Academy Magazine Fall 2025

LETTERFROMMELISSA

Certified arborists added lights to this large oak on campus to serve as a beacon of joy and a symbol to induce gratitude for the abundant trees, paths, meadows and fields on our 231 acres

Thinking Globally

When our sons turned 15, their aunt (whom we call “Magic Aunt Nancy”) allowed them to pick anywhere in the world they would like to travel with her for 10 days. She is an adventurer who has spent her entire career as a diplomat, so they were going to need to work hard to give her a challenge. I admit we encouraged them to think “big” as she had the means to take them while we, on the other hand, were saving for impending college tuition.

One went to Tanzania to hike Mount Kilimanjaro and go on safari, and the other scuba-dived in the Great Barrier Reef and visited Uluru. Each boy returned describing a sense of perspective on their lives and their country they would never have gained any other way. They continued to go abroad as part of their Columbus Academy education – to Belize for biology and to Japan and Taiwan for East Asian studies –seeking to travel with faculty they admired in countries where those teachers had special expertise.

For all of us who have traveled outside the U.S. or arrived here from somewhere else, we know the transformative power of changing cultures, foods, languages and climates to see how other humans put their world together… and to consider our “global citizenship” either reluctantly or enthusiastically.

Understanding pluralism – the coexistence of multiple cultures – and developing the skills to be engaged in an ever-changing world are essential to a Columbus Academy education (it is the most powerful phrase in our mission). This issue of our magazine focuses on alumni who have thrived abroad and the underpinnings to their success rooted in the various and intentional ways this school developed their skills. These days, the programming extends beyond language programs to Global Online Academy and the Global Scholars program to give students direct and consistent working opportunities with students, scholars and entrepreneurs who live and work in other countries.

Far from cloistering our students, Columbus Academy opens the world to them so they can venture forth with a sound set of skills, attitudes and knowledge to e!ectively enter the complexities of the planet.

Head of School

Melissa Soderberg

2025-26 Board of Trustees

President: Bill Porter ’74, GP’38

Vice President: Paul Judge P’33 ’36

Secretary: Valda Clark Christian P’29

Treasurer: Michael A. Schlonsky ’84, P’17 ’19 ’25

Immediate Past President: Tanisha Lyon Brown P’20 ’22 Ted Carlin ’89, P’17 ’22

Ching-chu

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Academy Magazine is published by Columbus Academy

4300 Cherry Bottom Road Gahanna, Ohio 43230-0745

Phone: 614-475-2311

Fax: 614-475-0396

Web: columbusacademy.org

Editors: Maria Miller P’24, Bob Lee P’25 ’28, Jeremy Morgan

Contributors: Pedro Mena P’31 ‘37, Melissa Clarke Beckett, Emily Campbell, Mike Kemp P’33 ‘40, Michael Haddock, Dan Ginis, Suzanne Lucas P’24 ’27, Amanda Porter, Bryane Roberts P’28

Photographers: Cynthia Wilson P’87 ‘99, Dr. Andy Morris ’85, P’16 ’18, Comfort Owusu-Ansah ‘98, Becky Barger-Amato, Vicki Miller, Yenny Tsao P’26 ‘28, Paul Molitor

Proofreaders: Michelle White P’21, Jen Neviaser P’25 ‘27 ‘29 ‘32

Strategy & Design: VENN Growth Collective

Printing: Baesman Group

Engaging in a Pluralistic, Ever-Changing World

by Bob Lee

Riding in her parents’ car on the way to school, 3-year-old Mika closes her eyes to enjoy the warmth on her cheeks from the sunlight flickering through the trees along Cherry Bottom Road and dancing across her face through the backseat window. Moments later, their car turns into Columbus Academy’s entrance, and Mika smiles as she sees the bridge leading to the path through the woods that she and her classmates walk across in their boots and waders almost every school day.

When Mika entered Academy’s Explorers program, her world expanded from her home and family to a 231-acre campus teeming with wondrous natural elements to explore as well as a community filled with adults and fellow students who bring knowledge and experiences from around the world with them to our classrooms, hallways, courtyards and playing fields.

Little does she know that by the end of her 15 years as a CA student, Mika will have had the opportunity to deeply study other languages and cultures, to travel with teachers and friends to foreign lands, to take online classes alongside high-schoolers from around the globe taught by educators from other top independent schools, to meet and interact with Academy alumni leading exciting lives internationally, and – perhaps most importantly – to gain a global perspective and appreciation for the countless possibilities open to her once she leaves 4300 Cherry Bottom.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

A global influence a!ects our lower-schoolers right away, both with the outdoor-oriented Explorers program and the hugely popular Forest Fridays in our other early childhood grades. Having spent 19 years working in international schools in Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Lithuania and Denmark, Head of Lower School Mark Hansen learned that many school cultures share the same motto for getting outside every day and not making excuses: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

It is a rare day when Academy lower-schoolers do not get the opportunity to play and explore outside. “Whether it was driving rain or blinding snow, most educators around the world know that getting children outside is a very important part of their development,” Mark stated. “Unfortunately, many Americans don’t share this same philosophy because they have come to believe that cold and wet weather will make their child sick or is somehow unhealthy.”

Janny Cann, one of Mika’s teachers, lived in South Korea for a year and spent three years teaching ceramics and environmental art at the University of Guam. And although Guam is technically a part of the United States as an unincorporated territory, it is located in the western Pacific Ocean near the Philippines.

In the other Explorers classroom, teacher Beth Kohland fondly remembers her time spent living in Cyprus (“on the Turkish side of the island”) as a ninth-grader and in London first as a college student and later as a casting director.

“Both of those experiences made me more aware of people who are visiting or moving to the place where I live,” she said. “When I lived in Cyprus and London, I had so many wonderful moments, but there were also times I felt lonely and missed the comforts of home. Because of that, I always try to be helpful and share fun tips about the city so anyone new to an area can start to feel at home right away.”

Academy | Global Experiences

First grade associate teacher Debbie Asirifi also lived in London for two years while working for a global magazine. A decade later, she spent a few months living and working in Ireland followed by five years in Bermuda.

“For me, living in another country helped me meet di!erent versions of myself,” Debbie recalled. “It taught me I’m more brave, resilient and enterprising than I’d thought. My appreciation for my hometown and my country deepened, and I formed lifelong bonds with international friends.”

Earning a Fulbright scholarship allowed Dr. Ben Johnson, who teaches Spanish in the Lower School, to complete a research project in Colombia from 2005 to 2006. A er earning his Ph.D. in Spanish, Ben returned to Colombia in 2016 to teach seminars about Latin American literature at a postgraduate institute in Bogotá.

“Living in Colombia enabled me to see the United States with new eyes,” said Ben, “and to appreciate that, despite some cultural di!erences, people everywhere are essentially the same.”

Teaching abroad is also what gave fourth grade teacher Miranda Bring ’03 a chance to live overseas. Through the Global Student Teaching Program at the University of Minnesota, Miranda completed her student teaching in the fall of 2007 at the English International School in Padua, Italy, where she had a wonderful experience working with 5- and 6-year-olds while also touring the country on weekends.

For fourth grade associate teacher Alicia Morris, a study abroad program in college led to a teaching opportunity in Spain, which she cherished. When Pedro Mena, Academy’s director of hiring & student outreach, established a Global Scholars program at our school (see page 21 for more details), Alicia eagerly shared her personal story with the upper-schoolers to inspire a new generation of international students.

Thanks to Columbus Academy’s Dream Big Grants (see next page), fi h grade team leader Donna Saide spent this past summer in Peru “heavily involved in the Inca culture and history, as it pertains to the unit on Mesoamerican civilizations I teach in fi h grade social studies,” stated Donna, who has also visited and taught at schools in Australia, Belize and China. “I was also able to visit a middle school on an island o! of Lake Titicaca.”

Dr. Ben Johnson with his family in the co!ee-growing region of Colombia

Dream Big Grants

Established by a Columbus Academy family in 2017, these grants – ranging from $1,000 to $12,500 – empower faculty to pursue transformative experiences that spark both personal and professional growth. From studying ceramics in China to exploring family heritage around the world, Dream Big Grants nurture curiosity, creativity and passion – inspiring teachers to “feed their soul” and bring renewed energy to their work.

Students in Lower School also benefit from the international experiences of learning specialist Amanda Dennison, who taught at the Hong Kong International School from 2008 to 2015.

“Living abroad for seven years, traveling around the world and becoming invested in an international school community o!ered a unique perspective that simultaneously expanded and condensed my world,” Amanda said. “It felt bigger because I was constantly exposed to new cultures, traditions and global events that had once seemed distant. At the same time, my world felt smaller and more interconnected. The international school community was a microcosm of the globe, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds with shared goals and challenges. I found common ground with people from every corner of the world, building friendships that transcended borders.” n

“When I shared my research with my classmates, I felt for the frst time that I could work on these global issues one day.”

As Head of School Melissa Soderberg mentioned in her introduction to this issue, Columbus Academy is intentional about providing students with a global perspective. That involves:

• recognizing that events, issues and decisions in one part of the world can have e!ects far beyond its borders;

• understanding and respecting di!erent cultures, values and ways of life from various societies and countries;

• being aware of major worldwide concerns such as climate change, poverty or public health and how they impact everyone;

• seeing the “big picture” by considering the political, social, economic and environmental factors that shape the world on a large scale; and

• developing the ability to analyze problems from multiple cultural and international viewpoints rather than a single limited one.

In our Middle School, no one is more e!ective in developing this in students than seventh grade social studies teacher Brad Henry. Brad’s knowledge of the world comes from his own journeys and experiences; he actually has lost count of how many di!erent countries he has visited!

Brad’s first international trip was in the summer of 1989 when he backpacked around Europe for six weeks. Since then, he has lived in Ireland, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Korea, Nepal, Tibet, Bulgaria and the country of Georgia.

He has also been on extended trips to France and Italy (eight times each), China, Morocco and Turkey (three times), Spain and Niger (twice), Cambodia, India, Zimbabwe, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Germany, Scotland, England, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Thailand and, most recently, Japan.

His influence had a profound impact on alumna Maddie Vaziri ’16, who makes donations to the school in honor of Brad.

2011 (below)

Honoring former heads of school William Putnam and John Mackenzie, these annual grants – up to $5,000 – inspire faculty to pursue meaningful summer experiences around the world. Funded by gi s from the Academy community, the program encourages exploration, creativity and renewal – bringing fresh energy and perspective back to the classroom.

“Mr. Henry had an amazing way of showing us what the world can give us and what we can give the world,” claimed Maddie. “While he achieved this through his masterful lessons and discussions, I remember most what he shared outside of lectures. He showed a moody preteen how cultures from around the world can bring inner peace by introducing me to meditation and music from around the world during class. He shared his own global adventures and philanthropy with us, inspiring me to start a journal with my own travel bucket list.”

A er graduating from Academy, Maddie went on to study political science in college and earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School this past summer. She fondly recalls a moment of epiphany in Brad’s middle school classroom.

“He encouraged our own interests to drive our class work, allowing us to pick our own presentation topics,” she said. “When I shared my research with my classmates, I felt for the first time that I could work on these global issues one day. We even wrote letters to world leaders, imploring them to make changes to their policies based on our discussions of human rights. All of this taught me agency, compassion and curiosity that I still work toward today.”

In 2024, the school’s Putnam/Mackenzie Grants (see previous page) enabled eighth grade science teacher Alison Eisert to take her family to Croatia.

“I once had a student from Croatia who went on and on about how beautiful it was, so I’ve wanted to go there for a very long time,” stated Alison, who recalls time spent in the national parks – exploring caves and waterfalls – as the trip highlight. “It was an incredible experience for my family, and I’m so grateful to Academy because I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the school’s grant.”

