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Academy Alumni in the News |
In her freshman year at Tulane University, Academy alumna McKenna Chow ’22 was one of 22 college students chosen by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation for the 2023 Edgar Veillon Conservation Leadership Corps. From January through April, McKenna participated in case studies and collaborative activities to build knowledge in conservation policy while gaining skills in leadership and advocacy from current and former natural resource professionals in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. For more alumni press clips, click on the following links.
If you have clips (either in print or on the web) to pass along for future issues, please send them to info@columbusacademy.org.
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Class of 2023 Celebrated at 110th Commencement |
On a cool morning under overcast skies on June 5, Columbus Academy graduated its Class of 2023 during the school’s 110th Commencement. In a memorable Commencement Address, Sarah Milks Bethel ’98 shared three pieces of advice with her new fellow alumni. “Regardless of what path you choose, I’m going to implore you to have a sense of humor about yourself, I want you to be fearless about asking for help, and I want you to become great at saying thank you. I believe with this, you can navigate all the speed bumps you’ll have for the rest of your life.”
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Alumni Judges Decide Eighth Grade Cold War Mock Trials |
For the 11th year, Columbus Academy eighth-graders participated in Cold War Mock Trials this spring. A panel of alumni judges – including Kenny Brown ’75, Mariner Taft ’83, Jon Lucas ’92, Ed Carter ’96, Kelly Hondros ’06 (not pictured), Jeff Hobday ’07 (not pictured), Esther Lawrence ’18 and Jack Reifeis ’18 – sat up in the balcony of Schoedinger Theatre to listen to all three cases, which included the 1954 Guatemalan Coup, 1961 Standoff at Checkpoint Charlie and 1979-89 Soviet-Afghan War. Learn more by clicking here.
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Join Us for Alumni Weekend on September 22-23 |
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All Columbus Academy alumni are invited to participate in Alumni Weekend festivities! Join us on Friday and Saturday, September 22-23, for a memorable weekend of milestone class gatherings, signature programs with beloved faculty and Viking pride. Register today to ensure you receive updates as this exciting weekend gets closer! Friday night will feature the Viking football watch party, complete with tailgate-style food and a livestream of the game against Whitehall-Yearling, along with the Athletic Hall of Fame induction of Bob Kirk ’67 and Andrew Dunn ’02. Return to campus Saturday for a slate of morning events including the Golden Viking Breakfast with Head of School Melissa Soderberg (for alumni celebrating 50 or more years since graduation), the ever-popular Brunch & Coffee with CA Legends and the MOSAIC & Black Alumni Luncheon. Campus tours will also be offered every half hour during Saturday’s events. There is also a special schedule planned to honor the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1973, and class members are encouraged to RSVP directly to Director of Alumni Relations Michael Haddock. Additionally for all Academy alumni, if you haven’t heard from your class about reunion plans and/or have any questions, please also contact the Alumni Office with that inquiry. Click here to learn more and register today! Also, registration for the 15th Annual Golf Outing on September 18 will open soon and be included along with more details in next month’s newsletter.
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Funding the Academy Experience |
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If you have not already participated in the 2022-23 Annual Fund, we hope you will join in before this year’s campaign ends on June 30. Donations at this time will help immensely with year-end tuition assistance for families and summer professional development for faculty. You may donate online, mail your gift to the school (attention: Annual Fund) or contact the Development Office if you have questions. Thank you for your generosity that makes the Academy experience possible for students today!
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Earlier this month, we shared farewells with 16 educators who are leaving our faculty (view photos) including four who are retiring after at least two decades of service to Academy: Lloyd Cicetti (32 years), Joel Davis (27), Stacy Nockowitz (20) and Peggy Sutton (20). We will also greatly miss Scott Dillon (19), Laura Miller (16), Joan Young (13), Shaun Ditty (7), Rachael Gorsuch (7), Ann McCabe (4), Susan Brookhart (3), Chris Luzniak (2), Gabriel Paynter (2), Kathy Harrison (1), Molly Lausch (1) and Anna Shuff ’18 (1). We thank them for their service to the school and wish them the best in all their future endeavors!
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For three decades, the Senior Art Show has been a tradition at Columbus Academy and it now takes place in our Morris Hall Art Gallery. This year’s collection was a wonderful display of artistic talent from beautiful oil paintings to intricate ceramic work to engaging photography by 53 seniors who were enrolled in fine arts classes. “It was a nice evening for students to have with their families,” said art teacher David Block about the gallery’s opening reception (view photos). “The artwork featured their strengths, their interests and their progress.”
Our girls track & field, boys tennis and baseball teams all won district championships this spring. It marked the second district title in girls track – matching the 2012 squad – and the season concluded with Alli Klinefelter placing fourth in the state in the Division II high jump. Boys tennis defeated Bexley 3-1 to advance to the OTCA final four, where they finished third. Individually, brothers Rowen and Nason Lo placed third in the OHSSA doubles state tourney. And our baseball team earned its eighth district crown and first since 2018 with a 2-0 shutout of Utica in the district final before eventually falling to Ottawa Hills in the regional semifinals. Congratulations to all of our hardworking student-athletes on the conclusion of a successful year in athletics!
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Send In Your Class Notes
We love keeping in touch with our alumni, and we want to hear all of your latest news.
Have you recently changed your name? Moved to a new home? Been promoted? Changed your line of work? Please go to the Alumni Updates Form to share these details. Providing the school with this information will help ensure you receive reunion updates, regional event invitations and the latest news from your alma mater!
Have you recently earned a new title or degree? Have details about an exciting trip or recent accomplishment to share? Gotten engaged or married? Added a new little Viking to your family? Please use the Class Notes Form to share these exciting life updates for inclusion in the class notes section of an upcoming edition of Academy’s Experience magazine.
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