Latest News
Academy TSA Team Excels at Purdue University Competition
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
The Indiana Academy TSA (Technology Student Association) team traveled to Purdue University over the February 14-16 weekend. The team, originally comprised of nine members, was reduced to four due to illness and scheduling conflicts. Asia Genawi, Luv Patel, Eric Dinh, and Isaac Fischer were able to attend and compete in events against other TSA teams from around the state of Indiana represented by much larger delegations.
Academy team member Chris Holmquist was able to submit his essay on Technology and his audio podcast the week prior to the weekend event, and the committee did excuse Chris from the requisite in-person interview, since he was not able to attend. His essay won first place for the State of Indiana, and his audio podcast received fifth place.
Asia Genawi, TSA Indiana State Vice President, was given a plaque and special cords to wear at graduation in recognition of her hard work over the past two years in state leadership roles. TSA Indiana State Secretary Ethan Tomlin was also honored with a plaque and graduation cords, though he was unable to attend in person. Having two state officers from one school is rare, which “says a lot for the quality of the students at the Indiana Academy,” according to sponsor Ms. Susie Cunningham.
As an unexpected yet welcome surprise, the Indiana Academy was awarded the title of TSA Chapter of the Year. This award is based on points earned through activities a TSA Chapter completes in a one-year period. The Academy’s TSA team has worked very hard this year to complete these tasks and their dedication has certainly paid off.
Ms. Cunningham says, “I am very proud of this year’s team!”
Indiana Academy Shines at Model UN-University of Chicago
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
A fifteen student Model UN delegation from the Indiana Academy recently competed in the 2025 Model UN-University of Chicago (MUNUC) conference from February 6th through February 9th. MUNUC’s annual conference in downtown Chicago ranks as one of the best in the world, attracting over 3,000 students from across the United States and around the world. Students from the Academy participated across several committees with about half earning recognition for exemplar performances. Congratulations go to Alex Christman, Alex Overmars, Kenne Rasnick, Rori Hailey, Henry Godfrey, Kenny Gihozo, Keagan Brogdon, Christopher Holmquist, John Eenigenburg, Jeevisha Dhanda, A.J. Carter, Ella Robertson, Jackson Bales, Brody Chestnut, and Agastya Anand for a job well done! “Being recognized at a Model UN conference this large is usually reserved for the top 3-5% of schools and delegates that participate. Considering the global talent and staunch preparation we competed against, returning with seven of our students earning recognition is beyond impressive and almost unimaginable,” remarks Dr. Olufowote, Director of Academic Affairs and Academy Model UN sponsor. Award winners can be found below:
War of the Roses: YORK
Honorable mention – Ella Robertson
Planes, Trains, and automobiles: TRANSIT
Honorable mention – Jackson Bales
The Russian Constitutional convention: RUSSIA
Honorable mention – Brody Chestnut
The court of the Nizams: HYDERABAD
Verbal commendation – Agastya Anand
NATO: Belgium
Verbal commendation – Alex Overmars
EU: Belgium
Verbal commendation- Christopher Holmquist & John Eenigenburg
Quiz Bowl Team Qualifies for State, National Tournaments
Thursday, January 30, 2025
On Saturday, January 25, the Indiana Academy’s Quiz Bowl team competed in the regional Quiz Bowl tournament sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP). The team consisting of Brody Chestnut, Lena Beghtel, Hunter Dunnuck, Isaac Fischer, and Sarah Glunt took second place and qualified for both the state championship sponsored by the IASP and the Small School National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) sponsored by National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC (NAQT), the suppliers of the questions used in the tournament.
This is the 6th year in a row that the Indiana Academy has qualified for this national championship, and the team hopes to improve on last year’s 5-5 performance, the best in school history. The SSNCT will be held April 25-27 in Rosemont, Illinois.
Congratulations to the Indiana Academy Quiz Bowl team for their excellent performance!
Jessica Edrington Selected as Lilly Fellow
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Congratulations to Assistant Lecturer of Mathematics and Academy alum Jessica Edrington for her selection as a Lilly Fellow through the 2025 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program. As one of the 129 funded projects out of the thousands received from across the state of Indiana, Professor Edrington will utilize the $15,000 fellowship award to explore the significant contributions women have made in the mathematics sciences.
Entitled “Recognizing and Celebrating Women in Mathematics,” this project will take Professor Edrington to Alexandria, Egypt; Milan, Italy; Gottingen, Germany; among other locations with historical significance that chronicle the intersection of pioneering women within the mathematical sciences. Professor Edrington not only continues the success of Academy faculty that have received a Lilly Creativity Fellowship over the last several years but also adds to the distinguished accomplishments of our alumni!
