E D U C AT I N G A N D C U LT I VAT I N G S E R VA N T S F O R C H R I S T
TRUMPETER
2016 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
C U YA H O G A
VA L L EY
C H R I S T I A N
A C A D E M Y
ON THE COVER
CVCA
TRUMPETER
JULY 2016
President:
Jason Spodnik ’88
Page 12: Pittsburgh Project Mission Trip
Public Relations Coordinator:
Jocey Bolender
Alumni Relations Coordinator:
Sara (Colledge) Koons ’94
Designer:
Anna (Jones) Lile ’84
Photography:
Lifetouch Photography
IN THIS ISSUE:
4
6
NEW STRATEGIC PLAN
8
DEVELOPMENT
CVCA Yearbook Staff
CVCA Board of Trustees:
Paul Moncrief ’80, President
Eric Bosshard ’88
Brad Deetscreek
Paul Eck
Roger Emerson
Craig Keslar ’75
Kerry Sullivan
David Wright
The Trumpeter is published
three times a year for friends
of CVCA. If you would like
your name removed from
the mailing list, please phone
330-929-0575, ext. 331, or
e-mail pzaubi@ cvcaroyals.org.
New Endowed Scholarship
2016-2017 Scholarship Recipients
Annual Golf Outing
Annual Giving
STUDENT MISSIONS
14
16
COMMENCEMENT
18
ATHLETICS
22
ECHOES
Dave Petno ’84
Don Richards
Program Review
Standardized Testing
Royal Scholars
12
Rich Millisor
Tom Piazza
ACADEMICS
14
Pittsburgh Project Trip
Dominican Republic Trip
FINE ARTS
The Royal Theatre’s Mary Poppins
Annual Portfolio Show
16
2015-2016 Royals Highlights
2016 Spring Sports
Alumni Events
Class Notes
Class of 1976 Reunion
Royal Heritage Alumni
18
Thank YOU for a great year!
A W O R D
F R O M
O U R
P R E S I D E N T
e celebrate a year of growth and preparation as we reflect on His provision and
blessing on CVCA this past school year! Thank you, Lord!
W
We celebrate the CVCA Community that came together this year in marvelous ways to
impact hearts and minds not only in the classrooms, the hallways, the stage, the playing
fields, and all areas of the school…but in the daily walks of young people in every area of
their lives as He used us (HE USED US!) to transform many from a life of compartmentalized faith to a vibrant relationship with the Savior that affects every part of their lives.
What a joy! The process is a journey and the bumps and bruises along the way are no fun
for any involved, but to see young lives get to the end of a school year having maximized
their talents and gifts with a deeper, authentic relationship with Christ: WHAT A JOY!
When I say “He used us to transform,” I pause to clarify two facts:
We celebrate the
CVCA Community
that came together
this year in marvelous
ways to impact
hearts and minds…
1. “Us” means all of us – The parents (and grandparents) that invest and trust in the
process at CVCA and allow us the great privilege to partner with them to prepare
their children…The teachers and staff members that literally pour their lives out for
their students daily…The students that challenge, encourage, support, and sharpen
each other while they continue to figure out who they are in Christ as they fight the
battles that teenagers fight in this changing culture…The alumni and friends of
CVCA that give of their time, treasure, and talents to continue to support the
mission of CVCA as we Educate and Cultivate Servants for Christ. More than the
incredible individual contributions that each of these groups made to our community, the heart-felt prayers lifted up by all of these groups for our entire community
was (and will always be) the sustaining activity of our school. Thank you!
2. While He graciously and fantastically uses us in this great journey, let’s be clear –
it’s not us that does the transforming. He is the Vine and we are the branches. We
are reminded in John 15:4-5: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am
the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
So as we celebrate, we give thanks. We thank you for the wonderful part you played in a
great year at CVCA. It was a privilege to be a part of such an impactful year. Beyond us
and our passioned efforts and sterling accomplishments as a community, we end this year
and look forward to the next with hearts full of gratitude and praise to our Creator, our
Sustainer, our Transformer, our Savior.
THANK YOU!
Educating and Cultivating
Servants for Christ
All to Him I owe,
Creating a kingdom impact by educating and preparing disciples of
Jesus who are able to grow in an authentic relationship with Christ and
use their talents and gifts to share the Gospel with an unbelieving world
CVCA’s 2020 Strategic Plan is the result of a twelve-month research and planning process that included mountains of
feedback, analysis, and data from all facets of the CVCA community: parents, faculty, administration, and Board members. The result is five strategic goals, 16 focused initiatives, and numerous measureable action items for both the near
and the long term. This plan represents the collective thoughts about what should be our school’s guiding principles
and priorities over the next few years.
What you see to the right are the five Strategic Plan goals and corresponding initiatives. Over the next five years we
will set out to work through and prioritize the many action items we would like to address. You can expect our communications on these objectives to be focused on the impact being made to this school year.
4
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
Goal #2:
ACADEMIC and
CO-CURRICULAR
Goal #3:
COMMUNITY and
COMMUNICATION
Enrich CVCA’s academic offerings
and curricular programs to foster
appropriate intellectual rigor in
all academic areas, supporting
students fully while challenging them to maximize their gifts
and abilities.
Enhance the broadcast of our
mission-focused CVCA experience
to more families to foster a
stronger and broader community
by developing informed constituencies that understand and
can articulate our distinctives. (Expanded Market)
Focused Initiatives for Goal 2:
2.1 Amplify college preparation and college placement
2.2 STEM advancements
2.3 Strengthen middle school development
2.4 Increase co-curricular mission impact
Focused Initiatives for Goal 3:
3.1 Create communication and marketing function that
promotes mission/brand to all constituencies
3.2 Increase community engagement and reflect the diversity
of evangelical Northeast Ohio
3.3 Expand market outreach
3.4 Initiate global education program
Goal #1: SPIRITUAL
Expand CVCA’s spiritual impact on its students through intentional relationships by
training 21st century disciples of Jesus Christ to think biblically, to love Him deeply,
and to serve Him faithfully.
Focused Initiatives for Goal 1:
1.1 Spiritual development intentionality and increased biblical integration within
professional development program
1.2
Improvement in existing (and creation of new) student programs for deeper
spiritual growth
Goal #4:
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Equip, recruit, and retain Christian
educators/coaches/advisors who
prepare students for lifelong
learning, college and career
success, and an authentic relationship with Jesus.
Focused Initiatives for Goal 4:
4.1 Develop fully equipped, mission-focused, 21st century
educators
4.2 Recruit individuals who excel at the highest level of both
sides of our mission
4.3 Retain mission-minded, high-impact team members
Goal #5:
RESOURCES
Effectively steward existing and
new resources to support the
2020 Strategic Plan goals and to
provide for a sustainable present
and growing future.
Focused Initiatives for Goal 5:
5.1 Improve accessibility for mission-centered families
through increased financial assistance options
5.2 Update and refresh current physical plant to match
mission/vision quality
5.3 Continue to grow the Development Office to achieve
top fundraising results to meet the school’s needs and
objectives
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
5
CVCA ACADEMICS Honoring Christ through Excellence
ACCREDITATION
SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS
Despite CVCA’s lengthy history, CVCA
has never before pursued formal school
accreditation. Accredited schools go
through a regular, formal review process
demonstrating that they operate according
to educational and organizational best
practices. CVCA began working toward
dual accreditation from the Association of
Christian Schools International (ACSI)
and AdvancED during the 2014-2015
school year. An extensive self-evaluation
process culminated in an on-site, three-day
visit by a seven-member ACSI/AdvancED
External Review Team in March of 2016,
and we are pleased to report that we were
granted full dual accreditation after their
visit. While the external accountability of
an accrediting body is a good thing on its
own, accreditation also directly affects students as some scholarships and other
opportunities are only offered to students
from accredited schools.
CVCA offers four Schools of Distinction
for juniors and seniors to expose students
to career fields and college majors:
Business & Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Medical Professions, and Ministry.
Students in each school take classes related
to the career field, are paired with a
Christian mentor working in the field,
and participate in an internship or job
shadowing experience. At Commencement 2016, the head of the School of
Business & Entrepreneurship, Mr. Eric
Ling, was honored as the recipient of the
newly named Roger Taylor Outstanding
Educator Award for his contributions to
the CVCA community. While this honor
was awarded by faculty vote, it is worth
mentioning that 100% of Mr. Ling’s AP
Macroeconomics students scored a 3 or
greater on the AP exam this year.
