Trinity Today – Winter 2022

Trinity TODAY

CO N N ECT IN G

THE

T RI N I T Y C H RI ST I AN ACAD E M Y CO M M U N I T Y

Performing Arts at TCA E D U C AT I N G A N D D E V E L O P I N G T H E W H O L E P E R S O N F O R T H E G L O R Y O F G O D

VOLUME 17 • NUMBER 1

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

A DV I S O RY B OA R D 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

Bringing out their best ON E OF T HE T R A ITS OF GR E AT T E ACHER S is the ability to help students discover talents they

didn’t know they had. Sometimes the discovery means the math grade or history grade on the report card goes from a B to an A for the first time or that a writing journal starts to get filled up with pages of

CONTACT US

original poetry. Sometimes it means the team has a new starting pitcher. And sometimes it means that

Send story ideas to Kendall Ellis at kellis@ trinitychristian.org and alumni information to Beth Harwell at bharwell@trinitychristian.org.

a young person starts imagining himself or herself under the lights on a stage. To be sure, some kids

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confidence to perform in front of others, finding their own voices and letting creativity be a tool of

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expressing the deep things inside the soul only gets ignited by the spark of a teacher seeing what the

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long to be listened to and lauded by an audience with some wrong motives (and great teachers turn those situations into learning experiences too!), but for some students the process of gaining the

student cannot yet see. We have those kinds of teachers at TCA, especially in our fine arts departments.

In this issue of Trinity Today, we highlight many of the ways our amazing faculty are inspiring, guiding and molding young musicians and actors in our performing arts programs. From Lower School, where students first begin to tap into their musical intelligence to the fun of bringing all

TCA’s Upper School band performs “Christmas ‘a la’ Big Band” during the December Upper School/Middle School Instrumental Concert.

kinds of talent together on one stage for wonderful Middle School musical productions to the incredible ways Upper School students are honing their gifts even further, led by incredible veteran teachers, TCA is a place where the performing arts are flourishing!

It’s just one of the ways that we are educating and developing the whole person for the glory of God. In the pages of this issue, you’ll also get a glimpse into the shaping of young minds with the helpful resource of our wonderful new Middle School buiding, the building of strong athletes through our winning athletics programs and the building up of students across campus through the simple acts of high fives and words of encouragement modeled by our new head of school, Dr. Jeff Williams, as he has started off this year trying to get to know as many students as he can.

Read on to see how all our TCA stars are learning to shine!

K E N DA L L E L L I S Editor/Creative Director

contents

FEATURES

32 SHARING SONGS, SPREADING LIGHT Voices and character are developed and showcased in the Upper School choral music program that has flourished under Norma Browning’s direction for 36 years!

28 RHYTHM & RHYME

TCA’s Lower School music program gets kids playing with the beat and singing with gusto as they explore the art of creating music.

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY

2 TRINITY TODAY

4

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

5

GOOD WORKS AND THE HONOR ROLLS

9

PARENT-TEACHER FELLOWSHIP THANK-YOU’S

10

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

11

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE: SOPHON PHIN

12

TCA FOUNDATION: COTTER FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP

14

CLASS ACTS

20

MEET DR. WILLIAMS

24

AT HOME IN THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL

TROJAN

C H O I R , LO W E R S C H O O L M U S I C , U P P E R S C H O O L D R A M A A N D M I D D L E S C H O O L S T U D E N T S P H O T O S B Y J E F F M c W H O R T E R ’ 0 5 ; K ELLEN F RY E PHOTO BY LUK E DORÉ

40

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ART OF EMOTION

BACKSTAGE PASS

Upper School drama teacher Kristi RobisonRasnic shares how students’ stage character development in both comedic and dramatic acting fosters personal character growth.

ATHLETICS

TCA mom Felicidi Fulford expresses thanks for the behind-the-scenes creativity and care that Marcelle Hamilton and Sharla Davidson bring to the Middle School performing arts program.

ALUMNI LEGACY

46 FRYE ON FIRE From Singapore to Texas, senior Kellen Frye is bringing the heat and finding his home with fellow TCA basketball players.

53 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 48

FALL SPORTS SEASON RECAPS

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

52

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI

60

ALUMNI ART EXHIBITION

62

FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

63

REMEMBERING HEADMASTER JOHN SCHIMMER

64

IN MEMORIAM

we profile EMILY BROWNING PONS ’11,

BLAKE HENRI ’12 and SHEA SMITHERMAN McMILLAN ’12 , who are using their gifts and creativity in the performing arts.

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

I

T IS A N U N BEL IE VA BL E PR I V IL EGE to be the seventh head of school

of Trinity Christian Academy. I remember graduating from TCA many, many years ago thinking, “How will I ever repay such a special place for the deep relationships, the formation of my spiritual walk, an amazing academic education and unbelievable athletic and fine arts experiences?”

I personally wasn’t thinking at the time that I would ever have the opportunity to come back and serve at TCA. I was more excited about the new adventures ahead at Baylor and beyond. What I didn’t realize is that more than 30 years later I would be coming back as the head of school and charged with upholding the mission to be a coeducational school offering Christian families and their children a demanding college preparatory curriculum within a Christian community committed to integrating biblical faith in learning. I would be charged with the task of leading a school that desires to educate and develop the whole person for the glory of God by helping equip students to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and become a faithful disciple of him.

For me, it’s been a unique experience living the truth that God equips the called and doesn’t necessarily call the equipped. I’ve spent many years in Christian education, and God has birthed the passion within me to prepare the next generation ultimately to serve Christ.

This is a great calling, especially with the world in which we’re raising our young men and women to serve and lead.

When I began to investigate the TCA of today, what surprised me the most is that this unapologetic Christ-centered institution has not lost its fervor or love for the Lord.

This is clear for me to see every day as I walk the campus. I’ve loved visiting classrooms, welcoming students in carpool, visiting athletic events and watching amazing fine arts performances. I love interacting with an outstanding faculty and staff who are committed to put Christ at the center of everything we do. I have loved being around the students who get to experience TCA just like I did.

My hope is that everything we do at TCA will glorify God. I want us to deliver the mission at the highest level of excellence. Being the very best Christian school we can be is not an easy endeavor, and one we must not take lightly. Finally, I hope and pray TCA will enhance and elevate the Christian school purpose. TCA will do this by protecting and living out our mission.

TCA will do this by following and modeling best practices and doing all things with a high level of excellence. TCA will do this by collaborating with great Christian schools across the country.

I believe we are preparing the remnant, and they must be prepared to think deeply and critically. The world our graduates will go into will not be a world that will welcome the foundation they have been given at TCA. They must be ready to defend their faith, articulate their thoughts and ideals respectfully and, finally, stand strong in advocating truth.

It is a great privilege to be back “home.” It is a great privilege to be at a place that had a monumental impact on my life and the direction it has taken. It is a great privilege to be at a place that desires to educate and develop the whole person for the glory of God. To God be the glory!

DR. J EFF D. W ILLI A MS

Head of School

4 TRINITY TODAY

The Honor Roll Congratulations to all these students who made the First Trimester Honor Rolls:

Summa Cum Laude GPA of 4.2 or higher Seniors Courtney Anderson Kate Barclay Elleanna Berthel Will Bowling Jenna Branstetter Hannah Buford Jake Callahan Matthew Campbell Lauren Deaton Gable Delp Jack Drake Claire Dumas Rose Duncan Ayla Francis Kellen Frye Ally Gerard Ajay Goluguri Bethany Grimm Caitlyn Hackney Carly Haggard Kazia Handoko Peyton Hatfield Morgan Hausz Aly Heidelbaugh Taylor Hervey James Jeter Camie Jobe Richelle Kim Dylan Kinley Caroline Laible Charley Kate Ledebur Jaxon Liethen Landon Littleton Joshua Liu Trinity Martin Emma McIntyre Maddie McMullen Lola McNeill Lexi Meador Emily Mercer Max Merrifield Sophia Miller Blake Muschalek Evan Olson Olivia Ouimette Gabrielle Parker Hailey Parmenter Natalie Perez Lilly Pool Parker Prideaux Jack Rea Kendall Reding Daniel Richardson Kathryn Richardson Riley Ries Jordan Rutledge Sebastian Silva Cara Smith Kate Smith Alana Soileau Hunter Springer Joshua Staz Emma Kate Sullivan Justin Sunwoo Collin Truitt Logan Walters Ruby Watts Lily Yassa Andrew Yates Brian Yates Jocelyn Youn Samantha Zuniga

Juniors Carolina Anderson Allie Arthur John Badger Finn Barton Payne Bator Gabriel Bibawi

Jacob Brennan Harrison Brown Kassadi Brown Heather Brownlee Katherine Broyles Audrey Bryant Nathan Chou Georgia Clay Jared Courtney James Crawford Olivia Cundari Sneha Daniel Lucy Dennis Collin Dumas Karalyn Ehmke Owen Ellis Greyson Findley Cecilia Garner Beck Henry Audrey Hestwood Olivia Ibeto Samuel Jenkins Kylie Jones Ivy Jordan Alex Kim Ally Lee Annabelle Lee Grace Leverton Eliotte Lin Erick Martinez David Meiser Aidan Mills Ava Mills Jake Overmann Luca Palazzo Cate Pou Anna Sharpe Audrey Spence Riley Wade Andrew Wei Christian Yang Molly Youn

Sophomores Hannah Belf Eliot Brookshire Lyla Brown Chloe Copeland Benjamin Davis Jackson Dean Ava Dewey Jackson Duke Jamo Dunigan Ryan Elms Ella Eubanks TJ Friesen Lily Gossett Annabella Hays Hannah Claire Heflin Emma Helt Abby Jun Karys Karlow Elijah Liu Brooks Loukas Carlos Luna AnnMarie Martinez Logan McIntyre Ava McNaught Alexis Meyer Claire Millet Ellie Neeman Sloan Nelson Maya Nguyen Caleb Olson Addy Orozco Tee Parker Lilly Parrill MC Petersen Sophia Pfannstiel Rachel Rice Shealy Seitz Ella Shaul Takashi Shaw Parker Springer Ella Stewart Avery Wells Ava Wolff Zoe Wong Josh Wood

Daniel Yang Ana Sofia Zuniga Sergio Zuniga

Chance Snyder Hunter Stegman Josie Wilder

Freshmen

Juniors

Hannah Adams Bliss Bell Clary Bogda Delaney Borud Ella Bricker Caroline Broyles Theo Cheung Tyler Chiang Angelina Crook Sophie Dennis Scotty Drake Grace Fuller Olivia Hammonds Caroline Hatton Boaz Henderson Hayes Hermes Collin Kilgore Chloe Mae Kimbrough Sebastian Lee Morgan Lohr Madison McKenna Carsen Prideaux Lauren Prideaux Samuel Qian Shea Spivey Adysen Thibaudeau Cavanaugh Tripp Kendall Truitt Annie Turner Camille Williams Kennedy Wood Nathan Youn

Natalia Ah Chu Cody Baker Jack Behrman Avery Booker Bretton Brantley Blake Broekemeier Max Burchett Teegan Burgett Catherine Copple Jackson Deuillet Zach Dodgen Luke Doré Lindsey Dorman Deacon Dortch Dylan Eubanks Joseph Fitzgerald John Henry Flatt Camille Getz Dawson Harper Brooks Higginbotham Bruce Hinson Haley Janacek Lauren Janson Nathan Kim David Kramp Jace Lamb Dillard Leeds William Lehman Quade MacFadyen Sam Martin Harper McFarlane Mycah McKelvey Bobby McLaughlin Erick Mills Wesley Moss Annika Powers Sydney Ridnour Holt Roberts Dylan Rock Avery Sulzen Lucy Tredennick Sawyer Tripp Hank Valenta Maddox Vines Luke West Natalie Wilcox

8th Grade Lauren Boylan Jillian Gulbas Andrea Johnson Evelyn Keramidas Emi Nguyen Grace Powers McLain Schulte

7th Grade Amanda Greene Jordan Macatee Jackson Pattillo

Sophomores

Magna Cum Laude GPA of 3.8–4.19 Seniors Mac Anderson Cece Bogda David Boylan Kyle Causey Tanner Conine Hunter Daughdrill Rex Day Shannon Dunigan Emma Edmundson Apryl Elkhay William Ferem Michael Graham Hayden Heflin Luke Johnston Aidan McCauley Wyatt Merrill Maxwell Morland Reed Neatherlin Jake Nolan Tyler Osterloh Seth Pinto Ella Kate Priest Dhamar Ramirez Gomez Carson Roach Emma Roos Christopher Sharon

Jack Adams Jenna Barker Parker Burch Taylor Clarke Laura Cook Gavin Farley Anna Garcia Courtney Haggard Alexa Herrington Lleyton Horan Sophia Latham Brynn Lawrence Kelsey Long Katherine Lowrey Gisselle Mariscal Shelby Martgan Molly Mattox Sean Meador Nate Miller Luke Oliver Valerie Perez Brayden Rice Noah Rodgers Elizabeth Rylander Mae Sharpe Gigi Simmons Noah Simpson Hudson Smith Caleb Su Leighton Thornton Maddie Wilmotte Brett Yanof

Freshmen Connor Anderson Lucy Anderson Benjamin Andreas Caroline Antush

Olivia Arnold Brent Baker Nicky Bayliss Lacie Betts Sean Brownfield Lucas Cavazos Reese Cherry Hannah Grace Coleman Julia Erhart Evie Estrada Jack Ferem Hunter Flatt Greer Goldenberg Cameron Ham Camie Hausz Lily Jeane Hayes Summer Jakubek Ryan Janacek Annabelle Johnson Caitlin Johnson Hayden Key Campbell Laible Reid Lindsay Pauline Malickal Charlie Montgomery Mary Mosley Macie Munoz Beck Nelson Kate Overmann Taylor Ramsey Brian Rodriguez Libby Smith Katie Spears Avery-Kate Spence Scotland Stewart Olivia Tristan Violet Truly Katelyn Westover Avalon Wilburn Avery Womble Elizabeth Woods Jonathan Yeh Victoria Zuniga