For Associate Head of Middle School Ed Rhee ’93 and Grant Stegner, now in his third year teaching eighth grade language arts, living overseas was made possible by study-abroad programs during college. Ed spent a semester in South Korea in the mid-90s, while Grant studied political science for six months at England’s University of Cambridge.

Kevin Fish had a more unique experience. Many years before joining Academy’s faculty in 2024 as a technology and integration specialist, Kevin had an opportunity to travel to Japan with acclaimed artist Kerry James Marshall.

“I was able to observe and study Bunraku – a traditional Japanese form of table-top puppetry – in the homes, workshops and theatres of practicing and classically trained Bunraku artists,” noted Kevin, a professional puppet artist who teaches robotics and electronics. “The trip was only three and a half weeks in length but was chock-full of amazing and life-changing experiences.” n

“These aren’t just school trips, these are treks into the exotic… (allowing) kids to know that the fulfllment of dreams is possible.”

Columbus Academy encourages its upper-schoolers to go on international trips and assists those who may not have the financial means to do so. During spring break this upcoming March, a group of our students studying Mandarin will travel to Taiwan and Japan with upper school Chinese teachers Dr. Jing Yan and Dr. Hsiao-Ching Yang, who grew up in Taiwan. Jing and middle school Chinese teacher Na Li both lived in China before coming to the United States for graduate school.

Spanish students, meanwhile, will be going to Spain for spring break. Two of the faculty members accompanying them – history teacher Gerardina Garita and Spanish teacher Dr. Silvia Chaves – grew up in Costa Rica. Silvia’s older brother, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, is currently the country’s president. “I go visit o!en and always stay in his house,” Silvia proudly stated. “He’s done an amazing job cleaning up the corruption in our country.”

Dr. Silvia Chaves and her brother, the president of Costa Rica

Upper-schoolers on last summer’s trip to the Galápagos Islands

The teacher planning the upcoming trip to Spain, Dr. Alex Jacky, also led a group of students this past summer to the Galápagos Islands.

“These aren’t just school trips, these are treks into the exotic,” said Alex, who spent time embedded in a street gang in El Salvador for his dissertation research. “These are opportunities to check o! bucket-list items at an early age. These allow the kids to know that the fulfilment of dreams is possible.”

Our upper-schoolers studying Latin also went abroad earlier this year. Led by their teachers Christy Bening and Elise Gursahaney, the students spent 10 days traveling through Italy while learning about Roman history and Italian culture. During her 39-year career at Academy, Christy has also experienced school trips to Greece and Egypt. Elise spent a college semester in Florence, Italy, and also traveled to China with students from a previous school.

Latin students high above the ancient Italian seaside town

“My favorite part of taking students to Italy is the ‘aha!’ moment when a student sees something they’ve studied in real life, or when something we’ve discussed in class suddenly comes alive,” said Elise. “I also love seeing students stretch themselves. Travel abroad pushes them out of their comfort zone in a really significant way, and students grow so much on these trips by trying new food, communicating across languages and cultures, and getting out of their traditional daily routines.”

Dr. Brad Hilgert, who began teaching Spanish in our Upper School this year, came to Academy a er serving 10 years as academic vice rector (provost) and professor at Universidad de las Artes in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Throughout his career, Brad has received multiple fellowships and grants for teaching, research and community engagement both in the United States and internationally.

Academy | Global Experiences

In our math department, teachers Chris Bolognese and Dr. Emily Dennett were both recipients of the school’s Dream Big Grants that enabled them to have rewarding professional experiences overseas. For Chris, it was a 2018 history of mathematics conference in Oslo, Norway, that allowed him to think more deeply about how to make mathematics history come alive in his classroom. He also spent 12 days this past summer attending a math and cultural immersion conference at the University of Cambridge in England.

Dr. Emily Dennett with math YouTube personality Matt Parker wearing a pair of mittens Emily designed and knitted using a randomized mathematical pattern

For Emily, her Dream Big Grant in 2022 started an annual trip to the International Bridges Math Art Conference, which brings together mathematicians, artists and teachers from all around the world to countries such as Finland, Canada and the Netherlands.

“Through the workshops that take place at these conferences, I’ve had the opportunity to talk more in-depth with teachers and hear ideas for lessons or projects that I’ve never thought of before,” stated Emily, who now serves on the conference’s planning committee. “Several activities that have been part of our Pi Day celebrations, STEM Family Nights and Middle School Math Club have come from activities that I first tried at Bridges.”

It is not di#cult to immediately sense a British vibe as soon as you meet chemistry teacher Dr. Andy Bezant, who grew up in England and moved to the U.S. for a post-doctorate research fellowship at Ohio State University. A er many years living in the States, Andy became an American citizen on September 23, 2025.

In addition to growing up in Canada, Associate Head of Upper School for Academic A!airs Craig Dow taught mathematics for six years at the American School in Cairo, Egypt, and four years at the American School of Warsaw, Poland. It made him realize that “so much joy can be found through connecting with your community, embracing the diversity of cultures other than your own, and seeking opportunities to understand others’ perspectives.”

“A er witnessing the events surrounding September 11th as I began my first teaching job in Cairo, my six years in the Middle East grounded me to embrace uncertainty with respectful curiosity and perpetual optimism,” said Craig, who became a U.S. citizen in the spring of 2019. “My 10 years of living and working internationally gave me an opportunity to reinvent myself and experience nature and history through a myriad of lenses.”

Global Learning Partnerships

Columbus Academy is a proud member of the Institute for Global Learning (IGL) – a worldwide association of independent schools dedicated to advancing global education, travel, climate awareness and citizenship. Through IGL conferences and programs, our teachers engage in best practices, intercultural dialogue and innovative approaches to global learning.

In partnership with Global Online Academy (GOA) since 2014, Academy students can participate in dynamic online courses with peers and educators from GOA’s international consortium of schools spanning six continents and more than 30 countries. GOA reimagines learning for a connected world – empowering students to think critically, collaborate meaningfully and thrive in a global society.

Craig Dow meets with upperschoolers about their courses

Dr. Andy Bezant became an American citizen in September

Even short stints in other countries, however, can have profound impacts as they did for math teacher Betsy Claman and learning specialist Erika Feigles. Betsy spent time living in Bonn, Germany, while pursuing a degree in German, and she encourages students to fit a study-abroad program into their college experience.

For Erika, three months in Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia was life-changing. In addition to completing three published math texts to her name while there, she “learned a whole lot more about things I never thought to learn about.” One of those things was the di!erent burdens placed on food manufacturers.

“In the U.S., companies can use anything they want until it is deemed unsafe,” Erika stated. “In Europe, they work in reverse and do not include chemicals until they are considered safe. Canada falls somewhere in between… (so Americans are) essentially the test subjects for food safety. To this day, I won’t eat fruit or vegetables that I haven’t grown myself or that I can’t source or find information on regarding growing practices.”

Academy | Global Experiences

As a part of his service in the U.S. Army, Assistant Head of School for Academic A!airs Dan Olexio was deployed to Panama for three months in 1989, was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, from 1993-96 and spent most of 2003 assisting local governments in Iraq. He also joined two Academy colleagues for parts of their Putnam/Mackenzie Grant trips. This past summer, Dan accompanied math teacher (and former admissions director) John Wuorinen ’80 to Finland for a portion of John’s journey to learn more about the homeland of his paternal grandparents. And back in 2017, Dan traveled to Kenya with English teacher Stefan Farrenkopf to visit African schools assisted by the nonprofit run by former computer science teacher Mark Daubenmier

“Visiting places in the developing world – where poverty and lifestyles can be so incredibly di!erent than ours – definitely builds empathy, gratitude and perspective on just how hard life can be for so many,” said Dan. “When we see people who live in di cult situations coping with their hardships constructively, it can also only help put the comforts of our lives in the U.S. in perspective.”

History teacher Tim Morford ’79 was born in England but moved to the States when he was 3 years old. In addition to serving as the Rainey S. Taylor History Chair, Tim is the school’s liaison to the Institute for Global Learning, an organization of independent schools that Columbus Academy has belonged to since 2017 (see page 12).

This past summer, Tim traveled to Morocco as part of a cohort of independent school teachers from across the country on a trip sponsored by the World Leadership School, an educational travel organization whose specialty is cultural immersion and community engagement, where students and educators spend time in more remote areas interacting closely with host communities.

“We spent a couple days seeing the sights in Rabat, Fez and Casablanca, but the core of the trip was centered around a visit to a small village in the Atlas Mountains,” recalled Tim. “There, the group spent four days working with and learning from the local residents, most of whom were Amazigh (the preferred name of the Berber people, the original nomadic pastoral peoples of North Africa). We visited their homes, ate meals with them and learned to cook some local cuisine as well as some Moroccan dance moves.”

Tim – who had previously traveled on school trips to Costa Rica, China, Greece, Italy, Japan, France and Belgium – was deeply impacted by the richness of Amazigh culture and the challenges of maintaining their long-established lifestyles in the larger context of environmental and economic changes.

“This was a transformative experience, as it enabled me to gain a greater understanding of Moroccan culture, the Islamic faith and also more traditional ways of living away from the usual tourist sights,” he stated. “The people of the village greeted us warmly when we arrived, they welcomed us into their homes, and on our last evening we participated in a two-hour farewell ceremony of eating and dancing. There were many tears on both sides as we le our host families and the community.” n

Although his family hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Director of Diversity & Community Life Dr. Pascal Losambe was born in Nigeria and also lived in Swaziland and South Africa before moving to Burlington, Vermont, when he was 16 years old

“As a sculptor who creates life-size fgures, the idea of standing amidst the burial mounds where 8,000 life-size fgures were meticulously crafted with devotion and precision – then silenced through time – is akin to a spiritual experience.”

During the summer of 2024, art and ceramics teacher Charity White spent two weeks in China with her partner Adam and 2-year-old son Milo exploring one of the world’s largest collections of ancient ceramic works at the Shanghai Museum and experiencing firsthand the renowned Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. She then spent four weeks on her own participating in an immersive artist residency in Jingdezhen, o en a!ectionately called the “Porcelain City” by virtue of being an unparalleled haven for ceramic cra smanship and innovation for over a millennium.

“Bringing firsthand experiences of the Terracotta Army and insights from the rich artistic traditions of Jingdezhen into the classroom would impact my teaching for a lifetime,” wrote Charity in her successful Dream Big Grant application. “As a sculptor who creates life-size figures, the idea of standing amidst the burial mounds where 8,000 lifesize figures were meticulously cra ed with devotion and precision – then silenced through time – is akin to a spiritual experience.”

Charity White sculpts a human figure during a four-week artist residency in China

Hunker Family Fund Grants

Established by Mary and Erich Hunker ’81, these grants – supported by an endowed gi – honor the dedication of Columbus Academy’s non-teaching sta! who help make campus life vibrant, welcoming and safe. Designed to fund experiences or adventures beyond daily work, the awards encourage recipients to explore, travel and find joy – celebrating the heart and spirit they bring to our community every day.

For choir director Ryan Jenkins, living in Canada for two years while he completed his master’s degree at the University of Toronto helped him realize the power of music and the way it can connect with people across the globe.

“This complemented the global view of music I was developing,” Ryan shared. “Along with this, it was an interesting time to be in another country. I o en was a sounding board for a lot of the emotions Canadians were feeling a er the 2016 election.”

Jennifer Kristo , who has been a music assistant, performance pianist and vocal coach at Academy since 2011, considers her year in Hungary studying at the Kodaly Institute as one of the most important parts of both her musical and personal development.

“I used to joke that we were a mini-UN because there were so many cultures and personalities living and studying in two buildings,” she recalled. “We just had to learn to work together.”

Band director Jessica Sneeringer recently returned from a five-day residency as the guest conductor for the Hannaford Street Silver Band in Toronto. The professional brass band’s fall concert featured trombone soloist Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, principle trombone of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Jessica also traveled with the Athena Brass Band to Japan during the summer of 2024 and to the U.K. earlier this year. While in Japan, she had the opportunity to conduct that country’s top military band.

Jessica was assisted on her January trip to England by Becky Barger-Amato, Academy’s advancement services coordinator since 2020 and just the second recipient of the Hunker Family Fund Grant (see above). Combining her lifelong passions of photography and brass bands, Becky took almost 400 photos of the Athena Brass Band’s rehearsals and performances during the trip. n

Academy | Global Experiences

“Living in a diferent country helped me to become a more independent and resilient person.”

Academy senior Lynn Yoon was one of just 440 American students selected to study abroad on a prestigious National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) scholarship this past summer. NSLI-Y is a merit-based opportunity for American students to immerse themselves in languages that are critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.

Lynn lived with a host family in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, and studied Arabic for two months. She decided to apply for NSLI-Y a er participation in Academy’s Global Scholars program and Model U.N. club amplified her passion for global education. Lynn first connected with Arabic while working at the Riverview International Center in Columbus, which o!ers community support to new Americans.

“I definitely think my Arabic improved quite a lot,” Lynn stated. “I loved the subtle learning that happened out of the classroom, as I found that my vocabulary expanded by just talking to shopkeepers in the medina, waiters at restaurants and cafes, my host family and curious strangers. I’m now taking the Arabic 2 course through the Malone Schools Online Network (see next page), and I hope to be able to continue learning Arabic in college as well.”

“Living in a di!erent country helped me to become a more independent and resilient person, and it also helped me to understand di!erent perspectives on the world and life,” she said. “I also learned the importance of mealtimes, as I shared almost every meal and even tea time with my host family or friends, including couscous for lunch every Friday, which is a Moroccan tradition.”

Lynn was the third Academy student in the past three years accepted into this prestigious foreign language program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Fellow senior Abby Xiao participated in the NSLI-Y Russian program last spring and even found a way to log into her class while traveling through Italy during our Latin program’s spring break trip. And alumna Janet Li ’22 did her NSLI-Y in South Korea as a gap year between her senior year at Columbus Academy and her first year at Stanford University.

According to Lynn, the biggest challenges were managing her time well and learning to budget the stipend of $200 USD per month for daily necessities, food and spending money.

Just a month a er graduating from Academy this past summer, Isa Eribo ’25 and Clara Stevens ’25 spent four weeks in Taiwan a er being selected for the English Teaching Volunteer Service Program for Overseas Youth sponsored by that government’s Overseas Community A!airs Council.

“I had to plan lessons, adapt quickly when activities didn’t go as expected and find creative ways to connect with my students despite the language barrier,” Isa stated. “The experience also gave me a deeper appreciation for education as a bridge between cultures. Whether we were laughing through a game, working through pronunciation or trying new Taiwanese snacks a er class, I saw how learning creates connection.”

They both received teacher training a er arriving in Taiwan and then taught English in elementary schools for two weeks before finishing the experience with visits to cultural sites.

For Clara, the strong sense of community and connection in her school’s small town was impactful. “Each and every person clearly cared so deeply about each other’s wellbeing,” she said. “I gained a greater sense of empathy and compassion simply by being around the incredible people I met.”

The highlight for Isa was “watching my students gain confidence. Seeing their faces light up when they understood a new word or completed an activity reminded me why I love working with kids. My time in Taiwan led me to be more independent, more empathetic, and with a renewed commitment to helping others learn and grow.”

Clara agreed that the young Taiwanese students are what made the trip so special.

“This experience truly changed my perspective,” she shared. “I’ve learned not just how to create a lesson plan but also how to take life less seriously, to improvise when needed, and to be more gentle and understanding.” n

Columbus Academy became the first Ohio school to join the Malone Schools Online Network (MSON) in 2021 – a premier consortium o!ering advanced, real-time seminars for independent schools nationwide. Through courses such as Forensic Science, Environmental Bioethics and Philosophy in Pop Culture, juniors and seniors engage in dynamic, college-style learning that fosters collaboration, independence and academic excellence across geographic boundaries.

“These global experiences will create lasting change for both students and faculty.”

Academy’s third-year Global Scholars recently participated in The Big Table, a community-wide day of critical conversation hosted by Capital University

In addition to the Global Scholars program initiated at Academy three years ago, Director of Hiring and Student Outreach Pedro Mena is working with Director of Diversity and Community Life Dr. Pascal Losambe to establish a new e!ort to coordinate and promote international experiences for students and teachers.

Global Learning Opportunities for Bold Engagement (GLOBE) is a purpose-driven global educational travel program o!ering unique, immersive opportunities for students and faculty/sta! to travel to cities and schools worldwide in order to gain deeper understandings of diverse cultures, career landscapes and global challenges. These transformative experiences are designed to inspire learning through exploration and connection, fostering a more holistic and engaged worldview.

Possible trips include studying robotics in Denmark, sustainability in Brazil, youth leadership in Ghana, the history of immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border, crisis recovery in Puerto Rico and cultural identity in Morocco.

Students will have the chance to step beyond textbooks and learn about di!erent cultures, industries and global issues in real-world contexts while experiencing life in major cities across the globe – connecting directly with local communities, cultures and businesses.

Faculty and sta!, meanwhile, will work together to investigate, research and recommend city-specific experiences that are relevant to both academic subjects and the careers students would like to explore. They will play a pivotal role in shaping a new model of education that combines academic rigor with real-world experience while gaining unique insights into international education, global trends and career opportunities that will enhance their teaching, research and leadership.

History teacher Tim Morford ’79 explored ancient ruins in Morocco last summer as part of a World Leadership School program

“These global experiences will create lasting change for both students and faculty,” stated Pedro, “bridging cultural gaps and inspiring new ways of thinking, working and living globally.” n

Columbus Academy Global Scholars

Founded by Melanie Qin ’25, CA’s Global Scholars is a student-led club that embodies the school’s commitment to global citizenship. The Scholars explore critical global topics, e!ectively extending learning opportunities beyond our campus in partnership with the Columbus Council on World A!airs. As students move through the three-year program, they own the learning process, represent CA throughout Central Ohio, invite guest speakers, choose their research topics and grow their understanding of their place in the world.

Caption for this photo. adksj ek fkae

The adidas Adizero Evo Prime X, a racing shoe weighing under five ounces, was built to chase history – and it did. As part of the adidas Chasing 100 support team, Melanie (Knopp) Menter ‘13 saw the power of design, performance and teamwork come together in a record-breaking 100-kilometer run.

MELANIE(KNOPP) MENTER’13

“The more I’ve explored, the more I feel like I’m just getting started.”

Melanie (Knopp) Menter ’13 entered Columbus Academy as a fi h-grader in 2005. By the time she le Academy eight years later as a member of the school’s 100th graduating class, she had proven herself as a standout in soccer and track, earned the Service Board Award of Merit and been inducted into the prestigious Cum Laude Society for her academic prowess. She currently lives in Nuremberg, Germany, where she is an athlete science and performance specialist with adidas Innovation.

On her childhood:

Growing up, I loved being outside and staying active. At Academy, that meant soccer in the fall and track and field in the spring. Both sports gave me a strong sense of teamwork and discipline, and some of my best memories come from those seasons with friends. Playing in front of a crowd built my self-confidence, and balancing demanding schoolwork with practices and competitions taught me time management and perseverance. I learned that even when things got tough, you don’t give up, you keep pushing forward.

Looking back now, those lessons still shape me. In my current role at adidas, I o en think about how much sports and academics at Academy prepared me to juggle big responsibilities while staying focused on long-term goals. And there’s even a special Ohio connection in my work today: I can still remember competing in a summer soccer tournament or going to the state track and field meet every summer at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Jesse Owens was not only an Ohio legend but also one of the first adidas track athletes, and now in our o ce in Germany there’s a giant wall poster of him right outside where I work. It feels like a full-circle reminder of how my roots in sports, starting at Academy, have carried me to where I am now.

Beyond my own participation, one of the things I loved most about Columbus in general was the vibrant sports culture woven into everyday life. It felt like every week there was something to look forward to, whether it was an event at Academy, an OSU football game, a Columbus Crew match or a Blue Jackets hockey game. Those weren’t just sporting

events; they were community moments where thousands of people held their breath in tense situations and then celebrated together when something amazing happened. That shared energy and connection around sports shaped how I viewed them, not just as entertainment but as a unifying force.

On her earliest international experiences:

Having an international family meant I spent most summers in Germany with my grandparents and cousins. Those visits were about more than just family time, they were also cultural immersion. I always found it fascinating to notice what was “di!erent” there: the music on the radio, the styles people were wearing, even just the rhythm of daily life. It gave me an early sense of how culture can shape identity.

For my senior project, I took a trip to Costa Rica with a group of classmates. We stayed in di!erent parts of the country, including a homestay in a small village. My Spanish wasn’t perfect, but I quickly learned that sports can be a global language. I still remember one night when kids came out to play soccer on the field in the middle of the neighborhood. We jumped in, and instantly we were part of the group. It didn’t matter where we came from or how well we spoke the language; on the soccer pitch, we all understood each other. That lesson has followed me through life and across continents: wherever you go, you’ll always find people playing soccer, and they’re almost always happy to invite you in.

Academy | International Alumni

MELANIE(KNOPP) MENTER’13

On her path since leaving Academy:

A er Academy, I studied sports medicine and computer science at Pepperdine University. I was drawn to the sciences but also curious about technology, and the combination gave me a unique way of thinking about human performance. Over time, I realized I was most fascinated by the limits of the human body and what allows athletes to achieve extraordinary things. During my time at Pepperdine, I studied abroad for a semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina, another in Heidelberg, Germany, and spent a summer taking a course in Jinja, Uganda. In Argentina, I saw how deeply sport and community are connected; in Germany, I reconnected with my family roots; and in Uganda, I learned how resilience thrives even when resources are limited. Together, these experiences deepened my curiosity about how culture and environment shape daily life.

A er graduating, I worked briefly in a clinical setting, but I found myself wanting to be closer to the sports world and more involved in research and innovation. I applied for internships in Europe and landed at adidas in Germany. What was supposed to be six months changed the course of my career. I was suddenly in an environment where sports, science and product development all came together. I even had the surreal experience of meeting athletes like Lionel Messi and David Beckham, who had been childhood heroes of mine.

That experience motivated me to stay in Germany and pursue a Master’s in Sports and Exercise Science at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Not long a er, adidas o!ered me a full-time role in concept testing, where I supported the advanced concepts team with research and athlete testing. This role deepened my passion for understanding not only products but also the unique capabilities of world-class runners.

Eventually, I began a Ph.D. at TUM alongside my adidas work, focusing on the physiology of both recreational and world-class marathon runners. Today, I’m part of the adidas Running Innovation team, working directly with athletes to co-create products designed for track, road and trail running. It’s a role that combines science, performance and creativity, exactly the intersection I’ve always been drawn to.

On what she enjoys most about her current role: The best part of my role is getting to work so closely with athletes at the very top of their sport. Many of our projects begin with a bold challenge such as breaking a world record, pushing the limits of distance or trying something no one has ever achieved before. Being part of those journeys, even in a small way, is inspiring. You get to know the athletes not just as competitors but as people, understanding their goals, their struggles and their determination.

There’s also something special about seeing a product you’ve worked on out in the world. Sometimes it’s at a major championship on the feet of an elite runner; other times it’s on a weekend jogger chasing their personal best. Both are rewarding, because you know you’ve contributed to someone’s story.

The job also puts me in unforgettable situations: biking alongside athletes during a 100-kilometer record attempt, handing them nutrition and cooling them down mid-race, or spending time in training camps in East Africa where the daily rhythm revolves around running. These experiences remind me how global this sport is and how deeply running can connect people across cultures.

