CONNECTION_SUMMER_2025

025 SUMMER 2

Connection is published by the Office of Advancement.

On The Cover Front: While visiting Clearwater Cove during their trip to Branson, MO, our 8th graders trekked through the woods and up steep hills, all while trying to keep pace with Coach Tiffany Lippoldt.

Inside Cover: The 2024 Upper School Musical, Once Upon A Mattress, was recognized by the Music Theatre Wichita Jester Awards with seven nominations and seventeen Region 1 Honors.

Back (student artwork): Amy Cunningham’s photography students, Kelsey Rooney, 9th, and Reghan Eck, 11th, had their artwork place in the highly competitive and prestigious Texas Photographic Society International Student Competition this year.

Contributing Writers Phoebe Hart ‘95, Amanda London, Kevin Mykel, Steve Naumann, Charlie Ramseyer, Kathy Rukes ‘99, Sara Souraty, Nathan Washer Contributing Photographers Amy Cunningham, Steve Naumann, John Pair ‘92, Charlie Ramseyer, Kathy Rukes ‘99, Sara Souraty

Editorial Staff Phoebe Hart ‘95 / Alumni Relations Coordinator, Katie Leiding ‘04 / Director of Development, Steve Naumann / Director of Marketing & Communications, Charlie Ramseyer / Communications Coordinator, Jen Remsberg / Development Coordinator, Kathy Rukes ‘99 / Director of Community Engagement, Sara Souraty / Admissions & Community Engagement Coordinator, Lalo Walsh / Director of Leadership Giving Mission Statement Wichita Collegiate School exists to inspire all students to be the best versions of themselves through a transformative education grounded in academic excellence within our inclusive community.

Vision Statement Wichita Collegiate School empowers all students to lead lives of impact by partnering with our students, faculty, families, and community.

wcsks.com

wichitacollegiate

@wichita_collegiate_school

Features

32 The Liberal Arts: An Essential Tradition

What is a liberal arts education today?

40 The Struggle Is Real Middle School Reflections

46 Building Bright Futures

The Value of Emotional Intelligence

2 Welcome from the Head of School 4 Year in Review 14 Honor Roll 16 MS Celebration of Learning 18 US Honors Day 20 Academic & Fine Arts Team & Club Honors 24 Athletic Honors & Championships 26 Class of 2025 28 Graduation 30 Faculty and Staff 48 Collegiate Parent Association 50 Senior Sendoff 52 Alumni Board Highlights 54 Mentor Day 61 Alumni Class Notes

FROM THE DESK OF...

Head of School, Nathan Washer

It’s not always a good thing to get to see the inside of the Head of School’s office, but Mr. Washer has done his best to make it a welcoming place that reminds him of home. The first thing you’ll likely notice upon entering is that Mr. Washer likes to surround himself with inspiration, happy memories, and reminders of his home…

Warrington, England. Here are a few of the highlights from a tour of the transatlantic-inspired office of our resident Brit.

2

1

3

1 FAMILY MATTERS. Pictured in the center is Mr. Washer’s grandmother, who was the principal of his elementary school in England. The origins of Mr. Washer’s educational career can be traced back to her. 2 Sporting suspenders on the beach, Mr. Washer’s father at 8 years old plays cricket with his own father, uncle, and brother in the North of Wales. 3 NO PLACE LIKE HOME. These railway posters highlight many of Mr. Washer’s favorite places.

5

4

6

4 Mr. Washer’s beloved Liverpool Football Club celebrating their Champions League win in 2005 after a 21-year drought. 5 The picturesque harbour town of Kinsale, in Ireland, is a reminder of tranquility when needed. 6 THE ART OF INSPIRATION. Across from Mr. Washer’s desk is a collection of Collegiate student artwork.

YEAR in REVIEW

On WEDNESDAYS we

walk around Walkaround Wednesday was an idea born out of the desire to make sure our social media channels weren’t only showing the high-flying shiny parts of our days, but instead bringing attention to the normal in-between moments you would see on a quick 30-minute walk around campus.

O

ver the last two years, Walkaround Wednesday has become more than just a hashtag. What started out as an idea to regularly share “normal” everyday moments has become a weekly window into what Wichita Collegiate is really all about. By showcasing the everyday moments happening in our halls and classrooms, we celebrate the energy, creativity, and connections that ultimately define our learning community. It is through these weekly glimpses of daily life that we find ourselves able to highlight the quiet dedication of our staff, the curiosity of our students, and the small, meaningful interactions that often make the biggest impact.

Walkaround Wednesday also adds a level of transparency, helping current families, alumni, and the wider community feel more connected to what’s happening inside our school walls.

This front-row seat to our students’ school experiences allows for a chance to see the joyful, creative, and collaborative environment we foster every day. In these posts, you might catch a glimpse of a group project, a classroom full of quiet readers, or even a fun high-five between friends. Walkaround Wednesday captures the beauty of a well-rounded education in action.

Ultimately, sharing these small moments every week helps to remind us that the magic of education isn’t just in test scores or big events, but in the everyday experiences that shape our students’ growth. With every Walkaround Wednesday post you see, know that it is a small celebration of our supportive culture, a recognition of the hard work of our students and faculty, and a reminder that at the end of the day, the small moments ARE the big moments.

- ChaRLiE rAmseyER 6 | SUMMER 2025

walkd n u o r a DNESDAYS WE

wa arDoN WE

alkounAYd S

NESD

k l a w d n u o ar SDAYS WEDNE

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 13

HIGH HONOR ROLL GRADE 12 Macy Beran Cooper Brown Aacia Burnette Aubrey Collignon Laney Conrad Shouvik Dev Tatum Downing Diana Eldika Jack Grace Omar Hamada Jalil Hemphill Julia Herrman Sabrina Hunt Arman Issa Ryan Khalife Jiwoo Lee Harry Ling Julia Longsworth Sam Ngunjiri Andrew Porter Harrison Simon Tristan Sprole Hannah Ternes Liliana Varchavtchik GRADE 11 Heer Barot A.J. Batiste Carter Chance Reghan Eck Jennah Fayziev Charlie Gentile Cora Hill Shaad Issa Carlyle Johnson Caroline Kuglich Jaden Lichty Ethan MacKenzie Claire Marquardt Brian Mattar Ezra Meyers Sara Mines Anne Marie Olson Joshua Pfeiffer Hayan Raffi Alex Richardson Cal Solomon Ajitesh Srivastava Rachael Tee Peter Todorov Savannah Vess

14 | SUMMER 2025

Khloie Villagomez Max Williams Cooper Winters GRADE 10 Campbell Arneson Charles Basinger Alegra Fazio Ethan Gould Shivani Hebsur Ellie Kater Scarlet Lacey Joshua Lee Avik Maharaj Jack McNary Clara Monahan Reide Rasberry Cameron Reilly Jackson Rukes Karim Sandid Sophia Santo Benjamin Shackelford Aman Sharma Max Timsah Nate Toon Carolina Villars Andino GRADE 9 Evelyn Aberle Ethan Acree Rima Ajwad Tanya Ali Sophia Bennani Remy Blanchaert Olivier Chocron Mia Felice Isabella Fernandez Vihaan Ganganala Olivia Gehrer Jude Issa Sneha Kamineni Amir Khicha Alisa Lin Jayden Mai Michelle Mangan Natalie Nichols James Nolan Courtney Olson Elizabeth Olson Evelyn Ritchie Kingston Romero Kelsey Rooney

Nicole Rooney Raelyn Ryun Maya Sabouni Jacobi Salyers Annie Sharp Blake Sprole Aditya Srivastava Anna Stevens Zaid Tabbal Sophia Timme Varsha Vivekanandhan Lucy Voloch Omnia Wakil Julia Walenta GRADE 8 Ahmad Abu-Awwad Brooks Bastian Ava Blue Caden Corrigan Sophia Cremin Jane Docking Lanie Kater Mason King Ally Kotkin Eden Lacey Ava Monahan Yasmina Mortada Dex Naumann Emery Payne Owen Payne Natalia Saad Albert Saliba Andy Shao Giana Shuart Brylee Smock Stella Stone Emma Ternes Katelyn Thompson Katarina Valdivia Ameer Wakil Maddox Wares Lockard Webb GRADE 7 Saville Amirani Gigi Bartel Theo Baughman Blaze Beran Reed Blanchaert Clemence Bradu Caroline Brane

Fisher Brane Madeline Cade Hudson Drumright Housten Esterline Juliet Farha Rory Farha Adeline Hill Rowen Howell Jude Joudi Vivian Knowles Annabelle Lee Anaya Maharaj Teddy Moeller Charlie Myers Saleem Nabbout Nicholas Phillips Wesley Rohr Ethan Rukes Sophia Saviani Maris Schwab Nora Shuart Shodashi Sivaraman Cameron Stewart Ria Tripathi Adeline Viner Victoria Younger GRADE 6 Salma Alsaleem Jasmine Atkinson Grace Bergquist Anniston Bhargava Scarlett Coffey Lila Dakhil Samuel Devlin Aya Eldika Isabel Elliott Lily Estephan Hank Gaddis Noah Hake Bailey Hall Jenson Hawley Harrison Hill Nadine Issa Sreya Kamineni Liam Kucharski Marco Laham Joanna Messamore Henry Michaelis Stella Moeller Naya Mortada Red Redford Rami Sabouni

Ava Scheve Ava Schmidtberger Hendrick Smock Emerson Sprole Ava Steckley Simon Stevens Jack Streich Yusuke Takahashi Viaan Talreja Zane Thompson Kenzie Villagomez Dagny Winters GRADE 5 Manvi Addala Hamza Ahmad Hayley Anderson Luke Arends Emmett Bezdek Brody Bollinger Carver Cleveland Brielle Cooke Ben Dakhil Phoebe Durbin Lucas Flack Ignatius Gordon Jacqueline Halphen Evelyn Han Remy Howell Mark Joudi Lauren Lichty Davis Moeller Milo Monahan Johnny Moussa Lizzy Myers Liv Naumann Henry Noble Michael Phillips Eleanor Pigg Shriya Prashanth Karina Preston Remina Preston Jane Ramseyer Carson Root-White Creighton Smith Alexa Souraty Nathan Stehley Annabelle Tauke Henry Ternes Nico Trinchet

HONOR ROLL GRADE 12 Isabella Alvaez Cooper Arneson Yasmin Bacci Drake Beran Sihyeon Byon Cameron Cadena David Chege Chloe Dart Carter Drumright Santiago Felice Clare Finan Jaeden Flores Beth Henshall Roman Hourani Dahlia Issa Floyd Jones Katriel Kadiri Tristan Leddy Devin Longsworth Nathan Lynch Will Meyer Cooper Miller Ishani Nagabhushan Cassilda Njeri Langley Overman Lana Sandid Ellen Schulte Camden St. Germain Will Strecker Margaret Ulrich Natalie Villars Andino Zach Voloch Ward Weimar Nicolas Zayat GRADE 11 Ali Al-Sukin Delilah Banuelos Parker Bennett Avery Compton Lukas Cremin Michael Dobbs Shelbie Emerson Cameron Estes Lucy Gehrer Ellie Howell Madeline Kavalauskas Acacia Knight Emma McDonald Brooke McKown Kai Pearson

