Emily Gipe: Service with a Smile
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“As a child, I set many goals for myself. First I wanted to be a cowboy.” As a father of three and a devoted husband, Brandon Savage has achieved most of the goals he set out for himself. Perhaps ironically, he never did achieve cowboy status, enforcing the law as a police officer rather than skirting it. While this development may have upended his childhood dreams, in the context of his life and goals, it fits. He chose a life of service despite its inconveniences and dangers. As the oldest son of John and Teresa Savage, Brandon was seemingly destined for a life of service. The Savages have always been very intentional parents who have put their children and their community ahead of everything. Brandon was witness to the kind of self-‐sacrifice creating a fledging school entails. He also had the unique experience of growing up with the school: a rival sibling sometimes vying for his parents’ time. “A lot of responsibility came his way,” says his father. “I don’t know
Brandon Savage: A Legacy of Service
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Brandon & Leah Savage with Daniel, Jadon and Haylee
Cougar Tracks A Publication of The Academy for Individual Excellence
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Emily Gipe makes me smile. It is hardly a hyperbole to say that her enthusiasm is infectious. Anyone who doubts that has not met her. Her eyes twinkle as her smile disarms – she exudes a joyful energy that would, could it be bottled, be a panacea for the summertime blues, or the winter blues, or whatever blues are bringing you down. An unintentional charmer, she is also one of the most determined, enthusiastic people I know. I’m not the only person to notice these things about her.
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AIE was such an amazing school for me. I love that on my first day of freshman year, I walked in scared as anything and came out at 3:10, got in the car, and told my mom, ‘That was the first best day of school ever!’ It’s just family.”
-‐Jenna Hayes
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“Emily is the reason I became a teacher at AIE,” Jessica Fourman told me. “Emily’s enormous heart won me over as her friend a long time ago. She has always had a go get ‘em attitude and nothing seems to ever bring her down. She is one of the most fearless and caring people I know.” These traits, paired with her resilient and persistently optimistic attitude have made her an unofficial ambassador of sorts for AIE. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the school and the Scholarship Foundation because AIE was so important to her. Emily Gipe graduated from AIE in 2005 and continued her education at Carl Perkins Vocational School in Eastern Kentucky where she earned a certificate in Food Service. Her primary goal has been to attain independence: to have a place of her own, a job, and the “sisters” she never had. It’s been a challenge for Emily who’s had to work hard to be where she is now, but her mom, Terry, says Emily “doesn’t miss out on anything.” Terry, being a widow, had feared for Emily’s future. Those fears are now alleviated as Emily has reached her goals: living independently with her roommate/sisters at Day Spring Community Living, volunteering for community service through Life Bridge at Southeast Christian, and working at Wendy’s 5-‐days a week. Not only has Emily acquired the job she sought, but she’s been there for four years and her manager sings her praises, “she is by far one of my top employees! She is always there for her shifts and has the best attitude. Customers love her and come in just to see her! She is always in an upbeat mood and, even if she is down, she does her work regardless. When I ask her to do new tasks, she learns them will zeal and smiles!” I asked Emily how she stays so positive. She quickly replied, “I just look at life and try to make the best of it.” She also cites the work of Christian author, Joyce Meyer. “It’s really helpful. She says find something in what you dread and turn it into something you can look forward to.“ I asked her to explain. “Like work,” she said. Sometimes “I dread work, but I think of the customers and everybody (she works with) is so nice. They help me reach the things I can’t.” She also credits her mentor, Michael Humble, who lives in California, but is readily accessible via cell-‐phone, “I can call him any day or night.” Speaking candidly with me, she admits that she has struggled with anxiety. Rather than letting it get the best of her, she has sought guidance from others and has taken steps to reduce, not only her stress, but her waistline: 99.2 pounds since October 2015! Sharing her secret, she says she bikes for 2 hours nearly every day. “It helps a lot,” she says. The exercise reduces her anxiety and has had that added perk. Mr. Savage recalled times when Emily struggled
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because of her compassion for others, “Sometimes the reality of the moment left her sad; however, she worked to stay positive even when facing limitations of any kind. I remember her kind words of support when she might notice I was having one of those tough moments or days. When she smiled, it let you know that you could too. When I saw her at Wendy's for the first time, she acted like I was someone important. That always feels good. The funny thing is, every time I see her anywhere, she acts the same way. I am not that important, but a person who can make you feel that way...that is the important person. Her manager, Becky Ritz reflects, “She could sure teach a lot of people the right way to live!”
Emily Gipe
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that he always liked it as much as I did. I don’t think there were very many children who would’ve been willing to trade places with him – moving furniture, desks, hanging things on walls, cleaning chalkboards, and just hanging out and waiting for us to go home. “ Brandon acknowledges both the good and the bad, “As a child, it meant seeing my parents everyday but not actually having my dad there with me to do things at home. It meant the school came first a lot of times and things at home came second,” but it also meant, “I had a safe environment to grow up in” and exposure to “different kinds of people which has helped me understand why people are who they are.” As he saw it, it helped foster a sense of community “responsibility at an early age because Dad was always helping people.” After graduation from AIE in 1998, Brandon pursued future goals: getting an education, and finding a wife. While attending Freed Hardeman University, he met Leah. They married in December of 2000 and returned to Louisville where Brandon went to work for AIE, assisting Ms. Cheek, teaching PE, coaching basketball, and assuming the role of Athletic Director. His goal at this time: supporting Leah, so she could finish her Nursing degree. During this time, Leah and Brandon began to expand their family. Daniel, now 12, was their first child, followed by Jadon (10), and Haylee (8). In May of 2006, he began attending the Police Academy for Louisville Metro Police Department. He graduated the next year and started riding a beat in the 2nd Division’s West End. Eventually he transferred to the 8th Division’s East End where he could be in closer proximity to home so he could pick his children up from school. As a part of the Flex Unit he patroled ,plain-‐clothes, in unmarked cars and worked narcotics complaints, property crime issues and served warrants. Recently, he transferred to a new position in the Crimes Against Children Unit. It’s one he actively sought out and sees it as “a way to truly help children.”
