Gilmour Magazine Fall 2026

GILMOUR

DEVELOPING TALENT Remarkable images and the stories behind them .

51 REUNION

12 77 TH

COVER STORY: DEVELOPING TALENT

WEEKEND 2026

COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES

IN THIS ISSUE

GILMOUR

Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Indiana

We send one copy of this magazine per household. If a member of your family has a new permanent address, please let us know so that we can update our records. To do so, visit gilmour.org/alumupdate (alumni) or gilmour.org/updateinfo (parents).

EDITOR Amy Boyle CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Amy Boyle Rob Fowler Beth Geraci '90 Marisa Martin Moses GILMOUR CONTACTS Chief Enrollment Management, Tuition Assistance, Marketing and Communications Officer Beth Titas Lazzaro

Chief Advancement Officer Ryan Ryzner DESIGN markey creative

PRINTING Oliver Printing PHOTOGRAPHY Neal Busch Brendan Hearns '26 Marisa Martin Moses Mark Most Venditti Studios

OUR HOLY CROSS MISSION IS THE FOUNDATION FROM WHICH WE EDUCATE THE MIND AND EMPOWER THE HEART OF EVERY GILMOUR STUDENT.

To develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society.

Continues 12

The Journey

contents

COVER STORY developing Talent

Living the Mission

In His Space

Cover image by Brendan Hearns ’26

Catching Up With10

College Corner

77 th Commencement Exercises

Developing Talent

Finding the Right Direction

Around Campus

Alumni Testimonials

AlumNews

Alumni In Focus: Dr. Dee Dee (Tucci) Pfister ’88

Alumni In Focus: Amy Poklar ’05

Alumni In Focus: Anthony Patrick ’19

Reunion

Athletics

Advancement Corner

In Memoriam

COLUMNS

Living the Mission ON A 500-MILE JOURNEY IN SPAIN, JEFF FRANCO ’88 DISCOVERED THE POWER OF PRESENCE, FAITH AND THE UNEXPECTED MIRACLES.

“The more I let the walls come down, the more I saw miracles taking place all around me,” Franco says. “I saw God in everything, and when I looked at the world through those eyes, it changed everything.” Long before he arrived on the trail, he’d been learning how to see. On Gilmour’s soccer and baseball fields, he learned discipline and humility. In the classroom, he says, his teachers showed him “the power and privilege of an excellent education.”

When Jeff Franco ’ 88 began walking the Camino de Santiago, every morning looked much the same. He woke around 5 a.m. in a hostel filled with other pilgrims, shouldered his backpack, laced his boots and stepped onto the dirt path. Then he walked. For 35 days and 500 miles, Franco made his way from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. There were blisters and extreme heat, laughter with other pilgrims, and long stretches when he walked with nothing but his thoughts. This spring, Franco returned to Gilmour to share with the Class of 2026 what those 500 miles had taught him. As the featured Commencement speaker, he reflected on a life filled with milestones. But the moments that shaped him most weren’t the milestones themselves. They were the unexpected miracles he encountered along the way. When Franco began the Camino, he thought finishing was the point. Soon, the journey became less about the destination and more about a way of being. Pilgrims often ask one another: What’s your Camino? In other words: Why are you here? Along the way, Franco met people from around the world, each walking for a different reason. One stranger walked beside him for three days before the two embraced and went their separate ways. More than a decade later, Franco can still vividly remember the steps they shared. Why could he remember that brief encounter so clearly, yet struggle to remember who had served him coffee the day before? Perhaps, he says, because he was fully present.

felt a deep sadness that the journey was over. He noticed a group of nuns nearby and felt drawn to sit beside them. Without knowing what he was feeling, one of the sisters took his hand. “Do not be afraid or sad that you are finishing and leaving the Camino,” she told him. “The Camino will never leave you and will always be with you.”

Franco broke down in tears.

Standing before Gilmour’s graduates this spring, he passed that message on. “None of us needs to know exactly where the road will lead. You just need to take the next courageous, faithful step and be present to God walking alongside you to guide you on your life journey.”

On the Camino, those lessons came to life.

Gilmour’s Holy Cross mission calls students to develop the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society. Franco’s journey offers a deeply personal expression of that mission. Seeing requires more than looking. It means slowing down enough to notice others and recognize the sacred in the ordinary. Mile after mile, he shed unnecessary belongings from his backpack and lost more than 10 pounds. As the physical weight disappeared, emotional weight fell away, too. When he finally reached Santiago de Compostela, Franco expected to feel joy. Instead, standing inside the cathedral, he

 The Franco family

 Jeff Franco on the .Camino de Santiago

COLUMNS

in his space WITH NEAL BUSCH

If you've been around Gilmour for any length of time, you've probably seen Neal Busch . Maybe he's behind the boards at a hockey game. Maybe he's navigating the crowds at Commencement with his camera around his neck. Maybe he's sitting on the floor of the Lower School trying to get the perfect angle of a preschooler proudly showing off a project. He's almost always there. And he's almost always behind the camera. What many people don't know is that Neal didn't come to Gilmour to take pictures. His family's connection began in 2001 when his son, Jake Busch ’03 , enrolled as a boarding student on Gilmour's prep hockey team. Neal and his wife, Bonnie, made countless trips from St. Louis and quickly found themselves drawn to the people they met here. A few years later, when Neal was ready for a career change, he reached out to Br. Robert Lavelle about an opening in Information Technology. Before long, he and Bonnie had packed up their lives, moved to Cleveland and bought a house directly across the street from campus.

then home to future NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby, with Jake making the saves in goal. Those weekends spent following the prep team eventually turned a hobby into a second career, shifting from his role as IT Director to campus photographer. Today, Neal documents nearly every corner of campus life, from athletic championships and theater productions to Catalyst presentations, alumni reunions and everyday moments in the classroom. The events themselves are only part of the job. Then comes the sorting, editing and post production. Neal estimates he spends about twice as much time behind the computer as he does behind the camera. "I probably take too many photos," he says. But that's part of making sure the right moments aren't missed.