8th Grade Hannah Applewhite Chloe Belew Iris Bell Lily Brewer Nataleigh Brown Caris Collins Lauren Couturier Caroline Craighead Andrew Crawford Grant Daelke Elizabeth Furlich Riley Gadoci Wyatt Gard Brady Grantham Hunter Haas Kendall Hamrick Kaden Handoko Kaki Hanna Kate Jackson Reid Johannsen Natalia Kattan Caleb Kim Jordyn LaCour Brandon Lankford Noah Liu Grayson May Lucas McIntyre Kapp McKelvey Grayson Morris Izzi Opsal Drew Parrill Elle Pittman Emilia Powers Elliott Severson Harper Sherrard Austin Sonju Katherine Sunwoo Raylee Toney Josef Vidaud Sadie Wayman Caleb Wenning

7th Grade Will Anderson Nicholas Banderob Nathan Cheung

Bennett Daelke Chanel Dolan Molly Ellis Carter Fagan Hannah Fulford Eleanor Fusch Addy Gadoci Abby George Ellie Hammonds Winnie Henderson Lena Hotchkiss Mason Kilgore Brady Lee Jayden Lee Natalie Malakoff Ellie Mattox Greyson McCauley Margaret McClintock Cashdon McKinney Owen Oliver Kinley Poole Nathaniel Qian Duncan Ramsey Parker Reed Daniel Russ Olivia Spence Mack Sykes Peyton Walton

Cum Laude GPA of 3.5–3.79 Seniors Mia Amezcua Hannah Ball Landon Ham Owen Hattendorf Andrew Lazenby JJ Leverton Hannah Schneider Mason Smith Kate Solomon Nick Wenzel

Juniors Evan Acevedo Francesca Arenas Chloe Borud Sam Bowman Aidan Dortch Bailee Dortch Bobby Fish Ryleigh Habern Christopher Lampe Olivia Ledebur Niko Michaelides Lleyton Myers Ensley Pounds Steven Ramos Bree Ramsey Will Schewee Braden Shults Danny Sotelo Natalie Weissinger

Sophomores Jaylan Beckley Katie Craighead Emerson Dale Luke Forrister Gael Garcia Addison Haggard Carson Harris Everett May Max McConathy Meredith McGraw Blair Neumayer Reagan Ramsey Lexie Ronde Parker Walton

Freshmen Kieffer Barclay Ellery Barton Gabriel Binkley

Brandon Chou Sarah Chung Esther Kate Davis Judah DeWeese Parker Fagan Tesla Galvis Chase Griffin Mateo Griffin Annabelle Hestwood Ella Krone CK Lyons Charlotte March Samantha Niederhofer Reed Peron Addison Rackley Jaime Ramirez Leyva Katie Scott Presley Simpson Ava Solomon Hope Taylor Jonah Webber Jackson Welwood Hannah Yeager

8th Grade Lilly Bain Tristan Barber Andrew Beumer Kyla Buskuhl Zoe Dorroh Kate Engram Zachary Fitzgerald Eddie Franco Allie Hestwood London McKinney Steel Meyers Schaef Muccio Trey Nunnally Hunter Severson Tyler Shaw Oliver Stone Cale Thexton Drew Thompson Ethan Van Duinen Audrey Volbeda Andrew West Olivia Whorton JP Wilcox Catherine Wilmer

7th Grade Ellen Bang Sawyer Bland Jordan Brown Matthew Carter Ryan Chou Connor Clarke Davis Crumrine Christina Dominick Lyla Durrett Bri Eidsvig William Flatt Julien Gean Kennedy Gordon Gage Gruner Knox Grzych Anna Louise Hubbell Ava Hucklebridge Brody Klotz Blake Kruse Jeff Kunkel Bentley Long Cullen May Cooper Nolen Anya Ouimette Lola Petty Miles Pool Campbell Quisenberry Arie Roossien Elle Rosinski Brynn Sanford Max Scott Owen Simmons Harry Stoops Liza Sullivan Sutton Turner Leighton Weber Hank Womble Sadot Zuniga

GOOD WORKS

National Merit Competition Seniors Allison Gerard, Bethany Grimm, Kazia Handoko, Richelle Kim, Dylan Kinley, Seth Pinto and Jocelyn Youn were recently named 2023 National Merit Semifinalists.

The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of high school seniors who took the 2021 PSAT. In addition, nine seniors were named National Merit Commended Students: Cece Bogda, Jake Callahan, Lauren Deaton, Gable Delp, Emma McIntyre, Gabrielle Parker, Sebastian Silva, Lily Yassa and Andrew Yates. They were among the top 2.5% of the over 1.5 million students nationwide who entered the 2023 competition.

Semifinalists

Commended

Special Recognition

Homecoming Queen and Court Senior Caitlyn Hackney was crowned the 2022 Homecoming Queen. Her peers elected her based on the character qualities of having a gentle spirit, compassion and integrity.

The classes also vote for their representatives based on these qualities. The 2022 Homecoming Court also included freshman Sarah Chung (gentle spirit), sophomore Ava Dewey (compassion), junior Lucy Dennis (integrity) and seniors Richelle Kim, Tyler Osterloh, Olivia Ouimette and Kathryn Richardson (all three qualities).

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Five TCA students have been awarded academic honors through the College Board’s National Recognition Program for scoring in the top ten percent of students who took the 2021 PSAT: Evan Acevedo: National Hispanic Recognition Award Matthew Campbell: National Hispanic Recognition Award Taylor Hervey: National African American Recognition Award, National Hispanic Recognition Award, National Indigenous Award Natalie Perez: National Hispanic Recognition Award Dhamar Ramirez Gomez: National Hispanic Recognition Award Chance Snyder: National Indigenous Award

Orphan Outreach Ryan Elms, Sloan Nelson, Everett May, Logan McIntyre and Brayden Rice were honored at the Orphan Outreach WOW luncheon on December 5. These boys traveled to Guatemala last May for a mother-son mission trip through Orphan Outreach and visited the CCC (a school founded and supported by Orphan Outreach). While there, they learned that the CCC had lost $18,000 of their committed food budget for this year. The boys took it upon themselves to raise that money for the CCC and are well on their way. They held a grade-wide pickleball play day and raised $4,000 from their peers from school. In addition to being featured presenters at the Orphan Outreach luncheon, they received a Heart of WOW award for these efforts.

Upper School All-State and All-Region Choirs This year, TCA choir placed a record 29 students in the TPSMEA All-Region Choir! We also had three students make the All-State Choir: Sneha Daniel (II Alto - alternate), Lexi Meador (I Soprano) and Daniel Richardson (II Tenor).

All-Region Treble Choir I Sopranos: Grace Fuller, Peyton Townley and Hannah Yeager II Sopranos: Hannah Ball, Ella Bricker, Sarah Dobry, Chloe Kimbrough, Samantha Niederhofer, Kendall Reding and Kendall Truitt I Altos: Lacie Betts, Ivy Jordan and MC Petersen II Altos: Audrey Bryant, Annabelle Hestwood and Kate Overmann

All-Region Choir I Sopranos: Gable Delp, Lexi Meador I Alto: Olivia Hammonds II Altos: Sneha Daniel, Kazia Handoko, Anna Garcia, Reese Cherry and Libby Smith II Tenors: John Badger, Daniel Richardson and Jacob Riley I Bass: Beck Henry II Bass: Payne Bator

Outstanding Violinist Congratulations to Scarlett Dougherty for qualifying for the Texas Music Educators Association Region 20 Concert Orchestra for grades 6–8. Scarlett finished first chair, making her the concert master of the orchestra. There were 192 violins who auditioned from her region, including musicians from DISD, RISD, HPISD and Irving ISD. We are so thrilled to have Scarlett representing TCA!

Middle School Honor Choirs Congratulations to these students who made the 2021 TPSMEA Middle School Honor Choir!

Children’s Choir: Sopranos KK Ball, London Boyd, Caitlyn Collins, Olivia Greer, Stella Key, Luz Luna, Kate Martin, Lily Moore, Sophie Pritchard, Coco Stone and Jayla Williams and altos Brooks Barton, Keavy Campbell, Rett Carreker, Hillary Cashin, Knox Giles, Harper Griffin, Anaiya Jackson, Lauren Lampe, Matthew Lowrey, Anne Charlotte Pittman and Warner Stone Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Choir (students who ranked in the top five for their section are designated): Sopranos Chloe Belew (1st), Kinley Poole, Peyton Walton and Margaret McClintock; altos Hannah Applewhite (2nd), Kyla Buskuhl, Caris Collins (3rd), Hannah Sue Fulford, Addison Ramsey, Audrey Volbeda and Leighton Weber; tenors Tyson Andreas, Ericksen Appel, Zander Arthur, Sawyer Bland, Gage Gruner (4th), William Ledebur (3rd), Greyson McCauley (5th), Jackson Pattillo and Hank Womble and basses Jack Aboussie, Brady Glover, Kapp McKelvey, Trey Nunnally, Miles Pool, Hunter Severson (2nd), MJ Smith and Caleb Wenning

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GOOD WORKS

All-State and All-Region Bands Congratulations to Kylie Jones, Jackson Duke and Lilly Yassa, who recently qualified for the TPSMEA All-State Band to be held in Richardson on January 26–27.

Trojanettes Christmas Show The first-ever Christmas Spectacular put on by the Trojanettes this December showcased the dance team’s talent and thrilled our TCA community. The performance featured fun holiday routines and special guest performances by the Middle School Trojan Belles.

Competition Cheer Team Congratulations to the TCA Competition Cheer Team for finishing as the State Runner Up in Division II at the TAPPS Cheer Championships in Belton, Texas, on Monday, December 5. Additionally, the stunt group of Lucy Tredennick, Avery Sulzen, Hailey Parmenter and Annika Powers won first place in the state championships. Several Lady Trojans also excelled in tumbling. Lucy Tredennick captured the individual state title, and Hailey Parmenter finished in the top five overall.

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Ten TCA US Band students qualified for the ATSSB High School AllRegion Band to be held in Anna on January 13–14: Lucy Dennis, Jackson Duke, Ally Gerard, Dylan Kinley, Kylie Jones, Sebastian Lee, Brian Rodriguez, Sebastian Silva, Lily Yassa and Sergio Zuniga. Six of those students— Lucy, Ally, Kylie, Dylan, Brian and Lily—were also selected for AllArea, making them eligible to try out for the ATSSB All-State Band.

Two TCA Middle School band students qualified for the ATSSB Middle School All-Region Band to be held in Anna on January 13–14.

Congratulations to Austin Sonju and Reid Johannsen.

PARENT-TEACHER FELLOWSHIP

Hospitality from the Heart The annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon was held on Wednesday, November 9.

This luncheon, hosted by PTF and the parents, would not be possible without everyone coming together with such amazing teamwork! Many thanks to everyone in the TCA community who baked, served or volunteered to make this such a special day. The is one of the favorite events of the year for the faculty and staff at TCA. The buffet was headed by coordinators Lancia Herzog and Sharon Sorrell, under the leadership of PTF Secretary Rachel Taylor (left). An enormous thank-you to these ladies for the sacrifice of their time for this event!

Mum Moms

This year the mum project was headed by three coordinators: Caryn Blocker, Christi Hays and Regan Drake (above, left).

These ladies began this past spring designing and ordering supplies to make the mums and garters. They worked tirelessly assembling all the mums and garters with the help of the freshman parents. These ladies sacrificed so much of their personal time to this project, and we are so grateful. We appreciate the great contribution all our volunteers make to our TCA community.

All monies collected from the sales of mums and garters go to the freshman class account to be used for its senior trip.

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FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

H

A PPY N E W Y E A R TO OU R TC A COMM U N IT Y!

I pray that you enjoyed a restful and peaceful Christmas with loved ones as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. I am looking forward to a joyful 2023 with great things ahead for TCA. January 1, 2023, marked six months in Dr. Williams’s tenure as our new head of school. The Board of Trustees is tremendously grateful that God brought Dr. Williams to our school to lead us into our next chapter of excellence. We are also thankful to each and every one of you in the TCA community for embracing Dr. Williams and supporting the important work he is doing at our school.

Six months into this leadership transition seemed like a good time to refresh our community on the role of the Board of Trustees and to share with you an update on the work that the board is currently doing.

Trinity Christian Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. The TCA Board of Trustees is composed of volunteer trustees who are elected by the board after extensive prayer and a thorough vetting process. At its core, the role of the board is, with prayer and by the power of the Holy Spirit, to safeguard and ensure adherence to the mission of the school.

The Board of Trustees carries out its role by conducting long-term strategic planning for the school; overseeing the school’s financial well-being; and hiring, guiding and evaluating the board’s only employee, the head of school. The Board of Trustees is a policy-making, strategic governing board and is not responsible for or involved in the day-to-day operation of the school. Trustees serve as ambassadors, strategic advisors, policymakers and guardians of the school’s mission. We take our role seriously and challenge each other to take off our “parent” or “former parent” hats when entering the boardroom in order to make decisions based on the best interests of TCA. The TCA Board of Trustees is distinct from two other boards that also play a role in safeguarding the assets of the school. The TCA Foundation is a separate, nonprofit organization with a board of directors charged with overseeing the funds raised to further the mission of TCA. Trojan Real Properties is another organization that holds all of TCA’s real estate in a separate legal entity and is governed by a board charged with overseeing those property holdings. Each of the three boards has a role to play in furthering the mission of TCA, but only the TCA Board of Trustees sets and oversees the strategic direction of the school itself.

