The Path May 2024

Junior Awarded Elite Coolidge Scholarship

Despite having already secured a scholarship that funds his undergraduate degree, don’t expect Akilan Sankaran ’25 to take it easy. The Academy junior and recipient of the prestigious Coolidge Scholarship is actively involved in many activities, ranging from music and sports to scientific research, and always gives his best effort.

Akilan learned he was named one of only five 2024 Coolidge Scholars in early May. “I still can’t really believe it! When I first found out about the scholarship, I really did not expect to be in contention to win it,” he says. “Still, though, I tried to give it my best shot.”

A Coolidge Scholarship is among the most generous college scholarships one can receive. It covers a student’s full tuition, room and board, and required fees for four years of undergraduate study. The Coolidge may be used by recipients at any accredited college or university in the United States.

“Being able to have the ability to select various undergraduate institutions without a direct worry about the financial cost will certainly alleviate the stress quite a bit during senior year and going into college,” Akilan says.

Operated by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, the Coolidge Scholars Program honors 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, who was known for his focus on academics and public speaking, primarily on public policy. Therefore, the main criterion that distinguishes Coolidge Scholars is academic excellence, followed by humility, service, and an interest in public policy.

At the Academy’s all-school awards ceremony last week, Akilan also received the 2024 Charles Wong Memorial Award, which recognizes academic achievement, curiosity, creativity, and integrity. “His teachers have been uniformly impressed by his drive, intellectual curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm, and exceptional talent,” said 10-12 Division Head David Kim during the award presentation. “Whatever he engages with, in or out of the classroom, he does so with excellence, humor, and joy.”

Akilan’s interests are vast, and his commitment to them is deep.

As a classically trained pianist, he has performed with professional orchestras and in international competitions. He’s a runner who has been a four-year member of the Academy’s cross-country and track and field teams. Akilan volunteers at his temple and will be part of the Academy’s Student Wellness Advisory Board next school year. In addition to being part of the Science Olympiad and Science Bowl teams, his enthusiasm for math and science has led to research in topic modeling, computational chemistry, algebraic number theory, and, most recently, interdisciplinary research centered in quantum chemistry with Sandia National Laboratories. Akilan has also mentored younger students through the Academy’s new Math Endeavors Club. He is a frequent contributor to The Advocate, a public forum debater with the speech and debate team, and a former class officer – activities, he says, that often complement his scientific investigations.

Starting this summer, Akilan will join the world of Coolidge Scholars, spending several days in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, the birthplace of President Coolidge, learning more about Coolidge and helping oversee the foundation’s debate programs.

“The scholarship,” he says, “will hopefully open many new doors for me to enter an amazingly supportive community of individuals in the broader Coolidge community, including both mentors and students my age.”

During his time at the Academy, Akilan says he’s been inspired by Alan Vraspir and David Metzler, members of the math department. “Both teachers have been fantastic mentors and my greatest advocates,” he says. “Dr. Metzler possesses an astounding ability to explain abstract, absurdly complex ideas in relatable, intuitive analogies, and the sheer amount of time and effort he has contributed to further my own learning has been unparalleled.

“Dr. Vraspir contributes a similar level of intent, rigor, and precision.” Akilan says he’s enjoyed their many conversations about shared interests – “everything from running to logic, from mathematics contests to piano performances.”

Akilan has not yet settled on what he’d like to study when he graduates from the Academy, but he is leaning toward a few areas. “It would be interesting to be able to pursue research in applied mathematics or biochemistry in college,” he says. “Specifically, I would like to be able to conduct interdisciplinary research that allows me to establish novel connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. I would also like to potentially pursue a minor, double major, or dual-degree enrollment credit in piano performance – preferably at a music conservatory.”

INTO THE WOODS Nabs Three Enchantment Awards

​Albuquerque Academy’s theatre program had another strong showing at this year’s New Mexico High School Theatre Awards, known as the Enchantment Awards, again taking home Best Actress and Best Director Awards. Nori Little ’25 was named Best Actress for her role as the witch in the Academy’s production of INTO THE WOODS, while Alexis Scott received Best Director. In addition, Ellie Nuñez ’27 won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rapunzel.

Nori will represent New Mexico for a second time at the Jimmy Awards at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre on June 24.