Charlotte Pigg Trip Porter Caspar Rechtsprecher Devin Ritchie Clare Schupbach Sadhakshi Sivaraman Sam Taylor Maddie Ternes Elizabeth Timsah Isaac Vanderburg Natalie Walenta Corban Wiley Grier Wiltse GRADE 10 Langston Ahmad Laith Al-Sukin Rahstin Amirani Mason Bond Jena Campbell Maddox Drumright Landon Langston Kalyn Lichty Charlie Ling Evan Lynch Carson Malaise Graham Miller Adam Naji Timmy Ritchie Emme Strickland Grace Teal Zaryn Thompson Gavin Tuhro Dalton Turpin LJ Varchavtchik James Weimar GRADE 9 Vivienne Bartel Lydia Brittain Blake Dudley Paige Hart Kevin Kim Nirvaan Kulkarni Janice Maeng Torsten Overman Hadley Porter Jayden Turner Finley Viljanmaa Grace Voloch Max Walters Lily Webber

GRADE 8 Nathaniel Abou Faissal Jonathan Chehab Jace Dalke True Frederick Hudson Hoover Charlie Idbeis Deema Issa Julianna Johnson Colin Malla Keira Marquardt Margaret Michaelis Natalia Nabbout Watson Payne Vivian Pigg Cooper Sayahnejad Chloe Souraty Braylon Stewart Whitney Teal GRADE 7 Haylee Acree Thomas Alderson Lucas Alvaez Emery Bond Taylor Chandler Marshall Cooke Genevieve Darrah Kinley Hobart Thomas Lester Skylar Moeller Danny Naji Cash Strain Emiliano Velasquez

Laila Naji Jake Ndungu Milania Nguyen Amir Patel Priya Phillips Tyler Ragan Sophia Ritchie Divette Rosas Yara Shahouri L.C. Tarbell Nico Valdivia Brenlee Vincent Joanise Vincent Leah White Ledger Wiltse GRADE 5 Blakelyn Barrett Everett Bastian Waylon Blue Micaela Brown Alex DeVore Isley Farha Beckett Hodge Jacob Kuykendall Max Kuykendall Aiden Marceau Emma Porter Emerald Rolfe Lucas Rukes Avila Schwab Teddy Toy Laina Varchavtchik Rosalie Widener

GRADE 6 Zoey Alter Warren Brady Matthew Chehab Mackenzie Coe Melissa de Carvalho Silva Evelyn Elkouri Mateo Felice Beau Flurry Helen Hawley William Hood Jones Idbeis Ava Johnson Alex Mangan Anna Marler Grace McFarlane Leanna Nabbout

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 15

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Celebration of Learning HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD

Yasmina Mortada & Caden Corrigan

HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARDS are presented to the 8th grade boy and girl who best exemplify the overall objectives of Collegiate Middle School. These students participate in many areas of student life such as academics, fine arts, and athletics with a sense of joy and commitment.

SHAFER DART MEMORIAL AWARD

Owen Payne

SHAFER DART MEMORIAL AWARD is given in memory of Shafer Dart to an 8th grader who exemplifies Shafer’s qualities and outgoing, gregarious spirit.

ALICE VIRGINIA KNORR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Lanie Kater

ALICE VIRGINIA KNORR SCHOLARSHIP AWARD is given in memory of Alice to an 8th grader who represents a balance between academics, family, and social life. She should be someone who is warm, thoughtful, and considerate to her classmates.

HEAD OF SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP CUP

Class of 2030 (7th grade) - 92.6%

HEAD OF SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP CUP is presented to the class with the highest grade average.

SPELLING BEE AWARD

Charlie Myers

2023-24 ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

STUDENTS WITH AVERAGE GPA 96%+ 5TH GRADE Manvi Addala, Luke Arends, Emmett Bezdek, Carver Cleveland, Brielle Cooke, Ben Dakhil, Lucas Flack, Ignatius Gordon, Evelyn Han, Mark Joudi, Lizzy Myers, Liv Naumann, Henry Noble, Michael Phillips, Jane Ramseyer, Carson Root-White, Creighton Smith, Nathan Stehley, Annabelle Tauke

5TH GRADE

6TH GRADE

6TH GRADE Salma Alsaleem, Grace Bergquist, Scarlett Coffey, Sam Devlin, Aya Eldika, Isabel Elliott, Bailey Hall, Jenson Hawley, Harrison Hill, Nadine Issa, Sreya Kamineni, Naya Mortada, Red Redford, Rami Sabouni, Ava Scheve, Ava Schmidtberger, Emerson Sprole, Simon Stevens, Jack Streich, Yusuke Takahashi, Viaan Talreja, Kenzie Villagomez 7TH GRADE Saville Amirani, Gigi Bartel, Blaze Beran, Reed Blanchaert, Clemence Bradu, Fisher Brane, Hudson Drumright, Housten Esterline, Juliet Farha, Jude Joudi, Vivian Knowles, Annabelle Lee, Anaya Maharaj, Teddy Moeller, Charlie Myers, Saleem Nabbout, Nicholas Phillips, Nora Shuart, Shodashi Sivaraman, Cameron Stewart, Ria Tripathi, Victoria Younger

7TH GRADE

16 | SUMMER 2025

8TH GRADE

8TH GRADE Ahmad Abu-Awwad, Caden Corrigan, Mason King, Ava Monahan, Yasmina Mortada, Emery Payne, Owen Payne, Natalia Saad, Andy Shao, Giana Shuart, Brylee Smock, Stella Stone, Katarina Valdivia, Ameer Wakil, Maddox Wares, Lockard Webb

MIDDL

E SCHOOL

STUDENTS

of the

SEMESTER

GOLDEN C AWARDS

FALL SEMESTER 5th Grade Michael Phillips Rosalie Widener 6th Grade Harrison Hill Stella Moeller 7th Grade Charlie Myers Clemence Bradu 8th Grade Ahmad Abu-Awwad Emma Ternes

SPRING SEMESTER 5th Grade Mark Joudi Emerald Rolfe 6th Grade LC Tarbell Ava Scheve 7th Grade Fisher Brane Caroline Brane 8th Grade Mason King Ally Kotkin

COMMUNICATION Ben Dakhil - 5th Scarlett Coffey - 6th Danny Naji - 7th Natalia Saad - 8th

CREATIVITY

Eleanor Pigg - 5th Jenson Hawley - 6th Theo Baughman - 7th Dex Naumann - 8th

CRITICAL THINKING Mark Joudi - 5th Simon Stevens - 6th Housten Esterline - 7th Andy Shao - 8th

COLLABORATION

Carver Cleveland - 5th Yusuke Takahashi - 6th Charlie Myers - 7th Giana Shuart - 8th

CHARACTER

Creighton Smith - 5th Eden Dudley, Helen Hawley, and Amir Patel (3-way tie) - 6th Wes Rohr - 7th Ahmad Abu-Awwad - 8th

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

17

UPPER SCHOOL

Honors Day

HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD

Hannah Ternes & Shouvik Dev HEAD OF SCHOOL CUP

Class of 2028 (9th Grade) with a class average of 91.69% "I DARE YOU" AWARD

Jennah Fayziev & Julian Johnson FORREST C. LATTNER ENDOWMENT AWARD

Rachael Tee

MATH & SCIENCE AWARD

Omar Hamada

MANDY SHOAF MEMORIAL JACK C. CHESKY LEADERSHIP WORLD LANGUAGE AWARD COLLEGIATE HUMANITIES AWARD

Clare Finan

Jack Grace

Julia Longsworth Aacia Burnette

2024-25 HIGHEST SCHOLASTIC PERFORMANCE STUDENTS WITH AVERAGE GPA 96%+ 9TH GRADE Evelyn Aberle, Ethan Acree, Rima Ajwad, Tanya Ali, Remy Blanchaert, Mia Felice, Vihaan Ganganala, Jude Issa, Sneha Kamineni, Amir Khicha, Alisa Lin, Jayden Mai, Michelle Mangan, Kingston Romero, Kelsey Rooney, Maya Sabouni, Annie Sharp, Blake Sprole, Aditya Srivastava, Anna Stevens, Zaid Tabbal, Varsha Vivekanandhan, Lucy Voloch, Julia Walenta

9TH GRADE

10TH GRADE

10TH GRADE Alegra Fazio, Ethan Gould, Scarlet Lacey, Joshua Lee, Clara Monahan, Reide Rasberry, Jackson Rukes, Ben Shackelford, Aman Sharma, Max Timsah 11TH GRADE Jennah Fayziev, Cora Hill, Caroline Kuglich, Jaden Lichty, Ethan MacKenzie, Ezra Meyers, Sara Mines, Anne Marie Olson, Hayan Raffi, Ajitesh Srivastava, Peter Todorov 12TH GRADE Aubrey Collignon, Shouvik Dev, Diana Eldika, Omar Hamada, Jalil Hemphill, Sabrina Hunt, Arman Issa, Jiwoo Lee, Harry Ling, Julia Longsworth, Hannah Ternes

11TH GRADE

18 | SUMMER 2025

12TH GRADE

I AM AWARDS Teacher-nominated awards for students who embody the elements of the "Portrait of a Spartan."

I AM RESILIENT

9th grade - Daniel Seaton and Lucy Voloch 10th grade - Kamari Jennings and Ellie Kater 11th grade - Josh Pfeiffer and Maddie Ternes 12th grade - Julia Herrman and Margaret Ulrich

I AM CONSTANTLY LEARNING 9th grade - Olivier Chocron and Sneha Kamineni 10th grade - Max Timsah and Clara Monahan 11th grade - Peter Todorov and Heer Barot 12th grade - Harry Ling and Jiwoo Lee

I AM SOLVING PROBLEMS

9th grade - Kingston Romero and Olivia Gehrer 10th grade - Langston Ahmad and Aman Sharma 11th grade - Hayan Raffi and Anne Marie Olson 12th grade - Tristan Leddy and Aacia Burnette

I AM UNIQUELY TALENTED

9th grade - Annie Sharp and Anna Stevens 10th grade - Ben Shackelford and Sophia Santo 11th grade - Cooper Winters and Brian Mattar 12th grade - Tristan Sprole and Camden St. Germain

CUM LAUDE

SOCIETY

JUNIOR INDUCTEES: Cora Hill, Caroline Kuglich, Ethan MacKenzie, Ezra Meyers, Hayan Raffi, Ajitesh Srivastava, Peter Todorov SENIOR INDUCTEES: Tatum Downing, Omar Hamada, Jalil Hemphill, Arman Issa, Julia Longsworth, Sam Ngunjiri, Hannah Ternes

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 19

ACADEMIC & FINE ARTS Team & Cl SCHOLAR’S BOWL

HOSA

UNDEFEATED STATE CHAMPIONS Undefeated Regional Champions Regular Season Championships: TOC at Bishop Carroll, 1st ”The Golden Spike” at Newton, 1st Salina Central Invitational, 1st Goessel Invitational, 1st Douglass Invitational, 1st Andover Invitational, 1st Wellington Invitational, 1st Eisenhower Invitational, 1st

Team Events: Biomedical Debate: Ajitesh Srivistava, Hayan Raffi, Elizabeth Timsah, Adam Naji, 1st place Health Career Display: Claire Marquardt, Sara Mines, 3rd Place Forensic Science: Cora Hill, Jennah Fayziev, 2nd place MRC Partnership: Heer Barot, Madie Kavaluskas, 1st place