10 TRINITY TODAY

Last spring, TCA went through an accreditation process with the Council on Educational Standards and Accountability (CESA). As part of that process, the TCA Board of Trustees committed to make several improvements in our governance process. We agreed to the following: • Formalize an induction and education program for new trustees and for existing trustees to complete every two years • Create an annual board self-evaluation process • Offer board members opportunities for on-going professional development • Focus on building a more diverse board by prayerfully focusing on board members with different career backgrounds, skill sets, ages, genders, ethnicities and races In addition to these commitments, we also made some changes to our meeting format in an effort to ensure that the board stays focused on high-level, critical strategic issues facing TCA. One way we do that is by devoting a significant part of our board meeting every other month to a specific strategic topic listed within our Strategic Plan.

I speak on behalf of the entire board when I say that it is truly an honor and a privilege to serve as a TCA trustee. We are focused on continually evaluating and implementing board governance best practices as we seek to ensure TCA stays on mission. But most importantly, we are ultimately subject to the authority of our heavenly Father as we prayerfully carry out our duties. The Lord is the one true governor of TCA, and we are thankful for His favor and blessings on His school.

STAC E Y D OR É ,

Chair, Board of Trustees

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICE

Sophon Phin, longtime facilities staff member and unwavering supporter of TCA, retires This fall, Sophon Phin retired from TCA after 39 years of loyal service to TCA. Sophon started at TCA in August of 1983. He has seen major changes to our campus and community as TCA has grown from a small community to over 1460 students. Sophon has played a vital role in many of the projects and improvements that have occurred at TCA over the past 39 years, serving variously as a maintenance worker, security support staff person and facilities employee.

Former Head of School Dave Delph and Head of Upper School Kyle Morrill, both of whom worked with Sophon for over thirty years, expressed their thanks for the faithful, quiet service that Sophon’s tenure as a crucial part of our campus staff provided: “In the 37 years I have known Sophon, I have watched him model what it means to be a faithful servant to many—always willing to give a helping hand and go the extra mile. I was thankful he always had an eye out for any safety concerns that may affect teachers, students and parents. TCA has been blessed to have him for so long!” said Dave.

And Kyle commented, “In the 35-plus years I watched Sophon perform his duties around campus, he never seemed phased by any task—even when he excitedly caught a rat that descended from a ceiling tile. If you asked Sophon to do anything, you knew that it would get done right, and that he would happily and graciously look for other ways to help. When I think of Sophon, I think of someone who is steady and unflappable. He loved to laugh. He was a joy to work with.”

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TCA FOUNDATION

TCA grandparents model a life of generous giving

T

HE COT T ER FA MILY ’S RO OTS RU N DEEP

at Trinity Christian Academy.

stewarding the resources the Lord entrusted to them. “We felt TCA was the best gift we could give to

It all started in 1980 when Ka and

our children, and if it was the best for our children,

L.L. enrolled their children Brandon

we wanted to make it available to others as well,”

and Leslie into the fifth and third grades. Today, over 40 years later, Ka and L.L.’s grandchildren are TCA Trojans: Shaw ’19, Madelynn ’19, Cole ’19, Ella Kate ’20, Gray ’20, Weston ’22 and Hayes, a current eighth-grader.

Ka recalled.

As a result, Ka and L.L. established The Cotter Family Scholarship, a fund within TCA’s endowment that is invested and managed by the TCA Foundation. Each year, a portion of the earnings

L.L. served on the TCA Foundation Board from 2003

are distributed to provide tuition assistance to TCA

to 2020 and represented the board on the Student

families. The TCA Foundation sends a statement

Tuition Aid (STA) Committee. Members of the STA

annually to the Cotter family reporting the balance

Committee serve anonymously, review applications

of the fund, its growth and the amount that is

and distribute funds for tuition assistance. “L.L.

distributed in tuition.

loved seeing how the process works—TCA’s commitment to confidentiality and stewardship, the needs of the families and how they prioritize their children’s education,” Ka shared.

When L.L. passed away in 2020, many people made gifts in his memory designated for The Cotter Family Scholarship. The gifts were a special way to express love and support to the Cotter family and to further

L.L.’s experience on the STA Committee spurred

L.L.’s legacy of giving and investment in the lives of

a time of self-reflection. His appreciation for TCA

TCA students.

grew, and he wanted to make sure he and Ka were

12 TRINITY TODAY

G I V E B AC K

“We felt TCA was the best gift we could give to our children, and if it was the best for our children, we wanted to make it available to others as well.” —Ka Cotter

SUSTAINING THE FUTURE T H E T O TA L E N D OW M E N T F O R TC A WA S VA LU E D AT $ 8 . 5 M I LLI O N A S O F N OV E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 2 2 .

Joyce E. Millet Student Tuition Aid Endowment Amanda Welwood Memorial Scholarship

Lisa Landry Childress Memorial Scholarship

Ann Ruff Memorial Scholarship

LuAlice and John Lovelace Scholarship

Anthea Robinson Memorial Scholarship Fund

Mary Helen Noland Scholarship

Bernice K. Shayn Scholarship

Micah 6:8 Scholarship

BFL Fund for Black/African American Students

Phil and Karen Brosseau Scholarship

Cindy Holland Endowment Fund

PTF/Big Blue Designated Scholarship

Christian Sanchez Endowed Scholarship

Ray and Edith Martin Scholarship

Cotter Family Scholarship

Romans 1:16 Scholarship

and The Dr. Trevor E. Mabery Teacher Enrichment

Daniel and Kathleen Russ Scholarship for Minority Students

Roy Gene Evans Entrepreneurial Endowment

Endowment.

Delph Family Endowed Scholarship

What are endowments?

• Named endowments are established and funded by donors and invested within TCA’s endowment: The Joyce E. Millet Endowed Student Tuition Aid Fund

• The Investment Committee for the TCA Foundation

Denny and B.R. Holman Scholarship

oversees the management of the endowment and is

Dick and Becky Crews Scholarship

comprised of TCA Foundation board members and

Don and Judy Williams Designated Scholarship

highly respected investment professionals.

• A portion of the resulting income is used to meet a specific need. At the TCA Foundation, most endowments benefit student tuition aid and teacher enrichment.

• Donors often establish endowments to honor or

Eddy Alvin Roy Anderson Scholarship Foster Family Scholarship

Rudy and Anna Drosihn Memorial Scholarship Scholarship for Students of TCA Employees Steve Adair/Andy Rooker Scholarship TCA Alumni Designated Scholarship TCA Leadership Character Scholarship Valesano Scholarship for Single Moms William E. Millet Single Parent Scholarship

Four Known Soldiers Memorial Fund Grover and Maidee Hope Designated Scholarship Harold E. Vanberg Scholarship

Dr. Trevor E. Mabery Teacher Enrichment Endowment

remember people who have made a significant

I. Graham Holloway Memorial Designated Scholarship

impact on their lives. The minimum amount

Jane Ellen Carreker Designated Scholarship

to establish a named endowment is $25,000.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Scholarship

The Cox Family/Tedd McWhinney ’82 Memorial Endowment

Currently, there are 49 designated endowments.

John F. and Frances T. Mowrey Scholarship

The C. H. and M. S. Hoiles Endowment

Dr. John L. Baskin Alumni Association Scholarship

Lightner Teacher Merit Scholarship

John S. Kemp, Sr. Scholarship

Staff and Teacher Emergency Help Fund

Mrs. John Murchison, Sr. Scholarship Fund

The Metz/Wenzelmann Memorial Scholarship

Josh Hucklebridge Scholarship

The Francis Schaeffer Visual Arts Teaching Chair

For more information about endowed scholarships, contact Becky Lewis, executive director, TCA Foundation, 972-447-4609.

Judy Brunson Memorial Scholarship

WINTER 2022–23

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CLASS ACTS

TROJAN WEATHER REPORT This fall our first-graders were visited by TCA alumnus Kyle Roberts ’07 from WFAA Weather. Kyle led a WeatherMinds presentation to empower enthusiasm about the math and science of forecasting weather . . . while also having a little fun with static electricity. We love having Kyle back on campus!

LET’S GET MOVING Third-grade students had to design a moving car only using two wheels and a variety of circuits in Mrs. Aiken’s STEM class. Each car had two wheels, lights and a horn. They worked in teams to plan, create, test and improve their cars. They had a blast and did very well overcoming challenges.

14 TRINITY TODAY

W E AT H E R P R E S E N TAT I O N P H O T O B Y K E N D A L L E L L I S ; F I R E F I G H T E R P H O T O B Y C A R E Y E S T R A D A ; S TEM CL A SS PHOTO BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

LOW E R S C H O O L COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS PreK students students enjoyed a visit from the Addison Fire Department. Our students loved getting the chance to see a real fire truck, meet real fire fighters and learn about how they keep us safe. We are very thankful for these community helpers and their commitment to protecting our city!

NICE SERVE! Throughout the month of October, second-grade classes took field trips to Feed My Starving Children.

Students and parents had an incredible experience serving together and contributing to such an important cause. Way to go, second grade!

THAT’S A WRAP Fourth grade’s annual mission project with Operation Christmas Child was a success again this year! Students prayed over the boxes and the children who will receive the gifts before loading them up for delivery.

All of the fourth-grade teachers and students were grateful to be a part of this project to bring hope and love our neighbors around the world!

SUITED UP FOR ALPHABET FUN To cap off their six-week-long study of letters and sounds, kindergartners celebrated the completion of ABC Bootcamp. Students showed what they had learned with a letter parade, participated in a scavenger hunt and raced in an alphabet obstacle course. Our cadets were also able to hear from former TCA student Cailin Redden ’19, who is currently serving in the Army. We are proud of our students and salute them for a job well done!

F E E D M Y S TA R V I N G C H I L D R E N P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F S E CO N D - G R A D E T E A C H E R S ; O P E R AT I O N C H R I S T M A S C H I L D P H O T O B Y K E N D A L L E L L I S ; A B C B O O T C A M P P H O T O B Y C A R E Y E S T R A D A

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CLASS ACTS

LET’S CELL-EBRATE! Seventh-graders had fun with cells as they explored chromosomes and DNA! The students acted out the phases of cell division with a little Sock-It-To-Me Mitosis, followed by an exciting DNA extraction!

SURGERY BY NUMBERS Sixth-grade surgeons were called to the operating table to perform the order of operations on poor Mr. Billy Bob. Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Webber were proud to report that the students successfully put him back together again with their amazing math skills.

16 TRINITY TODAY

C E L L L A B P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y O F S H E L L I E B L A N D ; O R D E R O F O P E R AT I O N S P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F W A N C H I LO W E

M I D D LE S C H O O L

AMAZING AMBASSADORS Some of our eighth-graders served as the face of TCA to prospective families this fall as student ambassadors for admission events. These bright and engaging students greeted guests, escorted them around our new Middle School building and asked and answered questions regarding the families’ interest in life at TCA.

LIGHTING UP WITH ANTICIPATION Fifth-graders were treated like rockstars by the rest of the middle-schoolers this fall as they were welcomed to their new school family and assigned to their various houses on the first day of the school year. This year, part of the festivities included a dance party with black lights and glow sticks. The Middle School knows how to have a fun while building community!

S T U D E N T A M B A S S A D O R A N D F I R S T D AY P H O T O S B Y C A R E Y E S T R A D A

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CLASS ACTS

AUTO-BODIES IN MOTION SERVICE WITH A SMILE Tenth-graders collected donations of food, cooking supplies and hygiene items from TCA families schoolwide for the sophomore class service project in December.

Forty-five boxes were delivered to the Network of Community Ministries. We are grateful for the chance to partner with them as they support families in need!

One of the AP Physics students’ labs this fall involved observing the motion of a cart on an inclined ramp. They collected position and time data with an ultrasonic motion detector that is attached to a Surface tablet. Then they used software to determine the velocity and acceleration of the cart. The key was to catch the cart before it crashed into the motion detector at the bottom of the ramp!

MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE Seniors started off their last year at TCA taking in the beautiful scenes of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, bonding with each other and with our daring Upper School teachers during fun outdoor challenges including white water rafting. It’s one of the students’ favorite traditions each year and a great way to learn to be leaders of the student body.

18 TRINITY TODAY

H O L I D AY D R I V E P H O T O B Y K E N D A L L E L L I S ; P H Y S I C S L A B P H O T O B Y C A R E Y E S T R A D A ; S E N I O R T R I P P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y O F K AT E B A R C L AY

U PPE R S C H O O L

FALL FESTIVAL FUN Teachers from our Visual Arts Department set up their annual Art-a-que this October, complete with contests, corndogs and cupcakes, to celebrate State Fair season with their students.

ASTRONOMICAL APTITUDE During the fall, Joseph Acker’s Honors Astronomy class spent some time studying and observing the sun.

Using a solar telescope, students were able to observe excited hydrogen atoms in active regions of the solar atmosphere. They also were able to track the movement of sunspots over a period of days.

A R T- A - Q U E A N D A S T R O N O M Y P H O T O S B Y J E F F M c W H O R T E R ’ 0 5

WINTER 2022–23

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CAMPUS LIFE

EVEN T HOUGH DR. W I L L I A MS H A S BE E N AT T CA J UST A F E W MON T HS, his presence on

Have you met Dr. Williams?

20 TRINITY TODAY

campus and involvement in the day-to-day life of the school has been noticed by our student body. Dr. Williams is regularly seen fist bumping lower-schoolers in morning carpool, talking with middle-schoolers in the cafeteria lunch line each day and engaging our Upper School students in conversations, frequently observing and affirming their giftings and accomplishments. Dr. Williams has also run with our cross county athletes, picked up the tab for students at a local restaurant and written hundreds of personal notes of encouragement to our students. Check out these quotes from our students to get glimpse of Dr. Williams’s relational leadership style.

Haven’t met Dr. Williams yet?

Look for him at any event on campus.

He attends nearly all of our varsity games, concerts and drama productions!

PHOTO BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

B U I LD I N G CO M M U N I T Y

FROM MIDDLESCHOOLERS: “I like that he is always smiling.

He says ‘hello’ to us all the time and makes us smile.”

“He’s a total slay!” (when asked, on behalf of the broad readership of Trinity Today, for a translation/ clarification of the use of the word “slay” as a noun, the answer was, “totally helpful to me, nice and friendly.”)

