Spring 2008 - Georgia

The Cumberlite
Georgia-Cumberland Academy
GCA Alumni Invited to “Come Back Home”
They came from near. They came from
far. Some came back for the first time since
leaving GCA decades ago. What was it
that drew former students back to the GCA
campus after so many years?
For Judy Reynolds Wagner, class of ’73,
it was to reconnect with friends. “Why return
after 35 years? It sounds like a long time, but
the years have just flown. My main reason
was to reconnect with my old classmates.”
For whatever reasons they came, many
found Alumni Weekend to be a wonderful
opportunity to re-connect with friends, a way
Harold Cunningham, ‘73, provided a response to “Conversations on Coming
to rekindle fond memories of high school
Home” presented by LeClare Litchfield, John Strickland and Roger Bothwell
years, and the opportunity to re assess their
spiritual lives.
Golf Tournament Kicks off the Weekend. The golf tournament, held on Friday at Field’s Ferry Golf Club, is always
a fun and exciting way to begin the weekend. One hundred eleven golfers participated this year and over $28,000 was
raised to support GCA. The tournament was cut short by a tornado warning.
Inside this Issue
That was a first in GCA golf history! (See page 6 for more details about the
tournament.)
Page
Young Alumni Give Energy to Friday Night Services. Alumni Weekend
Alumni Weekend
1-3
was planned to be warm, welcoming, and intentionally spiritual. The class of
2003 planned and presented the Friday evening vespers program and was right
Honor Class Photos
4-5
on target for the mission of the weekend. Keith Bowman and Josh Woods spoke
Golf Tournament
6
to our hearts in the stories of Jacob and Esau presented in their message entitled
Ride for GCA
7
“The Reunion.” A special appearance by The Lovell Sisters, daughters of
Florida Alumni Meet
8
alumnus David Lovell, ’78, capped off the evening with their amazing a cappella
renditions of two gospel numbers.
California Alumni Meet
9
Alumni Updates
10-11
Upcoming Events
12
Georgia-Cumberland
Academy
The Lovell Sisters
made a guest
appearance at the
Friday evening
vesper program.
397 Academy Drive
Calhoun, GA 30701
Phone: (706) 629-4591
Fax: (706) 629-1272
Email: [email protected]
Welcome Home Reception. We tried something new for Sabbath morning.
Instead of Sabbath School, we held a breakfast reception in the church fellowship
hall, giving people a chance to visit prior to the church service. Thanks to Judy
McGhee Fehlenberg, ’77, and her crew of helpers who planned and executed a
lovely breakfast.
Continued on Page 2
GCA Alumni Invited to
“Come Back Home” cont...
Pastor John Strickland
spoke during the church
service in a 3-part sermon
entitled “Conversations
on Coming Home.”
2
Dr. Roger Bothwell shared
a wonderful picture of
God.
Pastor Litchfield presented
a compelling presentation of
the gospel during his part of
“Conversations on Coming
Home.”
Spirit-filled Worship. Three much-loved former
GCA chaplains shared the church sermon time with a
three part message entitled “Conversations on Coming
Home.” John Strickland, Roger Bothwell and LeClare
(Litch) Litchfield shared the good news about who God
is and what He wants to do in our lives. The music of
alumni, Camerata, and Sinfonietta beautifully set the
tone for worship.
Many alumni commented on how the church service
touched their hearts. Melody Everts Hopson, ’73,
remarked that, “This alumni weekend touched me more,
spiritually, than any other Alumni Weekend in the past.
Don’t get me wrong – I loved visiting with everyone!
But I was especially blessed by being able to hear John
Strickland and Roger Bothwell preach, both of whom
were pastors while I was a student at GCA.”
Billy Mullins,’78, and GCA students sang about a God
whose arms are open wide for each of us to come home.
The bottom line message of the Alumni Weekend
services was that God loves us and waits with open arms
for us to come to Him.
If you missed the church service and would like to
hear the messages from the weekend, you can visit
the GCA Church website at (www.gcachurch.org) and
find the Alumni Weekend sermons. You can also call
(706-625-7166) or email ([email protected]) the alumni
office and request a copy of the sermon cd’s.