I asked his parents how they felt when Brandon decided to pursue a career in Law Enforcement. “I cried,” said Teresa. “I was so worried about his safety, but now, even though I still worry, I am so incredibly proud of him and the service he gives to the community.” Of course, Brandon thinks
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about the dangers every day, “I have experienced things in my career that have made me pause for a moment” and consider how differently a run, a chase, or a fight could have turned out,” but says, “I have never second-‐guessed my decision to become an officer. I have been able to do things on the street that people dream about.” I asked him why he decided to enter such a perilous position. There were other ways to serve his community: “I guess I was drawn to it for many reasons. Growing up, I watched TV shows with the police chasing bad guys and having car chases. That all seemed very fun.” Ultimately, he recognized that it was more than that though, “I don’t know many occupations that are be able to help people more than being a police officer. I enjoy being able to have the
ability to solve people’s problems and make their lives better.” Like both his parents, Brandon serves others outside the parameters of his job. Teresa notes that Brandon was always a helper at school, and at home, he helped take care of his younger siblings. Today, he and his family enjoy visiting elderly neighbors, baking cookies, and visiting and helping out when they can. His duty to serve also extends to the school he grew up in, the school his children now attend. This last year he enjoyed coaching Daniel’s middle school basketball team and hopes to be more involved in the school. “Being at AIE kept me
sheltered from things until I was old enough…I didn't have to feel the pressure to conform but could be myself. Now that I have kids in the school I feel much of the same way. I am glad they are sheltered and protected from the nonsense I see on a daily basis. Being an officer I think gives me even more appreciation for knowing who is with my kids everyday, and the careful eye and loving relationship they have with the faculty and staff. Having my children dropped off to family everyday is just a nice feeling. I don't ever have to worry that they aren't being loved, cared for, respected, and treated the way I would want them to be treated. “ Brandon is very proud of his family. Wife, Leah, works at Norton Children’s Hospital and is a Clinical Documentation Specialist. She was chosen to speak at the ACDIS National Conference this year and is also
Brandon Savage
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the president of the Regional Chapter and Co-‐President of the National Chapter for kids. Daniel, Jadon and Haylee are great kids and Brandon enjoys spending time with them at school, church, and home. Brandon worked hard to achieve the goals he set for himself as a child: “I have 3 healthy children who are great kids. I having a loving and faithful wife of 16 years who works hard and is making a name for herself in the medical community across the country. I have been an officer for over 10 years and have been able to have a lot of fun and help a lot of people." And while he does not yet own any cows, he did recently buy a farm that he is quickly filling up with a variety of smaller critters. Maybe “goatboy” will do for now. “I have my farm that I have longed for. Every day I walk out my front doors and stop and stare at what blessings I have. I hope my kids can see the sacrifice that their parents have made for them and use that to motivate them to achieve their goals like my parents did for me.” “I feel fortunate to have parents who sacrificed so much early on so that we could have generations of children cared for because of what they did. When I sit down and think about what they built and what sacrifices they made to achieve their goals, it shows me that anything is possible when you work hard, serve others, and put God first. This year with the school becoming a Christian school and seeing the hard work that my parents and so many others put into making it happen, I feel blessed to be part of it and to say that I graduated from there and my kids will one day too.”
Volleyball Home Games
September 5, 6:00 CEC
September 25, 6:00 Danville September 29, 5:00 Cornerstone October 5, 6:00 Community
Senior Night
Soccer Home Games
September 5, 5:00 Highland Latin School September 29, 5:00 Cornerstone
October 12, 5:30 Light Senior Night
Fall Festival, October 14th Scholarship Auction, November 4th Senior Play, December 1st & 2nd
Drop on by…. A few AIE events you might enjoy
“Come and see your 2017 Cougar soccer team this season as they compete in the KCAA varsity soccer league. This year’s team returns a solid group of veterans along with a talented batch of newcomers. Their quest to challenge for the KCAA title begins August 25th. Your support is greatly appreciated.”
–Jeremy Guitterez, Athletic Director
Coach Julie says, “Seven May be Their Lucky Number! The 2017 Cougar Volleyball Team will host its first game of the season on the second day of school. This will be followed by 21 additional games to be played during the seven weeks of the regular season. This year's varsity team is made up of seven juniors and seven seniors, with the junior varsity bringing seven more to the court. Ms. Julie is pleased with this year's team "They have terrific attitudes; toward each other and the game. They've come to work.”
This year our graduating class followed the yellow brick road to create their senior production, The Wizard of Oz! As the class of 2009 may remember, this is a daunting task. Not only were they trying to meet the expectations set by the classic MGM film, but they had to create a set that required frequent, rapid and intense scene changes that included: ….whirling houses tossed in tornadoes…..wicked witches melting into nothing and…….lions and tigers and bears!
Senior Play!
Oh My! The cast and crew of The Wizard of Oz gather after a performance last December.
Clockwise from left: Alexis Frensley and Jack Davidson start construction on a haunted apple tree. Miranda Thompson & Samantha Owen patiently create two fields of poppies. Stage Managers, Josh Dziatkowski & Shelby Ratcliff, discuss scene changes and revise their plans. John Carter & Jay Burton work with Ms. Gil to construct one of the 3 triangular columns that helped enable speedy scene changes.