Then there are the moments that come full circle. When Naz Hillmon ’18 returned to campus for Reunion Weekend, she introduced Neal to a friend by explaining that he was the one who had taken her pictures over the years. Parents and grandparents often stop him for the same reason, thanking him for photos that have become family keepsakes. It's a reminder that what feels like another day at work to Neal may become someone else's favorite memory. The Busch family's connection to Gilmour extends well beyond Neal's job. Bonnie served in several roles over the years, including house mother in Murphy Residence Hall, Middle School administrative assistant and Ice Arena Operations Manager. During school breaks, boarding students often found a home with the Busches. Neal says the family's decision to move to Cleveland was cemented years earlier. Before they moved to Cleveland, Jake became seriously ill with a ruptured appendix following a hockey tournament. Neal and Bonnie rushed from St. Louis to Hillcrest Hospital. When they arrived, they found then Headmaster Br. Robert Lavelle, Br. Richard Keller and Todd Sweda already at his bedside. "That was Gilmour," Neal recalls. It confirmed what they had already begun to feel: this was a community they wanted to be part of. When asked how he'd like to be remembered for his work, his answer is simple.

His favorite assignment?

He can't pick one.

One week he's photographing a robotics competition. The next it's Lower School students reading to dogs, a play rehearsal or a state championship. That's exactly what he loves about the job. "It never gets boring because I get to do so much." But there's another reason you'll find Neal on campus early in the morning, late at night and on weekends. He believes students and their families deserve to have photographs of life's important moments. He simply doesn't want to miss them. Some of the moments that stay with him never make headlines. Walking campus with Br. Charles and watching cross country runners interrupt their run to stop and say hello. Seeing teammates encourage one another after practice. It’s those small interactions that say something about the kind of community Gilmour is.

Twenty years later, they still haven't wandered very far.

Neal traces his interest in photography back to Jake’s prep hockey days, when digital cameras were becoming popular and he wanted to document Jake's career in net. His favorite image isn't necessarily one he captured, but one he'll never forget: Gilmour's 1-0 upset of Shattuck-St. Mary's,

"I guess that I did an OK job doing it."

For someone who has spent two decades serving the Gilmour community, it's a characteristically understated answer.

 Jake Busch in net against Shattuck-St. Mary's during the 2002-03 season

 A rare role reversal: Usually behind the camera, Neal was pulled into this Class of 2013 Reunion photo by alumni who wanted the man who documented so many of their Gilmour memories to be part of one himself.

But there's another reason you'll find Neal on campus early in the morning, late at night and on weekends. He believes students and their families deserve to have photographs of life's important moments. He simply doesn't want to miss them.

 The Busch family at Jake's 2003 Commencement. Back row (L to R): Jake ‘03 and Angela Busch. Front row (L to R): Neal, Bonnie and Adam Busch

 One of the many shots Neal captured this spring at the hockey state championship

COLUMNS

catching up with CINDY SABIK

Cindy Sabik arrived at Gilmour at just the right time. It was the late 1990s, when Socratic seminars, collaboration and critical thinking were reshaping the English curriculum. Having just earned her doctorate in urban education, she was looking for a school where students had a voice and teachers had the freedom to innovate. “When I went for the interview and learned about Gilmour’s teaching philosophy, I knew it was the perfect lab for me to practice the kind of teaching I believed in,” she says. It was the era of student-centered learning. Students needed agency, and Gilmour was giving it to them. Students were engaging in discussion with each other, asking critical questions and forming their own opinions. In teaching Grade 10 English, Sabik introduced students to acclaimed novels like The Things They Carried and Song of Solomon . She later moved to Grade 9 English, collaborating with her friend Frank McCamley and teaching across the disciplines with colleagues like Pat Brubaker, Bob Beach and Jim Gutowski to develop a curriculum using the principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools. “It was a very special time at Gilmour,” she says. “We were building this beautiful, integrated curriculum that was all about collaboration and agency, and we had the freedom to design our own courses. That’s what drew me to Gilmour, and it’s what kept me there for 15 years.” The work Sabik did at Gilmour would shape the rest of her career. She left in 2012 to become Dean of Faculty at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she helped transform the curriculum by drawing on many of the ideas she’d embraced at Gilmour. Ultimately, she stepped away from education after the pandemic, when the focus shifted from student agency to survival.