In the CVCA class of 2016, three students
were honored for their
high achievement in
the National Merit
Scholarship Competition. Stefan Loos was
named a Finalist and
Merit Scholarship
winner, an honor
STEFAN LOOS
reserved for only
7,400 of over 1.5 million competing students. Additionally, Alex McClintick and
Evan Sommer were named Commended
students, identified among the top 50,000
scorers in the nationwide competition.
JTERM
For the sixth year, CVCA students broke
from the routine of the traditional classroom during the week immediately following Christmas vacation to embrace nontraditional learning opportunities during
Jterm. Opportunities ranged from archery,
photography, culinary skills, oil painting,
self-defense, biblical manhood, holocaust
studies, and life-guarding to day trips and
service within the local Akron/ Cleveland
area and overnight trips to the Grand
Canyon, Philadelphia, Spain, Norway,
Brazil, and South Carolina. Additionally,
many juniors and seniors participated in
Career Experience Opportunities (CEOs)
shadowing local professionals in areas of
potential career interest.
CHROMEBOOKS
Several years ago, CVCA began to offer a
few carts of Chromebooks (laptop computers using Google’s Chrome operating
system) to teachers for use in their classrooms. Teacher use of Chromebooks in
CVCA classrooms increased tremendously
over the last several years to the point that
we now have many Chromebook carts
throughout the building, and more teachers regularly use them than not. As a
result, we will be transitioning to a one-toone Chromebook program in the fall of
2016. Instead of Chromebook carts for
classroom use at school, every student will
be issued a personal Chromebook for the
year just as he or she would be assigned a
textbook. In an increasingly digital world,
this is an important step in preparing
CVCA students for the future.
ALEX MCCLINTICK
EVAN SOMMER
RIGOROUS COURSE
OFFERINGS
CVCA offered a total of 16 Honors or
Enriched courses as well as 12 AP courses
during the 2015-2016 school year. AP
courses offered included: US History,
Macroeconomics, European History,
English Literature and Composition,
Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics,
Physics 1, Biology, Chemistry, Music
Theory, and Spanish Language and
Culture. Of those courses, two of the
AP science courses were formally taught
at CVCA for the first time: AP Chemistry
and AP Physics 1. Additionally, though
the courses were not formally offered at
CVCA, multiple students prepared for
and took the AP Microeconomics and
AP English Language and Composition
exams.
Many colleges and universities grant
college credit or advanced standing to
students scoring well on AP exams. AP
exams are scored on a scale from 1-5, with
a score of 3 or greater generally considered
qualified to receive equivalent college
credit. For 2015-2016, CVCA students
scored a 3 or greater on 182 AP exams.
6
SPAIN JTERM TRIP 2016
CVCA STANDARDIZED TESTING PROGRAM
In taking steps toward improving data-driven decision making in
curricular areas, CVCA adjusted its standardized testing schedule
during the 2015-2016 school year to strategically include all
grade levels.
TESTING
SCHEDLUE
PSAT 8/9
(October)
PSAT 10/11
(October)
SAT
8th Grade
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
*
12th Grade
AVERAGE
ACT RESULTS
Tests
Taken
English
Math
Reading
Science
Composite
Score
Class of 2016
Top 25%*
31
29.2
28.4
30.2
27.0
28.5
Class of 2016
Middle 50%*
63
25.3
24.5
25.7
24.4
24.6
Class of 2016
125
24.9
24.0
25.9
24.3
24.6
Ohio
Average**
–
21.4
21.7
22.5
22.1
22.0
National
Average**
–
20.4
20.8
21.4
20.9
21.0
ACT Aspire
(April)
ACT
7th Grade
CVCA COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TEST RESULTS
* The PSAT 11 also serves as the sole qualifying test for the National Merit
Scholarship Competition.
The ACT and SAT are college admissions exams, required by
most colleges and universities during the application process.
CVCA 11th grade students are required to take the ACT and
SAT, and they are then encouraged to retake the exam of their
choosing during their senior year to maximize their score. The
PSAT tests are predictive and preparatory for the SAT, and the
ACT Aspire similarly predicts ACT performance. Both the PSAT
and ACT Aspire provide aggregate feedback to CVCA for continued refinement of the CVCA academic program to maximize academic outcomes for all students.
AVERAGE
SAT RESULTS
Tests
Taken
Critical
Reading
Math
Writing
1600
Scale
2400
Scale
Class of 2016
Top 25%*
16
623
625
611
1248
1859
Class of 2016
Middle 50%*
32
565
566
554
1131
1685
Class of 2016
64
565
559
549
1124
1673
Ohio
Average**
–
557
563
537
1120
1657
National
Average**
–
495
511
484
1006
1490
* As determined by cumulative high school GPA among CVCA students
taking the test
** National and Ohio averages represent prior year data.
2016 ROYAL SCHOLARS
ongratulations to this
year’s Royal Scholars –
graduating seniors who
have achieved a GPA of at least
4.0 through the first seven
semesters of their high school
careers. These high-achieving
students were recognized at
the annual Royal Scholars
Banquet where the students
had the opportunity to publicly thank both their parents
and one CVCA faculty or staff
member who had a significant
influence in their life.
C
Nathaniel Bailey
Matthew Broadus
Morgan Burnell
Leah Chizmar
Cetia Dawson
Courtney Dudley
Hailey Eck
Liam Ferraby
Kaitlyn Funk
Paul Gunsalus
Emily Hartel
Kristen Huseman
Sotere Karas
Abby Kebbel
Annie Lee
Justin Lind
Stefan Loos
Alex McClintick
Delaney McRitchie
Mikaila O’Keefe
Emily Petrinec
Charissa Ricker
Emma Rickey
Evan Sommer
Alex Trachsel
Jessica Trieu
James Trombka
Aaron VanGeest
Marisa Wineriter
Christopher Wise
Ian Yoder
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
7
SUPPORTING CVCA
Assisting Families
A CONTINUING LEGACY AT CVCA
Long-time CVCA family supports current and future students
through a new endowed scholarship.
eter and Billee Keslar have been
instrumental leaders in the success
of CVCA. Members of the CVCA
family from the beginning, they were
involved parents and then grandparents
of CVCA students and are passionate
P
about Christian education. Pete served on
the CVCA Board of Trustees from 19731976 and 1989-2001 and helped ensure
that the mission of Educating and
Cultivating Servants for Christ continued.
The Keslars have been and continue to be
faithful supporters of the school and wish
to see students learn what it means to follow Christ.
The Pete and Billie Keslar Founders
Scholarship was created by their children
and close friends to recognize their service
to CVCA. This scholarship is fully funded
(minimum $20,000 for endowed scholarships), with $1,000 awarded to a student
each school year. The recipient of the
scholarship is a student in good academic
standing, who is actively engaged in
CVCA, and contributes positively to student life at the school.
Their son, Craig Keslar ’75, says that his
parents love everything about CVCA: “In
the beginning of the school’s history they
got very involved, Dad as a Board member and Mom as a bus driver. They were
very much part of the CVCA family. They
saw that CVCA was helping my brother
and me to grow not only scholastically,
but also spiritually, and they now want to
support others in the same way.”
Craig said that if his family could give any
gift it would be a scholarship to help a
student and their family who struggles to
cover tuition at CVCA. “The greatest gift
we [Pete and Billee] could give the world,
and for the Kingdom would be to educate
and cultivate another servant for Christ at
CVCA,” Keslar said. “What a great way to
further the heritage for God and CVCA!”
Establishing an endowed scholarship is a
valuable way to honor a loved one and at
the same time impact the life of a CVCA
student. These scholarships are awarded to
students who have demonstrated excellent
academic achievement, service, leadership,
and Christ-like character. To help make an
eternal investment in a student’s life and
provide them the opportunity to grow in
their knowledge of Christ, contact Ryan
Crocker at [email protected].
The greatest gift we could give the world and for the Kingdom would
be to educate and cultivate another servant for Christ at CVCA.
8
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
Melanie Critzer ’17 was the first
recipient of the Peter and Billie
Keslar
Founders
Scholarship.
She is a
member of
CVCA’s
women’s
varsity soccer
team and the School of Medical
Professions. She has been a student at CVCA since seventh grade
and said that the people are what
make CVCA such a special place:
“My time at this school has been
filled with Godly people and
adults pouring into me, shaping
me into the person I am becoming, and I am beyond thankful for
this. Our teachers see kids as individuals worth investing in, care
about us as more than students,
and want to see us succeed in life
beyond CVCA.”
