May 2026 News
Mrs. Stacy Hunt to Receive John E. Worthen Award at Commencement Ceremony
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
The Indiana Academy is pleased to announce that Mrs. Stacy Hunt, fifth-grade teacher at Hagerstown Elementary School, will be honored with the John E. Worthen Award at the Academy’s Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 23, at 11:30 a.m. in Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University.
Donald Winslow, Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology at the Indiana Academy, nominated Mrs. Hunt. The award honors former Ball State University president John E. Worthen, whose support was instrumental in establishing the Indiana Academy. The award acknowledges an individual for their hard work and dedication to promoting education, especially for the gifted.
Mrs. Hunt has worked as the district High Ability Coordinator, Advanced Curriculum English-Language Arts instructor, and held many other teaching roles in her 15 year career. During her time as the High Ability Coordinator, Stacy taught gifted ELA to students in 4th through 6th grade, she led professional development on best practices for gifted students, coordinated class placements and assessments, provided resources to families, and wrote curriculum for gifted learners.
Besides being an educator, she creates curriculum, advocates for gifted learners, and believes curiosity and perseverance are the most powerful tools for learning. With a passion for literacy, creativity and meaningful student engagement, she creates learning experiences that challenge students to think deeply, ask questions, and grow with confidence. Throughout her work in gifted education, Mrs. Hunt has focused on fostering critical thinking, creativity, and authentic learning opportunities that help students feel both supported and inspired. Her teaching philosophy centers on nurturing curiosity while creating a classroom environment where students feel safe to explore ideas, take risks, and develop their unique voices. Mrs. Hunt received her bachelor’s in elementary education at Indiana University and Gifted Education Certification at Ball State University.
When she’s not teaching, Mrs. Hunt spends time with her husband and dog, Stella, going camping, gardening, and on various adventures. She is also the voice behind Lady Whistledough, a sassy sourdough starter gossip column.
Academy Alum Mason Smith (2005) to be Commencement Speaker
Friday, May 8, 2026
The Indiana Academy is pleased to announce that Mason Smith, Class of 2005, will be the featured speaker at our thirty-fifth Commencement Ceremony, to be held on Saturday, May 23 at 11:30 a.m. in Emens Auditorium on the campus of Ball State University.
Mason is an experienced software engineer in quantitative finance. Originally from Gary, Indiana, he graduated from the Indiana Academy in 2005. Mason was awarded the Rea and Lela Axline Scholarship to attend the California Institute of Technology. He graduated from Caltech with honors in 2009, earning B.S. degrees in mathematics and computer science.
Mason received an AT&T Labs fellowship and an ARCS Foundation Scholarship to attend the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a PhD in computer science. However, he left graduate school early to pursue a career in industry.
For 15 years, he has worked at TGS Management Company in various software engineering roles for building quantitative trading systems and infrastructure to support quantitative research.
He recently served on the Board of Trustees for Caltech and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Trickle Up and Innovations for Poverty Action. He is also a member of the Indiana Academy Alumni Advisory Council.
We are very grateful that Mason has chosen to return to the Academy to share his wisdom with the Class of 2026.