FROM PreK B: “His favorite color is blue. He loves to be at home. He is kind. He likes to give high fives.

He’s the boss of the school. He loves pizza.”

FROM PreK C: “He was nice. We like to hug him. He likes to play Simon Says—he was so funny when we played. He’s very funny.”

FROM LOWERSCHOOLERS: “He’s really nice.

He gave me a fist bump and said hi to us.

He seems encouraging.”

“He’s nice and he listens.

He asks good questions and understands what you’re saying.”

“He seems silly and funny and nice.”

PHOTOS BY C A RE Y ES TR A DA

WINTER 2022–23

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CAMPUS LIFE

FROM UPPER-SCHOOLERS:

“Since the beginning of the school year, I have noticed and have been influenced by the joyful attitude, caring spirit and love for the Lord of TCA’s new head of school, Dr. Williams. In September, Dr. Williams gave me the opportunity to lead a devotional for the TCA Board of Trustees where he gave me words of encouragement before the meeting, allowing me to feel welcome and confident. Because of his helpfulness and encouragement, I felt comfortable asking Dr. Williams to write me a recommendation letter for college scholarships where he continued to uplift me with kind words during our conversation. Now whenever I see Dr. Williams in the halls or on campus, I know he will be intentional with his words and greet me with a cheerful spirit.”

—KATE BARCLAY, SENIOR

“He checked on my arm injury this morning.”

“He makes me feel important even though I barely know him.”

“He greets me every time I see him, even if I am not walking near him.”

“He seems like he is everywhere, but wherever he is, he is always fully present.”

22 TRINITY TODAY / HAVE YOU MET DR. WILLIAMS?

PHOTOS BY K ENDA LL ELLIS

B U I LD I N G CO M M U N I T Y

“He bought my brother and his friends a meal while eating out.”

“He built me up to a teacher and made me feel significant.”

“He wrote me a letter congratulating me for my Eagle Scout.”

“He picks up trash, more than anyone.”

“He is always so positive and makes me want to be better.”

“He talked to someone at his old school who knew my family, and before he ever came, he wrote me and my family a handwritten letter.”

“He helped my mom with her classroom in the Middle School.”

“He waited for me to get back in my car and leave at Quik Trip to ensure I was safe and okay.”

“Brian [Yates] and I were in Big Blue one day, discussing our up­coming plans for Homecoming dress-up days. Dr. Williams happened to be walking by, and Brian joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if I could dress up as him for career day? But I doubt he would do it.’

Mrs. Rogers, the Big Blue store manager, being a classmate of Dr. Williams from the TCA Class of 1988, immediately assured us he would. Brian caught up with Dr. Williams, and he agreed to go along with the plan. That next Thursday, Brian made his debut as Dr. Williams.

“Brian wanted to do something to say thank you to Dr. Williams, and I threw out the idea of baking some cookies for him. So we baked cookies as a break from studying during finals week and took them to Dr. Williams’s office on Friday.

“Dr. Williams has so much genuine care and compassion for us students.

From his greeting us on the very first day of school to seeing him around the halls every week, it has been so great to get to know him personally.”

—CAMIE JOBE, SENIOR

WINTER 2022–23

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CAMPUS LIFE

Making Ourselves at Home Our 7th-/8th-Grade Middle School officially opened to students and families on August 16, and since then our middle-schoolers, faculty and staff have been blessed immensely to have this new, modern learning environment to call home. Renovated fifth- and sixthgrade classrooms also welcomed younger students at the start of the year, and the new Big Blue School Store and Volunteer Center in the MCB have become a hub of activity and fellowship for our whole campus and TCA community.

24 TRINITY TODAY

PHOTOS BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

M I D D LE S C H O O L

CL A SSROOM PHOTOS BY C A RE Y ES TR A DA

WINTER 2022–23

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CAMPUS LIFE

26 TRINITY TODAY / MAKING OURSELVES AT HOME

CL A SSROOM PHOTOS BY C A RE Y ES TR A DA ; H A L LW AY P H O T O S B Y K E N D A L L E L L I S

M I D D LE S C H O O L

BIG BLUE PHOTO BY JEF F McWHORT ER ’ 05

WINTER 2022–23

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BY BEV BIR MINGH A M, A SSITA N T HE A D OF LOW ER SCHOOL

Rhythm & Rhyme

A ND ELIZ A BETH O’BR IEN A ND JENNIFER ROSS, LOW ER SCHOOL MUSIC TE ACHER S

PHO T O G R A PH Y B Y J E F F McW HOR T E R ’05

Lower School classrooms and hallways are regularly filled with the sound of singing, and our music teachers are seeking to fill students’ hearts and minds as well with melodies to inspire and enrich their learning.

28 TRINITY TODAY

I

N T HE L OW ER SCHO OL , fine

arts classes have always been an important part of the week.

Students have the opportunity to develop creativity and boost their cognitive learning in a variety of fun ways.

These areas are key to brain development in children, and we love the full, rich programs that our teachers provide. Our music teachers are an integral part of the Lower School, and we are proud of the work that they are doing with our young students.

Did you know that musical intelligence atrophies if not stimulated? Or that musical aptitude stabilizes around age seven? TCA’s Lower School music programs nurture whatever ability your child was born with, beginning in preK and continuing through fourth grade.

Mrs. Ross presents each lesson for preK, kindergarten and first-grade students in a way that motivates and inspires musicality.

“We spend a lot of time focusing on being musical and having fun. My goal is that my students enjoy music and begin their formal musical training with the best possible foundation.” After all, what they master here will be with them for the rest of their lives.

So what does a typical lesson look like?

Early childhood students enter the music room in a line while Mrs. Ross leads and sings a song. She plays a new classroom instrument

each week as she’s leading the line. This time it’s a tone block, and last time it was a pair of ladybug maracas. Next, she grabs her ukulele and pretends she’s never played one before.

The children are delighted at the silliness and overjoyed when she finally figures out how to play it! Teacher and students pat the beat, sing a welcome song together, then include each child’s name in a greeting.

Sitting in a circle, the class is focused as they use their hands to demonstrate a squirrel fingerplay, then another about a secret door or a spider. Next, it’s time to stand up and sing an echo song. Owly the great horned owl is leading “The Wise Old Owl” song. Children sing together in response, then take turns singing to Owly alone.

After everyone has had a chance to sing, it’s time to move! Mrs. Ross sings an action song called “The Old Grey Cat.” Pretending to be cats and mice, the students sleep on the floor, then spring into action as the mice scamper. Next comes creative movement, in which the children are asked to create movements. “Today we are fall leaves being blown in the wind!” To everyone’s delight, Flora—Mrs. Ross’s dancing flamingo— demonstrates some artful movements while classical music plays. Students are handed colorful scarves and asked to move it as if the scarf were a leaf, in a way that matches the music.

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When the music ends, the scarves are put away, and the children walk to the rainbow rug while singing an old spiritual song called “Walk Together, Children.” This week’s rhythm activity is called “The Minister’s Cat.” Mrs. Ross asks students to think of four words that describe a cat and then fill in the blank: “The minister’s cat is a ________ cat.” Lots of adjectives are suggested and tried: fluffy, cute, grumpy, scaredy. They start patting a beat and echoing the teacher as she says the rhyme including their new descriptive words. This is the beginning of improvisation.

Finally, it’s time to just be still and listen to Mrs. Ross sing a story. There are so many to choose from, but today it’s a folk song from Ireland called “The Leather-Winged Bat.” Just like that, music class is over and it’s time to line up. Even that is done in a musical way, by singing “It’s Good to Be a Good Friend.”

BU IL DING ON T HE FOU N DAT ION learned in early childhood

music, Mrs. O’Brien introduces her students in second through fourth grade to music literacy (or notation), folk dancing and proper classroom instrument techniques as well as classical music and hymns. Music literacy is first developed with hearing and followed by seeing. It’s much like learning a language—through hearing and recognizing a rhythm pattern by sound, then seeing and recognizing the rhythms by sight.

Folk dancing in music helps the students experience music with their entire body while actively listening to the change in musical patterns that match the movements. The children experience all styles of folk dances, from “Kings and Queens” as if they are royalty to barnyard dances with “Alabama Gal” to good, old-fashioned square dances. It’s amazing how many smiles are seen among the students as they dance.

Classroom instruments such as xylophones, glockenspiels, drums and tambourines are used in second and third grades. The fourth-grade students discover the basics of the ukulele, such as plucking strings and strumming techniques.

In addition to classroom instruments, the students study many orchestral instruments and the four families of the orchestra.

Through listening activities and discussions, the classes learn about classical composers such as Bach, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

The students sing a “hymn of the month” and

30 TRINITY TODAY / RHYTHM & RHYME

further dive into the lives of famous hymn writers such as Fanny Crosby, John Newton and Isaac Watts. It is a blessing to hear the voices of children praising God together. As Martin Luther said, “The gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both word and music.”

The highlight of the students’ musical experience happens on stage for their yearly concert in the Performing Arts Center. The second-grade classes perform a “Sing and Share” in February as they experience their first performance on the big stage. Third-graders ring in the Christmas season by celebrating our Savior’s birth with their Christmas concert in December. To wrap up their study of Texas, fourth-graders perform “A Tribute to Texas” in May, showcasing our state’s history with songs, stories and square dancing.

The Lower School music program enriches the lives of all of our students and builds the level of learning in all subject areas. The benefits of music for young learners develop language and math skills, encourage social-emotional growth and strengthen a love for worship. Our children have an amazing opportunity each and every day to experience the advantages that music brings to their lives, and we are grateful to offer such a wonderful program.

Jennifer Ross (previous page) is the early childhood music teacher at TCA. She is certified in First Steps in Music, a curriculum that boosts musical intelligence and aptitude, and has completed Orff Level I. She has 18 years of music teaching experience, with all kinds of students ranging in age from babies to sixth-graders.

(That’s a lot of songs in her head!)

Elizabeth O’Brien (right) is the Lower School music teacher for grades two through four.

She is certified in First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfege. The Conversational Solfege curriculum develops music literacy using the student’s ability to hear what is seen and see what is heard. Elizabeth has six years of music teaching experience. She has a dual bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University in piano performance and piano pedagogy.

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Sharing

Songs

Spreading

Light

32 TRINITY TODAY

R EFLECTIONS ON 36 Y EA RS OF TCA CHOIRS PRO C L A I M I N G T H E M A J E ST Y A N D GR AC E O F GOD THROUGH THE GIFT OF M USIC U N DER T H E DI R E CT ION OF NOR M A BROW N I NG

BY FR A N LEGBA N D, ASSISTA N T H E A D OF U PPER SCHOOL

PHOTOGR APH Y BY J E F F McW HOR T E R ’05

THE LIGHTS G O DOW N A S THE TCA CHR ISTM A S CHOR A L CONCERT BEGINS. The decorated

trees twinkle, and the oversized nutcracker looks on from the side of the stage as the curtains open.

Norma Browning strides across the stage to welcome the audience of admiring parents, faculty, alumni and students. It has been her tradition to start her concerts with the red curtain closed, then opening for the first music selection, reminiscient of a grand opening, as a gesture of thankfulness to those who sacrificed to build our wonderful Performing Arts Center. This year, the opening of the curtain is also like the unwrapping of Mrs. Browning’s final Christmas gift to TCA. The 2022-23 school year marks 36 years at TCA for our legendary choir director and performing arts department head, who plans to retire with the graduating class of 2023. As the men’s and women’s choruses and chorale perform and entertain the audience, Mrs. Browning is as enthusiastic as ever, and having instilled excellence in her students during the many hours of rehearsal, she again inspires their abilities and sparks their joy in the music during this hour of song about the birth of our Lord. This annual gift of a beautiful concert to adorn TCA’s Christmas season is just part of the legacy Mrs. Browning leaves for a community of students, teachers and families who love the sound of the Savior’s praises.

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Devotion to Her Craft and Her Calling “Passion” is a word that often comes up when people speak of Mrs. Browning. Kyle Morrill, head of the Upper School, shared during the Christmas concert, “It’s rare to find someone who has such a passion for this school and for all of her students through the years. . . . Anyone who knows Norma knows she is passionate about what she does.”

Passionate about music. Passionate about God’s Word.

Passionate about students being nurtured and challenged by both.

Junior Beck Henry characterizes Mrs. Browning as “a hardworking teacher who puts effort into every single aspect of her job.” And Payne Bator, also a junior, says of her, “Mrs. Browning puts so much effort into each individual song we practice in order to ensure that we excel in our performances, and this attention to detail is the greatest thing a teacher can have.”

Junior Max Burchett adds, “Mrs. Browning daily represents Christ’s love towards her students and is passionate in everything she does.”

34 TRINITY TODAY / SHARING SONGS, SPREADING LIGHT

That passion has been a driving factor of the success of the TCA choral program over the years. One measure of that success has been TCA’s involvement in the Texas Private School Music Educators Association. The TPSMEA’s All-Region Choir allows outstanding vocalists, chosen by audition, to join other students from private and parochial schools in the area to stretch their musical abilities even further, spending a weekend with inspiring choir clinicians and preparing a concert of challenging and uplifting vocal music. For a number of years TCA has had over 20 students each year selected for the AllRegion Choirs, and this fall, Mrs. Browning’s students set a record of 29 students receiving the honor, the largest group from TCA ever! Additionally, three students are advancing to the TPSMEA All-State Choir, where they will have the opportunity to learn and perform with some of the most talented young musicians, and some of the most accomplished choral directors, anywhere in the country.

In speaking about what fuels her continued passion in her work with the TCA choirs, Mrs. Browning remarked

“Mrs. Browning reminds us that we are singing for the glory of God because He has given us the ability to make music with our voices for this purpose.”

—DANIEL RICHARDSON, SENIOR

that she loves analyzing the text or lyrics of choral works, “examining them in the light of Scripture.”

Mrs. Browning believes that “words matter,” and critical thinking is key to telling redemptive stories through music. She always takes time in class and at her performances to instruct about the songs’ meanings.

This year’s Christmas concert began with the piece “Carry the Light,” and wanting to make sure the audience understood clearly what light the inspiring lyrics were truly pointing to, Mrs. Browning included a reading from the Gospel of John, chapter one: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. . . . In him was life, and that life was the light of the world. The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Mrs. Browning has always wanted the stories that are told on the TCA stage to point to the truth of God’s grace.

One of Mrs. Browning’s favorite choir memories and most meaningful ones was inaugurating the TCA Performing Arts Center with a production of Les Misérables, a complex and nuanced story about being lost and found

by God.

Viewing the Conductor’s Stand from the Choir This year brings to an end a career that touched literally thousands of students. The following words of thanks from some of those students express what an impact she has had, and continues to have, at TCA. One of Mrs. Browning’s award-winning students, junior Sneha Daniel, said of her, “In the three years I’ve been in choir at TCA, I have really enjoyed my experience.

Through helping me prepare for auditions and even giving me opportunities to play the violin at concerts, Mrs. Browning has always been encouraging and supportive. My favorite choir experience was last year’s All-State clinic and concert, as it was filled with music and laughter. I am immensely grateful to Mrs. Browning as she has shaped me as a singer and musician.”

Mrs. Browning’s desire to make an impact with God’s truth has resonated with another of her students, senior Daniel Richardson, who remarked, “Mrs. Browning’s passion for music has given me a new perspective on

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singing, as she reminds us that we are singing for the glory of God because He has given us the ability to make music with our voices for this purpose. The unique camaraderie that Mrs. Browning creates in the classroom and her passion for creating music are a few of the things that I most appreciate about her. I never knew how much I enjoyed singing until I joined choir and realized how the uniqueness of the choir classroom offers a time to refresh our minds through singing. Mrs. Browning’s uplifting encouragement and persistent pursuit of perfection have helped develop in me a love for singing that I never knew I had. For me, singing as a part of the tenors is like being a part of a tight-knit team, as the individual members of the group support each other to create a beautiful sound that is not possible without each member contributing diligently.”

Alumna Ashley Alvarado Langley ’12 shared what Mrs. Browning’s teaching and guidance has meant to her: “Mrs. Browning gifted me two great treasures. The first was her thoughtful selection of songs, which have stayed with me well past graduation. These songs helped me memorize poems, supported me in challenging seasons, and created special traditions for choir students. Any former choir member can attest that there was no feeling quite like that of receiving sheet music for ‘The Bells’ or ‘The Power and the Glory’ again. The second treasure was her unfailing support. She granted me countless opportunities to practice my musical gifts, and I was blessed to have someone who championed me, who believed in what I could achieve and who instilled me with confidence.”

36 TRINITY TODAY / SHARING SONGS, SPREADING LIGHT

Helping Shape the TCA We Know and Love If you haven’t done the math yet, 36 years means that Mrs. Browning has been a Trojan for most of the school’s history. Norma and Bob Browning married in 1980 after meeting at a Christian school where they both taught in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After Mr. Browning took a job in Dallas with EDS in 1985, the couple settled in Plano.

Mrs. Browning soon heard of a small Christian school in Addison, one that was much like her beloved Tulsa school.

She missed the opening that TCA had for a choir director by three days but stayed in touch with the school. The new

CHOIR ROOM PHOTOS BY BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05; L E S M I S É R A B L E S P H O T O S B Y E M I LY H U L E N T H O M P S O N ’ 0 4, F R O M T C A A R C H I V E S

hire only lasted a year, and Norma Browning took the job of choir director at TCA in 1986. She was so A B O V E - A scene from TCA’s 2011 “impressed with the kids and with the academics” at production of Les Misérables, including leads TCA and felt she could make a difference.

Ashley Alvarado Langley ’12, Blake Barnes ’12, What a difference she made! When Mrs. Browning Emily Browning Pons ’11, Kyle Cox ’11, Lizzie Dockery Combs ’12 and Blake Henri ’12 arrived, TCA had no choir uniforms, there was no L E F T - Norma Browning directing the chorale, and all the students held their music while musicians and vocalists for Les Misérables they sang. She began making changes to take the choral program to new heights. Not only did she buy choir performance uniforms, but she began entering the students in local contests and instituted the practice of the students memorizing their music for performances. Also, the energetic Mrs. Browning brought a more academic and classical aspect to the music choices and performance sets to an enthusiastic student choir. Even the words to our Alma Mater became a part of TCA’s proud tradition thanks to Mrs. Browning.

Mrs. Browning’s first musical at TCA was Fiddler on the Roof, in the spring of 1987, and she went on to direct three more musicals in quick succession: Oklahoma!, South Pacific and The Music Man. Those successful productions paved the way for the treasured tradition of the TCA spring musical for which she enthusiastically —KRISTI ROBISON-RASNIC, UPPER SCHOOL DRAMA TEACHER collaborated with her drama counter­ parts through the years: Margie McCabe, Leslie Williams Blum ’88, Judy Fenton, Andy Reynolds and Kristi Robison-Rasnic.

“Working alongside Norma for the past twenty years has given me a front-row seat to witness the incredible love she has for music, TCA and her students.”

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WATCH ONLINE

View the December choir concert at

YOUTUBE.COM/@TRINITYCHRISTIANACADEMY Special thanks to GracePoint Media (gracepoint.media) for their video production work

Gratitude for Mrs. Browning’s care, commitment, guidance and friendship to her students spanning two generations was on display during the Christmas concert.

Toward the end of the performance, as is her custom, Mrs. Browning invited any alumni in the audience to join the mixed choir on the stage to sing “Baby, What You Goin’ to Be?,” a song about the Christ child. What she did not know is that over 40 former students of all ages had come to honor her with joining her choir one last time. Coming to the stage, each alumnus gave a rose to Mrs. Browning and found a space on the risers. She had to find a place for the dozens of roses—and find her voice again after a standing ovation in honor of her—before leading them all in song.

Collaboration Is Key Mrs. Browning credits the strong Middle School choral program under Sharla Davidson’s direction for building great choirs and musical performers who have joined the ranks of the Upper School choirs over the years.

Mrs. Davidson was also instrumental in gathering all the alumni for the final Christmas concert along with Beth Harwell, the director of alumni. Mrs. Browning also relied on her faithful accompanist Linda Massinger for many years of contests, musicals and performances and now works with accompanist Lisa Middleton.

Upper School drama teacher Kristi Robison-Rasnic expresses what she sees as Mrs. Browning’s tireless

38 TRINITY TODAY / SHARING SONGS, SPREADING LIGHT

dedication to the TCA performing arts program: “Working alongside Norma for the past twenty years has given me a front-row seat to witness the incredible love she has for music, TCA and her students. She has impacted countless students over the years, instilling an appreciation for beautiful music and inspiring some with their own musical pursuits in both their collegiate and professional careers. She champions the underdog, often seeing the ones who do not gravitate toward center stage and making sure they get their chance to shine. One of Norma’s superpowers is evident in her instruction and care during the musicals. If a role is cast where the vocal requirement is an uncomfortable or an unhealthy reach for the student, Norma rearranges the vocal line to ensure success for the singer. The music flows, the singer is confident, and the show is better for it.”

Closing in on retirement for Mrs. Browning does not mean slowing down. Today you will find her energetically leading her choirs, preparing them for their annual Classical and Sacred Music Concert in February as well as their choir contest selections and solo and ensemble contest pieces for later in the spring.

Additionally, Mrs. Browning and Mrs. Robison-Rasnic are working on the spring musical, Curtains, a mystery comedy in which a murder takes place (where else?) in the middle of a Broadway musical production. The show will include hilarious characters and fun challenges as

“Mrs. Browning is our number one fan, and she will take the time to work with us because she wants us to improve and succeed.”

—LEXI MEADOR, SENIOR FA R L E F T - Norma Browning is honored by

alumni who attended her final Christmas choir concert, over 40 of whom joined the TCA choir on stage to be led by Mrs. Browning one last time.

L E F T - Seniors Gable Delp and Lexi Meador

performing “O Holy Night” during the December TCA Christmas choir concert, accompanied by Lisa Middleton B E L O W - Norma Browning directing the TCA

Men’s Chorus for the December concert

Looking Ahead

musical numbers range from zany jazz tunes to a funeral dirge to a poignant love song to a lively hoedown. Senior Lexi Meador, one of the leads for the spring show, says, “Mrs. Browning is very passionate about the music we perform, and her enthusiasm makes us better as individuals and as an ensemble overall. She is our number one fan, and she will take the time to work with us because she wants us to improve and succeed.”

Mrs. Browning has given her best to the institution she is so fond of and now looks to move into a different phase of life where she will spend more time with family as well as giving back to the community. As she looks forward to joining her husband Bob in retirement, her wish for the performing arts program here at TCA is that there would continue to be increased participation in the choirs and in chorale as well as in the spring musical productions. She is looking forward to cheering on the next leader to fill her shoes.

She and Mr. Browning are considering a move to be closer to her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, but she knows that she will always have a heart for the school that gave her the chance to share her gifts.

When speaking of why she came to TCA so many years ago, Norma said, “I wanted to do something of eternal value.

There wasn’t freedom to share my faith when I worked in public school. I wanted to be where I could speak truth.”

Not only has she faithfully spoken truth, but she has taught thousands of students along the way to do the same.

Mrs. Browning, you will be missed. The impression you have made on your students will not soon fade, and the legacy of singing for God’s glory will continue to echo in the halls of our school for years to come.

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40 TRINITY TODAY

PHOTOS BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

The Art of EMOTION

BY K R ISTI ROBISON-R ASN IC, U PPE R S C HO OL DR A M A T E AC H E R

O N E O F T H E PR I M A RY F O C U S E S I N T H E AT E R A R T S in the Upper School is to introduce students to

different types of dramatic forms through public performance. In October the Honors Advanced Drama and Drama 2 classes performed an evening of comedic one-act plays called Short and Sweet. The various scenes involved stories of two actresses auditioning for their next big role, a young woman breaking up with her psychic boyfriend, a terrible visit to the DMV, two teenagers contemplating young love, a playwright examining the meaning of life and a single man exploring the exhaustive world of online dating. Each scene had its own important theme(s), but the common thread throughout the evening was that though life can be confusing and take unexpected turns, human connection and relationships remain most important.

Performing comedy can be tricky. It’s fun once you’ve found your stride, but the rehearsal process can be grueling. The delivery of the line must be perfect, and the timing just right. This responsibility can be overwhelming to performers. Comedies are funny because they are relatable. Once students realize that comedy holds a mirror to our everyday lives, they can tap into their own comedic genius. They draw from their unique life experiences and personalities. There’s a comedian in there, they just have to learn to tap into it. Tackling the one-act plays in the fall gave the actors that opportunity.

In November students in the Advanced Honors Drama class auditioned for their upcoming winter play.

A significant shift from their fall performance experience, The Women of Lockerbie tackles incredible loss and grief. Based on the story of Pan Am flight 103 that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing all 259 passengerrs aboard and 11 people on the ground, the play takes the form a Greek tragedy. The playwright Deborah Brevoort felt that taking on the classic Greek form was the most effective approach to capture the scale of grief and horror experienced by the victims’ families.

Like comedy, tragedy also holds a mirror. Developing The Women of Lockerbie insists that the actors must dig deep within themselves to understand and communicate the story effectively. It calls for highschoolers to play people who have suffered tremendous loss. On the page, there may not be many parallels drawn between the lives of the actors and their characters. However, the connection isn’t found in the dayto-day experiences. It lies in the universal emotions felt with grief. The emotional connection gives way to understanding, allowing us to see others in a new light.

Theater provides ample opportunities for young people to develop their unique voice. Drawing from their own experiences, students find that telling stories and developing characters encourages them to be creative, explore their emotions and expand their imaginations. By examining stories and characters different than themselves, students can develop a strong sense of self and identity, while also becoming more empathetic. Rehearsing and performing these stories broadens their outlook on life and how they see the world.

The Honors Advanced Drama class will present The Women of Lockerbie February 4 and 5 in the TCA Performing Arts Center.

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IN MY OWN WORDS

BACKSTAGE

PASS B Y F E L I C I D I F U L F O R D , T C A PA R E N T

The overture swells to a crescendo! The lights dim! The audience is hush with anticipation as young actors scurry to their places with barely containable excitement! The stage manager cues the curtain. It’s opening night!

Over the past three years, I’ve had a backstage pass to the inner workings of the performing arts program in the TCA Middle School as my children have both participated in the Middle School musicals, TPSMEA Honor Choir, Christmas concerts and spring choir concerts. The dynamic duo of Sharla Davidson, choir teacher, and Marcelle Hamilton, speech and drama teacher, are gifts to this school and to their students. These two women offer so much more than an amazing production and performance. These talented instructors selflessly give their students the benefit of their combined years of experience as well as passion for their art. Shepherding and loving each student through the sometimes scary, yet exhilarating process of finding their own undiscovered talent, these exceptional teachers instill confidence in each student who graces their stage or enters their classrooms.

Anyone who can teach “Carol of the Bells” while motivating a group of eighth-grade boys to sing “Ding dong ding... dong!” is magical! Mrs. Davidson not only instills

42 TRINITY TODAY

musical technique but also allows and encourages students to choose their own personal selections to sing in the pre-Christmas concert recital. Whether solos, duets or trios, Mrs. Davidson brings her signature brand of merry to the yearly holiday concert. Although Mrs. Davidson expects a certain level of commitment, work ethic and decorum from her students, it’s not always work, work, work in the choir classroom. MJ Smith, an eighthgrader, says, “Choir class is fun. Mrs. Davidson jokes around with us.” Another student, Hannah Sue Fulford, a seventh-grader says, “She makes us want to sing our best every time.” Mrs. Davidson teaches from her heart.

When Marcelle Hamilton collaborates with Sharla Davidson on the fall musical, exciting discoveries are in store for Middle School students. This bigger-than-life teacher’s motto, “There are no small parts,” defines Mrs. Hamilton’s creativity, versatility and overall excellence in motivating students to develop confidence in front of an audience. Most recently, directing seventy-three students in the fall musical, Guys and Dolls, Mrs. Hamilton brought the hustle and bustle of 1950’s New York to life.

Guys and Dolls was a smashing success! Outstanding performances were given by eighth-graders Chloe Belew (Miss Adelaide), Hannah Applewhite (Sarah Brown), MJ Smith (Nathan Detroit) and Caleb Wenning (Sky Masterson). Still, a large part of the show’s success was

PHOTO BY JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

G U Y S A N D D O L L S P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y O F B R A D N E W T O N P H O T O G R A P H Y ; CHOIR PHOTOS BY K ENDA LL ELLIS

WINTER 2022–23

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IN MY OWN WORDS

due to an amazing ensemble of performers filling each scene with the spirit of the Big Apple. Hotbox dancers donned hot-pink sequins and feathers as they flirtily hoofed their way through “A Bushel and a Peck.” Dolls strutted across the stage, in the title number, as their guys comically tagged behind, juggled luggage and enthusiastically offered up wallets and minks, while seventh-grader Miles Pool (NicelyNicely Johnson) and eighth-grader Andrew Beumer (Benny) crooned, “The guy’s only doing it for some doll!” Well into the second act, this brilliant company of gamblers, mission workers, dolls and dancers brought a revival-like fervor to the show-stopping number “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” As the entire cast filled the stage, spilling into the mission hall for the prayer meeting, eighth-grader Elena Garcia (General Cartwright) implored the gamblers to repent of their transgressions.

Mrs. Hamilton’s direction of Guys and Dolls, combined with Mrs. Davidson’s musical instruction, propelled these young performers into finding their characters’ purpose as the show progressed. Bri Eidsvig, seventh-grade speech and drama student, compliments Mrs. Hamilton: “She is so supportive and makes us feel like we can do anything.”

Creating a family atmosphere with her students and casts,

44 TRINITY TODAY / BACKSTAGE PASS

Mrs. Hamilton establishes an atmosphere of camaraderie as she gets to know each one her students personally.

With students connecting with each other, the ability to recognize a greater and common purpose becomes the goal rather than an individual’s performance. Bringing love to her art inspires her students to commit their best performance, no matter the role. Mae Larsen, a seventhgrade acting student beams, “She treats all the kids in the show like part of her family.” From the lead actor to the stage crew, all are valuable and equally important to Mrs. Hamilton. Truly, there are no small parts.

The curtain closes, applause roars, the final curtain call . . . the lights come up. For students in the Middle School performing arts program, the experience is far from over. These students now know what it is to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Looking back, these students will remember Mrs. Davidson and Mrs. Hamilton not only as their choir teacher or drama teacher but as teachers who took a chance on them and who believed in them—teachers who said, “Yes, you can.”

“Because I knew you, I’ve been changed for good.” —Wicked

New Additions to Our Performing Arts Faculty

BY SCOTT BERTH EL , H EA D OF M I DDLE SCHOOL

Mr. Kevin Reberger joined TCA’s faculty as Middle School/Upper School band director.

He is an Indiana native who earned both his BS in music education and his MS in wind conducting from Indiana State University. Over the course of his 28-year career as a middle and high school music teacher, he has been a band director, instrumental and choral music director, director of orchestras, fine arts department chair and an adjudicator for state solo/ensemble contests. Outside of school he has played in everything from his church worship band to a classic rock cover band.

Mrs. Rachel Hartgrove joins our faculty on a part-time basis as a band assistant for woodwinds. She had been providing private clarinet lessons on our campus, and we are glad to have her working alongside our band assistant for brass, Mrs. Marie Farley, and percussion instructor, Mr. Geritt Davenport, as they support Mr. Reberger.

Mrs. Hartgrove earned her BM in music education from Hardin-Simmons University and has additional certifications in specific areas of music education from both TCU and SMU. As a certified preK–12 teacher, she brings nearly two decades of teaching experience, including church settings, private lessons, school settings and special programs for different organizations and schools.

To have Mr. Reberger and Mrs. Hartgrove bring nearly 50 years of experience between them, along with their love of God, love and enjoyment of music and their skill in helping students grow in their ability and enjoyment of music is genuinely exciting. From Band Camp in the summer through a busy schedule of pep rallies and Friday night football games during the fall months and preparing for our Christmas Concert in December, our band staff has been moving fast and helping our students make great music!

G U Y S A N D D O L L S P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y O F B R A D N E W T O N P H O T O G R A P H Y ; BA ND PHOTOS BY K ENDA LL ELLIS

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ATHLETICS

FRYE ON FIRE FROM SINGAPORE TO TEXAS, SENIOR KELLEN FRYE IS BRINGING THE H E AT A N D F I N D I N G H I S HOME WITH FELLOW TCA B A S K E T B A L L P L AY E R S

B Y JA Y A T T A L , SPORTS I N FOR M AT ION & M E DI A M A N AGE R

46 TRINITY TODAY

“I

DON’T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING

learn our defensive concepts, and I can tell they’re

in those moments. All I have to do when

becoming second nature to him.”

I get the ball is take my shot. The hoop

Kellen looks right at home at TCA. Like many of

looks super big, and I know it’s going to

his classmates, the opportunity to join a faith-based

fall. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.”

That “can’t miss” feeling is becoming quite familiar to senior Kellen Frye. Now in his second year at TCA, the six-foot guard is finding his place in the Trojan offense.

environment dedicated to excellence in athletics and academics was too good to pass up. But the journey he took to get here is unlike any other.

“I came to TCA from Singapore. My parents had to

“Kellen has carved out a role for himself through a

move a lot for work, so I’ve grown up all over the place,”

ton of hard work. His ability to catch-and-shoot really

says Frye. “I was born in Canada and then moved to

stretches the floor and keeps defenses honest,”

Japan. After Japan, our family moved to Singapore,

explains Head Varsity Basketball Coach John Price.

where my grandparents and cousins live. Then we

If opponents didn’t know to close out on Frye in the preseason, they are certainly learning that lesson the hard way. Kellen connected on seven 3’s in his first

moved to Thailand before ultimately coming back to Singapore.”

It was Kellen’s love of basketball that convinced the

varsity start on November 1 before erupting with nine

Frye family to make one final move. During the COVID-19

against Coram Deo on November 22. The second-year

pandemic, Singapore enforced social-distancing

Trojan is averaging close to three 3-pointers per contest

restrictions that made many things—including

(2.88) and is the latest weapon to emerge on a roster

basketball—particularly difficult. “Basketball in

laden with talent.

Singapore was limited to one-on-one practice for

“We know what he’s capable of when he gets

almost two years. The restrictions were hurting my

hot. He’s a guy you definitely want to keep giving

development and making the game less fun. My parents

the ball to,” continues Price. “But I think his biggest

wanted to move back to the States and decided now was

improvement has come on defense. It takes time to

the time so I could keep playing. I’ve always been part

T ROJ A N LI F E

Want to hear the inside scoop on all things TCA? Check out the Let’s Talk TCA podcast. of a Christian household, so a Christian school that

The kindness the team showed Kellen last

would set me up for the future with good athletics

year helped create a winning culture that’s

and academics is what we were searching for.”

beginning to bear fruit. The Trojans started

“Kellen has a lot of character,” adds Price. ”He

the season 15-2 and are on pace to shatter

This podcast is a behind-the-scenes look at the people, the purpose and all the things that make TCA the amazing community it is!

Let’s Talk TCA is available on Apple

puts everyone ahead of himself, and you can see a

the program’s 6A all-time win record by

Christlike spirit of servanthood in him. I’ve just tried

early January. “This team has a lot to prove,”

encouraging him to be who he is in Christ and help

continues Kellen. “We decided after a big loss to

guide him through any transitional frustrations.”

Parish that we don’t want to lose like that again.

Scan this QR code to view

We earned a glass plaque in that tournament,

all episodes on Apple

Basketball is played with a different style in Asia,

and we wrote a reminder on it for the rest of

Podcasts:

so Kellen had to adjust on the court while also

the season.”

And there have been a few frustrations.

making new friends in the classroom. But he claims

Nobody enjoys getting hot from deep more

that the kindness of the Trojan community helped

than Frye, but he and the team have bigger

him feel comfortable. “Everyone was so nice to me

priorities. “Scoring 3’s is always fun, but at the

when I first moved here. Obviously, I didn’t know

end of the day we want to win. We want to make

anyone yet, so people went out of their way to

a playoff run.”

introduce themselves and help me feel welcome.”

“When I was first accepted, I was buddied up

After searching across two continents and four different countries, Kellen Frye has found

Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and also on the TCA website.

Scan this QR code to view all episodes on Spotify:

Watch your email and our social media channels for new episodes. We hope you will listen and subscribe.

with Blake [Muschalek]. He’s been driving me home

the home he was looking for here at TCA.

after practice whenever my parents are busy.

He’s playing the best basketball of his career,

Is there a topic you’d like to hear

He’s just been a huge helping hand. He took me to

and the Trojans are enjoying their winningest

discussed on the podcast? Send

dinner the first week I got here with Chance Snyder

season since 2014.

your ideas and feedback to podcast@

and Luke Johnston. They really helped me find my groove with the team.”

It’s safe to say that final move from

trinitychristian.org.

Singapore to Addison paid off.

WINTER 2022–23

47

TH E TROJ A N VA R S IT Y FOOTB A LL TE A M accomplished several milestones the

first year back in TAPPS Division 1 competition. The Trojans snapped a five-year district losing streak to Bishop Lynch with a 41-30 victory. They also enjoyed the highest district finish in six years by capturing third place in a big come-from-behind win over Nolan Catholic. It was the first time since 2008 that TCA defeated Nolan Catholic and Bishop Lynch in the same season.

The Trojans also advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they fell to top-seeded Houston St. Thomas 27-21 in overtime.

Several players had outstanding seasons. AIDAN MILLS completed over 60 percent of his passes for more than 2200 yards and 17 touchdowns. CHANCE SNYDER, TRIPP ARTHUR and LUKE JOHNSTON led the receiving corps with a combined 1500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Sophomores TAKASHI SHAW and JAMESON DUNIGAN split running back duties and accounted for 1560 yards rushing and receiving. Offensive linemen MICHAEL GRAHAM, JOHN BADGER, OWEN HATTENDORF, WILL BOWLING, SAM BOWMAN and JAYLAN BECKLEY paved the way for our offensive success.

Defensively the Trojans were led by leading tacklers MATT CORTEZ (125), JACE LAMB (97), DYLAN EUBANKS (90) and JAKE CALLAHAN (83). Our defensive line was anchored

by LUKE DORÉ, BOBBY FISH and JACK HARWELL . Harwell led the defensive line with 65 tackles, four sacks and one interception for a touchdown. JACK BEHRMAN led the team with four interceptions. HAYDEN HEFLIN and KYLE CAUSEY paced the secondary with over 130 combined tackles.

MICHAEL AIKEN performed the kicking duties. He recorded six touchbacks on kickoffs and went a perfect five-for-five on field goals in the playoff game versus Houston St. Thomas.

VARSITY FOOTBALL

ATHLETICS

Congratulations to the following players for earning state and district awards: Jake Callahan – First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State Jack Harwell – First Team All-State, First Team All-District Chance Snyder – First Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State Takashi Shaw – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District John Badger – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State Kyle Causey – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Academic All-State Tripp Arthur – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State Dylan Eubanks – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State Bobby Fish – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State Jameson Dunigan – Second Team All-District

Owen Hattendorf – Honorable Mention All-District

Jack Behrman – Honorable Mention All-District

Jace Lamb – Honorable Mention All-District

Luke Doré – Honorable Mention All-District

Aidan Mills – Honorable Mention All-District

48 TRINITY TODAY

PHOTOS: JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

TH E VA R S IT Y G I R L S A N D BOYS CRO S S COU NTRY TE A M S competed well this season,

with several new personal bests established in each race. A season highlight was traveling to Oklahoma State University to compete against some of the top teams in the surrounding states on one of the top courses in the country.

The girls team placed fourth at the District Championships and eighth at the State Championships. RILEY RIES placed second overall at the District Championship meet, earning All-District honors, and placed third overall at the State Championships, earning All-State and Academic All-State honors.

The boys team, comprised of all underclassmen, placed fourth at the District Championships and tenth at the State Championships. With all runners returning next season, we’re looking forward to an outstanding season.

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

S P O R T S B E AT

ATHLETICS

TH E TROJ A N VO LLE Y B A LL TE A M had a great

season filled with many celebrations and challenges on the court. The season started with the team heading down to Austin for a tournament, playing some tough out-of-town competition. Next, the team headed to the tough Allen tournament and competed against some of the best teams in Texas. In a thriller, TCA barely lost to Plano West 20-25 and 23-25. They went on to beat North Forney to advance out of their pool. The tournament ended up not going their way, but the Lady Trojans faced some other great teams, like Frisco High School and Frenship High School.

The Lady Trojans began district play against a strong Parish Episcopal team that ended up finishing third in district. In a great back-and-forth five-set battle, TCA came out on top, beginning district play 1-0. TCA played many five-set battles in district, narrowly losing many matches to district opponents. They defeated Nolan Catholic both times to finish up district in sixth place. The Lady Trojans advanced on to playoffs and headed down to Corsicana for their super regional. TCA played Concordia Lutheran from Houston. In a battle that saw many lead changes, teams fighting back from deficits and neither team ever giving up, TCA finally fell in four sets. Behind kills leader TAYLOR CLARKE , and assists leader TRINITY MARTIN , the team fought hard and showed the grit they had built through the whole season.

The program would like to thank our seniors—COURTNEY ANDERSON, ALLY GERARD, Trinity Martin and LILLY POOL—for their leadership and dedication to the program. The team was led and pushed by these seniors, and we were lucky to have them as a part of the team and program. Three of these seniors—Courtney Anderson, Trinity Martin and Lilly Pool—were four-year varsity players and have poured a lot of love, sweat and definitely time into this program. They will definitely be remembered by the coaches and players. Thank you, seniors and senior parents!

50 TRINITY TODAY

Congratulations to the following volleyball players for earning state and district awards: Taylor Clarke – Second Team All-State, First Team All-District, Team Best Offensive Player Trinity Martin – Honorable Mention All-State, Second Team All-District, Academic All-State, Team Most Valuable Player Courtney Anderson – Second Team All-District, Academic All-State, Team Christian Leadership Lilly Pool – Honorable Mention All-District, Team Best Defensive Player Olivia Ledebur – Team Most Improved

S P O R T S B E AT

Cheering on our TROJANS So far this school year, because of your support through the Athletic Booster Club, we have been able to equip our studentathletes and programs with the following:

VARSITY O V E L YBAL

Team banners on campus

PHOTOS: JEFF McWHORTER ’ 05

Sideline automated external defibrillator Girls soccer backpacks Wrestling room media Dance team stage sign

Thank you for your continued support!

ALUMNI

Letter from the Director of Alumni

W

EL COME to our new TCA Alumni Association Board

members, Rebecca Beckett Cohenour ’04 and Patrick Rea ’14. We are excited to add them to our board. The TCA Alumni Association Board consists of 15 alumni

who graduated between 1982 and 2015. We meet monthly and plan events and projects that serve our alumni.

Our mission is to strengthen, serve and advance TCA’s overall mission by connecting alumni and alumni parents relationally, professionally and spiritually with the TCA community.

We have our two annual events where all alumni are invited and we have the largest attendance: the Homecoming Alumni Dinner and Spring Alumni Weekend. In addition, we host events for targeted groups of alumni and alumni parents, like the Legacy Breakfast, a luncheon for moms of recent graduates, college care packages for the Class of 2022, alumni admissions preview and college visits.

We are planning networking events for specific professions, such as law, real estate, sales and the medical field, within our alumni base. Our target date is to start in January of 2023. We will be hosting smaller events for our class agents to get together to work on communication and planning for reunions. We will send more information as plans for these events solidify.

The Trojan Tradition newsletter is published bimonthly to keep

SPRING ALUMNI WEEKEND 2023 Save the Date!

F R I DAY, A PR I L 2 1, 2 0 2 3

We are kicking off the weekend with a party to celebrate all our alumni.

Come see old friends, teachers and coaches at our event!

S AT U R DAY, A PR I L 2 2 , 2 0 2 3 A LU M N I B A S E B A LL G A M E – 1: 0 5 PM AT TC A

If you are interested in playing on the alumni team email Lane Conner ’99 at Lane@fuzse.com. This will be a community event for all alumni and their families, plus our current families—food trucks, games, face painting, etc. It will be a fun event for the entire family!

S U N DAY, A PR I L 2 3 TC A PE R F O R M I N G A R T S C E N T E R

Bring your family to the matinee performance of the Upper School drama production of Curtains! Tickets will be available for alumni and their families who are registered for the weekend.

More information to come, and registration will begin in February at www.trinitychristian.org/alumni.

alumni informed of news and events. Make sure we have your current email address. Go to www.trinitychristian.org/alumni/update -contact-information to update your address.

Our goal is to keep our alumni and alumni parents connected

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD 2022-23 BR ANDON WADDELL ’97, PRESIDENT LANE CONNER ’99, PAST PRESIDENT

to TCA. Our community has not changed over the years; it is still

KATE LYNCH ’97, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

one of our best assets at TCA, where lifelong friends are made,

ASHLI BURBRIDGE AVERY ’98, VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGACY FAMILIES

business contacts and working relationships are established,

JO ANN FERRELL HODGES ’87, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNIT Y EVENTS

prayer groups are formed, teachers and coaches are making a difference in students’ lives and, most importantly, our community is Christ-centered in all that we do.

BET H H A RW E L L Director of Alumni

52 TRINITY TODAY

TYLER GALVIN ’15, VICE PRESIDENT OF SENIORS JUSTIN RIDNOUR ’90, VICE PRESIDENT OF CLASS AGENTS ANNIE ARMES WOOD ’14

CHRIS MILLET ’82

REBECCA BECKETT COHENOUR ’04

MICHAEL NOVAKOVICH ’13

JOHN BUNDREN ’10

PATRICK REA ’14

HALEIGH LEE MANHKONG ’09

ERIN VITTETOE HAMMONDS ’97

If you would like more information on serving on the Alumni Association Board, please contact Beth Harwell, director of alumni, at bharwell@trinitychristian.org.

LE G AC Y

FRO M TH E A RCH I V E S Emily as Cosette in Les Misérables, 2011

For this issue of Trinity Today, we have spotlighted three alumni who have found their careers and callings in the performing arts— Emily Browning Pons ’11, Blake Henri ’12 and Shea Smitherman McMillan ’12. Here are some photos to remind many of our alumni and alumni families of perhaps the last time they saw these talented Trojans on stage.

Shea as The Witch and Blake as The Baker in Into the Woods, 2012

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Emily Browning Pons ’11 CHOR AL DIRECTOR

F

OR EMILY BROW N ING PONS, music is a family

affair. Emily’s mother, Norma Browning, became TCA’s choir director in 1986. Emily recalls, “by the time I started school, it was a given that I’d attend TCA because of the history of academic rigor and Christian values.” In addition to building toothpick bridges in Mr. Lipman’s science class, many of Emily’s favorite memories at TCA revolve around music, including performing in the fouth-grade musical production In God We Trust as well as dancing in halftime shows and pep rallies with the Trojanette drill team.

Choir played a special role in Emily’s life at TCA. She sang in the Women’s Chorus and Chorale throughout high school, qualifying for the TPSMEA All-State Choir all four years. She enjoyed musical theater as well, performing in The Secret Garden and starring as Cosette in Les Misérables.

Looking back on her time at TCA, Emily says, “I am most grateful for the relationships I was able to form with teachers” who blended “a high level of quality instruction” with a “genuine desire to know and disciple their students toward academic success, future career success and, most importantly, spiritual growth.”

After TCA, Emily took the love of music embedded in her heart at TCA to the University of Oklahoma, where she studied vocal music education and performed with multiple choirs, including Singing Sooners as well as an a cappella and vocal jazz ensemble. Emily’s love of music is more than a mere hobby: “I absolutely connect with God through performing!

There is such a power in music that speaks to the divine; it connects to our souls in a unique way. We’re even told that all nations, tribes and tongues will be singing collective praise to the Lord for eternity! How beautiful is that?!”

54 TRINITY TODAY

“There is such a power in music that speaks to the divine; it connects to our souls in a unique way. We’re even told that all nations, tribes and tongues will be singing collective praise to the Lord for eternity!”

After graduating from OU and moving to Kansas, Emily continues to sing with the Lawrence Civic Choir, now serving on its board of directors. She volunteers on the worship team at her church and also continues to pursue musical theater by performing in local productions at Theatre Lawrence, including Camelot, Mamma Mia and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Theater is spiritual for Emily, who believes that there is “something so powerful about telling a story on stage. Jesus often told stories in order to teach people about the Kingdom, and that alone indicates the important and worth of storytelling.”

Emily married Daniel Pons, and they are the proud parents of a two-year old daughter, Meredith, as well expecting a baby boy.

Emily followed her mother into vocational music education, currently serving as choral director for fifth through twelfth grades as well as teaching drama at Perry-Lecompton High School near Lawrence, Kansas. In addition to her mother, Emily praised many of her TCA teachers as integral to her current career blending performing arts and education, including Fran Legband, Zoe Ellen Azzi, Bill Bradley, Lorna Griffin and numerous others. She says, “they have been a guide for me in my own journey as an educator. Their passion and authenticity shaped who I am today and made an impact that I now, Lord willing, get to pass along to my own students.”

P H O T O S CO U R T E S Y O F E M I LY P O N S

A LU M N I S P O T LI G H T

R I G H T - Emily Browning Pons ’11 as Miss Evangeline

Barley in Theatre Lawrence’s production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

FA R R I G H T - Emily receiving the Outstanding Young

Choral Director award from the Northeast Kansas Music Educators Association in December 2020

B E L O W - Emily directing students in her seventh-

and eighth-grade choir from Perry-Lecompton Middle School in Perry, Kansas, for their December 2022 concert

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M

a cBET H, J U L IUS C A ESA R , T W EL F T H N IGH T, OT HEL L O. Blake Henri ’12 is at home acting on

stage, but he found an early home as a little boy enjoying a life of learning and growing at Trinity Christian Academy. From lifelong friendships to nurturing his talent for performing arts, TCA gave Blake rich blessings to carry with him into adulthood.

Blake’s parents chose TCA for their son’s education after hearing rave reviews from family friends. He recalls, “TCA had the best reputation among the Christian schools in town. After a visit, my parents really fell in love.” Among Blake’s favorite Lower School memories, he is most grateful for the relationships he made, forming deep bonds. He says, “Lower School was the place where I first met the men and women who have stood by my side at every major event of my life.”

In addition to all the fun and friendships, Blake notes that the TCA Middle School was where his career began. He says, “I did a little Hamlet monologue, and K-Rob [TCA theater teacher Kristi Robison-Rasnic] told me that I needed to start taking acting seriously.” Blake felt his first sting as an actor when he lost a part in the show Laughing Stock to a friend. This disappointment served as a turning point, as Blake decided

Blake Henri ’12 S TAG E A N D T V AC T O R

56 TRINITY TODAY

H E A D S H O T P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F K E N Z I E H E N D E R S O N ; C L U E P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F K A R E N A L M O N D

A LU M N I S P O T LI G H T

to work even harder in the future in order to “never feel that pain again.” His love for theater grew. He recalls, “my incredibly talented friend, Tommy Hart, dragged me from our basketball tournament to audition for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We booked roles together, and I was hooked.”

TCA continued to nurture Blake’s potential for performing arts in Upper School, as his theater teacher skipped him from the traditional ninth-grade placement in Drama 1 to Advanced Drama as a tenth-grader. “I remember Ann Marie Daniel [Dreiling ’10] dragging me down the stairs and telling me how that never happens,” Blake remembers, grateful for teachers who saw his potential as an individual and helped him grow his skills. Over the next few years, he acted in Les Misérables, Into the Woods, Clue,

“Life will beat you down and sometimes crush your soul, but art is to remind you that you have one.”

Death of a Salesman, Of Mice and Men, The Secret Garden, Oliver! and Almost, Maine.

“There is so much I’m thankful for about TCA: my faith, my education, the community. Related to my profession as an actor, TCA is where I learned to take risks and leaps of faith. As an actor, there is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative or being a fool. Take the leap! What I learned, from K-Rob in particular, as well as from many other mentors throughout TCA, was to take risks with my performances and not fear mistakes.”

After graduating from TCA in 2012, Blake attended the University of Oklahoma and received a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater with an acting emphasis.

Now a professional actor, Blake finds joy and purpose in acting. He says, “I love bouncing around the country doing what I love and what God has called me to do.” He loves to travel and has enjoyed performing in the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, as well as with the Oklahoma Shakespeare Festival, the Great River Shakespeare Festival (Minnesota), the Island Shakespeare Festival (Washington) and the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Blake has a particular passion for stage acting, savoring “that feeling of hundreds of people experiencing ONE moment that will NEVER be replicated.” He says, “You can’t recreate a moment from live theater. It is you—your past, your traumas, your anger, your love, your desires, your wants—every aspect of you, wrapped up into one story, one connection, one collective breath. As a viewer or performer, there is nothing better.”

In addition to his work in theater, Blake’s recent film credits include performances in American Underdog, Great Plains and Waiting, while his television credits include involvement with Love and Death, The Chosen, Into the Wild Frontier, Walker, The Amazing Race and Eyewitness Bible Series.

Based in Dallas, Blake has graced local stages in Clue at the Dallas Theatre Center as well as The Odd Couple at WaterTower Theatre. He is currently in rehearsals for The Play That Goes Wrong, playing at WaterTower Theatre in January and February 2023.

Blake’s life is full of scripts, sets and stages. The roots of his passion lead back to discovering the performing arts at TCA. “What do performing arts mean to me? Simple: everything. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Life will beat you down and sometimes crush your soul, but art is to remind you that you have one. Acting teaches me to find empathy in every situation, to see the good in every person.

The world needs more of that.”

L E F T - Blake Henri ’12 performing as Mr. Boddy in

Dallas Theatre Center’s production of Clue

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ALUMNI

Shea Smitherman McMillan ’12 CO - F O U N D E R , PL AG U E M A S K PL AY E R S

T

HE BR IGH T, SHIN ING “FR IDAY N IGH T L IGH TS”

of Tom Landry Stadium first attracted the Smitherman family, who lived in a nearby neighborhood, to consider Trinity Christian Academy for their daughter, Shea.

Little did they know that a few years later, Shea would be dancing as a Trojanette under those very same lights, or that the bright lights of theater stages would follow Shea into college and beyond.

Shea Smitherman McMillan ’12 started at TCA for pre-first.

Her penchant for theater and performing arts was apparent even in Lower School, where her favorite days were always dress-up days, from Charlotte’s Web day to dressing up as Princess Diana and Annie Oakley for book reports. In Middle School, her flair for the dramatic continued as her favorite day was the Medieval Fair.

She was delighted that her costume won an award for “Most Likely to Win the Heart of Lancelot,” and her medieval castle art project won “Most Detailed.” She sees her future love of theater, from costumes to set building, in these joyful early memories at TCA.

58 TRINITY TODAY

Remembering her time in Upper School, Shea calls herself a classic “drama kid” who treasures memories from shows including Into the Woods, Death of a Salesman, Les Misérables, Steel Magnolias, Clue, The Secret Garden and Almost, Maine, as well as serving as student director of Arsenic and Old Lace.