Melanie is thankful to receive this
honor and continue to receive a
CVCA education. “Receiving this
scholarship makes me very grateful
that there are people who continue
to support and invest in CVCA,”
Critzer said. “This speaks volumes
to the value of a CVCA education
which not only prepares students
academically, but also helps us
grow as people, and ultimately
grow in Christ.”
EDUCATING AND CULTIVATING
2016-2017 Scholarship Recipients
CVCA’s mission is Educating and Cultivating Servants for Christ. A large part of accomplishing that mission is achieved through
assisting families with the financial costs through both need-based and merit-based financial aid. We are pleased to offer over
40 endowed scholarships (in bold) annually to our students. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients!
Adams Memorial Scholarship
Aaron VanGeest
Allie Armstrong Memorial Scholarship
Jacob Decatur
Ambassador for Christ Scholarship
Jessica Gayer
Jaya Wilson
Apostle Paul Scholarship
Peter Boyas
Audrey J. Bloom R.N., B.S.N. and
Amy J. Newmeyer, MD Medical
Professions Scholarship
Meredith Haskell
Beyerle Memorial Scholarship
William Hancock
Blair Family Ministry Scholarship
Natalie Cochran
Alaina Olson
Brenda Burnham Unruh Memorial
Scholarship
Mikayla Moreen
C. H. Tipton Memorial Scholarship
Brendon Watters
Cuyahoga Falls Rotary Club Scholarship
Yukari Becker
Charissa Ricker
Andrew Schaeffer
Alyssa Sharp
Tyler Stoltz
Austen Williams
Excellence in Fine Arts Scholarship
Mackenzie Wear
Founders’ Scholarship
Aaron Glasgow
Jesse Oyster
Future Business Leader Scholarship
Jacqueline Budrevich
Galations 6:9 Scholarship
Justin Mancari
Glenn Meadows Scholarship
Emily Haymaker
Anthony Pietrocini
Hershman Family Scholarship
Tommy Lile
James Montgomery Memorial Scholarship
Sarah Holzman
Jay Jones Memorial Scholarship
Ray Benson
Luke Mares
Mark Kirk Memorial Scholarship
Olivia Ottman
Debbie Arnold Memorial Scholarship
Carter Lentz
Matt, Pete, and Michael Meadows
Scholarship
Steven Taylor
Excellence in Christ Scholarship
Graci Puhala
Maggie Roberts
Mealy Enterprises Business &
Entrepreneurship Scholarship
Brita Lund
Michelson Foundation Scholarship
Elisa Bartel
Stephan Gunawardana
Mindy Ormond Memorial Scholarship
Alyana Gonzalez
Anna Mitchell
Anna Schaeffer
Natalie Pausch Memorial Scholarship
Emma Nowosielski
Ali Patterson
Paz Chu Memorial Scholarship
Jake French
Cameron Smith
Perry Carroscia Memorial CVCA
Scholarship
Alec Hengsteler
Pete & Billee Keslar Founder’s
Scholarship
Melanie Critzer
Richard P. Deblander Memorial
Scholarship
Jordan Decatur
Richard L. Shellenberger Social Studies
Excellence Scholarship
Matt Broadus
Ron and Judy Moncrief Founders’
Scholarship
Emma Segedy
Tammie Stewart Memorial Scholarship
Joel Sparr
Ryan Winquist
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
9
SUPPORTING CVCA We Appreciate You!
What is Annual Giving?
What can seem like a complicated concept is rather quite straightforward.
Annual Giving impacts students’ lives for Christ in daily yet monumental ways.
While it has gone by several names, the purpose of Annual Giving at CVCA has
remained the same.
In a single phrase: Annual Giving supports every part and person at CVCA.
When you make a gift – of any size – you are helping Fine Arts, Athletics, faculty
training, and need-based assistance. Each of these components are valuable
and necessary to create the whole CVCA experience.
School of Engineering
To highlight one component, Annual Giving helps support the Schools of
Distinction program. This directly impacts students and faculty as changes and
improvements are made to enhance classroom equipment and curriculum in
order give students the best opportunities possible.
How important is an annual gift? Just as important as heat in the winter and
professional development for teachers.
Want to make a gift or set up a monthly pledge?
Go to cvcaroyals.org/giving today!
CVCA CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC
On June 13th CVCA hosted its annual Charity Golf Classic presented by Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services, LLC at Westfield
Country Club.
Many teams joined us for a beautiful afternoon of golf and fellowship to support students. A reception took place after the event
where team and contest prizes were awarded.
Over the last eight years the CVCA Charity Golf Classic has
raised more than $250,000 to further Kingdom work at CVCA!
We are truly grateful for your support. These gifts directly impact
students’ lives in areas such as tuition assistance, classroom
enhancement, and spiritual development.
Thank you for helping to continue Educating and Cultivating
Servants for Christ.
10 SUMME 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
School of Medical Professionals
Your gift, no matter the
size, plays an important
role in enhancing a
student’s education as
well as providing overall
support to the entire
CVCA team. Thank you for
making an eternal impact!
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR GIFTS!
We are humbled and grateful for the many gifts given this year from various groups
within the CVCA family. You have helped make it possible to continue Educating and
Cultivating Servants for Christ. Thank you, especially, to our parents, alumni, and grandparents who have given so generously to invest in students’ lives at CVCA!
Supporting CVCA happens in a variety of ways. Below is a depiction of the dollar
amounts given this year. Every gift matters and makes a significant impact for the
Kingdom! With many gifts ranging from $1 to $50, we were able to help students grow
in their knowledge of Christ. Small gifts make a big difference in ways such as creating
scholarships for students and aiding in capital improvements.
GIFTS FROM THE WHOLE CVCA FAMILY
Individuals
GIFTS BIG AND SMALL – ALL ARE A BIG HELP!
$5000-20,000
Organizations
and Businesses
$1000-5,000
$20,000+
$250-1,000
Alumni
Parents
Grandparents
$50-250
$1-50
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 11
Projects in
Pittsburgh
fter finishing their first year of
high school, forty of our rising
sophomores experienced the
Gospel in action during our annual
service trip with The Pittsburgh Project.
From playing intense rounds of gaga ball
to learning about reconciliation and being
encouraged by the faith of the homeowners they served, the class of 2019 agreed
this year’s trip was more than a success.
A
Our students bonded in ways that simply
are not possible in the comfort zones of
home, classroom, or Instagram. They dug,
built, painted, hauled, smashed, and jack
hammered together. They rode, sang,
laughed, cried, bled, and prayed together
– all in the name of Jesus as the Gospel
worked through them and in them.
12 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
Rising sophomore Claudia Bosshard said,
“Pittsburgh Project was easily one of the
best weeks of my life. I was able to share
God’s love with others by helping around
their homes. My relationship with God
grew along with my relationships with my
friends. It was fun to see the homeowners
open up their homes as well as their hearts
through stories and words of wisdom.”
We thank God for the ways He used The
Pittsburgh Project to develop othersfocused, Christ-centered service in all of
the participants.
“Having the opportunity to serve with Pittsburgh Project
was a blessing. The homeowners were extremely thankful,
and it was exciting to see God working in all of our lives.”
– Tommy Lile ’19
MISSION TRIPS
Loving Christ, Loving Each Other
“Before the trip, I was
expecting just to
work with kids, but
it was so much
more. I got to
watch God work
through my class
and grow us closer
together through
His unifying love.”
Joy in the Dominican
– Sara Piccioni ’17
by Madeline Gaines ’15
n June 8, 2016 our Senior class departed for Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic for
an unforgettable and life-changing experience. The class traveled by cattle truck
to villages throughout the country to entertain, provide hospitality, and share
the love of Christ to the country’s natives. The students set up a medical clinic, built a
basketball court, performed Bible skits, and provided the children with plenty of toys.
O
Though the Seniors left a lasting impact on the people of the Dominican Republic, the
class explained that the residents changed and shaped them more than they ever could
have imagined. The class was impacted by the locals’ joy and contentment despite the
challenging conditions they live in every day. Additionally, their love for the Lord and trust
in Him could not be ignored. Throughout the Seniors’ daily worship sessions and reflection times, the Lord tugged on their hearts to display the same love as the Dominicans
while growing closer as a class and witnessing to the younger students at school.
The Senior class now gathers weekly for a time of worship and reflection. Brooks
Montgomery explained, “Our class understands that if we want to make an impact on
ourselves and our school this upcoming year, we need our community to stay connected
throughout the summer. For that reason, we meet on Saturday nights to worship God
together as a unified Senior class.”
