April 2026
Volume X • Issue III
friends of veritas academy
Dear Friends,
It’s been another full and special season here at Veritas. As we step into the final stretch of the 2025–2026 school year, we’re excited to share a fresh round of updates and invitations with you.
Over the past few months, our Defender athletes have celebrated incredibly strong finishes, our thespians and artists have brought their gifts to life through the fine arts, and our students have continued demonstrating mastery-level achievement in academic arenas. Looking ahead, we’re eagerly anticipating the many traditions that make these remaining months so special.
We would especially love for you to join us for the Class of 2026 Senior Thesis Presentations and the Graduation Ceremony, along with other upcoming events. Thank you for staying connected to the life of our school—we’re so glad you’re part of it.
Enjoy these updates, and be sure to mark your calendars!
—Your Veritas Family
A Look Back!
HAdestown Opens
Fri, Apr 10 & Sat, Apr 11
Fri, Apr 17 & Sat Apr 18
We are excited to announce the Citizens Theatre Company's SR Spring Musical, Hadestown, opens in just a couple of weeks! Please follow the link below to purchase your tickets.
senior thesis presentations
Advanced Senior Thesis Presentations: Mon, Apr 20–Thu, Apr 23
Top 16 Competition: Mon, Apr 27–Thu, Apr 30
Final Fourum™: Fri, may 1
Before our seniors can walk the stage for Graduation they have to conquer their Senior Thesis Presentations. Be sure to join us on Fri, May 1 for the Final Fourum™, where the winner of each night of the Top 16 Competition compete for the title of Senior Thesis Laureate, to be crowned at Graduation.
Spring FIne arts Festival
TUe, May 5 | Bannockburn church, 7100 Brodie Ln, Austin 78745
Join us at Bannockburn on Tue, May 5 for an evening of entertainment from our Performing Arts programs. Admission is free!
Alumni Reception
Tue, May 12 from 12:30-2pm | Café Patio
See you on Tue, May 12 on the Café Patio! Drinks and snacks provided.
Year-end assembly
wed, May 20 | veritas campus
Join us for the 2025-2026 Year-End Assembly! Stay tuned for a timeline of events and more details.
Class of '26 Graduation
Fri, May 22 | Bannockburn Church, 7100 Brodie Ln, Austin 78745
The Class of 2026 has a little less than two months left until they cross the stage as our 15th graduating class! We hope you join us as we celebrate their hard work.
Veritas Robotics First LEGO League Qualifer Tournament
Twenty-one Veritas SL students proudly represented our school at the FIRST LEGO League Qualifier Tournament at Anderson High School earlier in January, competing among 23 middle school teams. It was an exciting day filled with creativity, collaboration, and impressive problem-solving.
Our 7th Grade team earned 2nd place in the Innovation Project, placed 8th in Robot Performance, and ranked in the top five for technical merit—an outstanding showing in such a competitive field. The 8th Grade team placed 11th in Robot Performance and received the tournament’s Engineering Excellence Award, the single award given to one team for exceptional robot design, an innovative project solution, and exemplary core values.
Our 5th-and 6th Grade teams also delivered their strongest runs of the season, demonstrating meaningful growth and teamwork along the way. We are so proud of our SL Robotics students and coaches—what a memorable and successful day it was for Veritas Robotics!
Special Visitors for Classical Stuff you Should Know
Earlier this semester we had the joy of welcoming Melissa and Jonah, a mother and son, from Washington state. Their trip to Austin included a classical college tour, but it also gave them the opportunity to connect in person with something and someone that has been part of their lives for years.
Jonah is a longtime listener of Classical Stuff You Should Know, podcast hosted by some of our beloved Veritas faculty members, AJ Hanenburg and Graeme Donaldson. What began as listening on his own eventually grew into Jonah sharing episodes with friends through informal watch parties and even supporting the podcast through Patreon.
During their visit, Jonah was able to meet and talk with Mr. Hanenburg face to face, making the experience especially meaningful and serving as a reminder of how far the influence of our faculty and community can reach.
The 2024-2025 Defensor Team Receives award of Honor
Recently, the Interscholastic League Press Conference (ILPC) presented our first Award of Honor to the 2024-2025 Defensor (Yearbook) in recognition of outstanding achievement and leadership in the field of scholastic journalism. Veritas' outstanding 2024-2025 Defensor SR team (pictured below), led by Mrs. Amy Ferrara and Mrs. Emily Cannata, competed against student media programs in both private and public schools through the ILPC. Specific areas awarded for achievement included Student Life Coverage, People Coverage, Academics Coverage, and Senior Ads. The Defensor team will take the 2024-2025 book back into competition for individual awards next month, as they attend and learn at the ILPC High School Journalism Convention.
We are so thrilled with the growth our student Yearbook team has shown, as the class expanded to own the book 'cover to cover' in 2024-2025, and look forward to their continued success in the upcoming competition and the forthcoming 2025-2026 book!
Pictured (left to right): Silas Sekula, RP Moore, Joyce Deiss, Sally Wang, and Selah McLean
Not Pictured: Bella Hyde and Luke Tinsley
The 2025-2026 Student Media and Defensor Editor team
The student media team is proud to announce that five new editors have joined the 2025-2026
- Managing Editor: Joyce Deiss
- Photo Editor: RP Moore
- Copy Editor: Silas Sekula
- SR Section Editor: Sally Wang
- SL Section Editor: Finn Doherty
- GS Section Editor: Anna Peckman
- Fine Arts Editor: Bella Ferrara
- Sports Editor: Paxton Cannata
- Assistant Photo Editor: Eli Shipley
The student media team is hard at work gathering quotes, information, and photos to produce the 2025-2026 Defensor. After lots of hard work and dedication, the Defensor is now a summer-delivery book, covering events of the entire school year from early August through mid-June (culminating with the 9th and 11th Grade summer trips). It will be an amazing book, and we can’t wait for you to see it.
Pictured Top Row Left to Right: Anna Peckman, Finn Doherty, Sally Wang, Bella Ferrara, Paxton Cannata
Bottom Row Left to Right: Silas Sekula, Joyce Deiss, RP Moore, Eli Shipley
Go Texan Day
We celebrated Texas Independence Day with our annual Go Texan Day, a beloved tradition that brings Texas history and culture to life for our Grammar School students. Dressed in their best boots and western wear, students spent the day rotating through hands-on activities that highlighted the rich heritage of our state. They learned the basics of roping, discovered interesting facts about sheep, goats, and longhorns through live animal visits, and enjoyed creative projects including decorating their own cowboy boots.
The day also included time for fellowship and fun, with students sharing cornbread and Texas chili while playing bingo together. From interactive learning to classic Texas flavors, our honoring of Go Texan Day always provides a meaningful and memorable way for our students to celebrate the history and spirit of the state we are proud to call home.
SL "MathCounts" Competition
This semester we had four students from our 6th–8th Grade SL Math Team compete in the "MathCounts" competition, representing our school against local public, private, and homeschool teams. Led by their coach, Mrs. Jean Russell, the students performed competitively across multiple rounds that tested speed, problem-solving, explanation of thinking, and teamwork. While official results will be announced in the coming weeks, our students showed strong focus, perseverance, and mathematical thinking. We are proud of their hard work and dedication!
Pictured Left to Right: Grayson Palmer, Ian Brugueras, William Hogan, Logan Quinnell
Science Fair Fun
Congratulations are in order to our Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Fair participants this year:
- Samuel Gengler - Microbiology - UVC Light Disinfection
- Anna Peckman - Health Sciences - Glucose Measures in Desserts
- Juliana Zamarripa - Microbiology - Disinfecting Makeup Brushes
These students have spent the past five months researching, designing, and executing their own science experiment. Prior to the regional fair, our three participants presented their projects at the 12th Annual Veritas Science Fair before a panel of Veritas judges, with Sam Gengler taking the top spot. At the regional fair, our students presented with composure and confidence. Multiple judges commented on the quality of their presentations, ability to answer questions related to their projects, understanding of scientific principles, and analysis of results.
Veritas at TAPPS Solo and Small Ensemble
The Veritas Quintessentials Small Ensemble members represented Veritas Academy for the first time at the TAPPS Solo and Small Ensemble competition at Concordia University back in February, earning the highest score possible (Superior rating; score of I) with all four of their performances. This year Veritas recognizes these five students for earning ten top score medals.