If she wasn’t on stage in the Performing Arts Center, Shea loved dancing as a Trojanette. Looking back, Shea says, “I am grateful for the excellent education I received, especially in the humanities as well as the small, tight-knit community at TCA.” After high school, Shea headed to the University of Alabama, from which she graduated summa cum laude with a major in musical theater and a minor in telecommunication and film. She was a member of the honors college and was selected for Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious collegiate honors society. For Shea, theater and performing arts are a calling and an avenue for God to speak to audiences: “I absolutely believe God uses the arts to move people and

H E A D S H O T P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F J O N AT H A N M c G I N N I S ; A N N I E P H O T O CO U R T E S Y O F R E P E R T O R Y CO M PA N Y T H E AT R E

A LU M N I S P O T LI G H T

“I feel a calling to show a Christ-like love to theater artists and operate in a way that nurtures them and supports their growth in their craft.”

T O P - Shea Smitherman McMillan ’12 as Grace in Repertory

Company Theatre’s 2022 production of Annie

A B O V E - Shea with the rest of the creative team for the

Plague Mask Players production of As You Like It

speak to them. My prayer for any project of which I’m a part is for the production to be a blessing to the audience.”

After college, Shea came back to TCA, serving as the Middle School drama assistant before moving to New York City for three years. In the Big Apple, she originated roles in several script readings of TV pilots and plays, including working with Broadway star Marc Kudisch and TV/film actress Elizabeth Rodriguez, an experience she found “exciting and humbling.”

Now settled back in Dallas, Shea regularly works with several performing arts companies in the area, including recent roles as Phoebe in A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder and Grace in Annie (both at Repertory Company Theatre), Daphne in Present Laughter (at Richardson Theatre Center) and Jessie in Cry It Out (at Rover Dramawerks). Her most recent project was directing Chicago: Teen Edition for the advanced students at Genesis Children’s Theatre, which featured TCA seniors Morgan Hausz and Lexi Meador in the starring roles, an experience she found “a joy overall, and extra special with the TCA connection.”

Shea has found not only fun but also purpose and even love in theater, as she met Michael McMillan, her husband of four years, when they played a couple in a show together.

Shea, Michael and a third fellow actor co-founded Plague Mask Players, a nonprofit professional theater company that produces live and virtual performances and educational workshops. Currently, Shea is director of programming for her theater company as well as serving on the board. “I feel a calling through my work with my own company, Plague Mask Players, to show a Christ-like love to theater artists and operate in a way that nurtures them and supports their growth in their craft,” Shea says, because “too often in this competitive industry, actors are cut down and treated as expendable. We want to honor each person’s dignity and artistry and build them up!”

From the Friday night football events that attracted her parents to TCA, to many years on the stage, Shea Smitherman McMillan’s story continues to be about shining light by using one’s gifts to the glory of God.

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[1]

artists featured in the show, her watercolor series centers around pop-culture references, such as past and present celebrities from Taylor Swift to Elvis. This crowd favorite invited young and old to come together to converse.

Adria Warner, current faculty member and TCA alumna of the Class of 1995, created a series of 12 ceramic and fiberbased colanders with accompanying spoken poetry. This body of work uses metaphors to wrestle with the human condition in relationship to our spiritual longings to grow in Christ. Titles like ‘Overwatered,’ ‘Drought’ and ‘Herbicide’ allude and give reference to the concepts that she illustrates. To hear the spoken word, please scan the QR code provided.

Former TCA art teacher Chong Chu (1994–2002), created a series of 100 drawings during the COVID-19 pandemic as a

BY F R A NCE S RUS SE L L A L L E N ’10, V I S UA L A RT S T E AC H E R

I

F YOU H AV E T R AV EL ED

through the Upper

daily discipline to cope with the stresses of this unusual time developed his own artistic vocabulary of metaphoric images that illustrate God as constant Gardener. It is in these drawings where we find references to pruning, death, decay, growth,

have missed an opportunity to stumble into a

rebirth, sowing and cultivating. These images were a positive

different world. The Trinity Art Gallery (TAG) is located on the

exploration for him as he found himself in isolation during time.

second floor of the Upper School. The Trinity Art Gallery hosts

Going back to these truths of God as our Gardener offered

five to six shows a year. One of the exhibitions this fall was the

hope and the realization that growth would be restored.

Fifth Annual Alumni Show, featuring work by alumni as well

Part of the goal of the gallery is to be a bridge to the

as past and current faculty, including TCA’S first art teacher,

community. Chong Chu’s Psalm 100 drawings exemplified

Wally Linebarger. In conjunction with the closing reception on

this. The Trinity Art Gallery was able to host a group from

December 8, alumna Lael Sale Burns ’97, sold some of her

Brookhaven College, where Chong now teaches, and

fine art and ceramic goods.

communicate biblical truth to our visitors through the themes

and alumni are doing, educating them on professions such as filmmaking, graphic design, illustration and animation. It also

evident throughout the exhibition. It is our hope to be a conduit of salt and light for others outside of TCA. We hope that this exhibition will encourage support and

acts as a space to invite past students to exhibit their work

future contribution from artists, both those working as art

and reconnect with former teachers and peers. It is our hope

professionals and others who continue to be dedicated to their

to inspire continued artistic growth as well as connect artists

craft. We look forward to engaging with many more artists in

throughout different generations.

the future. We have found that there are a number of current

One of our most recent alumni, Jordan McFarlane ’19, is

TCA family members who are artists, and the TAG is planning an

finishing her final year at Texas A&M and will be working at Blue

exhibition for next year. If you have family members who would

Print Gallery as a gallery assistant upon graduating, having

like to be involved, please contact our gallery director, Frances

interned there this past summer. Being one of the youngest

Allen, at fallen@trinitychristian.org.

[1] Jordan McFarlane ’19, Modern Iconoclasts; [2] Collaborative between David Connolly ’93, Jonathan Millet ’84, Adria Johnson Warner ’95, Rachel Dobrey, Christen Scheeval, Anita Horton and Jimmie Hudson; [3] Abby Coronado ’20, East and West; [4] Kimberlea Krueger Bass ’91, Film Roll; [5] Carrie Garoutte Kunkel ’00, Still Life in Bloom; [6] Jasmine Chock ’17, Toe Cake; [7] Chong Chu, Psalm 100; [8] Adria Johnson Warner ’95, Uprooted Colanders

60 TRINITY TODAY

[2]

in all of our lives. This work meditates on Psalm 100. Chong has

School and you have not wandered upstairs, you

This exhibition allows students to see what past faculty

[3]

PHOTOS BY FR A NCES A LLEN

[7]

ALUMNI ART SHOW [8]

[5]

[4]

[6]

SCAN THE QR CODE TO HEAR THE ACCOMPANYING SPOKEN WORD

Alumni Kimberlea Krueger Bass ’91 Lindsay Crawford ’94 Ali Otstott ’94 Lael Sale Burns ’97 Rob Gregory ’00 Jennifer Thornton Moreman ’00 Nate Henderson ’02 Katie Baker Babb ’07 KJ Johnson ’11 Haley Moore Pendleton ’12 Jes Fort ’13 Emily Hardesty ’13 Collin Schuster ’16 Jasmine Chock ’17 David Dembicki ’17 Jordyn Goodman ’18 Caroline McClay ’18 Brie McCracken ’18

Jordan McFarlane ’19 Caroline Millet ’19 Abby Coronado ’20 Leah Kegerreis ’21 Aly Bayliss ’22 Former TCA Student Lori Brennan (1981–83) Former Faculty Chong Chu David Connolly ’93 Jimmie Hudson Wally Linebarger Mary Morgan Tiffanie Philllips Mutlu ’89 Judith Seay

Current Faculty Carey Estrada Carrie Garoutte Kunkel ’00 David Goerk Hank Harmon Laura Henderson Adria Johnson Warner ’95, Jonathan Millet ’84 Frances Russell Allen ’10 Nikki Stinson

PARTICIPANTS

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Letter from the Alumni Association President

I

CON T IN U E TO BE HONOR ED to serve as your president

of the Alumni Association alongside our entire board. We have been hard at work planning upcoming events and look forward to continuing to effectuate our mission of connecting alumni and alumni parents relationally, professionally and spiritually with the TCA community.

Unfortunately, our Homecoming events were canceled due to adverse weather, but we are eagerly awaiting our Spring Alumni Weekend which will be held on April 21-23, 2023. We are currently planning our kickoff event along with the Alumni Baseball Game and spring musical and will have more details about these exciting events in the coming months.

As many of you may know, we have decided to return our class reunions to the fall to coincide with TCA’s Homecoming. These class reunions are the cornerstone of our alumni connections, and we anticipate that returning to a fall schedule will allow more people to attend the class reunions while increasing our communal support of our beloved TCA football team. We are currently developing a model to assist class agents in planning these events whereby the Alumni Association will take the lead on planning so that class agents can simply assist the association in making connections with our former students to increase attendance. Our class agents play an important role in the success of the Alumni Association, and we are thankful for each of them. We would greatly appreciate if you would consider acting as a class agent as well. If you are interested in serving alongside the board in this capacity, please contact Beth Harwell at bharwell@ trinitychristian.org.

Finally, I want to highlight our Legacy families. We recently held our annual Legacy breakfast, and TCA now has 207 Legacy students and 121 Legacy families. We also have four three-generation Legacy families. I truly believe that one of the greatest testaments to the strength of our school is the number of alumni who entrust their children’s education and development to their alma mater. Thank you for your continued support to our great school, and may God continue to bless TCA!

B R A N D O N WA D D E L L ’ 9 7 Alumni Association President

62 TRINITY TODAY

LE G AC Y

Remembering Headmaster

John Schimmer JOHN SCHIMMER J R ., SECON D HE A DM A ST ER at

Trinity Christian Academy, ran the race and finished well on April 30, 2022.

Born in 1933 on the South Side of Chicago, John Schimmer worked his way through college, studying Bible at Moody Bible Institute as well as earning a BA in elementary education and a BA in religious education at Shelton College in New Jersey.

In 1962 he earned a master’s degree in administration. He married his college sweetheart Janie in June of 1958, laying the foundation for a 63-year marriage. In the 1960s, Mr. Schimmer served on the faculty of Shelton College as well as principal and ultimately superintendent in the school district of Ringwood, New Jersey.

In 1973, Mr. Schimmer moved his family to Dallas to become the second headmaster at Trinity Christian Academy, which was on the verge of pursuing accreditation and moving

In 1978, John Schimmer left TCA to become the south

to the present campus in Addison. In those years, he recalled,

central director of the newly formed Association of Christian

“I had no idea how many hats I would have to wear, but the

Schools International (ACSI). During his years with ACSI, he

philosophy of all who were involved from the start was just

completed his doctorate of education. He served as co-founder

that you did what had to be done.” A long-time coworker

of the Dallas Association of Christian Educators, president of

recalled that “he got the school organized. We were a close

the Texas Christian School Association and president of the

faculty. We struggled together; we all worked together to get

National Council of Private School Accreditation.

the accreditation. When we got it, it was announced over the loudspeaker, and everyone cheered!”

Mr. Schimmer’s passion for TCA was to pursue true biblical

In his latter years, John and his beloved wife Janie traveled extensively overseas training teachers and board members at international Christian schools. He served as an adjunct

integration and to become a distinctively Christian school,

teacher and guest lecturer in several seminaries and colleges.

even though, in his words, “in the early 1970s, none of us was

Following his death, his children find great joy in discovering

sure what a Christian school was. We had to discover what

his notes and highlights in his Bible; a well-marked verse

makes a school distinctively Christian. Just having Bible class

in Philippians teaches Christians to “do all things without

or chapel services wasn’t enough. We pursued true biblical

grumbling or complaining, that you may prove yourselves

integration in everything we did.”

blameless and innocent, children of God among a perverse

Schimmer’s children remember that “he modeled for us

generation among whom you appear as lights in the world.”

quiet times, family devotions, daily prayer, regular church

John Schimmer served as a light to the TCA community, and

attendance and a deep reverence for God. Even as our families

his family’s investment in the school lasted long after his time

grew, when we were all together at holidays and on vacation,

as headmaster. His three children graduated from TCA: David

devotions were a priority, and dad would often assign us days to

in 1978, Libby in 1982 and Jackie in 1986. Libby married Matt

give the devos, including his grandchildren. We spent time as a

Madison ’81, son of TCA board member Ford Madison. Jackie

family in the Word and prayer.”

Schimmer Harrison returned to TCA as a parent in 2002.

His daughter Libby remembers, “One of the most valuable

The first-grade classroom of her oldest, Jessie Harrison, was

lessons he ever taught me was during my middle school years at

right down the hall from John’s wife Janie “Nana” Schimmer,

the height of self-absorption. He had me reconcile my parents’

who served as a phonics tutor for students with dyslexia for

giving for the year to ministries and missionaries.” When

32 years, helping over 150 students before her retirement in

she questioned why the family gave so much, Mr. Schimmer

2006. Jackie’s children Jessie, Travis and Maggie were “lifers”

responded, “Everything we have comes from God, and a life of

at TCA, and Maggie’s graduation in 2020 ended 47 years of

obedience includes giving back to God and his work.”

members of the Schimmer/Harrison family at TCA.

IN MEMORIAM WINTER 2022

Jerry Michael Patton, alumni parent June 29, 2022

William “Bill” Wilkerson, alumni parent July 2, 2022

Earl James Neal, alumni parent September 22, 2022

James “Jimmy” David Chaffin ’84 October 12, 2022

Timothy Lee Wade ’99 November 10, 2022

Thomas J. Sanders, alumni parent December 6, 2022

LAST WORD

DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ Middle-schoolers Cohen Carreker (drums), Hannah Sue Fulford (vocals), Kaden Handoko (bass), Caleb Kim (keyboard) and Duncan Ramsey (electric guitar) performed as the band First Place in the Middle School Annual Talent Show on December 2. Rocking out with the Journey hit “Don’t Stop Believin’,” these talented Trojans had everyone on their feet dancing, singing and cheering for their classmates.

PHOTOS BY C A RE Y ES TR A DA

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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!

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