Melanie (Knopp) Menter ‘13 was part of the athlete support team during adidas’ “Chasing 100” event at the Nardó Ring in Italy, where the 100-kilometer world record was broken in 5:59:20. Melanie provided nutrition and cooling to ultramarathon runner Charlie Lawrence throughout the successful six-hour event.

On the importance of international experience: Experiencing other countries and cultures is invaluable. Travel has a way of opening your mind – it teaches you to see the world through di!erent lenses and to appreciate that there’s not just one way to live or think.

The more I’ve traveled, the more I’ve found myself blending perspectives. You begin to carry with you little pieces of everywhere you’ve been, and you realize how much there is le to see. For me, that sense of curiosity hasn’t gone away. If anything, the more I’ve explored, the more I feel like I’m just getting started.

Luckily, through my job I’ve had the chance to visit some truly incredible places around the world. The ones that have stayed with me most deeply are those where I had the opportunity to spend real time with the local people and experience daily life rather than just passing through.

A standout example is living among athletes in the small villages of Kapsabet and the famous running town of Iten,

Kenya. At first glance, it felt like a di!erent world: rough red dirt roads that served as both running tracks and highways, cows and donkeys moving alongside athletes, markets buzzing with color and sound, and homes built from bright tin or mud bricks. The air o en smelled of smoke, either from neighbors cooking their meals over open flames or from burning trash.

But as I returned again and again, I began to see more than just the surface. I learned about the everyday life of the training camps and the humble beginnings of many of the athletes. Some ran barefoot to school because their families couldn’t a!ord shoes. For others, running became an escape from di cult personal circumstances, even abusive relationships. And for many, the chance to win a race was not just personal glory, it could mean financial security for an entire family or even an entire village. That combination of humility, perseverance and hope made a lasting impression on me, and it changed how I think about running not only as a sport but as a way of life.

Academy | International Alumni

MELANIE(KNOPP) MENTER’13

Beyond Kenya, my work has also taken me into the broader global network that makes performance sports possible. For example, working directly with factories in Guangzhou, China, or in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, gave me a new appreciation for what it actually takes to turn an idea into a finished product. In these hubs, the pace is fast, the expertise is immense, and you see firsthand the hidden side of the sports industry that most people never think about.

Outside of work, I’ve also been lucky to travel to places that feel just as unforgettable. I’ve stood on the endless white expanse of the salt flats in Argentina, visited quiet mountain villages in Switzerland, trekked into remote Ugandan communities where life is stripped down to the basics, and explored tiny Philippine islands where people live entirely o! the land and sea in self-sustaining ways surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.

Each place has its own impression: Abu Dhabi, where life moves from one air-conditioned space to another in the desert heat; Uganda, where sleeping on straw mats and eating avocados that melt in your mouth was part of the daily reality; Singapore, where diverse cultures blend seamlessly into a vibrant and distinctive atmosphere; Tokyo, an ultra-modern, animated and endlessly lively city where neon lights and high-speed trains coexist with quiet temples and centuries-old traditions; Moorea in French Polynesia, where swimming with rays, sharks and turtles never lost its sense of wonder; Cairo, where the pyramids rise up with such historical weight that it’s humbling to imagine life when they were first built; and even closer to home, San Carlos, Arizona, where a week on the Apache reservation revealed a stark contrast in daily life, limited access to healthy food, a slower pace of living, and a strong sense of community and cultural resilience rooted in tradition.

Whether it was barefoot runners in Kenya, factory workers in China or children inviting me into a game of soccer in Costa Rica, the most exotic experiences have been the ones that reminded me how vast and varied life is, and yet how much we all share.

On how Academy shaped her global view:

Academy gave me a strong foundation in global awareness. Coming from an international family, I already appreciated cultural di!erences, but at school those experiences were reinforced in new ways.

Sometimes it was through celebrations, like learning about Lunar New Year and how they celebrate that in China, or through music, singing Spanish pop songs in class. Other times it was through history and literature. I still remember learning about ancient civilizations in sixth grade, and years later standing in front of the pyramids in Cairo and realizing how much richer the experience felt because I already had that background.

Beyond the curriculum, I also appreciated the cultural exchange that happened in smaller, personal ways: eating authentic Indian food at a friend’s home, playing dreidel during Hanukkah or simply being exposed to traditions di!erent from my own. Those experiences nurtured curiosity and an openness to other perspectives which continue to influence how I connect with people and cultures across the globe.

Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful to Academy for giving me such a strong foundation, not just academically but also in curiosity, openness and resilience. Those qualities have carried me through new challenges, new cultures and new adventures, and they continue to shape the way I approach both life and work. n

“The world is vast, diverse and profoundly interconnected.”

by Kelland (Kelly) Stevenson ’74

Growing up in Columbus during the “unplugged” 1970s, the world was, in retrospect, both smaller and significantly more insulated – unimaginable to the youth of today. At Columbus Academy, then an all-boys institution, my days were filled with academic annoyances (i.e., homework), a deep engagement with sports and a great deal of laughter. The sports and non-academic pursuits formed the backbone of many lifelong friendships and a genuine sense of community. At the time, the Academy o!ered a robust classical education. When I started in the fourth grade at the old school grounds, we were required to wear blazers with the CA crest emblazoned on the breast. Latin declensions (“carpe vinum” – remember, in the 70s the legal drinking age was 18), reading of Beowulf in Olde English and singing in the Glee Club were as central to daily life as the soccer field or the long commute from Upper Arlington to Cherry Bottom Road.

Yet, for all its academic strengths, the Academy of my era was far from diverse. It catered largely to Columbus’s privileged, providing an elite – sometimes sheltered –environment. Conversely, the Vietnam War, student protests and a rapidly changing outside world were forces many of us “bumped” into on a regular basis. The shootings at Kent State happened 100+ miles away in 1970, and many of us had brothers waiting on their selective service lottery dra numbers. At the same time, music was redefining how we saw and experienced the wider world. My own “international experience” as a student was limited: a handful of illicit trips with classmates across the border to Canada to secure a few Molsons. Nonetheless I had a recurring fascination with the wider world stoked by hours spent reading from wanderlust authors (e.g., Hemingway, Pound, Kerouac, etc.) and, of course, National Geographic and hearing the tales of guest speakers from the Ohio State University travel lecture series (slideshows with three simultaneous screens showing di!erent images was the Oculus Ri of its day). Living or even travelling abroad was considered the province of either the wealthy or the adventurous few.

KELLYSTEVENSON’74 Academy | International Alumni

It was only a er leaving Academy that the world truly opened up for me in ways I never could have envisioned back then. Following undergraduate degrees in History and English, a transformative period began with my service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin, West Africa. That experience marked the first step in what would become a career spanning over 40 years, half in Africa and half in Asia (at this writing from Manila). A er a brief stint post-Peace Corps studying landscape architecture, I found myself repeatedly drawn back overseas, compelled by a desire to work alongside local communities in addressing challenges far removed from my youth in Columbus.

Much of my career – including raising three boys overseas – has been spent guiding and leading humanitarian and development programs, whether responding to earthquakes in Armenia, cyclones in Bangladesh, drought in Zimbabwe, working with refugee communities in Malawi or helping to steer public health and development work in dynamic, sometimes fragile, environments like Sierra Leone and Myanmar. My greatest joy continues to be the opportunity to meet extraordinary people from disparate backgrounds and contribute (hopefully) in some small way to positive change, while constantly learning about new cultures and di!erent ways of seeing the world. Like my days at the Academy, my decades abroad have been punctuated with yet more serious annoyances: malaria, typhoid, coup d’etats (three and counting), a hippo attack, near (accidental) self-immolation and a death threat. But, having endured said torments, these setbacks have become part of a litany of countless other expatriate anecdotes and embellishments retold in cafes, restaurants and pubs from Auckland to Zanzibar. As the oused definition goes, “humor is tragedy plus time.”

Reflecting back, my time at Columbus Academy did not, in itself, provide a global perspective – at least not through direct exposure or diversity of backgrounds. What it did instill was the discipline and curiosity to want to make a di!erence for those outside the boundaries of privilege, and the intellectual foundation to engage thoughtfully with the world’s complexities. Lessons in Latin or history may not have carried me physically abroad, but they broadened my understanding of human societies and encouraged a lifelong openness to learn from others.

With hindsight, I cannot overstate the life-changing importance of international experience. Living and working in other countries was not only formative for my career, it reshaped my values, priorities and understanding of community and, as importantly, of myself. I have worked closely with Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and animists who collectively sought to expand my understanding of beliefs and spirituality. I have also operated overseas under a variety of political systems – socialist, communist, capitalist, personality cult dictatorships and military regimes – and ironically, in my experience, similarities abound. Regrettably, and conversely, I also have witnessed poverty at its most hopeless, corruption at its most heinous and environmental degradation at its most appalling. It is o en been di#cult to remain positive but, more o en than not, I have almost always been inspired by hope of those around me that even these situations can improve. For today’s students – tomorrow’s leaders – these experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly) are more critical than ever for developing empathy, adaptability and a true appreciation for humanity’s shared challenges.

And the world itself – what continues to inspire and astound me is the breathtaking beauty of the natural and man-made world: the wonder of watching a sunrise over Angkor Wat or the magical beauty of a sunset disappearing in the forest surrounding the Mayan ruins in Palenque or the stunning white sand beaches of war-torn Sierra Leone. In the course of my journey, I have also been privileged to stand on wellworn trails to monasteries in Bhutan, drive across the stark Namibian desert, observe big game in remote Malawian parks and participate in traditional ceremonies from Fiji to Benin. Each place, no matter how exotic, rea#rmed a central lesson: the world is vast, diverse and profoundly interconnected.

Through all of it, I remain grateful to Columbus Academy: for the uncompromising rigor of its education, the friendships formed and the sense of community that continues to anchor me, even as my path continues to carry me thousands of miles from the school’s grounds.

And as I now approach 70, I will close with a longremembered quote from my very distant cousin (or so my mother claimed) Robert Louis Stevenson. I should add that RLS was (both ironically and appropriately) introduced to me during a now very distant CA summer reading assignment: “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great a!air is to move; to feel the needs and hitches of our life more nearly; to come down o! this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints.” n

BOB ECKHART’87

“Learning is taking place wherever there’s someone with a smartphone and a data plan.”

As a lifer at Columbus Academy, Bob Eckhart ’87 was active in the Service Club and a leader on the varsity baseball teams that won a pair of league titles. Growing up, Bob’s only international experiences were trips to Montreal to visit his uncle. Living abroad never really occurred to him until his father strongly encouraged him to participate in the Luxembourg study-abroad program at Miami University. Now, he and his wife Brieanne live and teach in Moldova, a former Soviet republic in eastern Europe that borders Ukraine.

On his path since leaving Academy:

I went to undergrad at Miami and earned a degree in business, then came back to Ohio State and got a master’s in cultural studies with an emphasis on multicultural education, which was a new thing in the early ’90s. I was teaching in the English Department while in grad school – and kept teaching there for a few years a er grad school – and then decided to go to law school. In 2004, I started teaching in China each summer and managing language/culture programs for OSU in China (and later in Indonesia and Türkiye). I also started teaching in the College of Education ESL Programs around then and eventually became Executive Director of the Combined ESL Programs in 2013, which made me one of the senior o cers working closely with the vice provost to guide the university’s internationalization e!orts.

On what he enjoys most about his current role:

I am a lecturer at the Pedagogical State University of Moldova. I was there 2022-24 as a Fulbright Scholar and am in my second academic year there since then. It is a role I cra ed for myself which is very ideal; I teach all my classes in the first half of fall semester and the second half of spring semester. So basically, I’m there when the weather is nice and there are lots of fall and spring festivals. The students are also excited about the new school year in the fall and about the ending of the school year in the spring.

