Sarah joined Geneva in 2018 and has led Geneva’s Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, and Mariachi Band to new heights in TAPPS competition and performance. Whether providing beginner lessons to Grammar Fiddle students or teaching adult classes on cello, Sarah has deeply enriched the orchestral experience of everyone in the Geneva community.

“Winning the Henderson Cup is an affirmation of Geneva’s triple commitment to academics, athletics and fine arts. Our school resists early specialization in any one area. Instead, we encourage all our students to participate in all three and we work hard to make it possible for them to do so. We want our students to explore who God created them to be and what it is that He created them to do. The Henderson Cup is a result of the enthusiasm with which they have embraced these opportunities at Geneva,” Geneva Head of School Leslie Moeller said.

This 2025-26 TAPPS accomplishment included a Division I Orchestra State Championship for the third year in a row (and six times overall), a State Championship for Varsity Girls Tennis and State Runner-up finishes in the Visual Arts, Varsity Girls Soccer and Varsity Boys Tennis.

Geneva has won the Henderson Cup five times as a TAPPS 4A school (2017-18, 2018-19, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26), twice as a TAPPS 3A school (2014-2015, 2015-2016), twice as a 2A school (2012-2013, 2013-2014) and three times as a 1A school (2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012).

“Students at Geneva have continued to excel in all the areas that this cup represents. This shows the consistency of student engagement, excellence and achievement by our students, coaches and faculty by winning this award 12 times over the last 16 years,” Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz said.

The school first introduced varsity competition to its students in the 2008-09 school year. The first graduating senior class was in 2011 with 19 students. This year, 39 seniors graduated in the Class of 2026.

Geneva is a 12-PK school that provides a classical education from a biblical worldview to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ. Geneva focuses on developing core skills needed to learn and succeed—reading, writing, speaking, listening, understanding, thinking and creating. Geneva shapes students to embrace virtue—faith, hope, love, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

The Class of 2026 had 15 students who are members of the Geneva Guild which recognizes those who began at Geneva in kindergarten and completed all 13 years at the school. The 2026 Geneva Guild members are Gray Bruner, Abigail Bussey, Trinity Cloud, Harper Deimund, Maggie Deimund, Austin Hodo, Robert Jons, Ben Lee, Alex Malouf, Amelia Morgan, Ella Grace Owens, Logan Reyes, Jax Riddle, Mary Simpson and Emrey Taylor.

The Commencement Exercises began with a prelude of classical music. The processional, “At Long Last,” was played on bagpipes as the faculty and members of the Class of 2026 entered the ceremony. Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz gave the welcome and Tami Ownes, Geneva parent and Volleyball Program Director, offered the opening prayer. Valedictorian Elle Chalmers and Co-Salutatorians Abigial Bussey and Sopris Oglesby each addressed the graduates personally in their speeches before the assembly sang the hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Geneva parent and Board Member Nathan Pickle read Ephesians 3:16-20, and President and CEO of the Society for Classical Learning Eric Cook delivered the Commencement Speech. He encouraged the graduates to stay true to Christ as the world encourages them to claim their independence. He charged them to embrace a new kind of dependence—a dependence not upon their parents or others, but upon Jesus who will provide in ways that no other person can.

After the graduates were conferred, the community sang the Alma Mater and the hymn “Non Nobis,” which is Latin for “Not unto us, O Lord, but to Your name give glory” from Psalm 115:1. Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz offered the closing prayer, and the Faculty Choir sang “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” before the Commencement Exercises closed with a bagpipe recessional.

The winners included Grammar School teacher Mrs. Chris Carraway who will travel to Egypt on an adventure called “Alexandria and Ancient Egypt,” Logic School math teacher Tony Moninski will take the “Ancient Greek Mathematics: A Philosophical and Historical Odyssey” tour, and Rhetoric School math teacher Susan Greenlees who will travel to Oxford, England and Pisa and Rome, Italy to explore mathematicians and their inventions.

Full-time classroom teachers at Geneva who have served at the school for at least three years were eligible to apply for the scholarship. The application included essay questions on how the educator embodies Geneva’s “Portrait of a Geneva Teacher” which outlines an idealized vision of what the school seeks in each faculty member. In addition, applying teachers were asked to select a professional development experience they hoped to be awarded and illustrate how that experience would further their professional growth and impact the learning experience of their students.

The Greens gave funds to support professional development in perpetuity through their estate plans. An anonymous donor has come alongside the school to supplement the award this year; therefore, the expense of these experiences is fully covered by Geneva’s generous community.

The first part of the thesis presentation is an eloquent 20-minute speech delivered from memory. The speech is given before expert panelists, schoolmates, parents, faculty members and guests. Upon completion of the oral presentation, the invited panelists, alongside a faculty member, question the student on points they have raised. This is an opportunity for the students to demonstrate depth of knowledge on their topics along with the ability to make practical applications.

This year, the 39 seniors presented and defended their theses, and Brady Chandler was recognized as the 2026 winner of the G.K. Chesterton Award for the best overall Senior Thesis presentation for his thesis titled, “Fission Impossible: How Advances in Nuclear Technology Can Enhance Our Energy Infrastructure.” Other G.K. Chesterton Finalists included Abigail Bussey, Gray Bruner, Elle Chalmers, Trinity Cloud, Teagan Fikes, Sopris Oglesby, Caroline Pickle, Mary Simpson, Emrey Taylor, Jonathan Taylor and Reid Wilson.

An eagle statuette was given to these students at the Closing Assembly by Rhetoric School Headmaster Matt Donnowitz and their names are recorded on perpetual plaques in the administration building. The Aquila Award is the Rhetoric School’s highest honor.

Contestants dress in their finest togas and answer questions about what they learned throughout the school year. Zachary T. was declared the Julius Caesar Champion in the 23^rd annual contest. Second place went to Luke Zainfeld and Asher Rosemond placed third.

Joshua said he takes photos of the Milky Way to share the beauty of God’s creation with others. This photo was taken in Big Bend National Park near the Chisos Mountain Lodge. The Congressional Institute sponsors a national high school visual art competition each spring to recognize and encourage artistic talent across the country. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries.