Eagles Eye 2015

The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Magazine
2015 Edition
Cover story:
Celebrating 25 years:
A light to the world
article on page 2
T-shirt design by Gabe Collins ‘11

2014 Eagle’s Eye
Volume 19
Editor:
Jennifer Murphy
Promise Statement
Centered in the shared love of Christ,
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy is the college-preparatory,
preschool through grade 12 independent school
that inspires and challenges students to discover, hone,
and steward their one-of-a-kind gifts
as they come to know themselves as distinct
and unconditionally loved creations of God.
CHCA’s vibrant, multi-denominational family of learners
creates a sheltering—but not sheltered—
environment where, supporting each other and guided
by expert Christian teachers,
students wrestle with increasingly complex,
timeless, essential questions in order
to strengthen their minds and their faith.
Beginning with the end in mind, CHCA graduates
young adults fully prepared to succeed in college and beyond;
to engage effectively and lovingly with different cultures,
viewpoints, and ideas; and to achieve significant impact
and influence with discerning wisdom, courageous curiosity,
and resilient Christian faith—
where others pull back, they lean into life.
Assistant Editor:
Emma Treadway ‘18
Lead Photographer:
Judi Alvarado
Contributors:
Judi Alvarado
Todd Bacon
Taylor Budde ‘15
Julie Carnes
Mike Fite
Sam Handelsman ‘15
Karen Hordinski
Abby Jutt ‘19
Stel Kirbabas
Ellie Koutny
Allie Kuroff ‘15
Dan Ledbetter (photography)
Massie Ma ‘16
Jennifer Mullert
Michael O’Brien ‘15
Casey (Sutherly) Purnhagen ‘00
Tammy Rosenfeldt
Tyler Swedes ‘15
Mona Summers
Emma Treadway ‘18
Eagle’s Eye Magazine
Eagle’s Eye is published
annually by Cincinnati Hills Christian
Academy
Please send address changes to
Rebecca.Sequeira@chca-oh.org or
513.247.0900
Visit us on the web
at chca-oh.org
On the cover:
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
Celebrates 25 Years...a light to
the world!
Follow CHCA on Facebook
facebook.com/cincinnatihillschristianacademy
Follow CHCA
on Twitter @GoCHCA
Follow CHCA
on Instagram @GoCHCA

Randy Brunk, Head of School
Table of Contents
Dynamically engaged
Celebrating 25 Years…A Light to the World 2
Spiritual Life Emphasis Week 4
A Spark Realized into a Bright Light 6
Students Living out their Faith 8
A Story to Remember 10
Campus Highlights 12
Timeline 14
Refreshingly insightful
Our Study Abroad Experience 18
Students on Mission 20
Engaged Learning at the Lower School 22
Academic Teams 23
Boldly determined
CHCA Athletics 24
Winning Record for Varsity Football 26
Exuberantly creative
ArtBeat 2014 27
Fine Arts Awards 28
Fully prepared & boundlessly hopeful
Class of 2015 29
Graduation Reflection 31
Class Recognitions 32
A CHCA Family Legacy 34
Inspiringly benevelant
A Light and Legacy 36
Resiliently faithful
Alumni News 38
Alumni Class Notes 39
From the Head of School
What Courage…What an Outcome!
I think about our founding families a lot these days. What courage they
had those many years ago to not only invest their time, talent, and treasure,
but to invest their most precious possession - their children - to the cause
of Christian education. While there were great things happening in the
classrooms in those early years, they knew the CHCA dream was just starting
to be fully realized, and so much more was to come. Our early parents were
willing to build the foundation of something that would take far more time
than their children might experience to realize the fruit of the thriving entity
CHCA has become today.
Knowing that the outcome and impact from a CHCA education is
significant, we recently took an in-depth look at what we have become from
those humble beginnings. We interviewed not only some of the founding
families, but also our current students, families, faculty, and staff to more
deeply understand what makes them so encouraged by what a CHCA
education produces. What resulted was a set of what we call transformative
outcomes - two word impact statements which succinctly describe what
we tend to see in our students as they mature in our program. Here is just a
sampling of those outcomes: Resiliently Faithful, Fully Prepared, Dynamically
Engaged, Refreshingly Insightful, Boldly Determined, and Exuberantly
Creative. These statements become a fresh new challenge each time I read
them.
My most recent focus is on the first three listed above. Faith and learning
should always be integrated and taught together, and they happen most
profoundly when a student is fully engaged. Being able to start each day, each
lesson, each conversation with the perspective that scripture and the Holy
Spirit provide connects us continually to the author and perfecter of creation
and of our faith. From the very earliest to the very oldest of years, developing
the mind is like discovering God in brand new ways every day. And we desire
to do that in a way that inspires each student to become dynamically engaged
in this theologically integrated learning process. Their fresh young minds are
so alive with activity when they deeply engage: piquing their interest, owning
their learning, and becoming confident learners. Brain research is helping us to
better understand the learning process and the development of the mind, and
technology is providing new ways to capitalize on that research.
What has resulted from our study, research, and planning is the recent
plan set forth for where we are headed. This new journey builds on the great
foundation our early families laid and introduces new ways to dive deeper in
fulfilling the founding mission and vision of the school. As our transformative
outcomes suggest, we have high hopes for the kinds of world changers our
students become. Students who embody these outcomes will flourish in a
world that badly needs their presence and influence. I hope in 25 more years
we will continue to affirm our foundation and yet do an increasingly excellent
job preparing students to impact the world they will soon enter.
Blessings,
Randy Brunk
Head of School
1

Dynamically engaged
Founding family member Mary Beshear tells the
faith journey and story of CHCA in a 25th Anniversary
Chapel this past school year.
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
Celebrates 25 Years...a light to the world!
Founding families of CHCA, circa 1989
2
Opened in 1989,
CHCA was initially
home to 165 students
in grades
pre-kindergarten
through 7th grade
What began as an elementary school that opened
its doors to 165 students 25 years ago, CHCA has
blossomed into a journey beyond all expectations:
four campuses serving students ages 3 through grade
12, 500,000+ student outreach hours served, the city’s
largest international student program, 80+ Miami
Valley Conference (MVC) athletic championships,
annual National Merit recognition, 1,800 graduates
worldwide doing some amazing things, and so much
more as a result of the school’s continued vision.
Two criteria rose to the forefront when families
were planning CHCA: that the school would be a
Christ-centered extension of these families’ homes,
and that the curriculum offered would ensure that
students receive the education necessary to enter the
country’s finest universities. The founding families
really wanted the school and its students to be beacons
of light to the world, and that’s exactly what has
happened. At CHCA, learning and faith reinforce each
other. We graduate students who are fully prepared
academically, as well as spiritually. CHCA’s remarkable
faculty members build into our students each day as
they discover and grow their unique gifts and talents.
Only then can they truly make a kingdom impact in the
real world.
CHCA began as
one building on a
25-acre parcel of
farmland. Opened
in 1989, our building
at 11300 Snider Road
was initially home
to 165 students
pre-kindergarten
to seventh grade.
“It was a complete
leap of faith for
every parent,” shares
Martha Lindner. The Lindners were one of CHCA’s
founding families, and Martha confesses she didn’t
know at first what was going to happen. “We were
living on the edge from a standpoint of faith. But
God was really pricking our hearts in a direction and
we had to follow.”
That direction was a providential one. CHCA
prospered as a locus of scholastic and spiritual excellence.
Soon it began to expand. Between 1995 and
2000, CHCA opened both a new elementary school
and a high school, and then a second elementary
school in downtown Cincinnati, launching CHCA’s
Armleder School. Today, CHCA has grown into
one of the largest multi-denominational Christian
schools in the country, home to over 1,200 students
across Greater Cincinnati. We’re intentional about
being academically excellent, as well as Christ-centered
in all we do. At each grade level, CHCA’s curriculum
sparks curiosity and fuels mastery. Through
our culture of vigorous effort and inquiry, combined
with loving attention to individual gifts, students
gain the tools they need to go out into the world,
fully-prepared both in mind and in faith.
“We’ve carefully designed our college-preparatory
program to foster lifelong passions for learning,

CHCA’s original building is now one of four
buildings and home to over 350 students
grades 5-8.
CHCA today
Balloon launch the first day
of school 25 years ago
serving others and providing thoughtful, effective leadership in today’s complex world,”
says CHCA’s Head of School Randy Brunk. “As Christian educators, we make it our
mission to prepare each student not only for ever greater academic challenges, but for
every aspect of their adult lives. We inspire and challenge them to discover and steward
what God created them to be—the most engaged, learned, involved, relevant, inquisitive,
gracious, and passionate versions of themselves—so they can more deeply and
effectively impact God’s world.”
Beginning with the end in mind, CHCA’s curriculum builds confidence, faith and a lifelong
love of learning in an age-appropriate progression. “Our dedicated faculty members
guide students to step outside of what comes naturally and comfortably, because
only by stretching do we truly grow,” explains Brunk. “We endeavor to walk in others’
shoes and push the limits of our understanding. And we become transformed in the
process.” A current CHCA middle school student shares, “Our teachers want to make
sure that our faith is our own. They want us to know why we believe something – not
just accept what others tell us.”
Twenty-five years ago, the vision of CHCA being a place where students would be
encouraged, through a growing faith and knowledge, to learn and serve has certainly exceeded
all expectations. “I truly believe the teachers see my children as God’s creation.
This makes a big difference in how they teach and mentor them,” says Melissa Hillis, a
CHCA parent whose parents are a founding family. Now that her children attend, she
has a new perspective on the school’s worth. “The teachers approach the children as
carefully and wonderfully made. They know that in times of growth there is great hope
for them because God created them that way for a reason.”
“Head, heart, hands” describes the school’s three-fold approach to faith development.
Students embrace faith from an intellectual perspective through daily classes in Christian
Studies and theological integration, incorporating Biblical understanding across all
subjects. Weekly chapels challenge students to consider how their faith shapes their
daily lives. And local, national and international service opportunities give students
the opportunity to put their faith into action. Preparing students for lives of impact is
the cornerstone of Intersession, one of CHCA’s most unique offerings. This two-week
experiential learning opportunity gives all high school students the chance to delve into
passions with career internships, explore the world through service or study, or pursue
an academic interest in depth. Through these experiences, students are immersed in a
world outside of the classroom, often spawning future vocational interests.
Another factor in the school’s 25-year success is its laudable diversity. The multi-denominational
Christian school has students from more than 160 churches and 40 zip
codes. One-fifth of the student body
is racially and ethnically diverse and 22
“…let your light shine before others,
that they may see your good
percent of students receive need-based
tuition assistance. This diversity prompts
students to engage meaningfully with
deeds and glorify your Father in different cultures, viewpoints and ideas
heaven.”
in and out of the classroom.
Demonstrably, CHCA is devoted to developing
the whole student by instilling
a lifelong passion for learning. Students are inspired in a Christ-centered
environment to emulate His leadership, service, teachings and words. The
school champions academic excellence and community service among its
student body while encouraging them to explore their unique gifts outside
of the classroom. Moreover, it is not uncommon for a football player to be
a lead in the play; students are encouraged to pursue all of their interests in
equal measure.
Having completed CHCA’s rigorous curriculum, graduates are primed not
merely to subsist in the world after high school, but to excel in it. They go
forth as beacons representing God’s kingdom.
The Bible verse, Matthew 5:16, was designed into the school’s 25th Anniversary
logo as a representation of the original inspiration of the school’s
founders, and today’s continued hope that students, graduates, families and
friends of CHCA will “…let your light shine before others, that they may see
your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
3

Dynamically engaged
Spiritual Life Emphasis Week
Encore
by Emma Treadway ‘18
Each year the week before Easter, CHCA holds its
annual Spiritual Life Emphasis Week. This recent
year, students attended several chapels which
featured inspiring speakers (including our own
faculty, alumni, parents and friends of CHCA),
excellent worship, and engaging activities. Students
in all grades at each campus participate in this special
event for our school.
The EBL campus hosted speaker Jon Paris who
led interactive Jeopardy games, gave a message on
Jesus as the author of salvation and taught about the
parables of Jesus. He spoke specifically about the
parable of the seed and soil (Matthew 13:13) and how
God wants us to have a heart like the seed on fertile
soil that grows and grows. Several fourth graders
were able to participate by leading their school in
opening or closing prayer.
Armleder’s theme for the week was “Get
Connected” and students learned about the
importance of having a strong relationship with God
(below). Students were posed with the question,
“What does God want you to hear today?” They
were challenged to connect to Him through reading
the Bible and praying every day. Students were
also encouraged with the message of how much
God knows and loves each one of us (Psalm 139:1-
4) “Remain in Him and He will help you fulfill your
purpose.”
Students in grades 5-8 focused on the scripture
verse “Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength”
(Deuteronomy 6:5). Each day was themed with
different mediums or talents such as art or athletics
that we can use for worship. MSL upper school art
teacher Tim Hilderbrand led “The Arts in Worship”
chapel: he reminded the students to think of their
unique gifts and ways they can use that talent for His
glory. He also spoke of his own unique gift—art—and
demonstrated pottery-making. To close, he left the
students with a challenge: pray and talk to God, listen
to the spirit and the voice in your heart, and go out
and fulfill your calling by using your talent to bless
others. If we surrender to Him, He will use us and
bless us.
Chapel for grades 9-12 featured several alumni who
vulnerably and humbly shared thought-provoking
4

During the week before Easter, CHCA held its
annual Spiritual Life Emphasis Week. Each
day, students attended several chapels which
featured inspiring speakers (including our own
faculty, alumni, parents and friends of CHCA),
excellent worship, and engaging activities.
and personal stories. Adam Atallah ‘07 shared his spiritual
journey and life from what led his family to CHCA all the
way through his faith journey post college. Lena Tome
’09 shared her spiritual journey from CHCA and through
college as well, and challenged ‘What if God was the main
character and we were just supporting characters?’ She
shared how at a pivotal point in her journey, Jesus started
to prune her and slowly her habits and behaviors started to
change. Christie Taylor (’11) had a message that was both
heartbreaking and inspiring. She began with the statement
that she didn’t want to sugar-coat any part of her story. She
spoke of emotional agony and torment she experienced
as a young adult. During her trip to Kenya, she purchased
a cup from a man who collected broken shards of glass,
cleaned them, and melted and blew them into something
new and beautiful. The cup reminded her that when
you are broken, God can help make you into something
beautiful again. She also shared how a roommate had
broken the cup accidentally which taught her that being
made new again is a process. It isn’t easy, and you can still
break again, but God will still continue to mold you and
make you into something new. She ended the chapel by
inviting high school students to talk with her privately
afterwards to share their own stories.
5

“Abby was so touched - we all were.
We just love that the school made this
a priority and encouraged Abby to
really go for it! God is doing something
beautiful at that school, and it has
been really special watching it come
together.”
Abby’s mother, Anne Jutt
6

Dynamically engaged
A Spark Realized into a Bright Light
by Abby Jutt ‘19
Last summer, I shakily approached Mr. Gilbert to share my dream of building a special space for
prayer in the Middle School building. When I asked if I could convert a small utility closet for
this purpose, Mr. Gilbert said, “No way. Prayer is way too important for a junky closet.” I was so
blown away when the school provided a large space just off of the library available for this dream.
Administration encouraged our team to make it a wonderful retreat where students and staff can
spend quiet time with God, or join in groups to pray together. Throughout this past year, it has been
such a joy to see the prayer wall filling with genuine heartfelt needs, and I’ve learned so much about
God’s heart to connect with us. I love that our school is so serious about helping us go deeper in our
relationships with Jesus.
7

Dynamically engaged
Shining a Light on Service:
Students Living
out their Faith
Contributors: Student Outreach Coordinator Karen Hordinski,
Massie Ma ’16 and Emma Treadway ‘18
8
It is a great joy to see our youngest children serve with excitement
and wonder in their classrooms. They write letters
to soldiers, bring in their hard earned chore money to give to
non-profits, visit local nursing homes, and put together boxes for
Operation Christmas Child. Our middle school students participate
in local service through the Thanksgiving basket project and
Ronald McDonald House. They also initiate their own fundraisers
and take mission trips to Appalachia and Mexico. Our high
school students plan and lead over thirty service teams each year,
participate in over a dozen high school mission trips, and donate
over 20,000 hours a year to the community. CHCA has a strong
reputation in serving the community.
Why do we do this? We commit time and intention to thoughtful
and engaged service because we believe it changes who
we are, it changes how we act, and it changes our world. We
want our students to engage in community service projects,
service-learning and mission/immersion trips as a lifestyle. At
CHCA we are in the business of preparing students to think
about people and the world through a different lens. We hope to
nurture a worldview that teaches students to see the world and
the people in it as belonging to God. A perspective that teaches
students to see themselves as active players in making the world
a fair and just place, just like the world Jesus talks about creating
in the Scriptures.
Regular involvement in community service provides authentic
and seasoned opportunity to respond to God’s call to care for
the vulnerable and marginalized. Community service, classroom
service-learning, and mission immersion trips provide rich opportunity
for students to think critically about human need, faith,
and action. Through personal experience we remind ourselves of
the millions who are hungry, disabled, lonely, neglected, sick, in
prison. This personal experience with people and communities
upsets us when we learn these stories and see how people are
marginalized. A student’s personal experience teaches them to
think critically, and prepares their hearts and minds to make lifelong
decisions that do not exclude suffering and disadvantaged
people. Having this chance to lead others through unique and
meaningful projects cultivates a passion for service in students.
Massie Ma, a junior at CHCA and currently one of the school’s
many international students, tells her story about how she was
inspired to lead a mission to collect gently-used clothes in Kunming.
She recruited six of her friends to help her with her project:

“The welfare group I founded, Yasheng (which,
in English, means “bloom”), started to have its own
pulse. I prepared things we needed for our project in
two weeks. I would have never known the price of a
cardboard box, or of a box of business cards, or how to
get what I needed for a price I was willing to pay until I
really experienced it.
We had a meeting that night to thoroughly discuss
the plan of the following days. I had each of them
talk about our group and our used clothing collection
project as if they were introducing Yasheng to a
stranger. We were divided into three groups, which was
very helpful. We were able to have our groups work at
three different places. One of my goals was to have a
wider range and a larger group of people involved.
The first day, we went to many apartments in three
different parts of the city in order to get permission to
have a good place to set up our donation corner. For
each donation corner we put a poster and a donation
box. I remember that day I walked for nearly ten hours
with my partner from one apartment to another;
however, I hardly felt tired.
We were not nicely treated by a few of the staffs
we met. One of them got mad at us because we
interrupted her day off by a phone call. I was upset,
but there was no other choice other than to keep
trying and to make things work out because I felt I
was responsible for Yasheng. By the end of the day, we
were received by four apartments. One of the other
two groups got no permission, but left a poster and a
donation box with only permission from an apartment
security person. They did not have any expectation.
The other group got clothes that filled five donation
boxes! Their achievement cheered the whole group.
The next day, we all went back to the apartments
assigned to each of the groups. The group that had
had no expectation surprisingly received several
boxes of clothing overnight! People brought their own
boxes because our donation box was so full. All of the
clothing piled up in boxes like small hills. Everything
was beyond our expectations that day and the
following days.
One morning, when I went back to one of my groups’
donation corners, everything on the top of the hill was
dripping. It had rained at three o’clock in the morning
while we were sound asleep. We rescued some of the
dry clothing and moved all of the wet clothing back to
my father’s factory where we stored it. We spent hours
hanging up the wet clothing. Doing this made all of us
feel better.
In the seven days, I met people who invited me to
go into their houses for a break or a meal when I was
standing next to my poster trying to explain what we
were doing to people who pass by in the drizzle. I met
people who brought down some fruits for me because
they thought what I was doing was a good thing.
There were people who called me to let me know they
would bring some clothes the next day. I was so moved
because of the goodness in their hearts.
It was an amazing experience to make an idea come
true and to lead this amazing group. Yasheng will now
have a big project in different cities every summer. It
will be growing, and be recognized by more and more
people. Our goal is to have more people in China
conscious of what they can do for people who need
help. The most precious thing I have learned during
studying in the United States is that we need to help
each other, and that it does not matter if we know
each other or not. I have participated in many SOS
activities at CHCA, and I long to see more and more
people in my country be involved in public benefit
activities.”
Massie’s story is only one of the many stories of CHCA students. Nearly all of our students, many of
them international students like Massie, are involved in some form of service both in and outside of school. On average, each
class of students in grades 9-12 log over 26,000 volunteer hours throughout their four years. Last year’s graduating
class totaled in with an outstanding 28,000 hours. At the school, we have seventy different groups led and organized by
students. Every year many of these students are recognized for their dedication and achievement in service leadership with
awards and scholarships. As well as the SOS program, CHCA is known for its life-changing and transformational mission
immersions, both locally and abroad. Our students have traveled internationally across the globe: Haiti, Mexico, Israel,
Hungary, India, Guatemala, Kenya and more. Domestic missions include partnerships right in our backyard of
Cincinnati, as well as Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, California and
more. With both SOS and missions, CHCA kindles in its students a love and passion for service that will lead and guide them
throughout the rest of their lives.
9

Dynamically engaged
A Story to Remember
10
by Sam Handelsman ‘15
West Side Story
ended up being
more fun and
meaningful than
I ever thought
it could. I will
definitely never
forget being a part
of such a wonderful
and meaningful
production!
I first heard the school was going to do Arthur Laurents’ West Side Story my Junior year. This got
my wheels turning, but although I had interest, I was hesitant to commit to the show. After much
encouragement from my mother and Mrs. Jung, I decided to join the effort to put on the masterpiece
that is West Side Story.
I saw West Side Story for the first time when I was ten years old. Although I could not fully appreciate
the story at that age, I enjoyed it a lot. I knew very quickly who my favorite character was. I
almost immediately looked up to Bernardo and rooted for him. I have a few sisters myself, and I’m
very protective over them as Bernardo is to Maria. So when I actually landed the part of Bernardo
and started rehearsing, I felt like I knew my character extremely well. Acting as Bernardo made this
experience special. I loved and respected my character so much. When it comes to this show, I’d
pick Bernardo every time.
Although I knew my character well, I lacked performing experience. Thanks to a lot of help from
many people in the theatre department, this became a minor issue. Mrs. Jung was incredibly helpful
from the first rehearsal all the way to the last performance. She helped me immensely with my
acting, singing, and choreography – and at the same time gave me freedom to make things my own.
I also received a lot of help with choreography and encouragement from CHCA dad and supporter,
Michael Kuremsky. He was present at every rehearsal and always one of my biggest supporters.
Last but not least, I was spoiled by my classmates who have been in theatre for a long time. Will
Ellis, the Hoyer Brothers, Merrie Drees, Allie Kuroff, Matt Carol, and many more welcomed me into
the theatre. In addition to making me feel comfortable on stage, they helped me with my performing
technique throughout production. Most importantly, I made many new friends and had a blast
with all of them. I’m so thankful for the people in this show; they made it such a special experience.
West Side Story ended up being more fun and meaningful than I ever thought it could be. I was
able to play one of my favorite characters in one of my favorite stories. I’m so thankful for the
friendships we formed and everything I learned. I will definitely never forget being a part of such a
wonderful and meaningful production!

“Mrs. Jung was incredibly helpful from
the first rehearsal all the way to the last
performance. She helped so much with
acting, singing, and choreography – and
at the same time gave me freedom to
make things my own.”
11

Dynamically engaged
Campus Highlights

Bounty Lab
25th Anniversary Chapel

Tornado hits
MS & EBL
Edyth B.
Lindner
Elementary
School Built
Small Group of families discuss,
dream and pray about starting
a Christ-centered, academically
excellent school.
First ArtBeat event
Land identified
for school
First
Annual
Fall
Festival
event
First Class Graduates
with 29 students
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Doors open to 165
students preschool
through Grade 7
Dr. Bill Balzano
named
Head of School
Friends of
Fine Arts
launched
Student
Organized
Service (SOS)
launched
at MSL High
School
Richard Johnson
named 1st
Head of School
Athletic BOOSTERS
membership launched.
First Varsity Sport
established (soccer)
High School
complex built
with athletic
fields and tennis
complex
EBL
Elementary
designated as a
Blue Ribbon
School
Middle
School
designated
as a Blue
Ribbon
School
14

Otto Armleder
Education Center
Opens doors to 101 students
Pre-K through grade 4
International
program
launched
representing over
32 students from
11 countries
High School
designated as
a Blue Ribbon School
Otto
Armleder
Education
Center
celebrates
10 years!
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Earl
Edmunds
named
Interim
Head of
School
Randy
Brunk
named
Head of
School
HS named
Martha S. Lindner
High School
in honor of the
commitment and heart
of the Lindner family
for Christ-centered
academic excellence.
Edyth B. Lindner
Elementary School
celebrates 20 years!
1st High School
Intercession/
Winter
Term
The First Athletics
Hall of Excellence honors

today
It all started in 1987 with the vision of seven
families in search of an excellent academic
institution founded on strong Christian
values and principles. And what began as an
elementary school that opened its doors to 165
students 25 years ago, Cincinnati Hills Christian
Academy has blossomed into a journey beyond
all expectations!
1400
students
1700
graduates
worldwide
20%
diversity
160
churches
represented
45 acre
suburban campus
urban
campus
in the heart
of the city
Robotics & STEAM
nationally
recognized
Aquaponics
program
2learning
gardens
Winning
academic
team
theological
integration
across all subjects
research ,
leadership
& independent
study programs
city’s largest
high school
international
program
student-run
coffee shop
enterprise
10

14%
National Merit
Recognition
18
AP courses offered
80%
earn college
credit by
taking AP courses
78%
students grades
5-8 qualify
Northwestern
University’s Midwest
Academic talent search
K-12
enrichment
advanced
courses offered
20
varsity
sports
teams
acclaimed
Cappies Award
winning theatre
70
HS Student Organized
Service (SOS) Leaders
Life-changing
mission immersions
locally & abroad
100%
participation in
intersession
Division
Athletic
Champions
97
CHCA athletes
named All
Conference Teams
85%
fine arts
participation
200
- 250
average service hours
per HS Student
11

18
Refreshingly insightful
My Study Abroad Experience
by Taylor Budde ‘15
“By January
2015 and after
countless meetings,
discussions, and
relentless emailing
back and forth
between Gezhi
and CHCA, I had
my passport, visa,
and heart prepared
for living 7,000+
miles away from
home for four
months.”
Six years ago, I was just a young 6th grade student at an
international school in Columbia, South Carolina. The
campus housed around 100 students from all over the
world, including South Korea, China, Vietnam and Europe.
My parents, out of response for the school’s need for
temporary host families, decided to host students during
holiday breaks. Little did anyone know that each time my
family hosted students and I made new friends, a passion
started to blossom in my heart for learning about and
understanding their cultures. So what does this have to do
with CHCA?
Last spring, Mr. Bacon, International Director at CHCA,
called me into his office. When I met with him, the first
thing he said was that he wanted to propose an idea to
me, but that nothing was guaranteed. Wide-eyed and
wondering, I listened as he explained that CHCA wanted
an American student to go to Shanghai, China, to study at
Gezhi High School. As soon as I left his office, I could not
stop smiling. Because I have a passion for learning about
Asian cultures, I knew that I had to make the opportunity
possible. After getting my parent’s approval, Mr. Bacon and
my family started the seemingly never-ending process of
preparing for my four-month study abroad in Shanghai,
China.
To be completely honest, those 10 months of preparation
were some of the most frustrating months of my life.
Because I was the first American student from CHCA to
study abroad, there were many things to factor into the
plans, such as how my grades would transfer, who I would
live with, and how often I would be able to communicate
with my family back home. However, by January 2015 and
after countless meetings, discussions,
and relentless emailing back and forth
between Gezhi and CHCA, I had my
passport, visa, and heart prepared for
living 7,000+ miles away from home for
four months.
As my plane was descending into
Pudong District of Shanghai, I could not
help smiling like a complete fool because
I felt like I was returning home because
this was my second time in China. Though
I could share many details of my trip and
my countless memories (both good and
bad), I feel they are nothing compared
to the lessons I have learned by being
an American in a foreign country. I think
most American parents would be very
reluctant to let their child travel across the
world and live for many months because
of the many unknowns. Yet, I believe that
the valuable lessons and experiences you
have when placed in a new environment
are worth the anxious feelings and scary
unknowns.
Since my family has been hosting
international students for many years, I
knew how to be a host sister, but living
in China, I had to learn how to be a host
student. The main thing I learned from
all of my host brothers was the difference
between being involved with a host
family and isolating yourself from them.
For example, most host students feel
uneasy participating in their host family’s
activities. Having witnessed this first
hand, I made tremendous efforts to prove
my willingness to be involved in my host
families’ lives. I learned that I sometimes
had to go to places or meet relatives who
could not speak English when I would
have rather stayed home. Whenever I felt
like I wanted to stay home more than be
involved, I reminded myself that I may
not have this experience again, and I
needed to take every opportunity to be as
involved as possible.

However, my struggle to stay involved
with my host families became the least
of my problems. When I started school, I
discovered that since I was relatively alone
in China, I needed to be able defend myself
and ask questions. This helped me to grow
emotionally. I could not be afraid to ask
questions or take time to explain what I
needed, plus I had to be more open with my
emotions. This is something everyone learns
sometime in their life, but having to learn
these life lessons in a culture with different
rules than my own proved a tad trickier than
one would imagine.
Communication, for example, is not a
strong characteristic of the Chinese culture.
There were many instances in which I had
a day or less to prepare to go to another
campus, teach lessons, or plan for upcoming
activities with very little instruction or
direction. At times, it was extremely
frustrating. I knew that this was something I
couldn’t fix. So, I was forced to learn how to
express what was important to my comfort
in school and with my host family. I know
that through my struggles of learning what it
means to be an independent young woman,
I will benefit greatly in the future when a
situation like this, or rather any situation in
general presents itself.
Along with this lesson, I have also had to
learn that it’s okay not to please everyone all
the time. On my first day of school, Mr. Mao,
the director of international studies at Gezhi
and the man graciously paying for most of
my time there, asked me to teach four oral
English speaking classes at the secondary
location at Gezhi High School. At first, I was
excited to have my first experience teaching
English in a foreign country (knowing that
my passion for international cultures would
undoubtedly lead me to do this at some
point), but after several weeks of trying to
plan activities that kept the students awake
in my classes, I became discouraged that
they did not like me or care about learning.
Having a desire to learn and be in school
myself, I was not able to understand how
they could show so much disinterest in a
place they would eventually go to study. Yet
now, looking back, I understand that not
everyone is like me—seeking to learn new
things and respect my teachers by at least
trying to pay attention. I also learned that
having to be both a teacher and a student
in with that group of students presented
a difficulty for the students to determine
if they should treat me as a teacher or a
student. After a while, I gave up trying to
please everyone except for myself and let
go of my negative feelings of my capability
to capture the student’s hearts and minds.
I decided that it was time to try my best as
both a student and teacher and hope that
one day, they would remember the things
I said and use it to their advantage in their
study in America.
My parents have always told me to
make the best of any situation and make
memories wherever I go. Though I have
both good and bad memories during
my time in China, I know that they both
helped me to grow as not only a striving
student, but also as a young woman.
Without my parent’s loving support, the
encouraging faculty members, and God’s
will, I know that I would not have had these
experiences and lessons. I am grateful for
many things during my time in China, but
first and foremost, I am most thankful for
being able to learn not only about a culture
I am passionate about, but also to learn
about myself and who I am as a young
woman. Taylor’s blog is http://thebuddes.
com/china-2015/
On behalf of the faculty, staff, and
students of CHCA, we congratulate and
thank Taylor Budde for the extraordinary
work she accomplished this spring
as an exchange student in Shanghai,
China! With courage and grace, Taylor
pioneered an exciting new possibility for
CHCA students – to immerse themselves
within another country and culture for
an extended period of time as they study
and deepen their understanding of a
complex and increasingly global world.
Intersession courses provide a wide array
of opportunities for students to travel and
serve internationally, although these trips
are limited to approximately two weeks in
length.
For the last few years, we have explored
the idea of a CHCA student spending
an entire semester abroad and this hope
became a reality through Taylor. Thanks
to the generosity of Mr. Mao Fuping, a
friend and partner to CHCA and the
International Student Program whose
son, Jim, graduated from CHCA in 2013,
Taylor was able to live with a host family in
Shanghai and attend the prestigious Gehzi
International School during this past spring
semester. She also served as a faculty
instructor teaching English while balancing
her own coursework long distance with
CHCA teachers and at Gehzi. Taylor did
an incredible job and CHCA is immensely
proud of her accomplishments and the
beautiful way she represented our school
in China! CHCA has been invited to send
another exchange student to Shanghai and
we hope that Taylor’s example is simply the
beginning of a new range of possibilities for
our students whether in China, Guatemala,
Mexico, or anywhere a significant
relationship has been built between
CHCA and a local community. Please
contact Todd Bacon, CHCA’s International
Student Director, or Dr. Dean Nicholas,
the CHCA Upper School Principal, if you
have any questions or interest in exploring
an exchange opportunity. Congratulations
again to Taylor for her outstanding work.
In addition, we want to express our deep
thanks and appreciation to Taylor’s
parents, Bradley and Michelle Budde for
their love and support that made this
experience possible.
Todd D. Bacon, M.A., J.D.
International Student Director
19

Refreshingly insightful
Students On Mission
Contributors
Emma Treadway ’18 and
Mr. Mike Fite
CHCA partnered once again with Back2Back
Ministries this year to provide an opportunity for
the grades 7-8 school family to minister to those
in need, and to have their lives transformed by the
wonderful children and workers of the children’s
homes of Monterrey, Mexico.
Each trip is unique, and this year was no
exception. One of the big surprises was a chapel
encounter via Skype with fellow students and
teachers along with Beth Guckenberger, in whose
heart, along with her husband Todd’s, was born
the ministry of Back2Back right here in Cincinnati.
This year’s group worked hard – carting hundreds
of cement blocks up ramps for construction,
spreading gravel on a school parking lot, mixing and
pouring cement, and lots and lots of painting inside
and outside -- but they played even harder. “That
was the design of the program, because it is not just
about what we can physically do to help out, but
it is about forming relationships and helping kids
know the joy of just being a kid,” says Mike Fite, the
leader of the group.
Some of the featured play activities included
giant slides for both groups, a visit to ERJ (El Retiro
Juvenil, or The Youth Retreat) to support them
by using their ropes course, playing lots of soccer,
both in the enclosed cement court and on the big
field, and a trip to the park (a different one for each
grade). Besides the financial support the ropes
course provides for ERJ, the students learned some
very important teamwork and problem solving skills.
The eighth grade went to the beautiful, expansive
Foundry Park to rent bicycles and race around the
paved bicycle path with the children of the Casa
Hogar Douglas.
20
“That was the
design of the
program, because
it is not just about
what we can
physically do to
help out, but it
is about forming
relationships and
helping kids know
the joy of just being
a kid,” says Mike
Fite, the leader of
the group.
The ministry experience was unique in several
other ways as well. For one day, the seventh grade
was paired up with a unique couple connected with
a church in Michigan that was ministering during the
same week. That group included the 2014 Miss USA,
Nia Sanchez and her actor fiancé Daniel Booko, who
is the son of the pastor of the Michigan church. She
gave a talk on self-defense with demonstrations in
the martial arts. The most meaningful moment for
the eighth graders was a time dedicated to prayer,
as the adults did a walk through in each children’s
dormitory. They prayed over each child, whose
picture and a personal list of needs for prayer was
on top of each bed. It was a moving experience and
at times quite emotional as they all realized the
difficult challenges that these children face in their
education, in their relationships and in their families.
Another activity the students especially enjoyed was
the combined meal times with the children, often
being a part of the food preparation and serving.
Finally, the trip ended in a similar way that it began,
with a snowstorm, this time in Dallas, Texas. A four

Funding Faith Mission, led by teachers Jaime Robbins
and Danielle D’Angora. Through fundraisers, the group
has raised a total of $2,900 to help impoverished
orphans in Monterrey, Mexico. Many students
participated in helping with this fundraiser as well as
making donations of books, toys, clothes, and more to
be taken down to Mexico. Students who accompanied
the money and other donations on CHCA’s annual
mission trip were able to witness the impact these
supplies have on Mexico’s poor. Several students
have shared their heartfelt stories on how Mexico and
Funding Faith have influenced their perspectives:
hour layover turned
into eleven hours
before they were
able to take off for
Cincinnati. In fact,
they were one of
the last planes to
be de-iced before
the airline ran out of
de-icer and began
to turn planes back
to the terminal.
The students’ good
behavior during
this trying time
so impacted one
gentleman that
he was moved to
send a letter to
Back2Back which
was forwarded to Mr.
Gilbert, which stated
that it had moved
him to think about
getting back into
middle school youth
ministry once again.
As always, students,
parent chaperones
and faculty who
participate in this
trip get a new
perspective on
our neighbors to
the south and
are challenged
to continue in service to the needy, whether through continued trips to
Monterrey or even personally sponsoring a child.
Students who were unable to participate in this transformative mission
were still able to make an impact on many children’s lives through the
“In the past, Funding Faith has been, “Oh yeah.
Funding Faith. Right. Well I guess I’ve got some
spare change to donate.” But this year, I not
only collected the money for it, but I got to go
to Back2Back Ministries in Mexico to see our
accumulated money in action in the lives of the
orphans and staff members there. It touched me
exceedingly to see kids playing with soccer balls
that were bought with the money we collected.
My joy was twice as great as theirs was because
it made me happier to see them laughing and
having fun than to have taken that spare change
and spent it on something for myself. They say
that seeing is believing, and now that I’ve seen, I
believe just how much we at CHCA can impact
the lives of others by doing, by our standards,
very little.”
~Luke Springer, NJHS member (8th grade)
Others were impacted as they realized how much
they took for granted in everyday life. Another
8th grade NJHS member, Julia Stotz, wrote of her
experience as well:
“The trip really impacted me. It showed me to be grateful
for what I have, because not everyone is as lucky as I am.
I especially saw that in relationship to my family. I have a
tendency to not appreciate my siblings and parents, but
seeing these kids, who never saw their siblings because they
had been adopted, or never saw their parents because they
were in jail, was really eye opening. I would definitely do
this again. I loved meeting and serving the kids in Mexico.”
After the trip, many students shared their touching
stories and experiences in a special Mexico-themed
Chapel. Through tears and laughter they recollected
the impact that this trip has had on them in the “big
picture” of their lives as well as in their everyday
activities. Many of them spoke of how they were hit
with the realization that “making the simple sacrifice of
not buying a candy bar every day” could have such an
enormous effect on a child’s life. Through this trip and
the Funding Faith donations, these students’ lives have
been changed forever in the way they view the world
and interact with others.
21

Refreshingly insightful
Engaged Learning
At CHCA, it’s our mission
to inspire and challenge
each student to develop his
or her one-of-a-kind gifts.
22
And those gifts are fully
explored and often discovered
at the youngest of ages. Our
students age 3 through Grade 4
get to experience so much in the
learning environments at EBL and
Armleder. We carefully nurture
our youngest students’ academic,
social, emotional, physical, and spiritual development, building an unshakable foundation for
lifelong learning and faith. Our expert and loving teachers employ a thematic, multidisciplinary
approach, combining the best practices in early childhood education with the latest research
on brain development. Engaging each child’s curiosity by incorporating essential questions into
every unit, we help them build skills in literacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership,
creative expression, and scientific exploration. In addition, by integrating Scripture lessons
throughout the day, we inspire them to grow and celebrate their relationship with God.
Our experiential and integrated STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and
mathematics) approach to learning celebrates and encourages questions—and gives students
the tools to seek answers. For example, students grow and dissect plants, paint recycled tires
to hold the seedlings, create murals showing what they’ve learned about plant and insect life
and identify and label plant and insect parts in computer lab activities. All of this integrated and
experiential learning provides children an environment in which they are engaged, and lends
itself to a deep application and understanding of what they have learned.

Debate Team
Just two years into its existence, the debate team
at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy has a lot to
celebrate. Under the leadership of Stephen Carter,
CHCA entered four two-person teams in the Ohio
High School Speech League Greater Miami Valley
District Tournament to compete in public forum
debate. Two of the four teams placed in the top six
with the team of Christian Miller and Michael O’Brien
coming in first overall and the team of Kristina
Ranney and Abby Wissman coming in third. Both
teams qualified for the state competition and faced
off against the finest high school debaters in the state.
(Left to Right) Christian Miller, [Coach Stephen Carter in second
pic], Michael O’Brien, Savannah Weber, Turner Shrout, Carson
Brooks, Alex O’Brien. Not pictured: Kristina Ranney, Abby
Wissman, Katie Becker
Grade 8 Students Recognized at Annual Learn, Lead & Serve Chapel
On Wednesday, January 28th, several 8th grade students were
recognized as this year’s Learn, Lead & Serve Scholarship recipients.
In order to be considered for one of these awards. students must be
rising freshman, either currently enrolled as a student at CHCA or
as a prospective student pursuing admission at CHCA, who must
demonstrate strong academic performance in the classroom.
The Learn, Lead & Serve Scholarships, introduced in 2007, are
significant financial awards designed to reward student achievement.
The scholarships are a meaningful way to recognize students who
demonstrate CHCA’s vision of “unleashing a passion to learn, lead and
serve” in their daily lives. Scholarship awards are paid out over 4 years,
assuming current enrollment and approval of renewal request.
Dr. Dean Nicholas and Mrs. Karen
Hordinski awarded each student with
their honor(s). Hordinski pointed out
to students that we don’t just ‘talk
about’ taking care of the poor and
oppressed here at CHCA, but we do
it. We learn people’s stories and work
very hard to make a difference in the
lives of people here in our city, as
well as around the globe. With that,
she introduced the several students
who received the Lead and Serve
Scholarships. The students recognized
were: Charlotte Lee, Madeline Dykstra,
Abby Jutt, Alexandra Besecker, Sydney Sauer, and Hannah Odom.
These students have accomplished great things such as raising over
thousands of dollars for a cause, serving their youth groups and
churches in remarkable ways, serving CHCA spiritually as well as
physically, and they are involved in countless causes and organizations.
They are writers, artists, athletes, musicians and more. They tirelessly
serve their classmates, families, friends and communities. We are so
proud of them.
Students competing for a Learn scholarship also took the Independent
Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE), our High School Entrance Exam,
and the students with the top six ISEE scores were awarded. These
exceptional students were: Michael Deines, Doug Hansford, Chanse
Ashman, Gabe Schmidt, Nick Donahue, and Julia Stotz. These
students excel both within and
outside of the classrooms walls. They
are also athletes, artists, volunteers
and so much more. We are so proud
of this difficult accomplishment.
CHCA is proud to award Cum
Laude Scholarships to academically
gifted students with proven
achievement. These awards are
made at the Distinguished Scholar
and Commended Scholar levels
to recognize elite students scoring
exceptionally high among peers enrolled at or pursuing selective
admission at independent schools. These scholarships are renewable
annually throughout high school enrollment. To be considered for this
award, students must be entering grade 9, either currently enrolled as a
student at CHCA or a prospective student pursuing admission at CHCA,
students must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and
submit their score report to CHCA for scholarship consideration. They
also must demonstrate strong academic performance in the classroom.
The CHCA Scholarship Committee,
comprised of at least five school
officials, selects the merit scholarship
winners based upon the eligibility
and award criteria outlined. Students
receiving this distinctive award are:
Sydney Sauer, Chanse Ashman, Gabe
Schmidt, and Julia Stotz.
Dr. Nick closed this special chapel
with an important reflection on our
25th Anniversary and the verse for
the year - Matthew 5:16 - ‘In the
same way, let your light shine before
others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in
heaven.’ Dr. Nick shared what began 25 years ago as a vision and a light
has grown beyond all expectations of any of our founders. He left the
students with a challenge so relevant for the honors received that day,
“There is no limit to what God can do through us.”
23

Boldly determined
CHCA Athletics
CHCA Athletics could not be prouder of the performance of its athletic teams, athletes, coaches, parents and
supporters. Our teams competed in 20 sports that are recognized by the Miami Valley Conference (MVC) and
excelled in nearly every one of them! Our athletes were recognized for sportsmanship, excellence and
courageous spirit and several teams and athletes advanced to district, regional and state level competition.
Character and academic achievement awards presented to highly deserving athletes
Scholar Athlete Award
Christina Del Greco and
Michael O’Brien
NFHS Award of Excellence
Naomi Grandison and
Tanner Bowman
Archie Griffin Award
Sam Handelsman and
Rachel Wichmann
Dick Snyder Award
Ryan Smith
2014-15 College Signings
Drew Taylor, Golf, Fisk University
Jonah James, Football, Mount Saint
Joseph
Cameron Murray, Baseball, Alderson
Broaddus
Jacob Halter, Football, University of
Pennsylvania
Alex Ledford, Softball, Asbury University
Naomi Grandison, Basketball, Malone
University
Katie Koopman, Soccer, Hanover College
Tanner Bowman, Soccer, Mount Vernon
Nazarene University
Hall of Excellence
Inductees for
2015:
Cliff Hern
Athletic Director, 2002-
2009; 1st Football Coach,
1997-2002
Kaci Kust
Basketball – 2008
Graduate – DePauw
University
Andrew Wallace
Track & Field, Cross
Country – 2010 Graduate
– Butler University
24

Highlights from our outstanding 2014-15 seasons
Baseball
Undefeated conference record for 2nd consecutive year, to
win back to back MVC Championships
MVC First Team: Cameron Murray, Chase Murray and
Danny Vezdoes
MVC Coach of the Year: Jeff Keith
Won Section and District OHSAA Tournaments
All-State Second Team: Cameron Murray and Chase
Murray
Tommy Yates throws perfect game against conference rival
Seven Hills 4-13-15
Cameron Murray broke CHCA hits record with
151 career hits
Basketball-Boys
MVC First Team: Will Drosos
Basketball-Girls
MVC First Team: Naomi Grandison
Southwest Ohio DIII District All-Star 1st Team: Naomi
Grandison
Southwest Ohio DIII All-District 3rd Team: Naomi
Grandison
Cross Country-Girls
MVC First Team: Rachel Haslam
MVC Athlete of the Year: Rachel Haslam
Qualified for Regionals: Rachel Haslam
Football
Finished back to back undefeated regular seasons to win
MVC Championship
Qualified for its fifth straight appearance in OHSSA playoffs
Division V Regional Champions, second time in CHCA
History
MVC First Team: Adam Baker, James Deaton, Jacob
Halter, Jonah James, Bobby Mumma, Cameron Murray,
Johnny Noyen and Prince Sammons
MVC Athlete of the Year: Johnny Noyen
MVC Coach of the Year: Eric Taylor
All-City Div V-VII 1st Team: Josh Eckert, Jacob Halter,
Jonah James, Cameron Murray, Jonny Noyen and Prince
Sammons
All-City Div. V-VII Player of the Year: Prince Sammons
All-City Div. V-VII Coach of the Year: Eric Taylor
Southwest Ohio All-District Div. V 2nd Team: Josh Eckert
and Jonah James
Southwest Ohio All-District Div. V 1st Team: Jacob Halter,
Cameron Murray, Johnny Noyen and Prince Sammons
Ohio All-State Div. V 1st Team: Cameron Murray and
Prince Sammons
Ohio All-State Div. V Defensive Co-Player of the Year:
Prince Sammons
Anthony Munoz Div. V Linemen of the Year: Jacob Halter
(offensive) and Prince Sammons (defensive)
Cameron Murray made over 100 career receptions
Golf-Boys
MVC Champions
MVC First Team: Sean Eslick, Noah Marshall and Connor Olson
MVC Athlete of the Year: Sean Eslick
MVC Coach of the Year: Mark Kadnar
Div. II District Qualifiers: Sean Eslick and Connor Olson
All-City Div. II 1st Team: Sean Eslick
Golf-Girls
Back to Back Div. II District Qualifiers
All-City Div. II 1st Team: Morgan Bowen and Anna Faimon
Lacrosse-Girls
MVC First Team: Claire Drosos
Soccer-Boys
MVC First Team: Tanner Bowman and Mark Smith
All-City Div. III 1st Team: Tanner Bowman and Mark Smith
Soccer-Girls
MVC First Team: Olivia Fette and Savannah Mary
All-City Div. III 1st Team: Savannah Mary
OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity (SEI) Award: Abby
Schumacher (coach)
Softball
Undefeated conference record to win MVC Championship
MVC First Team: Camryn Olson, Maddie Shank, Cassidy
Yeomans
MVC Coach of the Year: Leah Crouch
Camryn Olson pitched 2 no-hitters and a perfect game as a
freshman
Swimming-Girls
Qualified for Districts: Katherine Abel, Anna Clark, Hope
Whiteside and Anna Van Jura
Tennis-Girls
MVC First Team: Emily Kabalin
Track & Field
First Team MVC players: Morgan Bradley
MVC First Team: Adam Baker, Kennedy Bontrager, Morgan
Bradley, Kris Carnes, Ben Collado, James Deaton, Rachel
Haslam and Ian Turne
MVC Athlete of the Year: Adam Baker
Qualified for State: Morgan Bradley
Morgan Bradley broke CHCA high jump record
with a 5’ 3” jump at Regionals.
Volleyball
Back to Back MVC Champions
MVC First Team: Audrey Koob and Rachel Wichmann
MVC Athlete of the Year: Rachel Wichmann
MVC Coach of the Year: Mariah Burton
All-City Div. III-IV 1st Team: Audrey Koob and
Rachel Wichmann
All-City Div. III-IV Player of the Year: Rachel Wichmann
25

Boldly determined
Congratulations to the
Eagles and thank you to our
supportive community!
Making History:
Winning Record for Varsity Football Team
CHCA’s varsity Football Team ended their run at the state semifinal
with an incredible 13-1 record. “We played hard for four
quarters and it’s been an unbelievable year for them. I am proud
of our team and proud of our seniors,” Head Coach Eric Taylor
shared. “They left a tremendous legacy of leadership, a legacy of
work ethic and helped raised the bar for our program.”
Coach Taylor is the only football coach in CHCA’s history to have
back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and three in his career.
This Eagle team is only the second one in our history to make it
to the Regional Finals.
Athletic Director Matt Coleman shared, “What a tremendous season!
I consider it a privilege as I get to see ‘behind the scenes’ as the
season [moved]. From the preparation of the coaches and players
during the off-season, to seeing the adjustments made during the
regular season and how focused our players and coaches were, to
the support of our football families and our entire community - this
season was special and one we won’t forget. This is something our
coaching staff and players will build upon to make our future seasons
a success. As I always say, ‘It’s a great day to be a CHCA Eagle!’”
Congratulations to the Eagles and thank you to our supportive
community! #wintwice #bestfans #gochca
Where are our athletes headed:
1 Tanner Bowman
Men’s Soccer, Mount Vernon Nazarene University
2 Naomi Grandison
Women’s Basketball, Malone Universtiy
3 Jacob Halter
Football, University of Pennsylvania
4 Jonah James
Football, Mount St. Joseph University
5 Katie Koopman
Women’s Soccer, Hanover College
6 Alex Ledford
Softball, Asbury University
7 Cameron Murray
Baseball, Alderson Broadus
8 Drew Taylor
Women’s Golf, Fisk University
26

Exuberantly creative
ArtBeat 2014
Mona Summers, Director of Fine Arts
ArtBeat 2015 by
Let Your Art Shine was our theme for ArtBeat 2015 and
the theme was certainly fulfilled by our students
whose gifts shined bright on stage, on exhibit and as
demonstrating artists. Year after year our students
continue to amaze me with their talent, passion,
hard work and determination for excellence.
CHCA is blessed with an outstanding group
of Fine Arts faculty and staff who dedicate
themselves to providing the best possible
education and experience for our students.
ArtBeat was a time for our faculty and staff to
shine, too. Many students who participated in
ArtBeat this year as seniors have participated every
year since kindergarten. To see the development and
growth of these students was truly remarkable.
ArtBeat continues to be one of my favorite events because it brings our community
together to have fun, experience the wonderful fruits of our Fine Arts Program and
celebrate and honor God for the gifts He has given our students.
ArtBeat 2015 marked our 17th Annual Fine Arts Festival presented by Friends of Fine
Arts. Many thanks to our ArtBeat Chair Lauri Goodwin, Performance Chair Michael
Kuremsky, the ArtBeat Committee, CHCA’s Fine Arts faculty and staff and over 300
volunteers. We also very thankful for the support of the Coggins family as our ArtBeat
sponsor, for our ten area sponsors as well as many food sponsors.
Over 2,300 attendees
Over 725 students performed on
three stages; this included 24 CHCA
ensembles and 235 students who
were selected from auditions which were
held over 3 days and 17 hours.
Together the Hang Your Art Out and
grades 9-12 Juried Art competition
included over 1,000 pieces of art
The 13th Annual Juried Art
competition included 22 cash prizes
and awards, presented in 8 different
categories. Judges included by 5
community artists and art educators.
Hundreds of arts and crafts projects
were completed at 8 Hands-on-
Art stations.
The ArtBeat 2015 posted featured
6 students’ artwork.
5 professional artists (including 2
alumni) and 4 students were featured
as this year’s Demonstrating Artists.
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fine arts
awards
Here is a look at some of the awards received and
notable events for our CHCA students and ensembles
in the Fine Arts.
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Each November Gallery Veronique owner, Veronique
Hammons, welcomes our AP Art students to experience
a professional gallery opening and exhibit featuring their
artwork. In preparation for this experience, the students
create marketing materials to promote their show and install
the exhibit. On opening night, Mr. Hilderbrand and these
students host a gallery reception with food and music. During
the opening, guests are invited to view the artwork and talk
to these young artists about their work. This is a wonderful
opportunity for our students to experience a gallery show
similar to what professional artists experience.
Our musical ensembles perform in the community on a regular
basis. Some of the performances are done as outreach in
churches, nursing homes, drop-in centers, etc. These are a
great way for our students to share their gifts and bless others
with their music. We also had ensembles perform at Reds
baseball games, a Cyclones game, a UC men’s basketball game
and an Indiana Pacers basketball game. Here are other notable
performance opportunities our student groups experienced:
• In the fall, our HS percussion ensemble, under the direction
of Dr. Dan Grantham, performed at the Vineyard Church
with their worship team for multiple Sunday services.
• The Electric Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Dan
Grantham, provided the music for Kelly Mullen’s wedding
reception (class of ’04).
• In January, our Brass Choir was invited to perform in An
Epiphany Epilogue at the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of
the Assumption in Covington, along with the University
of Dayton Brass Quintet; Gregory Schaffer, organist and
LeeAnn Kordenbrock, soprano soloist. Dr. Grantham was
also one of the University of Dayton Brass Quintet members.
• In April, Choir Director, Sara Potts put together a
collaboration with choirs from Sharonville United Methodist,
Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church and a bluegrass band
to perform The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass. They
performed the first night at Mt. Washington Presbyterian
Church and the second night in our own Lindner Theater.
Art students received
nine Gold Key,
three Silver Key and
seven Honorable
Mentions in the local
competition of the
National Scholastic
Art Awards. Senior Ivy
Guan was a National
Silver Key Medalist
in New York for her
piece titled “Portrait.”
Ivy also won 1st place
Portfolio and Best of
Show in the ArtBeat
Juried Art Competition. Her “Portrait” piece was selected
as the Best of Show.
Junior James Rootring won the Cincinnati Arts
Association Overture Award in vocal music for the
second year in a row! James was also a 2015 National
Young Arts Foundation winner. James was one of 700
winners chosen from a pool of 11,000 applicants from
across the nation. Three other students advanced to the
Overture Award Semi-Finals: Senior Will Ellis – vocal
music, Sophomore Jacqueline Pegis – instrumental music
and Junior Lauren Slouffman – dance.
The Theater production of West Side Story earned 15
Cappies nominations and three Cappies awards including:
Ensemble in a Musical – The Jets, Female Dancer –
Lauren Slouffman, Supporting Actress in a Musical –
Merrie Drees. (Include Jets Ensemble Photo)
Graduates to continue their
artistic pursuits
We are very proud of these seniors who have decided to
continue their artistic pursuits in college with an arts major.
Toria Adkison – Harding University, Interior Design
Andrew Brainer – Auburn University, Industrial Design
Merrie Drees – Kent State, Musical Theatre
Will Ellis – Baldwin Wallace, Music Education and Vocal
Performance
Ivy Guan – Pratt Institute, Architecture
Gabe Hoyer – Belmont, Musical Theatre
Kaitlyn Nickol – University of Southern California, Stage
Management
Hannah Rhoads – Colorado State University, Art Therapy
Payne Vanderwoude – Miami University, Art

Class of 2015
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged, for the Lord your God
will be with you wherever you go.
– Joshua 1:9 (Class of 2015 Verse)
Fully prepared & boundlessly hopeful
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Celebrates the
Accomplishments of the Class of 2015
Leading Lives of Impact and Influence
• 82% completed Advanced Placement classes during their
high school career
• 50% are recognized with High Honors
• 14% earned National Merit recognition
• Seniors fulfilled over 22,000 hours of service, averaging
206 hours per student
• 100% participated in Intersession, CHCA’s off-campus annual
experiential learning program
• 75% completed in athletics or participated in fine arts
Leaning into the Future
• 107 students will attend 47 colleges and universities
in 18 states*
• 100% completed 7 semesters of Christian Studies coursework
• 83% received merit scholarships/grants*
• 9% plan to compete in college athletics
“At CHCA I’ve had the opportunity to
pursue my gifts in academics and music
at a level I never would have dreamed
possible when I came eleven years ago. In
the process, I have formed relationships
that will last a lifetime and have come
to understand how I can use my gifts to
glorify God.”
- Tyler Swedes, Valedictorian
Class of 2015
“As I look back on my years at CHCA,
I am grateful for the opportunities that
have allowed me to develop my thinking
and problem solving skills, leadership,
and character within a thriving Christian
environment. I was fortunate to be able
to play in the Electric Jazz Orchestra, start
a debate team, compete on the academic
team, play varsity sports, and travel
abroad. CHCA has prepared me well to
tackle whatever life has in store for me
next!”
- Michael O’Brien, Salutatorian
Class of 2015

“Be Yourself, Only Better”
2015 Commencement speaker Dr. John C. Bowling challenged CHCA’s class of 2015 to be
the best possible versions of themselves – encouraging each student to be the person God
created him or her to be, and strive for even better. Dr. Bowling shared how important it is to
be prepared for life. “That’s where the real test comes in.” He noted that part of being prepared
is understanding that in walking with God, we are not to conform to the patterns of this world,
and that character is not outside in, but rather inside out. It’s who we are on the inside that
matters. We are called to make a kingdom impact in this world. “As you graduate, go forth with
a commitment to be yourself, only better.”
Salutatorian Michael O’Brien and Valedictorian Tyler Swedes also addressed the class, and
did so with messages highlighting meaningful friendships and experiences. O’Brien shared
his most meaningful experiences at CHCA were about putting time into other people and
becoming a better person. Swedes shared that while CHCA provided a solid academic
foundation they’ll have for the rest of their lives, his meaningful highlights were the good times
celebrating and working hard with classmates. He advised, “Take time to enjoy the people
you are with and the moments you are in. The relationships from the last four years are
relationships I will enjoy and cherish for years to come.”
Dr. John C. Bowling
2015 Diaspeiro Service
Q&A
with our Val and Sal
Interview with the Class of 2015’s
Tyler Swedes, valedictorian &
Michael O’Brien,, salutatorian
M: The academic team of teachers not only gave me an educational
experience, but they prepared me for public speaking and the pressures
of balancing studies, friendships, sports, and long-term projects. I took
lots of different classes which created opportunities for my future. The
teachers cared about us and encouraged us to try our best.
What was your most impactful experience
at CHCA and why?
Tyler: I went to Nairobi, Kenya and the Maasai Mara region with the
Electric Jazz Orchestra. We visited an orphanage, an international
school, and the US Embassy. It showed me a very different perspective
of other cultures which can’t be learned in a classroom. After
returning home, I now more fully appreciate my friends and family.
Michael: Seeing Israel with Dr. Nick the summer before my senior
year was an incredible journey and one I will never forget. I walked the
path of Jesus and toured ancient, biblical sites. Meeting a Palestinian
farmer and watching war-torn Syria from the top of a mountain were
both powerful moments.
How has CHCA prepared you?
T: Balancing family, music, and academics was a huge challenge. But
it taught me to invest in what matters and focus on my priorities. I
know this will help me achieve my goals in the years to come, and I will
keep using that balance for my future career. Managing my time was a
big accomplishment.
30
How would you describe the relationships
you’ve made at CHCA?
T: The teachers were more like mentors. We had personal connections
far deeper than I could have ever imagined. It was a sense of community
that kept us together, and we all depended on each other. It’s easy to
make friends when everyone supports you.
M: I have a great group of friends that are really supportive. We give
each other honest advice and keep each other focused on what’s important.
I had friends my age but also learned how to value friendships
with the teachers. They were a great influence on me.
What are your plans of the future?
T: I am going to attend Purdue University in the fall and major in Aeronautical
Engineering. I’m excited to find out where my studies will take
me. My faith will always be a part of my future.
M: I will be heading to Vanderbilt University which has a great pre-med
program, and after I finish, I want to be a surgeon. I’m not sure what
kind, but I am sure God will guide me down the right path.
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Fully prepared & boundlessly hopeful
Graduation Reflection
Living in the Middle
by Allie Kuroff ‘15
“As I reflect on CHCA’s
mission statement, I am most
intrigued by the first word,
which is ‘prepare‘. The idea
of preparation continues to
come to mind when I think
about what I will experience
in the coming years. Am I
really prepared for all the
intellectual and spiritual
obstacles I will face? ”
My CHCA journey started eight years ago, when I was entering into fifth grade.
51 classes, 9 theater productions, 7 Artbeats, and 3 J-terms seemed to go by in the
blink of an eye, but my experience at CHCA is something that has and will continue
to shape my life in college and beyond. Looking back on my years as a student,
something that stands out to me is the way in which my teachers poured themselves
into me not only academically, but also personally. I’m so thankful for the
way they nurtured my love for learning by allowing me to think for myself and come
to my own, unique conclusions. The countless hours my teachers gave outside
the classroom, to encourage and build me up, is what has inspired me to become a
lifelong learner.
Beyond academics, I have also been shaped by the many service opportunities
I have been able to take advantage of at CHCA. The Student Organized Service
(S.O.S.) program at the high school has empowered me to be outwardly focused
and serve our school and surrounding community. My sophomore year, I had the
chance to get involved in volunteering with “Stewart Smarties”, a weekly afterschool
tutoring program that aids students who speak English as a second language.
My junior year, I was given the opportunity to direct this program. Two years
of overseeing Stewart Smarties drastically changed my outlook on leadership. I
hadn’t anticipated the challenge of recruiting my peers to participate in something
I was so passionate about. Initially, I thought that simply explaining the program’s
goals would be enough to get people involved. I later realized that the best way to
recruit was to actually communicate why I had a passion for the program. I believe
in the power of education to change the trajectory of a child’s life. I am also passionate
about empowering young students in their intellectual abilities. Leading
Stewart Smarties taught me that being an effective leader is about translating
these convictions into a vision that motivates others to action. I trust that this skill I
learned from being a part of SOS will enable me to lead effectively and passionately
as I move forward to the next phase in my life.
As I reflect on CHCA’s mission statement, I am most intrigued by the first word,
which is “prepare”. The idea of preparation continues to come to mind when I
think about what I will experience in the coming years. Am I really prepared for all
the intellectual and spiritual obstacles I will face? While this is a valid question, I
am encouraged by how my experience at CHCA has prepared me to be confident
in the face of uncertainty; acknowledging the provision in the unknown…resting in
doubt. These are things I will carry with me as I move more than 2,000 miles away
to the University of Redlands in California this fall. Most importantly, I will cherish
the idea of living in the “middle”: the now and the still becoming. Combining a
sense of contentment with where God has brought me so far in my journey, yet
constantly thirsting for more of His provision to be made tangible in my life. Being
a student at CHCA facilitated my “preparation” in understanding these truths, and
for that I will always be grateful.
Allie was selected as one of the fourteen inaugural Hunsaker Scholars at the University
of Redlands, where she will be attending this fall. The Richard and Virginia Hunsaker
Scholarship is the premier merit award at the University for exceptional applicants
who exhibit outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and contributions to their
schools and communities.
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300 Service Hours
200 Service Hours
Fully prepared & boundlessly hopeful
Class of 2015 Recognitions
500 Service Hours
400 Service Hours
800 Service Hours
Service Award Winners
Presidential Service Award
SOS Senior
Leadership
Award
SOS Excellence
in Leadership &
Service & Neyer
Award
SOS Social
Justice Award
Mayerson
Service
Leadership
Air Force ROTC
Scholarship:
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200 Service Hours: Green row, left to right: Payne
Vanderwoude, Tanner Bowman, Tyler Swedes, Aiden Sheehy, John
Roth, Stephen Wibowo, Rory Crabbe, David Humphrey, Ryan
Luessen. White row (middle), left to right: Maggie Mize, Clarissa
Jacobs, Christina Del Greco, Emma Vincent, Brooke Kelley, Toria
Adkison, Savannah Mary, Kristina Ranney. Three white robes
in front, left to right: Emily Medosch, Baylee Jackson, Kelsey
McKenna. (Not shown: Yimeng Fang, Joel Paroz, Sarah Spangler.
300 Hour Award: Hannah, Rhoads, Moriah Coman, Katherine
Meyer, Josh Eckert, Kyle Pessell, Olivia Schwan, Rebecca Richart
(Not Shown, Chandler Meador)
400 Service Hours: Will Ellis, Drew Taylor, Michael Nelson,
Katie Koopman, (Not shown: Ellie Vanderkolk)
500 Service Hours: Kaitlyn Nickol and Allie Kuroff
600 Service Hours & SOS Social Justice Award:
Morgan Avery
800 Service Hours: Christian Miller, Delaney Kirbabas
Service Award Winners: Allie Kuroff, Allie Wallace,
Delaney Kirbabas, Katie Koopman
Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (seniors)
Silver: Morgan Avery, Gold: Christian Miller, Drew Taylor
SOS Senior Leadership Award: Delaney Kirbabas
SOS Excellence in Leadership &
Service Award & Neyer Award: Allie Kuroff
Mayerson Service Leadership Award: Katie
Koopman
Air Force ROTC Scholarship: Rebecca Richart
Lifers Picnic
33

Fully prepared & boundlessly hopeful
A CHCA
Family Legacy
By Stel Kirbabas, CHCA Alumni Parent
“Give them Faith.
Give them Love.
Give them Guidance.
Give them Rules.
Give them a CHCA Family.”
It is midyear of my daughter Delaney’s senior year. I am a parent
chaperone for what will surely be my last Parents Night Out, a
CHCA service event in which money raised goes to help women in
Kenya attend school. After multiple rounds of Duck-Duck-Goose
and Red Rover, it is finally movie time and all is quiet. I sit alone in
the gym, staring at the giant eagle mural on the back wall, thinking
about all of the years that logo has been a part of our lives. Earlier
in the year, teacher Michelle Barron (who’s taught most if not all
of the Kirbabas children) mentioned in passing that she cannot
believe this is Delaney’s senior year, the last of the Kirbabas’s to
graduate. She is right; this is the end of an era for our family. After
19 years and reams of CHCA apparel, hundreds of volunteer hours
and a gazillion dollars invested in their education, come May when
the last of our five children receives a diploma in this very room,
there will be no more Kirbabas kids at CHCA.
How do we feel about that? For purposes of context, let’s start
with some background.
Our relationship with the school began in the mid 90’s when
then Head of School Dr. Bill Balzano was courting my aunt, Dr. Joan
Miracle (hence the name “Miracle Commons”), to be the Principal
of the new high school. While she had little desire to jump back into
the fray after just retiring as Principal at Princeton High, I talked her
into it using her great nephews and niece as bait. (At least that’s
how I remember it!) But either way, two weeks after she accepted
the position the first two “Kirbabies” (as she fondly refers to them)
joined the Eagle family. A year later, I was offered a position as
Communications Coordinator, a job I am told was created out of
necessity after months of unsuccessful attempts at finding a volunteer
to chair the upcoming Fall Festival. My education and background
fit the bill but before accepting an offer, I thought it wise to
see how hard it would be to find a few volunteer co-chairs to assist
me with the event. Over a two-day period, I called 99 families listed
in the school directory and received 99 rejections. I prayed, “Lord, if
this is where you want me to be, I need a little help here. If I am unable
to find a volunteer soon, I will know this is not Your will for me.”
The next two calls were to Renee Schumacher and Carol Hughes,
both who agreed to co-chair the event with me and remained as my
partners for three more years. Over the next nine years, I worked
alongside amazing faculty, staff, and volunteer parents on some of
the coolest projects - like the start-up of the SCRIP Shop (thank
you Christy Ochs) and the Eagle School (Spirit Wear) Store. Not a
day went by when I did not thank God for that job.
My insights, or take-aways as I call them, are based on my experiences
as a staffer, parent, co-worker, and volunteer. The following
are my top four.
Take-away #1
Christian school + human beings = imperfection
I started with a false assumption that at a Christian school everyone
would play nice all the time. I remember my shock the first time
a CHCA parent shot me ‘the bird’ for accidentally cutting them off in
the carpool line. While this was not the norm, it was an early reminder
that anywhere human beings dwell, there will never be, nor should
we expect perfection. There were other struggles and frustrations
along the way, some we expected, some we did not. We wrangled,
plowed, worried, and conquered through it all.
Take-away #2
Be careful not to overlook the little moments in your search for
the big ones, for the ripple effect of the little ones may be the
catalyst for monumental life changes only God saw coming.
I think every family goes through a phase, or even phases, where
they wonder if CHCA is really worth the cost. Why we decided to
“stick” is because of all of the little, almost imperceptible-to-others
life changing moments that happened with my kids which would not
or could not have happened at any other school. They are too many
to mention, but here are a few favorites…
The most pronounced of these transpired between our daughter
and her third grade teacher, Laura Anderson. Out of the blue, in the
middle of a lesson Delaney raised her hand and exclaimed aloud
that she wanted to accept Jesus into her heart. Her teacher, Ms.
Anderson, stopped her lesson, took Delaney into the hall and prayed
with her, then asked her that life altering question about accepting
Jesus as her Lord and Savior to which Delaney responded, “Yes I
do.” The first person Delaney shared this with was her dad (my husband
Chris), a seeker at the time. The passion and conviction with
which his little child conveyed her story forever changed his heart.
My hard-headed, too-cool-for-this-God-thing spouse turned from
seeker to believer, all because one teacher took time to recognize
the miracle of Jesus touching the heart of a little girl and not letting it
go by unnoticed. What price does one put on salvation?

Later on, in the midst of her freshman year, Delaney’s best friend
moved away, leaving her struggling to find her place. Student Organized
Service (SOS) leader Karen Hordinski introduced her to the
world of service, teaching by example what it means to be a servant
leader, handing her the reigns to lead when she was ready. Delaney
became an officer on the SOS board, taking on three service groups
simultaneously. She finished her senior year with a 3.6 GPA and
over 800 hours of direct contact service, winning multiple service
scholarships to her college of choice. She begins her nursing studies
at the University of Kentucky in the fall.
Prior to the start of his senior year, our twin Trevor sustained four
concussions in football injuries, sidelining him his last year of high
school. Recognizing how devastating this was for Trevor, Coach
Eric Taylor reached out to him, asking him to assist as a team manager.
He felt embarrassed by his fall from varsity team player to
team “water boy”, but his teammates and coaches rallied around
him, making it difficult for him to decline the position. Each game
he took to the sidelines, running up and down the field cheering
on the team to keep them motivated. When it rained, he cleaned
their cleats and wiped down the benches. In the heat, he kept the
cold beverages coming. In the end, he shared with me that he believed
he was more help to his teammates as an encourager than
he would have been as a player. Only at CHCA...In the fall, he will
enter his second year in UC’s Lindner Honors Business program
carrying a 4.0 GPA.
Take-away #3
Some of our U.S. Presidents have been C students, so grades
do not necessarily dictate success. Just make sure when molding
your child, you are using the right clay and the proper
techniques. God can help you with that.
Let’s face facts. CHCA is a college prep school and it is hard!
When it came to learning, our kids ran the gamut at CHCA. For
some, school work and straight As came easy; for others it was a lot
of hard work but A’s were still attainable; for others, learning disabilities
presented challenges. Our two oldest, Alec and Tyler were
diagnosed early on with ADHD and auditory processing problems.
Alec, as the oldest, was unfortunately our Guinea pig and we made
a lot of mistakes. We put a tremendous amount of pressure on
him to make good grades, which eventually sent him into a tailspin
almost destroying his self-esteem. Overwhelmed by the magnitude
of homework in first grade, we pulled him from CHCA for two
years thinking public school might be a better alternative. While
there was less homework, the class sizes made it impossible for the
teacher to give him the individual attention he needed. Realizing
the grass was not greener on our public school side, we moved him
back to CHCA in fourth grade. Second time around, we dealt with
his struggles more realistically, turning to the teachers and resource
room for help with study skills and to God to help us come to terms
with the reality of Alec’s limitations. He could build a computer like
nobody’s business, but could not focus in a classroom setting for 8
hours a day, which meant he would probably never be an A student
at CHCA. And we needed to be ok with that so as not to destroy
our son. Life was much easier after that (except for poor Christian
Studies teacher Todd Bacon in whose class Alec raised his hand
incessantly, asking no less than 42 questions per class).
Since CHCA is a small school, Alec had opportunities for small
successes that bigger high schools would not have afforded him. In
his senior year, sidelined by a concussion in football, Alec accepted
the role of team manager, raising enough money selling Gatorade to
the fans in the stands to purchase the Sports Water Hydration System
still used by the football team today. He went on to the University
of Cincinnati’s business school, graduating with a 3.3 GPA, and
accepted a position in the finance department at Wright Patterson
Air Force Base. He has nearly completed his MBA at Wright State
University. This time we used the right clay.
Like his older brother, our son Tyler struggled with ADHD. Then, in
fourth grade he sustained a Level III concussion in a scooter accident
that left him incapable of recalling basic words like “bed”. Teacher
Mara Wright and counselor Elaine Marsh spent hours before and after
school working with him on their own time to improve his reading and
writing skills. In high school, Dr. Savage introduced him to Aquaponics
and the results of his work were showcased at a nationwide conference.
He is entering his fourth year at UC’s business school, maintaining
a 3.4 GPA. The right molders were present.
Take-away #4
You may not always see the big picture, but trust that the Godly
faculty and staff at CHCA make decisions concerning your child
for a reason. And along the way, reach out your hand in friendship
to another CHCA family for you never know where that
relationship may take you.
Fast forward to May 31, 2015. It is graduation day and our daughter is
seated with her class in the row to our left. I look at her, struck by what
a remarkable young woman she has become, then I glance at our four
sons who have grown into extraordinary men. I scan the room spotting
so many families and teachers and staff who have touched our lives
in extraordinary ways, some of them probably unaware. For instance,
science teacher Lu Taylor, who as my neighbor would call asking if my
kids were interested in coming over to watch her cool experiment with
dry ice. The woman has seven patents for Tide on her wall and she’s
making dry ice experiments for the kids! I see math teachers Teri Parker
and Carmen Swedes who spend more time with other people’s kids
than they do their own because they are so dedicated to their craft
and the kids. There’s Mike Wallace, CFO, who runs a ship so tight you
could bounce a quarter off his sail if he had one. I would trust him with
my money any day, and Eileen Hall, who has sent checks when every
Kirbabas kid graduated, even though she doesn’t know them well. I spot
Sherri and Tim Conley to my left. Their family has probably had more
of an impact on ours than any other, a spectacularly generous and
humble family who practically raised our twins and guided them during
their formative years while we were off at work. I see parents who bring
instant memories to mind of fun times like Penny Osborne, who was
my copilot for the middle school scavenger hunt when our team won
first place. There’s Sandy Avery, who cooked vegetarian dinners for
Delaney every Monday when she came over to watch Teen Wolf with
her daughter Morgan. Judy Alvarado, running around as usual taking
pictures and husband Willy filming, just like they did all those years
that our boys wrestled together, even showing up at the State finals to
memorialize Tyler’s run as State champ. Mrs. Anderson catches my eye
and we smile, both remembering how Conner decorated his full length
portrait they drew in elementary school. Conner drew on his one of
those beer bong hats with the 2 cup holders for the beer on each side
and a long piece of rubber pipe running down to the mouth to deposit
the beer. He even wrote “Budweiser” on the hat. Ah, a proud day for
the Kirbabas family. To my right is parent Renee Schumacher, who I
referred to as ‘volunteer extraordinaire’ because every summer prior to
fall festival, she would travel with me to Kings Island and hang upside
down in those huge bins where the torn stuffed animals were thrown.
We received permission to pick through them to use as prizes, so each
year we dug through those bins, picking out the best animals that could
be salvaged with a bit of soap and a few stitches donated by the women
at three different retirement homes. After four years of that, we moved
to a new system and bought our prizes instead.
People often ask my husband and me how we worked all the time
and were still able to raise five such amazing kids. The formula is not
rocket science: give them faith, give them love, give them guidance,
give them rules, and allow them to be surrounded by people who you
trust when you are not there. For us, that was our CHCA family.
35

Inspiringly benevolant
A Light and Legacy
Staff Spotlight: Barb Bodley
by Emma Treadway ‘18
36
A teacher for forty years, Barb Bodley
has been with CHCA for twenty-four
years: nine at the Middle School and
fifteen at Armleder. Mrs. Bodley has
dedicated her career to helping students
excel and flourish in and out of the
classroom, and she has been a shining
example to others through her many
accomplishments at CHCA.
Mrs. Bodley leads a tech class and goes
above and beyond in her teaching;
she mentions how she loves to relate
children’s literature to her tech lab.
CHCA has been running strong for 25 years, and Mrs. Bodley has
been with the school for nearly the entire journey. One of the most
significant memories she recounts was in the early years of the
school when disaster struck in the form of a tornado which brought
extensive damage to the MS building. Many of the classrooms were
wrecked, and teachers had to temporarily hold classes in the MSL
building. Then a personal tragedy occurred as well. Just a few days
later, Barb’s father passed away. She names these challenges as
one of the most memorable times at CHCA because, “it brought
us closer together and even more like family. The support and
encouragement of the CHCA community was what carried me
through that difficult time.” Mrs. Bodley says that her career at the
school has had a great impact on her life, and she believes that
CHCA has taught her that “God will guide and use you where He
places you if you believe and trust Him.”
Among Mrs. Bodley’s biggest accomplishments during her time
here at Armleder is Channel 7, the school’s in-house cable station.
Each morning, broadcasts begin at 7:50am in the classrooms and
lobby, and feature news, lunch menus, birthdays, weather, and other

“I really enjoyed
doing behind the
scenes stuff in middle
school at Armleder,
and learning how
to do the prompter
and camera then
has led me and
encouraged me to do
backstage stuff with
the musicals at the
high school, and run
a camera for worship
services at my church
once a month.”
special segments. In addition, Principal
Montgomery presents Manners are
Magic each Monday. Broadcasting began
in 2004 and was put into action when
Principal Susan Miller had a vision for
students to be able to present news and
information to the school. Since then,
students now have the opportunity to
serve as anchors and run all the technical
equipment. This year many third-graders
were also involved in the broadcasts, and
this upcoming year the station will be
run by the Upper Elementary students.
Mrs. Bodley speaks of her overall
experience as one of the supervisors of
the program, “It has been a total pleasure
to watch students discover talents and
interests in the areas of public speaking,
broadcasting, and behind the camera
work—learning to run the camera, teleprompter, computer
graphics, and sound board.” Looking back, the program has
been an incredible learning experience, and has provided a lifechanging
opportunity for the students involved. One student,
Jaelynn Johnson, was prompted to study journalism in college
and inspired to become a reporter. Another student, Hope
Hansee, spoke of how Channel 7 affected her:
“I really enjoyed doing behind the scenes stuff in middle school
at Armleder, and learning how to do the prompter and camera
then has led me and encouraged me to do backstage stuff with
the musicals at the high school, and run a camera for worship
services at my church once a month.”
As to the station’s future, it will continue to be broadcast every
morning by Upper Elementary students under the supervision of
Mrs. DuBois with Mrs. Bodley as the technical advisor.
Another program in which Mrs. Bodley plays an influential part
is Armleder’s Robotics Team. Robotics has been a component
of the Armleder curriculum in the Science Enrichment program
since the school began. Teacher Cathy Cepress and the students
have worked with RCX robotics and designed moving models of
houses and other structures. For the past ten years, they have
evolved to use Lego Mindstorms robots and have competed
in the M2SE Robotics Competitions and the First Lego League
Competitions. Initially, science and technology teachers
collaborated and presented Robotics as an after-school program,
and as interest grew, it became an elective class which students
could opt to take during the school day. Later, Lego Mindstorms
NXT became a part of the STEM program so that every student
was given the opportunity to build, test, and program robots as
well as participate in local competitions. The program involves
students from grades 3-8. Third and fourth-graders can work with
the Lego WeDo, a program which uses icon-based programming
software that allows students to create moving models from Lego
elements. Kids can develop not only programming skills but more
importantly collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Fifth and sixth-grade students move on to the Lego Mindstorms
Robotics, which builds on these skills. As a part of their annual
participation in the M2SE Robotics competition, they develop a
playing field using their research and then program their robot to
complete various tasks. Students thoroughly enjoy working on the
Robotics team and find it very challenging and rewarding.
Barb Bodley speaks of why she loves working with students
through Robotics, and the benefits the program has on the kids.
“I love the way students learn to work together and problem
solve when they are working with both the WeDo and Mindstorms
robotics. They are very self-directed and determined to work out
problems they have with programs. The work involves not only
programming, but research of topics and applying what they have
learned to the playing fields for the competitions. Both the M2SE
competition and First Lego League competition require students to
complete reports on the yearly theme.”
This past year, the Armleder
Robotics Teams have been very
busy with competitions. The
sixth-grade team participated
in the M2SE Robotics
Competition in March and won
2nd place in Oral Presentation,
2nd place in Display
Presentation, and Honorable
Mention in both Floor Design
and Robot Function. In the
future, the Robotics program
plans to continue competing
in the M2SE and hopefully the
First Lego League Competition
as well.
After more than 20 years of dedicated teaching at CHCA, Mrs.
Bodley has decided to retire, travel, and spend more time with her
family. Her husband is a former CHCA employee and is currently a
Missions Pastor at Christ’s Church in Mason. Her son Bradley was
also a part of CHCA, graduating in ’97, and now lives in Columbus,
GA with wife Faith and two children, Colin and Hope. Both Bradley
and Faith work for the Department of the Army, and Bradley is
currently a Major in the Reserves. Mrs. Bodley also plans to continue
being involved with the school and with “guiding students to
build skills using technology to further their academic and career
pursuits”.
37

Resiliently faithful
Alumni News
In our homes, in our communities, around
the globe we are learning, leading, and
serving. We are Eagles.
by Casey (Sutherly) Purnhagen ‘00
There are more than 1800 alumni that now call
CHCA their alma mater – can you believe that?
It seems impossible that we stand celebrating
25 years as a school, and 20 years since the very
first graduates moved their tassels right to left,
ready to learn perpetually, lead humbly, and
serve compassionately, but here we are.
This year we’ve learned a lot about our
alumni around the globe, mostly by way of
our newsletter. It’s been an absolute blast to
connect with Eagles all over the world - to
hear their stories, their accomplishments, and
their hearts. We all know that CHCA graduates
some pretty incredible students, but two
decades into this journey, we can claim CEO’s
and entrepreneurs, surgeons, doctors and
nurses, teachers and administrators, pastors,
missionaries and humanitarians, professional
athletes, authors, and chart-toppers!
Seriously, it’s great to be an Eagle.
Even more, each and every story we hear
from our alumni is laced with truths that they
began to learn here at CHCA. For some it was
opportunities to travel abroad and engage
with the hurting world that lead them to fight
for the poor, feed the hungry, and empower
the powerless. For others it was a class that
gave them the chance to see business in
action, shadow a leader, or hear lessons from
entrepreneurs that led them to start their own
company. For many it was the impact of a
teacher that invested in them personally, challenged
their thinking, or encouraged them to
pursue their God-given talents and passions
that enabled them to be engaged in their
community and doing work they love.
We’re building a network, building community,
and building legacy – and we’d love for
you to join us!
Getting engaged in our
alumni community is simple:
Tell us how to reach you.
Join us on social media:
Facebook for regular updates
LinkedIn for networking
Read the newsletter.
Homecoming Festival & Game
Friday October 9
Festival 3PM
Bring your family for games, rides,
food and entertainment.
Game 7:30pm
Cheer on the Eagles v. Summit and see
the Class of 1995 half-time recognition.
2015-2016 Alumni Events
2015 Reunion
Saturday October 10
6:30pm
‘95 (+’96 & ‘97), ’00, ‘05 & ‘10
Join us for dinner and drinks
making new memories with old friends!
Alumni Date Night
Thursday November 19
6:30pm
Join other other alumni for the
CHCA Improv Show “Off the Cuff”.
Laughter. Childcare. Chocolate.
Details and RSVP coming soon!
38
Check the www.chca-oh.org/alumni website for updates for additional alumni events throughout the year
*These events feature special alumni-only discounts or freebies. Contact Alumni Coordinator, Julie Carnes via email at julie.carnes@chca-oh.org to learn more.

alumni
Class notes
Class of 1995
Jason Born recently left his role at Procter
& Gamble to pursue his passion of serving
individuals and teams on their journey towards
discovery. He founded OpenCircuit,
an innovation consultancy, as a platform to
guide organizations to release innovation
from their routines. To learn more check
out www.theopencircuit.com
Jeremy (‘95) and Erin (Metzger, ‘97) Conn
welcomed their
third child, Matthew
Aaron, in
December 2014.
They made it
home from the
hospital to introduce
baby to big
sister and brother
just hours before
Christmas
day. Their daughter
Kate just finished
Kindergarten
and their son James just finished PreK 4
at CHCA. The Conns are looking forward to
traveling this summer and introducing Matthew
to the pool.
Erika (Wasilewski)
Dollard and Karl welcome
baby Natalie
on February 19, 2015.
She is such a blessing
and such a sweet
baby. Natalie joins
big sister, Nora. .
Riaka (Jackson)
Shakelford is currently
working in Recruitment
with Michigan
Works, while her
husband, Dante, is a
Business Consultant
for A-Level Group.
They welcomed their
3rd child, London Monroe, back in August
‘14 and they are just all-around thankful for
all that God has done.
Joel Watson
married Sara
Atkinson on July
4, 2015 in Beavercreek,
Oh.
Jonathan and Jessica (Martin) Snyder
Their three children are enrolled at CHCA
EBL Elementary. They have a fourth daughter
who is with them in foster care, and they
hope to adopt her in the coming months.
Brent Walker and his wife Lauren added to
their family with the birth of their daughter
Farrah in December 2014. She joins Marissa
(age 6), and Caleb (age 2). They are
currently living in Mason and are a current
CHCA parent.
Class of 2000
Virginia (Weiss) Cutshall is currently living
in Cincinnati with her husband Ryan
and their two children, Lily (age 4) and Luke
(age 1).
Class of 1996
Jonathan Kloster and his wife, Marni have
lived in Denver
Colorado
for the past
15 years. Jon
has worked for
Wells Fargo for
the past nine
years and is VP
of Consumer
Lending . Marni
is an attorney
practicing
civil litigation. Their son Caleb (age 5) will
be starting kindergarten in the fall.
Class of 1997
Elizabeth (McVey) Cullen and her husband
Blake are enjoying
life in Cury,
North Carolina.
They have three
children that are
keeping them on
their toes: Gracie
(age 7), Jake (age
5), and Josh (20
mos.).
Class of 1998
John Ashbrook After ten years on Capitol
Hill, John recently departed his senior
position in Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell’s office and launched a new
company called Cavalry, LLC. Cavalry specializes
in public affairs, issue management
and digital advertising and serves a select list
of Fortune 50, trade association, non-profit
and political clients. John and his wife Kate
have three daughters: Margaret, Abigail and
Charlotte. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/john-ashbrook-mitch-mcconnell-114687.html
Ryan Kloster
and his wife
Natasha moved
back from Singapore
and are
living in Greenwich,
CT now,
but still travel
to London a
couple of times
a year. Ryan
is a Vice President and Strategist at Tudor
Investment Corporation. Their daughter
Thea will be in Kindergarten in the fall and
their son Nate is almost 3 years old.
Last year, Erin
(Dowd) Fish
and her husband
purchased
a home
in Seattle and
are expecting
their first baby
(boy!) at the
end of July.
They love living in the Pacific Northwest
and exploring all that it has to offer. God
has continued to bless them with amazing
friends and a gospel-centered church that
continues to grow them both.
Lita (Hitchcock)
Holeman
and her
husband Ryan
live in Deerpark
with their
three children,
Grace (age 6),
Noah (age 5),
and Andrew (age 2). Lita’s company “Kindly
Reply”(www.etsy.com/shop/kindlyreply)
is all about paper, ink and how it all comes
together for your special event.
39

alumni
Class notes
40
Chris and Sarah
Koenig recently had
baby boy #2, Henry
Christopher Koenig,
on June 12, 2014. In
addition, they are
heading into the
third year of Ohiolina
Music Festival - the
world’s best celebration of music from Ohio
and North Carolina. Sarah works at Quantum
Health in Public Relations and Chris works at
The Ohio State University with startup companies.
Travis and Erin (Snyder) Murray
They have been living
and serving in Peru
and with are expecting
their first baby
around Thanksgiving.
They have decided to
return to the states
where Travis has accepted
a teacher job
beginning this fall. If
you would like to follow their adventures, they
are keeping a blog site. Here is a recent entry
from June https://loveandlapsi.wordpress.
com/2015/05/26/image-of-god-in-culture/
Jenn (Reynolds)
Salyer married Corey
Salyer on June
6th, 2015. They
moved to Newark,
Ohio with their children
Lincoln and
Ellie. Corey is working
as a nurse in the
emergency room
while continuing his
education to become a nurse practitioner, and
Jenn stays busy starting her new business hand
lettering signs and making other pretty things.
Jessica (Myers) Schneider welcomed Evelyn
Schneider on December 23, 2014. She joins her
sister Quinn.
Ashley Scott graduated from the University
of Dayton in 2004 and went on to earn her
M.S.Ed. from UD in 2006. She is currently
the Associate Director of Student Housing at
California State University in Bakersfield, CA.
Dan Shirk The Shirks welcomed a baby girl,
Micaela, on February 17, 2015. She joins big
sister Keira (age 2).
Sarah (Moore)
Wagner Daisy
Elizabeth Wagner
was born on
April 4, 2015. Jon
and Sara are so
excited to have
her here, and
their son Cohen is thrilled to be a big brother!
Lauren (Baker) Zuperku graduated in
2004 with a BA in Mathematics (minor in
secondary education) and then completed
her MA in Educational Leadership in 2011
from Concordia University. She is currently
a Math teacher at New Trier High School in
Illinois. She and her husband David have a
three-year-old daughter.
Class of 2001
Jared Summers married Emily Anderson on
May 3, 2014. They welcomed their first son,
Anderson Christopher, on September 25,
2015. They currently reside in Houston, TX.
Class of 2002
Zach Bohannon serves as the Director of
The Center for Law and Culture at his alma
mater, Olivet Nazarene University, in the
Chicagoland area. The Center, in unique
partnership with Olivet, focuses on instilling
a vibrant Judeo-Christian worldview in
students and other citizens who are called
to serve God virtuously in public life, particularly
in law, government, and politics. This
program is the only one of its kind among all
institutions in the Council for Christian Colleges
and Universities (CCCU). In his role as
Director of the Center, Zach oversees dayto-day
operations, constituent relations, and
student recruitment. In January, Zach represented
The Center for Law and Culture
at the National Association of Evangelicals
Student Leadership Conference in Washington,
DC. During that trip, Zach got to catch
up with Chris Hess ’04 and Cincinnati Congressman
Steve Chabot, pictured here. For
more about The Center for Law and Culture,
check out www.lawandculture.org.
Wes and Dori
(Dostal) Edmonson
welcomed
baby Henry on
February 7, 2015.
He is a loving smiley
baby. He joins
his brother Oliver.
Brett LoVellette and his wife Jessica are
living in Singapore
where
Brett is an attorney.
They
were married
in 2013 in the
country of
Uganda. They
visited home
for his brother
Will’s (‘10)
wedding last
April and they were also home last year for
Luke Hitchcock’s (‘02) wedding.
Collin Richardson recently graduated with
a Doctor of
Musical Arts
Degree in
Organ Performance
from
the CCM at
University
of Cincinnati.
Collin
joined Dr. Dan
Grantham,
who was also receiving his doctorate at that
time. Dr. Grantham is the a current CHCA
faculty member and Collin’s former band
teacher.
Chad Riley completed his MBA in 2014 at
Texas A&M University. Currently is the Director
of Strategy for Wayside Schools in
Austin, TX.

Darah Stutz
Kerpka and her
husband, Rob
currently live in
Nashville, TN.
They were married
in 2011 and
welcomed their
first child Jack
Anderson Kerpka,
on August 19, 2014. After a rough pregnancy
and first few months in this world
Jack is a thriving 9 month old happy baby
boy who is enjoying his new found freedom
as a crawler! Darah works as a Site Director
at Preston Taylor Ministries, a non-profit
in Nashville that ministers to the residents
and children of the Preston Taylor housing
project. They are loving life as a family of
three and always look forward to visiting
family and friends in Cincinnati as often as
possible.
Class of 2003
Natalie Betscher works at Back2Back Ministries
as the Child Sponsorship Director.
She got involved with Back2Back through
CHCA when she went on her first trip in
the 8th grade. She shares, “It’s a joy to get
to serve God and the children through the
work that I do with Back2Back.”
Eric and Crista Bowman went on a medical
mission trip this year with Global Health
Outreach from May 22-30. Eric used his
medical expertise to meet the intense need
at a clinic in Tegucigalpa, while Crista spent
time praying and meeting with the patients
and their families.
Kathryn Ashbrook Folkerth received her
J.D. from State University of New York at
Buffalo in 2010. She is married to Joshua
and has a son Max who is 2 years old.
Zachary Han married Molly Walsh on June
5, 2015. They currently live in Missouri
Ashley (Petersen) Harriman Carter Jerome
Harriman was born on April 4, 2015 to
joyful parents. Ashley, Mark and Carter live
in Indianapolis, IN.
Dan (D.J.) Pohl
Charles, their first
child, was born August
20, 2014. He’s a
happy, healthy baby
and they feel incredibly
blessed.
Class of 2004
Robin Beshear moved back to Cincinnati in
2013 after living and working in Washington,
D.C. for five years. Although she enjoyed
her years in D.C., she is happy to be back in
the Cincinnati area. She currently serves as
Director of Selection at Northwestern Mutual,
where she is in charge of talent acquisition
as they continue to grow their team
of Financial Advisors. Robin works closely
with Ben Beshear (‘97) to guide candidates
through their process and determine if this
is the right fit, right firm, and right time. Robin
enjoys reconnecting with old classmates
and helped to plan the Class of 2004 10 year
reunion last fall.
Chad Neichter and his wife Sarah are living
in Columbus, OH. He’s currently working
for Fidelity Investments as a VP, Financial
Consultant focused on wealth planning.
Their daughter Faith is now 16 months old
and they are expecting a second child in December
of this year! They recently bought
an investment property cabin in Hocking
Hills and are spending a lot of time there.
Among the cabin, travel, their daughter and
one on the way - life is a bit crazy, but a lot
of fun!
Resiliently faithful
’05
Alex Zekoff ‘05
This past year, Alex and his wife Jacquie
have been living in Japan. This experience
was eye-opening for both of us. Imagine
learning how to do something a certain
way for your entire life, and then overnight,
everything changing. How to eat correctly.
How to introduce yourself. How to
interact in a business setting. The last
one, in particular, was the most difficult
to learn. Never say “no” in a meeting.
Napping at your desk is encouraged. Every
decision requires a meeting before the
meeting. The cultural differences can be a
challenge, and yet, my wife and I both agree
that Japan has been the most rewarding
experience of our lives. The people, the
food, and the beauty make the Land of the
Rising Sun a place we had the privilege to
call home. On Memorial Day, we departed
Japan, embarking on a two and a half
month journey around Southeast Asia
and Eastern Europe, before arriving at our
final destination -- Berkeley, CA, our new
home. I will be attending graduate school
full-time to get my MBA at the University
of California, Berkeley Haas School of
Business. If you’re ever in the area, feel free
to reach out.
41

alumni
Class Notes
Grace Schuler
is working on
her PsyD at
Wheaton College
Graduate
School. She
and Jonathan
Spencer will
be married
July 11, 2015 in
Cincinnati.
Nathaniel
Sizemore The
Sizemores
have moved
back to Cincinnati
from
Washington,
D.C. because
Nathaniel accepted
the position of Vice President and
General Counsel of his family’s company,
Sizemore & Company, LLC. Sizemore &
Company is a management and consultancy
company that focuses on the construction
industry.
leadership development program sponsored
by the Cincinnati USA Regional
Chamber. She began her MBA studies at
the University of Cincinnati in the spring
of 2015. She serves on the Young Professionals
Board of ArtsWave, and serves on
the Community Relations Committee of
Prevent Blindness Ohio.
Matt Stamp is
getting married
to Katie Dunn
on October 17,
2015. Fellow
CHCA graduates
Kevin
Hern ‘05 and
Griffin Kelp ‘05
are part of the
wedding party.
Brittany (Woods) West and Kenneth
were married in 2012 and welcomed their
first child Zoe on November 11, 2014.
They are currently in Atlanta, Georgia
where Brittany is the National Southeast
Recruiter FAS & Fire for Cintas.
courses that are in NC State, UNC and
Duke. It is golfer’s paradise and hallowed
ground for college basketball fans!
Jarrod Richardson
recently
married Chelsea
Kennedy on May
23, 2015 at the
Manor House
in Mason, Oh.
They have relocated
to Seattle,
WA where they
are continuing
their careers and looking forward to starting
their marriage together.
42
Class of 2005
Andy and Ashley (Grant) Dahmus were
CHCA high school sweethearts who were
married May of 2011. Andy is a SAP BW
Consultant with Intelligence Company on
Reed Hartman Hwy.
Rachael (Tract) Gardner currently lives
in Liberty Township where she is a Cincinnati
Gymnastics coach. Rachael and her
husband Stephen are expecting their first
child in September 2015.
Katie Malczewski, MD graduated from
the University of Pittsburgh Medical
school and practices Obstetrics in New
Orleans. She and Alex Moore, MD married
in April 2012 and have just moved into
their first house. Her husband left the surgical
practice to pursue a degree in Medical
/ Hospital Management with the plan
to eventually move back north.
Teddy Siegel currently
serves as the
Advocacy & Government
Relations
Specialist at Mercy
Health in Cincinnati.
She recently graduated
from the inaugural
class of CincyNext, a
Class of 2006
Allison (Zurlinden)
Imrie and
her husband welcomed
their beautiful
daughter on
New Years Eve, and
since then life has
been a non-stop
whirlwind of exciting,
unforgettable
memories. They have never been so tired
or felt so alive and happy!
Megan (Savage) Knox received her J.D.
from University of Cincinnati in 2013 and
is currently with Bricker & Eckler. She
married Thomas Knox on June 21, 2014
and currently lives in Columbus, OH.
Chris McGuire After graduating from
Butler University with a PharmD, Chris
has completed 2 years of postgraduate
residency. He is currently a clinical cardiology
pharmacist at WakeMed Hospital
in Raleigh, NC. He staffs in the cardiology
unit as well as the Emergency Department.
Chris precepts pharmacy students
and residents from UNC Chapel Hill and
Campbell University, as well as lectures
at these schools. Living in the Raleigh
area allows Chris to enjoy the quality golf
Jonathan Wallace owns his own Medicare
insurance business. He, his wife,
Danielle, and their dog recently moved
to Morrow. The Wallace clan [Jonathan
‘06, Nathan ‘07, Paula (Armleder teacher
2010-2011) & spouses] just returned from
Orange Beach, AL.
Class of 2007
Ryan Atkins will be graduating from UC
this coming spring with a degree in Finance.
He has enjoyed leading a weekly
bible study with CHCA boys from the
class of 2017. Ryan was recently engaged
to Stephanie Perry in an epic engagement
that involved many of his CHCA Bible
study students!
David Betcher is currently living in Ann
Arbor, Michigan, where he works as a GIS
Program Specialist for the Great Lakes
Commission producing map products
and spatial analysis tools which support
contingency planning and invasive species
control projects in the Great Lakes
region. He enjoys exploring Michigan’s
shoreline and state parks and is grateful
to live within a day’s drive of Cincinnati.

Resiliently faithful
Nathan Wallace works for LeanDog as
a software Developer in Cleveland, OH.
His office is on a barge on Lake Erie, just
east of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He
did graduate work at Case Western Reserve
University, where his wife, Claire,
is getting her PhD.
James Havey ’07
James Havey joined Maryknoll Lay Missioners
in 2012 after graduating from Marquette University
with a BS in International Affairs: Third
World Development. His college experience
was culminated in the Marquette University
South Africa Service Learning program in
Cape Town, South Africa. Here, James spent 5
months studying at the University of Western
Cape while working on a grassroots community
development NGO in Nyanga, South Africa
called Etafeni Day Care Centre and Trust. All
these experiences drove him into a life of mission
and follow the Liberation Theological Philosophy
of, “Option for the Poor”. James has
been serving in Phnom Penh, Cambodia since
January of 2013 with Maryknoll Lay Missioners.
His mission there has been largely focused on
combatting sexual exploitation. He has worked
with two research studies addressing Cambodia’s
“demand” for the sex industry which
is producing documentaries which are now
making their rounds on the international film
festival circuit. He is also building a project to
provide beautician training to this highly marginalized
community. Most recently, James,
in collaboration with local Christian NGOs,
Phnom Penh’s LGBT Pride week, and with
the support of the Finnish Embassy of Bangkok,
hosted Phnom Penh’s first LGBT-Christian
Dialogue. This was a panel-led workshop
comprised of Phnom Penh’s Christian leaders
to discuss the realities of the relationship between
these two, often-times stratified, communities
in the hopes of moving forward to a
more unified and mutually-supportive future.
He has also recently hosted another full-day
workshop entitled, “Engaging with the LGB-
TI” during the 2015 South-South Institute, an
international conference comprised of the
world’s top leaders in working with male victims
of sexual violence. If you would like to
learn more or support James and his fellow
Maryknoll Lay Missioners in their work around
the world, please visit: www.mklm.org
Nicole (Ruter) Bradley recently married
on April 18, 2015 to Marc Bradley. In the
wedding were fellow 2007 CHCA alumni:
Natalie Leonard, Alex (Brown) Chacksfield,
Kate (Perkins) Snell, & Liz Lehky.
They are currently living in their first home
in West Chester with their dog Charlie.
She is currently a 5th and 6th grade science
teacher at Fairfield Intermediate.
She is also currently pursuing her masters
at UC for curriculum and instruction with
a STEM endorsement.
Amy (Stevens)
Hendley Rosalie
Katherine
Hendley was
born on March
31, 2015 - happy
and healthy and
smiling on her
first day. Her sister
Mary Evelyn
Grace is now a
year and a half
old and loves having a new best friend to
play with. They recently moved to Charlotte,
NC.
Thomas Hunter
is currently in
his second year
as a Peace Corps
volunteer in the
wonderful country
of Paraguay.
His primary focus
is agriculture
but he also works
closely with the
elementary school in his community,
teaching the children about the environment
and gardens.
Elizabeth Mitchell and her husband Darren
moved to Raleigh, NC for my his job.
Elizabeth has launched an online business
called The Party Boxes (www.thepartyboxes.com)
specializing in taking the
trouble out of party planning, as they do
it all for you.
Class of 2008
Adam Clark
graduated
from the University
of Cincinnati
College
of Law
in May of this
year. In June,
he moved to
Washington,
D.C. and began working as a Policy Associate
for Collier Collective, LLC - a
strategy, advocacy, and coalition building
consulting firm serving public interest
clients. Adam lives in the Dupont
Circle neighborhood and is enjoying his
new career and his lively new surroundings.
Kaci Kust works for Time Warner Cable/CN2
as a sports reporter/anchor
covering sports in NKY, Louisville, Lexington,
and Cincinnati. She is also a
Bengals correspondent for CN2 and is
UC women’s basketball Analyst.
Erin McGuire graduated from Samford
University with a degree in Business/
Marketing. She is currently a production
manager for Luckie and Company,
an advertising agency. She loves the
great shopping, food, and warm weather
which make Birmingham, AL a true
southern city.
James (Jamie) Rasmussen is living in
Cincinnati and is the bass guitar player
for Automajik band.
Alex Rice graduated
from OSU
in 2013 with a degree
in Nutrition
and currently
works both as a
personal trainer
at 11athletics gym
in Bexley, OH,
and for REI.
43

alumni
Class Notes
44
Todd Simmons graduated from Miami
University in 2012 with a BA in Zoology &
minor in Religion. He’s currently a second
year medical student at Northeast Ohio
Medical University, with fellow CHCA
Alumnus Joel Shackson ‘08. He is leaning
towards pursuing a career in Emergency
Medicine or Anesthesiology.
Courtney Wetterich
Since graduating
from the University of
Colorado at Boulder
in 2012, Courtney has
been performing yearround
in professional
ice shows. She has
worked for several different
companies in five countries, and most
recently was on a 7-month tour with Holiday
On Ice “Passion” in the Netherlands, Germany,
and France. “Being on tour in countries
where I don’t speak the native languages
and cannot always rely on technology has
taught me invaluable lessons that I could
not have learned in school. Moving by tour
bus from city to city each week forced me to
adapt to the culture quickly and take advantage
of the local cuisine, lifestyle, and tourist
attractions on our few days off. It was such
an incredible experience being abroad with
other figure skaters and crew of 20 different
nationalities, and seeing places that most
people can only imagine. I am anxious to go
back on tour in Europe in November, but will
continue to skate this summer in Sun Valley,
Idaho. I am very fortunate to live this crazy,
nomadic life and share my love for figure
skating with audiences around the world.”
Class of 2009
Katherine Bulling is
working in Spain for a
sports management
company that places
European students
into U.S. colleges via
scholarships. The job
is fun yet challenging,
the food is fantastic, the people are great,
and her travels around Spain have been
wonderful.
Lindsay (Trucksis)
Combs graduated
from Lipscomb University
in 2013 in theology
and music. She
was wed to Taylor
Combs in October
2014 and resides in
Nashville, TN. She
and her husband are very involved in her
church’s youth group and she is on staff
part-time as the worship leader. Lindsay is a
singer-songwriter in Nashville and recently
released an EP, “Forget To Breathe.”
Courtney Kust graduated with her Masters
from Xavier in 2014. She works at Hope
College in Holland, MI as the Women’s basketball
coach and Manager in the Events
and Conferences Department.
James and Megan (Conway) Lipsey welcomed
their baby girl on November 9, 2014.
Lauren Luessen
and Adam Testerman
were married
on August 1, 2015.
They will be living in
Mason, OH
Jeff McCormick graduated from University
of Notre Dame in 2013 and currently lives in
Chicago, working as a Systems Engineer for
DMC, Inc.
Sarah (Eslick) Robinson married Jake
Robinson on June 7, 2014. They moved
back to Cincinnati from Nashville and Jake
is slowly getting involved in the Cincinnati
music scene. Sarah is beginning classes at
Aveda Fredericks Institute.
Paul Tepfenhart
graduated from Miami
in 2013 with a BS
in Business and has
been busy building
a biometrics startup
company at Cross-
Chx based out of
Columbus. He is
super excited to be driving a start up, but
misses those carefree days at CHCA.
Class of 2010
Ryan Chappelle and Leighwilson Legg
were married on August 2, 2014.
Ronnie (Veronica) Colwell graduated Cum
Laude from Auburn University in 2014 with
a BA in Communication Disorders. She is
currently pursuing a Doctorate of Audiology
from the University of Cincinnati.
Morgan Feeney graduated from Miami
University in 2014 and just completed her
first year with Teach for America working
as a Special Education Teacher in Atlanta,
Georgia. This summer, she is spending five
weeks in Phnom Penh, Cambodia working
with Hope for Justice - an organization that
exists to end human trafficking and slavery.
Hannah Fussner is working as a receptionist
full time, and a bartender/server on
the weekends. She is hopeful to finish her
marketing degree at UC when time allows!
She us currently focusing on purchasing her
first house and enjoying her twenties!
Stephen Koch asked
Alicia Grant to be his
wife on the CHCA
football field where
they shared their
first kiss in 8th grade!
They are set to be
married October 24,
2015 in Pleasant Hill, OH
Sean and Hana (Conway) Herron were
married May 2, 2015 and are living in Northern
Kentucky. They both currently work for
Selfdiploma, an entertainment company
founded by Sean. Selfdiploma creates large
events, concerts, and other creative concepts
including Ubahn Fest and the Fountain
Square Summer Concert Series. The
company also manages a roster of Cincinnati’s
best DJs, some of which have performed
all over the world and some stay booked
with various local gigs. As Hana and Sean
were planning their wedding they wanted
to create an elegant, yet comfortable atmosphere
for all their guests. They were
looking to rent unique furniture to do so but
could not find the style they wanted to rent
anywhere locally, so they purchased over 75
pieces to fill their wedding venue. Hana and
Sean are now starting a new business venture
renting the furniture out to other people
who want to create a similar atmosphere
at their event. Pictures and information can
be found at www.facebook.com/cincinnatiloungerentals.
Selfdiploma Company Info:
www.selfdiploma.com, bookings@selfdiploma.com,
Social @selfdiploma
Mallory Oconnor graduated in 2014 from
OSU and is now pursuing a Pharmacy D at
OSU. She is currently a Pharmacy intern at
Riverside Hospital.
Andrew Perkins is currently working for a
college ministry called Cru (formerly Campus
Crusade for Christ). He was involved
with Cru as a student at Miami University
and decided to join staff when he graduated.
He spent several months in Podgorica,
Montenegro (Eastern Europe), on a team
serving as a spiritual resource for college
’1

Feldman ‘10
I am currently on an 11 month long mission trip
called 0Alysse
the World Race. Each month, I travel
to a new country and partner with an organization
or church there. Since September, I
have served in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam,
Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Albania,
and Honduras. I have taught English,
preached, led church small groups, worked
with victims of human trafficking, been involved
with children’s ministry, hospital ministry,
manual labor, orphan care, and more. I
even picked corn for a few days in the mountains
of Thailand (didn’t see that one coming).
Our goal on the race is to serve in whatever
way would be most helpful to our partner
organizations, and really just to be Jesus to
people. God has taught me so much this year
through people abroad, as well as through the
team I serve with. One thing I have learned is
to not put ministry or God in a box. Serving
God doesn’t have to look like structured ministry
with a specific start and end time. It can
just be talking to the lady with the little market
on the corner about her day. It can be as
simple as striking up a conversation with the
homeless man you usually pass by. I am learning
that all God needs is for us to be willing to
listen to Him and go do! That’s when ministry
becomes a lifestyle, and that’s when Jesus
shines through us best. This year I have met
people who do that so well. On each continent,
I have been overwhelmed at how people
love their communities so well. They live radically
for God, even at the risk of persecution.
These people radiate the love of Christ. It has
been an incredibly humbling year, and amazing
to see how God works around the world. I
just finished up a month in Honduras teaching
English and working with a local medical clinic.
Next, I head to Nicaragua and Costa Rica
before returning back to the United States in
July. If you’d like to hear more about what God
is doing through this experience, you can read
my blog, at alyssefeldman.theworldrace.org
students, and trying
to build a student
movement
through discipleship
and spiritual
multiplication.
This coming year
he will be on a
team working with
the Greek ministry at Miami University.
Danny VanWinkle graduated from Miami
University in 2014 with a B.A. in Marketing.
He currently lives in Chicago where
he works at W.W. Grainger as a Sales Rep.
Class of 2011
Meredith Allgood
recently graduated
from the Wake
Forest University
Honors Psychology
program where
she conducted
her thesis research
on Attentional
Bias Therapies. Attentional Bias
Therapy is traditionally used in treatment
of depression and anxiety, but in collaboration
with Dr. Christian Waugh (Wake
Forest University) and Dr. Ernst Koster
(The University of Ghent), Meredith used
Temporal Level Bias Scores (TL-BS) as a
measurement of emotional variability to
predict the instability in mood associated
with depression. The thesis will be submitted
to a peer-reviewed psychological
journal for publication in the fall. Meredith
will continue her study of psychology
at Xavier University where she will pursue
a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Andrew Amend graduated from Centre
College with a double major in International
Studies and Politics. He is continuing
on to earn his MBA/JD from the
University of Cincinnati. He played soccer
for his four years at Centre College
and served on the Intrafraternal Council.
He was a member of Sigma Chi Zeta Zeta
Chapter. He represented Centre College
at Nationals in the Model Arab League.
He studied abroad in Cameroon Africa
and interned with the museum at the
School for the Deaf.
Kelly Canavan graduated
from OSU undergrad
and will be continuing
on to the OSU
dental school in the fall.
Resiliently faithful
Nathan Conway
graduated
from Arizona
State University
this past May.
He moved to Seattle,
Washington
at the end
of June to take
a position with
T-Mobile.
Madeleien Drees graduated from Kent
State with a BFA in Musical Theater and
is moving to Sugarcreek, OH in August to
work for BlueGate Musicals.
Meredith Hughes graduated from Miami
University with a MFA in Creative Writing.
Abbie (Marosi)
Aprile graduated
Miami University
in May with
a bachelors in
Music Education.
She will continue
to live in Cincinnati,
OH and will
be teaching this
upcoming year as
the new Strings Teacher at CHCA. Her
performance honors include worship
leading violin and voice at Living Church
in Covington, KY and shows/recordings
with the band “Aire Alistaire”. She married
Joe Aprile on July 25th, 2015 at the
church she grew up in - Kenwood Baptist
Church!! Her goals are to continue education
in music and business as well as
following her passion to teach in the mission
field.
Heather Owens graduated from NKU in
2015 with a degree in English/Spanish languages.
Eric Rice graduated
from Miami
University with a
degree in Marketing.
He is currently
working for “Big
Ass Solutions”
(www.bigasssolutions.com)
in Atlanta.
45

alumni
Class Notes
Brad Tepfenhart just
graduated from Miami
in 2015 with a BS
in Mechanical Engineering.
He starts his
career with Textron as
a Quality Engineer on
the drone program. He
will be living in Towson,
MD and would love to see Eagle alums when
they are in town.
46
Elena VandenBerg
graduated from the
College of William and
Mary in May 2015. She
will teach in Switzerland
for the summer
and is a national Fulbright
grant recipient
for the year 2015-2016.
She will teach high school English in Burgos,
Bulgaria while working in local schools and continuing
to set up her non-profit organization
The Recreation House in the local community.
Class of 2012
Laura Atkins finished her junior year at Miami
University in early childhood education. She
is currently on a summer capstone trip led by
Dr. James Shively (MU professor and husband
of Mindy, CHCA science teacher). They are
observing classrooms in elementary schools in
several European countries. She is excited to
be student teaching 2nd grade at Loveland Elementary
this fall.
Kate Bohanan is spending the summer interning
at the Jazz Arts Group in Columbus before
returning for her Senior year at Otterbein University.
She is a member of Otterbein’s concert
choir, Opus One (Jazz Ensemble) and is a twoyear
Resident Hall Advisor.
Michelle Fenney will be working in Washington
D.C. this summer as an intern in the Office of
Global affairs - African Bureau. She is going into
her senior year at University of Notre Dame.
Stephanie Schlosser is entering her 3rd year
of a 5 year Masters program in Occupational
Therapy at Eastern Michigan University. She
was named to the CAA all-Academic Rowing
team for the second straight season. This is her
3rd year as a varsity Rower for Eastern Michigan
while maintaining a 3.9 GPA on full scholarship.
’12
Pete Riewald
I travelled to the East to learn about the mountains, more specifically to become a mountaineer;
but what I have come to realize is that I will be leaving with much more. I was
enrolled in a two month Mountaineering course through NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership
School) in northern India in the state of Uttarakhand which is right on the border of
Tibet and Nepal. On April 25th, the day of the major earthquake, I was perched high in the
Himalayas above 18,000 ft. What we felt was merely a tremor compared to what parts of
North-Eastern felt; yet, while maneuvering kilometer long glaciers, any movement means
crevasses open up, avalanches occur and the safety of you and your expedition team is at
jeopardy. Is there a better classroom to learn risk management skills then a moving, shattering
glacier in the highest mountain range in the world? Once the course was finished,
I spent a few days transiting to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. While traveling around India for
a few days, I decided to go ahead with my plan to trek to Everest Basecamp even though
I had caught word that they had closed the mountain down for the climbing season; it
was still open to trekkers. Upon flying to Kathmandu, I saw the worst of the devastation
in person with no barrier, no television or computer screen between me and the city. It
was terrifying, and supremely eye opening. Bodies being burned and sent down the river;
thousand year old temples grounded; and men women and children alike, displaced
around this clustered city. I hired a rickshaw driver and drove around the city, what I saw
was chaos. In a western sense, Kathmandu is always chaos; animals taking rest in the road,
motorcyclists weaving from side to side and shopkeepers yelling from their stands. The
earthquake has taken that chaos and flipped it on its head. After visiting a few days of the
shanties and relief tents in Kathmandu, I took a 11 hour Jeep out into the mountains to
begin my trek to EBC (Everest Basecamp). I soon discovered that the issues facing mountain
villages were much different than those in Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, many people
died from poorly designed buildings falling over, fresh foods were no where to be found,
clean water (or just water in general) was nowhere. They are still facing issues involving
the poorly designed buildings. So much damaged was caused by this earthquake that they
predict it will take nearly 2 years to fully rebuild. They also have lost a lot of their history
with the destruction of temples and shrines. The mountain towns have been affected in
a different way, they have lost their income with the absence of tourists. A region that is
usually swarmed with tourists and trekkers alike was a ghost town. Along my hike to EBC
I was the only person heading north. I saw few westerners all together, and all of them
were heading south away from the mountains. Also, in these remote mountain towns they
made homes of stone, because of its availability I suppose. This creates a large hazard for
dangerous buildings that are heavy and have no support. I was able to do some relief work
with Empower Nepali Girls Foundation by passing out meds and food rations. I was happily
surprised by all the relief efforts I saw along the way, although much more is needed.
Now that I am back in the States, I will begin working with Whittaker Mountaineering this
climbing season in Ashford, WA. I’ve have dreamt of having this job and now it’s a reality!

Austin Skoglund is entering his senior year at
the University of Florida majoring in Mechanical
Engineering with a minor in Engineering
sales. He is the External Vice Chair for ASME
(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
as well as the Videographer for UF Baseball
Team and a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.
He is working this summer in NJ as the Operations
Manager for Nestle.
Meredith Stutz is a
rising senior at Elon
University studying
broadcast journalism
and entrepreneurship.
She has just come off
of what she calls “her
favorite and best year
so far” since arriving at
Elon in North Carolina. She finished off junior
year earning the President’s List for Spring 2015.
In April she received the D’Angelo Family Scholarship
which recognizes one rising senior in the
field of broadcast communication. She also was
chosen to receive the RTDNAC Dr. John Bittner
Scholarship given to one student in North Carolina
and one in South Carolina for pursuing and
engaging in a field of journalism. Meredith also
received an Ohio Scholarship from the P.E.O
women’s philanthropic organization. This spring,
she was inducted into three honors societies, including
Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership
honors society. This past year she was
selected and served as an anchor for Elon Local
News’ live weekly evening broadcast as well as a
reporter for the organization as a whole. Meredith
served on the student executive board for
Elon’s chapter InterVaristy Christian Fellowship
and looks forward to co-leading her small group
Bible study next year. Meredith also continued
to work as a tour guide for Elon Admissions and
as a member of the Special Event Committee
for Campus Recreation. After interning for the
past two summers in Cincinnati, she is interning
with CBS’s “60 Minutes” in New York City for
Summer 2015. Meredith is extremely excited and
honored for the opportunity to learn first hand
about long form journalism and the people who
are shaping the world we live in today, both from
a national and global perspective.
Tyler Tepfenhart is
headed to his senior
year at Baylor University
studying Molecular
Biology. He also is
a four-year starter on
the Baylor Lacrosse
team. He is eager to
return to Ohio next year for Medical school
and Friday night CHCA football games.
Class of 2013
Wes Braden is entering his junior year at
Wheaton College, and has been working with a
startup company- Tru-Colour Bandages, which
manufactures and sells flexible-fabric, adhesive
bandages in skin tones darker than those currently
represented by JandJ and 3M. Their website
is www.trucolourbandages.com.
This summer Brad Feldman is studying Sports
Medicine and Clinic Health at the Danish Institute
of Study in Copenhagen, Denmark. Afterwards
he plans to backpack through Europe
with destinations including: Ireland, Scotland,
Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium,
Luxembourg, Holland, Croatia, & Hungary.
Then he will go back for his Junior year at Wake
Forest University where he is majoring in Biology
with a double minor in Chemistry and Sociology.
Anna Love spent the month of June as an intern
serving alongside the Back2Back staff in
Cancun, Mexico. She is very excited to see what
God has planned for her!
Carmen Brown Mauldin had an exciting second
year at Xavier University, spending some
time in Washington D.C. with the Philosophy,
Politics, and the Public program, as well as some
time at a refugee settlement in Omaha, Nebraska.
Next year she will be an RA at Xavier.
Kaitlin Shields is getting ready for her junior
year at Auburn University.
Resiliently faithful
Dajah Siplin recently
completed her
sophomore year at
Xavier University, but
her second semester
was spent studying
abroad in Nicaragua.
While there, she took
16 credit hours on courses such as Nicaraguan
History, Culture and Society, Liberation Theology
and even Folkloric Dance! Not only was
she taking classes, but she also lived with a host
family where she was one of six kids, and volunteered
at a Children’s Home for kids and adults
with mental and physical disabilities. There she
worked with kids who had cerebral palsy, spina
bifida, and other developmental disabilities.
Dajah says that going to Nicaragua was one of
the best and most challenging experiences of
her entire life and cannot believe she was blessed
to have such a great opportunity where she
was able to grow and learn more about not only
herself, but also her faith. Because of this experience
and her work at the Children’s Home,
this summer she will be working at the Conductive
Learning Center of Greater Cincinnati, a
place of education, training and development
for individuals with cerebral palsy, spina bifida,
and other motor challenges. Dajah is currently
a Health Services Administration major with a
double minor in Business and Spanish.
Class of 2014
Rachel Finch will be attending Ohio University
this fall in their Nursing Program.
Caroline Kuremsky
loved her first year
at Butler University
where she was a Student
Ambassador Tour
Guide. She also was
a member of the BU
Dance Team, which
traveled to NYC to
dance at Madison Square Garden for the Big
East Tournament, and to Pittsburgh for Round 1
of the NCAA Tournament. She pledged Kappa
Alpha Theta Sorority and made the Dean’s List
both semesters.
Morgan Shiveley is
serving as an intern
with Back2Back Ministries
this summer at
their Monterrey, Mexico
site. She helps facilitate
church and youth
groups who come down on week-long trips,
as well as serves as support for site staff and
develops relationships with the children and
caregivers at local children’s homes. This is her
second year as an intern, and the time she spent
there last summer greatly influenced her decision
to declare an Early Childhood Education
major and Spanish minor at Miami University.
Her passion for serving the orphan child began
to develop while she was a middle school student
at CHCA during the opportunity to go on a
week-long mission trip with Mr. McCollum. She
is so grateful to CHCA for giving her the tools
and skills to explore this passion throughout her
time as a student, and for still providing an avenue
for support as she continues to return to
Mexico and pursue a possible career in orphan
care.
Alex Stevens JH Ranch is a Christian guest
ranch located in Etna, California. Their mission
statement is to transform lives one family at a
time. For six years it has been Alex’s dream to
play the bass guitar in the worship band there,
and he is so excited to share that he will be doing
just that this entire summer!
47

11525 Snider Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45249