Honor Class Reunions. In the afternoon, honor class
groups gathered in classrooms throughout campus and
spent time sharing and listening to personal stories. Cindy
Filler Vann, reunion organizer for the class of 1978, spoke
of her friendships from GCA. “I cherish all of the memories from my time at GCA. Few people have the
opportunity to experience the lasting bond of friendship
that is forged by the boarding school experience as a
teenager. My GCA friendships are forever and only grow
stronger with each alumni gathering. I feel sorry for the
classmates who were unable to join us. We missed them
and they missed out on a great weekend of old and new
memories.”
But wait, there’s more! For some, the afternoon honor
class reunions were the ending to
their Alumni Weekend experience.
But the inspiration and fun
continued for others.
Vonda Clark Beerman, ’83,
shared her vocal renditions
and testimony in an afternoon
concert that we had hoped would
also include some baptisms.
Although there were no baptisms
that afternoon, our hearts were
warmed by Vonda’s music.
Saturday night, the young
and fit (or not so fit) took
Vonda Clark Beerman,
to the softball field and the
basketball court for some friendly ’83, shared her vocal music and words of encourcompetition. In the softball game,
agement in a concert held
the alumni team got the victory
on Sabbath afternoon.
over the GCA All-Stars with a
score of 9-6.
The GCA basketball teams showed the right stuff and
soundly beat the alumni teams. The GCA Lady Jaguars
won over the alumni team with a score of 52-22. The GCA
Jaguars (men’s varsity team) beat the alumni team 80-56.
Ride for GCA. The last event of Alumni Weekend,
2008, was the motorcycle ride held on Sunday morning.
Thirteen riders took off from the GCA campus and
enjoyed a beautiful ride through the north Georgia mountains. (See pg.7 for more details on the motorcycle ride.)
Spring 2008
GCA Alumni Invited to
“Come Back Home” cont....
Keith Bowman
and Josh Woods,
both ’03, shared
the sermon
for the Alumni
Weekend vespers
program.
Alumni Weekend, 2008, was a wonderful time of
re-connection for many people. David Denton, ’83,
made the comment that, “This Alumni Weekend was
the best organized and most enjoyable of any I’ve
been to. I really appreciated the spiritual focus.”
We hope that the weekend was truly a time of
coming back home, both relationally and spiritually!
3
Friends from the class of ’78 enjoyed reconnecting.
A few members of the 25 year honor class enjoyed
visiting at the registration table.
Friends from the class of ’73 enjoyed some light moments.
Donnie Keele and Ashley Stanley, both class of 2003,
were back for their first GCA alumni reunion.
Carmen Wilson Lau
and Yung Lau, ‘81
Jon Sharp and Chris Latham,
class of ‘98, were back for
their 10 year reunion.
GCA Men’s Jaguars overcame the valiantly fighting
alumni guys in the Alumni Weekend Basketball game.
Spring 2008
Alumni Weekend
Honor Class Photos
Class of 1968
Front Row, L to R: Dana Price Poulton, Andrea McGaha
Erwin, Nancy Sweat Witt, Barbara Cummings Willis
2nd Row: Randy McGaha, Sandy Joiner Coppage, Gloria
Lee Barenie
3rd Row: Russell Friberg, George Whitman, Bruce Bowen
4
Class of 1973
Front Row, L to R: Jeannie Newgard Cunningham,
Candace Elkins Foreman, Susan Summerour DeFoor,
Dee Ann Henry Caywood, Byron DeFoor
2nd Row: Judy Reynolds Wagner, Patty McGhee
Coffman, Charles Lokas, Theresa Klein Doran, Tebby
Meissner Kochenower, Ron Morris
3rd Row: Chad Chastain, Farrell Preston, Melody
Everts Hopson, Stephanie Lovell Harbour, Steve Fuchcar, Harold Cunningham
Class of 1978
Front Row, L to R: Todd Silver, Linda McCarthur Norman, Judi
Boles Hartman, Sherry Bowman Stansell, Judy Ringer Twigg, Patti
Gentry Guthrie, Chere Breesee Atherton
2nd Row: Terri Turlington Thoresen, Cindy Filler Vann, Sandy
Friesen Fitzgerald, Rhondda Robinson Thomas, Debbie Upton Strawn,
Onecia Lee George, Brenda Greenman Pennypacker
3rd Row: Susie Shanko, Jan Ashcraft Upton, Carole Arellano, Teresa Connell Whiting, Donna Lee Zackrison, Denise Mitchell Hevener,
Diana Wallace Gunter, Cindy Netherland Hall, Karen Regal Garner
4th Row: Marvin Wilson, Mark Farrar, Westley Hayner, David Lovell,
Richard Harris, Greg Owens, Andy Nall, Ken Cook, Barry Tryon,
Delvin DeLong, Clayton Strawn
Class of 1983
Front Row, L to R: Vonda Clark Beerman, Liz
Mann Hoey, Lorinda Klein Mills, Regina Ritchey
Stojkic, Sheila Dobbs McCorkle, Alayne Everett
2nd Row: Karen Artress Orquia, Pam Center,
Larissa McCutchen Messinger; Lisa Matyas Logan,
Donalyn Parker Stephenson
3rd Row: Dawn Predmore Self, Esther McCarter,
Georgia Butterfield O’Brien, Tricia Anderson Davis
4th Row: David Denton, Troy Patton, Jamie
Bishop, John Yost
Spring 2008
Alumni Weekend
Honor Class Photos Cont.