Performing a Bach quintet arrangement were Ezra Blythe (Alto Saxophone), Timmy Deiss (Alto Saxophone), Ruthie Deiss (Clarinet), Coen Dobbs (French Horn), and August Anderson (Euphonium). A performance of Beethoven Variations was presented by Ezra Blythe (Alto Saxophone), Ruthie Deiss (Clarinet), and August Anderson (Euphonium). Ezra Blythe and Ruthie Deiss both performed solos, Ezra with Tchaikovsky and Ruthie with Vaughan Williams. Congratulations to our Veritas musicians for successfully competing and earning multiple medals at State.
Pictured Left to Right: Ruthie Deiss, Timmy Deiss, August Anderson, Coen Dobbs, and Ezra Blythe
8th Grade Boys 'Burns Bonfire'
About a month ago, our 8th Grade boys and their fathers gathered for the rescheduled and newly named “Burns Bonfire,” an evening designed to mark this season of growth with meaningful fellowship and tradition. Inspired by Scottish Highland Games and the customs of a Burns Night, the evening invited boys into a rite-of-passage experience as emerging “warrior-poets.”
The night began with spirited competition, as students participated in events such as the caber toss, stone put, and knife throwing. As the sun set, fathers joined their sons around the bonfire for a time of reflection and celebration. In the spirit of Robert Burns, both boys and their fathers shared favorite poems from their years in the School of Logic, culminating in a memorable evening of camaraderie, good food, and shared tradition.
PSIA District Results & State Competitors
Our PSIA students had a wonderful time at Brentwood Christian School competing in the PSIA Academic competition in February. Below is a list of our students who placed in District and the 5 students who will be moving on to compete in the State PSIA competition on Sat, May 2, in San Marcos. Congratulations to all students who competed!
BlueBelles TAPPS Competition Results
The Veritas BlueBelles competed at this year's TAPPS State Dance Competition earliest this semester and came away with great success. The team earned superior ratings on both of their dances and came away with multiple individual awards. Senior Co-Captain Jensen Hurley was awarded All State Honorable Mention, Senior Co-Captain Joyce Deiss was awarded 2nd Team All State, and Junior Citrine Morris and Sophomore Josephine Hollifield were named 1st Team All State. Additionally, Freshman Mazalee Floreani was awarded a spot on the All State Leaps team and Sophomore Josephine Hollifield made a spectacular showing, earning spots on all three All State Skills Teams for Leaps, Kicks, and Turns. Soloists Joyce Deiss and Isabel Zamarripa were awarded Superior ratings on their solos. A big congratulations to the team for all of their hard work and dedication. We are honored that you represent Veritas Academy on the football field and the competition floor.
SR Speech and Debate on the Road to State
NSDA Springboard Results
Veritas Speech & Debate has been hard at work as they make their way to State! At the end of January, Ezra Blythe competed online in the NSDA Springboard Lincoln-Douglas event on the resolution “Possessing nuclear weapons is immoral.” Ezra argued the negative position, and won his round.
A few days later, Ezra, along with Colton Mistretta, Drew Krawszenek, Natalie Scantlen, Joel Regen, and Allison Prater, represented Veritas at the McNeil TFA tournament in Round Rock. Twenty-seven schools from across the Austin area participated, and every Veritas student won rounds throughout the full day. Natalie Scantlen and Joel Regen earned 2nd and 3rd place in Oral Interpretation, while in Novice LD, Colton Mistretta and Allison Prater battled late into the night to impressively secure 2nd and 3rd place overall—a great achievement for our Veritas debaters.
Veritas Speech & Debate Shamrock Tournament Results
As the semester continues, Veritas Speech & Debate team had a busy weekend, travelling to Temple for their last tournament before they go on to compete at State. Overall, the team had a great showing, with everyone on the team winning at least one award. Highlights include Capri Comunale and Natalie Scantlen winning second and third place in Prose; the guys winning second and third place in Group Improv; and Captain Drew Krawzsenek winning top speaker with perfect speaking points in all of his rounds. Congratulations to our debaters for their performance! They proceeded to compete at the TAPPS State tournament last week, with results featured below. The full list of awards:
Prose
- 2nd place—Capri Comunale
- 3rd place—Natalie Scantlen
- 6th place—Joel Regen
Lincoln Douglas Debate
- 6th place—Drew Krawzsenek
- 7th place—Capri Comunale
- Overall top speaker award—Drew Krawzsenek
Extemp
- 3rd place—Joel Regen
- 5th place—Caleb Vimont
- 6th place—Drew Krawzsenek
Oratory
- 5th place—Drew Krawzsenek
Poetry
- 5th place—Elizabeth Casady
- 8th place—Natalie Scantlen
Group Improv
- 2nd place—Lyle Thorburn, Drew Krawzsenek, Caleb Vimont, Billy Lambdin
- 3rd place—Ezra Blythe, Cole Mistretta, Isaac Ferrara, Joel Regen
Drew Krawzsenek, State Champion
in Original Oratory
Ezra Blythe, 3rd place
in Lincoln Douglas Debate
Inaugural Veritas SL Swim Team Wraps Up Historic Season
At the beginning of February, the inaugural Veritas SL Swim Team competed in their final meet of the season at Texas School for the Deaf. Despite frigid conditions, the team arrived prepared to race and delivered an outstanding performance.
