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The Path April 2023

An Albuquerque Academy Community Newsletter

Contents

Eight Students Qualify for Nationals in Speech and Debate | A Grand Day Indeed | Caldecott Donor Joseph D’Allesio to Share Collection | Sixth-Grade Spelling Champ Heading to Nationals | Students Nominated for Enchantment Awards | Campus Spotlight: Simms Library | Student-Led Sticker Initiative Benefits Local Non-Profits | Academy Red Team Going to Mock Trial Nationals | Powerlifting Has Strong Inaugural Season | Welcome New Chargers | Alumni Awards Announced | Campus Spotlight: SAGE Dining | Physics Students Bring Demos to Sixth Graders | Building Futures Brick by Brick | Vote for the Academy in the Readers’ Choice Awards | Delegates Participate in Youth & Government Conference | Photo Gallery

Eight Students Qualify for Nationals in Speech and Debate

Albuquerque Academy recently hosted the New Mexico District National Qualifier for Speech and Debate. Thirteen Academy students competed for the chance to represent New Mexico at the 2023 NSDA National Championship, held in Arizona in June.

As a whole, eight participating students qualified for nationals. Students qualified in more than half of the events they were entered in, securing qualifying spots in every single debate event that the team competes in.

Read the news story here and go to their website for more information about their season.

A Grand Day Indeed

Grandparents and grandfriends filled the campus at the end of March for a heart-warming day of activities with their students. Colder temperatures and windy weather did not seem to dampen the spirit on campus. Across the two days, the Academy hosted almost 800 grands, who got to participate in a range of activities – visiting classrooms, touring the visual arts building and the art gallery in the library, watching a pump track demonstration, stocking up on spirit merchandise at the bookstore, enjoying a beverage or snack at Common Grounds, having a professional picture taken with their student, sharing lunch together, and enjoying one or more of the student performances going on in Simms Theatre. In the end, cold hands didn’t matter, because warm hearts prevailed.

Please visit our GrandDays community message board to leave a thought or special memory of your day.

Caldecott Donor Joseph D’Allesio to Share Collection

Albuquerque Academy is honored to host Joseph D’Alessio on May 5 for an open house highlighting the Caldecott collection he and his wife, Anita Speciale, donated to Albuquerque Academy in 2016. With more than 90 books signed by authors and illustrators of Caldecott award-winning books from 1938 to the present, the collection is a true treasure for the Albuquerque Academy community.

From 8:15 to 10:15 a.m. in Simms Library, Joseph will be available for questions and to share his knowledge and love of picture books. Refreshments will be available. The Caldecott collection and an interactive display will be available all week in Simms Library.

Please register for the event by Friday, April 28.

Questions? Please contact Megan Glidden, director of library services, at gliddenm@aa.edu.

Sixth-Grade Spelling Champ Heading to Nationals

Keith Lee ’29 survived 29 rounds of the New Mexico State Spelling Bee and was named champ with the word “millet.” Keith will head to Washington, D.C. in May to represent the state at the national bee.

It was the first time since 2020 that the bee was held in person. Some 244 schools from 23 counties participated in the process. Each state competitor, ages 10-14, won their classroom and district bee, then took an additional test to qualify for the state competition.

After winning his district bee, Keith studied two to three hours every night. Even more impressive is that Keith’s first language is Mandarin. Until about third grade, Keith primarily spoke Mandarin and had to take English language-learner courses. A few years later, Keith is a champion of spelling English-, French-, Greek-, Latin-, and Arabic-derived words.

“His victory is not really a surprise, given his diligence and tenacity in learning new things,” says 6-7 Division Head Chris Dineen.

Read more here.

Students Nominated for Enchantment Awards

Nori Little

The New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards announced the qualifying nominees and finalists for the Enchantment Awards. Three students from the Academy’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition are in the running – Nori Little, Best Actress; Thomas Wray, Best Actor; and Ani Field, Best Supporting Actress. In addition, Albuquerque Academy’s production of Chicago: Teen Edition is one of five finalists for a production award.

Thomas Wray

The three actors will participate in a series of workshops leading up to the competition performances at the awards show in Popejoy Hall at 7:30 p.m. on April 28. The cast from the production will also perform one musical number from the show in a showcase of the five finalists.

Ani Field

Read more about the awards here.

Campus Spotlight: Simms Library

Student-Led Sticker Initiative Benefits Local Non-Profits

Three students – Lynn Zhang ’23, Joanne Li ’23, and Karen Zhang ’24 – wanting to combine their passion for community service with their artistic talents – have launched Mirukafei (pronounced MEER-oo-ca-fey), a sticker fundraiser whose name comes from the Japanese word for milk and the Chinese term for coffee and was influenced by their love of boba tea.

Initially funded by the Harry Messec Grant, a grant set aside for student-led community service projects, and now financially self-sustaining, they design, produce, and sell stickers that benefit non-profit organizations.

They sold their first batch of stickers through the Academy bookstores in December and January, donating nearly $500 to Animal Humane NM. Their second series supported The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that provides suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth, and their most recent batch supports S.A.F.E. House. To date, they’ve sold close to 1,500 stickers singly or in packs.

Mirukafei founders presenting

“It’s definitely surpassed our expectations,” Joanne says, “and it seems like it’s still going strong. We’ve had lots of interest in keeping it going, and we’ve selected our next team.” Because she and Lynn are graduating, they recruited a team to continue the project next year that includes sticker designers, social media managers, and a director.

“You really get to know the organization you’re donating to,” Lynn says. “We tried to expand our support beyond the organizations our school typically works with.”

Follow Mirukafei on Instagram to see their work and what’s coming next.

Academy Red Team Going to Mock Trial Nationals

Three teams from the Academy qualified for the state mock trial competition. In a bittersweet ending, the Academy Red mock trial team edged out Academy Black, earning them the privilege of representing Team New Mexico at the High School Mock Trial National Championships in May.

Albuquerque Academy has won the past five mock trial state championships and six out of the last seven, making it the most remarkable run by a school in the competition’s history.

Read the news story here.

Powerlifting Has Strong Inaugural Season

In the Academy’s first year fielding a powerlifting team, three boys qualified for the NMAA state tournament at the end of March.

  • Robert Drennan ’23 – 2nd place, lifting a total of 890 pounds
  • Beck Wilson-Scott ’23 – 2nd place, lifting a total of 1,225 pounds
  • Franklin Rambo ’23 – 4th place, lifting a total of 1,095 pounds

“This entire first year powerlifting team brought the dedication and mental toughness that this sport demands day in and day out,” says Coach Lyle Griffith, “and I can’t wait to watch what they accomplish in the future.”

Welcome New Chargers!

We are excited about welcoming more than 200 newly enrolled 6-12 students next school year! Our new Chargers are a fantastic group who will join us from more than 75 different schools. Fifty-seven percent of our newly enrolled students self-report as students of color, and we are especially happy to be able to offer tuition assistance to 25% of our new Chargers.

Over our successful admission season, we had applicants who reside in, were born in, or are citizens from seven countries, with 17 different languages spoken at home, ranging from Hindi to Urdu and Afrikaans to Keres.

Alumni Awards Announced

Distinguished Alumni Award: Amy Loyd ’93

Amy Loyd '93

The Alumni Council annually presents the Distinguished Alumni Award to an alum of the school in recognition of extraordinary achievement or service that exemplifies the principles and values of Albuquerque Academy.

Dr. Amy Loyd, Class of 1993, serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the U.S. Department of Education; in this role she leads federal programs related to career and technical education, community colleges, adult education and family literacy, and correctional education. She has an extensive background in education and the nonprofit sector and has designed and led programs across the United States that sit at the intersection of education, workforce, and economic development, with a focus on equitably strengthening outcomes for people and communities.

Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Amy was a vice president at Jobs for the Future, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the director of education at Cook Inlet Tribal Council. She attended Santa Fe Community College and Northern New Mexico Community College, and she holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College and a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her early career pathway led her through many diverse jobs – including working as an EMT at the Santa Fe Downs racetrack, as a river guide in the Four Corners region, and in international policy at the American Medical Association – and she is passionate about building education systems that provide students of all ages and walks of life with greater self-determination to pursue multiple pathways to rewarding futures of their choosing, so that education truly lives up to the promise of social and economic mobility, equity, and liberation for all.

Amy’s enduring belief in the value of education and commitment to increasing access to opportunities both furthers our community’s shared values and make a significant contribution to society, making her a deserving recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Young Alumni Service Award: Julia Youngs ’10

Julia Youngs '10

Created by the Alumni Council to recognize notable service to the community and society that exemplifies the spirit of the Albuquerque Academy mission, the Young Alumni Service Award is presented annually to an alum who is 35 years of age or younger at the time of nomination and who has made significant personal achievements in serving the local, national, or international community.

