Academy Magazine Spring 2026

Letter to John Exline ’64

Dear John,

When you walk into a Wednesday morning faculty meeting, it makes me smile. You may have been at a late-night basketball game or an away golf match the night before, but you are always one of the first to arrive, ready for the day and what our students have to offer.

This kind of commitment is not only admirable and rare – particularly these days – but it has also been the backbone of the school; a place that has a sense of grounding and stability (because of your presence) more than most other institutions I know. Much of your impact since I have worked with you is both understated and powerfully steady. You show up, you speak your mind, you keep your powder dry, you care without drama, you have a soft spot for students and a giant, mushy spot for your grandchildren.

You write to me rarely, but when you do, it is succinct and thoughtful. Once, post-Covid, when the school faced a litany of attacks, you wrote in your typical humor, “…if you left, I would probably retire –I just don’t think I have the energy to train another head of school.” It was tongue-in-cheek, of course, but the fact that you saw what the school was facing and felt compelled to write me about it, that was you acting as the community pillar that you are.

And then there was the time you caught me right after one of my first convocation talks and told me you didn’t think “feelings” had ever been evoked so much in one speech in the history of the school –giving a reserved nod towards me as the first female head. I appreciate, always, the underlying message in your quips.

You should know that I attribute much of the success of Academy’s handling of Covid-schooling to your stalwart character and unflappable perspective on what school should be like. Across the country, other schools’ faculty were signing petitions not to return to classrooms, but you quite literally said, “Tell me where you need me to be, and I will be there.” The essence of your message as one who stood the most to risk – physically – by teaching in-person underscored the reasonability of what Academy was asking of all its employees. It calmed waters. It led the way. Students successfully came to school that year.

To those who will listen, I am reiterating that we need to realize how incredibly lucky we have been to have the ballast of John Exline on our faculty over the years. When the trends are increasingly towards a transactional work relationship, your leadership of all of us through dedication and love of the school is a vestige of what makes independent schools great, and it may be almost irreplaceable in your absence.

Come back and check on us as often as you like, John. You have made an impact few have made on an institution, and it bears your indelible imprint. We will boldly carry on in the good work of teaching students, in the ways you have for 58 years.

Godspeed,

Melissa Soderberg Head of School

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Academy Magazine is published by Columbus Academy

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Phone: 614-475-2311

Fax: 614-475-0396

Web: columbusacademy.org

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

Contributors: Elizabeth Sinclair P’33 ’35 ’37, Melissa Clarke Beckett, Emily Campbell, Mike Kemp P’33 ‘40, Michael Haddock, Dan Ginis, Suzanne Lucas P’24 ’27, Amanda Porter, Becky Barger-Amato

Photographers: Cynthia Wilson P’87 ‘99, Dr. Andy Morris ’85, P’16 ’18, Comfort Owusu-Ansah ‘98, Vicki Miller, Paul Molitor, Crystal Tursich P’39

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

Strategy & Design: VENN Growth Collective

Printing: Baesman Group

Gatherings & Class Notes

5Ode to “Econ John”

by Bob Lee

“Ex, look at this,” exclaimed Louie Mohler, waiving a stuffed animal that resembles Nelson – Columbus Academy’s community dog – as he walked into his grandfather’s classroom. “They gave me this. And I got to meet Nelson! Do you know Nelson?”

Louie’s grandfather is John Exline ’64, who is retiring this June as the longest-serving faculty member in Columbus Academy’s history. John has spent the last 58 years teaching and coaching at his alma mater, where he also spent four years as a student in the early 1960s. In total, John has been at Academy for 62 of the school’s 115 years since it opened in 1911.

As astonishing as his grandfather’s longevity is, Louie was more impressed that January morning that “Ex” – John’s nickname among his grandchildren – did in fact know Nelson. Meeting the yellow Labrador Retriever was the highlight of the day for Louie, who was at Academy to screen for our PreK program. This fall, Louie will become the fifth grandchild of John and his wife Ann to become a Viking, joining his older sister Maggie Mohler and cousins Amy, Julia and James Sinclair in the Lower School.

“It’s been fun to watch him step into his role as Ex, or Grandpa, at school,” said John’s daughter Katherine Exline, Louie’s mother who had accompanied her son to his screening that morning. “Having his grandchildren as part of the Academy community has added a special and joyful dimension to his final years here. I think he’s enjoyed his small fan club of grandchildren rushing onto the court after basketball games to congratulate him on a win or greet him with hugs and support after a loss.”

How It All Started

John grew up in Grandview with two brothers and five sisters. He attended a parochial school up until eighth grade and won a scholarship to Aquinas, an all-boys Catholic high school. Judge John Holden, a close friend of his father’s, was on the alumni scholarship committee at Columbus Academy and encouraged John to test for the school’s new Alumni Memorial Scholarship. He had never heard of Academy before he visited the Nelson Road campus in 1960 to take the admissions test and interview with faculty members. When he was awarded the scholarship, John and his parents made the decision for him to attend CA.

When John arrived at Academy in the fall of 1960, he was one of 35 freshmen, the largest class in school history at the time. He went out for basketball that year and made the JV-B squad but never got to dress for a game because the team only had a limited number of uniforms. That turned out to be his only student involvement with the basketball program because he ended up having a conflicting winter activity that placed him on the stage rather than the court.

Throughout his middle school years, John had been involved in local theatre productions and that interest reemerged as a sophomore. Back then, plays and musicals were combined efforts with students from Columbus School for Girls, and he earned lead roles in CSG productions during both his junior and senior years. “Acting was a nice output for me and, you know, I got to meet more girls that way,” John admitted with a laugh.

In addition to portraying Phil Ford in the CSG-Academy production of “Stardust” as a junior, John was elected vice president by his classmates, served as the assistant circulation manager for the student newspaper and became a reliable second-baseman on the baseball squad. As a senior, he also joined the football team, took over the circulation manager role for the paper, had the lead male role in “Kind Lady” and helped CA’s baseball team achieve a winning season.

“I was only 5-8 and 140 pounds, so I was happy that I managed to work my way up to a position where I got a fair amount of playing time in football,” John said about his athletic career. “I didn’t really hit a growth spurt until I went to college.”

Four Years in South Bend

The week before Thanksgiving of John’s senior year at Academy, his father took him and a friend on a college trip through Indiana where they toured DePauw University, Earlham College and the University of Notre Dame. They reached South Bend on November 22, 1963. “Here I was at the largest Catholic university in the country on the day this country’s only Catholic president was assassinated in Dallas,” John recounted during his 2018 Commencement Address. “I was overwhelmed by the spirit of community as the student body walked silently to the Basilica to pray.”

John started as a math major but after taking a few economics courses, he switched his major to economics. The

change caused him to lose his scholarship from Nationwide Insurance, which wanted John to become an actuary. “That path just wasn’t very attractive to me,” John stated.

He made some very good friends at Notre Dame. One was Tom O’Leary, who recently passed away. “Tom was a standout football player from St. Charles who played three seasons for the Irish,” recalled John. “He and I used to hitchhike home from Notre Dame together. Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a starting football player for Notre Dame having to hitchhike home!”

As he neared completing his bachelor’s degree in economics, John – like many college graduates tend to do –began looking for positions in the nearest big city. “I talked to Coca-Cola about a job and actually had an offer from a bank

in Chicago,” he recalled. “But I also applied to the Academy, in part because of my great love for and experience with Rainey Taylor.”

Rainey taught history at Academy from 1954 until his retirement in 1985. The school’s endowed history chair (which John held for seven years) is named in his honor, and when Rainey passed away in 2017, John officiated the celebration-of-life ceremony. “As much as anyone else, Rainey was a major reason I became a teacher,” John said. “Much of what I did when I first started teaching history was modeled on the way he taught.”

TIM E(X)LINE

Enrolled at Columbus Academy as the Freshman Alumni Scholar

1960

Played on Academy’s baseball and football teams, served as circulation manager for the student newspaper and played the lead role in the school musical

Earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Notre Dame and returned to Academy to teach middle school U.S. history, PE and public speaking in addition to coaching freshman football and JV baseball

1968

Supplemented his teaching salary by bartending at the Varsity Club in addition to working at Academy’s summer programs and mowing the grass on campus

Guided the school’s trivia team to a Central Ohio championship, and Academy’s yearbook was dedicated to him

1973

Earned his master’s degree in education from Ohio State University and began an eight-year tenure as the middle school head

1962

1963 1964

Elected to be vice president of the junior class

Graduated from Columbus Academy and started at the University of Notre Dame as a math major

A tribute to the unprecedented career of John Exline ’64

1969

1970

Started teaching economics and coaching basketball at Academy

1972

Started a four-year tenure as Viking athletic director

1977

1980

Married his wife Ann, with whom he would have four children: Adam, Elizabeth, Katherine and Andrew

1983

Became the summer school director for four years

Celebrated the school’s 75th anniversary by dressing in historical garb with his oldest child Adam, who had enrolled at Academy two years earlier

1986

Began a 15-year run as director of Academy’s summer program

1991

His youngest child Andrew graduated from Academy

2004

1988

His daughter Elizabeth finished a year of kindergarten at Columbus Academy (the only grade available to girls at the time)

2002

Finished four seasons as varsity boys basketball head coach with a 37-48 overall record

2008

Began a four-year stretch of coaching middle school girls in basketball

His daughter Elizabeth joined him on Academy’s faculty

2011

2013

Featured on an HOMAGE shirt, delivered the Cum Laude Address at Honors Assembly and was named the Rainey S. Taylor History Chair

Culminated his 50th year of teaching by delivering the keynote address at Academy’s 105th Commencement

2018

Earned his 400th career win coaching basketball

2024

2019

His first grandchild enrolled in PreK at Academy

2026

Academy’s fieldhouse – which opened in January 2020 – was renamed the John Exline ’64 Fieldhouse, served as guest speaker for CA’s annual Currier Lecture Series, celebrated his 80th birthday in May and retired in June after his 58th year of teaching and coaching at Columbus Academy

Returning to a New Campus

In the summer of 1968, John was hired by Academy’s thenheadmaster William Putnam to teach middle school U.S. history, physical education and public speaking in addition to coaching freshman football and junior varsity baseball. The school had just moved its campus from Nelson Road to its current 231-acre location in Gahanna.

John, by far the youngest member of that year’s staff, remembers his very first day as a teacher well: “I didn’t have a class during the first period, so I was sitting in the faculty lounge kind of nervously trying to figure out how to approach my eighth grade history class. Martha Wood, who was the head of the Lower School at that time, came in and told me that students were not allowed in the faculty lounge. I was so intimidated by her that just I got up and left without saying anything.”

The following school year, John started the roles for which he is now most known for: teaching economics and coaching basketball. Soon after, he also started advising the school’s trivia team and would become the athletic director before the Board of Trustees decided to make it a full-time position. Those weren’t the only extra jobs he would take on, though.

“Teachers didn’t make much money, and I was trying to make enough to start doing some saving,” John explained. “I started to tend bar at the Varsity Club down at OSU, and I was also in charge of summer school, so after I finished my duties there at about 4:00 p.m. each day, I’d get on a tractor and cut grass for three or four hours. My official title was ground maintenance technician, and I did that for three summers until about the time my wife and I started dating.”