Bob Eckhart ‘87 shares his experiences with Academy’s Global Scholars in March

And when I’m not in Moldova – and actually even when I’m there – another volunteer and I share the duties of Head of Programmes for Professors Without Borders, a U.K.-based charity that has sent me to Nigeria, Uganda and Türkiye in the last few years. This is really incredible because it brings me into contact with academics from all over the world. We are running programs in 16 countries each year, mainly in Africa and Asia, and I am recruiting teachers from all over the world. Most of our programs are focused on social entrepreneurship – which I taught in Nigeria and Uganda – and the integration of AI tools which we’re doing everywhere else.

It is an incredible time to be in academia because the way that teaching and learning happens now has been completely disrupted by the use of AI tools by educators and students. Now more than ever, learning is taking place wherever there’s someone with a smartphone and a data plan. People are doing most of their learning autonomously, and schools need to adapt or get le behind.

On his most unique travel experiences:

From 2004-19, I was in and out of China almost 40 times, and that certainly seemed exotic back then. I had a front-row seat to see China turn from a developing nation of people who still commuted on bicycles to a tra c-jammed country of two-car families.

Currently, though, Nigeria strikes me as the most unique place in the world. It just astounds me in myriad ways on every trip. I go at least once or twice a year and usually I’m in Lagos, a city of between 15-30 million people (they don’t even know), but I’ve started to travel around the country a bit more and it impresses me not with its monetary wealth but because of its people. They are generally kind, gracious and surprisingly full of joy, which you see in many places –Türkiye and Indonesia for sure – but not to the extent I see it in Nigeria. n

Bob Eckhart ‘87 enjoys traveling with his wife Brieanne and follows a mantra he once heard in a Broadway show: “The world is a pretty big place, and I intend to see as much of it as my time on Earth allows.”

RUBYMOSS’18

“We are far more alike than we are diferent.”

Ruby Moss ’18 recently returned from Ecuador as a youth and families development promoter with the Peace Corps to start her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Michigan School of Social Work as a Coverdell Fellow. She also works as a graduate advisor for the Peace Corps Prep program, encouraging other undergraduate students to pursue global service in their post-grad endeavors, and as a research assistant in a diabetes treatment lab.

On her early influences:

I was heavily involved in Service Board, which really connected to my passion for volunteerism and giving back. I was also the student section leader (aka Vicky the Viking) my senior year, which was so much fun and gave me some experience stepping out of my comfort zone and into a leadership role.

On her path since leaving Academy:

My undergraduate degree is in psychology with a specific emphasis in neuroscience. I spent much of my time in labs as a research assistant studying the neuroscience of volition. I was president of my sorority, which allowed me to stay deeply connected to service and led me to apply to be a part of the Peace Corps a er graduating.

I spent the last two and a half years working as a youth and families development promoter in Azuay, Ecuador. Throughout my service, I had six primary projects that focused on financial literacy and violence prevention, life skills and health education, parenting skills, mental health and suicide prevention, food security and climate change, and maternal health and premature childcare. All my work was done entirely in the Spanish language, and I continue to use my language skills in my work today.

On the importance of developing a global view:

Intercultural competence is an incredibly important skill regardless of the career path you hope to follow. Having an understanding beyond your own perspective is crucial for allowing individuals to navigate diverse environments, build strong relationships and collaborate e!ectively with

diverse teams. It encourages empathy, critical thinking and professional development that will be beneficial to any student. Academy always pushed me to explore perspectives that were di!erent than my own and instilled in me the passion to be a lifelong learner. This spirit helped me significantly throughout my service.

On her most unique adventure:

I had the opportunity to go deep into the Amazon rainforest and spend time with an indigenous community in Cuyabeno called the Shuar. They wear traditional garb and jewelry made from animal bones and fur. They are deeply connected to nature and energy and taught me about their healing practices, the roots of their indigenous language, their justice system and more. This experience was eye-opening and allowed me to recognize the privilege I carry to live and work in a developed world, but also how relatable the experiences of myself and someone living a very di!erent life to me were. We are far more alike than we are di!erent, even if what meets the eye would tell us otherwise n

TYLERDENMEAD’94

“Mr. Moody was not too concerned with taking us to all the famous landmarks. Instead, he wanted to immerse us in French culture and share some of his favorite places with us.”

As the dean of Queens’ College in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Tyler Denmead ’94 is the executive editor of the “Cambridge Journal of Education” and has been named his university’s Best Lecturer and Ph.D. Supervisor of the Year. He returned to Columbus Academy as guest speaker for both the Currier Lecture Series and ArtsMania Day in 2016.

On his activities at Academy:

I played baseball, participated in Service Board and also worked as a student athletic trainer for the late Mr. Stahl. I was a proud 1 win and 14 loss wrestler, an experience that taught me how to su!er! I will never forget making clay pots on the potter’s wheel all night with close friends for a charity event. I doubt Mr. Block has forgotten that night either.

I accidentally became the caretaker of the school’s American flag on January 25, 1993. I know the date because that is the day that President Bill Clinton ordered flags to be flown at half-mast to honor Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who had died the previous day. When I arrived at school that morning I complained to the late Phil Currier, the head of the Upper School, that our flag was not at half-mast. He told me to stop complaining, which I did too much of, and just do something about it. He also pointed out that the flag was not lit at night in keeping with flag protocol. So then I was stuck with (or had the honor of) raising the American flag before and a er school each day. My good friend Craig Seager ’94, president of the Service Board, helped out.

On his early international experiences:

I had never traveled abroad until the late Mr. Moody took a group of us on a school trip to France in 1993. It was a life-changing experience. Mr. Moody was not too concerned with taking us to all the famous landmarks. Instead, he wanted to immerse us in French culture and share some of

his favorite places with us. I’ll never forget watching him spend what seemed like hours taking photographs of flowers in one of Paris’s city gardens. He taught me the art of close observation that day! I’ll also never forget how disgusted we were at a formal dinner at a restaurant that he organized. We gasped at the sight of roasted fish – from head to tail – being served to us. My desperation to get home and eat American fast food is still embarrassing. Most importantly, I fell in love with my wife (Katherine Miller ’93) on that trip. Indeed, just last week, we returned to the gardens of Èze, where Mr. Moody took us in 1993, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary!

Tyler Denmead ‘94 with classmates on the overnight train from Chartres to Nice in the summer of 1993

On his path since leaving Academy:

I went to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, for my undergraduate studies. Brown is known for its open liberal arts curriculum. I initially focused on pre-med because I thought I wanted to pursue a career in sports medicine (Mr. Stahl’s training room influence!).

However, I found an opportunity to return to France the summer a er my sophomore year. Mr. Moody gave me the itch to return and become fluent in the language. I enrolled in a fine art summer school o!ered by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Brittany, France (Mr. Block’s influence!).

I went to school during the day, and then I apprenticed to a chef in a restaurant at night and on the weekends. I learned so much that summer!

When I returned to Brown for my junior year, I became more passionate about the arts, education and public service (the Mr. Block/Mr. Neal and Service Board influences!).

In 1997, I received a public service fellowship from the Echoing Green Foundation to start a nonprofit organization, New Urban Arts, that provides free arts and education programs for teenagers in Providence. I led New Urban

Arts for its first decade, and it has since provided a creative haven for thousands of young people over its nearly 30-year history. Michelle Obama recognized it as one of the most important creative learning communities for young people in the country. If you look closely through the windows of its storefront studio, you might catch glimpses of inspiring Academy classrooms from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In 2007, my wife and I moved to the U.K. with our daughter, who was 10 months old. I had enrolled in graduate school at the University of Cambridge, and our second child was born in the U.K. We then returned to the U.S. in 2012. My first academic jobs were at Brown University and then the University of Illinois. In 2017, we went back across the pond to the U.K. where we have lived since. We are currently applying for British citizenship, which I did not have on my life’s bingo card!

I currently serve as a faculty member in the education department at the University of Cambridge and also as a Fellow and Dean of College at one of its constituent colleges, Queens’.

TYLERDENMEAD’94 Academy | International Alumni

On his current position:

Having the opportunity to work at a university is an immense privilege, one that I cherish every day. I live the life of a student, always reading, writing and learning new things. Teaching at Cambridge is special because it involves smallgroup, o en 1:1 teaching. My students come from all over the world to study here. I get to know them well, and I can tailor my teaching to their strengths and interests. It is deeply rewarding.

On developing a global view:

To me, a global view means recognizing that not all people throughout the world should experience and know the world in the same way. On the one hand, CA did not provide me with that view. As a student in the 1990s, I was largely taught a U.S. and Eurocentric curriculum. On the other hand, CA’s liberal arts approach taught me to be critical and curious, to live a life of constant learning, and to reflect continually on both my values and my obligations to others.

I do recall one exception to the Eurocentric (and malecentric) curriculum at the Academy. We were assigned “Wide Sargasso Sea” for summer reading one year. The book is a classic postcolonial novel – an imagined prequel to Jane Eyre. At the time, I had no personal, literary or historical frameworks to understand that book. It made no sense to me when I read it! I recently returned to read that book because my failure to understand it in high school still gnawed at me.

On his most interesting travels:

In 2024, I spent a week studying at a summer school in the shadows of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. This palace was the political and cultural center of the last Islamic state in Europe. Jewish, Christian and Muslim people lived together in relative peace there until this civilization, AlAndalus, was conquered in 1492 by the Spanish monarchy. Christopher Columbus observed the conquest before setting o! for the Americas. There were great public libraries in Granada unlike anywhere else in Europe, with manuscripts from the classical world that were tragically burned. Studying there that week shattered my understanding of the “Dark Ages” in Europe, and it also taught me the dangers of a Eurocentric curriculum.

In 2025, I was fortunate to spend 10 days in Japan experiencing the bullet trains, the 3D billboards of Tokyo, the public baths, the ramen bars and the magic of 7-11 convenience stores! I will never forget walking down the neon streets of Tokyo one a ernoon and hearing bebop jazz and baseballs getting smacked from inside a building. I walked inside to find men in three-piece suits hitting bombs in batting cages a er work. Their swings were so pure, and they were having so much fun! As a big baseball fan who doesn’t get to see much baseball anymore, it was such a cool experience.

On what’s next:

My CA classmate Mike Schuller ’94 and I are planning an o!road cycling and camping adventure next summer to explore the Outer Hebrides, an archipelago in West Scotland. Trains, ferries, bikes and midges… what could go wrong?!

Tyler and Katherine Denmead ‘93 back in Èze, France, to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary

CAMPUSHIGHLIGHTS In the News 40

The Viking Shipyard to Advance Innovation and Technology

Columbus Academy has begun construction on the Viking Shipyard (aka The Yard), “an expansive hub for our makerspaces, technology o#ces and robotics classes/activities in one large fabrication lab,” announced Head of School Melissa Soderberg in October.

As described by Director of Technology Brent Halsey ’02: “The Viking Shipyard is an intentionally designed destination – a place set apart from our traditional academic buildings – where students journey to create, engineer and innovate. The name evokes historic shipyards where Vikings forged the vessels that defined their legacy as fearless explorers. It’s a powerful symbol for a place where bold ideas are imagined, engineered and built into reality. The Yard invites every learner to design, prototype and launch their own creations.”

This new facility will be a huge shot in the arm for Brent and his team, who are tasked with increasing STEM and advanced technology opportunities for all Academy students.

“By bringing our Tech & Innovation team together with lower, middle and upper school students,” Brent added, “we can intentionally build a connected progression of hands-on learning – from early curiosity to advanced robotics, engineering and digital creativity – elevating what we do and opening new horizons for innovation at Columbus Academy.”

With the generosity of a few donors who have responded in a timely way to our immediate needs ($1.25 million in commitments to date), students will be making, creating and coding at The Yard by spring break.

Most important is that none of this would have been possible without the incredible generosity of the Judge family, whose transformational gi accelerated this project from a spark of an idea to reality. “Our family is proud to support the Viking Shipyard,” stated Pavan Judge P’33 ’36. “We strongly believe in creating opportunities for students to explore, innovate and grow, and we’re excited to be a part of a project that will inspire future generations.”