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 13
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S , C L A S S O F 2 0 1 6
On May 29, CVCA celebrated its 47th commencement at The Chapel in Akron,
graduating 133 members of the Class of 2016.
Honored for their accomplishments and addressing their
classmates were the 2016 Valedictorian Aaron Vangeest
and Salutatorians Paul Gunsalus and Stefan Loos.
Also honored were National Merit Finalist Stefan Loos
and National Merit Commended students Alexander
McClintick and Evan Sommer.
Graduates Abby Kebbel and Joshua Polanski were the
Royal Servant award recipients; and Morgan Burnell and
Evan Sommer were named Akron Beacon Journal Star
Student nominees.
Aaron Vangeest, Valedictorian
Where are our new graduates attending college?
George Fox University
WyoTech Institute
University of Colorado at Boulder
Westmont College
Biola Universiy
Class of 2016
graduates will
attend 52 different
colleges/universities, with 40%
of those being Christian colleges.
14 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
Baldwin Wallace University
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland State University
Cuyahoga Community College
Lakeland Community College
Notre Dame College of Ohio The University of Akron
Kent State University
Spring Arbor University
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Calvin College
University of Mount Union
University of Toledo
Ashland
Malone University
University
Bowling Green State University
Stark State College of Technology
University of Findlay
The King’s College
Moody Bible Institute
Grace College
Messiah College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Grove City College
Indiana Wesleyan University
Geneva College
Taylor University
Bethany College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
West Virginia University
Cedarville University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Marshall
Miami University
Denison University
University
University of Cincinnati
Otterbein University
Cincinnati Christian University
The Ohio State University
University of Louisville
Capital University
University of Kentucky
Milligan College
Liberty University
Lipscomb University
High Point
University
University of Houston
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress,
I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him
at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8 (Class verse)
Andrew Thomas Akindipe
Nicole Amanda Albright*
Erica Marie Andrew+
Nicholas Thomas Armstrong*+
Christine Grace Ault+
Nathaniel James Bailey*~
Andrew Stephen Baumhoer
Yukari Grace Becker+
Aaron Robert Benjamin+
Cody Douglas Boerema
Josiah David Lee Bogue+
Matthew Eric Broadus*+~
Noah Lee Brook
Elise Rochelle Brubaker
Brynn Lee Buchanan+
Myles Creed Burdick
Morgan Grace Burnell*+~
Clara Ann Burwell+
Jessica Noel Chambers
Grant Andrew Chapman
Leah Elizabeth Chizmar*+~
Daniel Michael Chung+
Sarah Catherine Cline
Claire Nicole Cogar
Maura Elaine Cook+
Kyle Noah Cory+
Cetia Saphia Dawson*+~
Matthew Christopher Decipeda
Rachel Lynn Delaney
Steven Joseph Diehl
Kaleigh Mitchell Dixon
Maxwell Livingston Draffan
Sienna Darlene Drillien*+
Courtney Marie Dudley*+~
Hailey Virginia Eck*+~
Trenton William Fantelli
Liam Michael Owen Ferraby+~
Gino Arnaldo Finelli
Luke William Fraley
Kaitlyn Lee Funk*+~
Gillian Hope Greenway
Matthew Andrew Greenwood
Evan Thomas Griffey
Paul Raymond Gunsalus*+~
Nicole Elise Hagen+
Emma Lois Hall
Emily Mae Hartel*+~
Samantha Kate Hawthorne
Alexandra Susan Hay
Jason Caleb Haymaker
Caleb Thomas Hobart*+
Benjamin Gerald Hobrath*+
John Michael Huber
Kristen Lee Huseman*+~
Tanner Charles Judd
Katelynn Rae Justice+
Sotere Athanasios Karas*+~
Abby Marie Kebbel+~
Clinton Dean Kitchen
Matthew Ryan Koehler
Gabrielle Elizabeth Kouzelos+
Kendyll Paige Kowalski
Jason Walid Lababidi
Yunjoo Lee*+~
Emily Katherine Lentz
Lauren Marie Lichty+
Justin Michael Lind*+~
Zuqi Liu*
Stefan Thomas Loos*+~
Brenna Kate Lowe
Nathan Charles Loxley
Brita Kathrynn Lund+
Jordan Philip Lyon
Gabrielle Joy Martino
Maya Nicol Matthews
Alexander Michael McClintick*+ ~
Dominique M. McIntyre
Delaney Mary McRitchie*+~
Catherine Anne Mellott+
Silas Joseph Merkel
Madison Elizabeth Meszaros
Allison Denise Miholer
Brittany Michelle Misencik
Jordan Taylor Mochko
Rebekah Faith Moore+
José Antonio Morales-Rodriguez
Austin Timothy Morgan
Jordan Matthew Noska
Mikaila Christine O'Keefe*+~
Madison Rae Olson*+
Emma Grace Olszak
Alex Christopher Papa
Blaike Dyionne Parker
Alfred Campbell Perry III
Nathanial Lee Peters
Courtney Lynn Petno
Emily Grace Petrinec*+~
Molly Grace Pile*+
Joshua Nicholas Polanski
Sarina Grace Poth+
Maxwell Jackson Prentis+
Christopher Gregory Punka
Rachel Mackenzie Radcliff+
John Anthony Rasper
Michael Joseph Ray
Charissa Danielle Ricker+~
Emma Elizabeth Rickey+~
Elijah James Rios
Jacob Douglas Ritzel
Josiah Michael Robinson+
Kathleen Elaine Rosneck*+
Charles Joseph Rowe III+
Amelia Ann Sabo*+
Samantha Nicole Salettel
Evan Joseph Sommer*+~
Kassidy Irene Sopko
Robert Matthew Stanley*+
Jacob Andrew Stull*+
Emily Breeze Swift
Brian Alexander Thomson*+
Alexander Robert Trachsel*+~
Jessica Shana Trieu+~
James Elliot Trombka+~
Aaron Thomas VanGeest*+~
Hallie Page Wills
Marisa Barbara Wineriter*+~
Christopher William Wise*+~
Jenna Noel Wolff+
Marcus Allen Womack
Dallas Antonio Woods
Nicole Grace Wright+
Cailynn Briale Wynn
Ian Daniel Yoder*+~
~ Royal Scholar (4.0 four-year
cumulative average)
+ Graduates of the Jim Elliot National
Honor Society
* Diploma with Honors (have met
CVCA graduation requirements and
additional requirements established
by the Ohio Board of Education)
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 15
“Winds in the east,
There’s a mist comin’in
Like something is brewin’
And‘bout to begin….”
THE MAGIC OF MARY POPPINS COMES TO CVCA
Indeed, something had been brewing with the Royal Theatre since January when auditions
concluded and rehearsals and crew work began on this colossal production…
ver 90 students worked with CVCA staff members in a great collaboration of
creativity to create the magic of Mary Poppins. In the end, only a handful of
unsold tickets remained for the musical’s four-show run.
O
Students who played in the pit, worked on the set, helped with costumes, hair,
make-up, and tech all displayed an over-the-top commitment to the project. Four
stage managers (Brynn Buchanan, Cetia Dawson, Tyler Thomas, and Hannah
Knapp) provided the glue that held it all together.
With genuine grace and humility, senior Jenna Wolff played the title role of Mary
Poppins; she was indeed, Practically Perfect in Every Way. An exceptionally strong performance by Christopher Wise created a Mary/Bert duo that even Julie Andrews and
Dick Van Dyke would likely be proud of.
The Royal Theatre was delighted to
include two young thespians in the cast
for this production. Elementary students
Hannah Van Drunen and Jackson Davis
both charmed and impressed audiences
in their roles as impetuous Jane and
mischievous Michael Banks. Outstanding
supporting performances were also
delivered by sophomore Jonny Oliver
(George Banks), and seniors Yukari
Becker (Winifred Banks) and Kassidy
Sopko (Miss Andrews).
The cast included a talented chorus of strong vocalists and dancers who collectively
created many memorable moments and simply a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious show!
16 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
CELEBRATING THE ARTS
HONORING AND
INSPIRING CREATIVITY
On Monday, May 16, the Graphic Design and
Art departments hosted the 2016 ANNUAL
PORTFOLIO SHOW. This year’s show exceeded
all expectations for students and faculty alike.
tarted in 2008, the original idea for
the Annual Portfolio Show came
from Mrs. Stofsick’s desire to teach
students the importance of presenting
their work in a professional manner.
