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The Path May 2023

An Albuquerque Academy Community Newsletter

Contents

Academy Mock Trial Takes Second at Nationals | Ms. Puente Joins Other Top Independent Schools to Work on Academic Expression Framework | Athletes Playing in College | Caldecott Donor Shares Collection with Community | Campus Spotlight: Visual Arts | Thank You to Our Volunteers | English Teacher Publishes Novel | State Champs and Competitors | New Advancement Director Joins in Time for Day of Giving | Enchantment Awards | Admission Event Welcomes New Chargers | Notah Begay ’90 to Speak at Commencement | Writing Awards | Meet the 2023 Athletics Hall of Famers | Guest Speaker Makes Tough Topic Relatable | Academy Alumni Family Night at New Mexico United | Siblings Win Climate Innovation Challenge | New Levanta Institute Classes for Fall 2023 | Video Features Computer Science Teacher | Give a Gift in Honor of a Special Teacher or Graduating Senior | Two Students Earn Perfect Scores on National Latin Exams | Ex Ed Trips See All Kinds of Spring Weather | Awards Ceremony Acknowledges Students Across All Divisions | Photo Gallery

Banner photo: Román Romero '23

Academy Mock Trial Team Takes Second at Nationals

For the first time since 2019, the National High School Mock Trial Championship was held in person, and Albuquerque Academy was there to represent New Mexico in top form, going all the way to the finals for the third time in 11 years and coming within one ballot of a national championship.

Team members include juniors Inaaya Hasham, Lucy Lott, Ben Raihane, Kyo Torres-Chen, Santiago Webb, and Jamal Witter and sophomore Gabriella Towsley.

Inaaya was recognized as one of the tournament's 10 most outstanding attorneys.
Jamal was named a top-10 outstanding witness.

At nationals in Little Rock, the Academy defeated defending champs Kentucky and Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana in preliminary rounds before facing Iowa in the finals. “The teams were a contrast in styles — Iowa leaned more into the thespian side of this activity, while we take a more grounded approach,” says Coach Joaquin Sanchez. “As in any judged competition it comes down to the judge’s preferences between styles.” Iowa, which took the win with a 7-6 decision in ballots, also had the advantage of representing the defense, noted Coach Sanchez, allowing them to present their side of the case last.

See the news story for more.

Ms. Puente to Work on Academic Expression Framework

Top Independent Schools Tackle Important Issue

Head of School Julianne Puente will be joining a group of leaders from independent secondary schools across the U.S. to develop a written framework to help secondary schools support academic inquiry, expression, and viewpoint diversity in light of rising levels of partisan rancor and national polarization.

“The last few years have seen unprecedented levels of conflict on independent school campuses among boards, faculty, parents, teachers, and school leaders,” says Dr. John P.N. Austin, head of school at Deerfield Academy. “Increasingly, schools are being brought to the center of difficult conversations around the principles of free and open inquiry, expressive freedom, and nonpartisanship in the classroom. Our goal with this project is to establish a framework, led by some of the most insightful leaders in education today, that helps all secondary schools with guidelines about when to assert neutrality on issues of political and social action and how to best integrate diverse arguments and perspectives into the design and teaching of courses.”

The working group is charged with researching, developing, and writing a framework to help secondary school educators navigate complex issues around fundamental questions of speech, inquiry, and academic freedom.

See the news story for more.

Athletes Playing in College

The Academy athletics department celebrated the 16 seniors who will continue their athletic careers. They are:

  • Baseball: Michelangelo Duva (Swarthmore)
  • Football: Cole Conway (Trinity), Kellan Gehres (Rhodes), Spencer Lyon (Austin College), AJ Rivera (Case Western Reserve)
  • Golf: Hallie Vigil (Oklahoma Wesleyan)
  • Soccer: Anna Babinski (Cal Poly)
  • Softball: Sarah Post (St. John’s)
  • Tennis: Josh Simon (Muhlenberg)
  • Track and Field: Gigi Galles (San Diego State), Katie Patton (Occidental) as well as cross country, Franklin Rambo (Colorado School of Mines), Quint Stein (University of Chicago)
  • Volleyball: Tristen Lujan (Santa Clara), Iona Nelson (Dickinson), Hattie Villegas (Puget Sound)

See our athletes featured on KOB4.