Julia Youngs, Class of 2010, is the Senior Director of Social Impact Strategy and Entrepreneurship for Alithi Management Consulting, where she works with high-impact organizations like Microsoft to develop their social impact and entrepreneurship programming. She has worked for more than a decade as a community arts organizer and stage manager in Albuquerque and has served in various leadership roles for local non-profits, including the Albuquerque Urban Enhancement Trust Fund, Albuquerque’s Downtown Arts & Cultural District, and the Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Julia also serves as a board member for b.creative, a global network for cultural entrepreneurs established to spark societal changes.

Julia is a doctoral candidate in Sustainable Urban Development at Oxford University and focuses her studies on the intersection of borders, climate, and nonprofit advocacy in New Mexico. She has a master's degree in Latin American Studies and City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico. Julia’s demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of others through fostering societal change with her leadership and creativity embodies the mission of our school and makes her a fitting recipient of the 2023 Young Alumni Service Award.

Inaugural Albuquerque Academy Alumni Council Faculty Legacy Award: Ed Baklini

Ed Baklini

This year, the Alumni Council is excited to announce the creation of a new award – the Albuquerque Academy Alumni Council Faculty Legacy Award. This award is given to a member of the Academy’s faculty who has rendered distinguished service to Albuquerque Academy and made a lasting impact either to the development of the school’s students or, through their dedication and leadership, has strengthened the school as an institution of learning for our community.

For more than 40 years, Ed Baklini (also known as Mr. Bak to his sixth graders) has taught history, including New Mexico history, economics, geography, world history, and U.S. history, at Albuquerque Academy.

Ed attended the University of New Mexico and began his career in education as a teacher and athletic director at a local parochial school. Since joining the faculty of Albuquerque Academy, he has taught history to sixth, seventh, and tenth graders as well as coached baseball, softball, and basketball at all levels. It is estimated that Ed has taught or coached more than 4,000 Albuquerque Academy students. More remarkable is the obvious mutual respect among and between teacher and students in his classroom. Ed has bestowed upon generations of young scholars the simple wisdom that the secret to true learning is to make it meaningful.

As permitted by the Alumni Association Constitution, the Alumni Council is honored to invite Mr. Ed Baklini, in recognition of his distinguished service and lasting impact on our learning community, to join them as one of their own.

All three Alumni Council award recipients will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, October 27, 2023.

Campus Spotlight: SAGE Dining

Brick by Brick… We’re Building Futures!

Spring Day of Giving is April 26.

On Wednesday, April 26, the Academy community will be asked to contribute toward our 24-hour fundraising goals of 500 gifts and $200,000. Contributions for this important day of giving go directly into the Academy Fund – unrestricted dollars that pay for the salaries of our high-caliber faculty, provide for exemplary curriculum and programming, maintain our beautiful 312-acre campus, and contribute to a meaningful educational experience to our more than 1,100 students.

Like all independent non-profit schools, Albuquerque Academy relies on the philanthropic contributions of our community to not only maintain our standards of excellence but also help forge an innovative path for the future. Tuition covers only a portion of the cost.

Please join the collective Academy community in making a gift on April 26 and help us build futures, brick by brick.

This year’s Spring Day of Giving will include several incentives.*

  • Dion’s pizza party for the class (grades 6-12) with the highest parent participation on April 26
  • Matching gift challenges by alumni, staff, and members of the Board of Trustees
  • The opportunity for the alumni class with the highest participation to receive an engraved brick from the original Path
  • And the chance for graduating seniors to receive an engraved brick from the original Path for anyone donating $250 or more in their honor

*Only gifts made on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 will be considered for purposes of these competitions.

Vote for the Academy in the Readers’ Choice Awards

Now is your chance to support Albuquerque Academy as the top private school and summer camp in our city in the 2023 Albuquerque Journal Readers’ Choice Awards. Use this link, and go to Kids > Private Schools and Kids > Summer Camps to vote. Polls close on May 15.

Delegates Participate in Youth & Government Conference

Eight students took part in the 2023 Youth & Government Conference at the Roundhouse in early April. The students wrote bills aimed at improving many areas of life in New Mexico and spent three days moving them from committee into the House and Senate, where they advocated for their bills, entertained arguments, and voted on a host of other legislation. Students also heard from Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richards.

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