Fall 2024 Director’s Lists
Friday, January 10, 2025
Congratulations to the following students whose academic achievements in the Fall semester of 2024 led them to this recognition!
BETA Club Success
Sunday, November 17, 2024
BETA Club “is the largest, independent, educational youth organization in America, emphasizing the four pillars of academic achievement, character, leadership, and service.” The weekend of November 15-16, the Indiana Academy chapter competed at the Indiana State competition and achieved resounding success! Four teams and eleven individual Academy competitors (a total of 15 students) advanced to the National competition in Orlando, Florida, this summer. Those advancing are:
Individual
1st Place – Hand Drawn Anime Division II – Lily Ellis
1st Place – Black & White Photography Division II – Sophia Vijverberg
2nd Place – Digital Enhanced Photography Division II – Kinlee Taylor
2nd Place – Digital Art Division I – Jeevisha Dhanda
2nd Place – Biomedical Health Science – Jeevisha Dhanda
2nd Place – BETA Scholarship – Brody Chestnut
3rd Place – US History (12th Grade) – Brody Chestnut
3rd Place – Poetry Division II – Kayla Cavanaugh
3rd Place – Mathematics (11th Grade) – Yedaam Cho
3rd Place – Spelling (12th Grade) – MaKaela Gist
3rd Place – Psychology (11th Grade)- Doris Li
3rd Place – US History (11th Grade) – Kennedy Rasnick
3rd Place – Creative Writing Division I – Presli Ginder
Group
1st Place – Musicology Senior – Keagan Brogdon, Brody Chestnut, Grace Koester, & Eva Vessels
2nd Place – Engineering Senior – Sylvester Acherekoh, Yedaam Cho, Kennedy Rasnick, & Sophia Vijverberg
3rd Place – Book Battle Senior – Keagan Brogdon, Lily Ellis, Izzy Orpurt, & Calley Thomas
3rd Place – Quiz Bow Senior – Keagan Brogdon, Brody Chestnut, Lily Ellis, & Grace Koester
Congratulations to all of our Indiana Academy student competitors!
Academic Spell Bowl Results
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
On Monday, November 4th, ten of our students traveled to Hamilton Southeastern High School to compete in the area Academic Spell Bowl competition. Our team had a strong performance, with one perfect round (Sarah Glunt) and one near-perfect round (Jillian George). However, our score of 52 as a team was one point shy of the state qualifying cutoff this year. Sarah will have the opportunity to compete in an individual match against other students who had perfect rounds at area.
Your Spell Bowl team is: Alesya Rathinasamy (captain), Miriam Boersma, Jillian George, Sarah Glunt, Brooklyn Grey, Jordan Heaviland, Lily Partridge, Savannah Scott, Malachi Smith, Calley Thomas, and Delaney Blankenbuehler-Lee (alternate).
A big thank you to Dr. Sean Scott for driving the second van for the competition and giving us his Monday evening!
Dr. Sean Scott Published in Lincoln Lore Journal
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Dr. Sean Scott, Associate Teaching Professor of History, has had an article included in the most recent edition of Lincoln Lore, a journal published by the Friends of the Lincoln Collection since 1929.
The article, “Abraham Lincoln and ‘the Most Dangerous Man’ in Baltimore,” can be read online.
Congratulations to Dr. Scott!
Academy Seniors Inducted Into Technical Honor Society
Monday, October 28, 2024
On Monday, October 28, Academy seniors Asia Genawi and Ethan Tomlin, along with Associate Lecturer of Computer Science Susie Cunningham, attended the TSA (Technology Student Association) Fall Leadership Conference which was held at the Ball State University Fishers Center in Fishers, IN.
At this conference Asia (Indiana State Vice President) and Ethan (Indiana State Secretary) were honored and inducted into the Indiana State National Technical Honor Society.
From the NTHS website: “The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is the honor society for Career & Technical Education (CTE). As a national non-profit student organization, NTHS has been recognizing outstanding student achievement in CTE since 1984. Having served over 1.2 million members in secondary and postsecondary chapters across the country and beyond, NTHS continues to support the next generation of skilled workers and leaders through chapter activities built around our Core Four Objectives of career development, leadership development, service, and recognition.”
Asia and Ethan met all of the requirements for this honor, similar being inducted into the National Honor Society. The NTHS is for students being recognized for academic achievements in technology. As such, they will be provided with a special graduation cord, graduation tassel, and shawl for over their graduation robe.
Congratulations to Asia and Ethan. We are very proud!
Academy Student’s Poem Published
Friday, September 27, 2024
Indiana Academy senior Jordan Heaviland’s poem “Messy Love” was recently accepted for publication in the online literary journal The Lavender Journal. The poem will be published in a forthcoming issue later this year. This is Jordan’s third successful publication as an Academy student. Congratulations, Jordan!