As always, the Senior Production was a product of the senior class. Every member of the class was essential to its creation.
Max Langford, Bridget Lee, Ella Tennill and Carson Murrell start their journey on the yellow brick road and encouraged by their Munchkin friends and classmates, Joe Hayes, Ted Hutchinson, Nick Lucas, John Stukenborg &
Ryan Pedigo.
Clockwise, starting far left: Dennis Stooksberry gives it his all as the Wicked Witch, as does his brother, Max, who played many roles, including a flying monkey. He’s seen here with Lyla Glover (Toto).
Jenna Hayes takes the stage as Glenda the Good Witch.
Max cowers in fear at Oz the Great and Powerful, created by Noble Anderson (a contracting project).
Oh, The Places They’ll Go… Like any family, our AIE family is made up of individuals with different interests, abilities and goals. As each member branches out from the safety and security of the family, they set out on an individual journey of discovery and continued development. They must choose the paths they will take on this journey. No one person or path is better than the other, but not everyone will be taking the same journey. All of the members of our family will affect the world and we look forward to hearing back from them and hearing not just how the world is treating them, but how they are treating the world. As of graduation day, these were their travel plans…
Sam Allgeier was an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) apprentice before he graduated from AIE. He now a mechanic at Precise Automotive. He also earned a Master Certifiction of Shop Tools & Welding. and has started a small auto specialty company. He loves what he’s doing, as it is a challenge every day. While at AIE, he lent his ingenuity and skills to the construction of the Dramatic Paws’ sets. In his off-‐time, he enjoys bird watching.
Aaron Alvey will be majoring in Political Science at the University of Louisville. While at AIE, he participated in NHD and was a member of the Dramatic Paws. He was also a Boy Scout.
Jay Burton is taking time to decide which direction he is going to pursue. During senior play, he was an essential member of the construction crew.
Daniel Frank will be attending George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He is interested in studying marine mammals. He earned the Youth Optimist Club Award. While at AIE he played basketball and was a member of the Dramatic Paws. He does a lot of conservation work and was published in The Washington Post.
Blake Hagan is going to attend Carl Perkins Vocational Training Center. While at AIE, he played basketball and soccer.
Ted Hutchinson wants to cook up a degree in Culinary Arts. He plans to go to Sullivan. While at AIE, he played baseball and was a member of the bowling team.
Nick Lucas will be attending Spalding where he received a scholarship to play soccer. While at AIE, he played soccer and volunteered for Blessings in a Backpack.
Isaac Mason will be attending a trade school. He is interested in a career as a welder or an electrician. While at AIE, he played baseball.
Jordan Murphy will be in the Honors program at Northern Kentucky University where he received a partial academic scholarship. At AIE he was a member of the archery team and the Dramatic Paws. He volunteered at his church.
Adam Noble will be attending Purdue – New Albany and major in Electronic Engineering. He was nominated for the Future Scientist Award.
Craig Riedling will be attending Carl Perkins Vocational Center. While at AIE he played basketball and was on the bowling team. He was part of the lighting crew for the senior play.
Jenna Hayes is looking forward to becoming a flight attendant and will be attending JCTC in the first leg of her journey. While at AIE, she played softball, volleyball and was a member of the Dramatic Paws.
Joe Hayes will be working at UPS and attending JCTC to study Computer Science. While at AIE, he was a member of the Archery team. He is an Eagle Scout.
Ryan Pedigo is going to Indiana University Southeast. While at AIE, he was a member of the Dramatic Paws and the bowling team.
To make AIE better, make it stay the same. -‐ John Stukenborg
Noble Anderson is taking a much-‐needed break. While at AIE, he was a member of the Dramatic Paws and the bowling team.
John Carter is looking into Electrician Apprenticeship programs. He is also interested in taking online courses in game development.
Connor Cunningham is pursuing a degree in photography at JCTC. While at AIE he played soccer and baseball and took many cool pictures (some of which are in this newsletter).
Camryn Harper will be attending Carl Perkins Vocational Center. While at AIE. she was on the bowling team and in the Dramatic Paws.
Carson Murrell received a partial academic scholarship to attend Northern Kentucky University where she will major in Athletic Training. She is in the Honors Program. While at AIE, she graced the stage for more than four years as a member of the Dramatic Paws and played basketball and volleyball. She also competed nationally in National History Day.
Maxwell Langford made his stage debut as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. He was also a member of the Dramatic Paws and the bowling team. He wants to be a physical therapist and will be attending JCTC.
Dennis Stooksberry is weighing his options. He’s interested in either going into the military or attending college to pursue a degree in History or Business. At AIE he played soccer and one year of basketball.
Miranda Thompson is looking forward to starting vocational rehab and getting a job. While at AIE, she was a member of the Equestrian Club. She also took piano and worked in a preschool and church camp.
Jack Davidson is making preparations to continue his education. He is interested in a future career in business.
Shelby Ratliff was courted by many schools and plans to attend Mt. St. Joseph University to obtain a Bachelor’s in Biochemistry. From St. Joseph she received an Elizabeth Seton Scholarship. She was also a Burger King Scholar. She will continue to play basketball while there. After that, she hopes to attend medical school and go into Pediatric Medicine. At AIE, she played basketball and softball. She was also part of the bowling team.
Austin Hornek was in the Dramatic Paws and he was a member of the bowling team. He also helped create the senior slide show. Outside of school, he enjoyed Boy Scouts and babysitting. He is looking forward to going into the work force.
Samantha Owen is looking forward to joining the work force. While at AIE, she was on the bowling and archery teams. Outside of school, she enjoyed Girl Scouts and volunteering at Scribbles and Giggles Daycare.
Jada Robinson is going to college to become an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter.
Ella Tennill is planning to pursue a degree that will allow her to use her artistic talents. While at AIE, she played basketball and softball.
All the teachers made me feel safe and they worked with me the way that I needed.
-‐Miranda Thompson
Bridget Lee is pursing an Associates at JCTC. She plans to become a Vet. Tech. At AIE, she played volleyball and softball. She made her AIE stage debut as the Scarecrow.
Max Stooksberry will be attending Indiana University Southeast to pursue a degree. He is undeclared. While at AIE, he played soccer, basketball, and baseball.
John Stukenborg will be attending Carl Perkins Vocational Center. While at AIE, he played basketball, soccer, and basketball.
Erica Demmers wants to pursue her talents in art and photography. She is planning to attend college and is interested specifically in Forensic Photography or Film Making. While at AIE she was on the bowling team.
Josh Dziatkowski is considering military service. While at AIE, he enjoyed baseball, stage management and constructing the set for the senior play.
Alexis Frensley will be attending JCTC. She is undecided about her major, but wants to ultimately pursue a Bachelor of Arts.
Camryn Harvey will be attending JCTC or IUS. While at AIE, she played softball.
I was not at AIE for as long as I would have liked, but while I was there it was exactly what I needed. AIE gave me a support system of both students and staff members. It provided an atmosphere where I felt safe to be myself and to speak my mind about things. While I was at AIE, I learned lessons that will stick with me for the rest of my life and met people who I will never forget.
-‐Shelby Ratcliff
I enjoyed going to AIE. I got help whenever I needed it. The faculty was very understanding. If I were to have children, I’d send them here.
-‐Erica Demmers
Jada Robinson & Austin Hornek at Senior Dinner with their mothers.
National History Day
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AIE’s motto, Enabling Children to Achieve Their Individual Best, is realized through many activities at the school. From the elementary Sponge Room, to the high school’s Contracting, students are encouraged to explore topics that pique their interests. One extracurricular activity some students choose to participate in is National History Day. Like NHD students across the globe, these AIE students engage in the rigorous competition that fosters skills that make for good students and citizens. Research begins months in advance on a theme-‐centered-‐topic. Students are guided through the research process to create a project in one of categories: documentary, website, performance, exhibit or research paper. AIE incorporates NHD into its English curriculum by exposing all junior and seniors to the theme, developing a research paper that may later evolve into a project and then, ultimately, allowing the project creation to count towards several hours of contracting. This process has proven to be particularly valuable for those who plan to attend college. AIE/NHD alumni have frequently commented that the preparation they received not only in research, but time management was very valuable. An AIE & NHD Alumni (and now AIE English teacher) said of her NHD experience: “In the 6th grade, I tentatively began researching the life of Nelly Bly for NHD. I had always loved to read but had never before embarked on a prolonged research project. As I delved into Bly’s life, the resources that existed beyond the textbook amazed me. The experience empowered me to further recognize my own agency in guiding my learning. Almost every year after, I participated in NHD, challenging myself to move beyond the classroom and explore the unfamiliar. For me, this really encapsulates my time at AIE. Without any set boundaries, I decided to see how far I could go.” Exploring the unfamiliar this year were juniors, Casey Weber, Paige Holehan, Kacelyn Shaver, Joanne Adamcyzk, Jillian Gregory, & Payton Sprau. Jillian delved into the effects of Genghis Kahn and his Mongol Empire in her paper. Paige researched and wrote a paper on
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Egyptian human rights activist & author, Nawaal al Saadawi. The other young historians created exhibits. Casey’s exhibit was about the Edenton Tea Party – an all female boycott that, like the Boston Tea Party, was a reaction to taxation without representation. Payton’s
Next Year’s
Theme -‐
Paige Holehan, Kacelyn Shaver, Joanne Adamczyk and Jillian Gregory research their topics by picking through documents only available on microfilm at the main library.
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focused on the Revolutionary War soldier and abolitionist, John Laurens. Kacelyn and Joanne joined forces to create a display on Muhammad Ali. All of the projects were well-‐researched and received strong marks from the judges. Kacelyn, Joanne and Paige advanced from regionals to state competition. Although we were not fortunate enough to make it to nationals this year, we are very proud of how our young historians represented the school. We look forward to beginning next year’s journey…
Casey Weber at The University of Louisville with her NHD project.
We Stay Very Busy Here!
Senior Dinner brings teachers, students and their parents together to start saying their graduation good-‐byes.
Right: Ginger visits Saint Nick at
Santa Breakfast. Below: Teachers elicit a
laugh or two as they re-‐enact “The Twelve Days of
Christmas.”
Kindergarten & 8th Grade finish one leg of their AIE journey as the year comes to an end.
From the first day of school, to the last, there’s always something going on here.
Wacky Tacky Day brings out Ms. Holly’s inner Medusa.
Above: Mr. and Mrs. Savage transport their barnyard menagerie to school for Fall Festival. Right: Jennifer Carson bids on a basket at the Scholarship Auction.
Far Left: Jack Carson awaits Thanksgiving lunch served by seniors, including Josh Dziatkowski and Sam Allgeier.
Students start the evening at AIE for Jr. Sr. Night and family members show up to see them off.
Left: Addison Combs, as Charlotte, sits next to her life-‐sized web constructed by Sam Gentry, Sam Allgeier & Nicole Mathesius. Right: Tatum Watson squeals with delight as Wilbur.
The Dramatic Paws Our acting troupe performed E.B. White’s classic story, Charlotte’s Web, this spring. The set was constructed by a devoted crew who made a life-‐sized spider’s web and a barnyard scene, reminiscent of the sketches in the original book. Before the main show, actor and student director, Carson Murrell presented Degas, C’est Moi which featured Maxwell Langford, Payton Sprau, Abbey Puckett and Oakley Smith.
Below, starting far left: Our garrulous geese, Jillian Gregory & Hannah Lauck. Becca Woosley hands Wilbur’s breakfast off to Abby Robertson. Kevin Michaels & Ryan Pedigo get ready to give
Wilbur a dose of castor oil.
Above: Preshow, Coco McCrary Grace Clark perform “La Vie en Rose.” Max, Abbey & Payton in Degas C’est Moi. Carson holds a sleeping Oakley who performs a part she played 15 years ago.
Right: Kristin Secor, Jennifer Jennings and Payton Sprau narrate Charlotte’s Web.
Tiffany Lee, Meredith Coots, and Noble Anderson ponder their predicament.
Becca, Jordan Murphy, Tatum watch as Abby pleads for Wilbur’s life
Left: Brooke Worthen receives accolades… and flowers.
Below: Alia Jansen practices for her
role as Avery.
Above: Spiders, Caitlyn Harvey, Jazmyn Moss, Addison, & Amanda Williams with their seamstress, 7th grader, Hallie Jane Ward.
Right: Carson as Uncle.
Below: Cast and Crew take in constructive criticism after their final
dress rehearsal.
Elementary Program: Patriotic and Proud! All students in grades kindergarten through four and students in grades five through eight (who enjoy singing and performing) come together each spring to put on a music-‐filled evening for family and friends. Our young performers presented patriotic
songs this year. A slide show featured AIE Alumni and other family members who have served our country through the Armed Forces.
“Pam Cheek puts her heart and soul into each Spring Program devoting thoughts, time, and energy to give it the polish to make the group and each child shine. She knows that the Patriotic Program is the one that touches our audience the most and gives it the respect that it deserves. As I have watched her prepare for this program for 15 years, she makes me understand what ‘Individual Excellence’ means in the context of our school.”
-‐ Ms. Fran Nett
Richard Cherry, Sr., Gladys Mann & Leonard Bartsch were among the many family members that AIE was honored to recognize for their service to our country.
“The thing that really stood out about the program this year was the morning the kids sat and watched the video. They sat and sang spontaneously for the entire video and watched so many of their classmates’ parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings be a part of that show. Not all of them, by any means, but most of them understood the importance of what those family members did in serving our country and fighting for our freedoms.” -‐Ms. Pam Cheek
Cougar Athletics: Shots from this Year
The varsity basketball teams said farewell to their long-‐time coaches in great fashion last year. Darryl Glass finished his coaching career with a fun team. The team did not return very many varsity players. They overcame that challenge by being committed to improving in every practice and enjoying the competition. Coach Glass was more than satisfied to see this, his final team, work so hard and care so much for each other. Because of his hard work and commitment to the game, Blake Hagen was named to the Third Regional all tournament team and the KCAA
All Star game. Many of the players are returning and will now be coached by Jeremy Gutierrez.
From Coach Mario: "As I meditate on this past season, I find myself being at a loss to find the correct words to convey how proud I am of how much our soccer team grew over this past year. Our team was best described by the on which our school is founded. In every game we played, I could see your work ethic displayed on the field. We learned through a difficult season to be accountable to one another and to our own decisions as it related to those around us. Our athletes were all engaged in what our
goals were and played with all their heart. Most of all, they showed compassion for one another and sportsmanship towards other teams. I am proud to have had the opportunity to be their coach and am confident that this coming year will be filled with many victories for you all. God bless. I look forward to watching you all play this season."
From Coach Julie: “Last year's team represented the Academy well. There was an obvious increase in the level of individual skills last season. They took the court every match ready to give their best, to enjoy playing together and to support each other. Opposing team coaches and parents, as well as referees, commented on their positive attitudes, their tenacity, and simply how nice our girls were. Coaches made comment that our girls could play for them anytime. These comments attest to the character of the team.I hope our three seniors realize what they were a part of last season. They gained from us, gave to us, shared with us, and are now moving on; making way for others to now step up and continue to build for those who will one day make that step as well.”
Soccer
Volleyball
Boys’ Basketball
Archery Bowling
The girls, who returned a strong core with many years of experience supplement by some talented new players, went 9-‐3 in the KCAA and won the 3rd Region Tournament. The girls were led by seniors, Carson Murrell and Shelby Ratcliff. With the
team success came individual success as well: freshman Brooke Shaver was named the MVP of the Third Regional Tournament, joined by junior Kayce Shaver and Shelby Ratcliff on the Regional All-‐Tournament team. Carson Murrell was named to the All-‐Region regular season team. Brooke Shaver and Shelby Ratcliff were also named to the KCAA All-‐Star
game and Brooke Shaver was selected an All-‐State Player. Coaches Dennis Murrell and Tom Berge finished their coaching careers with the team while Kaylee Bass Brown (Class of 2009) returned to help coach her former team. The varsity team returns all but two players from last season and hopes to continue that success with Coach Kaylee and new head coach,
Brad Schilling.
Baseball
Softball
From Coach Jennifer: “The softball team competed for the third season this past spring. As one of the newest sports at the Academy, we are still learning and growing, but we are very happy with the direction of the team. With just a few participating teams in the KCAA and rain cancellations, it was difficult to get in repetitions and gain experience, but the girls all worked hard and showed great spirit and teamwork. We had 18 girls come out and we expect most of them to return next year! We will focus on pitching and catching in the off-‐season and we hope to build on individual skill sets to improve our game next spring!”
From Assistant Coach BJ Duncan: “Overall, the players and the school should be extremely proud of this past baseball season. Although our primary goal was to focus on personal development and skill, not winning every game, our team managed to surpass their win total from last season. This is largely thanks to the senior class who took it upon themselves to step up and embrace roles they may not have been
comfortable in a year ago. While we faced many hurdles, including the weather, the improvement in every player was apparent. In addition to the seniors, we have many underclassmen who contributed to the team and showed great development. This makes the entire coaching staff excited for the years to come.”
Girls’ Basketball
Ms. Ann Marie Secor, 46, passed away last September. She had been teaching 1st and 2nd grade with us for 20 years and she and Dale blessed us by sharing their family with our AIE family. During that time, I knew her to be kind, smart, funny, conscientious and the mother of three similarly wonderful children: Matthew, Kristin and Elijah. Rather than speak for our staff, I asked a few people to reflect on Ms. Ann. These are their words:
Ms. Ann was such a source of strength and help to me during the past school years, especially during the spring program. I found out I relied on her more than I even knew. I missed her being at AIE this year and she will continue to be missed.
-‐ Amanda Williams
Our condolences to the family of Charliah Shahid-‐Heil who passed this February after a tragic accident.
Charliah was a fun-‐loving soul who was quick to share her
radiant smile.
She graduated with her twin sister, Camillah, in 2012.
The thing I remember most about Miss Ann is that she loved her family. When she talked about them, her whole face lit up. And she loved her students. She had a gift for making each one of them feel special. If we needed someone to help with the auction or the fall festival or work the front desk -‐ whatever it was -‐ she always volunteered. We have missed her dearly this year.
-‐ Teresa Savage
Ms. Ann was at all times Ms. Ann. I never felt that she had ulterior motives or was working to gain some advantage for herself. She was always interested in being a good teacher who could reach the kids -‐ and if she could help you be the same -‐ she would willingly jump in and do so. I always liked Ann for the genuine person that she was and for the genuine way that she approached her calling as a teacher. She was a mother that did a wonderful job of rearing children.I had the very good fortune to help educate her children, and they are fine people. She was fun to boot. And I won't lie -‐ one of the funnest things about her was how incredibly startled she could be. An unexpected "Hello, Ann," would send her a foot into the air and her cellphone sailing across the room. She would then playfully bust your chops, but she saw the humor in the situation too. She was good people. I miss her.
– David DeSpain
In Remembrance
Charliah Shahid-‐Heil
Ms. Ann Secor
Teacher, 1st & 2nd Grades
I had the privilege of working with Ann for several years during summer care. She LOVED to read aloud to the students. She would sit in the rocking chair and gather the kids and involve them with the story as she would pause and discuss the characters, setting, etc. She was fierce in her role as a Mom during the day for her students and fierce with her love and support of her own family.
-‐ Fran Nett
Alumni Updates In June, alumni were asked to let us know what was going on in their lives and provide updates. Below are updates from folks
who responded. We know, however, that there are many of them who probably did not get this request. Please help us stay in touch! If you are an alumnus or the parent of an alumnus, please e-‐mail your current contact information to [email protected]. We apologize if your update did not make it in here. Those sent by Facebook are hard to
keep up with.
1998
1999
2001
Melinda Moore Loughran graduated with her BSN in May. She is married with 4 kids. Her oldest started high school this year.They moved to Floyd Knobs, Indiana 3 years ago, love it. Melinda works PRN as a nurse, and full-‐time as a "house wife."
Amanda Savage WilIiams is starting her 14th year teaching at AIE. She says, “My first kindergarten class just graduated as seniors from AIE. My youngest just graduated Kindergarten and I enjoyed being her teacher last year. Kenzlee will be in 4th grade and loves being in Ms. Cheek’s class. It's crazy that my elementary teacher is
teaching my children now. Braden is in 6th grade and enjoys sports and is looking forward to playing basketball at AIE soon. I keep busy working at school and helping with various school activities. My family loves to go camping and enjoys being outside.” She and her crew recently went on a family vacation to St. Augustine with her entire family, all 27 of ‘em.
Mandy DeSpain Hall took a break from farming and selling produce to go for a hike the week of the 4th of July (right). They are having a much better produce year thanks to plenty of rain (as opposed to last year's drought). Of course, too much rain comes with its own set of issues. We lost our cantaloupe crop this year... just too wet for them. So goes the life of a farmer. L to R: Jamon, Oliver, Eli, Sebastian, Ruben
Stephen and Stephanie Roth are doing well. They shared a picture of their adorable critters (right) Elam, Jude, and Nolan
Morgan Savage Andrews and Matthew are very busy with two pharmacies and 5 kids: Maddox (11), Lincoln (9), Sawyer (7), Brinley (4), and Eden (1). Their pharmacies in J-‐town and Shelbyville are doing well and they love getting to serve both families and staff from AIE. They are so happy to now have Spencer Savage working for them as a pharmacist in their Shelbyville location. Stop by and see them!
Paul Staehle traveled to the Amazon and is appearing on 90-‐Day Fiance on TLC! The show premiered August 6th.
Brian and Stephanie Cheek’s children, Anna & Abby. Amy (Cheek) and Nick Poe’s child, Avery.