S
increased in size and quickly outgrew the
Library. With the completion of the
newest addition to the school, the
Multipurpose Room became available and
the show was moved and expanded to
include CVCA’s advanced Art students.
This year’s show featured 56 students
showcasing work in Design, Photography,
and Visual Arts. Students participating in
the show represented work from GD1,
GD2, Photo Illustration, Jterm
Photography, and Art 3 and 4.
Preparation for the show allows them to
self-evaluate their work by limiting themselves to a maximum of 10-12 pieces they
had created in class and perfected through
student-centered critique. The first show
was held in the CVCA Library and featured approximately ten students with
some 50 guests in attendance. Due to the
popularity of the classes, the show soon
This year’s event entertained over 200
people – proud parents and grandparents,
interested teachers and administrators,
and even some professional guests from
the local visual arts industry. CVCA
graduates that have participated in these
classes have gone directly into college
programs in the arts and design with
great success, and some are now working
in the field. Their success can be partially
attributed to a solid foundation at CVCA
and professional programs like these.
Mrs. Shari Oster and Mrs. Marian
Stofsick collaborated to provide many
students with the opportunity to display
work from three or more of these classes:
“It is our goal to inspire creativity while
preparing students for careers in the visual
arts field. When one of our students enters
their freshman year at college, they will
not only know the required software,
methods, and materials; but they will have
the knowledge and experience of both
conceptually and professionally representing their ideas. In our classes they learn
how to constructively critique others as
well as receive criticism on their own
work. We push our students as far as we
can and encourage them to use the talents
God has so graciously given them.”
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 17
ROYALS SPRING SPORTS
2015-2016 ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS
HIGH SCHOOL PAC CHAMPS
• Girls Cross Country
• Girls Track & Field
JR. HIGH PAC CHAMPS
• Jr. High Boys Cross Country
• 8th Grade Boys Basketball
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
• PAC Champs
• Sarah Holzman – Runner
of the Year
• George Hallis – Coach of
the Year
BOYS SOCCER
• Gino Finelli- 1st team
All-State
GIRLS SOCCER
• Hailey Eck – 1st team AllState
WRESTLING
• Jacob Decatur –
District Champion, State
Qualifier (6th)
• Matthew Cardello –
District Runner-up, State
Qualifier (7th)
BOYS LACROSSE
• Mitch Gilley – 2nd Team
All-State
BOYS TENNIS
• Regional Runner-up
BOYS TRACK & FIELD
• Marcus Womack –
State Qualifier, Regional
Runner-up, District Champ
(Long Jump)
• Tre Tucker – State Qualifier,
Regional Champion, District
Runner-up (Long Jump)
• Cody Boerema – State
Qualifier (4x800), State
Qualifier (4x400)
• Sam Bush– State Qualifier
(4x800), State Qualifier
(4x400)
• Nathaniel Bailey – State
Qualifier (4x800), State
Qualifier (4x400)
• Jake Malovasic – State
Qualifier (4x800)
• Trey Carlisle – State
Qualifier (4x400)
• Austin Eck – District
Runner-up (High Jump)
• Grant Chapman – District
Champ (Discus)
GIRLS TRACK & FIELD
• PAC Champs
• George Hallis – Coach of
the Year
• Jaya Wilson – State
Qualifier, District Champion
(4x400), State Qualifier
(4x800)
• Amanda Milo – State
Qualifier, District Champion
(4x400)
• Jada Wright – State
Qualifier (4x400)
• Lydia Carroscia – State
Qualifier, District
Champion (4x400), State
Qualifier (4x800)
• Rachel Lyda – State
Qualifier (4x800)
• Sarah Holzman – State
Qualifier (4x800)
• Imani Long – District
Champion (4x400)
Building Christ-like
Character as Ambassadors
for Christ through
Competitive Excellence
18 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
BOYS TENNIS
– Coach Ramey
Everybody loves an underdog. The problem with most underdog
teams is that having a season of overachievement is not the norm,
but the exception. Last year, the boys tennis team graduated four of
its seven varsity members, leaving the inevitable title of “rebuilding
year” hanging over the head of the program. In tennis, it is very
difficult to exceed what is expected of you because of the individual
nature of the sport, and because improvement usually takes a long
time. At the beginning of the season, it looked likely that this year
would indeed be labeled a rebuilding year, and we would have to
take as many positives from a difficult circumstance as possible.
Due to the hard work and dedication of every member of the team,
however, the season quickly turned from a bleak outlook to state
tournament contention.
The team was lifted by freshman Cole Farren, who played 2nd singles and finished with the 4th best individual record in school history of 23-6. They were led by junior Team Captain and 1st singles
player Tomi Ruzics and anchored by the breakout 1st doubles team
of senior Ian Yoder and junior Jason Render. The team finished a
tough schedule with a 12-8 record, CVCA’s 7th best on record.
Season highlights included defeating Geneva, Beachwood, and
Orange to move to the Northeast Division finals of the OTCA DII
state team tournament, putting CVCA in the top eight teams in
the state. In the OHSAA individual tournament, CVCA sent two
doubles teams to the district tournament. Ian Yoder and Jason
Render upset the 2nd seeded Woodridge doubles team in the sectional tournament to qualify for districts as the 3rd best team in the
sectional. Tomi Ruzics and Cole Farren fulfilled their number one
seed at the sectional tournament and came out as sectional champions, losing in the state qualifying round of the district tournament.
The team verses for the season were from Galatians 6, which talks
about bearing one another’s burdens and not tiring of doing good
so you may reap what you sow. The team embodied these principles
and was able to see the results through a fantastic season. The team
will build on this success through hard work and focus in the
coming seasons.
BASEBALL
– Coach Herblet
SOFTBALL
– Coach Johnson
We finished the season with a 14-14 record, 3rd in the PAC,
winner of the Cuyahoga Falls tournament, and district runner
up for the first time since 2008. This is a team that was so close –
so many times. Six of our losses were by one run and two of our
losses were by two runs, which means eight of our fourteen losses
were by two runs or less.
The Royals softball team finished the 2016 season with an overall
record of 8-18 and 4-8 in the PAC. They never gave up and played
many closely contested games. The team of five seniors, four
juniors, one sophomore, and four freshman became very close and
truly cared for each other, and the seniors did a great job leading
by example.
Our first game was against Cincinnati Christian, which brought us
a 19-0 victory from a perfect game pitched by Drew Wilson. Our
spring break trip was a great time of team bonding, service, and
lots of baseball. Many memories were created in Louisville,
Kentucky this year.
Emma Hall won the Outstanding Offense award, Gia Gerzeny was
our Most Improved Player, Katelynn Justice received Mighty In
Spirit/Outstanding Defense, and Abby Kebbel won Total Release/
Outstanding Defense. The PAC League awards were 1st team for
Katelynn and Honorable Mention for Abby. Both were also fouryear letter winners.
Senior, Christopher Punka led the way for us on the mound
before an arm injury mid-season. He finished the season with a
.716 ERA, ranking him first in CVCA history. Chris was an AllPAC 1st team player and nominated for All District. Noah Brook,
one of the best defensive catchers in the area, was “Mr. Consistent”
behind the plate catching in all but two of our games and earning
All-PAC honorable mention. Myles Burdick could play any
position and was a huge asset to our team. Other seniors who
contributed were Evan Sommer, Tanner Judd, and Trent Fantelli.
Jordan Noska had Tommy John surgery prior to the season but
remained loyal to his teammates by showing up to most games and
practices ready to serve. We were definitely a team of resilience and
drive. In fact, even with our top two arms going down with injury,
we still ended the season with a 2.286 ERA, ranking 2nd in CVCA
history. Other guys stepped up and carried the load, with junior
Steven Taylor being one of them. He had a phenomenal year
earning All-Pac 1st team and nominated for All District.
Our season ended with a memorable game of parents and (everybody else in the family) against the Royals. It was a great time
followed by food and awards.
We will truly miss our seniors: Abby Kebbel, Katelynn Justice,
Emma Hall, Maura Cook, and Brittany Miscencik. They were all
a blessing to coach. We wish them good luck and know God will
bless them in the next chapter of their lives.
Overall, this team played with passion, humility, self-control, and
strove for excellence. These young men took the field to worship
God with their play. Prior to every game we asked our guys to Play
Hard, Play Together, and Play for Christ. I believe by in large this
team did that. We played for HIM and played for each other and
when you put those together it is a beautiful thing.