Caldecott Donor Shares Collection with Community

In early May, the Academy was honored to host Joseph D’Alessio for an open house highlighting the Caldecott Collection that 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-winners from 1938 to the present, the collection is a treasure for the Albuquerque Academy community.

Joseph shared his knowledge and love of picture books at a community-wide reception and with 7th-grade English classes. His message was clear – you’re never too old to learn from children’s books!

Campus Spotlight: Visual Arts

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers

Albuquerque Academy’s parent volunteers help sustain our school by donating their time and resources to things that matter to our community. We deeply appreciate all they do to support our school, from staffing the library and bookstore to volunteering as a team parent or holding a position on the AAPA or parent council. Every gift of time enriches our community.

English Teacher Peter Nash Publishes Novel

Congratulations to English department faculty member Peter Nash on publishing a new book, In the Place Where We Thought We Stood, now available in the Academy bookstore, Simms Library, and online bookstores. In the Place Where We Thought We Stood tells the contemporary tale of a French American translator traveling by train from Paris to Madrid, where he is headed to comfort his mother-in-law, who recently suffered a stroke. Haunted by his wife's suicide, he struggles to make sense of the moment. Set entirely in the course of this journey, the novel explores the fleeting little triumphs of love.

“A combination of my lifelong love of France and my deep admiration for the life and work of the Austrian writer, Ingeborg Bachmann, and her lover, Paul Celan, was the inspiration for the book,” says Peter. “My experiment, in this novel, was to concentrate the narrative by shrinking the time frame in which it takes place to the length of an average train ride from Paris to Barcelona and by telling it – all 125 pages of it – as a single, fluid paragraph.”

His book has received early praise. “Peter Nash takes us on a classic European train journey, from Gare de Lyon to Barcelona, imbued with the vivid smells and sounds which transport us through the history of art, wars, and philosophical observations…. A wonderful ride!” ~Josip Novakovich, author of April Fool’s Day and Man Booker International Prize Finalist

“Ever with a book in hand and, I suspect, with his next novel in mind, Peter is a teacher who models his dedication to the power and beauty of the written word every day,” says English Department Chair Scottie Buron.

Congratulations to Our State Champs and Competitors

Baseball

Academy baseball had another stellar season that took them all the way to the state finals.

DECA

Academy's DECA team took two top-10 spots at nationals. Read the news story.

Golf

Charger girls golf brought home a blue trophy again this year! And the boys team came in 6th at state.

HOSA

Twenty students from the Academy competed at the HOSA State Leadership Conference in 14 different events. This year’s event was the largest New Mexico has ever hosted, with close to 500 students taking part. Read the news story for more.

Softball

Our softball team had a winning season (16-6), taking the district championship and making it to the first round of state.

Tennis

Chargers boys and girls swept the Class 4A state tennis titles.

Track & Field

Albuquerque Academy’s boys and girls had an outstanding season. Both teams were district champs and runners-up at state. The girls team was also metro champs.

New Advancement Director Joins the Academy in Time for Day of Giving

Albuquerque Academy saw widespread support from all kinds of community members during our 24-hour Spring Day of Giving fundraising campaign in April. Your contributions support our standards of excellence for today’s Academy students and help us build futures for generations to come.

Once all gifts were in, we had raised $263,525 from 477 gifts! Gifts of all sizes make an impact, and community-wide participation shapes the paths of our students while showing support for our high-caliber faculty.

As an independent, nonprofit school, Albuquerque Academy relies on philanthropic contributions from our community. The difference between tuition and the true cost of educating our student body is approximately $10,000 per student. The Academy Fund helps make up that difference.

“As we near the end of the school year and commencement, thank you for supporting Albuquerque Academy and the many roles you fulfill – parent, grandparent, alumni, faculty, staff, volunteer, and donor,” said new Director of Advancement Joe Weiss. “We greatly appreciate your commitment to our independent school and look forward to continuing our work as one community with shared goals.”

Joe Weiss, Director of Advancement

A proven fundraiser who possesses strong ties to the philanthropic community of New Mexico, Joe comes to the Academy off of a long, successful run working in various development capacities at the University of New Mexico, most recently as the senior director of development for UNM’s Anderson School of Management.