UPPER SCHOOL DEBATE 1-3A Debate 2-Speaker STATE CHAMPIONS: Elizabeth Timsah and Max Timsah DECA State Competition (March 2, 2025 - March 4, 2025 in Manhattan, Kansas) award winners: Individual role-play events: Madie Kavalauskas – 1st place Principles of Marketing Ajitesh Srivastava – 1st place Entrepreneurship Sneha Kamineni – 4th place Principles of Finance Shivani Hesbur – 5th place Accounting Applications Elizabeth Timsah – 5th place Personal Finance Literacy Heer Barot – 6th place Restaurant and Food Services Marketing Cooper Miller – 6th place Business Service Marketing Aman Sharma – 7th place Principles of Finance Varsha Vivekanandhan – 7th place Principles of Business Management Charlie Basinger – 9th place Principles of Business Management Cameron Estes – 10th place Business Financial Services Team role-play events: Charlie Gentile and Hayan Raffi – 2nd place Sports and Entertainment Team Decision Making Written Events: Shivani Hesbur, Sneha Kamineni and Varsha Vivekanandhan – 1st place Innovation Plan Charlie Gentile, Hayan Raffi, and Ajitesh Srivastava – 3rd place Independent Business Plan 2025-2026 State Officer Vice President Ajitesh Srivastava 20 | SUMMER 2025

Individual Events: Research Poster: Varsha Vivekanandhan, 1st place. Sneha Kamineni, 4th place Clinical Lab Sciences: Shivani Hebsur, 1st place Respiratory Therapy: Claire Marquardt, 3rd place Dental Science: Jennah Fayziev, 2nd place Epidemiology: Ajitesh Srivistava, 3rd place Medical Math: Ethan MacKenzie, 2nd place. Joshua Lee, 10th place ATC Chemistry: Max Timsah, 7th place Medical Assisting: Max Timsah, 4th place Medical Law and Ethics: Sadhakshi Sivaraman, 10th place Health Policy Writing: Elizabeth Timsah, 9th place Pathophysiology: Hayan Raffi, 5th place FMP: Adam Naji, 5th place. Karim Sandid, 4th place Researched Persuasive: Sadhakshi Sivaraman, 6th place PITTSBURG MATH COMPETITION Team Events: Calculator: Ajitesh Srivastava, Josh Pfeiffer, Omar Hamada, Ethan MacKenzie - 1st Place Geometry: Caroline Kuglich, Sihyeon Byon, Jiwoo Lee, Mike Lee - 2nd Place Algebra Medley: Charlie Gentile, Sam Ngunjiri, Jaden Lichty, Shouvik Dev 2nd Place Trigonometry: Shouvik Dev, Ethan MacKenzie, Omar Hamada, Jalil Hemphill - 2nd Place Algebraic Word Problems: Josh Pfeiffer, Shaad Issa, Hayan Raffi, Isaac Vanderburg - 4th Place Individual Events: Graphing: Caroline Kuglich - 1st Place Algebraic Equations and Inequalities: Josh Lee - 2nd Place Algebraic Simplifications: Caroline Kuglich - 1st Place, Sihyeon Byon - 2nd Place, Josh Lee - 2nd Place Number Theory: Ajitesh Srivastava - 3rd

Place Computational Math: Mike Lee - 1st Place, Hayan Raffi - 2nd Place Programming: Jalil Hemphill - 2nd Place Analytic Geometry: Sihyeon Byon - 1st Place, Ethan MacKenzie - 1st Place Trigonometry: Jalil Hemphill - 3rd Place Functions: Jiwoo Lee - 2nd Place, Jaden Lichty - 3rd Place Marathon: Mike Lee - 1st Place, Omar Hamada - 2nd Place Analysis: Jiwoo Lee - 1st Place Also finishing in the top: Sihyeon Byon (Computational Math), Shouvik Dev (Number Theory, Logic and Set Theory), Michael Dobbs (Geometry), Omar Hamada (Logic and Set Theory), Jalil Hemphill (Potpourri), Shaad Issa (Computational Math, Functions), Caroline Kuglich (Potpourri), Jiwoo Lee (Algebraic Equations and Inequalities), Mike Lee (Geometry), Jaden Lichty (Trigonometry), Drake Manspeaker (Computational Math), Hayan Raffi (Geometry, Potpourri), Cari Reagans (Algebraic Equations and Inequalities, Algebraic Simplifications), Jackson Rukes (Graphing, Computational Math, Algebraic Word Problems), Aditya Srivastava (Geometry), Isaac Vanderburg (Algebraic Simplifications) LOWER SCHOOL CHESS TEAM 4th place at State JESTER AWARDS Overall Production Once Upon a Mattress Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Lead Performer Sophia Santo as Winifred Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Stage Crew - Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Guest Costume Design by Chadwick Armstrong - Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Guest Lighting Design by Dan Harmon Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Program Design by Amy Cunningham - Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Lobby Display by Amy Cunningham - Jester Nomination and Region 1 Honors Lead Performer Acacia Knight as Queen Aggravain - Region 1 Honors Production Number “Shy” - Region 1 Honors Vocal Direction Mr. Webber - Region 1 Honors Supporting Performer Natalie Webber as The Jester - Region 1 Honors Cameo Performer Charlotte Pigg as Ballet Princess - Region 1 Honors

lub Honors Ensemble/Chorus - Region 1 Honors Guest Set Design by Jordan Slusher Region 1 Honors Guest Choreographer by Gavin Myers Region 1 Honors Guest Sound Design by Mark Scheltgen Region 1 Honors KSHSAA 3A REGIONAL & STATE SOLO AND SMALL ENSEMBLE COMPETITION Madrigals - 2 Excellent Rating at State, 1 Superior Rating at Regionals Dynamics - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Vivi Bartel, Soprano - 2 Excellent Rating at Regionals Sam Brittain, Baritone - 2 Excellent Rating at Regionals Sihyeon Byon, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Lucy Gehrer, Alto - 2 Excellent Rating at State, 1 Superior Rating at Regionals Acacia Knight, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Jiwoo Lee, Alto - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Janice Maeng, Alto - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Kailey Norlie, Soprano - 2 Excellent Rating at State, 1 Superior Rating at Regionals Courtney Olson, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at Regionals Kai Pearson, Tenor - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Andrew Porter, Bass - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Melanie Reece, Alto - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Jackson Rukes, Baritone - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Raelyn Ryun, Alto - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Lana Sandid, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Sophia Santo, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Ben Shackelford, Bass - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Hannah Ternes, Soprano - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Grier Wiltse, Tenor - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Cooper Winters, Baritone - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals WCS Mallet Trio (Arman Issa, Acacia Knight, Sara Mines) - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals WCS Percussion Ensemble (Olivier Chocron, Arman Issa, Katriel Kadiri,

Kevin Kim, Acacia Knight, Sara Mines, Melanie Reece, Lucy Voloch) - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Olivier Chocron, Violin - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Shivani Hebsur, Violin - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Jalil Hemphill, Trumpet - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Sneha Kemineni, Violin - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Joshua Lee, Oboe - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Kalyn Lichty, Trombone - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Claire Marquardt, Clarinet - 2 Excellent Rating at Regionals Charlotte Pigg, Flute - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Clare Schupbach, Clarinet - 2 Excellent Rating at Regionals Peter Todorov, Violin - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Varsha Vivekanandhan, Violin - 1 Superior Rating at State and Regionals Cooper Winters, Clarinet - 2 Excellent Rating at State, 1 Superior Rating at Regionals KSHSAA STATE MUSIC FESTIVAL Concert Band received a 1 Superior Rating.

Festival Chorus (Mads & Dynamics combined) received a 1 Superior Rating.

Madrigals received a 1 Superior Rating with a perfect 80/80 from one of the judges.

Carter Chance - 4th Chair Euphonium 1234A All State Band, 1st Chair Baritone All District 1234A Band Olivier Chocron - 2nd Alternate Percussion All State Band, 6th Chair All District 1234A Band Shouvik Dev - 2nd Chair Oboe 1234A All State Band, 2nd Chair Oboe All District 1234A Band Shivani Hebsur - Violin 2 All District Jalil Hemphill - 11th Chair Trumpet 1234A All State Band, 11th Chair Trumpet All District 1234A Band Arman Issa - 1st Chair Percussion All District 1234A Band Joshua Lee - 4th Chair Oboe 1234A All State Full Orchestra, 1st Chair Oboe All District 1234A Band Sneha Kamineni - Violin 2 All District Kalyn Lichty - 4th Chair Trombone All District 1234A Band Claire Marquardt - 10th Chair Clarinet All District 1234A Band Sara Mines - 3rd Chair Percussion All WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 21

ACADEMIC & FINE ARTS Team & Cl KSHSAA STATE MUSIC FESTIVAL (CONTINUED) District 1234A Band Charlotte Pigg - 6th Chair Flute 1234A All State Band, 1st Chair Flute All District 1234A Band Sophia Santo - All State Mixed Choir Soprano 2, All District Treble Choir Soprano 2 Peter Todorov - 5th Chair 1st Violin All State String Orchestra, Violin 2 All District Varsha Vivekanandhan - Violin 1 All District Cooper Winters - 10th Chair Clarinet 1234A All State Band, 8th Chair Clarinet All District 1234A Band SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS Regional Honors Maric Archibald: Gold Key: Drawing & Illustration, Gold Key: Mixed Media, Honorable Mention: Printmaking Vivi Bartel: Silver Key: Painting Reghan Eck: Silver Key: Photography, 2 Honorable Mentions: Photography Mia Felice: Gold Key: Painting, Silver Key: Printmaking, Honorable Mention: Printmaking Olivia Gehrer: Honorable Mention: Photography Charlie Gentile: Silver Key: Photography Beth Henshall: Silver Key: Photography Ally Kotkin (Middle School): Honorable Mention: Mixed Media.

Jaden Lichty: Honorable Mention, Photography.

Alisa Lin: Gold Key: Drawing & Illustration, Silver Key: Mixed Media Colin Malla (Middle School): Silver Key: Sculpture, Honorable Mention: Mixed media Michelle Mangan: Gold Key: Printmaking Claire Marquardt: Honorable Mention: Mixed Media Kelsey Rooney: Gold Key: Photography Ellie Schulte: Honorable Mention: Photography, Honorable Mention: Photography Art Portfolio Sadhakshi Sivaraman: Gold Key: Photography, Gold Key:Photography, Silver Key: Photography Cal Solomon: Silver Key: Film & Animation, Honorable Mention: Mixed Media Anna Stevens: Gold Key: Digital art, Silver Key: Painting

22 | SUMMER 2025

Zaryn Thompson: Honorable Mention: Painting Max Timsah: Honorable Mention: Painting Margaret Ulrich: Honorable Mention: Photography Julia Walenta: Silver Key: Sculpture Lily Webber: Silver Key: Painting MIDDLE SCHOOL NATIONAL MYTHOLOGY EXAM Gold Medal (Perfect Score) Cole Parker Evelyn Han Johnny Moussa Waylon Blue Everett Bastian Nico Trinchet Micaela Brown Lucas Rukes Iggy Gordon Carver Cleveland Henry Ternes Beckett Hodge Davis Moeller Lizzy Myers Rosalie Widener Annabelle Tauke Alexa Souraty Henry Noble Hamza Ahmad Gold Medal Alex Devore Milo Monahan Manvi Addala Hayley Anderson Shriya Prashanth Nathan Stehley Teddy Toy Lucas Flack Luke Arends Ava Scheve Silver Medal Paxton Vos Isley Farha Eleanor Pigg Liv Naumann Mary Nelson Ben Dakhil Mark Joudi Jacqueline Halphen Jane Ramseyer Emory Salyers Creighton Smith Ribbon Carson Root-White

Brielle Cooke JR Weigand Aaron Brooks Brody Bollinger Jacob Kuykendall Henry Michaelis Jack Glasgow Michael Phillips Blakelyn Barrett Avila Schwab Emma Porter Lincoln Ramsey Gracie Mcfarlane Dagny Winters Cum Laude Emerald Rolfe Laina Varchavtchik Remy Fowell Lauren Lichty Aya Stouky Max Kuykendall Phoebe Durbin Hayes Konen Ava Steckley Nico Valdivia Fiona Carduff Zane Thompson Participant Isaac Gruetter Aiden Marceau Amir Patel Ledger Wiltse Alexis Moeller Emerie Goode Marshall Cooke AMERICA 250 ART & ESSAY CONTEST Eleanor Pigg - 1st place

lub Honors

ATHLETIC Honors & Championships CROSS COUNTRY Will Meyer - 3rd Place 3A State, League Champion, All League, All State Alegra Fazio - All League Ellie Howell - All League Dahlia Issa - All League FOOTBALL Ali Al-Sukin - All State Honorable Mention Offensive Lineman Cooper Arneson - All State Honorable Mention Linebacker, All League Offensive Team Honorable Mention Tight End, All League Defensive Second Team Linebacker Markus Gorges - All State Honorable Mention Defensive Back, All League Offensive Team Honorable Mention Wide Receiver, All League Defensive Second Team Defensive Back Sebastian Hines-Turner - All State First Team Wide Receiver, All State First Team Defensive Back, All Metro Defensive Back, All League First Team Wide Receiver, All League First Team Defensive Back Roman Hourani - All Metro Third Team Defensive Back, All State Honorable Mention Defensive Back, All League First Team Defensive Back Julian Johnson - All State Honorable Mention Running Back, All League Second Team Running Back Jaden Parker - All State Honorable Mention Linebacker, All League Defensive First Team Linebacker Harrison Simon - All State Honorable Mention Quarterback, All Metro Honorable Mention Quarterback, All League Honorable Mention Quarterback, All League Honorable Mention Defensive Back Tristan Sprole - All State First Team Defensive Line, 3A All State Senior Team, All Metro First Team Defensive Line, All League Offensive Lineman, All League Defensive Line Ward Weimer - Sports in Kansas 3A All State Team GOLF (GIRLS) Margaret Ulrich - 321A State Runner Up, All League First Team, All State First Team TENNIS (GIRLS) Team 3A STATE CHAMPIONS: Amelia Blackman - 5th Place State Singles, All League, All Metro Second Team, All State

24 | SUMMER 2025

Laney Conrad - Doubles STATE CHAMPION, All League, All Metro First Team, All State Tatum Downing - 5th Place State Doubles, All League, All Metro Third Team, All State Julia Herrman - Doubles STATE CHAMPION, All League, All Metro First Team, All State Langley Overman - 5th Place State Doubles, All League, All Metro Third Team, All State Coach Simon Norman - All League, All Metro VOLLEYBALL Carlyle Johnson - All Metro First Team and First Team AVCTL Macy Beran - Honorable Mention AVCTL Natalie Hobart - Honorable Mention AVCTL BASKETBALL (BOYS) A.J. Batiste - All League First Team, All State Honorable Mention Carter Drumright - All League Second Team Jack Grace - All League Honorable Mention Kamari Jennings - All League Honorable Mention Jaden Parker - All League First Team, All State Honorable Mention BASKETBALL (GIRLS) Laney Conrad - All League Honorable Mention Julia Herrman - All League First Team, All State Third Team Lucy Voloch - All League Third Team BOWLING Drake Beran - State Qualifier Avery Compton - State Qualifier Clayton Garcia - State Qualifier Dalton Turpin - State Qualifier SWIMMING (BOYS) 200-yard Medley Relay (Karim Sandid, Nathan Lynch, Luke Cremin, Harry Ling) - STATE CHAMPIONS * This is Collegiate’s fourth consecutive win in this event, making them the first team in state swimming history to win a relay four years in a row!

400-yard Freestyle Relay (Luke Cremin, Harry Ling, Nathan Lynch, Karim Sandid) - State Runner-Up* Harry Ling - 4th Place 500-yard Freestyle,

7th Place 200-yard Freestyle, All State Second Team Nathan Lynch - STATE CHAMPION* 100-yard Breaststroke, State Runner-Up 200-yard Individual Medley, All State First Team Karim Sandid - 3rd Place 100-yard Breaststroke, 4th Place 100-yard Freestyle, All State First Team Additional State Qualifiers: Cooper Arneson, Charlie Ling, Cooper Miller, James Nolan BASEBALL Mason Bond - All League Honorable Mention 3rd Base Carter Drumright - All League Second Team Pitcher Maddox Drumright - All State Honorable Mention Designated Hitter, All League First Team Catcher Carson Malaise - All League Second Team Utility, All League Honorable Mention Pitcher Jacob Stehley - All State Honorable Mention 1st Base, All League Second Team 1st Base Isaac Vanderburg - All League Second Team Outfield GOLF (BOYS) Team 3A STATE CHAMPIONS Remy Blanchaert - 2nd Team All League Landon Langston - 4th Place 3A State,1st Team 321A State, All Metro 2nd Team, 1st Team All League Torsten Overman - 1st Team All League Jacobi Salyers - 10th Place 3A State, 2nd Team 321A State, All Metro 3rd Team, 1st Team All League Zach Voloch - 2nd Team All League Coach Hans Widener - All Metro Coach 1st Team TENNIS (BOYS) Team 3A STATE CHAMPIONS: Carter Drumright - 3A Doubles STATE CHAMPION, All Metro First Team Maddox Drumright - 3A Doubles STATE CHAMPION, All Metro First Team G Farha - 3rd Place in State Doubles Vihaan Ganganala - 3rd Place in State Doubles Charlie Gentile - 3A Singles STATE CHAMPION, All Metro First Team Amir Khicha - 2nd Place in State Singles, All Metro Third Team Coach Simon Norman - All Metro Second Team

SOCCER Natalie Hobart - All League Honorable Mention Courtney Olson - All League Honorable Mention Anne-Marie Olson - All League Honorable Mention Hannah Ternes - All League Honorable Mention SWIMMING (GIRLS) Clare Finan - State Qualifier Carlyle Johnson - State Qualifier Brooke McKown - State Qualifier Clara Monahan - State Qualifier Evie Ritchie - State Qualifier Lana Sandid - State Qualifier Grace Teal - State Qualifier TRACK & FIELD Boys Team - 3rd Place 3A State Finish Boys 4x100 Meter Relay (Cooper Arneson, Timmy Ritchie, Julian Johnson, AJ Batiste) - State Runner Up Cooper Arneson - All Metro Second Team, All League A.J. Batiste - 3rd Place 100 Meter Dash, All State, All Metro Second Team Logan Clay - State Runner Up Discus*, All State, All Metro First Team, All League Will Meyer - 5th Place 3200 Meter Run, All State, All Metro Second Team, All League Timmy Ritchie - STATE CHAMPION 400 Meter Dash* (new state record of 47.00), State Runner Up 100 Meter Dash*, State Runner Up 200 Meter Dash*, All State, All Metro First Team, All League Girls Team Girls 4x800 Meter Relay* (Alegra Fazio, Savannah Vess, Macy Beran & Ellie Howell) - STATE CHAMPIONS Girls 4x400 Meter Relay* (Alegra Fazio, Savannah Vess, Macy Beran & Ellie Howell) - 5th Place Macy Beran - All State, All Metro Second Team, All League Alegra Fazio - All State, All Metro Second Team, All League Ellie Howell - All State, All Metro Second Team, All League Savannah Vess - All State, All Metro Second Team, All League

* Denotes New School Record AllState accolades include mentions by KSHSAA Covered, Sports in Kansas, Vype Magazine, and/or the Wichita Eagle.

26 | SUMMER 2025

GRADUATES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: Appalachian State University • ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY • AUBURN UNIVERSITY • BARD COLLEGE • BAYLOR UNIVERSITY BELMONT UNIVERSITY • Bethel College • Boston College • Boston University • Carleton College • Case Western Reserve University CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY • Clark University • CLEMSON UNIVERSITY • Colorado College • Colorado School of Mines • Creighton University • Drury University • Elon University EMORY UNIVERSITY • FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY • Fordham University • FRIENDS UNIVERSITY • Furman University • GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY • Georgia Institute of Technology Grand View University • Hampton University Illinois Institute of Technology • INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON • John Brown University • KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Lawrence University • Louisiana State University • Loyola University Chicago • Loyola University New Orleans • MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY • Miami University Michigan State University •MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY • Mount Holyoke College • New Jersey Institute of Technology • Newman University • Northeastern University Northern Arizona University • NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY • OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY • Penn State University • Pittsburg State University • Purdue University Rochester Institute of Technology • Rutgers University Camden • RUTGERS UNIVERSITY NEW BRUNSWICK • Rutgers University Newark • Salve Regina University • Samford University San Diego State University • Santa Clara University • SCRIPPS COLLEGE • SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY • Southern Nazarene University • SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE Spelman College • TABOR COLLEGE • Texas A&M University • TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY • The Ohio State University THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA • The University of Tennessee The University of Texas at Austin • Trinity University • TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA • THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA • UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES University of Central Oklahoma • UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER • University of Colorado Denver • UNIVERSITY OF DENVER • UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA • UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA • University of Illinois at Chicago • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Iowa • UNIVRSITY OF KANSAS University of Kentucky • University of Massachusetts Amherst • University of Massachusetts Boston UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI • University of Michigan UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES • University of Mississippi • University of Missouri Columbia • University of Missouri Kansas City • University of Nebraska at Omaha University of New Mexico • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • University of North Dakota • UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME • THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA University of Oregon • University of Pittsburgh • University of San Diego • University of South Carolina • UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA University of Washington • UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN • University of Wyoming • VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY • WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY Washburn University • Washington University in St. Louis • Western Carolina University • Wheaton College • Wheaton College - MA • WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY William Penn University • XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

[ schools attending are displayed in BOLD ]

CLASS of 2025

+Isabella Alvaez Cum Laude

Laney Claire Conrad Summa Cum Laude

+Jonathan Scarritt Grace Magna Cum Laude

Maric Scot Archibald

Chloe Iris Dart

James Alexander Haan

Cooper Martin Arneson

**+Shouvik Dev Summa Cum Laude

**+Omar Abdelfattah Hamada Summa Cum Laude

+Tatum Lynn Downing Summa Cum Laude

**+Jalil Isandro Hemphill Summa Cum Laude

+Carter Michaud Drumright Cum Laude

+Elizabeth Gene Henshall

Yasmin Marie Bacci Drake Andrew Beran Macy Elaine Beran Summa Cum Laude **Samuel Gregory Brittain Cooper Michael Brown Cum Laude +Aacia Rose Burnette Summa Cum Laude +Sihyeon Byon Magna Cum Laude +Cameron Michael Cadena Cum Laude +David Ndungu Chege +Aubrey Lynn Collignon Summa Cum Laude

28 | SUMMER 2025

**+Diana Lea Eldika Summa Cum Laude Nicholas Emilio Enegren Cum Laude +Santiago Ignacio Felice Cum Laude +Clare Ellen Finan Magna Cum Laude Jaeden Isaiah Flores Cum Laude Markus Andrew Gorges

+Julia Kathleen Herrman Summa Cum Laude Natalie Renea Hobart +Roman Basil Hourani Sabrina Marie Hunt Summa Cum Laude +Arman Rayan Issa Summa Cum Laude +Dahlia Issa Cum Laude Colton Riley Jenkins Floyd Loomis Jones II

+Katriel Oluwaseun Kadiri +Ryan Elie Khalife Magna Cum Laude Ingrid Ruth Lampton Cum Laude Tristan John Richard Leddy Cum Laude

+Ishani Alana Nagabhushan Magna Cum Laude

Camden James St. Germain Cum Laude

+Danniella Samantha Ngunjiri Summa Cum Laude

+Willard Joseph Strecker Cum Laude

+Cassilda Amarya Wangui Njeri

**+Hannah Grace Ternes Summa Cum Laude

Kailey Marianne Norlie

Chaemoon Lee

+Langley Benton Overman Cum Laude

+Jiwoo Lee Summa Cum Laude

+Andrew Gene Porter Summa Cum Laude

**+Harry James Ling Summa Cum Laude

Elise Anastasia Male Powers

+Devin Kane Longsworth Cum Laude +Julia Marie Longsworth Summa Cum Laude Nathan Filios Lynch Magna Cum Laude +William Vaughn Meyer Summa Cum Laude Cooper Ray Miller

+Cari Reagans Lana M. Sandid Cum Laude

+Margaret Bradley Ulrich +Liliana Lorene Varchavtchik Summa Cum Laude +Natalie Villars Andino Cum Laude +Zachary Joseph Voloch +Ward Manship Weimar **Nicolas Estephan Zayat III

+Ellen Paige Schulte Cum Laude +Harrison Simon Magna Cum Laude Tristan Knapp Sprole Summa Cum Laude * National Merit Finalist ** National Merit Commended + Leadership Academy Distinction

r! ea Y t a re G a r fo ou Y k n a Th FACULTY & STAFF RECOGNITION

At the conclusion of the year, the following faculty and staff were recognized for their contributions to our school.

YEARS OF SERVICE 30 YEARS John Leddy 25 YEARS Amy Dokken 20 YEARS Mark Sheltgen 15 YEARS JoyAnn Brake Joe Gehrer ’02 Sumita Ghosh Shawna Horsch Jillian King Marilen Morales 10 YEARS Ashleigh Hennessy Patti Yetter

30 | SUMMER 2025

PATHFINDER AWARDS 5 YEARS Victoria Bay Kara Hanna Ashley Hobart Sasha Kuchinski Lindsay Paulseen Rae Thompson Hanale Vincent Lalo Walsh Thomas White

John Leddy - Life Skills Class K-4 Teachers & Amie Leslie - GO Time Implementation Joyann Brake & Joe Gehrer ’02 - Product & Design Class Lalo Walsh - Annual Giving Restructure and Creation of Policies & Procedures Manual for Raiser’s Edge 2nd Grade Team & Kayla Bales - Deeper Learning Adventures Across America Nathan Washer - Senior Sendoff: A New WCS Tradition OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Swarna Manamperi Dawn Harris Dylan Heath Drew Westfahl Maintenance Team: Jason Ramsey, Casey Lippoldt, Niall Horton, Rick Lyons

We wish the following faculty and staff all the best in retirement and thank them for their years of dedication and service to Wichita Collegiate School!

PROBA TE DIGNUM AWARDS Maricar Harris Sherri Newlin Kevin Reed ’77

Meg Carte

Rick Lyons

Allison Fiegel

Kurt McAfee

Mitch Fiegel

Sherri Newlin

TEAM COLLABORATION AWARDS Grade Expectations: Enhancing WCS Student Feedback Systems - Amber Celestin, Jillian King, David LeVan, Marelby Mosquera Jensen, and Jen Ragan RULER Implementation Observation at the John Cooper School - Shanna Ahmad, Daniel Baker, Heidi Holton ’11, and a team of secondary teachers Leadership Program Observation at the Brookstone School - JoyAnn Brake and members of the Leadership Academy Team

come WelNew Faculty & Staff Jane Armbrister Derek Base Jennifer Boyet Chasity Fazendin Paige Frye Lisa Harris Kari Munoz Arlene Rust Nate Schmitt Noreen Schroder Cole Shyrock Grace Yaunches

LS Teaching Assistant US Science Teacher 5th Grade English Teacher Dance Coach US Economics Teacher Reading Specialist Preschool Teacher School Nurse Assistant Athletic Director Art Teacher Maintenance Technician 8th Grade Math Teacher

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

31

THE LIBER

R A L A R T S:

A 37 year perspective on our school and what a liberal arts education looks like today.

By Kevin Mykel

I

n August 1988, Wichita Collegiate School was a mystery to much of the Wichita community. Hidden behind a row of trees on Thirteenth Street, rumors about the school’s mission, students, faculty, and tuition were rife, especially among educators at other area schools. So, I approached my first faculty meeting nervous and excited.

At the beginning of the session, Headmaster Leonard Kupersmith entered the room and said, “Aren’t we lucky that we get to teach in this community? That we get to teach this curriculum? That we get to teach these students?” That is undoubtedly a paraphrase, since Dr. Kupersmith was very erudite, but that message has stayed with me ever since. This feeling was reinforced as the year began, and I found a host of extraordinary teachers who mentored me in the school culture, and, most importantly, I found my classroom filled with exceptionally motivated, talented students.

34 | SUMMER 2025

For almost thirty-seven years, my belief that we are indeed “lucky” and that Wichita Collegiate School is a special place has persisted and grown stronger.

However, for me, the foundation of this special nature has little to do with the excellence that surrounds us, whether that is championship banners in the gym, National Merit Finalists, college acceptances, or fourth-grade operas. These achievements, to me, are consequences, not causes. I believe that the true source of our exceptional position is that we are a school that holds strong beliefs. One of the most important of these beliefs is our commitment to the value of the liberal arts education.

“

Humans are always open to the temptation of the simple answer and the easy option. Yet, most major decisions, whether on a personal or a societal level, are far too complex for a simple answer to be effective.”

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

35

In his 1883 semi-autobiographical novel Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain tells the story of a young man who achieves his dream of being accepted as an apprentice riverboat pilot, whose job is to navigate the riverboat safely down a treacherous Mississippi River. He discovers not only that the job includes much manual labor but also that he is expected by his mentor to essentially memorize hundreds of miles of the river—-every wreck, every sandbar, every fallen tree: anything which would pose a threat to the boat. In a moment of frustration, the apprentice, Sam, asks the pilot, Bixby, why he has to memorize everything when there are maps, there are lookouts, and there are depth soundings. There are places to find the information. Bixby replies that sometimes, on a very dark night, all we have is what’s inside us.

The liberal arts, which consist of deep exposure to the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, fine arts, and mathematics, serve to prepare students for life. The primary objective of a liberal arts education is the development of

36 | SUMMER 2025

critical thinking and communication skills, with the goal of developing the discipline and character necessary to make good decisions, both in day-to-day life and on those “dark nights” when we confront life’s most difficult challenges. The ability to make good decisions cannot be acquired quickly. Instead, it is built through persistent, consistent work.

Modern society appears to be posing a challenge to the liberal arts. On one hand, cultural and societal changes have pushed the idea of liberal arts education to the side, at times ascribing political agendas and motivations to classroom curriculums.

On the other hand, the monumental advancements in technology, with their ability to make vast amounts of information available within moments, have also made the liberal arts seem less relevant. Why would we need to know, to memorize, to master information when our computers can give it to us in a heartbeat? The result is that

society, at times, seems to view the liberal arts as a less pragmatic path than more narrowly focused courses of study.

Since 1963, one of the guiding principles of Wichita Collegiate School has been its commitment to providing our students with the best college-preparatory liberal arts education possible. Our commitment is based on a belief that a broadly-based education provides students with an appreciation for the complexity of decisions that we face and with the context necessary to make sound judgments.

Humans are always open to the temptation of the simple answer and the easy option. Yet, most major decisions, whether on a personal or a societal level, are far too complex for a simple answer to be effective. The liberal arts is an open door to the understanding of complexity.

Great novels give us insight into human nature and show us the importance of

values like empathy, compassion, courage, and resilience. Mathematics and science reveal the complexity of the universe and the interrelationship between man and the physical world. History provides concrete, real-world examples of the actions and motivations that produce great triumphs and great tragedies. (As Mark Twain said, “History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”) The complexities evident in all these disciplines provide the context that enables us to be reflective and to apply deep critical thinking to our decisions. The understanding of complexity and context allows us better to separate what is good from what is not, what is true from what is not, what is pragmatic from what is not, and what is right from what is not.

William Deresciewicz, in his essay “Solitude and Leadership,” states that moral courage is the most essential element for personal or societal leadership. The ability

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

37

to think an issue through until one is able to ask, after deep reflection, “What is the right thing to do?” and to accept the consequences of that choice is the essence of moral courage. The breadth and depth of a liberal arts education provide a path to the knowledge and character necessary to make the right choice.

The idea of the liberal arts education is sometimes seen as a static relic, one that does not reflect the challenges of the 21st-century world, and, if curriculums had remained unchanged through the years, this criticism might be valid.

However, I believe that adapting to change has always been an important component of the liberal arts, and the curriculum at Wichita Collegiate School has been far from static. Indeed, one of the hallmarks of our school has been the ability to hold on to the aspects of our curriculum and culture that are essential while incorporating new

38 | SUMMER 2025

techniques, technologies, and disciplines into our liberal arts curriculum. These innovations are obvious in any examination of the school’s scope and sequence or in a visit to our classrooms.

Nostalgia is an understandable phenomenon at any institution with a long history, and I have heard voices lamenting some of the changes that have taken place at our school. While I share some of this nostalgia, I also firmly believe that Wichita Collegiate School is, overall, a better school than when I joined the faculty in 1988. In my thirty-seven years of service to Wichita Collegiate School, I have seen many changes, and, in many ways, we are a dramatically different school than we were when I joined this very special place.

However, I firmly believe that we are also very much the same school. We still believe in the magic that can happen between a dedicated teacher and motivated students.

“

We still believe in the importance of a school culture that stresses excellence and the development of character. And we still believe in the relevance and pragmatism of a rigorous collegepreparatory liberal arts education.”

During the 2025-2026 school year, Kevin Mykel will celebrate his 38th year as a member of the WCS faculty. Kevin has touched the lives of thousands of students in his various roles as Academic Dean, humanities teacher, Head of Upper School, social studies department chair, and indispensable strategic planner and representative of the vox populi.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

39

HIGH ROPES: The 8th grade S.T.E.A.M. Park trip to Branson, MO, included a high ropes challenge course.

Many of these students had never experienced anything like this before, but their trepidation was met with encouragement from their classmates and teachers. The students all rose to the challenge and had an amazing time traversing the 40-foot-tall obstacle course.

Middle school is tough.

“

From remembering your locker combination, to managing friend groups, to studying for the dreaded science final, our middle school students face more than their fair share of struggles. Our students confront many of these challenges for the first time during their middle school years, and whether they realize it or not, these experiences are shaping them into resilient, determined, and passionate learners. The adults in their lives could recount endless stories of students developing grit as they overcame challenges, but no one can speak about these experiences better than the students themselves. Below you will find the unfiltered, straight-from-middle-schoolers’-mouths responses to questions about middle school struggles and successes.

Their answers range from hilarious to profound, and may just give you a new respect for the minds of middle school students.

HOMEWORK. memorizing the schedule.

keeping track of stuff.

More walking and trying not to be late.

The hardest thing is probably math fractions.

Getting used to the schedule in middle school, but once you get the hang of it IT’S EASY. 42 | SUMMER 2025

True friendship, and it is amazing.

Opening my lock - it was hard to remember my code.

Something that I experienced this year for the first time was how much responsibility a person can have.

That the harder stuff we face, the more we learn.

I learned I don’t always need to get 100% I just need to do my best.

I experienced algebra and it was not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Pudding. I had never tried pudding before but when there was pudding for dessert at Sage I had to try and it was so GOOD.

Meeting refugees in person and being able to connect personally with them. It has really let me see how fortunate I am and how much I love helping other people.

”

An academic come back. It was amazing!

SCUBA: During their preparations for the famed “Mission to Space” unit, 5th graders immerse themselves in astronaut training which includes SCUBA diving - a first for most, if not all of these students.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

43

“

Learning from your mistakes. It means if you fall, you learn why you fell and you get back up.

Productive struggle is learning from your falls.

Productive struggle means to me that even if something is hard it can still help you succeed, and that sometimes things are difficult or not fun but they can still help you in the end.

Making progress, but not being handed the answer.

44 | SUMMER 2025

Don’t be a yahoo and manage your time wisely.

Don’t waste time during middle school...and stop watching YouTube.

Not to procrastinate, and to always work hard, as fun is the reward of hard work.

Take advantage of every experience because time really does fly fast. Be a part of as many things as you can.

Be the person someone can come talk to without telling someone else about it.

Don’t try too hard to be cool, be yourself.

I would say to study hard, be kind to everyone, and never stop trying.

WWI Museum: During their trip to the WWI museum, in Kansas City, 7th graders cross the Paul Sunderland Glass Bridge, suspended over a symbolic Western Front poppy field. The nine thousand poppies each represent 1000 combat deaths and offer a poignant reminder of the 9 million who perished as a direct result of the war.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

45

Building Bright FUTURES

A

t Wichita Collegiate, we By Amanda London, LMSW, Lower School Counselor believe that preparing students for a successful future means more than academic excellence. It means helping them grow into compassionate, confident, and emotionally resilient individuals.

That’s why our Lower School offers Positive Steps, a dedicated class designed to develop emotional intelligence (EQ). Using the RULER framework, our students are learning how to understand and manage their emotions while building empathy for others. Along their Lower School journey, we hope they gain confidence and skills to navigate challenges with grace.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions while also being attuned to the emotions of others. Research shows that students with strong emotional intelligence are better equipped to handle stress, build healthy relationships, and make thoughtful decisions.

In Positive Steps, we focus on five core areas of emotional development: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Through activities tailored to each grade level, students learn how to label and express their feelings, handle frustration and conflict in healthy ways, and show empathy by understanding others’ perspectives.

46 | SUMMER 2025

How Positive Steps Cultivates EQ

Each week, students in 1st through 4th grade participate in engaging, age-appropriate lessons while building their emotional vocabulary. Younger children use tools like the Mood Meter to explore emotions, while older students role-play real-life scenarios to practice empathy and conflict resolution. Class discussions encourage reflection and build emotional vocabulary. In addition, class discussions encourage reflection and build critical thinking around emotions and social situations.

Mindfulness practices, such as the Meta Moment, are woven into class activities. Students explore simple breathing exercises, movement breaks, and calming skills to help students regulate their emotions and refocus their attention. Building this “tool box” in Positive Steps not only supports emotional well-being but also improves learning and concentration in the classroom.

Another important component of Positive Steps is teaching children how to resolve conflicts in healthy, respectful ways. Role-play and guided discussions empower them to advocate for themselves, listen actively, and lead with kindness to handle disagreements independently.

Collaboration with Teachers

and Parents

Emotional learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends and that’s why we partner closely with parents and teachers to support each child’s development.

We regularly share activities and classroom insights via platforms like Seesaw, so you can stay connected and reinforce those lessons at home. When children receive consistent messages of support at school and at home, these skills develop at a faster rate.

The Lasting Benefits of Emotional Intelligence As students progress through Positive Steps, you’ll likely notice growth not just academically, but personally.

Children who are emotionally intelligent tend to perform better in school because they’re able to manage stress, stay focused, and remain motivated. They form stronger friendships, practice empathy, and resolve disagreements with kindness and confidence.

Overall, Positive Steps is more than a class, it’s a foundation for lifelong skills. Through engaging lessons, supportive relationships, and real-life applications, we’re helping students build not just bright minds, but bright futures.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 47

R ENT A

IO

LE

O C I AT

G I AT E

SS

PA

2024-2025

COLLEGIAT E PAR E NT AS S OCIAT ION

YEAR inREVIEW

N

CO

L

“

Fundraising through concessions greatly helps our group offset the expense of getting a charter bus when traveling to the HOSA State Leadership Conference at K-State. Last year, the group traveled by school bus and everyone was cramped for 2.5 hours. This year, due to successful fundraising efforts, we chartered a bus with extra storage space for our suitcases while also enjoying a very comfortable ride there and back. A bonus was that club members had fun while working concessions with friends and supporting Spartan Athletics.

- Sneha Kamineni ‘28 Scrubs Club Leadership Team: Fundraising Coordinator

“

CPA consistently does a wonderful job of making us teachers feel noticed and appreciated! Both the small and big gestures are well received by my colleagues and me; Receiving a card and gift card from CPA each year on birthdays is always a pleasant surprise, and one of my favorite days is the delicious annual teacher appreciation lunch that we all really enjoy!

Knowing there is a group of parents that are intentionally trying to recognize and support us goes a long way for our school’s culture.

- Lindsey Ralston 6th Grade Teacher

COMMUNITY BUILDING • Spartan Socials • Spartan Night • Sparty Zone at Home Varsity Football Games • Parenting Network Series • Kindergarten and Lower School Field Day T-shirts • Patrons of the Arts Gifts • Upper School Finals Snacks • Concessions Allotments for Teams and Clubs

TEACHER APPRECIATION • Teacher Birthdays • Annual Spring Teacher and Staff Luncheon • Teacher Grants • Favorite Things List • Teacher Appreciation Events Throughout the Year (stocking the lounges, professional development and holiday treats, coffee truck on campus)

CPA PROVIDES ALL OF THIS THROUGH THEIR FUNDRAISERS: • Shirt Shack • Activity Passes • Concessions • Senior Activity Book Ads • School Supplies • Thanksgiving Program Reserved Seating • Poinsettia Sales/Holiday Market • Valentine’s Day Surprise • Garden Market • Give Back Programs (Box Tops and Dillon’s)

“

As a WCS parent, I am always looking for ways to engage with my children and connect with other families within our WCS community. I had the pleasure of attending two recent CPA social events: First, the WeRide cycling class for parents. I loved this event because it combined socializing with a bit of exercise! Then, there was the Bingo Night. It was a great opportunity for families to come together, share laughter, and create lasting memories. I look forward to participating in more events like these in the future!

- Reina Nabbout Mother to Natalia ‘29, Leanna ‘31, and Liam ‘33

R ENT A

IO

LE

O C I AT

G I AT E

SS

PA

2024-2025 OFFICERS Gaylene Alderson President Carla Bingenheimer Vice President Jenna Marceau Treasurer Alexis Kater ’01 Secretary Ilex Gelpi Past President Directors at Large: Allyson Teal, US Cara Payne, MS Ashley Caro, LS Erica Ammar, EC Sara Souraty Staff Liaison

2025-2026 OFFICERS Carla Bingenheimer President Ashley Caro ‘03 Vice President Jenna Marceau Treasurer Alexis Kater ’01 Secretary Gaylene Alderson Past President Directors at Large: Cara Payne, US Marly Tauke, MS Brittany Batzlaff, LS Erica Ammar, EC Sara Souraty Staff Liaison

CONNECTwithUS cpa@wcsks.com

Collegiate Parent Association

wcsshirtshack.com

@collegiateparentassociation

SCAN TO VISIT WCSKS.COM/CPA

N

CO

L

SENIOR Sendoff

50 | SUMMER 2025

2024-2025

ALUMNI BOARD

ALUMNI BOARDHighlights

Regis Fox ’04 President Mallory Farha ’01 Past President Kaylea Knappenberger ’14 President Elect

WCS GOLF CLASSIC was held on Sept. 27, 2024 at Crestview Country

Board Members: Casey (Baker) Allen ’05 Niki Caro-Bakri ’08 Dan Dakhil ’02 Austin Daniels ’14 Ron Elkouri ’08 Karly Forsyth ’24 Justin Healy ’06 Heidi Holton ’11 Amy Johnson ’07 Bekah (Harris) Kerr ’20 Matt Maloney ’94 Abby (Boyd) Morris ’14 Alexis (Christian) Phillips ’01 Van Winter ’05

CLASS REUNIONS AT HOMECOMING Many alumni reconnected at Homecoming in early October. They enjoyed an alumni dinner in the Lair, a winning football game under the Friday night lights, and finished the evening with a social at Chester’s. Alumni went back to class in Bunny Hill’s Lit Club, played tennis with Coach Dave Hawley, enjoyed a campus tour, and took a cycle class at We Ride. Reunion classes hosted private dinners on Saturday night.

Out of State Member: Amar Shah ’02 Faculty Representative Amy Cunningham Phoebe (Stokley) Hart ’95 Alumni Relations Coordinator Honorary Members: Randy Love ’67 Randy Storms ’74

Club. The net of $42,500 was donated to the Alumni Endowment Fund, which is the most ever raised by this event in its 25 year history. This golf tournament has become a tradition for many Spartan grads, current parents, and other community members. It provides important support to the Alumni Endowment Fund.

DAY OF GIVING Spartan Alumni showed their support of our beloved Alma Mater on WCS’s annual D.O.G. in October.

MENTOR DAY PROGRAM Alumni Board members poured their

time and energy into pairing the senior class up with mentors for this meaningful event in February. Several alumni board members served as mentors, and many other board members helped secure amazing mentors for the senior class so they could have the best experience possible.

CLASS OF 2024 CARE PACKAGES In the fall, the Alumni Board mailed a little treat to the newest members of the WCS Alumni Association along with a note from a former teacher to brighten their day.

SENIOR SEND OFF The Alumni Board hosted a breakfast for the senior class prior to the all school pep rally where senior class members announced their college decisions and were cheered on by the entire campus.

RANDY STORMS ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD This year’s alumni board president, Regis Fox ’04 presented this honor to a deserving recipient: Van Winter ’05.

ALUMNI GIVING Our alumni supported many different initiatives

this year including the Day of Giving, the WCS Golf Classic, and the Galichia Auditorium Renovation.

Members of the 1993/94 State Baseball & Football Teams at Homecoming

Alumni Board Members at the annual Mentor Day breakfast.

This year’s winning team at the WCS Golf Classic after an exciting putt-off: Harry Morris, Hunter Morris ‘12, Harrison Morris ‘12, and Nick Cusick ‘88.

RANDY STORMS ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD

By Phoebe Hart ’95 The Randy Storms Alumni Service Award is given annually to the graduate of Wichita Collegiate School who emerges as the individual with the strongest commitment of service to the school. This individual distinguishes themselves through effort and responsibilities exceeding the normal course of duty. Fostered by a deep love and thoughtful vision for their Alma Mater, these recipients all share in the true spirit of the school motto- Proba Te Dignum (Prove Yourself Worthy). This year’s recipient is Van Winter, Class of 2005.

During his time at WCS, Van was a very well-rounded and involved student. He was STUCO class president all 4 years, a 3 sport athlete, playing 4 years of tennis (2 time member of the 4A state tennis team), 3 years of basketball, one year of football and even tried bowling his senior year.

Van was not only an athlete but was also heavily involved in Fine Arts and was a regular in all of the musicals. He played Gaston in the production of Beauty and the Beast his senior year. Van was voted Homecoming King and was also a National Merit Scholar.

After graduating from Collegiate, Van attended Texas Christian University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2009. He then went on to earn his juris doctor from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2012.

Van Winter ’05

Van currently serves in senior leadership as Managing Director of Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, an aerospace manufacturing company. He and his wife, Sara, live in Wichita with their 2 young boys: John, in preschool at WCS, and James, a future Spartan.

Van has served on the alumni board for the past 5 years. He helped rewrite the board bylaws in 2021, has chaired the WCS Golf Classic committee since 2022, and has also served as a mentor as part of our annual Mentor Day program. Under Van’s leadership, the Golf Classic has increased its gross fundraising revenue by 95% in the past 4 years, with this past year’s tournament being the most successful in the 25 year history of the event.

Van is approachable, reliable, organized, and has brought great energy and enthusiasm to the alumni board. He is a great example of what giving back to your Alma Mater looks like while also representing WCS well in the Wichita community.

Thank you, Van, for your incredible service to Wichita Collegiate School!

Alumni at Bunny Hill’s Lit Club on Homecoming Weekend

Alumni Board members at Senior Send-Off: Van Winter ’05, Bekah Kerr ’20, Dan Dakhil ‘02, Phoebe Hart ’95, Casey Allen ’05, and Katie Leiding ’04.

“You don’t have to be perfect.

You just have to be present.”

- David Shapiro, on mentoring.

In a moving and deeply personal conversation, three inspiring voices came together to explore the true meaning of mentorship. R.C. Buford ’78, the CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment and a two-time NBA Executive of the Year, returned to Collegiate as our keynote alumni speaker, bringing with him decades of elite sports leadership and a lifelong commitment to curiosity and community. R.C. brought two of his dear friends home to Wichita with him to talk to the senior class and their mentors.

David Shapiro, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston and a nationally recognized leader in the mentoring movement, has spent over 20 years championing equity and opportunity through the power of relationships. David is the son of R.C.’s own mentor, Ron Shapiro, illustrating how these relationships ripple across generations.

Adding a deeply personal and moving perspective was Joe Anderson, R.C.’s mentee and dear family friend. Joe offered students a powerful reminder that mistakes do not define us. From incarceration to law school, Joe’s journey is one of redemption, resilience, and the profound impact that a caring mentor can have.

Joe Anderson

R.C. Buford ‘78

David Shapiro

The Unexpected Mentor Joe Anderson first met R.C. at age 5, when he was on the same YMCA basketball team as R.C.’s son, Chase and R.C. was the coach. Years later, the mentorship that started informally blossomed into something lasting.

“Sometimes help might come from people you don’t expect.”

– Joe Anderson

“Great mentors tell you about what they did wrong. Backup quarterbacks, people riding the bench, those who understand failure make great mentors and coaches.”

– David Shapiro

The Power Of Presence

“You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be present.”

– David Shapiro

This guiding mantra sets the tone for authentic mentorship. Great mentors don’t have to have all the answers, they just need to show up, ask questions, and really listen.

Who You Surround Yourself With Matters

“Enrich your circle with people; the people around you make a difference. Have people in your circle who care about you and want to see you succeed. ”

– Joe Anderson

“Surround yourself with people who make you feel worthy, elevate you, who challenge you to think deeply about yourself and the world.”

– David Shapiro

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 55

Breaking out of Social Sorting

“There’s a lot of social sorting that takes place that creates sameness. If you want to challenge that, you will have to seek people out who are interested in different things, different majors, and come from different places. It will enrich your life.”

What to look for in a mentor/ mentee

“Look for interesting people… people who lead their lives in a way you respect.”

– David Shapiro

– David Shapiro

“Put yourself in a position where you’re not hearing the same story you’ve heard your whole life. It will open doors you might not have otherwise opened.”

– R.C. Buford

“Take an interest in someone who is having a different experience than you.”

– David Shapiro

“Ask yourself, ‘What are you curious about?’ Let that curiosity guide your relationships.”

– R.C. Buford

Question from the audience: How do you accept help?

“Society says we have to do it alone. Understand that successful people didn’t get there alone.”

– Joe Anderson

Question from the audience: Would you say most mentors are sought after or stumbled upon?

“Stumbled upon. I grew up raised by a single mom.

My mom put me in YMCA basketball and my first coach was R.C.”

– Joe Anderson

In a world that often values independence and perfection, Mentor Day was a welcome reminder that our greatest strength comes from connection.

That showing up for one another matters. That the people in your circle, whether you stumble upon them or seek them out, can shape your path in ways you never expected. At Collegiate, we are fortunate to be part of a community that values this kind of learning: grounded in relationships, deepened by reflection, and open to growth.

By Phoebe Hart ‘95

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 57

MENTORS & SENIORS Isabella Alvaez Kelly Schodorf Lawyer, SJ Law Maric Archibald Tony Jacobs AIA, Studium Cooper Arneson Brandon Hall Territory Manager Upper Extremities Stryker Yasmin Bacci Courtney Lazzo Doctor of Physical Therapy Physical Therapy of Phoenix Drake Beran Dipendra Khatiwada VP Engineering LS Industries Macy Beran Lindsey Anderson Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Sam Brittain Lily Wu Mayor City of Wichita Cooper Brown Dr. Brad Bruner Orthopedic Surgeon Kansas Joint and Spine Specialists; Cypress Surgery Center Aacia Burnette Zach Cobble ’08 Market Analyst/ Natural Gas Trader Koch Industries/ Koch Energy Services Sihyeon Byon Matt Wallace Software Engineer/Data Design Koch Flint Hills Resources Cameron Cadena Dr. Davin Hart ’94 Anesthesiologist Anesthesia Consulting Services, PA David Chege Jeff Walsh Owner/CEO Sooth.fyi 58 | SUMMER 2025

Aubrey Collignon George Laham President Laham Development Company LLC Laney Conrad Dr. Vincent Santucci Orthodontist Santucci Orthodontics Chloe Dart Sebastian Gordon Owner, Red Bird Shouvik Dev Brian Foster Assistant Educator of Game Design, Shocker Studios/ Wichita State University Tatum Downing Van Winter ’05 Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mid-Continent Instruments & Avionics Carter Drumright Dr. C. Tyrel Hummel Chiropractor BlueChip Spine & Sports Specialists, LLC Diana Eldika Dr. Anne Housholder ’98 Dermatologist The Dermatology Clinic, PA Nico Enegren Hunter Mitchem Co-Founder 6G Holdings Santiago Felice Kyra Corbin Licensed Clinical Social Worker Mosaic Mental Wellness Clare Finan Kendra Cremin Fine Arts Photographer/ WSU Lecturer/Artist; Wichita State University/The Shout/ Independent Contractor Jaeden Flores Caitlyn Cody Editor & Camera Operator, Justin McClure Creative

Markus Gorges Caleb Wolters Physical Therapist, Hinge Health Jack Grace Victor Ojeleye Business Group FP&A Planning & Reporting Manager, Cargill Protein North America Jamie Haan Navin Maharaj Senior Director, Koch Disruptive Technologies Omar Hamada Dr. Heath Misak Distinct Capability Leader/ Technical Fellow/Advance Product Development, Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. Jalil Hemphill Ali Alibadi Manager of Software Engineering, Koch Flint Hills Resources Beth Henshall Christy Marvin, Phd Psychologist, Sunflower State Psychology Julia Herrman Dr. Tarun Bhargava Orthopedic Surgeon/Total Joint Reconstruction, MidAmerica Orthopedics Natalie Hobart Mallory Farha ’01 Medical Aesthetician/Owner, Farha Aesthetics Roman Hourani Laura Monahan ’00 Executive Director, Cancer Center of Kansas

Dahlia Issa Kaylea Knappenberger ’14 Associate, Hutton & Hutton Law Firm Colton Jenkins David Carpenter Director, Midwest Cybersecurity Center, Firepoint Innovations at Wichita State University Floyd Jones Jedd Beaudoin Host/Producer/Arts Reporter; Strange Currency/Into Music, KMUW Katriel Kadiri Dr. Joe Houlik ’07 General Dentist, Houlik Family Dentistry Ryan Khalife Dr. Matt Arneson Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Wichita Surgical Specialists,PA Ingrid Lampton Stephanie LaRocco Associate General Counsel, Koch Capabilities, LLC Tristan Leddy Dave Hawley American History Teacher, Wichita Collegiate School Jiwoo Lee Injoy Fountain Singer/Actor/Voice Coach; Injoy Fountain Academy Mike Lee Russ Redford Structural/Architectural Engineer, Principle, MKEC Engineering Inc. Harry Ling Brad Ragan 767 Captain/ Instructor Pilot, Delta Airlines; US Air Force

Sabrina Hunt Dr. Sanjay Khicha ’91 Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Devin Longsworth Wichita Surgical Specialists,PA Dan Dakhil ’02 President, Wichita Bank, Arman Issa CrossFirst Bank Dr. Heath Misak Distinct Capability Leader/ Julia Longsworth Technical Fellow/Advance Hilary Rainbolt, MD, FACOG Product Development, Spirit Obstetrician/Gynecologist, AeroSystems, Inc. Associates in Women’s Health

Nathan Lynch Rob Babst President, Metal Finishing Company Will Meyer Garrett Simon ’95 Partner, Meriwether Companies Cooper Miller Rachel Pearson PhD, LCMFT, CST Therapist & Owner, ICT TherapyWorks Ishani Nagabhushan Dr. Reena Patel Ophthalmologist, Founder & Medical Director, Wichita Vision Institute, P.A. Sam Ngunjiri Dr. Joel Alderson President, Southcentral Pathology Cassilda Njeri Marcos Montemayor Immigration Attorney, AM Law, LLC Kailey Norlie Julie Lang, MEd, LPC Therapist & Owner, Young Sky Counseling Langley Overman Hannah Lang CRNA, Anesthesia Consulting Services, P.A. Andrew Porter Dr. Lilian Blue Pediatrician, Wesley Medical Center Elise Powers Daniel Brake Senior Solutions Architect, Koch Communications and Marketing Cari Reagans Dr. Katie Rosell Neurologist, Neurology Consultants of Kansas Lana Sandid Dr. Jennifer Burgoyne Opthamologist and Owner, ICT Eye, LLC/Beautiful Eyes, LLC

Ellie Schulte Kat Ramirez Creative Services Manager, Wichita State University Athletics Harrison Simon WG Farha President, Farha & Son Enterprises Tristan Sprole Dr. Will Messamore ’02 Orthopedic Surgeon, Kansas Orthopedic Center

Dr. Sanjay Khicha ’91 and Sabrina Hunt

Camden St. Germain Mike Argotsinger Private Pilot Will Strecker Aeramy Porter ’93 Paulseen Financial Group Hannah Ternes Rachel Payne Trader, Koch Minerals and Trading Margaret Ulrich Chris Hearne Senior VP Engineering, Textron Aviation

Sihyeon Byon and Matt Wallace

Liliana Varchavtchik Dr. Kelly McFall Professor of History/Director of the Honors Program, Newman University Natalie Villars Kevin Saal Athletic Director, Wichita State University Zach Voloch Dr. Rob Ramseyer ’02 Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Expansion, Friends University

Chloe Dart, Laura Monahan ‘00, and Sebastian Gordon

Ward Weimar Justin Healy ’06 Chief Financial Officer, Chase Koch Family Office Nicolas Zayat Todd Shadid ’86 Lawyer/Managing Member, Klenda Austerman, LLC

Lily Wu and Sam Brittain WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION

|

59

MENTOR DAY A S S E M B LY S P E A K E R Laura Monahan, JD, MBA, is an accomplished executive with a strong background in business, law, and leadership.

As the Executive Director and CEO of the Cancer Center of Kansas (CCK), she leads operations across 20 sites, having previously served nearly a decade as CCK’s Chief Legal Officer. A Wichita native and University of Kansas alumna, Laura also earned her law degree from KU and an MBA from Washburn University. Her career spans private legal practice and executive leadership, with notable contributions to healthcare law, compliance, and strategic partnerships, including CCK’s 2023 affiliation with the US Oncology Network. A dedicated community leader, she co-founded the Wichita Cancer Foundation and has served on numerous nonprofit boards. Her work has been recognized by the Wichita Business Journal and honored by Wichita Collegiate School, where she remains an active alumna.