But Sabik wasn't done learning. She found herself back in the classroom — this time as a student. This spring, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction from Bennington College and is expanding her thesis and working on a long-form essay she hopes will become a book. In many ways, she's still exploring the questions that drew her to Gilmour. What began as an examination of Socratic seminars and the teaching of writing has grown into a broader exploration of the very purpose of schools in an age of artificial intelligence. “As someone who taught English and writing for years, I’m shocked at how much I didn’t know or understand,” she says. “There’s a level of authenticity missing from how we teach writing in schools that’s very interesting to me.” At the heart of the project is an idea that traces back to her years at Gilmour: the power of listening. The same skills that made the school's Socratic seminars so meaningful — things like thoughtful discourse and making others feel heard —are the ones that allow students to think for themselves. The latest chapter in Sabik’s life is her most important one. It allows her to build a career as a writer while spending time with family. She and her husband of 46 years now travel between New England and Pittsburgh to be with their children and nine grandchildren, including the newest baby, born in March. “I’m glad I wasn’t in charge, because I wouldn’t have known to dream this for myself,” Sabik says. “The future looks open and inviting, just like it did when I graduated from college the first time.”

Gilmour | FALL 2026

COLUMNS

Tommy Moe '23

For Tommy Moe ’23 , every broadcast is another opportunity to tell a story. Now entering his senior year at Syracuse University’s prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Tommy has turned a passion he first discovered behind the microphone at Gilmour Academy into experiences with Syracuse Athletics, the Cleveland Guardians and iHeartMedia in New York City. A broadcast digital journalism major, Tommy knew long before college that sports broadcasting was where he belonged. “As an avid sports fan, I watched and listened to all kinds of sporting events,” he says. “Although I knew I couldn’t play a sport professionally, I loved speaking publicly, especially about sports. My play-by-play experiences at Gilmour showed me this was something I wanted to pursue.”

summer, he interned with iHeartMedia in New York City’s podcast production department, where he developed reporting, editing and research skills while contributing to podcasts including The Clifford Show , The Away End and Raiders of the Lost . Seeing different corners of the industry has reinforced an important lesson. “The most surprising thing I’ve learned is how versatile you need to be,” Tommy says. “Broadcasting goes beyond your voice. Syracuse has shaped me into a multimedia journalist who can report, write, edit and tell stories across multiple platforms.” For Tommy, storytelling is what separates good broadcasters from great ones. “Anyone can turn on the TV and watch a game without commentators,” he says. “Broadcasters should elevate the viewing experience. Whether it’s sharing an interesting fact about a player, breaking down a key moment or weaving together a story, you’re helping bring the audience closer to the game.” That preparation often starts days before the first pitch or kickoff, as Tommy researches athletes, studies teams and looks for the stories that will resonate with viewers. Looking back, Tommy credits Gilmour with preparing him for both the academic demands of college and the realities of the profession. He points to AP Psychology with Mr. Greenfield, AP Literature with Mr. Fowler and chemistry with Mr. Brown as classes that challenged him in different ways while helping shape his confidence and work ethic. Outside the classroom, one experience stands above the rest. “When I was a freshman, GATV wasn’t even an official club,” Tommy says. “I started broadcasting games and by my sophomore

year we were building the foundation for what GATV is today.” Over four years, Tommy called more than 50 football, soccer, basketball and lacrosse games. “Repetition is one of the most important factors in broadcasting,” he says. “It’s how you find your voice, your style and your confidence. GATV gave me the opportunity to do that, and it confirmed this was the career I wanted.” His advice for current Gilmour students is to embrace every opportunity. “Be well-rounded,” Tommy says. “There are endless avenues into broadcasting, journalism and media. Learning every aspect of the industry will open doors and make you a better storyteller.” After graduation, Tommy hopes to become a play-by-play announcer for an NFL or MLB organization, with dreams of one day working for FOX Sports, NFL Network or ESPN. For Tommy, the journey that started with a headset in Gilmour’s press box is just getting started. Every game, every interview and every broadcast brings him one step closer to the career he’s dreamed about since high school.

Syracuse had always been his dream school.

“Newhouse has an exceptional communications program and is widely considered one of the best journalism and communication schools in the country,” Tommy says. “My classes, professors and hands-on media experiences have been exactly what I hoped for.” That hands-on learning has been a defining part of his college experience. Tommy has worked with Syracuse Athletics, researching storylines and writing content for the men’s basketball team while also covering games through live statistics and in-game storytelling. His internships have given him an inside look at several sides of the sports industry. During the summer of 2025, he joined the Cleveland Guardians’ corporate partnerships and hospitality team, helping coordinate premium sponsorships, ticket services and gameday operations. This

 Tommy Moe ’ 23 and Eli Swirksy ’ 23 calling a Lancer football game in 2022

Gilmour | FALL 2026

Continues Journey The The Class of 2026 marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another during Gilmour Academy's 77 th Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 24.

F ollowing the traditional procession led by a bagpiper and an opening blessing from Fr. John Blazek '58, C.S.C., Head of School Kathy Kenny welcomed graduates and their families, acknowledging both the pride and the poignancy of the day. “It is a bittersweet moment for our community," she said. “We are so proud of these kids and sad to see them leave... They have certainly left an imprint on this campus.” Kenny reminded graduates that the true measure of a Gilmour education is not found in awards or accomplishments, but in how those gifts are shared in service to others. It was a fitting message for a ceremony that celebrated not only what the Class of 2026 had achieved, but who they had become. Returning to campus nearly 40 years after his own graduation, Commencement speaker Jeff Franco '88 reflected on the Camino de Santiago, the 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain that reshaped his understanding of success, faith and purpose. He encouraged graduates to celebrate milestones like Commencement while resisting the temptation to spend life chasing the next one. Some of life's most meaningful moments, he said, arrive unexpectedly, in ordinary conversations, quiet acts of kindness and opportunities to be fully present. “The Camino you have walked to Gilmour will always be with you," Franco said. "Purpose gives you direction … Presence opens your heart to the miracles around you … And letting go allows you to travel with a lighter spirit.” That idea of carrying Gilmour forward resonated throughout the ceremony. As members of the Class of 2026 prepared to

Gilmour | FALL 2026

leave the familiar rhythms of campus for colleges and opportunities across the country, Commencement offered a final moment to recognize the experiences they had shared and the community they had built together. From classrooms and athletic fields to retreats, performances, service experiences and everyday moments with friends and teachers, their paths through Gilmour had been distinctly their own. Yet together, those experiences reflected something larger: a class shaped by its relationships, grounded in purpose and prepared to take what it had learned beyond campus. Commencement marked a milestone, but not an ending. As the graduates stepped forward to receive their diplomas and then set off in different directions, they carried with them the friendships, faith, values and sense of purpose that had defined their years at Gilmour. The journey continues.

Continues Journey The

Gilmour | SPRING 2026

FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

Valedictorian: YOURAN (ESTHER) DAI ’26 It’s hard to believe there was ever a time when Esther Dai didn’t know how to use her words. In third grade, Esther came to the defense of a classmate who was being bullied by taking matters into her own hands. Asked years later why she responded physically, Esther explained simply, “I did not understand the concept of communication. I did not know how to use my words.”

She has certainly figured it out since.

Esther was a state qualifier in Original Oratory and a three-time state qualifier for the Just Write creative writing team. She won the William G. Moore III Award in Literature and served as co-leader of the French Club. She’s also an avid reader who read 50 books in 2025 and a writer currently working on her fourth novel. She wrote her first at age 12, by hand, filling 110 pages. And writing represents only a small part of her Gilmour experience. A National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction, Esther earned Highest Honors throughout her time at Gilmour and was inducted into both the Cum Laude Society and National Honor Society. She completed 12 AP courses, self-studied Calculus AB and earned 5s on every AP exam. During her senior year, she received the highest award bestowed by Gilmour’s English, mathematics and science departments. Her interests took her well beyond the classroom. Through Catalyst, Esther conducted research in Cleveland State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, optimizing materials for the bioprinting of hydrogel scaffolds to address volumetric muscle loss. For her VECTOR Science and Medicine capstone, she designed and 3D printed teaching tools for future Multivariable Calculus students. She was also part of the inaugural cohort of the Freshwater Institute and volunteered as an ESL tutor with US Together. This fall, Esther is attending Duke University, where she is studying electrical and computer engineering. For her Commencement address, Esther imagined graduation as an airport waiting room, the Class of 2026 gathered together one last time before taking off in different directions. She acknowledged the uncertainty that comes with that freedom and urged her classmates to stay curious about the people they meet, hold on to what grounds them and make something of the world they are about to enter. “When you see beauty in this world, love it. When you see ugliness, change it.”

Gilmour Academy is proud to honor the Class of 2026’s highest-achieving students: Valedictorian Esther Dai and Salutatorian Holly Hunter. Their records at Gilmour are remarkable, but the stories they shared at Commencement offered a glimpse beyond the awards and accomplishments, reflecting on the people, experiences and relationships that shaped their time here.

Continues Journey The

Salutatorian: HOLLY HUNTER ’26

Two years before Commencement, Holly Hunter walked into her kitchen after a long night at dance and found her parents looking at her grades. They jokingly asked what she would talk about if she ever had to give a graduation speech. Holly knew immediately: “I would probably just read off a love letter to Gilmour.”

Two years later, that’s essentially what she did.

Few students embraced life at Gilmour as fully as Holly. She was the student regularly called upon to give prospective families a tour and served as a resident ambassador. Her involvement stretched into nearly every corner of campus. Gilmour requires 60 hours of service for graduation; Holly completed 170. She finished Gilmour’s entire French curriculum by the end of freshman year, then taught herself Spanish over the summer and placed into Spanish III. She eventually completed that curriculum, too, earning the Dual Language Award, an honor achieved by very few students in Gilmour history. Over four years, Holly earned 14 departmental awards across five academic departments. She was named a National Merit Scholar and Governor’s Merit Scholar, received the Harvard Book Award, was inducted into the Cum Laude Society and served as treasurer of the National Honor Society. She also earned a 5 on every AP exam she took. There was plenty happening outside her classes, too. Holly co-led Baking 4 Rainbows, which raised thousands of dollars annually for the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Foundation, and co-founded Courageous Connections to serve those affected by injustices in the justice system. She became the first female leader of Gilmour’s Investment Club, served as co-editor-in-chief of the yearbook and was a Kairos leader. Away from Gilmour, she studied ballet for 14 years with City Ballet of Cleveland, performing soloist roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker . This fall, Holly is studying biomedical engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Honors Carolina. She received a full academic scholarship covering tuition, fees, housing, food and study abroad, along with guaranteed membership in an accelerated research program. Yet when Holly stood before her classmates at Commencement, she wasn’t interested in recounting any of those accomplishments. Instead, she went back to the freshman pit and football games at Weber Stadium, sophomore retreat in a torrential downpour, Kairos, teachers who became mentors and classmates who became best friends.

Those memories carried particular weight for Holly. Before coming to Gilmour, she had moved states and attended four different schools in four years. She said she arrived without feeling that she had “a place, people or a purpose.”

Gilmour gave her all three.

By the end of her speech, the love letter Holly had imagined writing two years earlier had become something bigger. “Maybe this speech really did become a love letter to Gilmour. But Class of 2026, I hope you can realize that it was also a love letter to you.”

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

CLASS OF

FAST FACTS

138 GRADUATES

EARNED FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS 13

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS 6

Continues Journey The

ALEX BATCHIK ’26 AND ROMA ALVAREZ ’26 GILMOUR TROPHY

FUN FACT

The Gilmour Trophy is the highest honor a student can receive during his or her time at the Academy. The honor is bestowed upon the male and female in the graduating class who best exemplify those qualities Gilmour hopes to instill in its graduates.

THERE WERE FOUR SETS OF TWINS IN THE CLASS OF 2026.

(L TO R) BEN & NATHAN GOODNOW, LUKE & MASON KAPROSY, LUCY & CHLOE STEVENS AND SOPHIA & GABRIEL SOUTO

PHI BETA KAPPA

ALEX BATCHIK ’26

The Cleveland Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was chartered in 1947 and, over the past 70+ years, has extended its recognition of achievement and intellectual curiosity to high school students throughout the greater Cleveland area. The Gilmour faculty selected the 2026 inductee because he is truly representative of the qualities of academic integrity, outstanding scholarship and all-around initiative in matters of the mind.

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

2026 FAST FACTS 26 student- athletes COMMITTED TO PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETICS AT THE NEXT LEVEL ACROSS DIVISIONS I, II AND III, INCLUDING THE BIG TEN, BIG EAST, NESCAC AND MORE, ALONG WITH SOME OF NORTH AMERICA'S TOP JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUES

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’26 LIFERS

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’26 UP FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL

Continues Journey The

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’26

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’26 UP FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

GILMOUR CLASS OF ’26 RESIDENCE HALL STUDENTS

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

Top Intended Majors BROADCAST JOURNALISM FINANCE ECONOMICS PSYCHOLOGY PRE-MED BUSINESS BIOMEDICAL & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 6.68 AVERAGE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE SENIOR CLASS 199 SCHOOLS OFFERED ADMISSION 2026 FAST FACTS

Ties That Bind

Isabelle ’ 18 and Aedan ’ 26 Aerni

Jamey ’ 88, Ralph ’ 26 and Rosie ’ 30 Asher

Ashley ’ 28 and Alexander ’ 26 Batchik

Cassy, Brynn ’ 23, Blake ’ 26 and Coach Andy Baskin

Lauren ’ 28 and Allee ’ 26 Bell

Angela ’ 30 and Dominic ’ 26 Bellini

38 STATES REPRESENTED PLUS ONE FOREIGN COUNTRY

Chiara ’ 23 and Trevor ’ 26 Bilant

Gavin ’ 30 and Lillian ’ 26 Boehm

Continues Journey The

Richard Barone ’ 60 and Riley ’ 26 and Molly ’ 25 Boylan

Hannah ’28 and Brendan ’26 Christensen

Carson ’ 24, Elliott ’ 26 and Annabelle ’ 28 Bowden

Joseph ’ 83 and JJ ’ 26 Cistone

Bruno ’ 27 and Sebastian ’ 26 Cook

Madeline ’ 13, Elizabeth ’ 26 and Collin ’ 16 Covington

Emily ’ 26 and JAC ’ 30 Currid

Michael ’ 30 and Isabella ’ 26 DiGeronimo

Katherine ’ 26 and Denise Totarella ’ 94 DeLuca

Jocelyn ’ 29 and Natalie ’ 26 George

Adeline ’ 31, Braeden ’ 26 and Nicholas ’ 28 Friesen

Layla ’ 28 and Sophia ’ 26 Fortunato

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

2026 FAST FACTS

Brendan ’ 26 and Kelsey ’ 22 Hearns

Sam ’ 29 and Sophia ’ 26 Haas

39% OF STUDENTS HEADING TO A SMALL SCHOOL (<5,000 STUDENTS)

Julia ’ 27 and Steven ’ 26 Ingram

Everett ’ 21 and Holly ’ 26 Hunter

27% OF STUDENTS HEADING TO A MEDIUM SCHOOL (5,000 - 15,000 STUDENTS)

Mason ’ 26 and Luke ’ 26 Kaprosy

Alexander ’ 27, Emily ’ 26 and Lauren ’ 23 Kish

34% OF STUDENTS HEADING TO A LARGE SCHOOL (>15,000 STUDENTS)

Abigail ’ 16, Bridget ’ 17, PJ ’ 26 and Celeste ’ 19 Koerwitz

Nathan ’ 27, Tim ’ 86 and Timothy ’ 26 Lennon.

48 % HEADING TO OUT-OF-STATE SCHOOLS

Sophia ’ 29, Nathan ’ 26 and Emma ’ 28 Macioce

Evan ’ 27, Benjamin ’ 24, Nathan ’ 26 and Matthew ’ 89 Lindley

Continues Journey The

Sophia ’ 29, Nathan ’ 26 and Emma ’ 28 Macioce

Evan ’ 26 and Robert ’ 79 Mansour

Herrick ’ 90 and Hayley ’ 26 Martin

Emmanuel ’ 32 and Isabella ’ 26 Mascha

Taylor ’ 22, Luke ’ 26 and Jack ’ 24 Markowski

Dalton ’ 22 and Anthony ’ 26 Mayes

Duncan ’ 28 and Casey ’ 26 Nakhooda

Abby ’ 22 and Olivia ’ 26 Minello

Grayson ’ 26 and Brett ’ 90 Novak (not pictured : Brandon Novak ’ 19)

Brady ’ 26 and Cooper ’ 25 Panteck

John ’ 28 and Ashley ’ 26 Orlando

Brayden ’ 28 and Brody ’ 26 Philipp

Charlie ’ 28, Tony ’ 71, Ryan ’ 26, Mark ’ 96 and AJ ’ 25 Panzica

Alexander ’ 24 and Everett ’ 26 Payie

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FEATURE COMMENCEMENT 2026

2026 FAST FACTS

Richard ’ 26 and Sofia ’ 30 Piunno

Megan ’ 26 and Matthew ’ 24 Salamone

36 of the Top 50 National Universities and Liberal Arts Colleges ( US News & World Report ) offered admission

Thomas ’ 30 and CJ ’ 26 Santagata

Anna ’ 24 and Evan ’ 26 Saline

Michael ’ 25 and Jack ’ 26 Soeder

Alex ’ 31, Gregory ’ 26 and Elizabeth ’ 29 Savron

Owen ’ 28 and Ethan ’ 26 Stein

Gabriel ’ 26 and Sophia ’ 26 Souto

Continues Journey The

Chloe ’ 26 and Lucy ’ 26 Stevens

Joseph ’ 28, Aubrey ’ 26 and Grace ’ 22 Terranova

Alex ’ 22 and Javi ’ 26 Swinarski

Matthew ’ 28, Bridget ’ 26 and Joey ’ 25 Vitale

Michael ’ 82 and Sophia ’ 26 Velotta

Neil ’ 27 and Mary ’ 26 Turner

Palmer ’ 29 and Taylor ’ 26 Zuik

Harper ’ 30 and Piper ’ 26 Wick

Michael ’ 89 and Ellie ’ 26 Zorska

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE

DEVELOPING TALENT

Behind every remarkable image is a story. For these Gilmour alumni, that story began with teachers who recognized their talent and helped bring it into focus.

the ground up. The newest member of the group has already photographed the Kentucky Derby and Tour de France before even beginning college. Their paths have taken them in different directions, but they all point back to the same place: a Gilmour classroom, a camera in hand and teachers who encouraged them to see a hobby as something more.

The careers look different.

One alumnus films Ohio State Football. Another owns a destination wedding photography business. One leads creative campaigns for national brands, while another is building a media production company from

For Madison Asher Woods '13 , it all started with a photography elective. Today, Woods is an associate creative director at Leap Group, an advertising agency, where she develops creative campaigns and collaborates with photographers and videographers to bring ideas to life. She never set out to become a professional photographer, but the lessons she learned in Gilmour photography instructor Mark Most's classroom remain part of her everyday work. “Composition, layout, art direction and prop styling are part of my day-to-day,” she says. "Mr. Most was the teacher who gave me the confidence to believe in myself. He saw something in me that I didn't know existed yet.”

 Photos of the Running of the Bulls taken by Brendan Hearns ’26

Her story isn't unique.

 Madison Asher ’13, associate creative director at Leap Group, helped bring this campaign for boutique beauty brand hiya! to life.

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE

needs: real projects, real expectations and an opportunity to build a professional portfolio before graduating. Mr. Most and David Kilkenney, founder of Gilmour's digital media program and now director of the Lower School, encouraged him to think beyond classroom assignments. When Leo decided to pitch companies with original commercial concepts, they trusted him with professional equipment and challenged him to pursue the opportunity.

When Gabriella Dunlevy '19 shadowed at Gilmour as a prospective student, one class immediately caught her attention: Photography I. She signed up, never imagining it would eventually become her career. After earning a marketing degree from Elon University and spending two-and-a- half years in a corporate marketing role, Dunlevy made the leap to full-time entrepreneur. Today, she owns Gabriella Dunlevy Photography, traveling across the country to photograph destination weddings. She credits Mr. Most with helping her discover not only the technical side of photography, but also the confidence to develop her own artistic style. “Photography isn't one-size-fits-all,” she says. “Mr. Most genuinely invested in each of us. He encouraged us to experiment, take risks and refine our own style.” Her younger brother, Leo Dunlevy ’22 , discovered that same encouragement through a different lens. While still a student, Leo created promotional videos for Gilmour's athletic department, producing content for teams and student-athletes. The work gave him something every young creative

After reaching out to hundreds of companies, one energy drink brand responded.

“It was one of the first moments where my interest in videography shifted from a hobby to a serious business pursuit,” he says. “It gave me the confidence to keep building from there.”

Today, Leo is the founder of Dunlevy Productions, a media company that creates strategic video content for luxury businesses.

 Wedding photography by Gabriella Dunlevy ’19

 Scan QR code to view Leo Dunlevy's work

For Kevin Flaherty '24 , the first camera came even earlier. As a Middle School student, he joined Gilmour's Lancer Digital Media Club, where Mr. Kilkenney introduced him to filming athletic events. Photography classes with Mr. Most expanded his technical skills, from developing film in the darkroom to mastering Photoshop. As Kevin's portfolio grew, Athletic Director Sean O'Toole helped him take the next step, connecting him with opportunities beyond campus, including securing media credentials to take photos at the MAC Basketball Tournament, which helped open additional professional doors. Now studying Communication Technology at The Ohio State University, Flaherty serves as a student coaches video

assistant for Ohio State Football while continuing to build an impressive freelance résumé that includes the Memorial Tournament and Ohio State athletic events. “The faculty is dedicated to helping students succeed and guiding them as they take the next steps in their careers,” he says. “Their support played a huge role in helping me get to where I am today.”