Class of 1988
Front Row, L to R: Liz Theus Glass, Rachel Burger,
Joy Kitchen, Joahnna Evans Graham, Joy Perry-Jaqua,
Diane Artress Connelly
2nd Row: Georgie Seckler Smith, Brad Mendez, David
Kim, Bruce Brunner, Eldon Eskridge, Karen Williams
Schmidt
3rd Row: Lance Handley, Joel Peel, Keith Dotson, Kent
Wallace, Bob Overstreet, Alan Connelly
5
Class of 1993
Front Row, L to R: Jucinta Naylor Rome, Stephanie
Stover Blackstock, Eve Parker, Joy Dunn, Jewel Follett
2nd Row: Mark Devlin, Joni Self Yamamoto, Synova
Hill Goodge, Becky Sturtevant Sitz, David Steele, Angela
Herrin Robinson
Class of 1998
Front Row, L to R: Jolene Harrell Sharp, Corina Falkenhagen
Rawson, Crystal Stevenson Bunch
2nd Row: Chris Latham, Abe Kwon, Brooke Naus Tatum, Lila
Remaley Didenko, Sandy Lee, Jim Whetmore
3rd Row: Jon Sharp, Ryan Bradshaw, Richard Shinn, David
Benton, Meghan Olis, Rebecca Simmons, Jody Evins
Class of 2003
Front Row, L to R: Michelle Thomas, Jennifer Stout Smith,
Nicole Antone
2nd Row: Adam Cusick, Keith Bowman, Jenny Knox Tello
3rd Row: Steve Wilson, Matthew Pepper, Donnie Keele
Spring 2008
GCA’s Alumni
Golf Tournament
Golf Sponsors 2008
Platinum Sponsors
Raises More than Money
6
The golf tournament this year reminded us of the classic lines
that introduce the Dicken’s novel, A Tale of Two Cities. “It was the
best of times. It was the worst of times.”
“It was the best of times” until the sky grew black and the
tornado sirens went off in the neighboring community. Not long
after that, the Field’s Ferry sirens sounded, signaling everyone
to clear the course. Fortunately we were nearing the end of the
tournament and just a couple of holes from being done.
But I’m getting ahead of the story. This past April 4, 111 golfers
gathered at Field’s Ferry Golf Club to compete for prizes and
support Georgia-Cumberland Academy. Golfers of all ages and
abilities listened as Greg Gerard, GCA principal, welcomed them
and David Richardson, ’75, reviewed the rules for the tournament.
Then they were off in their carts and out onto the course, eager to
put their skills to work and have some fun.
“It was the best of times” as friends enjoyed the camaraderie and
friendly competition the tournament offered. And it was certainly
Continued on Page 11
the best of times for the winners.
Byron & Susan DeFoor, Class of ‘73
Gold Sponsors - $1,000
Class of 1988
Danny Harris, Class of ‘75
David and Tami (Baker) Richardson
David Bishop Construction
Georgia Bank & Trust
Gordon Hospital
Jeff King
Johnny & Georgia (Butterfield, ’83) O’Brien
Lynn and Paula Elkins
R.J. Griffin and Co.
West Georgia Endodontics
Silver Sponsors - $500
ABC/Worthington Kellogg
George Whitman, Class of ‘68
Georgia Emergency Care, P.C.
Georgia-Cumberland Conference
Mark and Brenda Richardson
North Georgia National Bank
Southern Adventist University
Tom and Martha Richardson
Hole Sponsors - $250
Ben Richardson, ’98,
watches as Stuart King,
’04, chips onto the green
during the GCA Alumni
Golf Tournament.
Danny Lee, class
of ‘96, along with
teammates Ed
Morrison, Kevin
Humphries, and
Aaron Larsen
won top honors
at this year’s golf
tournament.
Calhoun Anesthesia
Calhoun Paint & Decorating
Chase Farms
College Press
Dr. and Mrs. J. Larry Jackson
Genesis Women’s Center
J. Will Baker, DDS
Larry and Vicki Rahn – Class of ‘70
Larry Calloway, DDS
Learning Labs
Michael’s Carpet
OWASA Family Medicine
Ragan Enterprises
Sample Barn
SouthernCare Family Medicine
Southern Union Conference
Starr-Mathews Agency
Steven R. Fehlenberg & Co., P.C.
Takoma Regional Hospital
Turf Evolutions – Alternative Turf Systems
Product Sponsors
Georgia Peanut Commission
US Food Service
The Class of 1975
team, Danny Harris,
David Richardson,
Bruce Bergherm,
and Brian Martin
were winners of the
Alumni Cup.
Golf Tournament Planning Committee:
Joel Peel, David Richardson, Mark
Richardson, Tony Shadix
Snack bags: Sharlene Carman
Spring 2008
Bikers Take on
“Ride for GCA”
Mark Richardson, ’74, and Renee Day enjoyed
checking out the motorcycles before the ride began.
The group took off from the GCA Church parking lot.
Planning Committee: David Bishop, Randy
Coble, Woody Davis, Randy Naus and Rick Naus
Sponsors: American Imaging and Designs,
Better Label & Products, Inc., and US Food
Service.
Bikers stopped for a break and fuel along their
Ride for GCA route.
Spring 2008
7
Mark Brown, ’80, and David Bishop, ’79, described the route to the group before taking off.
The 2nd annual Ride for GCA took place this year
on Sunday, April 6. It was the final event of Alumni
Weekend and drew alumni from Chattanooga,
Atlanta, and the local community.
The weather forecasters had predicted a
beautiful, sunny, and warm day for April 6,
but a stalled weather system kept the sun and
warm weather from appearing until later that
day. Nonetheless, after last year’s near freezing
temperatures for the ride, this year’s weather was
not at all a problem.
David Bishop, ’79, and Mark Brown, ’80,
mapped out the route for this year’s ride that
took the group through the hills and mountains of
northwest Georgia, starting at GCA, traveling to
Lookout Mountain, and back through Summerville
and Rome, Georgia.
Kim Day, ’82, rode again this spring and brought
his wife, Renee. His reaction to the ride was very
positive. “The ride planners did a really great job
planning the route this year. It was a beautiful
ride! We had a little bit of everything – farmlands,
mountains, rolling hills. It was great.”
This relatively new addition to Alumni Weekend
adds an event for those who love to bike and want
to support GCA. Although we don’t raise big
money through this event, it does offer another way
for alumni and friends to show their support for
GCA and have fun together.
The Ride for GCA raised $850 this year and
we are thankful to our riders and sponsors for their
support of this event!
Florida Alumni
Gather Again
This year’s Florida alumni event was held at
the beautiful home of Brad (‘94) and Melissa
Seltmann on February 23. A group of 13 of us met
to visit, eat and enjoy our common bond - GCA.
The event was planned for a Saturday evening
with the hopes that people would be less rushed
and more available than for our previous meetings
which have been held following church. Whether
or not that goal was achieved is uncertain, but for
those who came, the evening was most enjoyable.
8
Front: Brad and Melissa Seltmann, Nancy and Greg Gerard 2nd row:
Jim and Jan (Spivey) Cambell, Aliso Wurl Prusia, Alan and Donna
Ashcraft, Russ Rodenberg Standing: Lois Somerville, David Somerville, Janet Gershon Jackson, Julie Young Keaton, Andy McDonald
Florida alumni enjoyed a tasty spread at the
GCA event in February.
Brad Seltmann, ’94, Alan Ashcraft, ’73, Donna
Ashcraft and Melissa Seltmann enjoyed visiting.
The evening offered great opportunities for renewing
friendships.
Following a delicious
meal we watched a
slide show with photos
depicting the GCA
campus, alumni events,
and campus life. Then
each alumnus had the
opportunity to share
memories of his or her
GCA experience.
Janet Gershon Jackson, ’76, enjoyed visitAlison Wurl Prusia,
ing with her niece, Julie Young Keaton, ’01.
’80, attended the Florida
event for the first time and she “very much enjoyed coming
to the event, seeing old friends and making new ones.” She
also observed that, “It was great hearing about the new and
innovative things happening at GCA, yet being assured that the
same friendly, nurturing environment exists and kids are still
getting that sense of family that we enjoyed in years past.”
Andy McDonald, ’73, confessed, “Truthfully, I had planned
to sneak out early but ended up being one of the last to leave
because it was such an enjoyable experience.” He enjoyed the
change of venue from the church to a home, too. “Brad and
Melissa Seltmann were wonderful hosts, with a beautiful home.
I really enjoyed the visual report presented by the Gerards and
the whole evening was a great opportunity to reconnect with
some old friends and make new friends.”
Jan Spivey Campbell, ’66, has been a regular attendee
at the Florida events and enjoys them very much. She said,
“Both Jim (her husband) and I enjoy the gatherings each year.
We love to visit with old friends and get acquainted with new
ones. We are attached to our school days with many wonderful
memories.”
Although we have a fairly consistent group who attend these
gatherings, we would love to encourage others in the central
Florida area to join us and see this event grow. Thanks to all
who attended this year! Let’s plan on getting together again
next winter.
Spring 2008
California Alumni and
Former Staff Meet
Group from the 80’s: Bill Arnold, Bez Regifo, Diane Artress
Connelly, Cathy Connelly Stone, Lyn Connelly, Cyril Connelly,
Alan Connelly.
GCA principals: Jim Clizbe, Cyril
Connelly, & Greg Gerard
9
Richard Harris with
wife Lizanna
GCA alumni, former staff, and family members
gathered at the home of Alan and Diane (Artress)
Connelly, class of ’88, on March 1 to enjoy a meal
and share their common connections.
Nathan Lindsey, class of ’73, attended for the first
time and enjoyed being a part of the GCA gathering.
“It was nice to get together with fellow GCA people
recently in San Bernardino. I am always surprised
where you will meet people who attended or worked
at GCA. I’m so glad that GCA is still going strong!”
Everyone enjoyed the slide show, which pictured
some of the major changes to the GCA campus,
gave a glimpse of campus life, and showed photos
of alumni. Greg Gerard also shared news and
information about
GCA, our record
enrollment, and how
the school year has
been going.
Even though alumni
and staff who attend
these regional events
did not neccessarily
know each other while
at GCA, their common Alumni Director, Nancy
interest in and support Gerard, visited with Laura
of GCA are the unifying Bowen, ’03, at the California
factors that make these alumni event in March.
events work.
Back row, l to r: Cathy Connelly Stone, ’88, David Stone, Jim Clizbe (former staff), Nathan Lindsey, ’73, Greg Gerard (principal),
Lyn Connelly, Cyril Connelly (former staff), Richard Harris, ’78, Lizanna Harris. Front row: Alli Gerard, ’07, Diane Artress Connelly, ’88, Alan Connelly, ’88, Bez Rengifo, ’88, Bill Arnold, former staff.
Spring 2008
Alumni Updates
Jennifer Eaton LaMountain, Former Staff and Class
of 1986 and her husband, Lynell, welcomed Garrison
Chase La Mountain to their family on July 17, 2007.
Daniel Nyirady, Former Staff, is leaving his position
as associate pastor of the Calimesa SDA Church
in order to study full time for a doctoral degree in
marriage and family counseling. Dan and his wife,
Janice, have two daughters.
10
Debra Gardner Alcala, Class of 1975, was re-cently
featured on MSNBC’s World Blog in an article about
her Curves gym in Cairo, Egypt. You can find this
article and related comments at http://worldblog.msnbc.
msn.com/archive/2008/04/02/851104.aspx.
Mark Morris, Class of 1977, is living and working
as a custom pistolsmith in Washington. You can learn
more about his work at www.morriscustompistols.com.
Terre Parman, Class of 1977, is working as a surgical
technician at Madison Army Medical Center at Fort
Lewis, Washington. He and his wife celebrated their
25th wedding anniversary last year and have two sons,
22 and 19 years old.
Judi Boles Hartman, Class of 1978, lives at High-land
Academy where her husband is a pastor. They have
two children, 21 and 18. Judi is a reading specialist in
the Sumner County public schools. Judi is very active,
musically, and has recorded two CD’s of her own and
also sings with a group called the Highlanders. Lisa
Howe Parrish, Class of 1980, also sings with this
group.
Gillen Molina, Class of 1979, is married with two
children. She is working in women’s and children’s
ministry for Puerto Rico Adventist East Conference.
Vonda Clark Beerman, Class of 1983, is a Christian
recording artist and represents “The Quiet Hour”
ministry. She is the mother of four children and is
happily married to Merlin Beerman.
Roger Worrell, Class of 1986, is living in West Palm
Beach, Florida. He is the clubhouse manager for the
Wanderers Golf Club in Wellington, Florida. He enjoys
golfing and attending polo games.
Bob Overstreet, Class of 1988, is currently living in
Jacksonville, FL where he is the principal and a teacher
at Jacksonville Adventist Academy. He and his wife
of 18 years, Tammy, have two daughters, Laura and
Rebecca.
Karen Evans Howell, Class of 1991, is married with
two cats. She has worked with Tennessee Donor
Services for 11 years and enjoys traveling, entertaining,
and volunteering at the animal shelter.
Peggi Carmin Angel, Class of 1993, has been married to
Billy Angel for 12 years. Peggi graduated from UGA in
May, 2007, with a Ph.D. in Chemistry and is currently a
joint postdoctoral fellow with Emory University and the
University of Georgia.
Angela Herrin Robinson, Class of 1993, is the mother of
four children, ages 7, 5, 3, and 1.
David Shinn, Class of 1993, was married to Emily Jarrell
on January 5, 2008. Emily is a Tax Senior Associate at Price
Waterhouse Coopers and David is in his second year of
the Accounting doctoral program at the Goizueta Business
School, Emory University.
Rebecca Sturtevant Sitz, Class of 1993, is currently
working on an MBA with an emphasis in Healthcare
Management. She has a 17 month old daughter, Jenna
Marie.
Patricia Smith, Class of 1993, is living in California
and working as the assistant girl’s dean at Monterey Bay
Academy.
Melalee Dyck Zago, Class of 1996, lives in Napa, CA with
her husband and two cats. Melalee is a social worker and
her husband is in the nursing program at PUC.
Samantha Evans Rabuka, Class of 1997, is working as a
math coach at Ooltewah High School. Her work includes
teaching one class and then the rest of her time is spent
coaching math teachers at the high school.
Quanny Carter Ard, Class of 1998, was married to Donny
Ard on April 6, 2008. They will be living and working in
Maryland.
Hanna Baird Edwards, Class of 1998, is serving in the
U.S. Army as a Patriot Systems Maintenance Warrant
Officer in the Air Defense Artillery. Currently, she is
stationed in Korea but will be returning to the States in
October.
Emily Flottman Cooper, Class of 1999, was married to
Phillip Cooper on March 16, 2008. Their outdoor wedding
took place on a coastal island near St Mary’s/Kingsland,
GA. Beginning in June, Emily will be serving as associate
pastor of the Marietta, GA SDA church.
Paul Hoover, Class of 2000, and his wife Andrea welcomed daughter Ava Jean to their family on April 2, 2008.
Paul is director of Cancer Services at Florida Hospital
Memorial Division.
Christine Whetmore Penguino, Class of 2000, is finishing her Master’s degree in Social Work with an emphasis
in children and families. She reports that she is still not
matching her socks and that her husband is now a citizen
and very happy to get to vote. She is on Facebook and
would love to hear from classmates.
Michael Rabuka, Class of 2000, is working on an MBA at
UTC and is also a group home coordinator at Orange Grove,
Spring 2008
which is a facility for developmentally disabled adults.
Jessica Russaw, Class of 2000, will soon be enrolled at
Tidewater Technical College for Business Management
working toward a business degree. She is also engaged to
be married.
Melissa Harper, Class of 2002, is engaged to be married
to Tyler Blackwelder on October 19, 2008 in Bend, OR.
Melissa is working as a travel nurse and Tyler is a physical
therapist.
Brian Rabuka, Class of 2003, is an officer in the Marine
Corps and is engaged to be married to Kristin Monk on
May 24, 2008.
Becky Sanchez Caballero, Class of 2004, was married to
Luis Caballero on December 2, 2007. Becky is studying
health administration through the University of Phoenix
while working with the Spanish Ministries of the South
Atlantic Conference.