Laura Monahan ’00 spoke to the entire Upper School student body as the Mentor Day 2025 Assembly Speaker. She reflected on her journey as a

Laura Monahan ’00

Executive Director, Cancer Center of Kansas WCS alumna and the key life lessons she attributed to her time there. She emphasized the concept of independence, not as solitary self-reliance but as the strength to make decisions with the support and perspectives of trusted people. She also touched on the power of mentorship- how mentors contribute to one’s growth and the responsibility to both seek and become one.

Monahan also highlighted the importance of interpersonal skills, urging students to recognize the various roles people play in their lives, from teammates to mentors. She advocated for lifelong learning, stressing the need to continually adapt and grow with each new opportunity. Finally, she underscored giving back as both a privilege and a vital way to honor those who have helped along the way, framing it as a crucial part of one’s legacy.

i n m u Al

CLASS NOTES

Mike Meacham ’70 Mike and his wife Vicky “re-retired” to Clemson, SC in November of 2024.

Something about a college town!

Michael O’Shaughnessy ’96

Hamilton Hill ’94

Sara Jernigan-Crawford ’80 Married for three years to Jim Crawford, Sara co-owns Jernigan Nutraceuticals with her daughter, Alexis. For 27 years, they have expertly handcrafted herbal remedies, specifically frequency-matched to support the body’s ability to address pathogens, toxins, and the effects of Lyme disease.

Sara is the author of several books and e-books, including “Beating Lyme Disease: Using Alternative Medicine and God-Designed Living”, “Healing At Home for Chronic Lyme Disease”, and “Heal and Seal the Gut: Unlock New Levels of Progress in Chronic Illness Recovery”, “How-to-book For Busy People to Help Take of Sick Children at Home”. Each e-book is accompanied by a kit with products designed to aid in getting the body to heal itself.

In 2023, Sara was honored to receive the Athletic Hall of Fame Award from WCS, alongside her father, Coach Rick Koch, who received an honorary award for his legacy as one of the school’s first successful football and track coaches, beginning in 1965.

Hamilton Hill is still living in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe, raising his two young kids, coaching their flag football teams, working as a lawyer and bringing joy to his wife, Traci.

They celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this summer. And in the meantime, he was recently elected to the Glencoe School Board.

Michael O’Shaughnessy married Jennifer Reano of Newport Beach on November 3rd, 2024. The Collegiate family was well represented in the wedding party, including Best Man Chase Koch ’96, Groomsmen Conor O’Shaughnessy ’99, Askia Ahmad ’96, Ryan Francisco ’96, Brandon Paulseen ’96, and Mikey Stevens ’96, Reader Nes Weigand ’94 and Usher Stephen Clark ’98, as well as bridesmaids Clare Blasi ’00, Lael Falls ’04, and Kate Mitchell ’07. Other members of the legendary class of 1996 were also in attendance!

Scott Hilton ’98

Class of 1996 The class of 1996 has four second generation WCS grads this year!

Carter Drumright (son of Cameron Michaud Drumright ’96, Hannah Ternes (daughter of Deanna Dakhil Ternes ’96), Cooper Brown (son of Nick Brown ’96 and Stephanie Cooper Brown ’97), and Langley Overman (daughter of Morgan Wilson Overman ’96 and Logan Overman ’96).

Scott and his wife, Meredith, are excited to announce the graduation of their oldest son, Trent, from Wesleyan High School in Atlanta. Trent will be studying Music Education next year at Auburn University.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 61

i n m u l A CLASS NOTES

Sara Zafar ’01 Sara Zafar, along with law partner Christine Campbell, opened Campbell Zafar, LLC in June 2025 in Wichita, KS. She serves clients in family law cases and as a mediator and Guardian ad Litem, protection orders and education law. She will also serve as the President of the Kansas Women Attorneys Association in the 20252026 year, and continues to serve on the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors, and is the immediate pastpresident of the Wichita Family Crisis Center Board of Directors.

Cody Wamsley ’00 Cody has been appointed General Counsel for the National Security Agency Texas Cryptologic Center.

Jeff Sweeney ’02 Jeff and his wife Brette welcomed their third child (baby girl) on April 12, 2025 - Piper June Sweeney.

Ginger Fast and José Perez welcomed their beautiful daughter, Milena, in March. Ginger and José live in Denver, Colorado where Ginger works as the Air Quality Department Manager for CDH Consulting, an environmental consulting company specializing in oil and gas compliance.

Moved to Tucson AZ, Katie is enjoying life exploring with long bike rides, hiking and fun with her four dogs.

Dan was promoted to the President of the Wichita Bank for CrossFirst Bank, previously serving in the role of Managing Director, Private Banking Wichita.

62 | SUMMER 2025

After 13 years on TCU’s Housing & Residence Life team, Missy transitioned to HF Custom Solutions!

She now serves a large population of TCU customers (and more!) with promotional items. This move awarded Missy more time with David, Ellie and Tucker! She hasn’t missed a classroom party, a recital or a practice since making this move and she is so grateful! She also gets to help create promotional products for the College Football Playoffs, The Final Four, Dickies Arena and so many more!

Ginger Fast ’03

Katie Patton ’04

Dan Dakhil ’02

Missy Draper ’05

Holly Montgomery ’05 Holly ‘05 is working as an obstetrician in Wichita and is married to a local pediatrician, Phil. Together they have 4 children (Michael ‘33, Aaron ‘35, Madeleine ‘39 and recently Eleanor ‘43)!

Jake Droge ’07 Jake and his wife, Alli, live in Houston, Texas with their four children—Kate (6), Wes (5), Annie (3), and Caroline (1.5). A geologist by training, Jake transitioned into energy investment banking after earning his MBA. He was recently promoted to Managing Director at Mizuho, a leading Japanese investment bank, where he specializes in energy transactions with a focus on acquisitions and divestitures (A&D).

Thomas Greaves ’07 Thomas and his wife, Frances, welcomed their first child, a boy, Simon MacLeod Greaves, on 1/24/2025 in Overland Park. 7lbs 9.7oz. They’re over the moon!

Hannah Fleming ’10

Myles Copeland ’12

Hannah has been in the esthetics industry for 3 years now. She specializes in corrective, results driven treatments to target aging, pigmentation, acne and overall skin health. Hannah graduated from Eric Fisher Academy in May of 2022, as valedictorian of her class. Upon passing boards, she secured a one-onone internship with Derek Davenport of Urban Routine Wellness. Sadly, Urban Routine went out of business at the end of 2023.

Hannah has been working at Bohemia Healing and Med Spa just north of Collegiate on Webb for about a year and a half. She is the lead skin trainer and truly enjoys continuing her education to provide the best possible care for her clients. She is passionate about making every client feel their best and helping them learn to love their skin!

Myles and Abby have a 2 year old daughter named Lainey, and they reside in Overland Park, Kansas.

Hayley Jansson ’07 After college, medical school, residency, fellowship, and military service, Hayley is moving back to Wichita! She will be working as an orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in adult and pediatric sports medicine, at Advanced Orthopaedics Associates (AOA). She hopes no one has to make a trip to the orthopaedic clinic, but if you do- she would be happy to take care of you! Hayley’s oldest child will be starting preschool at WCS, and they look forward to seeing everyone on campus!

Jonathan Dennill ’12 Jonathan Dennill graduated from USC Marshall School of Business with his MBA this past May. He was also selected to represent the graduating class as the Graduate Student Commencement Speaker.

Jonathan and his wife, Mackenzie, also welcomed their first child, Michelle Elizabeth Dennill, this past March 2025.

Natalie Farha ’11 After completing her fellowship at Cleveland Clinic this June, Natalie Farha will be returning home to Wichita to work as a gastroenterologist at Kansas Gastroenterology.

Mitchell Copeland ’14 Mitchell Copeland is engaged to Halsten Amend. Their wedding will be December 13th, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas.

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 63

ni Alum CLASS NOTES

Mac Copeland ’18 Samuel Beren ’15 Samuel is engaged to Julia Lebovic; they will get married this August in New York City. Samuel graduated from Columbia Business School in May, and they will stay in NYC where he will continue working in investment management.

After graduating from The University of Kansas, Mac has spent the last 2 years working at Cargill in Keller, TX. He recently received a promotion to do the same position in Wichita, Kansas. Sales Account Manager, Food Service Beef - Cargill

Shelby Melton ’20 Shelby graduated from Western Kentucky University this past December with a major in Organizational Leadership with a minor in Business Administration and started a new job as an HR Assistant at Graves Gilbert Clinic in January! One week after starting her job, Shelby’s boyfriend, Ben Taylor of Louisville KY, proposed!! Their wedding is in September and they are so excited!

Quincy Bachrodt ’20 Allie Lindwall ’16 and Max Moxley ’14 Allie and Max were married on May 3, 2025, in Key Largo, Florida. Allie graduated from UCLA with a degree in economics and now works in investment banking in the energy sector. Max, a Collegiate lifer, earned his degree in petroleum engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.B.A. from Rice University.

He is now a Senior Reservoir Engineer at a private-equity-backed operator.

Allie and Max are now living in Houston, Texas with their golden retriever, Sophie.

64 | SUMMER 2025

Quincy graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wichita State University in December 2024.

Jordan Bayles ’20 Jordan just started a new position at Landmark Commercial as a commercial real estate agent! He is also planning on graduating from Wichita State University with a bachelors in Business Administration this fall!

Nate Trout ’20 In February, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office recognized Deputy Nathaniel Trout as the recipient of the Gold Medal of Honor, the highest award for bravery. Deputy Trout displayed extraordinary courage and selflessness during an incident, going above and beyond the call of duty while facing imminent personal danger in service to our community.

Nate was also recognized as officer of the year after his heroic efforts responding to an active shooter outside of a Wichita Public School. Thanks to Deputy Trout’s swift and controlled actions, students inside of the school building were unharmed, and the shooter was apprehended.

Rithika Chary ’21 Scan the QR code to read about what Rithika is up to at the KU School of Business.

Ben Voloch ’21

Brandon Voloch ’22

Ben graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government, Minor in Sociology from KU and just finished his first year at the University of Kansas School of Law. He has been recognized with the following: Cali Excellence for the Future Award in Contracts, Distinguished Advocate for prosecutor role in KU traffic court for 2024-2025, and Elected Chief Prosecutor for 2025-2026 KU traffic court. He is also a member of KU Law’s LEAD Program.

Ben will be a summer intern at Foulston Siefkin LLP this summer.

Brandon is a YouTuber/Google and Media Director in Los Angeles, CA. He is a Director at Team Jesser Bucketsquad doing YouTube analytics, directing, scriptwriting, editing, digital media, and marketing.

Brandon is also an Ideation Facilitator at Jack Gordon and Creative Director at Drew Dirksen.

Bekah Harris Kerr ’20 Bekah and her husband, Ryan welcomed their future Spartan Harris Reid in February

If you are a Collegiate alum or have news of one, please share with us for future Connection editions. All news can be emailed to phoebehart@wcsks.com. High quality/resolution photos are appreciated for printing purposes. Don’t forget to follow and engage with us online.

@wichitacollegiatealumni

WICHITA COLLEGIATE SCHOOL CONNECTION | 65

Non Profit Org U.S. Postage 9115 E. 13th Street | Wichita, KS 67206 (316) 634-0433 | wcsks.com

66 | SUMMER 2025

PAID

Wichita, KS Permit #84