Cincinnati Country Day School
January 2022 Alumni Journal
Dear Country Day Alumni & Friends,

I hope the start to your new year has been filled with joy and positivity! 

Here at Country Day, we are delighted to be back to school and see the hallways once again buzzing with students eager to learn and grasp the opportunities around them. You can’t feel anything but positivity from that!

In sending new year greetings from our team, I wanted to update you on a couple of upcoming personnel changes. Giles and Shannon will be moving on to new challenges over the coming few weeks and we wish them well! For those who have had the pleasure of engaging with them over the last two years, you will understand when I say that we will miss them greatly, but Paula, Emily, and I are excited for the future and look forward to rebuilding our team with new talent and ideas!

We will update you on new team members in due course. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with your news!

With best wishes for an amazing year,
Louise Vaughan
Director of Advancement
Senior Seminar Connects Recent Alumni with Students
This year's Senior Seminar offered an enlightening opportunity for seniors to connect with recent alumni, who presented on a range of topics related to their college experiences.  
"Senior Seminar is essential for the jolt of energy and inspiration it gives our seniors as they enter the last few months of their high school careers," said Upper School English teacher Dr. Erin Shaull. "Seeing recent alumni, many of whom the current students remember, return to Country Day and talk about exciting opportunities in college is revitalizing and eye-opening for our seniors. It helps them build momentum for the spring semester and shifts their focus from their presence in high school to their future beyond Country Day."  

This year, Country Day welcomed 10 alumni back to the Senior Seminar:
  • Sydney Baker '19 
  • Eashwar Kantemneni '20   
  • Annie Kovach '19 
  • Nick Krammer '17     
  • Madeleine Morales '18 
  • Andrew Osborn '19 
  • Alexia Otchere '20   
  • Josie Rutherford '18 
  • Nevie Smith '19    
  • Dylan Thompson '19
Topics for these 20-minute presentations ranged from chemical engineering in real life, studying abroad, incorporating your passions into your career plan, entrepreneurship in the media industry, and more. 
"It's great hearing from recent alumni on topics related to college because they know the concerns and questions you have as a senior in high school," said Margaret Sprigg-Dudley '22. "For me, it was especially helpful hearing from Madeline Morales on what going to college in a big city looks like because next year I'll be going to school in a big city too." 

While the seminar offers the seniors a chance to gain insight and reassurance about extracurricular and co-curricular experiences and options at the college level, it also gives the alumni a chance to visit campus and connect with their favorite teachers and former peers. 

"My favorite part is simply seeing the way the alumni react to being back on campus, seeing one another, and seeing familiar faculty and staff faces," said Dr. Shaull. "It's a homecoming for them. As the years go by, welcoming them home becomes more personal, but it is always humbling to see how much the school still means to these remarkable young adults." 
Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony Rescheduled for June
The Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony has been postponed with a final date to be determined. Hopefully, this will allow more family and community members to safely attend this event. Below are the inductees:
Bob Buechner '65
basketball, tennis, golf
-Helped lead the basketball team to a District Championship
-One of the top ranked junior golfers in Cincinnati
-One of the top doubles tennis players in Southwest Ohio
-Assistant boys basketball coach for eight years
Chris Griffith '81
basketball, track
-All Miami Valley Conference honors in basketball and track
-All City honors in basketball and track
-Two-time State Qualifier in track (4th place)
-Held school record in high jump for 20 years
Susan Pepper '95
cross country, track, swimming
-Heinichen Award Winner (top female athlete at CCDS)
-Miami Valley Conference Champion in cross country and track – three years
-All City Honors in cross country and track
-Two-time State Qualifier in cross country and track (6th place)
Ellie Off Pomeroy '96
tennis, basketball, softball
-Heinichen Award Winner (top female athlete at CCDS)
-All Miami Valley Conference Honors in tennis, basketball, and softball
-State Qualifier in tennis
-All District Honors in tennis, basketball, softball
-First Team All-State in softball 
J.R. Foster '98
soccer, track
-All Miami Valley Conference Honors in soccer and track
-All City Honors in soccer
-Most valuable player and team captain in soccer
-All District Honors in soccer and track 
Max Dietz '10
football, baseball
-McDaniel Award Winner (top male athlete at CCDS)
-All Miami Valley Conference Honors in football and baseball
-All City Honors in football and baseball
-First Team All-State in football
-Gained over 5,000 all-purpose yards and scored 58 touchdowns
Last Call for Nominations: Arts Hall of Fame
To celebrate the strong and vibrant tradition in the arts at CCDS, an Arts Hall of Fame was created last year to create a tradition of recognizing former Country Day students and community members for their contributions in the fine, musical, performing, and literary arts.