Inspired by the school’s forward thinking, the Rosene-Toop family also committed a major gi to the project. “Our family values the vast breadth of learning experiences at Academy,” said Laura Rosene P’29 ’29, “and we are proud to support these expanded opportunities at the intersection of creativity and technology.”

Thanks to generous alumni and school families like these, our school continues to improve and provide more opportunities benefiting all students. We are still raising the funds necessary to fill The Yard with updated technology, instructional equipment and supplies. If this project is of interest to you, please contact our Development O#ce at developmento ce@columbusacademy.org

A Noteworthy Sendo for the Class of 2025

“Today, there is some particular symmetry as we have 112 graduates who are being celebrated at the school’s 112th Commencement,” Head of School Melissa Soderberg stated in her welcome to Columbus Academy’s graduation ceremony on June 2. “In addition, today marks the end of Columbus Academy’s 57th year on this 231acre campus, matching the 57 years the school was on the Nelson Road campus.”

She went on to praise how respected the seniors were by the entire school community. “You are a class many of us will miss greatly.

Academy | In the News

You know how to get along. You respect each other. You assert who you are without making others not be themselves. You all lead in your own way, and you have led the school in so many ways that we wonder how it will be next year without you.”

As recipient of the Andrew William Carey Cup, Joey Gurwin ’25 was chosen by classmates and faculty to deliver the 2025 Valedictory Address. “We are a class of champions, of artists, distinguished speakers, nonprofit founders, tall people, people who drive way too fast and much more,” he stated during his time on the podium. “However, our greatest identity is found in our unity, in the way we show up for each other… We show up with each other and for each other.”

Guest speaker Sandy Doyle-Ahern P’20 ’22 – the president of EMH&T, Central Ohio’s leading housing, economic development and public infrastructure design firm – shared the importance of choosing gratitude and lessons she learned from her father. “Our value is not defined by job titles or prestige,” she said to the Class of 2025. “It’s defined by our resilience, our willingness to stand up a er we’ve been knocked down, our ability to face the unknown with courage and dignity, and how we treat others in the process.”

The outdoor ceremony held on the senior quad concluded with the upper school Camerata and Treble Choir singing “We Are One” and a performance of the Alma Mater by the school’s choirs, band and orchestra. Faculty and sta! then recessed to the playing of bagpipes followed by the new graduates, who gathered in the Lazarus Courtyard to celebrate with their families and friends in attendance.

Record-High AP Exam Scores

Results from last spring’s Advance Placement Exams were among the best Columbus Academy has ever seen with 145 students earning AP Scholar recognition by receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

AP Exams are designed to measure how well students have mastered college-level material, with scores of 3 or higher on a scale of 1-5 o en qualifying for college credit. This year’s 145 AP Scholars included a recordbreaking 85 upper-schoolers who garnered AP Scholar with Distinction designation by achieving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of those exams, and 18 others were AP Scholars with Honor for having an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of those exams.

Overall, the average test score for our AP Scholars was 4.29, and our Class of 2025 had a record-high 79 AP Scholars out of 112 graduates (70.5%)!

A Memorable Opening of Columbus Academy’s 115th School Year

“Convocation is one of those rare moments when we’re all in the same place,” stated senior Ian Chang during the August 22 all-school gathering on the senior quad. His fellow Student Council Co-President Allison Frickel added: “Together we create a community that makes Academy so special.”

The morning gathering started with Head of School Melissa Soderberg welcoming all students, faculty and sta! to the formal beginning of Columbus Academy’s 115th school year. “I’m specifically sending a warm welcome to the new students, faculty and sta! among us,” Melissa stated.

Academy | In the News

“We hope you come to love your time here with us. We are going to do everything within our power to help you feel like you belong here.”

Classes began on August 18 with 1,164 students representing 55 di!erent zip codes in and around Central Ohio.

New faculty and sta! members this school year include Kelly Cheresnick (Kindergarten), Dan Ginis (Director of Major and Planned Gi s), Dr. Brad Hilgert (US Spanish), Dr. Sylvie Kademian (MS Science), Mike Kemp (Director of Marketing), Weston Outlaw (Chief Financial and Operations O#cer), Amanda Porter (Director of Advancement Services), Kelley Skahan (MS Math), Chris Swartz (Second Grade Associate), Aaron Wagner (US Math) and Hannah White (LS Speech Therapist).

During the ceremony, two faculty members were recognized for reaching their 20th year of service to the school: Director of Special Programs Alyssa King and STEM/Innovation Lead and Makerspace Coordinator Todd Martin. Also, Amy Seymore (MS Language Arts & Director of Junior Speeches) was announced as the new Sumner F. Dennett Master Chair in English, and Dr. Sumona Ghosh Lester ’99 (US Science) was named as the new Dedger and Rose Jones Master Chair in Science.

A highlight of the morning was a surprise gi for John Exline ’64, who is retiring next June at the conclusion of his 58th year teaching history and economics at Columbus Academy. With the help of alumna Jay Whitney ’21, custom clothier at Threadwell Clothiers in New Albany, a sport coat in school colors customized with photos of Exline in the lining was presented to him as students and colleagues gave him a standing ovation for his incredible dedication and service to Academy.

Convocation concluded with the pairing of SeniorKindergarten Buddies. This popular tradition involves the kindergartners walking out of the ceremony hand-in-hand with their senior buddies on the way to the playground to begin their new and lasting friendship.

22 Seniors Earn National Merit Recognition

Columbus Academy seniors Adam Aikins, Jackson Amato, Dane Chaky, Bella Lee, Jon Proctor, Dillan Reddy, Ella Tang, Aashi Varia and Angela Zhang were among the more than 16,000 Semifinalists recently announced in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, they were among our state’s highest-scoring students on the 2024 PSAT exam and have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be o!ered next spring.

In addition, Columbus Academy’s Class of 2026 had 13 nationally recognized Commended Students who demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success by placing among the nation’s top 50,000 students on the 2024 PSAT exam: Miranda Bradner-Young, Nolen Chambers, Chris Hill, James Lo, Chaz Moore, Ryan Rajan, Lauren Stevens, Rachael Sutherland, Eesha Tanneru, Jayden Tsao, Alison Wang, Sophie Wu and Abigail Xiao

In total, these 22 students represent 25% of this year’s 88-member senior class.

Academy | In the News

Ray Jones ’04 and Alexander Garcia ’93 Inducted into Athletic Hall of Fame

Amidst activities during Alumni Weekend, Columbus Academy inducted Ray Jones ’04 and Alexander Garcia ’93 into its Athletic Hall of Fame on October 4.

“We have this chance to celebrate more than just the athleticism,” Ray stated during his acceptance speech in the school’s dining hall. “We have the chance to celebrate all the intangibles – all the so skills – and so when my son and when others see these plaques on the Hall of Fame, I hope they understand that it’s more than just the speed, the strength and the skill in sport that achieved those results. It’s the teamwork, it’s the relationship-building, it’s the decisionmaking… those intangibles are what makes it all happen.”

As a football team captain his senior year, Ray helped lead Academy to the 2003 state championship and was awarded first team allstate honors, team MVP and named a top-20 player in Ohio by the Touchdown Club of Columbus a er rushing for more than 1,400 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns. In track, he was a two-time all-state performer, a regional champion in the 400 meters and contributed to the program’s district title in 2003. Ray was also a member of the varsity basketball team in 2002. A er receiving 32 scholarship o!ers from Division I schools, Ray chose to continue his football career at Stanford University, where he earned three letters and played in 14 games primarily as a running back and kick returner.

Alexander was a four-year letterwinner and a state champion in wrestling at Columbus Academy. He placed four times at the Division III state meet including an undefeated (35-0) state title at 130 pounds in 1993 and during the 1990-91 season helped Academy’s

wrestling program win its first league title in nearly 20 years. He went on to wrestle for the United States Naval Academy where he was a three-year letterwinner and two-time Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association placer. Alexander served in the Navy until 2000, founded the Bexley Youth Wrestling Team in 2011 and coached his son Marius to an undefeated (510) Division II state title at 106 pounds in 2024.

“I love wrestling, as you just heard,” Alexander stated during his acceptance speech. “In fact, I think I love it more than anything else… I coach it now, and I love it even more. Wrestling gives to you what you give to it.” In addition to his coaches and teammates, Alexander acknowledged his seventh grade English teacher and the 13 “incredible, courageous, brilliant girls” from his class who were the first females to graduate from Academy.

State Singles Title Highlights Spring Season

Our spring sports season was headlined by Nason Lo winning the boys tennis program’s first state singles title in 35 years, girls lacrosse making a run to the regional finals for the first time since 2022 and four state qualifiers in track & field.

A er capping o! an undefeated regular season, boys tennis finished 18-1 overall as champions of the Central Buckeye League and OTCA Central District. The team finished third in the state for Division II and saw doubles teammates Rowen Lo and Lucas Xue join Nason as All-Ohio and All-Metro selections. Academy also returned the Madison Cup trophy to campus following a 4-1 victory at rival Bexley.

Girls lacrosse, under the direction of first-year head coach and Dispatch Metro Coach of the Year Macey Buchanan, won 13 games and went 6-1 in the league en route to the title. Mary Panley led the squad as Central Buckeye League Player of the Year and was named an Academic AllAmerican, while Hannah Simpson was voted as Region 7 Goalkeeper of the Year. Both players were first team at the state, regional and conference levels and were joined on the All-CBL first team by Kyndal Singleton, allregion first-teamer Bebe Smith and second-teamer Caroline Morris

Academy | In the News

In the playo!s, the second-seeded Vikes outscored opponents by a combined margin of 38-4 over the first two rounds and defeated Bishop Watterson 18-11 in the regional semifinals before falling 14-5 at top-seeded and eventual state champion St. Francis DeSales.

Track & field featured a historic season for Gabe Davis-Ray as he broke a 44-year-old school record (previously held by Mike Crawley ’81) en route to a regional title in the 400 meters where he also earned a spot on the state podium in fi h place. Brian Ankamah also advanced to the state meet in the discus, this a er winning the league title in the event and putting forth a strong showing through regionals.

Morgan Spalding won the district and regional titles in both the 400 and high jump, and she went on to place ninth in the 400 and 10th in the high jump at the state meet. Mila Balaloski was a regional runnerup in the 100 meters to earn her first state meet appearance.

Baseball went 18-9-1 last spring – the program’s most wins since 2023 – and advanced to the district semifinals for the third consecutive year. The Vikes were led by Central Buckeye League Player of the Year and All-Ohio second-teamer Dominic Dunkle and a stellar class of senior student-athletes including all-district first-teamer Theo Falkenhain, second-teamer Joey Gurwin and honorable mention Sunil Santry. Academy finished runner-up in the conference at 11-3 and defeated Johnstown 3-2 in its tournament opener before the campaign came to a close in a 6-3 loss at Heath.

Boys lacrosse battled through a tough schedule and won five games, the best results coming in back-to-back wins over Buckeye Valley and Licking Valley in mid-April. All-Ohio third-teamer Gri n Bowman was the standout player for the Vikings and, as a result, received first-team accolades at both the regional and league levels. He was joined on the All-CBL first team by Graham Johnson, Ray Platte and Parker Stoner

Concert Band Makes History

Columbus Academy was the first private school to be the featured high school band at last year’s 23rd annual Capital University Band Festival.

“This is not something we could have applied for… they asked us,” stated Director of Bands Jessica Sneeringer, who noted that our 80-member band comprises just under 20 percent of the entire Upper School. “Since our performance, we’ve received several amazing compliments from some of the most knowledgeable musicians in Central Ohio and beyond! Mrs. (Susan) O’Rourke and I are so incredibly proud of the hard work the band put in leading up to that experience. It really paid o! and gave them a memory that will last a lifetime.”