 Kevin Flaherty ’24 at an OSU football game

 One of Kevin Flaherty's photos from his assignment at Memorial Golf Tournament

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE

Brendan Hearns '26 has just graduated from Gilmour, yet his résumé already includes the Kentucky Derby, the Detroit Grand Prix, NFL Celebrity Softball games, the Tour de France and the Running of the Bulls. This fall, he is studying visual communications at Syracuse University's renowned Newhouse School. Hearns credits Mr. Most with nurturing his passion through multiple photography classes while also introducing him to professional sports photographer Doug Beigie. A longtime Cleveland Browns photographer, Beigie often stood alongside Hearns on the sidelines of Gilmour football games as he shot photos, offering advice, sharing techniques and helping him continue to grow. “Gilmour was incredibly supportive of my interest in photography,” Hearns says. “The teachers, advisors and administrators encouraged my passion, and the coaches welcomed me as an extension of their teams. That made all the difference.” Read these stories side by side and the similarities become hard to miss.

None of these alumni begin by talking about cameras or editing software. Instead, they remember the people who encouraged them to keep going. A teacher who stayed after class. Someone who loaned out equipment. A mentor who made an introduction, offered honest feedback or trusted a student with a project that felt just a little beyond their experience. For some, there was a single moment when everything clicked. For others, it happened gradually, one class, one assignment and one conversation at a time. However it began, each found someone at Gilmour who helped turn curiosity into confidence. Years later, their work appears on football sidelines, at international sporting events, in advertising campaigns and at weddings around the world. Different destinations, but the same starting point.

 Photo taken by Brendan Hearns ’26 at a Lancer football game

 More from Leap Group's hiya! campaign

F inding

Right the Direction

Gilmour’s multi-year VECTOR program connects students’ interests with coursework, mentorship and real-world experiences, giving them the freedom to explore passions, test possibilities and discover where those experiences might lead. Whether exploring a future career, developing a lifelong passion or discovering an unexpected path, VECTOR gives students the freedom to learn by doing. Ask a ninth grader what they want to be someday, and the answer often comes quickly.

Engineer. Doctor. Lawyer. Entrepreneur.

F our years later, after spending time in hospitals, law offices, engineering labs, nonprofit board meetings, art studios and community organizations, those same students tend to answer differently. Not because they're less certain, but because they've seen enough of the real world to understand what the work actually looks like. That kind of exploration is exactly what Gilmour’s VECTOR program is designed to foster. Rather than asking students to follow a prescribed path, VECTOR encourages them to build one of their own. Students select one of five areas of focus — Engineering & Design, Science & Medicine, Community Engagement & Law, Business & Entrepreneurship or Creativity & Personal Expression — pairing academic coursework with hands-on experiences, mentorship and independent exploration while building a portfolio that reflects their passions, growth and learning. Their journey culminates in a senior capstone project that showcases what they’ve discovered along the way.The destination matters, of course. But the process of getting there often matters more. “Students often arrive with an idea of what they want to explore, and VECTOR gives them the freedom to pursue those interests in meaningful ways,” says Betsy Tietjen, Gilmour's coordinator of experiential learning and VECTOR program director. “Sometimes that leads to a college major or career direction. Other times, it helps

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FEATURE

HOLLY HUNTER '26 joined the Business and Entrepreneurship cohort early in high school. She shadowed financial advisors, interviewed leaders at nonprofit ballet companies and helped lead Gilmour's Investment Club. Those experiences proved worthwhile, even though they ultimately pointed her somewhere else. After shadowing the CEO of a home healthcare agency, she realized she didn’t want to spend her days reviewing spreadsheets and paperwork. “I realized I would much rather be the person who actually provides healthcare or designs medical devices,” Holly says.

students build a portfolio around a passion they want to continue developing. Either way, they graduate with a much better understanding of their interests and what they want to explore next, having learned something meaningful before they ever step onto a college campus.” We caught up with five recent VECTOR graduates, one from each area of focus, to hear how their experiences shaped their interests and what they're taking with them as they move on from Gilmour. This fall, they headed to The Ohio State University, Duquesne University, Washington and Lee University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Kenyon College. While they're pursuing different majors and interests, each arrives with something in common: a collection of experiences that have shaped the way they'll approach what's ahead. RYAN PANZICA '26 never questioned his interest in engineering. VECTOR simply gave him more ways to pursue it. He spent a day shadowing an engineer at NASA, rebuilt a motorcycle in Gilmour's MotoGo class and learned CAD software well enough to design an original go-kart for his senior capstone. Every experience added another layer of confidence. “ It reinforced my decision to major in mechanical engineering," Ryan says. "VECTOR taught me that I like design, and my skills are improving with every project I do.”

says. “VECTOR helped me refine and discover my interests.” Her capstone project reflected that evolution. After raising funds from local businesses and donors, Natalie renovated a neglected sand volleyball court, creating a community gathering place. The project allowed her to combine her passion for volleyball with meaningful service that will continue to benefit others while also helping her develop strong communication and leadership skills. The Commons Park Board was so impressed with George’s work that they invited her to continue to attend their meetings after her work building the court was complete. George was grateful for the opportunity to gain exposure to how organizations function as she hopes to one day start her own nonprofit.