2002 & 2003
The Savage Family 2017 In Clusters from Left: Spencer,
Brittany, & Callen Savage; Brandon, Leah, Jadon, Haylee & Daniel Savage;
Amanda, Matt, Braden, Lyla, & Kenzlee Williams; John & Teresa; Morgan, Matthew, Eden, Brinley,
Sawyer, Maddox, & Lincoln Andrews; Courtney, Robert, Jackson, Daphne, &
Mia Bartlett
Josh Blandford (’02) & Emily Rowe Blandford (’03) are doing great! Josh is in his 12th year working for Honeywell. He is currently working as a security design representative. Emily will be beginning her 9th year as an English as a Second Language teacher at Olmsted Academy South (JCPS's only all-‐girl middle school). They recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary and welcomed their first child on June 3, Ruth Mackenzie (right).
Jeremy Nalley and his wife, Amanda, have been married for almost 7 years. They have a 5-‐year-‐old daughter, Julie, and a 6-‐month-‐old son, Kyle. He has been working for JCPS as an ECE Instructional Assistant for 7 years and loves his job working with the kids.
Melanie Wettig Thomas is a realtor with Remax Associates, Rhonda Roberts’ Homes Team. She’s married with a daughter, Katherine, who’s 20-‐months-‐old.
Bethany McMillan Labonte was married to Kelly on October 10th 2016. She says, “It was a beautiful day to be surrounded by our families. Not only did Kelley and I become man and wife, but he pledged to be a father and role-‐model to my son Aidan.”
Courtney Savage Bartlett and family say, “All well and good. I have been busy with my night-‐nanny business, "Spoonful of Sugar," and, after 9 years, am proud to say that I have become one of the most sought out night nannies in the area. Robert is going on his 10th year with River City Bank and looking forward to many more years with them as they expand and grow. Mia loves school and is excited to start second grade. She has also started taking private art classes and is turning into quite the little artist. Daphne is excited to start kindergarten with her aunt Amanda and asks every day ‘How much longer!’ She is growing up fast and by that I mean vertically!. She has already passed Mia in height. She is going to be tall like her daddy. Jackson just turned 3 and I am looking forward to having some one-‐on-‐one time with him while the girls are in school. He is quite the little character and always the life of the party. Right now we are all trying to cherish the time while the kids are little, knowing that this time passes by so quickly.”
The Blandfords Charlotte & Syril, Emily & Josh. Adam and Kayla with Peyton, Annie & Manuel. Paul and Heather Above Left: Ruth Mackenzie. Above Right: Mary, Ashley Mejia’s daughter. Not pictured, New addition Lucy (Paul & Heather’s)
2002
2004 Amy Cheek Poe is beginning her 10th year as a preschool teacher in Graves County. Her husband, Nick, is the Chief Investment Officer at Jennings and Associates in Paducah, KY. They celebrated 5 years of marriage this past March. Their daughter, Avery, will be 3 and is very excited about going to Disney World in the fall!
2007
2010 Alethea Hayes will be Graduating, with Honors (Chi Sigma Iota), this December from Lindsey Wilson College, with her Master of Education in Counseling and Human Development. “Currently, I am at an internship working with children and adolescents with Autism, doing in-‐home therapy, as well as acting as a Direct Support Provider helping clients achieve their individual goals. I am also enjoying what little free time I have, with my niece, Marie Grace who has become this little bundle of joy in my life. I'm looking forward to what 2018 has in store for me as a new Graduate!”
Ross Epstein was married to Gwen Harp, July 15th. He has three step-‐children and a five-‐year-‐old daughter. “I am now working as IT support desk and operations manager for a wholesale company and a blacksmith. I also make wine and mead as a hobby and am playing music in the local band Doppelganger.”
Lauren Helmick, is doing well and has left Minnesota for North Carolina. She had been working for a locally-‐owned movie theatre, but is now at Regal. She loves it. She also writes and sings music. She has a cat, Precious. She’s quite happy.
Jenna Brady (Holladay) is an attorney and has been practicing law in Louisville for the past two years. In early August, she and her husband, Cody, moved to Huntsville, Alabama where Cody accepted a position working for University Auto Group as an F&I and Internet Trainer. Jenna will take the Alabama Bar Exam in February. They are excited for a new adventure!
2008
Aaron Hayes currently lives in Indianapolis. He has a small farm and works for Ecolab Equipment Care. He is also a member of the Indiana Army National Guard, serving in the infantry. He is staying very busy with his little girl and enjoying life.
Erika (Yeary) Parker and Bobby are currently living in San Diego, CA. They recently celebrated their 9-‐year anniversary and are expecting baby three in December. “We are also preparing our family for another deployment (Bobby is a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps, 4th deployment). Prayers are much appreciated for his safety and our family’s adjustment. Elijah (5) and Marisa (2) are looking forward to the new baby, and Eli is also looking forward to starting Kindergarten in August.”
2005
Nicole (McCauley) White says, “In 2013, I married my best friend Corey White & got our first home in Mount Washington KY. August of 2016 we found out we were expecting our first child. April 3 2017 we welcomed our beautiful baby girl, Oaklynn, into this world. We are so proud to be parents.”
Brittany and Spencer Savage are still living in Louisville. “Callen turned 1 on May 26th and I just celebrated my 1-‐year anniversary at Andrews Pharmacy. Brittany and I also celebrated our 7th anniversary on June 12th of this year. Brittany is in her 3rd year as a Certified Disney Vacation Planner with Wish Upon A Star With Us and is really enjoying getting to stay at home with Callen since her job allows her the flexibility to work from home.”
Daniel Cassin says, “For the last six years, my wife, Jessica, and I have been living in Baltimore, MD while she pursues her PhD in Human Genetics. During that time, I
have been with PSAV, the largest hotel audio visual provider in the world, and I will be celebrating my 5-‐year anniversary with them this August. My current position is Assistant Director of Event Technology for the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore where we do roughly $2 million in AV services annually. While we have enjoyed our time in Baltimore, it is coming to a close as Jessica has completed her program at Hopkins and has accepted a Post Doctoral Fellowship at the University of California San Diego. So as of January 2018, we will be southern Californians! In other news, we will be celebrating our 9-‐year wedding anniversary this October, and our Brittany Spaniel, Kayper, will be turning 6 in November. If anyone would like to catch up, we will be in Louisville for Thanksgiving and Christmas. In between now and then, we will be busy taking the journey.”