Ann Enters the Picture

In the early to mid-70s John was living in German Village, and he first met Ann Dafler when she was dating one of his roommates. After Ann and the roommate had split up, she ran into John and fellow Viking coach Kevin Morrin while attending a soccer game during her first-ever visit to Academy’s campus. “Later we gathered at the Gahanna Grill, and I enjoyed their stories and camaraderie,” Ann remembered about that autumn day in 1975. “I thought John was handsome, smart and had a good sense of humor.”

Fittingly, their first date was attending a basketball game together. “He told people he thought I might be ‘a keeper’ when I considered scouting a basketball game with him a date,” said Ann. “As I attended more athletic events and met more of John’s faculty and coaching friends, I realized that Columbus Academy was not just work but family to him.”

According to John: “We liked a lot of the same things. We were comfortable with each other, and pretty quickly that became something special. Plus, whenever I visited her house, she was always very good at making sure there was delicious food waiting for me.”

Ann quickly received approval from John’s parents and –perhaps more importantly – his main confidant at the time, the late Rufus Curry, Academy’s beloved custodian and initial recipient of the school’s Alumni Service Award in 1989.

“Having been a bachelor for a good number of years and devoting so much time to coaching and teaching, John was reluctant to take the next step,” shared Ann. “But as I was told later, Rufus told him he should not let me slip away.”

They married in June of 1977 and purchased their first home in Gahanna. Over the next decade, they had four children – Adam in October 1978, Elizabeth in December 1981, Katherine in February 1984 and Andrew in March 1986 – and had a new, larger home built less than two miles from Academy’s campus. All of this while John was earning his master’s degree in education from Ohio State, serving an eight-year tenure as the head of CA’s Middle School and then transitioning back to full-time teaching.

Did you know?

• As a student at Academy, John was known as the school’s best dancer because he had won a dance contest at The Button, a teenage nightclub in the old Seneca Hotel on Broad Street.

• His junior speech was a humorous look at the history of railroading in Ohio.

• John’s first choice for college was not Notre Dame, it was Rice University.

• John’s secret to his longevity is going home every day at lunch to take a 20-25 minute power nap.

• On the last day of classes for seniors, all of his econ students have to perform the econ cheer in order for him to sign their release papers.

• Since starting Academy’s economics class in 1969, John is the only person to have ever taught that subject at the school.

“Raising four children on a teacher’s salary was not easy for them, but they never let us know that was the case,” stated Elizabeth. “They made sure we had what we needed and that we understood what those needs were, always putting our needs ahead of their own.”

Andrew concurred: “There were adjustments – we ate at home almost always, we took a hiatus on summer vacations/ travel – but they did everything they could to keep our dayto-day lives and activities intact. Looking back, I’m not sure exactly how they always made ends meet but they did, and they always made sure we felt loved, valued and prioritized.”

Becoming Academy Parents

In 1984, Academy’s youngest grade was kindergarten, and students only attended for half a day, either in the morning or afternoon. Adam was old enough to attend and had been accepted to join.

“He was an a.m. kindergartner, and I’ll never forget his first day,” recalled John. “I took him down to his classroom and after introducing him to his teacher, Adam turned to me and asked ‘How long do I have to be here?’ I said that he would stay through lunch and then be picked up at noon but he replied back, ‘No dad, how many years?’ I laughed and said I hoped he would be here for all 13!”

“It was great having him here,” John continued. “He became a full-fledged Viking in many ways by participating in a lot of things.”

For Adam, joining the Academy community meant hearing a constant stream of praise for his father. “I felt a certain level of celebrity at times because he was so beloved by so many different constituencies,” Adam remarked. “I also felt like people were always watching out for me because of him, which was wonderful.”

When it was time for daughters Elizabeth and Katherine to start school, Academy was not yet coeducational but did offer kindergarten for girls of faculty members. So both Exline daughters were, in fact, Academy students for their first year of schooling.

“I very clearly remember my dad walking me to Sue Henthorn’s classroom on a regular basis,” stated Elizabeth about her kindergarten teacher, who taught at CA for two

John Exline with his four children during a 1992 trip to Seabrook Island in South Carolina

decades and passed away in 2019. “Mrs. Henthorn was the only teacher to have all four of us in class. She was a gift to our family, and the fact that we all remember her so clearly speaks volumes about her teaching. My dad taught and coached her sons as well, so there was definitely a mutual respect between them… that was my first glimpse at the CA community and the strong ties it formed.”

As one of only two female students at Academy that year, Elizabeth had many of her dad’s colleagues and students looking out for her. She enjoyed tagging along with him to basketball practices and hanging out in the gym watching him coach.

When it was Katharine’s time to attend Academy, she was one of three girls in the kindergarten class and fondly remembers her dad picking her up from her classroom on most days – something he now does regularly with her daughter Maggie. Katherine’s most vivid CA memories came in the summers, however, first as a camper and later as a counselor during the 19 years John served as the director of Academy’s summer program.

“Along with Friday nights spent rolling down the hills during football games, those summers ended up being some of my favorite memories,” Katherine said. “I feel incredibly lucky to have spent so much of that time alongside my family.”

By the time John’s youngest child, Andrew, started at Academy, he had “whittled down” his responsibilities to teaching AP economics and U.S. history, coaching basketball and baseball, and running the summer program.

“I was regularly told how great my dad was by other teachers, older students, their parents and alumni, and I agreed,” shared Andrew. “I would also repeat those statements to my classmates frequently, though that effusive praise did not win me many friends. I really had challenges trying to fit in as I got older, but I always loved knowing I could go to my dad when things got really difficult… not to try and get anyone in trouble or have him ‘fix’ the issue, but just to be my dad. And even though he wasn’t their dad, I’d be willing to bet some other students felt the same way about him.”

Reinventing Himself

At around the same time as his youngest child was entering Academy in the early 1990s, John took on two new roles, both of which he would carry out for many years. In addition to his teaching, coaching and summer duties, he became the school’s SAT prep director/instructor and financial aid administrator.

“One of the things that has kept me so engaged here is these different times where I’ve kind of reinvented myself as far as what I was doing at the Academy,” stated John, who found that helping to award financial aid to families was particularly satisfying since he had been a scholarship student himself. “It was a broadening experience in a lot of ways, and it made me more aware of what the school does for a lot of people, where we get our students and why people decide to come here.”

As the number of financial aid applicants increased and the decision timelines inched earlier and earlier over the years, the demands just became too much for John to maintain.

John Exline and Andy Zacks during the 1976-77 school year

“I think the first year I did it, we maybe had 40 applications for assistance because there was no financial aid for Lower School,” John recalled. “Also, the application deadline used to be April 1st and then we had to get all the things decided so the awards could be sent out the first of May, but the last time I did it, I think we had to send them out by the first week of February. As I was coaching more and more basketball, it became more challenging. My wife remembers me having many nights without sleep or very little sleep trying to get that done.”

John’s basketball duties increased in 1998 because the varsity boys head coach at the time decided to step down the week before practices started. John took on that role under difficult circumstances and managed to compile a 37-48 record over four seasons at the helm.

1983-84 basketball coaching staff

“I enjoy coaching and the day-to-day activity with the kids, but to be perfectly honest I was less than enthusiastic about all the administrivia that’s involved with being a head coach of a sport like basketball,” John admitted. “When I was asked to step aside, I agreed that it would be best.”

Although he is most known for coaching basketball, where he has accumulated well over 400 career victories as a head coach at various levels, John’s duties have also included football (freshman, JV, varsity assistant/offensive coordinator), baseball (MS, freshman, JV, varsity assistant), tennis and golf (both on the middle school level).

His only time coaching girls was a successful four-year stretch with the middle school basketball program that ended in 2012. “The athletic department was looking for a varsity girls head coach at that point, and a lot of the girls who were on my eighth grade team asked me to take the varsity job,” John recalled. “But that was also the year that Jeff Warstler got the varsity boys position, and he asked me to be his assistant so I had already committed to that.”

According to Elizabeth, her father’s coaching partnership with Jeff – the winningest varsity boys basketball coach in Academy history – has been indispensable in prolonging John’s career. Together, they guided the Vikings to historic success, including back-to-back appearances in the Division V state championship game these past two seasons.

John’s Favorite Quips

• “Fake a pass to make a pass.”

• “Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves.”

• “If the United States ever defaulted on its debt, that would be worse than being hit by an atomic bomb.”

• “When all else fails, read the directions.”

• “Remember what it said above the old Academy’s assembly room: Above All Things, Truth Beareth Away the V ictory.”

John Exline has served as an assistant coach on Jeff Warstler’s varsity boys basketball staff for the past 14 seasons

A Proud Father

“Experiencing things with my first son was always kind of special,” John said about both teaching and coaching his oldest child Adam, whose time at the school concluded with a very special moment.

Because of John’s seniority amongst colleagues, he sits in the front row of faculty at each year’s graduation, just to the side of the Commencement stage. So when Adam received his Academy diploma in 1997, John was right there to give him a hug after he descended from the dais.

“Thinking about it now,” Adam stated, “it was really a full circle moment, from that fall morning he first dropped me off that we’d walked hand-in-hand to Ms. Henthorn’s room, to that June day when I graduated.”

His younger son’s time at CA, however, had some precipitous ups and downs according to both John and Andrew. In fact, one of Andrew’s earliest memories is the time he pulled the fire alarm while his dad was coaching a basketball game.

“The entire gym was evacuated, the game was delayed and I was very confused why everything suddenly got very loud, but I was excited when the fire trucks showed up,” remembered Andrew. “My poor mom had to go to dad and admit that the whole fiasco was because of me.”

Things changed dramatically in high school for Andrew, though. John recalled an Outward Bound trip affecting his son’s perspective followed by improvement in many different areas of Andrew’s school activities, including earning high marks on his AP exams.

“Andrew’s growth his junior and senior years was really tremendous,” stated John. “When his name was called for the Gainer Award – which was later renamed the Princeton Cup and now is known as the Faculty Prize – I thought Ann was going to jump out of her seat. She grabbed my hand tightly like a claw because she was so surprised.”

John with his sons Andrew and Adam following a Kenyon football game (Adam played both football and baseball for the Owls)

Another highlight for John and Ann came in 2011 when their older daughter moved back to Central Ohio to join Academy’s faculty. Elizabeth proved to be a very popular lower school teacher before transitioning to her current role as associate director of admissions in 2024.

“Right from the start, there were kids in her class whose dads I taught,” said John. “It was always great to hear from parents of her students who just praised her to the skies for her teaching. And then, of course, it brought some of my grandkids here, which has been terrific.”

For Elizabeth, the opportunity to be her dad’s colleague has allowed her to witness firsthand how respected he is and just how much of an impact he has had on the school.

“I have been able to learn from how he does his job,” she said. “His professionalism and the utmost care and attention he puts into his work are what stand out to me the most. Whether it’s teaching, coaching, driving a van of students where they need to go, proctoring an exam or engaging in professional development, he takes great pride in all of his work and does everything with the best interest of the students in mind.”

This photo of John Exline on his last “first day of school” became the most popular social media post in the history of the school’s Instagram account

Accolades Well Earned

During the spring of 2013, John received a pair of distinct honors from Academy. He was awarded the honorary position of Rainey S. Taylor History Chair – which was tremendously meaningful since Rainey had been a major reason John became a teacher – and he was selected to deliver the Cum Laude Address at Honors Assembly.

“Giving that speech was quite an honor, and I worked on it a lot,” John stated. “Partly because of my acting experience on stage, I’ve never been fearful of getting up and talking in front of people but I was a little bit nervous about what to say so I got some input from Kevin Morrin about ideas.”

Five years after that successful speech, John was asked to be the keynote speaker at Academy’s 105th Commencement, an event that concluded his 50th year as a faculty member at the school. That memorable address included John spinning around with his arms extended while doing his famous “Econ Cheer” – well known and celebrated by five decades of his students but until that point mostly unknown to colleagues and parents.

“The commencement speech was a real treat,” stated John, who received a long standing ovation at its conclusion. “I enjoyed trying to combine some school history with some personal stories, and the positive reaction I got was really nice.”

Making the moment even more special was that a large contingent of John’s family, friends and former colleagues attended the ceremony. That day, in fact, remains one of Andrew’s favorite memories.

“Though I had graduated years before,” he said, “I loved being able to come back when my dad gave the Commencement Address in 2018… and it’s still a good watch on YouTube!”

For Katherine, though, a standout memory was the family’s excursion to Ireland in August of 2023. Partially funded by the school’s Putnam/Mackenzie Grants, which are designed to inspire faculty to pursue meaningful summer experiences around the world, the trip allowed John and Ann to travel with all four of their children for the first time since 1992. It also was just the second international experience for John –who previously had visited Haiti with Kevin Morrin in 1974 –and provided him with the opportunity to see Notre Dame’s football team beat Navy 42-3 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

“It was such a special opportunity for us to travel together without the grandkids and simply enjoy being a family of six, which doesn’t happen very often anymore,” stated Katherine. “It was also incredibly meaningful to watch him explore Ireland and connect with his family’s lineage. I remember my brothers commenting on how quiet my dad seemed during parts of the trip – quiet isn’t usually a word associated with the Exline family – and my mom and sister saying they felt it was him ‘taking it all in.’ It’s a memory I know our family will always cherish.”

John’s family and numerous former colleagues were in attendance for his 2018 Commencement Address

John with daughter Elizabeth and granddaughter Amy

Joy and Heartbreak

In the fall of 2019, John took on yet another role at Academy when Elizabeth’s oldest child, Amy, enrolled in PreK. And being the grandfather of a student suited John well… he thoroughly enjoyed his new routine of eating lunch with Amy at least once and week and receiving hugs from her every time they happened to see each other on campus throughout the school day.

Amy was soon followed by her siblings Julia and James as well as her cousin Maggie, giving John quite the intimate and loyal fan club on Cherry Bottom Road thanks to his daughters.

According to third-grader Julia: “We always love to see him in the morning because it starts the day off well. We love how funny, kind and generous he is.”

Adam, who is the college counseling director at an independent school in New York City, lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his wife Holly, their 7-year-old daughter Madeleine and 3-year-old son Ethan.

Andrew, meanwhile, is a senior engineer with GE Aerospace and resides with his wife Alexandria in Liberty Township near Cincinnati. They lost their only child to stillbirth four years ago.

“He was at 30 weeks gestation when his heart stopped,” stated Andrew. “We referred to him as John in conversation. We spoke to him through her belly and called him John. Everyone close to us knew that would be his name.”

On losing Baby John, who was to be her husband’s namesake, Ann has only one word… “heartbreaking.”

The family rallied around Andrew and Alexandria. They participated in a walk to remember Baby John. According to Ann, they each found their own way of coping with the loss.

“My parents have always been there to help me get through tough times and help me become a better person,” said Andrew, who also shared that he and his wife are working towards adopting a child this year. “I literally would not have the life I have today without them encouraging me to always keep trying.”

Reaching the End of the Exline

John will turn 80 in late May and retire following Commencement in June. Columbus Academy will not be the same without him, but at least he will still be very connected to the school as a grandparent.

“I never thought this day would come,” admitted Elizabeth. “I am still in disbelief that he will actually retire. I want him to know that while he spent most waking hours on this campus, his family saw his impact and felt it at home. We learned so much from it. His professionalism, determination, resilience and love for his job, school and students have inspired so many, and they are all better for it.”

Adam’s junior speech was about his dad, and his friends often joked that he’d probably work at Academy so he could try to be just like him. When he caught up a few years ago with his former fifth grade social studies teacher, the late Vicki Ross, she remarked that Adam sounded and looked just like his dad. “I think my smile probably said it, but I hugged Mrs. Ross and thanked her,” Adam stated. “I couldn’t have been prouder to receive that compliment.”

Katherine thinks she has a remedy for whenever retirement feels like too big a shift for her dad. “If you ever find yourself missing CA and want to experience the school from a brand-new vantage point, I’d be more than happy to offer you my spot in the lower school carpool pickup line on any given day,” she joked. “Consider it your invitation to see the Academy through a whole new lens!”

Although he admits John’s retirement is still a bit jarring to think about, Andrew is excited for what’s ahead. “Our dad being a teacher and coach at Columbus Academy has been part of my and my siblings’ collective reality for our entire lives,” he said. “I don’t think I will fully be able to internalize the magnitude of this change until the end of the summer when he doesn’t start getting ready for classes again. However, that does mean we get to go to a lot more Reds games this year, something he and I are very excited about.”

Ann cannot imagine John not teaching and coaching and being a part of daily life at CA, but she doesn’t think he will miss faculty meetings, grading or writing comments. And after all these years, what is Ann’s favorite memory? “I think back to my first visit to campus when I again met John… magical! Who knew that all these years later, we would still be together and he would still be teaching and coaching?”

Andrew and Elizabeth joined their father on the field at Great American Ball Park as John served as an honorary captain for a Reds game in May 2025

A Legacy That Will Live On

With approval from the Board of Trustees, Head of School

Melissa Soderberg announced in late October that Columbus Academy’s fieldhouse – which opened in January 2020 – was being named the John Exline ’64 Fieldhouse.

An impressive 24,000-square-foot facility used almost nonstop for everything from PE classes and team practices to fitness training and youth sports, there really could not be a more fitting tribute to John and his service to Academy over six decades.

“It’s wonderful because it’s such a beautiful place,” John stated about the fieldhouse, “so this is quite an honor.”

The fieldhouse will surely have John’s grandkids running around on its three courts for many years to come. Katherine is eager for her son Louie to start PreK in the fall because her daughter Maggie’s past four years on campus have been so positive.

“Experiencing Columbus Academy now as a parent has been both meaningful and rewarding,” said Katherine. “I continue to be impressed by the strong sense of community that exists across all divisions – from the Explorer Program through the senior class – and by how intentionally it is fostered.”

After this year, John will still play a large role in the lives of his grandkids, but there will no longer be a classroom they can visit to leave messages for him on the board, a favorite habit before school. They won’t run into him in the hallways or dining hall to give him a hug. There will be no more chances to greet him as he comes off the court after coaching a basketball game. His advice for them is not to dwell on all of that.

“I would say, first of all, enjoy every moment and take advantage of the great people who are going to teach you. The best thing you can do in a place like this is to learn as much as you possibly can and do it with joy.”

A final lesson for us all from an iconic teacher and coach.

Who can match John’s 58 years?

“David Block has already surpassed 50 years of teaching, so he just might be able to reach that milestone, too!”

~ Amelia Compton ’16

“John Wuorinen ’80 started here right out of college, so he might – he’s currently in his third act, having returned to the classroom after a successful tenure as an admissions guy.”

~ Andy Morris ’85

“I’d love to see his daughter Elizabeth Sinclair go for it! She is a phenomenal teacher, admissions director and coach. It’s in her blood!”

~ Miranda Bring ’03

“Tyler Gittins ’13 or Amelia Compton ’16… they have time on their side!”

~ Matt Carter ’00

“Matt Carter ’00 or Miranda Bring ’03 might have the potential.”

~ Brent Halsey ’02

“Matt Carter ’00 is the person who might be able to. He started his career in a similar way, but more importantly he holds the same type of high expectations for his students while also caring deeply for them.”

~ Ed Rhee ’93

21 The Next Line of Exlines

In addition to John Exline ’64, Columbus Academy has an impressive group of alumni educators. Learn more about some of them, including how many years they have left to reach John’s 58 years of teaching excellence!

Dr. Larry Turton ’72 (X-minus 12 years)

Current Role: Assistant Professor in The Ohio State University’s Emergency Medicine Residency Program

“I am always teaching and passing on my knowledge and experience to students, residents, advanced practice practitioners and the nursing staff.”

Early Influences:“Kevin Morrin certainly is most memorable as ‘best teacher’ that I have ever experienced. Mr. Evans’ style of algorithmic reasoning has stayed with me for decades, and I still use it to cognitively deal with the complexities of treating dozens of patients daily. Mr. Perkins’ style of teaching French class worked well for my brain. I still remember a fair amount of French vocabulary, and I used his memorization tactics in college and medical school. In sixth grade, Martha Wood started me reading voraciously, and I still read quite a bit.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “Mr. Exline arrived as a fresh face that all of us were happy to see. He and others, such as Mr. Morrin and Mr. Burke, were much more relatable as they were not all that much older than some of us and were bringing some fresh new ideas and teaching methods to the school.”

John Wuorinen ’80 (X-minus 16 years)

Current Role: Math Teacher at Columbus Academy

“The faculty here were so important to me growing up that I wanted to have that same impact.”

Early Influences: “From the math end of things, Larry Booth, Lance Coon, David Winslow and John Detrick were great teachers. Kelly Moody, Kevin Morrin, John Exline and Michael York were terrific in the humanities. All these teachers taught their subject, of course, but they were role models on how to live an interesting life full of passion and excitement. Lou Schultz, my swim coach, was the single-biggest influence on me, though. Couching his best lessons in humor-filled anecdotes, Lou was irreverent and outrageous.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “John has stayed positive and never has a disparaging word for anyone. He has remained a class act worthy of emulation.”

Editor’s note: please see page 56 for late-breaking news about John Wuorinen’s impending retirement

Chris Durst ’82 (X-minus 19 years)

Current Role: Director of College Guidance at Tuscaloosa Academy in Alabama

“If Bo Dixon and John Exline hadn’t convinced me to give teaching a go, I probably would have entered law school and followed that path. I have worked in five different schools, and next year will be my 40th in education.”

Early Influences: “Exline, Stahl, Barren, McConnell, Kirk, Leshnock, Booth, Hildreth, Anne Horton, David Trowbridge, Rainey Taylor, KC Morrin, Kelly Moody, Bo, Phil Currier, Chip MacKelcan, Lou Shultz, John Wourinen, Larry and Greg Wolf, Paul Bernstorf, MaryEve Corrigan… there were so many mentors who inspired not only me but those who were my classmates. We all had men and women who cared deeply about us as young men and women. My career in education has been shaped by these people.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “I think what separates John from the rest of us is that he is, as KC Morrin used to say, a true believer. His heart is firmly entrenched at CA. He believes in its mission and philosophy, but more importantly John Exline has an unwavering belief in his students’ capacity for greatness.”

Andy Morris ’85 (X-minus 21 years)

Current Role: English Teacher at Columbus Academy

“I decided to teach English after realizing I didn’t want to be a physician. I found that I loved working with texts, and I wanted to share that love with others.”

Early Influences: “I had an ideal combination of English teachers at CA. David Trowbridge made sure I wrote in grammatical English, Pat Clemens taught figurative language very imaginatively (I remember him standing on his desk to demonstrate a plumb line), KC Morrin taught me how exciting intellectual play in texts and language could be, and Bob Handy taught me how to be a disciplined close reader and writer.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “John is a revered colleague – the institutional memory of the school. He is the one who makes sure we’re adhering to parliamentary procedure in important faculty meetings. He is a kindred spirit.”

Tim Morford ’79 (X-minus 23 years)

Current Role: History Teacher at Columbus Academy

“I avoided teaching because my father was a professor and I saw how hard he worked, but I found that I enjoyed working with young people.”

Early Influences: “Rainey Taylor was an inspiration. He sparked my love of history. John Exline also was a great teacher – engaging, knowledgeable and kind, though he could be stern when needed. I still remember when he made me run laps for uttering a profanity during PE class. I totally deserved it.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “He has been a role model to me (and countless others). More importantly, he is always positive and professional. John is always the first to volunteer to help others, to cover a class, to drive students anywhere. As a department chair, I could count on John’s wisdom and instincts in making decisions.”

Ed Rhee ’93 (X-minus 29 years)

Current Role: Associate Head of Middle School at Columbus Academy

“I’ve wanted to be in education ever since I began working for CASE and volunteering my free periods in the Lower School when I was in ninth grade here at CA. I found myself feeling more energized leaving the LS than when I was going in. I was hooked!”

Early Influences:“Phil Currier, Kevin Michaels, Kevin Morrin, Jerry Izzo, Susan Carter, John Wuorinen, Christy Bening, Larry Wolf, Terry McConnell and Rufus Curry were all influential to me when I was a student here. While they all left an imprint on me individually, the way they interacted with each other also influenced my thinking about what it means to be a good colleague and community member.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “The depth of care and understanding is something that I didn’t see or understand as a student, but felt. Now as a colleague, it is easy for me to recognize that there is love and intention behind everything he does.”

Tyler Denmead ’94 (X-minus 29 years)

Current Role: Dean of Queens’ College in Cambridge, United Kingdom

“I started volunteering at an urban public elementary school as an undergraduate in Providence, Rhode Island, in the mid 1990s. I would not have been there without having learned to value public service through participating in CA’s Service Board.”

Early Influences: “The irreverence of Mr. Dietrich and Mr. Morrin, the comedy of Mr. Price and Mr. Block, the clarity of Mr. Booth and Ms. Carlin, Ms. Krell’s demand for precision and economy in writing, Mr. Wolf’s storytelling in lectures, Mr. Winslow’s persistence with homework corrections, Mr. Handy’s close reading of texts, Mr. Stahl’s care and concern, Dr. Michael’s improvisational style animated by the big questions, Mrs. Corrigan’s experiential learning… I could go on and on.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “My lasting impression of Mr. Exline was formed during seventh grade basketball in 1988-89. He was the head coach. We feared and respected him even though we rarely, if ever, saw him lose his temper. He was teaching us the fundamentals of team basketball, and he demanded that we practiced over and over until we got them right.”

Kate Leonard ’96 (X-minus 33 years)

Current Role: Intervention Specialist at Central Crossing High School in Grove City, Ohio

“I have several teachers in my family, so it was a career that was always in the back of my mind. I was also fortunate to be guided by several remarkable teachers whose passion for their craft not only inspired me to enter the profession but also shaped the kind of educator I strove to become.”

Early Influences: “I admired Mr. O’Flynn’s passion and excitement for science and his willingness to take the time to re-explain difficult concepts. Mrs. Driscoll provided a solid mix of rigor and creative opportunities in her English class. Mr. Currier was endlessly patient with all students. Mr. Morrin knew a little bit about everything and could quote it, too.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “The thing I appreciated most about his class is that we read books that related to the curriculum such as ‘The Jungle’ by Upton Sinclair and writings by Benjamin Franklin. I was most engaged in those moments because it gave me a richer understanding of the concepts that were covered and strengthened my background knowledge.”

Michael Ehrenfried ’00 (X-minus 36 years)

Current Role: Head of School at Denver Christian School in Colorado

“I’ve had a number of roles: starting a computer science program, college counseling, building out a makerspace, business and entrepreneurship program, developing partnerships for online programs, and helping with institutional strategy and academic operations.”

Early Influences: “MaryEve Corrigan in MS science, Mark Daubenmier in computer science and yearbook, Stefan Farrenkopf and Donald Williamson in theatre, Joel Davis (who inspired a love for biology), Kyle Tong on the soccer field, John Wuorinen as dean and in calculus, and John Exline in AP economics.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “In addition to being my AP economics teacher, he was also my basketball coach and allowed me to do a summer job working in the preschool and theatre programs of CA’s summer program. He was a calm and consistent presence ready to serve the school however he could.”

Matt Carter ’00 (X-minus 37 years)

Current Role: History Teacher at Columbus Academy

“For my senior project, I shadowed David Mitchell (sixth grade social studies), Kay Mason and Paul Kegelmeyer (third grade). I wanted to go to the NFL, but my backup plan was to be a teacher because I felt like I had a natural knack for it.”

Early Influences:“Obviously, my mother (Susan Carter) was/is very important to me. I saw how she inspired her students throughout the decades and had a passion for history and being creative with her lesson plans. My path to teaching was paved by Kelly Moody, Jerry Izzo, Mark Barren, MaryEve Corrigan, Tom Williams and Joel Davis, who changed my perspective on what a classroom could be. They prioritized forging authentic relationships with every student, and that kindness created a sense of security that allowed us to take risks.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “Seeing the legacy John is leaving behind really reinforces why I want to be here – to build that kind of lifelong connection with a school and its students.”

Miranda Bring ’03 (X-minus 40 years)

Current Role: Fourth Grade Teacher at Columbus Academy

“After student teaching at the English International School of Padua in Italy, I returned to CA as a fourth grade associate teacher and JV lacrosse coach. As an alumna returning to campus, I was so fortunate to have former teachers like Mr. Exline to look to for guidance.”

Early Influences: “My inspiration actually started with an experience of visiting a local elementary school to perform with Academy’s concert band. After the concert, we spent time in the classrooms reading and helping the students with their writing. I realized I was having just as much fun as the kids!”

The Ex(line) Factor:“I was lucky enough to have Mr. Exline for two different classes during my time in Upper School. He was very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, and he always had a way of making classroom topics interesting.”

Sumona Ghosh Lester ’99 (X-minus 45 years)

Current Role: Science Teacher and Department Chair at Columbus Academy

“After an initial stint serving as an adjunct professor of nursing students, I realized how much I enjoyed passing along my love of science.”

Early Influences: “Mr. Davis inspired me as a biology teacher during my time at CA, but more so he took the time to get to know me beyond the content of the course. Several members of the English department (Ms. Krell, Mr. Morrin, Mr. Cleminshaw) were instrumental in developing my writing mechanics, flow and synthesis. These are lifelong skills that I have applied in nearly every facet of life – from writing letters of interest to letters of gratitude; from transforming scientific data into meaningful conclusions; and maybe most importantly, allowing me to build relationships and rapport, both professionally and personally, primarily facilitated through words.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “Mr. Exline was always thoughtful and measured in how he communicated with students and continues to hold that demeanor now as a colleague. He’s always willing to lend a hand or offer his advice with warmth and empathy. I really admire his patience, wisdom and thoughtfulness.”

Ashley Stieg ’00 (X-minus 48 years)

Current Role: Owner/teacher at Mountain Sprouts in Bozeman, Montana

“Starting a nature-based preschool allowed me to combine my dedication to early childhood learning with outdoor education. We are outside with the children year-round, and I couldn’t feel happier about how I spend my days.”

Early Influences: “Nyssa Pymer had a huge impact on allowing me to look at learning in alternative ways, and Bob Kirk contributed to my strong work ethic, largely due to so many grueling track workouts. I fell in love with the Rocky Mountains after receiving an Outward Bound scholarship in my junior year from alum Chris Haines. I spent 30 days in the mountains of western Colorado backpacking and climbing, and I still can’t thank Chris enough for how much this trip impacted my life and my desire to teach outdoors.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “Mr. Exline was an important educator for my brothers and myself while at CA!”

Drew Yakscoe ’10 (X-minus 48 years)

Current Role: Education Coordinator with Visionaries and Voices in Cincinnati

“We are a nonprofit, inclusive arts studio that supports adult artists with disabilities. My role is to help our artists prepare for paid teaching artist opportunities throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.”

Early Influences: “Both of my parents (Craig and Cyndi Yakscoe) are teachers, and I believe that was the strongest influence in me pursuing a career in education. In addition to them, my art teachers – Mr. Block, Ms. Wilson, Mr. Rahe, Mr. Neal and Mr. Cicetti – all inspired the artist and educator I’ve become. They helped form a very solid foundation for me as an artist and art educator.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “My classmates and I were impressed with the longevity of his career back then, and I am even more so now. It is unbelievable to think of how many generations of Columbus Academy students he has had an impact on.”

Tyler Gittins ’13 (X-minus 52 years)

Current Role: Science Teacher at Columbus Academy

“Before joining Academy’s faculty in 2023, I also taught for three years at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in the Appalachian Mountains of Georgia.”

Early Influences:“I was inspired by my teachers such as Mr. Street, Mr. Block, Mr. Leet and Ms. Hogan.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “I had Coach Exline as a basketball coach and econ teacher. As a student, I always took Coach Exline as very serious but I got to see another side of him when he was coaching, which was great. As a colleague, he is incredibly kind and still incredibly hardworking, teaching a full load and coaching multiple seasons. There is only one Coach Exline, so I don’t think anyone will surpass the amount of time he has given to CA.”

Amelia Compton ’16 (X-minus 52 years)

Current Role: Fifth Grade Teacher at Columbus Academy

“I grew up in a family of educators and strongly believed in the importance of education, which ultimately led me to major in middle childhood education with concentrations in math and science.”

Early Influences: “Many of my math and science teachers at Columbus Academy inspired my interest in those subjects, particularly Mr. Dow and Mr. Devore, who were especially influential in shaping my passion for math and science.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “One of the most impactful experiences from his class was my capstone project. With his guidance, I researched and created a presentation tracing racism from slavery through Jim Crow laws and examining how those systems contributed to mass incarceration in the United States. This work was deeply meaningful and helped shape the way I understand the world.”

Nichola Lampe ’16 (X-minus 53 years)

Current Role: Music Teacher at Parklane Elementary in Portland, Oregon

“I’ve always believed that education is liberation, and to be able to provide that for kids is important and necessary work. To be able to provide a path of opportunity and access for kids no matter their background is meaningful work.”

Early Influences: “The late Susan Neal taught me the importance of authenticity as a teacher. When I authentically show up in front of my students as myself – my weird, hyper, bubbly, energetic, crazy sock-wearing self – they know they can trust me. I absolutely adored Mrs. Neal, so much so that I wrote a whole paper about her for Mrs. Reifeis’ class in high school.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “As my world history teacher, he was really funny and he liked to joke around with us a lot. He put up with high-schooler shenanigans very well and created a fun and relaxing learning environment.”

Cobi Warstler ’16 (X-minus 53 years)

Current Role: Fourth Grade Language Arts Teacher at New Albany Intermediate School

“My grandma was a middle school teacher, and both my dad and stepmom (Jeff and Sarah Warstler) are teachers at CA, so I grew up surrounded by educators. Being around that world and understanding the lifestyle played a big role in my decision to teach.”

Early Influences: “My seventh grade science teacher, Dr. Andy Bezant, had a lasting impact during what was a challenging year of transitions. He held high standards but was always quick to recognize effort and dedication. I still remember him telling me that hard work will take you far, a message I continue to share with my own students.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “My impression of Mr. Exline has always been, and continues to be, that he always has a smile on his face and genuinely cares about how others are doing. He goes out of his way to have a conversation, check in and connect with others.”

Brent Halsey ’02 (X-minus 54 years)

Current Role: Director of Technology at Columbus Academy

“I made the jump to education for the opportunity to come back to CA in a role that helped to inspire my pursuit of a technology career, as well as the opportunity to work at the school alongside my children.”

Early Influences: “Mark Daubenmier, Sean Cullinan and Paul Hildahl were all an important part of my student experience. Academy is a good place, with better traditions, and the best people.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “He was Econ John to me, and I enjoyed his economics course. I fondly remember the stock market challenge. I’ve worked at several places in the Columbus area and, regardless of where I go, I seem to come across someone with direct ties to Columbus Academy. Inevitably, two topics come up: the Junior Speech and John Exline. I am honored to be a colleague of his.”

Phil Soderberg ’20 (X-minus 56 years)

Current Role: Upper Division Science Fellow at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida

“I decided to become a teacher because I always enjoyed school. The relationships that I was able to build with my teachers was invaluable. Realizing how rewarding it would be to create those same connections with students of my own is what solidified my decision.”

Early Influences: “There is nobody more important to me than my mother (Head of School Melissa Soderberg), who is always inspiring me to be a leader and challenging me to do my best. Also, Katie Castle – my sixth grade math teacher who tutored me throughout high school – understood me better than myself at the time and was always there to push me when I needed it most.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “I was a student during the celebration of Mr. Exline’s 50th year, and there never seemed to be a question if he had lost a step. His ability to continue to help students for all these years and continually go above and beyond is incredible because he was more than just a teacher, he was completely involved in the community.”

Zoey Black ’21 (X-minus 57 years)

Current Role: Substitute Lower School Teacher at Columbus Academy

“I attended the Ohio State University and earned my degree in elementary education. After being a lifer as a student at CA and now having a teacher’s perspective, I am even more grateful for this amazing school and community.”

Early Influences: “My mom, Kelly Black, played a huge role in inspiring me to become a teacher. Growing up, I was able to see the positive impact she had on her students and the meaningful relationships she built and continues to make.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “While I did not have Mr. Exline as a teacher, I knew many students who loved having him as both a teacher and a coach. I have many fond memories from having his daughter, Mrs. Sinclair, as my fourth grade teacher.”

Sophie Spolter ’22 (X-minus 58 years)

Current Role: Senior Biology Major at Bates College in Maine

“Starting this summer, I’m going to work at the Potomac School right outside of D.C. as a teaching fellow for grades K-6. I also am going to coach varsity girls basketball and possibly another sport as well.”

Early Influences: “I had a lot of teachers I really loved but the ones who come to mind are Neal O’Brien, Amy Seymore and Julie Keating. All three of these teachers meant so much to me growing up at Academy, and I still talk to them today.”

The Ex(line) Factor: “My junior year history class with Mr. Exline was one of my favorite classes at Academy, and it’s pretty safe to say I’m the furthest you can possibly be from a history buff. I learned a lot from him, and we would also talk about basketball a lot, too. I really enjoyed getting to know Mr. Exline, and I was lucky to have him as a teacher for two years!”

34 ELAINE BOAZ AND TODD PARK ’90 HONORED AT HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

Over 200 guests gathered for Columbus Academy’s 2025 Alumni Holiday Luncheon on December 19. This year’s annual event inside The Grand Event Center at Grandview Yard honored 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Todd Park ’90 and Alumni Service Award recipient Elaine Boaz

The luncheon began with a welcome from Alumni Board President Kelly Hondros ’06, the recognition of several groups in attendance – current and former faculty, staff and members of the Alumni Board – and a congratulatory message to this year’s seniors who had just finished their final high school exams.

“This is quite a milestone,” Kelly told them, “and we can’t be more excited for you guys taking one step closer to becoming alumni of this great school.”

Kelly then began the presentation to the 35th recipient of Columbus Academy’s Alumni Service Award, given to a faculty or staff member who has made a lasting contribution to Columbus Academy through his or her service to the school.

Following an emotional introduction from her former teaching colleague Theresa Paulson, Elaine Boaz shared with the holiday luncheon audience what she considers to be the “Columbus Academy superpowers” that she learned and applied while teaching in our Lower School:

• The power of respect.

• The power of community.

• The power of projects.

• The power of resilience.

• The power of words.

“Thank you for recognizing the role I have had as both a teacher and a learner while at Columbus Academy,” stated Elaine at the conclusion of her acceptance speech. “Please know that I am filled with gratitude for all the opportunities that I have had beside creative and caring students, who are now exceptional alumni, thoughtful and supportive parents, and devoted and inspiring colleagues. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.”

Following a pause in the ceremony to eat a Thanksgiving-style lunch, Head of School Melissa Soderberg stepped to the podium and shared the sad news that alumnus Joe Hartzler ’68 had passed away just the day before, noting that Joe played an important role in U.S. history as the government’s successful lead prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing case. She also acknowledged Jack Stephan ’48 as the school’s oldest graduate in attendance as well as John Exline ’64, who is retiring this spring at the conclusion of his 58th year teaching at Academy, which earned him a standing ovation from the crowd.

Because one of Columbus Academy’s traditions that alumni hold most dear is the Junior Speech, Melissa has made it customary for a junior to re-deliver his or her speech at each year’s Holiday Luncheon. Meera Srini had that honor for 2025 and shared her speech from earlier in the fall that recounted many of her family’s trips to little-known museums across the country celebrating things such as vacuum cleaners, salt-and-pepper shakers and the childhood homes of American presidents.

“My parents want me to see how achieving success often involves a lot of failure before accomplishing something greater,” stated Meera. “It takes hard work, determination and even a few unfortunate outcomes to truly achieve success.”

What she has learned from “the presidents who shaped our country and the inventors who built our everyday world” was that they had the determination to solve problems and the persistence to keep going when things got tough.

“I realized that every museum my family visits isn’t just about statistics and accomplishments written inside,” Meera concluded. “It is about who those people were beyond the write-up on the placards… every story has shaped how I see success, not as something instantaneous but something built layer by layer.”

The program concluded with the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor given to an alumnus/a in recognition of outstanding achievement in community or profession and loyalty to Columbus Academy.

“By nature he was quiet and reserved and incredibly humble, but everyone recognized his brilliance,” said John Wuorinen ’80 in his introduction of the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus. “Whether serving as the chief technology officer of the United States or innovating as a healthcare CEO, Todd has never stopped using that same brilliant touch to fix complex systems and improve lives.”

Todd is executive chairman of Devoted Health, a company he co-founded with his brother Ed Park ’93 that focuses on dramatically improving health and well-being by caring for everyone like they are family.

“For Ed and me, the Columbus Academy was the seed crystal of our American dream,” Todd stated in his acceptance speech. “The Academy was a portal into a world of knowledge and discovery with extraordinary teachers who were instrumental in making us into everything that we are.”

“My beloved wife Amy, who has been my soulmate and best friend for 34 years and who knows me better than I do, firmly believes that basically everything awesome that has ever happened in my life happened through a chain reaction that started at the Columbus Academy. She says that I owe the Academy everything, and she is right. And I am not alone. For so many, the Columbus Academy has been our portal to an amazing, larger world, a world where anything is possible, a world where a curious mind and a persistent heart can take you to places you never imagined you could be. In other words, the Academy is a place where American dreams can truly begin.”

Visit columbusacademy.org/holidaylunch for more coverage!

Campus Highlights

Forty years in a classroom changes a lot of lives. For Columbus Academy alumnus Ted Coons ’94, Kevin Morrin had a lasting impact on his.

Ted and his wife, Liz Yee, have made a foundational gift to establish the Kevin Morrin Chair for Inspired Teaching, honoring the English teacher and coach who played a critical role in shaping how Ted thinks about learning – and who spent forty years doing the same for generations of Academy students including Ted’s father, uncles and sister.

Kevin Morrin, known to nearly everyone as “KC,” taught English at Columbus Academy from 1965 until his retirement in 2005. His classes ranged widely in subject matter, and his lessons were celebrated for their imagination and originality. He received Academy’s Alumni Service Award in 1998.

Ted took Mr. Morrin’s British Literature class in 11th grade and senior English elective. The experiences stayed with him. “Decades later, I can still recite the opening lines of Chaucer. And the way he taught the English Romantics

– Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner in particular –brought the texts to life. Great teachers make the complex not just clear, but vivid – and KC painted in technicolor.”

Beyond the classroom, Coach Morrin built Columbus Academy’s boys soccer program from the ground up, establishing what became the first high school soccer program in Central Ohio during the 1965-66 school year. He was an assistant coach when the Vikings won the state title in 1995 and was named Ohio’s Assistant Soccer Coach of the Year in 1997.

“Our hope is that this gift honors Kevin’s legacy, helps Columbus Academy continue to attract life-changing educators like KC — and inspires others who benefitted from Academy to join Liz and me in giving back.”

~ Ted Coons ’94, president and co-founder of OceanSound Partners

To learn more about the Morrin Chair or to make a gift in support of it, please contact Assistant Head of School for Development Maria Miller at millerm@columbusacademy.org.

Academy’s Third Presidential Scholar in Seven Years

Last fall, Columbus Academy alumna Audrey Lu ’25 was one of 161 students nationwide (and one of just two Ohioans) named as a 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholar! She was the third Academy graduate in seven years to earn the nation’s highest honor for high school students, joining Aniv Ray ’20 and Shreyah Mohanselvan ’18

Audrey currently enjoys taking math, statistics, computer science and archaeology courses as a freshman at Harvard University. “I’m involved in the Women in Computer Science association and was selected for the Harvard Data Analytics Group, working on data consulting projects for real industry clients,” she stated. “I’m also an active member of the Asian American Dance Troupe, competitive club tennis and Gender Inclusivity in Mathematics.”

In her award application, Audrey named upper school math teacher Dr. Scott Linder as her most influential teacher. “Dr. Linder was my math teacher for AP Statistics and Multivariable Calculus in my sophomore and junior years,” she wrote. “I’ve always been drawn to math, but his introduction to statistical methods such as logistic regression showed me how the concepts I learn about can be applied to real-world questions, which was incredibly meaningful.”

According to Dr. Linder, “Audrey is a really gifted student, but I’d say her best academic attribute is her genuine curiosity, manifesting as interest in understanding (and her ability to recognize) connections between seemingly disparate fields. If she’s studying genetics, for example, she’ll quickly recognize a role for a Bayesian statistical methodology in generating a phylogenetic tree. In this sense, she’s quite mature and somewhat creative, especially considering her age… and it therefore came as no surprise that she absolutely thrived in her summer research experiences.

Audrey has all of the gifts needed for a strong career in academic research (whether that happens in mathematics or a lab science) – most notably preternatural intellectual curiosity.”

Shelby Reichle Named State Strength Coach of the Year

Athletic Performance Coach Shelby Reichle has been named the 2026 State Coach of the Year by the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA)!

Shelby, who works on fitness and training with all of our athletic programs at Columbus Academy, was one of four coaches honored in the Great Lakes Region and is just the second pick from Central Ohio in the last eight years.

This award recognizes outstanding leadership, dedication and impact in the development of student-athletes and the strength and conditioning profession.

“Shelby is phenomenal and brings infectious energy to all of our studentathletes,” stated Director of Athletics Jason Singleton. “She has played a pivotal role in shaping the culture of athletics at Columbus Academy, and I’m so grateful to have her on our staff.”

Middle-Schoolers Stage “Mary Poppins Jr.” in the Most Delightful Way

Bravo to our middle-schoolers on their supercalifragilisticexpialidocious performances of “Mary Poppins Jr.” in late January!

“Thank you so much to our amazing community of supporters, parents, faculty and fellow students,” wrote director Whitney Eads after the final performance. “Our time on Cherry Tree Lane was one we will remember forever.”

The cast for this beloved musical included 42 middleschoolers while the crew consisted of four sixth-graders, a pair of seventh-graders, four eighth-graders and 11 upperschoolers.

Math and Computer Science Teacher Chris Bolognese Selected to National Data Science Panel

As part of a fellowship through an education group called 50CAN, Columbus Academy faculty member Chris Bolognese, who teaches mathematics and computer science in our Upper School, serves on a national data science advisory panel with the purpose of promoting data science education and access with other educators and policymakers.

50CAN is a nonprofit educational advocacy/think tank that helps promote policies that provide high-quality education for all kids. As a part of his fellowship, Chris attended the

Chris Bolognese (far right) received training in Washington, D.C., on how to interact with the media – such as on national TV or podcasts – to prepare him for advocating for data science education

National Summit on Education conference in New Orleans last fall. He also recently spent three days in our nation’s capital participating in seminar discussions about the role of data science, state initiatives and ongoing research in the field.

This is the second year that Academy has offered data science as a computer science elective, and about 20 students have taken the course over the last two years. According to Chris, a number of students who took last year’s class are now majoring in data-related fields at their college.

“Our course is tailored to students who want to learn a new programming language (Python) while learning how to apply computational tools to solve relevant problems with real-world data,” stated Chris. “There are instances where students get to pick their own data set to explore – such as NBA data, customer purchase data or song lyrics – to try to look for patterns.”

“Another big part of the course is learning how to communicate conclusions, either in a professional letter written to a client or a presentation to report results. We also have guest speakers from the industry come to our class to share about how data science is used in their field. With the growth of AI in almost any field, this course is designed to have students explore real-world data while being critical consumers.”

Academy | Campus Highlights

New Assistant Head of School for 2026-27

Dr. William Matsuzaki will be Columbus Academy’s assistant head of school for academic affairs starting in July 2026.

“What first stood out to the search committee about Will was his incredibly impressive resume of serving as upper school head and director of the Tad Bird Honors College at All Saints’ Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas,” stated Head of School Melissa Soderberg in her announcement to the Academy community last fall. “During his eight years at All Saints’, he also has taught Japanese and modern world history and served as dean of curriculum for all grades (early childhood through grade 12). In addition, Will has been middle school head at Harford Day School in Bel Air, Maryland, as well as department chair, tennis coach, cross country coach and director of exchange programs at St. Paul’s School for Boys in Baltimore.”

Will grew up in East Los Angeles, graduated from James A. Garfield High School (the school featured in the movie “Stand and Deliver”), majored in Japanese and East Asian Studies at Carleton College in Minnesota and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees at Johns Hopkins University.

The school received over 70 applicants for this position nationally and internationally while guided by RG175, a search firm that specializes in educational leadership. In that pool were three sitting heads of school, multiple assistant heads seeking a lateral move to a stronger school and an abundance of very qualified candidates.

Will’s position on the school’s leadership team is being vacated by Dan Olexio, who will return to full-time teaching in our Upper School.

“I want to take a moment in our excitement about Will to thank Dan for his service to the school as the assistant head for 11 years,” expressed Melissa. “Dan was not seeking an administrative role, as he had a complete career of that work in the Army as a lieutenant colonel and loved being a full-time teacher. Still, he took on an ambitious plan of developing a robust professional development curriculum, establishing an effective evaluation system, creating a Super Curriculum Committee of department chairs and departmental representatives from each division and – all the while – adding some fun in the process.”

In his return to the classroom, Dan will be taking on our economics courses from the retiring John Exline ’64, as Dan taught economics as a professor at West Point, his alma mater.

Academy Alumni Connecting on LinkedIn

Supporting fellow alumni and staying connected to the school has never been more convenient with the Columbus Academy Alumni Office’s new private group page on LinkedIn.

This space is designed for alumni to connect, network, share job postings and stay engaged with one another. To help make this a fun, welcoming and valuable space for our alumni community:

• Be kind and professional – lively conversation is encouraged, disrespect is not.

• Keep it relevant (and helpful) – alumni news, career updates, job postings and school-related posts are encouraged.

• Check in often. The Alumni Office will occasionally post alumni surveys and/or Columbus Academy trivia. Participants will be entered into a drawing to receive a gift card or Academy swag!

Scan this QR code or search for “Columbus Academy Alumni Association” on LinkedIn to find this networking forum for Academy alumni to connect, share updates and offer professional opportunities

Vikings Compete for State Titles in Golf, Soccer, Tennis and Basketball

Columbus Academy’s 2025-26 sports campaign started in historic fashion with our girls golf squad becoming the first program in school history to win four straight state championships. The rain-shortened tournament resulted in the team, coached by Maggie Freytag, winning the Division II crown by 10 strokes over runner-up Madeira. Academy junior Eva Lim repeated as individual state champion with a field-best score of 70 (36-34) during the only round of play while senior teammate Nala Chebli joined her on the All-Ohio first team with a 75 (40-35), good for a share of eighth place overall.

Our girls soccer squad, meanwhile, did not give up a goal in six postseason matches to reach its first-ever state final, where the Vikes fell 4-0 to a two-time defending state champion side from Cincinnati Summit Country Day. Guided by Central District Coach of the Year Grant Stegner, the team finished with an 18-4-2 record and were led by Harper Boninsegna-Mullins, who earned all-region and all-state honors. The Gonzaga-commit was joined on the all-district and all-league first teams by fellow Viking senior Allison Frickel and freshman Sydney Smoot

Academy | Campus Highlights

In girls tennis, coach Preston Eberlyn’s squad won its fourth-straight league title, claimed its sixth-straight district crown (15th overall) and finished as state runner-up for the eighth time in program history. After beating defending champion Cincinnati Indian Hill 3-1 in the semifinals, our Vikes fell to Pepper Pike Orange 3-0 in the championship. A highlight of the season came when junior Gabrielle Stewart and sophomore Ella Tsao won the district doubles crown. They were joined on the All-CBL first team by senior Sophie Wu

After starting its season 1-2, our football team reeled off eight straight wins to reach the regional semifinals, where the Vikings lost 10-7 to an undefeated squad from Nelsonville-York. The impressive win streak included going 5-0 in the Central Buckeye League for the second undefeated and outright conference title in the last six years under Robin Miller, who finished his 11th season at the helm with an 82-40 overall mark, just one win shy of tying the program’s all-time career wins record as a head coach. Northwestern-commit Gabe Davis-Ray, who was selected as the state and district Defensive Player of the Year as well as the CBL Player of the Year, made the All-Ohio first-team along with junior Reinaldo Perez while senior Henry Pizzotti earned second-team all-state honors.

For just the second time in school history, both our girls and boys cross country squads qualified for the state meet in the same year. That 2016 season was the last state appearance by our girls, while our boys had not reached states since 2018. Both of this year’s teams placed 24th in their respective races at the state meet for head coach Chris Mealick. Our girls – who were led by sophomore Claire Chan and freshmen Livia Peppercorn and Maryam Christian – were district runners-up and placed sixth at both regionals and the league meet.

The boys, meanwhile, were league runners-up, third at districts and eighth at regionals. They were paced by seniors Dane Chaky and Chris Hill and junior Giuseppe Peppercorn

In field hockey, our Vikings finished with a 12-6 record after a 3-1 loss to Upper Arlington in the regional semifinals. League Player of the Year Katie Neviaser was named to the All-Ohio first team while senior Bebe Smith made the all-state second team. They were joined on the All-CBL first team by senior Caroline Morris and juniors Kendall Owens and Sophia Smoot. In four season under head coach Jacque DeMarco, the Vikes have compiled a 51-19-3 overall record and claimed all three league titles since joining the CBL in 2023.

Seven members of our boys golf team – including senior first-teamers Jaxon Crowl, Krish Bakhru and Patrick Woods – earned recognition from the CBL after they helped win the program’s 18th league title and ninth since 2016! Our Vikes finished first at the CBL preseason tournament, followed up with a runner-up performance at the midseason event and then won the postseason matchup to capture the league crown. Academy also repeated as sectional champions before closing out the season in third place at the district championships under head coach Craig Yakscoe

Under second-year head coach Tigeria Miller, our volleyball program tallied 12 wins and 11 losses. After starting 2-4 in the CBL, the Vikings won seven of their last 10 league matches to tie for fourth with a 9-7 record. All-CBL honors were awarded to junior Morgan Spalding (first team), sophomore Sammie Wurtzman (second team) and junior Kyndal Singleton (honorable mention). With the potential return of junior standout Sophia Campbell, who sat out the season with an injury, the future looks bright for our volleyball Vikes!

Academy | Campus Highlights

Fall and Winter Sports Recaps (continued)

Following the departure of its entire starting lineup from the previous fall, it was a rebuilding year for our boys soccer program. The highlights of the 2-15-1 campaign were an early 4-1 victory at Franklin Heights – giving first-year head coach Nick Scherner his first career and league wins – and a 3-2 home upset over Bishop Ready. The Vikings were led by Allegheny commit and All-CBL first-teamer Brian Ankamah, junior secondteamer Brandon Holfinger and sophomore honorable mention Brady Mears

This winter, much of the talk was about our girls basketball team coached by Lee Sims. Following an opening loss to a talented Granville squad, our Vikes won a program-record 24 consecutive games to reach the regional semifinals for the very first time. After claiming their first district crown with a 42-32 win over AmandaClearcreek, the Vikings fell 62-57 to eventual state runner-up Ottawa-Glandorf to finish 24-2 and 16-0 in the CBL, where junior Kendall Owens and freshman Gia Coats shared league player-ofthe-year honors. Kendall was also named first team All-Ohio while Gia was an All-Ohio special mention.

Our boys, meanwhile, made a return trip to the Division V state championship game, where they once again lost to four-time defending state champion Lutheran East. After falling in back-toback games to drop to 4-4, the team made an early January trip to Cleveland where senior standout and Harvard commit Jason Singleton made a half-court shot to win $10,000 during a Cavaliers game. That viral moment seemed to re-energize the squad as it won its next 20 games to reach the state finals. Jason was named Division V Player of the Year, an Ohio Mr. Basketball finalist and All-Ohio first team after averaging 21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals per game. Sophomore center Mitch Zumberge earned All-Ohio honorable mention, and senior Gabe Davis-Ray joined Jason as a District 10 All-Star. Jeff Warstler, the winningest coach in program history, has compiled a 255-100 overall record in his 14 seasons at the helm.

In the pool, our AquaVikes concluded a successful season by reaching the state podium in four different events. For our girls, senior Maddie Esposito earned All-Ohio first-team honors by placing sixth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free while freshman Kayla Riedel finished 28th in the 500 free and 31st in the 200 free in her first state-meet appearance. Reaching the state podium for our boys were All-Ohio first-teamers Ethan Liu, William Duan, Justin Li and Wystan Cann in the 200 medley relay (eighth place) as well as William in the 100 breast (seventh). By placing 10th in the 100 back and 15th in the 200 free, respectively, Ethan and Wystan qualified for the All-Ohio second team in addition to contributing to our 13th-place 400 free relay squad that also included William and Luke Lu. Overall, the boys tied for 15th place with 51 points while our girls tied for 24th in Division II by earning 25 points.