Academy Earns Two Enchantment Awards for Chicago: Teen Edition

Nori Little '25 and performing arts faculty member Desiree Lang took home honors from the Enchantment Awards at Popejoy Hall. Both were recognized for their work with Chicago: Teen Edition, the 2023 Academy spring musical. Ms. Lang received the 2023 Best Direction Award, and Nori was named Best Actress. As New Mexico’s best actress, Nori will be going to New York City in June to represent our state at the National High School Theatre Awards.

Albuquerque Academy was also represented at the Enchantment Awards by nominees Thomas Wray ’24, best actor, and Ani Field ’24, best supporting actress. More than 50 students from 12 schools were involved in this year’s event.

Admission Event Welcomes New Chargers

We shared the magic of the Academy with 700 guests at our New Student Welcome Event in April. Our newest Chargers were joined by their families for an afternoon of fun with a barbecue and homemade donuts, music, parent groups, Charger gear, face painting, and much more.

Notah Begay ’90 to Speak at Commencement

We look forward to welcoming Notah R. Begay III, Class of 1990, as our alumni speaker at Albuquerque Academy’s 64th Commencement. A three-sport (basketball, soccer, and golf) standout at Albuquerque Academy, Notah combined his success on the golf course with his dedication to education and earned a scholarship to Stanford University. Notah dedicates his time off the golf course to positively impacting Native American communities. In 2005, Notah launched the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, which works to reduce childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes among Native American youth.

Notah is a member of the Albuquerque Academy Board of Trustees, serving on the Mission and School Life Committee and the Endowment Management Committee. He and his wife Apryl are the proud parents of three children, including two Chargers – Antonella ’26 and Santiago ’28.

Students Earn Scholastic and NCTE Writing Awards

Regional Scholastic Writing Awards

Several Academy students were honored as the regional winners of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The awards help identify students with exceptional literary talent and give them opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Students in grades 7-12 nationwide entered works in 11 different writing categories. See the news story for the list of Academy winners.

National Council of English Teachers Achievement Awards in Writing

Schools nominated 360 students in their sophomore or junior year to participate in the Achievement Awards in Writing Program. National judges evaluated each piece of writing for expression of ideas, language use, and unique perspective and voice. Two Academy students were selected to receive First Class honors, the highest distinction – Evan Chang ’25 and Jack Yu ’25.

Meet the 2023 Athletics Hall of Famers

Established in 2020, the Albuquerque Academy Athletics Hall of Fame serves our community by honoring and recognizing the athletes, teams, coaches, and supporters who made significant contributions to the Charger tradition of athletic excellence. Since 1955, scores of outstanding athletes and individuals have defined the Charger spirit that continues to unite our community and make us proud.

We look forward to honoring the Class of 2023 Hall of Famers at Alumni Weekend events on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, and in our Athletics Hall of Fame display throughout the 2023-24 school year.

Guest Speaker Nic Newling Makes Tough Topic Relatable

Nic Newling of The Champions, an organization dedicated to the improvement of mental health, returned to the Academy in April to share his journey with 9th- and 10th-grade students. His thought-provoking presentation, similar to his talk to 10-12 students last year, was emotionally impactful, humorous at times, honest, and, most importantly, filled with hope.

Nic discussed the highs and lows of managing a mood disorder, the challenges of being misdiagnosed, and the grief of losing his brother to suicide. He detailed his temporary efforts to “be normal” and to keep his struggles a secret, all while facing the usual challenges of high school.

In this storytelling and Q&A session, he explored the often-hidden experiences of mental illness and the importance of speaking up and helping one another, along with practical suggestions about how to make a meaningful positive difference.

Academy Alumni Family Night at New Mexico United

Saturday, June 24

Join other Academy alumni and their families as the New Mexico United takes on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks! The first 50 Academy guests to arrive will receive Charger swag bags. Purchase your tickets now!

Siblings Win Climate Innovation Challenge

Athena Hanna ’29 and Adrian Hanna ’27 have been awarded the Outstanding Entry for Middle School in the Climate Innovation Challenge. The Climate Innovation Challenge cultivates student leaders to think innovatively and communicate effectively about addressing problems that arise in our changing climate.

And congratulations to Athena, who also successfully certified our DOT Garden as an ABQ Backyard Refuge. As part of her Climate Action Challenge project, she cataloged the diverse food, water, and shelter sources as well as our management practices that make the DOT Garden a vital wildlife sanctuary.