Mariel Shumate is about to finish her Master's degree in Engineering, and has accepted a full-‐time position as a project engineer for a construction firm in downtown Louisville! She is getting married in October.
Allison Meade created an exciting year for herself. She had the opportunity to take a month-‐long summer study-‐abroad program to Austria for business classes: a “Fantastic experience.”
She graduated from the University of Louisville in December with a degree in Accounting. She is pursuing a CPA certificate next year. She also received a promotion to Business System Analyst for Baptist Health Systems in Louisville.
Ayla Murrell has been living in Washington, D.C. where she earned her Master of Education from George Washington University. She is engaged to be married in September of next year. She and Alex Williams plan to return to Louisville where he will start his PhD in Education Leadership and Organizational Development at the University of Louisville. We are quite proud to say that she will be teaching English at AIE this year!
2012
2013
Shelby Rich (13) was among those recognized for academic excellence during the halftime of U of L’s Clemson game on January 19th. Shelby is a member of the Pep Band and is studying Early Elementary Education with a Concentration in Moderate to Severe Disabilities.
Sydney Smith says, “My life has changed a lot since graduating AIE. I still live in J-‐town and now I have a new job. I work at Emerson, a company that makes switches for big machines, located on Fern Valley Road. I've been working there since March. I got this job after attending a class that teaches you manufacturing job skills at the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center. Keean and I are still together. I'm still part of my church's adult choir and sing nearly every week.”
2015
Jeffrey Caleb Roberts is currently working at Chick-‐Fil-‐A in Middletown. He is active with his church group and will start his third year at Boyce College this fall.
Dakota Smith is completing his 4 years with United States Marine Corp. He is transitioning from the United States Marine Corp on Sept 8, 2017 to law enforcement in the state of California. Dakota and Bethany will be married on June 16,2018 in California.
Bronte Murrell just graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a B.A. in Anthropology, receiving the Outstanding Student in Anthropology Award. She recently accepted an Americorps VISTA position with Educational Justice and is excited to get started!
Harper Murrell just completed her second year at Northern Kentucky University and is currently pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science.
Morgan Lewis says, “I am doing great. I have a fulltime job as a nanny to 3 beautiful kids. I am also living out my dream to become a circus performer. I am in my 2nd of many years of circus school and love it. I am a fulltime student taking 16 classes a week. I am the top ground act performer my school has where I excel on the rolla bolla and acro balancing. Also I am one of the top trapeze students. I am the only rolla bolla circus performer in Louisville Ky which keeps me very busy performing around the community. This year I started coaching the 6-‐8 year old circus class at my school and love it. I love performing in the circus because I love to see the smiles it brings to the people
Morgan McCauley is now married to Andrew Jimenez. After meeting in college and dating for three years, they were married in May. She works fulltime at a daycare.
Katie Roth and Nick Duncan are married! They exchanged vows July 29th in a ceremony performed by Tyler Boerste. We wish the very best to the both of them.
AIE Family & Friends,
In June of 1984, Quala Care Preschool opened its doors to serve families in the Jeffersontown area. Its motto was “Quality Care with a Christian Touch.” It began as a privately owned, for-‐profit business venture with no consideration to starting anything other than a preschool. For several years, however, our school grew with everyone knowing that we were a school with a Christian emphasis. This emphasis was and has remained central to how we have developed as a school and the way in which we attempt to deal with each family and student. This emphasis on Christian principles has guided us as we have created an environment accepting of a wide variety of students with a wide variety of needs. Over the years, we expanded Quala Care’s identity to include a primary program known as Back to Basics. From there we went on to develop into a middle school and eventually a high school. The name, The Academy for Individual Excellence, was then chosen to identify our school. This was not only the name of our school but was also a description of who we had become.
On this journey, we have taken a couple of side roads. One of those side roads led us into a corporately owned, for-‐profit identity. This was beneficial for some time as the school grew because of the financial security the large corporation provided. However, the fact that we were for-‐profit also hindered the school from accessing many opportunities for educational grants, as well as donations from a variety of sources. The school’s identity with the for-‐profit corporation had also pushed the Christian emphasis, I had always desired, out of the picture. Realizing the need to establish the Academy’s future by having the ability to access the funding and donations that are available to nonprofit organizations and the personal need at this point in my life, as its founder, to establish more firmly the Christian emphasis upon which the school was built, I began to seek the opportunity to bring about a change for AIE.
It is with excitement that I am able to announce that with both the emotional and financial support from parents, faculty, and friends of our students, the dream of being a nonprofit Christian school has become a reality. On April 1, 2017 the Academy for Individual Excellence, both the school and the building, were purchased by AIE, Inc., a nonprofit organization created and dedicated to operating AIE as a nonprofit, Christian school. This is an exciting time! Thank you to all who helped in accomplishing this task. Thank you to the alumni and your families for their encouragement during this transition. Great things are ahead for AIE and the students yet to come.
John Savage Headmaster
A Letter from John
The Senior Class of 2018 Presents
7 O ’clock Friday, December 1st & Saturday, December 2nd
For prior editions of Cougar Tracks and more about AIE, check out our
website…
www.aiexcellence.com
The Academy for Individual Excellence 3101 Bluebird Lane Louisville, KY 40299
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