This fall, she begins studying biomedical engineering at

the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, confident in that decision because VECTOR gave her the opportunity to explore another path first. For EVAN MANSOUR '26 , VECTOR became less about choosing a profession than feeding a curiosity that keeps growing. Over four years she immersed herself in nearly every art course Gilmour offers, from ceramics, painting and photography to textiles, jewelry making and digital art. VECTOR also pushed her to look beyond the classroom for new ways to create. At the Cleveland Institute of Art, she learned to work with hot glass, and explored jewelry and metals, including enameling and cloisonné. On campus, she put another set of skills to work, designing and building a set piece for the spring musical. Her senior capstone brought years of art experimentation together as she wrote and illustrated Max’s Castle in the Woods , a children’s book she also bound by hand. She wanted readers to experience art rather than simply look at it, and the finished product was as much a work of art as it was a story. Along the way, the artists she met helped broaden her perspective on the future. “It made me realize that I don't need to know exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Evan says. “Most everyone changes the direction they go in many times." That openness to possibility is something she'll carry with her this fall to

Now, George is at Duquesne University, where she's continuing to pursue her interests in law, leadership and public service.

For PIPER WICK '26 , the biggest surprise wasn't finding a passion. It was discovering where that passion actually belonged. She entered Gilmour convinced medicine was her future. Then came environmental science courses, volunteer work in Gilmour’s Giving Garden and a summer course at The Island School in Eleuthera, where she studied sustainable systems, marine ecology, and tourism and development while living in a community built around conservation. “VECTOR confirmed my interest in science but helped me discover the environmental science direction rather than strictly medical,” she says.

This fall, he is taking that passion to The Ohio State University, where he is studying mechanical engineering.

NATALIE GEORGE '26 had a different experience. She arrived with several interests competing for her attention, including psychology, public service and law. Rather than forcing a choice, VECTOR gave her room to explore all of them. She shadowed a financial planner and a real estate attorney, organized community service projects and eventually found herself drawn toward nonprofit leadership and the legal profession. “My coursework was definitely a crucial part of my transformation through VECTOR,” Natalie

That realization changed her college plans. This fall, she is bringing that passion to Washington & Lee

Wel

University, where she is studying biology and economics with an emphasis on sustainability. Not every lesson comes from confirming a dream. Sometimes the most valuable discovery is realizing a career isn't the right fit.

 Ryan Panzica ’26 used CAD software to design an original go-kart for his VECTOR senior capstone, building on his interest in engineering and design.  Natalie George ’26 shares her senior capstone, which combined her interests in community engagement, leadership and service.  Holly Hunter ’26, second from right, with Sarah O’Neil Hannibal ’89, right, during a shadowing experience at Wealthspire. Hannibal became a mentor to Hunter as she explored the financial services field through VECTOR.

Kenyon College, where she plans to continue exploring her creative interests.

For many students, high school is the beginning of discovering what genuinely interests them. VECTOR builds on that process by encouraging students to pursue those interests beyond the classroom, learning through experience, mentorship and reflection. By the time they graduate, they leave with more than coursework, college acceptances and impressive résumés. They leave with projects they’ve created, relationships they've built and experiences that have challenged their thinking. Some will continue down the path they first imagined. Others will head in a completely different direction. Either way, they won't be wondering what's possible. They'll already have begun finding out.

 Work by Evan Mansour ’26 on display at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where she explored jewelry and metals as part of her VECTOR experience.  Piper Wick ’26 conducts fieldwork at The Island School in Eleuthera, where her studies in marine ecology, sustainable systems and environmental issues helped shift her interests from medicine toward environmental science.

Gilmour | FALL 2026

FROM CLASSROOM TO SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL Most high school science students learn about discoveries made by others. Alex Batchik ’26 helped make one of his own.

reflected. “ It showed me how to fail and fail, and fail again. In science, you must try and try and try again until you succeed. ” For Dr. Turk, Alex's success represents the kind of learning that defines Gilmour's approach to science education. “ Alex wasn't completing a predefined lab exercise," he said. "He was helping solve a problem that the field itself is still working through. ” He added, “Watching students grow from learning about science to contributing new knowledge is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.” This fall, Alex will take that experience to the University of Notre Dame, where he plans to major in neuroscience before pursuing medical school. Long before stepping onto a college campus, however, he has already achieved something few high school students can claim: helping advance scientific knowledge through published research.

conducting research alongside scientists at Cleveland State University after Dr. Turk connected him with Dr. Nolan Holland's laboratory. As the project evolved, Alex became far more than an observer. He helped design DNA constructs, perform laboratory experiments, analyze results and troubleshoot unexpected challenges, contributing to work that ultimately earned publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The experience also changed his understanding of what science really is. “ What I learned from this process was that science is a much more collaborative endeavor than I had initially thought, ” Alex said.

This past year, Alex and Gilmour science instructor Edward Turk, Ph.D., together with collaborators at Cleveland State University, co-authored a research paper published by the scientific journal Biochemistry . Their work describes a new approach to assembling highly repetitive DNA, a long-standing challenge in molecular biology with potential applications in synthetic biology, biomaterials, drug delivery and protein-based therapeutics. The achievement grew from a relationship that began in Dr. Turk's molecular genetics research course, where students tackle authentic scientific questions rather than predetermined laboratory exercises. Alex's interest in research only deepened. He continued the project as an independent study and, through Gilmour's Science & Medicine VECTOR cohort, spent the summer

Just as importantly, he discovered that progress rarely comes without setbacks.

“ This experience impacted me by showing me what it means to be a true scientist, ” he

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