2023

Sara Harris, past faculty member

March 5, 2023

Donald Joseph Carter Jr., alumni parent

March 12, 2023

Douglas Lee Hodges, alumni parent

April 23, 2023

Patty Yeary, alumni parent

May 22, 2023

LAST WORD

THE BRIDGE

Each year at the end of the school year, our upper-schoolers welcome the rising freshmen into their ranks with the event known as The Bridge. This May, the class of 2024 led the efforts to make the class of 2027 feel like part of the Upper School family with fun (and messy) games and activites on the field as well as a time of worship and prayer under the lights in Tom Landry Stadium.

NOTE TO PARENTS

If this publication is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org of his or her new mailing address. Thank you!