Pair of 2025 Graduates Honored

As the 2025 recipients of the Don Erkis & Lou Berliner High School Jewish Scholar/Athlete Award, Sophie Lichten ’25 and Joey Gurwin ’25 each received a college scholarship in the amount of $1,000 from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus.

In addition to being a 2025 National Merit Commended Student and 2024 AP Scholar with Honor, Sophie was a leader for Academy’s concert band and a valuable member of our cross country and track programs. She is the daughter of Rachel and Dr. Jason Lichten of Bexley and currently studies political science and pre-law at Washington University in St. Louis.

Joey was a 2025 National Merit Commended Student and 2024 AP Scholar with Distinction. The son of Pam and Dr. Scott Gurwin ‘82 of New Albany served as a senior class o#cer as well as a captain for the football and baseball teams. He is continuing his baseball career while studying engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Academy | In the News

Joey was also named Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for the Central Buckeye League and earned a $3,000 scholarship for being selected as second runner-up for Central Ohio Male Scholar Athlete of the Year based on his community involvement, academic and athletic achievements. He became the ninth Academy graduate in the past 10 years to receive scholarship recognition from this program run by 10TV and the Columbus Dispatch covering all of Central Ohio’s high schools:

• 2025 Joey Gurwin Second Runner-Up

• 2023 Grace Luo Top Female Scholar Athlete

• 2022 Russell Ahmed Honorable Mention

• 2021 Regan Cornelius Top Female Scholar Athlete

• 2020 Sam Massick Top Male Scholar Athlete

• 2020 Sarah Neltner First Runner-Up

• 2019 Samantha Kass Top Female Scholar Athlete

• 2017 Audrey Grammel Top Female Scholar Athlete

• 2016 Calvin Wuorinen Honorable Mention

Avishar Barua ‘05 Accepts Young Alumni Award

Columbus Academy’s Alumni Board welcomed the Class of 2025 into the CA Alumni Association during a spring luncheon that also honored Avishar Barua ’05 as this year’s Young Alumni Award recipient.

“I was not the conventional Academy student,” Avishar told the seniors and Alumni Board members assembled inside The Estate at New Albany. “Even though my first name starts with an A and my last name ends with an A, I never saw one of those in all of my 13 years at Academy.”

A er graduating from Academy, Avishar majored in biology at Ohio State and then was admitted to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America but chose instead to attend Columbus State Community College’s culinary program. From there he trained in elite New York kitchens like WD~50 and Mission Chinese Food before returning to Columbus to open Service Bar. Avishar’s creativity and skill eventually landed him in Food & Wine magazine, Bravo’s “Top Chef” television competition and a victorious “Beat Bobby Flay” episode on the Food Network. In 2022, he launched awardwinning local restaurants Joya’s and Agni.

In his acceptance speech, the two-time James Beard Award semifinalist encouraged the largest graduating class in Academy’s history to embrace change. “As you grow up and as you grow older, change will come,” Avishar stated. “And what matters the most is that you have people around you who can test your theories. You have friends and family, and you have an incredible network of alumni here that o!ers all di!erent perspectives… and will always be there to support you.”

The Young Alumni Award is designed to recognize and honor alumni who have distinguished themselves through overall service to, and involvement with, Columbus Academy as well as service and achievement within the community.

For the second time in the past three years, our girls tennis program earned state runner-up honors in mid-October. Look for details on our successful fall season – including girls golf claiming its fourth-straight state championship, football winning its first league title since 2020 and much more – in our spring issue!

Recap the entire celebration at columbusacademy.org/alumniweekend

A er joining our varsity football team captains for an honorary coin toss during pregame, members of the Academy Class of 1975 posed at midfield for a group photo

We look forward to sharing more coverage of Alumni Weekend in our spring magazine!

CLASS NOTES Alumni Updates & Happenings 50

THE 50s

The family of Columbus Academy alumnus and longtime math department chair John Detrick ‘53 sent in a time capsule of items from his tenure as both a student (beginning in seventh grade from 1947-53) and a teacher (33 years from 196194) at the school, which fellow alum and current upper school history and economics teacher John Exline ‘64 helped go through over the summer.

THE 60s —

Don Casto ’62, partner of CASTO, was named to the Columbus Business First Power 125 list for 2025. Don joins fellow alumni Joel Pizzuti ‘90, CEO of Pizzuti Cos., and Jim Merkel ‘92, CEO of Rockbridge, as the most influential leaders in the Columbus region.

Since July 1, Michael Alexander ’69 has been serving as interim president of Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. Michael served as president of Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts, from 2007 to 2023 and is the founder of Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges, a national consortium now supported by more than 135 colleges and universities working collaboratively to drive down the cost of a private college education. During the 2023-24 academic year, Michael served as a Judith McLaughlin President-in-Residence at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he co-taught courses on the future of American postsecondary education and ethical leadership in higher education while also serving as a resource for Harvard graduate students. He holds an A.B. in History and Literature of America, cum laude, from Harvard University, an M.A. in Education from The Ohio State University and completed all coursework toward a doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Lasell University in 2023.

THE 70s

Dr. Michael B. Hallet ‘70 and Richard Estabrook, Esq., ‘70 enjoyed the Maine coastline during a recent trip.

Dr. Larry Turton ‘72 spent three days walking and climbing, in addition to two days of long bike rides, before reaching the top of Ben Vorlich Mountain at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park in Scotland this past spring.

At the 5th World Congress of Cutaneous Lymphomas, a global assembly of thought leader clinicians, Michael W. Young ’72 was honored by the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation for his 24 years of service to the cancer patient advocacy organization. With Michael’s longtime involvement and support on its Board of Directors, the CL Foundation has become the premier and only worldwide organization dedicated to providing comprehensive programs, resources and support for cutaneous lymphoma patients and others a!ected by cutaneous lymphoma.

The world premiere of “BackTalk,” a romantic comedy play written and directed by Rob Ackerman ‘76, debuted on October 2 at Abbey Theatre of Dublin.

Fred Barends ‘79 met up with Phil Cannon ‘82 at the Drake Relays in April. Phil had just finished competing in the men’s long jump masters where he placed third overall with a mark of 17 feet and 3.25 inches, which at the time was top among the worldwide rankings list for men ages 60-64. Phil told Fred following their meet-up that seeing him was “the highlight of my meet, day, week and month!”

THE 80s

THE 90s —

Todd Park ‘90 and Ed Park ‘93, co-founders of Devoted Health – a Medicare benefits provider serving seniors with personal guides and world-class technology – were mentioned in a Crunchbase. com article about how Harvard University regularly ranks among the top three schools for graduating founders and funded startups. Ed, who also serves as CEO of the company, and Todd, who is the executive chairman and will receive our 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award at Academy’s Holiday Luncheon in December, are both Harvard graduates.

Bob Bradway ‘81, CEO of Amgen, recently announced a $900 million expansion of the company’s facility in New Albany, which houses 400 employees who assemble and package medicines. The expansion boosts Amgen’s total investment in Central Ohio to $1.4 billion.

This summer, alumnus Je Oppenheimer ‘84 launched ALS.Community – a nonprofit website that houses helpful resources for patients, families and communities impacted by ALS – with the support of fellow alumni Jay Canowitz ‘84, as well as his wife Robin Canowitz, and Ben Kessel ‘98, who are all board members of the organization alongside 13 other individuals. As founder and president of ALS.Community, Je!’s work on this community engagement platform is the culmination of nearly 30 years of living with ALS, as his wife Shelbie passed away from it in 2015 a er nearly 20 years. The Academy connections for ALS.Community grew last school year as Je! reached out to Director of Internships Jen Conti to see if any students would be interested in helping build the website. Senior Jackson Amato and junior Isabella Hira were introduced to the opportunity and in turn helped Je! put together the website as an internship project.

Jason Ulbrich ‘92 recently joined American Electric Power as a national account executive.

Joey Crawford ‘94 has been appointed chair of the Board of Directors for the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), a network of more than 200 leading libraries across North America. As the first library foundation leader to serve as chair, he will champion public libraries as hubs for learning, access and innovation. Joey serves as senior media consultant with Cox Media Group and CMG Health Marketing in Miami, where he’s spent nearly two decades developing broadcast and digital strategies for major brands such as Walt Disney World, Nissan, McDonald’s and AT&T.

Aaron Kessler ‘94 celebrated his 50th birthday alongside family and friends this past spring.

Reuter

In May, Brian Brooks ‘87 accepted and spoke at the induction of his father, Judge William H. Brooks Sr., into the 2025 Columbus Hall of Fame from Mayor Andrew Ginther.

Andy Rahe ‘94 served as one of four speakers for “Make, Do: A Panel Conversation on JB Blunk and Toshiko Takaezu” at an event hosted by the Columbus Museum of Art in May. Beginning in 1998, Andy was an apprentice of Takaezu for 13 months and subsequently helped form a connection with her work to Columbus, including a 2018 exhibit in Columbus Academy’s art gallery.

THE 00s —

Michael Corey ‘01, executive director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County, wrote a compelling case for supporting Central Ohio’s nonprofits in the August issue of Columbus Monthly magazine and was a featured speaker during nonprofit housing developer Homeport’s Voice & Vision Celebration in late October.

Adam Cook ‘97 completed his term as president of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) in July 2025. Adam continues in his fulltime job as director of the Tacoma Venues and Events Department.

Blythe Coons ’97 co-authored the book “The Motivated Speaker: Six Principles to Unlock Your Communication Potential” alongside colleagues Acacia Duncan and Ruth Milligan P’24. Blythe is the executive communication coach and trainer at Articulation, a public speaking training and executive coaching company.

Andrea Myers ‘97 is making quite a name for herself in the art world, having been featured in the June issue of Columbus Monthly. She’s recently had commissioned works installed in Chicago and Dallas, been featured in exhibitions in Columbus and Marietta, Ohio, and hosted a community workshop in Plainfield, Indiana, where she created a mural that will soon be installed on a downtown parking garage.

The second solo album by David Salvage ‘97, “Dreams of Love and Travel,” features 16 original tracks for solo piano and is available from New Focus Recordings on all streaming platforms and for purchase.

The music takes inspiration from disparate locations in Europe and the United States and features a large suite based on Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time.” David has lived in Bologna, Italy, since 2017 and manages to juggle musical commitments with being a father of three. He gets back to Central Ohio about once a year and hopes his classmates are well!

Nick Jones ‘01 detailed in a recent interview with The Collaboratory for Kids and Community Health how “real change starts small, but grows with impact” through the work he does as vice president of community wellness at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Ryan Vesler ‘01 was profiled in a CNBC “Make It” story in July where he detailed the rise of his vintage clothing brand Homage from a personal hobby to a $50 million-ayear business backed by Ryan Reynolds, Jason Kelce and Kevin Durant, to name a few notable investors.

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during a visit to campus in April

and John switched clothes just prior to the event as a way to lighten up the Q&A session for students)

Ryan visited Columbus Academy’s campus in April for a Q&A with his former teacher John Wuorinen ‘80

Beginning January 1, 2026, Dan Crane ‘02 will take over CEO duties at Crane Group from Tanny Crane who has been with the company for 38 years, including the last 22 years as president and CEO.

Blair Soden ‘02 was noted as a “Rising Star” in a recent interview with SouthCarolinaVoyager.com about her career path which led to the founding of Pasta Party CHS in 2024 as “more than a cooking class” and a “taste of Italy” in Charleston, South Carolina.

Kevin Curry ‘03 and his wife Dr. Zhou Zhang published a Sunday crossword together in the New York Times on July 6, 2025.

Mandy Mallott ‘03 was featured on the social media channels for Ohio State Early Investor Network (OSEIN) during the summer and was noted as the “powerhouse behind OSEIN” – where she serves as director – and the “driving force behind building a Buckeye-led investor community from the ground up.”

