Dear Country Day Alumni and Friends,

2024 has been an amazing year! We welcomed many of our alumni back to campus for homecoming and reunion weekend, sporting events, and arts productions. We were thrilled to honor some of our outstanding alumni with alumni awards and resumed out-of-town alumni gatherings, connecting with alumni across the East Coast! And we were continuously inspired by all the wonderful achievements and contributions of our alumni and community members throughout the year.

We are truly grateful to those who have supported us in so many ways and for your dedication to our students, faculty, staff, coaches, and school.

We wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!

Sincerely,

The Advancement Team

Celebrating 20 Years of Gift Giving

This December, the Country Day community celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Wrap-In, during which students bring a gift donation, and then older and younger students are paired to wrap the gifts to donate to local organizations that distribute them to local children in need. This year, the gifts were donated to ProKids and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, with whom the school has partnered for 20 years.

“This is one of my favorite events to kick off our holiday season,” said Bill Bresser, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs, during the Wrap-In gathering in the Dining Terrace. “It is unbelievable to think about the amount of joy you’ve brought to so many kids in our community throughout these past two decades. I hope you never stop serving your community - it means so much to the kids we serve.”

This year, a total of 1,133 gifts were donated by Country Day families.  

“Each gift we've wrapped is more than just a present. It's a beacon of hope, a symbol of compassion, and a message to those in need that they are seen, valued, and cared for,” said Laura Gunn, director of service learning. “Together, we've demonstrated the incredible power of unity and kindness. Our community’s strength lies in our ability to come together, support each other, and extend our love and generosity to those beyond our immediate circles.”

Two Country Day Grads Make the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 Lists

Michael Barton `13 and Alexandra Pohl `19 (known professionally as “Xandra”) have both been named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30. This prestigious list showcases and celebrates the achievements of talented industry leaders under the age of 30.

Michael, who is listed in the finance category, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a sector head at Coatue Management in New York City.

“How exciting for Michael to make this list; it’s a huge accomplishment,” says Dr. Jeanette Hecker, world languages teacher. “He was always an enthusiastic student with a lot of personality. He was engaged in the classroom and was a good student across the board. From an early age, he was interested in leadership roles, which was reflected in his service as student body president in his senior year. He was always driven to succeed.”

Faculty member Greg Faulhaber shares that sentiment.

“If he knew what he wanted, he went after it. If he had an idea, he ran with it. He was not afraid to take risks,” says Faulhaber, who also coached Michael in golf his senior year. “He was a strong player and was on a golf team that qualified for the state tournament. He was always OK stepping outside of his comfort zone for the sake of growth. Knowing Michael’s drive, I’m not surprised he’s on this list.”

Xandra, a “self-taught house DJ” who made her Lollapalooza debut this past August, is listed in the music category. According to Forbes, she has sold out nightclubs across the country and “has been seen jogging wheels on the DJ controller at the F1 Miami Grand Prix, the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show at Miami Swim Week (where she also walked the runway), and Spotify's Women in Music Event during Miami Music Week. She's shared stages with the likes of The Chainsmokers, Calvis Harris and Kygo.”

“As one of nine seniors on the school’s first-ever female state championship soccer team in 2018, she was a leader in her own right,” says Theresa “Hirsch” Hirschauer, head of Middle School and head soccer coach. “She brought a lot of spirit to the team. She was not only a tenacious defender but also a dedicated teammate.”

According to Forbes, to source candidates for the list the Forbes writers and editors comb through thousands of online submissions, as well as tap industry sources and list alumni for recommendations. Candidates are evaluated by Forbes staff and a panel of independent, expert judges on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding, revenue, social impact, scale, inventiveness, and potential.

Other categories include AI, education, media, Hollywood & entertainment, marketing & advertising, healthcare, games, arts & style, retail & commerce, venture capital, science, social impact, energy & green tech, transportation & mobility, food & drink, and manufacturing & industry. For more information, visit Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2025 - Young Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders.

Women's History Month at Cincinnati Country Day School

In recognition of Women's History Month, we would like to hear from our community members about any Country Day women who have made a difference in their lives - whether it was a week or two decades ago.

We will collect and share this information with our community in March. Thank you for sharing your story with us! 

Accepting Nominations for the Alumni Council

It is the Alumni Council's unwavering belief that Cincinnati Country Day School alumni are a testament to the success of the school; that alumni continue to be valued members of the school community, and that they should remain involved in the life of the school and its students.