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 19
BOYS LACROSSE
– Coach Atwood
The 2016 CVCA boys lacrosse season was one of much excitement
and fun. The season finished 14-3 and included big wins over
Mentor, Revere, Olmsted Falls, Brecksville, and Hoban. The team
flourished in many ways, including scoring (7th in the state),
teamwork (62% of our goals were assisted), defense (32nd in the
state), goal differential (9th in the state), and most importantly
character (they were consistently applauded by opposing players
and coaches, as well as officials). The guys aimed to play with
Christ-like effort and attitude throughout the season with the
desire to be a light for every team we played (Matthew 5:16). The
team played lacrosse in a manner that brought glory to the Lord.
Epitomizing this character were our four seniors: Rick Loxley, Max
Prentis, Sotere Karas, and Matt Greenwood. They laid a good
foundation for what it means to lead, work, and be excellent for all
future CVCA lacrosse teams.
There were many individual accomplishments as a result of our
great season as a team. Junior Mitch Gilley was named to the US
Lacrosse Academic All-American team and 2nd team All-State. Six
players were named to the All-NW Region team, including: Gilley
(1st team midfielder with 61 goals, 28 assists, and 97 ground
balls), junior Noah Desousa (1st team attack with 39 goals, 16
assists), sophomore Jack Atwood (1st team face-off specialist with
18 goals, 32 assists, 153 ground balls, and 203 faceoff wins),
sophomore Daniel Griffith (2nd team defense), junior Jay
Woodlee (Honorable Mention Goallie with 158 saves), and junior
Nathan Dietrich (Honorable Mention LSM with 64 ground balls).
Th team Leadership Award went to Loxley, Christ-like Award to
Dietrich, Most-Improved to Ryan O’Connor (37 goals, 23 assists),
and Unselfish Award to Kade Kalinowski (17 goals, 18 assists).
Other key players included sophomore Daniel Diblasi (12 goals, 9
assists) and junior John O’Connor (4 goals, 22 ground balls).
The team thanks our senior class for their efforts and leadership,
and wishes them the best as they go on to college.
20 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
GIRLS LACROSSE
– Coach DePace
It’s official! After four long years as a club team, CVCA Girls
Lacrosse has made it to varsity status! The team embraced their
new status and had an impressive year!
Now that some of the girls have played together for a few years, it
began to show on the field. The girls played as a unit, encouraging
one another and taking to heart the goal of making their teammates look good. They finished a great season with a 7-11 record.
Of our 22 players, seven were new to the game. Leigh Sumner, a
first-year player, made it onto the starting defensive lineup and had
an impressive 17 caused turnovers for the season.
There were eight seniors on the team. Two played all four years of
high school: Christine Ault and Sammy Salettel. Their excellent
goal circle defense will be missed. Brenna Lowe had 21 goals, 3rd
highest for the season. Morgan Burnell and Sami Hawthorne were
key players on starting offense, with Sami earning 2nd in assists
with six. Starting midfielders Breeze (Emily) Swift and Nicole
Albright were integral players on the transition team, playing both
offense and defense. Swift was 2nd highest in goals with 23, led in
assists with nine, and received an All-District Honorable Mention.
Rounding out the seniors this year was first-year player Alex Hay.
Junior, Julia Karas led the team with 40 goals and 38 draw controls.
She was also named 2nd Team All-District. This was Sarah Baylor’s
2nd season as goalie and 1st as captain. She had 148 saves for the
season. Freshman, Alana Reske led the team in ground ball controls
with 66 as well as caused turnovers with 31.
It was exciting to see the CVCA Girls Lacrosse program grow.
Former players, Hannah Robinson ’13 and Andreia Shlepr ’15
came back to help coach along with Lauren Ramey, a former player
when the team was Cuyahoga Valley Lacrosse Club (2009-2011).
Even more exciting was watching the girls grow as ambassadors for
Christ and representing Him well before teammates, competitors,
fans, and refs. Rise up Royals!
GIRLS TRACK/FIELD
– Coach Hallis
This year’s team was young with only four seniors: Nicole Wright
(three-time letter winner), Sienna Drillien (two-time), Emma
Rickey (two-time), and first-year runner Emma Olszak.
Starting the season with a loss against Indian Valley due to spring
break scheduling, meant that the girls needed to go undefeated to
have a shot at winning the PAC Championship. They finished with
a 5-1 dual meet record and won the championship meet to claim
the PAC title. The 3200 relay of Jaya Wilson, Rachel Lyda, Lydia
Carroscia, and Sarah Holzman took first along with double winner
Amanda Milo in both the 100 and 300 hurdle races. The meet saw
a great team effort as CVCA scored in every event they entered. The
girls had double placers in each running event and a first in the
1600 relay. That same relay made up of Jaya, Amanda, Jada Wright,
and Lydia placed first again at the Bedford District meet. The 1600
and 3200 relays both qualified to regionals along with the 400 relay
made up of Lauryn Davis, Sienna, Amber Robinson, and Imani
Long. Also making it to regionals was Jada (100), Amanda (300H),
Sarah (1600), Lydia (400), Jaya (800), and Catie Stanley in the
high jump. After competing at the tough Austintown Regional,
only the 3200 and 1600 relays made it to the state meet with both
claiming the fourth and final spot.
The state meet started with a good first day as the 3200 relay posted
a season-best time but just missed the top eight. In the final race,
the girls needed to place in the top nine to make the finals. Lydia
just out-leaned a girl at the finish by 1/100th of a second to claim
the last qualifying spot. Heading into the final race, the girls knew
they would have to step it up to get on the podium. With a season
best of 4:03.80, all four girls ran great legs and dropped over three
seconds to finish with a 4:00.72 and earn a State fourth place finish!
Next year looks to be strong with the possibility of another PAC
title. The girls look forward to the new freshmen runners joining
the team. Season awards went to: Sienna Drillien, Mighty in Spirit;
Lydia Carroscia, Most Outstanding; Amanda Milo, Most Valuable;
and Dana Brown, Most Improved. The Coaches Award, the
toughest to get, was awarded to Jada Wright.
BOYS TRACK/FIELD
– Coach Rupe
After graduating two of the most successful male track athletes
in school history in 2015, it appeared to be a rebuilding year for
boys track in 2016. However, the rebuilding was accelerated as the
season went on and this year’s team far exceeded expectations.
The guys started 0-3 in the PAC, but then won their last three
PAC contests and finished five points from winning the PAC
Championship. The Royals went on to place 4th at the District
Championships, 5th at the Regional Championships, and qualified seven guys to the State meet.
Individually, the season was highlighted by freshman Tre Tucker
placing 7th at the State meet in long jump and winning Regionals
in a jump of 22'-7", which broke a 36-year-old school record.
Other State qualifiers included seniors Nathaniel Bailey, Cody
Boerema, and Marcus Womack; junior Trey Carlisle, sophomore
Sam Bush; and freshman Jake Malovasic. Senior Grant Chapman
finished a great career as District Champ in discus, and at the
Regional Championships junior Austin Eck was 6th in high jump
and junior Will Seiple was 7th in pole vault. Sophomore Jonathan
Solomon also qualified to Regionals in the 4x400m relay. Other
members of the team to receive All-PAC honors included senior
Justin Lind and juniors Ricky Peterson, Christian Smith-King,
and Cullen Westerfield.
Seniors who led the team this year included Bailey, Boerema,
Chapman, Lind, Womack, Matt Koehler, and Jason Lababidi.
Team honors went to Tucker (Most Outstanding), Carlisle (Most
Valuable), Bailey (Mighty in Spirit), Boerema (Total Release),
Chapman (Coach’s Award), and Solomon (Most Improved).
Wins and losses aside, as a coach I was most proud of how the
guys handled adversity during the season. Through God’s grace
they were able to come out stronger because of it.
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 21
ECHOES alumni news
Alumni Events
• 2nd Annual Alumni Picnic
Sunday, August 7, 2016
• Class of 1976 40th Reunion
Saturday, September 3, 2016
See page 26 for details.
• Homecoming
Friday, September 23, 2016
• Royal Reindeer Run
December 17, 2016
YAL o ALWAYS A ROYAL
ONCE A RO
Alumni Picnic
2ND ANNUAL
AUGUST 7
2016
4:00-8:00 P.M.
CUYAHOGA VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
The Octagon shelter
801 TRUXELL ROAD, PENINSULA, OHIO 44264
ALL ALUMNI AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE INVITED!