Avishar Barua ‘05, founder of Agni and Joya’s, helped cra an exclusive release of Maker’s Mark Private Selection as part of its Tastemaster Series in partnership with the best-in-class Ohio chefs. Agni was also featured in the summer issue of Refined magazine.

Lynanne Gutierrez ‘05, president and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, received the Community Impact Award from Leadership Ohio, was featured among top executives on the cover of Columbus Business First for its announcement of this year’s C-Suite Awards and was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the state’s Children and Youth Advisory Council.

Social psychologist Dr. Evelyn Carter ‘06 was selected as winner of the Little, Brown Spark New Voices Award for her submission of “Detecting Bias.” Her debut book, “Was That Racist? How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life,” is now available for preorder and will be released on Janaury 6, 2026.

Matt Eisen ‘06, partner at Hellman & Friedman in San Francisco, was named a Future 40 Leader for 2025 by Private Equity International.

Leah Binkovitz ‘07, a senior editorial writer at the Houston Chronicle, was awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for her work, “Dangerous Crossings,” a series that covered dangerous train crossings in Houston’s East End, including the tragic death of a local high school student, which prompted a multimillion dollar investment into pedestrian safety statewide. Leah is also currently a Ph.D. student in Rice University’s sociology department.

THE 10s

‘07

Anna Binkovitz ‘10 was named Sommelier Student of the Year by the Wine School of Philadelphia, which awards one recipient “whose presence in the classroom transforms the learning environment –someone who li s up those around them, who contributes not just knowledge but energy, spirit and possibility.”

Margaret Coons ‘10 and her husband welcomed their daughter Elizabeth Claire Weijola during the early hours of Mother’s Day on May 11, 2025.

Eleanor (Rosler) Putnam ‘10 and her husband Richard welcomed their second child Eleanor “Elle” Frances Putnam to their family on July 1, 2025.

Alex Shahade ‘11 recently became a dual qualified UK solicitor/US attorney. In mid-July, she was invited by the House of Lords at Parliament to attend an event held by the Society of English and American Lawyers. Alex is an immigration specialist at Kingsley Napley LLP and lives in London with her partner and two cats.

Alex Shahade ‘11

Natalie Ritter ‘11 married Matthew Jacober on April 5, 2025, with three of her bridesmaids being Academy alumnae. In June, Natalie was appointed executive director of the Conway Center for Family Business.

Adam Levine ‘13 performed at the Laugh @ Leisure Club in Columbus in April. According to the club’s promotion of the show, Adam is a regular performer in the Chicago and New York City comedy scenes, and his short film “Stalling” premiered this year.

Several Academy families were represented at a father-son golf outing at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina this August including Max Bechtel ’15, Jim Bechtel P’12 ’15, Don Leathery ’84, P’12 ’15, Tim Leathery ’15, J.P. Perrini ’15, Michael Perrini ’81, P’12 ’15, Scott Mackenzie ’15 and John Mackenzie P’15 (headmaster at Academy from 1997 to 2013).

Caroline Aronowitz ‘16 married Thomas Growney on August 16, 2025.

Savannah Cofer ‘16 successfully defended her doctoral thesis on “Folding of Origami Cubes” at Stanford University’s School of Engineering.

Aronowitz ‘16

Makéla Hughes ‘16 married John DeMoully in September. Many Academy connections attended the wedding including her brothers John Hughes ‘14 and Patrick Hughes ‘19 as well as classmates Paige Farlin ‘16, Lottie Smith ‘16, Julia Chester ‘16 and Maddie Vaziri ‘16

Kyle Channell ‘19 is starring as Phil Spector and in the ensemble for the national tour of “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical” – including three stops in Ohio – from October 8 through April 19.

Aylah Mendenhall ‘19 was a part of the main cast for “Green Day’s American Idiot” which was performed at the Short North Stage in September.

THE 20s —

The Bernacki Family was the cover story for the August issue of Stroll Magazine in New Albany. Highlighted in the article was Lauren Bernacki ‘20 who, a er graduating from Southern Methodist University in 2024, is now living in New York City where she works as a project coordinator for Paula’s Choice Skincare.

Helene Duebel ‘20 has received a 2025-26 Fulbright Scholarship in the field of neuroscience to study at Champalimaud Center for the Unknown in Lisbon, Portugal.

At the SCIAC Track & Field Championships last spring, Ezra Johnson ’20 placed fourth in the hammer throw and fi h in the shot put. He completed his collegiate career third in discus (14210), fourth in hammer throw (147-6) and sixth in shot put (45-10.5) in Caltech’s all-time records. During his time at Caltech, Ezra also conducted research in the Alvarez Political Science Group and interned with Google and Stripe.

Sydni Ratli ‘21 was named MVP of the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Championships in May a er helping Ohio State win the program’s fourth conference title. Sydni graduated last spring with a degree in communications a er being selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team.

Davey Agrawal ‘22 visited campus in September to meet with Dr. Emma Kurth’s Honors Environmental Science class and our Environmental Club about his work in climate research and studies at Stanford University, where he is completing his computer science major and will enter the materials science and engineering coterminal master’s program this fall.

Russell Ahmed ‘22, who graduated cum laude from UCLA with a B.S. in Neuroscience, received the highest departmental honors for his undergraudate thesis which investigated the role of prefrontal inhibitory interneurons in driving the antidepressant e!ects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Milana Biswas ‘24, who is in her second year as a pre-med student at Baylor Univeristy, was selected to be a Baylor Bridgebuilding Fellow for its fall of 2025 cohort. This program brings both interfaith and civil discourse discussions to a community of well-rounded, diverse individuals.

Amelia Connick ‘25, a first-year student at Allegheny College, participated in a series of one-act performances exploring climate issues in the Vukovich Center’s Gladys Mullenix Black Theatre in September.

Katie VanDyne ‘25 wears #27 as a winger for the University of Alabama’s women’s ice hockey team, which began the first half its season in October and will complete its schedule in January 2026.

FORMER FACULTY

Isa Eribo ‘25, a first-year student at the University of Michigan, was featured in The Impact Journal along with her co-founder Sophia Sim for their creation of The Career Compass Coalition, a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to making the college application process smooth and accessible for high school students.

MaryEve Corrigan, who joined Columbus Academy as a second grade teacher in 1976 and retired 36 years later as the longest-serving female faculty member in school history, was recently celebrated among the first “16 over 60” honorees by the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA). MaryEve became Academy’s first female science teacher in 1988 when she joined our middle school sta!, eventually also serving as the sixth grade team leader and head of our Middle School’s science department.

Anne Horton, who retired from Columbus Academy in 2022, was honored at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards in June with the inaugural Trailblazer Award, which celebrates women who paved

the way for and inspired future generations in sports. During her 31-year tenure as an administrator and coach at CA, Anne started the girls athletic programs a er Academy went coed in the early 1990s and led her teams to unprecedented success. She coached the field hockey squad to 12 state championships – still the most in Ohio – with a 526-46-29 record in 31 seasons. Her 600 overall career wins were 11th all-time in the nation, and she was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2022. In girls lacrosse, Anne’s teams went 332-88-8 over 25 seasons while claiming three state titles and one Midwest crown.

In April, former admissions director and swim coach

Lou Schultz was featured in the Sandusky Register for his volunteer work with emergency services at the Firelands Regional Medical Center in northern Ohio. Lou is staying busy in retirement and continues to give back to his community by volunteering with or

participating in several other organizations including the Sandusky Rotary Club, the Sandusky Landmark Commission, the Maritime Museum of Sandusky, the Erie County Historical Society and the Sandusky Yacht Club.

In Memoriam

We are saddened to share this list of our alumni whom we recently learned have passed.

Tim L. Bigelow ‘57

Michael S. Mathews ‘58

Tom D. Isaac ‘66

Paul C. Kerschensteiner Jr. ’59

James B. McIntosh Jr. ‘69

Brooke Bethel ‘81

Jason R. Krumm ‘90

Ryan R. Montenery ‘90

Also, please see a special tribute to Jim Stahl on the next page.

Individual obituaries can be found in our alumni newsletters, which are archived at columbusacademy.org/alumni-news.

Remembering JIMSTAHL

James W. Stahl passed away at age 90 on July 21, 2025, with family by his side at the family home in Blacklick, Ohio.

We honor this true Academy legend with photos and quotes about him collected over the years.

“This is Jim Stahl doing the legendary ‘Two Bits’ cheer. He’s jumping in the air, encouraging all to jump up and yell loud enough to ‘raise the roof.’ He was always the last part of every pep rally – and a er he retired, pep rallies have never been the same.”

~ Cindy Wilson

“What a great guy Coach Stahl was. He was always just exceptionally positive, invigorating and relentless in terms of making you better.”

~ the late Jim Lape ’69

“He was a stickler about following the rules. He also taught me that baseball is 98 percent mental. I don’t remember ever seeing him really rattled. He also was very selfless. That’s really reflected in all the roles he filled: being the varsity baseball coach, helping out with football, being the athletic trainer, teaching PE, and volunteering as an EMT, paramedic and firefighter. He gave so much of himself to other people.”

~ Erich Hunker ’81

“Back in the spring of ’69, I was a junior and the manager of the track team. I always remember Coach Stahl for standing up for me. In 2000, I painted an oil portrait of Coach Stahl in his baseball uniform in front of one of the Academy buildings as a sort of a thank-you to him.”

~ Bob Dienst ’70

“Coach Stahl knew what needed to be done to ensure our safety and well-being, and he did not hesitate to make sure that happened. I still laugh and appreciate the time we shared with Coach Stahl and learning from a man who practiced what he preached.”

~ Tom Heer ’72

“The thing that gave my dad the greatest joy was seeing his students decades a er he taught and coached them, and just seeing where their lives had taken them and hearing about the successes that they had.”

~ Chris Stahl ’80

“Coach Stahl was an unbelievably organized, meticulous individual. He passed this on to his players. We went on to win CA’s only state championship in baseball. Coach just had a mountain of knowledge. He also was an outstanding athletic trainer and even a volunteer paramedic with Je!erson Township. I still tell my patients to this day to ice with a Dixie cup filled with frozen water, just like Coach Stahl had us do.”

~ Dr. Scott Gurwin ’82

“We had some great coaches in our time at CA but none of them compare to Coach Stahl. I also had some good coaches in college and beyond, but none of them had as much influence on me as Coach Stahl. Coach was easy to play for – being tough as nails – but also warm and gentle. His guidance, knowledge and work ethic were mainly responsible for getting me going in baseball and heavily influenced my life.”

~ Don Leshnock ’89

“My grandfather was an honest, genuine, caring, family man. I cannot begin to list all the things he has done for me. And the love he had for Academy was remarkable; he would do anything for his athletes, friends and family.”

~ Brie Stahl Pines ’14

CREATE YOUR LEGACY AT COLUMBUS ACADEMY –

Planned Gifts

What is a planned gift?

A planned gi , also known as a deferred gi , is a charitable donation made as part of a donor’s estate plan. Planned gi s are o en the largest gi a donor will make to a charitable organization and can allow donors to meet personal, financial and philanthropic goals in tax-e#cient, estate-friendly ways.

How do I make a planned gift?

There are many ways to make a planned gi benefiting Columbus Academy (CA). Some of the easiest ways include:

• Bequests: naming CA in a will or trust for a specific cash gi or a percentage of the estate.

• Beneficiary designation: adding CA as a beneficiary to a retirement plan or donor advised fund.

• Charitable gi annuity: a gi that provides a donor with income for life and then a remainder to CA.

Wherever you are in your career and your life, there is a planned giving option for you.

We are here to help! To start a conversation about planned giving, please contact Assistant Head of School for Development Maria Miller, JD P’24 at (614) 475-2311 or millerm@columbusacademy.org to talk.