Columbus Academy celebrated its 106th graduating class during a morning Commencement ceremony on June 6.
Under a gorgeous sky, the school’s faculty, staff and trustees entered the Senior Quad to the sound of bagpipes playing, followed by the seniors.
The ceremony began with a pair of welcomes from Head of School Melissa Soderberg and senior class president David Barren ’19.
After an interlude performance by the Viking Orchestra, Dalyn DeCree ’19 gave the valedictory address as this year’s recipient of the Andrew William Cary Cup.
“Bring flavor to whatever it is that you do,” is the advice DeCree received from his mother (former upper school counselor Shekyra DeCree) that he passed along to his fellow graduates. “Be bold, be different, be great and make it yours.”
Robert L. Solomon II, Assistant Vice Provost for The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as a member of Academy’s Board of Trustees from 2009-15 and parent of CA alumni Lee Solomon ’14 and Allegra Solomon ’16, followed with an impassioned Commencement Address enumerating the debts owed by all Columbus Academy graduates and how they can be repaid.
“Your character, your involvement, effort, attitudes and actions can create a pathway for others or it can create roadblocks,” he told our Class of 2019. “You have a legacy to leave, so please don't take it lightly.”
Seniors then crossed the stage to received their diplomas as names were read by Head of Upper School Cory Izokaitis.
Following performances of “Fare Thee Well” and the school’s Alma Mater, the faculty, trustees and graduates departed the ceremony to a standing ovation.
- WATCH COMMENCEMENT SONGS
- WATCH RECESSIONAL
- VIEW MATRICULATION LIST
- READ COMMENCEMENT ISSUE OF THE ACADEMY LIFE
- VIEW HONORS ASSEMBLY PHOTOS & AWARDS LIST
- HEAR ADVICE TO SENIOR FROM KINDERGARTEN BUDDIES
- SENIORS' FINAL BELL SLIDESHOW
- SENIORS' FINAL BELL PHOTO GALLERY
Columbus Academy’s Class of 2019
Katelyn Elizabeth Anderson
John David Barren
Ashley Brooks Larsson Barricks
Courtney Anne Batchelor
Jacob Austin Beck
Keenan Lawrence Bellisari
Mira Belle Bhasin
Carolyn Olivia Bowman
Christopher D. Boyle
Claire Isabella Budzik
Sarah Lucila Cabré
John H. Campbell
Kyle Channell
Deven Ramon Cobb
Hayden John Compton
Caleb Douglas Crawley
Maria Mercedes Crestanello
Shelemiah Crockett
Jordan Allen Dearing-Hardiman
Dalyn Anthony DeCree
Sidney Silver Derzon
Eric Richard DeVore
Robert Winford Diller
Caroline Hogan Driggs
Cole R. Duffy
Sidney Hope Edson
Jacob Payne Eismann
Madalynn Margaret Farkas
Abigail AuCoin Fisher
William Robert Galbreath
Gunnar F. Geiger
Johnathon Oscar Giller
Maximilian Frank Glass
Marcus Jai Singh Grewal
Julia Malina Gurevitz
Drew Ryan Haffer
Paul Victor Hansen
Mary Ella Hatcher
Kaitlyn Elisabeth Heintzelman
Sydney Beckett Hill
Patrick Hughes
Thomas Morgan Jones
Alison Inji Kang
Samantha Grace Kass
Spencer Christian Kaswinkel
Malcolm Macaulay Klingbeil
Jennifer Whitney Bell L'Hommedieu
Alexis Hannah Leader
David Li
Virginia Linqian Ma
Aidan Kekoa Macchia
Aisling Mary Grace Maguire
Caroline Grace Mallory
Rekha K. Marar
William E. Mathews
Madelyn Rose McAfee
Liam Sean Hartley McCann
Alexander Austin McClellan
Israeljah Khi-Reign Mendenhall
Eric Menq
Hayden Robert Meyers
Molly Bradford Milbourne
Ryan Hannah Milbourne
Harrison Pierce Mills
Dorrian James Moultrie
Ethan Russell Nankervis
Sidney Frank Greyson Noblitt III
Tani Naomi Obikunle
Leah Bouvier Pierre-Louis
Kayla Bryanne Podgurski
Callista Elizabeth Popp
Cathryn Lydia Poulin
Nicholas Scott Raiken
Abhinav Ramesh
Himaja V. Reddy
Cheyenne Cierra Redman Sullivan
Gwyndolyn Camille Reeves
Jacob S. Rhee
Nicholas Lowell Rothmann
Jacob James Sardo
Sophie Jacqueline Schiff
Tyler Lewis Schlonsky
Megan Elizabeth Schmitz
Evan Johnson Scott
Taranya Reddy Seri
Jordan Alexis Skilken
Averill Jane Smith
Kaija L. Snyder
Colin Sullivan
Suriya Guru Sundaram
Aiyana Grace Taylor
Sophia C. Tidwell
Madeline Faye Tuckerman
Harika Vandrasi
Cole Stephen Walker
Aden Joshua Weiser
Haylee Rose White
Katelyn Anne Wunsch