Daniel Harper, Class of 2004, and Logan Ehlert, Class
of 2005, are engaged to be married in an August 17
wedding to be held in Ashville, NC. The couple will be
living and working in Las Vegas, NV.
Kaleigh English Abernathy, Class of 2005, lives with her
husband, Michael, in Ranger, GA. They have two girls
ages 2 years and 9 months.
Derek Hale, Class of 2005, entered service in the US Air
Force in July, 2007 and is currently stationed at Lackland
AFB in San Antonio, TX. Derek is a communicationscomputer systems programmer and he works for the
Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Agency. He has been accepted to Air Force Preparatory
School so he will be moving to Colorado Springs, CO in
July, 2008.
Graduations
Emily Baldwin, B.S. Nursing
Amanda Brady, B.B.A. Financial Services
Amber Sornson Brandt, A.S. Nursing
Britni Brannon, B.A. Print Journalism
Noella Cappa, M.S.W Social Work
Logan Ehlert, B.A. Print Journalism
Brittany Graves, A.S. Nursing
Paulette Greene, B.S. Long-Term Care Administration
Kelly Gunter, B.S. Nursing
Daniel Harper, B.S. Business Administration
Shaunda Helm, B.A. History, International Studies
Phillip Hoover, B.S. Secondary Social Sciences: History
Donnie Keele, B.S. Mass Communication
Kelly Klein, B.A. Elementary Education
Justin Sharp, B.S. Computer Science
Joshua Woods, B.A. Theology
Eyren Yepez, B.S. Long-Term Care Administration
GCA’s Alumni Golf Tournament
While we don’t have space to mention all the
winning teams (We gave 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes for
each of three flights, plus gave awards for closest to
the pin and long drives.), Danny Lee (class of ’96), Ed
Morrison, Kevin Humphries, and Aaron Larsen were
the 1st place winners of the first flight. In addition, the
Class of 1975 Team won the Alumni Cup competition
for the fourth year in a row.
“It was the worst of times” when the sirens sounded
and tournament play was cut short, leaving most teams
two to four holes shy of completing. The Field’s Ferry
pro assigned a score of par for all uncompleted holes,
which for some teams was a gift, but for the better
golfers, put them at a disadvantage.
So with severe weather approaching, prizes were
awarded quickly and the group dispersed.
We are very grateful to the golfers and sponsors
who supported the golf tournament this year.
In all, $25,600 was raised for worthy student
Cont.
scholarships and capital improvements at GeorgiaCumberland Academy.
We wish we could have done a little bit better with
the weather, but we were thankful that the tornadoes
passed us by and no damage was done, except for an
unfinished tournament.
Greg Bryant, Jack Higdon, Steve Harrison (‘81)
and Ken Liberto (‘81) were one of 30 golf teams
that participated in the Golf Tournament.
Spring 2008
11
Denise Roberts Alvarado, Class of 2004, was married to
Fernando Alvarado on February 10. The couple is living
in Albany, GA where Fernando is working as an aerospace
engineer and Denise is working as an R.N.
Alumni Updates Continued...
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
COLLEDGEDALE,
TN
PERMIT NO. 7
Georgia-Cumberland Academy
397 Academy Drive
Calhoun, GA 30701
Address Service Requested
www.gcasda.org
12
Cumberlite Staff
Editor: Nancy Gerard
Layout & Design: Valerie Mirande
Photography: Randy Coble, Alli Gerard,
Nancy Gerard, Brad Seltmann, Grant Tuttle
Upcoming Events
May 23-24, 2008: GCA’s graduation weekend
August 11, 2008: Classes begin at GCA for the
2008-2009 school year.
May 31, 2008: Campmeeting Alumni Supper, White Oak Room, 4th floor of Thatcher
South, on the campus of SAU at 5:30 p.m.
Join classmates, former and current staff,
and friends for a light supper and an opportunity to visit. We hope to see you there!
April 3-5, 2009: SAVE THE DATE! Make
plans now to attend Alumni Weekend, 2009.
Golf with us on the 3rd, worship with us on the
4th, and join the “Ride for GCA” motorcycle
event on the 5th. Special honor classes are ‘69,
‘74, ‘79, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, ‘99, ‘04.
To enjoy more photos from Alumni Weekend
Go to the GCA website at www.gcasda.org
Click on “Alumni” then go to the right side
Look for Alumni Galleries
Click on the desired collection of photos
Spring 2008