Read more about the ABQ Backyard Refuge Program, and learn how you can turn your outdoor space into a refuge, too.

New Levanta Institute Classes for Fall 2023!

The Levanta Institute for Music and Creativity is excited to announce that a variety of new music and performing arts classes are available for adult learners in Fall 2023. Levanta will offer dance, acting, and string orchestra classes, as well as beginning and intermediate guitar. These fun, low-stress classes will be taught by Academy faculty members Alexis Scott, Desiree Lang, and Carrie Hurtado.

There will be new youth classes, for grades 4-6, offered as well – beginning and intermediate guitar classes and a music composition class.

During the 2023-24 season, the Levanta Institute will offer workshops and a host of exciting events and performances, and is working toward offering art-making classes.

For complete details about fall course offerings, visit the Levanta webpage. Or register now for youth classes or adult classes.

If you have any questions, please contact Levanta Director Mickey Jones at levanta@aa.edu.

Video Features Computer Science Teacher Frank Gonzales

“On this very special episode,” says Jesse Orion ’14, “I sit down with my dad in his state-of-the-art classroom at Albuquerque Academy. Over the course of my lifetime, I've had the privilege of watching him dream big and achieve bigger. He's a man of top-tier intellect, curiosity, and faith. The most interesting conversation at any party is always sure to be happening in Frank's corner of the room, so I couldn't think of a better person to let you guys listen to today.”

Give a Gift in Honor of a Special Teacher or Graduating Senior

Honor an Academy Retiree

The close of another school year also means saying goodbye to some long-standing Academy employees. These individuals have dedicated many years of service and made a tremendous impact on the lives of countless students, as well as our school, through their various professional roles. Please join the Academy in congratulating these retirees who have served 15 years or more by making a gift in their honor to the Academy Fund by June 30.

Rich Adam – 40 years – Archivist
Danny Packer – 36 years – History
Kevin Fowler ’77 – 34 years – Computer Science
Amy Tyksinski – 23 years – Peterson Learning Support Program & Physical Education
Donna White - 18 years - College Guidance

Make a gift today.

Celebrate a Senior with an Engraved Brick

Thank you to everyone who donated in honor of a senior during Spring Day of Giving. We are extending the offer through June 30 for parents, grandparents, or friends who would like to honor a 2023 graduate. When you make a donation of $250 or more to the Academy Fund in their honor, the senior will receive an engraved "Class of 2023" brick (pictured here) and own a piece of history from the original Path.

Please note the senior’s name in the “in honor of” notes section of the donation form. Bricks will be engraved and ready for pickup this summer, and the advancement office will notify recipients.

Make a gift today.

Two Students Earn Perfect Scores on National Latin Exams

All seven students in the Academy’s Latin program received recognition for the 2023 National Latin Exam, including two who received perfect scores.

Gold Medals

  • Audrey Finkelstein ’27, Introductory Latin Exam – Perfect Score
  • Nate Klein ’23, Level I – Perfect Score
  • Matthew Stein ’23, Level I

Silver Medals

  • Michael Kienzle ’23, Level I
  • Jayraina Montoya ’23, Level I
  • Tristen Lujan ’23, Level III

Honorable Mention

  • Julia Lee ’23, Level I

Ex Ed Trips See All Kinds of Spring Weather

Spring semester Ex Ed trips included wind and snow in the south for ninth graders, day hikes in Bear Canyon, canyon spelunking for the 8-9 division, and water adventures for sixth and seventh graders.

Awards Ceremony Acknowledges Students Across All Divisions

The annual All-School Awards Ceremony recognized dozens of students for their accomplishments in academics, community service and athletics, and character and leadership skills.

“I feel privileged and honored to participate in a ceremony that acknowledges the achievements of our extraordinary students, faculty, and staff,” Head of School Julianne Puente told those in attendance. “Tonight, we gather not just to celebrate the achievements of our students, but also affirm our Academy values of wisdom, conviction, and compassion."

Many of the awards presented at the event have been established by generous donors as endowed funds with gifts of $35,000 or more. If you have interest in adding to Academy’s endowment or making a gift to support Academy students or faculty, please reach out to the advancement team.

For more about the awards, see our website.

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