Did You Know? An SL swimmer averages 2,250 yards (1.3 miles) per practice, training three times per week—nearly 4 miles per week and over 75 miles during the season. Even more impressive, all SL swimmers also participated in a second Veritas sport or trained with another club team concurrently!
Throughout the season, the SL swimmers challenged themselves by competing in some of the most demanding events, including the 200-yard Individual Medley and 500-yard Freestyle. Each swimmer set an all-time Veritas SL Swim Team record at some point this season—an incredible achievement for this group. Please congratulate these athletes when you see them on campus!
Pictured (Left to Right): Harper Hood, Emilie Deaton, Coen Dobbs, George Monson
A Decade of Dominance: DeFINders Win 10th Consecutive Regional Championship
Last month, our Veritas Swim Team won the TAPPS Division III Regional Championships for both Boys and Girls for the 10th consecutive year! All 21 DeFINder team members swam and the majority will earn individual entries to our TAPPS State Championship.
All six relays advanced to the State meet and our podium relay finishes included:
- 1st place finish for the Women's 200 yard Medley Relay (Kate MacPherson, Julia Rhodes, Bailey McGehee, Jane Thomas)
- 2nd place finish for the Women's 200 yard Freestyle Relay (Abigail Rhodes, Haddie Dusan, Lorelei Dobbs, Bailey McGehee)
- 2nd place finish for the Men's 200 yard Freestyle Relay (Nathan Kozubek, Walker McGehee, Brayden Nelson, Caleb Eilers)
- 2nd place finish for the Women’s 400 yard Freestyle Relay (Kate MacPherson, Jane Thomas, Haddie Dusan, Julia Rhodes)
- 3rd place finish for the Men's 200 yard Medley Relay (Silas Sekula, Brayden Nelson, Caleb Eilers, Lyle Thorburn)
Swimmers who medaled in an individual event have auto-qualified for the state meet:
GOLD
- Junior Nathan Kozubek - 100 Freestyle
SILVER
- Senior Captain Kate MacPherson - 100 Fly and 100 Backstroke
- Senior Chaplain Julia Rhodes - 200 IM and 100 Breaststroke
- Junior Jane Thomas - 500 Freestyle
- Junior Chaplain Silas Sekula - 500 Freestyle
BRONZE
- Senior Bailey McGehee - 50 Freestyle
- Senior Allison Prater - 200 Freestyle
- Senior Captain Caleb Eilers - 200 IM and 100 Fly
- Junior Chaplain Haddie Dusan - 200 IM and 100 Backstroke
- Sophomore Abigail Rhodes - 100 Fly and 100 Breastroke
Some of the athletes included in the above list were also awaiting possible wildcard entries to state in additional individual events. The following athletes contributed valuable points to the team championship and awaited possible wildcard entries for their individual events:
- Senior Aiden Diaz - 100 Freestyle
- Junior Gracie Wilson - 100 Freestyle and 200 IM
- Sophomore Lorelei Dobbs - 200 Free and 100 Backstroke
- Sophomore Lyle Thorburn - 200 and 500 Freestyle
- Freshman Addie Eckols - 100 Fly
- Freshman Brayden Nelson - 100 Fly and 100 Backstroke
- Freshman Rex Wilson - 100 Breastroke
- Freshman Walker McGehee - 500 Freestyle
Congratulations to the Veritas Swim Team on your Regional win and Go WIN State!
Historic State Championship Swim Season
Congratulations are in order for our Veritas Swim Team on an extraordinary performance at the TAPPS State Championships! This year marks a truly historic milestone for our program. For the first time in school history, the Girls Swim Team claimed the State Championship, winning gold by an impressive 58-point margin after steady finishes of 2nd, 4th, and 3rd over the past three seasons.