Turn to page 42 to see a spectacular windmill dunk by Division V state player of the year Jason Singleton captured by school photographer Cynthia Wilson during a December game in The Mack!

At the CBL wrestling championship, freshman Gavin Haberman won the league title at 113 pounds, sophomore Joseph Guo (144) and senior Henry Schehl (175) both placed third and sophomore Devin Li (215) took fourth. Then, at the sectional meet, our squad finished eighth with 80 points out of 13 total teams, and all six Viking competitors qualified for the Division III Southwest District Tournament. The best sectional results were runner-up performances by sophomore Paul Anderson at 165 pounds and Gavin at 120. The top finisher at this year’s Kevin Michael Invitational was freshman Greyson Kostas, the 113-lb runner-up.

On the bowling lanes, Marc Daneault earned an All-CBL honorable mention and led our boys team at the sectional tournament with a three-game score of 373, followed closely by fellow senior Nolen Chambers at 371. High-scorers for our girls were senior Emma Matros at 370 and freshman Ella Lovera at 349. The girls finished 25th at sectionals and the boys 29th for Gerardina Garita, who completed her seventh season as head coach.

Academy’s ice hockey program once again competed on the junior varsity level. Under first-year head coach Daniel Singleton, the Vikings were led by seniors Scott Alpert and Josh Sneeringer and juniors Landen Liu and Owen Lucas

Also representing Academy well on the ice was our figure skating club team, which placed sixth in the state overall in the free-skate category and second across all low team maneuver events for spins, jumps and steps. In their individual events, freshman Jessica Li was runner-up in Ohio and first in the midwest/pacific region, junior Mimi Zeng placed first in the state and third in the region, and senior Victoria Chirita took first in Ohio and sixth in the region.

We look forward to sharing coverage of our spring sports teams in the fall 2026 magazine!

Alumni Gatherings

January & February 2026

Black Alumni

Holiday Gathering

Special thanks to the host committee led by David Hamlar Jr. MD DDS ‘73, Curtis Jewell ‘98, Allison Walker ‘04, Vanessa Butler ‘07,

Pickleball Outing

Alumni Board President Kelly Hondros’ 06 welcomes everyone to the event at Pickle & Chill

Fifth-grader Gabby Rothschild, her mother Natalie Rothschild ‘02, Sarah Milks Bethel ‘98, Rachel Carpenter ‘01 and sixth grade daughter Stella DeLuca

Ed

Raleigh, North Carolina

Head of School Melissa Soderberg, Hilary (McHugh) Kuss ‘95, Nate Anderson, Becca (Levin) Anderson ‘95, Malachy Sullivan ‘22, Sohan Joshi ‘22, Sidd Amirneni ‘22 and Harry Liu ‘25

Seattle, Washington

Herb Cook ‘60, Head of School Melissa Soderberg, Keith Condray-Raderstorf ‘18, Adam Cook ‘97, Whitney Dankworth ‘17, Isara Cook, Caroline Prokos ‘16, Malakhi Oliver, Anthony Fenzl ‘16, Director of Major & Planned Gifts Dan Ginis, Christian Paddock ‘94, Jahnea Potts ‘21, Andrew Belskis ‘95, Jake Huddleston ‘21, Scott Fortman ‘79, Sue Cook and Blake Andrews ‘13 (not pictured: Vaughn Armour ‘21)

Our Alumni Office is also looking forward to visiting Denver, Detroit, Boston, Naples, Chicago and Baltimore later this year!

Alumni: Keep your contact information up to date for the latest in alumni and school news.You are also invited to join our private LinkedIn group.

Scan the QR code to access links to these resources!

THE 70s

48

THE 60s

Chip Gordon ’68 recently kicked off an exciting video history project by interviewing Jay Smith ’68 in our middle school library. He opened the interview with these words:

Class Notes

“Today, March 29, 2026, we start a journey to understand the Columbus Academy community by interviewing people from that community. I hope this project has legs but we shall see. I’m Chip Gordon, a member of the class of 1968, the last year Columbus Academy was at the old campus on Nelson Road. Here with me is one of my oldest and dearest friends from that class. We don’t see much of each other these days due to our busy schedules, but when we do manage to get together, we pick up right where we left off.”

The New York Times published an obituary for alumnus (and former faculty member) Joseph Hartzler ’68 that can be read at columbusacademy.org/HartzlerNYT. Joe became a national hero as the lead prosecutor in the U.S. government’s successful conviction of Timothy McVeigh in 1995. People Magazine named him as one of the “25 Most Intriguing People of the Year” in 1997. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988, Joe was an early symbol for disability representation. Joe taught English in our Upper School for two years in the mid-70s. He returned in 1999 to receive the school’s Viking Award and to serve as Commencement speaker. A tribute from his son Matthew credited Academy as the school “that changed the trajectory of his life.”

“Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano” authored by Jim Leeke ’68 was published on July 1, 2025, and chronicles the former Syracuse University football star turned MLB umpire known for his showmanship and humor.

In what was labeled as “something new after 55-plus years,” Dr. Michael B. Hallet ’70, Andy Krakoff ’70 and Jeff Turton ’70 met via Zoom with 20 classmates this past December and hope to make it an annual tradition. Participants included Charles Adams ’70, John Alton ’70, Tom Beaman ’70, Diven Carlile ’70, Bob Dienst ’70, Dave Edwards ’70, Rich Estabrook ’70, John Fergus ’70, Alan Fishman ’70, John Geupel ’70, Bill Kientz ’70, Rick Maddox ’70, Dave Patterson ’70, Chris Sehring ’70, Eric Wildemann ’70, Andy Williams ’70 and Ed Wristen ’70

THE 80s —

Jeff Berman ’81 was appointed deputy director for Region II of the United States Adult Soccer Association, which is sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation and comprised of roughly 40,000 adult amateur soccer players in 12 Midwest states. He also helps organize our annual Turkey Bowl for fellow alumni who play a friendly game of pick-up soccer on Thanksgiving morning.

In February, Erich Hunker ’81 was named executive director of Dreams on Horseback, a Central Ohio nonprofit providing therapeutic equine programs for adults and children with special needs, veterans and underserved school children. Erich was our assistant head of school for development and external relations for 25 years and more recently served as CEO of Columbus Humane. He was diagnosed with male breast cancer shortly after joining Columbus Humane in June of 2024 and stepped away from his CEO role there to attend to his health concerns. In the summer of 2025, as a part of his cancer recovery plan, Erich volunteered his time at Dreams, his self-described “own form of equine therapy.” This spring, Dreams on Horseback launched a horse-partnered program for those battling cancer in collaboration with Cancer Support Community Central Ohio.

Brad Feinknopf ’82 was named one of the “100 Visionary Creators Changing How We See Architecture” by Architizer, the largest online platform for architecture and sourcing building products. In 2025, Brad was a Jury Winner in both Architecture & People Photograph and Color Photograph for Architizer’s Vision Awards.

Mike Schlonsky ’84 is now a partner in the Columbus office of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, LLP.

February’s cover story by Columbus Business First featured Brian Brooks ’87 and his wife Dominique, co-owners of E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co. The article detailed how they became owners of the nation’s oldest continually operating Black-owned business. Brian is the godson of the late Eldon Ward, the grandson of William Ward who founded E.E. Ward in 1881.

Adam Hill ’89 and his wife Rebbie were featured as the cover story of New Albany’s Stroll magazine in November, which detailed an inspiring story of the family’s strong bond in spite of their daughter Ansley’s sudden passing in 2019 due to a rare catastrophic brain bleed. The article also mentioned Adam’s youngest son, Johnny Hill ’22, an economics major and senior pitcher on the baseball team at Hobart College.

THE 90s —

Ted Coons ’94 and his wife Liz Yee are now minority owners for Cleveland’s WNBA franchise set to debut in 2028, according to a Cleveland.com article released in March.

Jake Saxbe ’94 was quoted in a recent Columbus Monthly article which spotlighted the promotion of the city’s local music scene, specifically the lack of a music venue in Franklinton, which he notes as “the center of music in Columbus right now.”

Blythe Coons ’97, who is a member of the Columbus Academy Alumni Board, co-founded the public speaking and training company Meadowlark in January.

Riya Singh, the daughter of alumnus Rohit Singh ’98, appears in the recently released film “Soul on Fire,” based on the inspirational life of John O’Leary.

THE 00s —

Jessica Anderson ’00, president of Anderson Concrete, was honored as a community leader at the 37th annual A Capital Valentine fundraiser for Ohio Cancer Research.

In April, Executive Director of the Human Services Chamber of Franklin County Michael Corey ’01 was one of four frontline storytellers to share a TEDx-style talk at the Keyholder fundraiser hosted by the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.

As vice president of Community Wellness, Nick Jones ’01 shared in an interview with CoreCreative.com how Nationwide Children’s Hosptial is “building one of the country’s most comprehensive, community-rooted population health initiatives.”

Jonathan Greenberger ’01 was promoted to Global Editor-in-Chief at POLITICO in March. According to the announcement: “From being the youngest executive producer in the history of ABC’s ‘This Week’ and near decadelong tenure as ABC News’ Washington Bureau Chief to his work transforming POLITICO into a multiplatform publisher as Executive Vice President since 2024, Greenberger has distinguished himself as a leader and as a journalist.” As a student at Academy, Jonathan served as co-editor of The Academy Life and earned selection to our prestigious Cum Laude Society. In naming Jonathan as the Alumni Cup recipient, his teachers wrote that they were impressed by his ability to understand information from a variety of human perspectives. “You have used your intellect not to prove your superiority but to help others gain greater clarity and dimension… During your tenure (as Academy Life co-editor), this entire school community has been able to take pride in a newspaper that promoted a responsibly high level of integrity and public discourse.”

Blair Soden Hanson ’02 married Zack Hanson on September 12, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina.

Academy team doctor and OhioHealth physician Dr. Ben Bring ’03 was featured in multiple local news outlets ahead of the 2026 Arnold Sports Festival, as he serves as the event’s medical director. Dr. Bring was also interviewed by the American Red Cross as part of its “Getting to Know” the volunteers article, which highlighted his leadership with the First Aid Services Team and as medical director for the OhioHealth Capital City and Grandview Half Marathons, as well as the Columbus Marathon.

Andrew Edelman ’04 and his family – including current Vikings Bella ’31, Penelope ’34 and Olivia ’40 – were featured as the March cover story in New Albany’s Stroll magazine. At Academy, Andrew was a member of the chess club and boys soccer team, and he received the school’s Rose Prize for French. According to the article, his children have also flourished at Academy: “Bella participated in the middle school musical ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’ and plays the oboe; Penelope performed in the fourth grade musical and loves the violin; and Olivia has benefited immensely from the Explorers program.”

Ray Jones ’04 performed his music last December at Newport Music Hall in Columbus as part of a fundraiser for Mid-Ohio Food Collective. He and fellow musicians from “The Orphan The Poet” set the stage for the New York City pop band “AJR” and altogether they helped raise enough money for 20,000 meals.

Stephanie Domas ’05 is now the vice president of security at Mozilla, most commonly known for its privacy enhancing internet browser Firefox. She resides in Newark with her husband and four kids.