The Alumni Council seeks to advance the goals of the Alumni Association by promoting participation, history, and communication from alumni.

The Council meets quarterly on CCDS's campus with a virtual option for out-of-town members. Alumni Council is now accepting nominations for new members to serve a 3-year term, beginning July 1, 2025. Multiple spots are available. If you or anyone you know are interested in joining other alumni on the council, please click here to submit your nomination.

Become a CountryDate in the Queen City Sponsor!

CountryDate in the Queen City will be held at Rhinegeist Brewery in OTR on Saturday, March 1. For those unfamiliar with this event, CountryDate is the school’s annual community fundraising gala. It is a lot of fun and attended by alumni, parents, and other CCDS community members.

Event sponsorship is CountryDate's principal fundraising component. By becoming a sponsor of this event, you will directly enhance our students’ educational journeys and support the programs that make our school such an innovative learning environment. Would you like to see your family’s or business’s name on event marketing, social media, in the school's lobby, and at the event itself? This is your chance!

Sponsorships start at $750 and come with two or more tickets to the event (value: $125 each) and an invitation to the sponsor-only cocktail party. Sponsorships are available for purchase now at www.countryday.net/go/countrydate.

If you have questions about CountryDate or the sponsorship opportunities available, please contact Louise Vaughan at vaughanl@countryday.net or 513-979-0284. Be sure to connect with us on Instagram @CountryDate for the latest news and CountryDate fun as we lead up to the event!

Thanksgiving Weekend Reunions

Over Thanksgiving weekend, CCDS alumni got together and closed out the 2024 reunion season with a bang!

Members of the Class of 2014 celebrated their 10th reunion with a few special guest former faculty members.

Classes ending in 5 and 0 will celebrate their reunions next year. It's never too early to start planning your reunion! Contact Peter Fossett '80, associate director of alumni and legacy giving, at fossettp@countryday.net or 513.979.0283 for more information.

Submit Your Nominations for the 2025 Alumni Awards

Country Day alumni are some of the most accomplished citizens in the world. Each year we recognize a small group for their accomplishments in the greater community and at Country Day.

If you wish to nominate an alum, teacher, or coach, click here to read more about eligibility and fill out the nomination form. 

Alumni returned to campus for the annual Thanksgiving Break open gym. "I love reconnecting with these guys and reminiscing about the past and all the stories from when they played." says Greg Ross, associate athletic director and head basketball coach. "I'm incredibly proud of the men they have become."

To end the semester and Celebrate Computer Science Ed Week 2024, our engineering students dove into microcontrollers and coding, creating circuits with sensors, motors, buttons, knobs, and switches.

With 107 students performing in the band concert "Winter's Night" it was a beautiful progression of eight years of band at Country Day! The musicians warmed up the audience with their fast-moving, high-energy performances. It was truly an evening of intrigue and delight!

We love Cookie Wednesdays here at Country Day, but December 4 was an extra special one - National Cookie Day! With a Dining Terrace filled with smiles and the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies, students (and faculty and staff) enjoyed a variety of delicious cookies during lunch.

The first snowfall of the year on campus! Seventh grade outdoor wellness students could not wait to get outside and play in the snow!

Lower School students showed off their impressive musical talents during their holiday showcase in Keeler Theater. Third and fourth graders brought the audience along on a journey to other countries with their international holiday celebration "December 'Round the World." while first and second graders delighted the crowd with their songs about the beauty, fun, and wonder of snow!

Catherine Monroe, a senior on Maker Crew's 2D Design Team, has become our go-to expert for heat transfer vinyl! When the Sources of Strength team needed t-shirts, Catherine designed an awesome graphic in Adobe Illustrator, used the large format printer/cutter in the Makerspace to bring it to life, and prepped each piece for heat transfer. The best part? Watching each shirt come to life with the heat press!

On a snowy Friday before winter break, there is nothing better than snuggling up with a good book. Except maybe sharing that joy with a friend, which is exactly what our Lower School students did! Through the last HOUSE activity of 2024, the students practiced not only their reading skills but also their character virtues.

Any gift postmarked or received online between now and December 31 will count toward our goal and your 2024 taxes. Thank you for supporting the extraordinary students, faculty, and staff at Cincinnati Country Day School!