To be eligible for nomination the candidate must have been one of:
  • A student who has been graduated from CCDS for at least five years.
  • A faculty member.
  • A community member who has made a significant contribution to arts.
You can make a nomination by selecting the button below. All submissions are due by February 10.
Win Big at Country Date
CountryDate, the school’s annual community gala, is scheduled to take place on February 26, in the beautiful club spaces at TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati.

CountryDate is a beloved Country Day tradition and a significant event in our school's calendar. We are hopeful that the end of February will see our community well beyond the developing Covid peak and able to enjoy each other’s company to the fullest, just as we could in the fall. We hope you will consider joining us!

Additionally, we have designed a component of the event to be solely online. The Golden Paddle, Triple Prize Raffle, Bourbon Pull, and Auction can all be enjoyed virtually. If you are unable to attend, please consider supporting the event through one of these virtual games.
Fall Sports All-Stars
Each season, the Cincinnati Enquirer awards all-star recognition to students in the area. With the enormous success of Country Day fall sports this year, 19 of our student-athletes made the all-star list! Congratulations to the following Cincinnati Enquirer Fall Sports All-Stars:
  • Rana Arebi '24 honorable mention girls' tennis
  • Gracie Barnes '23 2nd team girls' volleyball
  • Hayden Bortz '22 2nd team boys' soccer
  • Ryan Coyle '25 honorable mention football
  • Lucas de Alarcon '24 honorable mention boys' soccer
  • CJ DeBra '23 1st team girls' soccer
  • Natalie Kaminski '22 1st team girls' golf 
  • Pooja Kantemneni '22 honorable mention girls' golf
  • Daisy McLean '22 1st team girls' volleyball
  • Jada Moorman '22 Co-player of the year and 1st team girls' soccer
  • Sam Nitzberg '22 2nd team boys' soccer
  • Andrew Pavlisko '24 1st team boys' soccer
  • Emma Robinson '22 2nd team girls' soccer
  • Ashton Snell '22 1st team football
  • Silas Snell '22 2nd team football 
  • Priya Thompson '22 honorable mention girls' tennis 
  • Andrew Vance '22 2nd team football 
  • Trey Vredeveld '22 1st team boys' soccer
  • Sarah Zimmerman '22 honorable mention girls' soccer
Accepting Nominations for 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 remain involved in the life of the school and its students.
The Alumni Council seeks to advance the goals of the Association by promoting: participation, history, and communication from alumni.

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. If you are interested in joining other alumni on council, please click below to submit your nomination.
Pictures of the Month
Second Grade students celebrated the New Year by writing their goals and resolutions.
Congratulations to Thea Vaughan '27, Ved Deshmukh '28, Nik Shah '25, Shivathara Shyam '26, and Jason Starodub '26, the five finalists of the Middle School spelling bee!
Second grade teacher Priscilla Schoeny and her students volunteered to work the concession stand during wrestling and gymnastics.
Middle School students hit the slopes during ski club.
Nick Watts '23 was featured in the Cincinnati Enquirer with his thoughts about his friend and former senator Bob Dole. Read this unlikely friendship story here!
Students show their stripes in support of the Cincinnati Bengals' playoff victory.
Country Day's success is due in large part to the generous, ongoing support of our alumni. This year, funds continue to be directed toward a myriad of pandemic-mitigating measures, including investment in substitute teachers, mental health support, and targeted program refinements to better serve our students. Please consider joining fellow alumni in making a gift.