Groundwork Ohio President & CEO Lynanne Gutierrez ’05 was recently honored with the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit Visionary Award. In March, Lynanne testified at the Ohio Statehouse on HB 649 which includes a proposal that would require daily photos of children in publicly funded child care — a program that serves more than 100,000 Ohio children. “Program integrity matters,” Lynanne said in her post about the bill on LinkedIn. “But solutions must be balanced, proportionate, informed by the families they impact, and center the needs of children.”

Evelyn Carter, Ph.D., ’06 starred in “Jagged Little Pill: The Musical” last November. She played the role of Frankie Healy in the Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company’s production of the show.

Matt Eisen ’06 reports that Esther Dearborn Eisen was born on October 17, 2025, and – being the first girl born in the direct Eisen line in 80 years – has fittingly earned the name “Queen Esther” in his family.

Dr. Basil Kahwash ’06, a boardcertified allergist-immunologist, appeared on the BackTable ENT podcast with Dr. Lauren Gunderman in March to explore when a routine sinus or ear infection can become a sign of immunodeficiency.

Emily Rials ’07 and former faculty member Susan Swinford Chase (US English teacher from 2000-13) were honored as 2025 semifinalists in the Everyday Kindness Heroes program for their work collecting surplus items from local organizations to feed Columbus-area neighbors in need. Since founding Columbus Food Rescue during the Covid pandemic, Emily and Susan have served as co-directors for this organization that fights local waste and food inequity by rescuing excess food and re-distributing it to shelters, agencies and other community groups.

THE 10s —

Vanessa Butler ’07, who serves as senior director of community relations at Groundwork Ohio, has been named a 2026 Leadership Ohio Fellow. Last fall, Vanessa was recognized on Columbus Urban League’s list of 2025 Movers and Shakers at the HerStory Makers event.

Jacob Peters ’10, who serves as communications director and senior advisor to Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, was named by Capital CNCT as a “Top Senate Staffer to Watch in 2026” ahead of the congressman’s anticipated run for president in 2028.

Drew Yakscoe ’10 collaborated with his friend Curtis Davis to curate “Andrew the 3rd and Turkeyhead” exhibition in our Morris Hall Art Gallery this past February. Artwork from current Academy students who were taught by Drew while he served as a long-term subsitute during the wintertime was also put on display.

In January, Ryan Wheeler ’10 was promoted to partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. According to the press release, Ryan is a member of the Vorys eControl Group, primarily focusing on eCommerce, brand protection, product diversion and intellectual property enforcement.

Samir Saxena ’11 began a new position as vice president at Ambler Brook, a thesis-oriented investment firm in Boston.

Alex Farrenkopf ’12 married Marissa Morris on November 1, 2025. The couple first met in 2017 while working together at our Summer Experience program. Regarding the wedding party, Alex told us the following: “Of fun note, everyone is either an Academy alumni or attended the school, including my brother Evan Farrenkopf ’20, sister Emma Farrenkopf ‘15, Tyler Walker ’12, Chris Robie ’12, Mark Morford ’12, Jesse Van Genugten ’12 and Ruben Van Genugten ’12, as well as Norah Potter (attended Academy through the fifth grade).”

Stand-up comedian and commercial actor Adam Levine ’13 performed at Zanies in Chicago this past March. A list of his upcoming shows can be seen online at AdamNateLevine.com/ shows

Maddie Burns ’14 recently made the shift from working in education to Workflow AI tech when fellow Academy classmate Kat Restrepo ’14 connected her to Scribe, an AI-powered browser extension that automatically creates step-by-step visual guides. In November, Maddie was in Times Square for the launch of Scribe’s new AI-powered product. Perhaps the most exciting news of all, Maddie will be getting married this coming October.

Kat Restrepo ’14 married Sarah Bozzo on October 11, 2025. The bridal party included fellow Academy graduates Paige Berliner ’14, Maddie Burns ’14, Rachel Theis ’14 and Benji Hoagland ’13

Madeleine (Vaziri) van Arkel ’16 married Jake van Arkel on October 11, 2025. Academy classmates Makéla Hughes DeMoully ’16, Paige Farlin ’16, Madeline Walter ’16 and Lottie Smith Gold ’16 were also in attendance.

Ketan Agrawal ’17 with his wife Geetanjali Rajamani

Sam Tuckerman ’16 recently began a new position as investment banking vice president at Bank of America.

Ketan Agrawal ’17 married Geetanjali Rajamani on May 24, 2025.

Suzie (Frankovich) Sugar ’17 and Anthony Sugar Jr. ’17 were married on July 26, 2025. Several Academy connections were a part of the wedding party including Anthony’s father Tony Sugar ’82 and brother Christopher Sugar ’21 as best man, along with groomsmen Will Belford ’17 and Roman Bellisari ’17

Evan Lane ’17 earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in May 2025, graduating cum laude. He was sworn into the New York Bar in February and is an associate at Kirkland & Ellis in New York City.

Sid Menon ’17 and Ketan Agrawal ’17, along with fellow Harvard University students, developed Carson, an AI agent with enterprisegrade security that generates custom, task-specific interfaces. The premier startup accelerator Y Combinator out of San Francisco, Calif., featured the product earlier this year.

Luke Tiberi ’18 is vice president of ORG Portfolio Management, LLC.

Abigail Fisher ’19 was recently promoted to associate manager at the Partnership for Public Service.

During special activities for our upper-schoolers surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Dorrian Moultrie ’19 took part in a panel of speakers that shared about the Civil Rights Movement’s impact on Blackowned businesses today. Dorrian also recently joined the brand agency TENFOLD® as an omnichannel producer.

Sophie Schiff ’19 recently began a new role as an account executive at Orange Barrel Media.

THE 20s —

As a redshirt junior for the Marist University football team last fall, Carter James ’22 posted six touchdowns and played in all 12 games for the Red Foxes, including a career-best two scores on the ground in the team’s 37-10 win against Davidson College on Senior Day.

After graduating from Ohio State University this May, Aanika Karumsi ’22 will begin a 20-week Merchant in Training Program at Victoria’s Secret & Co. in New York City.

As a senior on the women’s swimming team at William & Mary College, Lauren Klinefelter ’22 helped the Tribe win the Coastal Athletic Association title in February. At the meet, Lauren was a member of the runner-up and school-record setting 200 and 400 medley relay teams, while also placing third in the 200m butterfly.

Allen Koganov ’22, a senior biology major at Northeastern University, will serve as both a full-time medical assistant at Clearview Dermatology and part-time clinical assistant in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (Hale 7) at Boston Children’s Hospital following graduation this spring.

Parker Logan ’22, a senior at University of Mount Union, recorded a career-best two sacks in the Purple Raiders’ 65-17 win over Capital University last November. He helped Mount Union advance to the third round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs where they lost 10-7 in double overtime to eventual national-semifinalist John Carroll University. Parker completed United States Marine Corps Officer Candidates School last August and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in January.

Ella Morris ’22, a senior communications major at DePauw University, was named to the national academic squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and second team AllNorth Coast Athletic Conference as a member of the Tigers’ field hockey team. In her final season last fall, Ella totaled eight points on two goals and four assists.

Sophie Spolter ’22, a senior at Bates College, helped propel the Bobcats’ women’s basketball team into the NCAA Division III Sweet 16 by scoring 56 points over the course of three games in the national tournament during March. Sophie scored 20 points in each of Bates’ first two NCAA games, including in an 18-point comeback win in overtime against Smith College, before adding 16 points in the Sweet 16 where her team fell 76-59 to secondranked Scranton University. After the season, Sophie was also named academic all-district.

Zach White ’22, a senior on the men’s lacrosse team at University of Utah, was selected as the Atlantic Sun Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week in March after recording seven points on five goals and two assists during a 17-10 victory for the Utes over Dartmouth. He then posted two goals and an assist in the team’s 16-7 rout of Marquette on the road.

Lauren Golden ’24, a sophomore at Babson College, started all 24 games and scored two goals for the Beavers’ field hockey team last fall, helping lead them to the NCAA Division III semifinals where they came up short in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to eventual national runner-up Johns Hopkins. She was also named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association Scholar of Distinction.

Harold Hacker ’23, son of fellow Academy alum Barton Hacker ’89, won a Division I-AA national championship in collegiate rugby with the University of Tennessee in December.

Ceci Reitter ’24 was selected to be a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow at Columbia University, where she is completing her sophomore year. She also placed fourth as an individual and helped the Columbia women’s wrestling team finish second overall at the inaugural Freestyle Club Nationals in March.

Ceci

Ethan Baker ’25 and three fellow engineering students from the University of South Florida were recently selected as a finalist among 170 different teams to compete at the e-Fest Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. With a total prize of $250,000 on the line, Ethan and his teammates will present their product, Syp, a wearable for your water bottle and the first system to integrate hydration intelligence into elite sports.

After completing his freshman year as a sports journalism major at Ohio University, Seth Lee ’25 will spend his summer working in broadcast and social media for the Southern Ohio Copperheads baseball team.

Sophie Platt ’25, who is currently pursuing a B.F.A. in theatre design at Western Michigan University, attended the national tour of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” where she saw Kyle Channell ’19, who starred as Phil Spector and in the ensemble.

In Memoriam

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

John B. Resler ’50

Paul E. Groff ’51

J. Jeffrey McNealey ’62

Richard O. Fuller ’63

Joseph H. Hartzler ’68

Mark P. Monsarrat ’68

Frank S. Benson III ’70

David L. Hess ’80

Lee Mozakis ’89

David Joshua Penn ’89

Nick Kenworthy (attended CA 2009-14 with Class of 2017)

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

56 JOHN WUORINEN ’80 ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

In a “stop the presses” moment, John Wuorinen ’80 announced he is retiring at the conclusion of this school year just before this issue honoring John Exline ’64 was being sent to the printer.

A Columbus Academy legend in his own right, Wuorinen certainly deserves more of a tribute than this page for his 42 years of service to the school as a teacher, administrator and coach. Look for more proper recognition of him in our next issue.

In the meantime, please plan to join a celebration of Wuorinen during Alumni Weekend 2026 on October 9-10. Look for more details to be shared over the summer, including how to submit memories and messages to Wuorinen that will be collected as a keepsake gift for him.

After completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia, Wuorinen returned to Academy to teach math. Other roles here have included math department chair, upper school dean of students and director of admissions and tuition assistance. He also coached swimming, golf and bowling at times during his career. In each of these positions, his care for students, quirky and dynamic intelligence and love of the school have been the hallmarks of his success.

“I dealt with a bout of prostate cancer in 2019,” Wuorinen shared. “A recent diagnosis that it has returned has made me reflect on how I want to spend these quality years with my family and friends while I’m still somewhat spry.”

John’s plans evolve around all the “B”s…

• Bitzy (loving nickname for his wife Liz)

• Boys (his sons Conrad ’12, Alec ’13 and Calvin ’16)

• Bands (as an avid concertgoer)

• Bicycling (he rides regularly with a group of friends)

• Birding (a longtime passion)

• Boating (primarily at his lakehouse in Michigan)

• Baseball (like Exline, a fan of the Reds)

“Please join me in thanking John for his immutable humor, generous smiles and unrelenting enthusiasm for Columbus Academy,” stated Head of School Melissa Soderberg, “and wishing him the very best in health, strength and time to enjoy with his loved ones.”