The Boys Swim Team earned the State Runner-Up title, finishing just five points behind British International of Houston and securing Veritas’s 10th consecutive Top-2 finish at State — a decade-long stretch of excellence in TAPPS swim. Even more remarkable, this is the second year in a row that both the Boys and Girls teams have finished Top 2 at State.
Every DeFINder contributed to this success, with numerous top-five and top-ten finishes. Five of six Veritas relays reached the podium, including a State Championship victory by the Girls 200 Medley Relay (Kate MacPherson, Bailey McGehee, Julia Rhodes, and Jane Thomas) and a 23-second drop by the Boys 400 Freestyle Relay (Aiden Diaz, Nathan Kozubek, Andrew Morgan, and Silas Sekula) on their way to a fourth-place finish.
Individual Honors & Highlights
- Kate MacPherson (Sr.) — 1st Team All-State; Top 5 in all 4 events (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
- Julia Rhodes (Sr.) — 1st Team All-State; Top 5 in all 4 events (1st, 3rd, 5th, 5th)
- Bailey McGehee (Sr.) — 1st Team All-State; part of 2 relay podiums
- Jane Thomas (Jr.) — 1st Team All-State; part of 2 relay podiums
- Haddie Dusan (Jr.) — 2nd Team All-State; 4 Top 10 finishes, 2 relay medals
- Abigail Rhodes (So.) — All-State Honorable Mention; 4 Top 10 finishes
- Lorelei Dobbs (So.) — All-State Honorable Mention; 200 Freestyle relay podium
- Caleb Eilers (Sr.) — All-State Honorable Mention; medals in Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, and 200 IM (3-second drop); Top 10 in Butterfly
- Silas Sekula (Jr.) — Top 10 in 500 Free; 2nd in Medley Relay, 4th in 400 Free Relay, 4th in Backstroke
- Nathan Kozubek (Jr.) — All-State Honorable Mention; Top 5 in all 4 events; 2 bronze medals; swam on 3 relays
- Brayden Nelson (Fr.) — All-State Honorable Mention; Top 10 in all 4 events; bronze in 200 Medley & 200 Free relays
- Lyle Thorburn (So.) — All-State Honorable Mention; 200 Freestyle relay podium
A huge thank you to every member of the DeFINder family — our SR and SL athletes, parents, and dedicated coaches Alisa Dusan, Ryan Dobbs, and Fran Adair — for an unforgettable championship season. Congratulations to our swimmers on a year to remember!
Three Multi-Sport Athletes Receive THSCA Academic All-State Cross-Country Honors
A BIG congratulations is in order for the following three multi-sport seniors who received the THSCA Academic All-State Cross-Country honors in addition to their swim state qualification. Allison Prater earned the highest honor of the Elite team, while Caleb Eilers and Julia Rhodes were placed on the First team. This honor is reserved for a few athletes who go above and beyond not only in the pool or on the track but also in the classroom, as they are competing against students not only in TAPPS but also UIL for this award.
Allison Prater
Elite Team
Caleb Eilers
First Team
Julia Rhodes
First Team
SL Winter Sports Awards
We enjoyed celebrating all the hard work of our Defender athletes, coaches, volunteers, and families at the end of our SL sports seasons! The afternoon was filled with games, awards, and cookies! Please help us in congratulating the following award recipients on their hard work this season:
Winter Athletic Honors
We're delighted to announce our MANY All-District and Academic All-State award recipients for our winter sports!
Golf Represents at Regents and JPII
A few weeks ago, sophomore Max Prater represented Veritas Golf at the Regent's Invitational, held at Falconhead Golf Course, with a score in the 80s. This week, Max and senior Hutt Eppes competed in the JPII High School Boys Tournament at Sonterra Golf Course. Hutt finished third with a 76! Check-in with these athletes when you see them to give them a word of encouragement!
Come Work at Veritas!
Would you or someone you know be interested in joining the team? A love of the Lord, a love of children, and support of our mission are a must! Please visit our Employment page to see a complete list of current openings and contact HR@VeritasAcademy.net for more details. (Most openings are part-time!)
Give to Veritas
Veritas is so blessed by those who feel called to donate to our school, and you can give any time using the link below! All donations are tax-deductible and help us fulfill and further the mission and ministry of the entire school. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Development@VeritasAcademy.net.
Required
Required
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram to see more pictures!
 |
 |