RSVP AT CVCAROYALS.ORG/ALUMNI
connect
#CVCAalumni
A Magical Afternoon With
any alumni, friends, and children had a
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” time
at our Magical Children’s Event on April 30
in conjunction with The Royal Theatre’s spring
musical, Mary Poppins. We decorated cookies with
a teaspoonful of sugar, created and flew kites,
walked on top of chimneys, and met Mary Poppins,
Bert, and many other cast members.
M
Don’t miss special events like this hosted by the
Alumni Association throughout the year!
22 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
CLASS NOTES :
Sarah (Horak) Pullin ’02, her husband
Jason Pullin, and their 2 year-old son
Jacob, welcomed Jenna Marie into the
world March 20, 2016. 1
Jonathan Weaver ’02 and Sonia Sutton
were married on April 1, 2016 (and it was
no joking matter). Jonathan and Sonia
met while they were both living in Africa
doing missions work. Sonia is from New
Zealand and they were able to have an
international wedding in Hawaii with
family and friends from both sides attending. They plan to continue to work with
Flying Mission in Zambia, Africa. 2
Jimmy ’04 and Holly (Potesta) Diakandru
’04 shared: “Jimmy and I welcomed twins
this spring! Addison James and Chase
Glen joined big brother Cameron to complete our family of five. Jimmy and I will
celebrate eight years of marriage this year
and are constantly amazed at the adventure God has planned for our family. We
are blessed beyond measure!” 3
Kendall and Andrew Hudson ’04
announce the birth of twin boys, Alan
and Lee, on January 26, 2016. They join
older brothers, Vance (5) and Brooks (2).
“Everyone is doing well and adjusting to
life with our four precious (and rambunctious!) boys.” 4
2
1
6
7
Simon and Lauren (Peterson) Higgins ’08
had a beautiful outdoor wedding on
October 9, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lauren and Simon met as students at the
University of Georgia (UGA). Lauren graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in
Exercise Science from Miami of Ohio then
went on to earn her Master’s in Exercise
Science from UGA and is now the Director
of Sports Performance at Athens Sports
Performance and Rehab Center. Simon is
completing his Doctorate in Exercise
Science/Exercise Physiology at UGA. 5
Lauren and Alex Sosler ’08 share: Mariela
Grace Sosler was born at Austin Area
Birthing Center in Austin Texas on March
23 at 2:34 p.m. weighing 8.2 pounds and
measuring 20.5 inches. 6
Carolyn and Andrew Peterson ’09 had a
beautiful wedding ceremony June 13,
2015 in Columbus, Ohio. They met at and
both graduated from Miami University of
Ohio and now reside in Charlotte, North
Carolina. Andrew is teaching high school
English and Carolyn is a dietician. 7
Rachel Potoczek ’11 and Scott Tassile
’13 got engaged on October 31, 2015 and
plan to get married October 1, 2016. Scott
attends Kent State University and is working towards his CPA and Rachel is a
3
8
4
9
licensed Social Worker in Cleveland. The
two plan to live in Stow, Ohio after getting married. 8
Hannah and Jack Thompson ’11 share:
“We got married in Charlotte, North
Carolina on March 12, 2016 on a perfect
spring day. Our wedding was at the
Project 658 Center, a local ministry center.
Currently, three CVCA alumni (Logan
Thompson, Zach Locke, and Maggie
Risma) are on staff or interning there, so
there are tons of connections all around!
It was humbling to have so many family
and friends travel for our pseudo-destination wedding. Our favorite takeaway from
many attendees was that the ceremony
was God-centered and heartfelt – a true
testament to Pastor Rick, Ted Kruse, and
Becca and Andy Hoffman who helped
create a meaningful and memorable ceremony. As for the reception, our stage
dive really set the tone for the party.” 9
Kendall Petno ’13 and Peter Richards
’12 are engaged! Kendall writes: “Peter
and I met in the summer of 2013 and
have dated long-distance with Peter at
Grove City College and me at The Ohio
State University. After Peter graduated, he
got a job in Columbus and asked me to
marry him shortly after! We are excited to
get married and start our lives together in
the same city!” 10
5
10
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 23
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | ALLISON (MILLER) WANG ’99
Allison (Miller) Wang ’99 is currently an
Assistant Professor of Asian Art History at
Southwestern University near Austin, Texas.
She earned her PhD in Art History and East
Asian Languages and Civilizations from
Harvard University and her AB from the
University of Chicago in Classics and East
Asian Languages and Civilizations.
Allison writes:
“I became hooked on Chinese early in my
career at Chicago when I took a course
with well-known professor George ChihCh’ao Chao. Professor Chao’s teaching
method was excellent. We learned to
speak by listening and repeating for
many hours a day and were not exposed
to written Chinese for the first six months
of the course. After one year with
Professor Chao, I studied abroad in the
top intensive language program at the
time, Princeton in Beijing.
Truthfully, I
have always
loved art, history, and writing,
but had never
thought of
pursuing an
academic
career until the
fall of my
senior year. Up
until that point,
I had planned
on attending law school. During my
intern-ship with the US Department of
Education I accompanied Susan Sclafani,
Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of
Education, to China. On this trip, I secured
a hand-written letter of support from the
chair of the department of archaeology
at Beijing University, which I used to
apply for a Fulbright grant in the fall.
Following graduation, I spent a year in
China conducting research funded by
Fulbright and began my PhD at Harvard
the following fall.
The field of early China is very exciting
due to the rapid pace of China’s development and surge of archaeological activity
associated with it. Most of the works that I
write about are completely new, meaning
that they have just been excavated.
Likewise, the texts I study often have no
English translation. As a professor, I have
a lot of flexibility to pursue research pro22
24 WINTER
SUMMER2016
2016• •THE
THETRUMPETER
TRUMPETER
jects I find meaningful and
rewarding. I also enjoy teaching and am thankful to be in
a career where my day-today job is simply to open my
students’ eyes to East Asia’s
rich culture and traditions
and to challenge them as
writers and critical thinkers.
An academic career can be
challenging in that tenuretrack positions are scarce,
and we have little control
over the geographical loca“CVCA played a formative role in my
tion where we find a job. I
personal and academic development.”
count myself as fortunate to
have landed a job at a selective liberal arts university near Austin –
Possibly even more than class, one of
a vibrant city with a booming economy
the biggest things that later benefited
and lots of sunshine. As with any job, it
me was the time that I spent doing
can also be challenging to be a woman,
Forensics and Theatre. Through
work, and have young children. I am
Forensics, I learned critical thinking
grateful that my husband has always
and analysis and gained confidence in
been supportive of my career and has
presenting public arguments. I am most
encouraged me to keep with it, even durindebted to Mr. Schilling for the counting rough patches. In choosing to work, I
less Saturdays that he spent taking our
hope to inspire my daughters that they
team to tournaments. It was in Mr.
too can pursue their dreams.
Shellenberger’s history course that I
first discovered my love for writing and
CVCA played a formative role in my perhistory and aptitude in the subject, and
sonal and academic development. The
he served as one of my major supporters
teachers were immensely caring, and I
throughout my CVCA career.
enjoyed going to school in a positive
environment. My teachers were passionSince graduating from CVCA I have
ate about their subject areas and considlearned that you cannot predict the direcered their employment a service to Christ.
tion that God will take you and that it’s
This made the environment quite unique,
important to cherish all the points along
especially when compared to the public
the way.”
school that I had attended previously.
of 1976 40th Reunion
ClassSATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 3, 2016
10:00 a.m. Golf at Windmill Lakes in Ravenna for anyone interested (alumni
and/or spouses) – payment made directly to the golf course
Meet at CVCA for:
5:00 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and social time
6:00 p.m. Tour of the school with Roger Taylor
6:30 p.m. Buffet Dinner
7:15 p.m. Updates and testimonies, with some people joining us via Skype
The cost will be $20 per person for Saturday evening. Informal get-togethers could
also take place throughout the rest of the weekend – feel free to get creative.
For more information, contact Jenny (Truax) Digiantonio at 330-806-6214 or email
[email protected].
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | MATT ’99 AND CASSIE (SMIRZ) ’04 JENTNER
Cassie writes: “I studied math in undergrad, but by the time I was graduating, I
knew I had a knack for event coordination. I spent the next few years producing
events for automotive manufacturers and
Fortune 500 companies across the globe.
After completing my master’s degree in
communication management/public
relations, I moved into marketing, where I
am today. I spend most of my time helping small business clients develop marketing plans to grow their businesses.
There are oodles of ideas when it comes
to marketing a business, and often business owners aren’t sure where to begin
or what will be most effective. That’s
what I love – helping a client focus on
what will really impact their bottom line.”
Matt writes: “I got my bachelor’s degree in
accounting, knowing I wanted to work in
business but also knowing I needed to
learn a marketable and needed skill. I first
worked as a CPA in tax, then was a controller for a legal publications company,
and then worked in banking and commercial lending. In 2010, I joined my
father’s company, Jentner Wealth
Management, as the director of wealth
management, where I provide clients
with investment management and finan-
cial planning counsel. I love
helping clients develop a
plan to achieve their lifelong
goals. When I am able to give
someone the green light on
one of their dreams, my day
is made.
Though our lives had many
intersections, including
attending CVCA at the same
time, going to the same
church, and having mutual
family friends, we first met at
“CVCA is truly a unique place, and
the wedding rehearsal dinner of mutual friends. Cassie
most of that is due to its teachers
was coordinating the wedand administrators who love each
ding and I was a groomsmen.
and every student walking its halls .”
About six months after the
wedding, we reconnected a
each and every student walking the halls.
number of times through the same
It would be such a privilege to know that
friends, and our relationship developed.
our children were prayed for daily by
We got engaged a year later and married
their teachers who genuinely care about
a few months after that.
them and want to see them excel and
mature academically, spiritually, physicalOur appreciation for CVCA has particularly, and socially. We are also thankful for
ly grown over the last few years as we’ve
the authentic friendships we developed
become parents and have considered the
with other students long ago. We have
type of educational environment we’d
walked many journeys with these lifelong
like for our children. CVCA is truly a
friends and are grateful to have their
unique place, and most of that is due to
encouragement, counsel, and fellowship.”
its teachers and administrators who love
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | BRANDON BUTLER ’03
Brandon writes: “While growing up, some
of my favorite books and movies featured
attorneys as main characters. What I
learned from books like “To Kill a
Mockingbird” and films like “A Time to
Kill” and “A Few Good Men” was that
while many people may have good
intentions and desires to right wrongs
and effect change, lawyers are actually in
positions to do so. I think those early
creative exposures made the idea of
becoming a lawyer attractive to me.
Unlike most people in the legal field, I had
no attorneys in my family, so while I was
drawn to the profession, I really had no
exposure to it. During my senior year at
CVCA, as a part of Miss Haslett’s English
class, we took a field trip to the Akron
Municipal Court and staged a mock trial
after reading Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
A local Akron judge presided. I remember
thinking, “I really enjoyed that, maybe I
want to be a lawyer one day.” That was
the last I thought about it for a long time.
Heading into college, I had two loves:
football and politics, and as a college football player and Political Science major, I
thought my career path would follow one
of those areas. By the end of college,
though, the NFL wasn't calling, and I was
burnt out on football. I started exploring a
career as a Congressional aide and lobbyist in the private sector. One of my professors suggested law school as a vehicle to
enter the political arena. I ended up at
Liberty University School of Law, one of
the few Christian law schools in the country. My goal was to become legislative
counsel for a member of Congress.
“CVCA had a huge
impact on my life.”
continued on page 26
SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER 25
BRANDON BUTLER ’03 continued
After my first year at Liberty, I secured a
summer internship with a member of the
U.S. Senate that sat on the Judiciary
Committee and a second internship with
a prestigious DC lobbying firm. This was a
dream come true (or so I thought) and
believed this was my first step towards a
career in DC. While I enjoyed both internships and learned a lot, I realized that was
not the arena to which the Lord was calling me. The next summer, I did a more
traditional internship at a local law firm
and loved it. After a lot of prayer, I felt at
peace that God was calling me to practice
law. Following graduation, I joined a local
firm at which I became a partner after two
years, forming my current firm of Cutler,
Butler & Livengood. The challenges of not
only practicing law but also running a law
practice as an owner are many, but
there’s nothing else I’d rather do. What I
like best is the ability to help people that
are in need. When most of my clients
walk through my door, they’re going
through one of the most difficult times in
their life. Often they have little working
knowledge of the law and are overwhelmed and scared. I love to bring clarity to their situation, give them peace of
mind that I can help, and then put a plan
into motion to get them the best possible
results. I also do everything I can to incorporate my faith into my practice and witness to my clients by the way I conduct
myself, handle conflict, and treat those
around me. Many people have a negative
preconceived notion of lawyers, and a lot
of that is well earned by some in the profession. I have an incredible opportunity
to demonstrate the profound effect a
relationship with Christ has on a person’s
life, both personally and professionally.
This past year I expanded my practice,
combining it with my love of sports by
becoming an NFLPA certified agent. I
started Butler Sports Representation, run
in conjunction with my law firm. I hope to
provide trusted guidance for young men
who are entering a world they know little
about and need someone to look out for
their best interests.
One of the greatest challenges in law
practice is unrealistic client expectations.
I try to paint a realistic picture for clients
to help them understand both the
process and the most likely results. It’s
challenging to work hard for a client and
not receive much thanks in return, or to
not be able to get them the results they
want and expect. But, I have learned that
God expects me to give my maximum
effort and utilize the talents He’s given
me to their fullest. That approach has
yielded more success than I expected this
early in my career. Although disappointments are inevitable, I know God is sovereign and in control over all situations.
CVCA had a huge impact on me. I started
there in ninth grade after moving from
Arkansas. It was immediately apparent
that CVCA is special. Christ is the center of
everything, even subject areas that I
thought were strictly secular, like math,
history, and science. I learned that a true
vibrant faith isn’t something compartmentalized to Sunday mornings and
Wednesday nights, but is a relationship
that affects every aspect of life. This was
taught and demonstrated by every
administrator and faculty member. Christ
was also the focus of the sports program.
While always striving to win, the ultimate
goal was to be ambassadors for Christ on
the field and court.
Football was a significant part of my
CVCA experience. When my older brother
and I came to CVCA, the football program
had just completed its inaugural varsity
season. Blake and I came from a rich football background. Our dad was a coach
and we had been playing football since
elementary school. I never expected all
that I would glean through CVCA football.
We did win a conference championship,
but more importantly Coach Carroscia
and his staff showed us how to be
Christian men ready to take responsibility, lead, be passionate for Christ, and be
part of something bigger than ourselves.
I am extremely thankful for the strong
academics at CVCA and the incredible
teachers. I will always be grateful to
teachers like Mrs. Calco who pushed
me to develop my love of reading and
creative writing in tenth grade, and
Mrs. Engerer who always saw more
potential in me thatn I did. I developed a
love for History from Mr. Shellenberger,
and still have a copy by my bed of “My
Utmost for His Highest” which he gave
me as the book award for US History. I
know the academic advantage CVCA
provided made my college experience
much easier, and ultimately allowed me
to excel in law school and in my career.
The main lesson God has taught me since
CVCA is no matter what the situation, I
must keep my priority and focus on Him.
The deepest valleys in both my personal
and professional life have occurred when
I’ve taken my eyes off Christ and depended on my own skills and perceived intelligence. There’s no safer and more fulfilling
place a Christian can be than operating
under God’s plan and in His will.
ONCE A ROYAL…ALWAYS A ROYAL
Join the CVCA Alumni Association and get connected, be involved, and receive special benefits.
Learn more at cvcaroyals.org/alumni.
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26 SUMMER 2016 • THE TRUMPETER
OUR NEW ROYAL HERITAGE ALUMNI
Ten graduates from the
CLASS OF 2016 have a
parent who also graduated
from CVCA. This special
group of two-generation
alumni now totals 198!
1 Elise Brubaker and Robin (Foster) Brubaker ’83
and Steven Brubaker ’82
6 Maddie Meszaros and Joy (Habeck) Meszaros
’89 and James Meszaros Jr. ’89
2 Hailey Eck and Tracy (Bush) Eck ’89
7 Alfred Perry III and Patricia (Snell) Perry ’84
3 Emily Lentz and Melissa (Mitchell) Lentz ’86
8 Charissa Ricker and Dorian (Horner) Ricker ’91
4 Jordan Lyon and Sandra (Beahn) Lyon ’81
9 Elijah Rios and Heather (Bailey) Rios ’89
5 Alex McClintick and David McClintick ’86
10 Josiah Robinson and Anne (Obendorf)
Robinson ’84
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HERITA
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ALUMNI
HOMECOMING 2016
F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 3
Homecoming 2016 will include both traditional homecoming festivities and class reunions held at CVCA. Watch for more information.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
4687 Wyoga Lake Road
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44224
(330) 929-0575
www.cvcaroyals.org
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