Additional Enchantment Awards nominations included Best Actress: Ani Field ’24 and Jordan Kropka ’24; Best Actor: Addie Nayback ’25; and Production Award.

The awards ceremony was on May 3 at Popejoy Hall. In addition to the awards presentation, 16 students from the INTO THE WOODS ensemble, with assistance from three student technicians, performed a section of the larger musical, bringing the magic of the show to life.

The Enchantment Awards is a regional program associated with the Broadway League’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards and is a qualifying event for students to participate in the national event known as the Jimmy Awards on Broadway.

Alumni Launch Blueink Together: Partnership Meets Innovation

In the frantic world of entrepreneurship, sometimes the most impactful ideas come from unexpected places, sparked by personal experiences and shared memories. For Faizaan Sharif ’97 and Zachary Lovelady ’97, their journey from school friends to business partners led to the creation of Blueink, a pioneering eSignature solution that helped revolutionize the way businesses handle documents.

The genesis of Blueink can be traced back to a napkin in a Seattle hotel in 2014, where Faze and Zach outlined their vision for a new kind of digital signature platform. Yet the true impetus behind their endeavor came from a deeply personal experience – Faze's frustrating hospital encounter on behalf of his father, which underscored the need for more clarity and transparency in eSignature transactions.

Faze and Zach fondly recall their formative years at Albuquerque Academy, when their friendship took root in the sixth grade. "One of my fondest memories from our time at Albuquerque Academy was the sense of community we fostered,” reflected Faze. “Whether it was working together on class projects or cheering on our ice hockey team, there was always a strong sense of camaraderie." And the sense of community was solidified by their legendary prank. Faze, Zach, and other friends managed to convince students, teachers, and coaches that the school had a top-ranked ice hockey team – a ruse that only fell apart when a new student from the East Coast transferred to the Academy and wanted to join the team. The hockey team recently got a shout-out on this year's Spring Day of Giving, when Faze and Zach sponsored a matching gift for the Class of 1997.

Their experiences at the Academy laid the foundation for their future endeavors, instilling a sense of curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to excellence. After the Academy, they pursued different career paths, but both discovered passions that would later drive their entrepreneurial pursuits.

"Albuquerque Academy provided us with a nurturing environment where we could explore our interests and push the boundaries of our potential,” Faze shared. “It was here that we discovered our passion for technology and innovation."

As they embarked on their entrepreneurial journey, the duo navigated the challenges of building a business, with Faze assuming the role of CEO and Zach as CTO of Blueink. Despite the demands, their friendship endured, fueled by mutual respect and a shared vision for innovation. “It's fun to go to work every day with your best friend,” said Faze.

"We've always complemented each other," Zach reflected. “It was a solid partnership right from the beginning. Faze brings unmatched drive and experience scaling businesses, and I contribute my experience of 20+ years of building software. At the end of the day, our shared vision and our tenacity have been the driving forces behind Blueink.”

Faze and Zach often echo their mantra, "Why not us?" – a philosophy that they credit to their days at the Academy and that has propelled them to pursue ambitious goals and challenge the status quo in both their academic and entrepreneurial endeavors. When they were first starting out, they were taking on behemoths like DocuSign and Adobe. “These are billion-dollar companies, and we don't have a board of directors. Zach and I funded the whole project, the whole thing. And we can make decisions and move quickly.” That approach, Faze said, results in “half the cost, twice the product, and twice the customer success. We respond to our customers in three minutes or less. That customer experience is essential to us.”

Today, Blueink is a testament to its dedication to offering sustainable and eco-friendly digital solutions to businesses worldwide. With robust eSignature and document-management features and enhanced security, Blueink has emerged as a trusted partner for organizations seeking efficiency, compliance, and professionalism in their document management processes.

"Blueink isn't just a business venture for us – it reflects our commitment to creating positive change in the world,” Zach emphasized. “By offering sustainable and user-friendly eSignature solutions, we're empowering businesses to streamline their operations while minimizing their environmental footprint.”

Their ties to Albuquerque Academy remain strong, prompting them to explore avenues for collaboration with the school. From hosting senior projects to providing summer jobs for Academy students and signing on as one of the school’s corporate partners, they are eager to give back to the institution that played a pivotal role in shaping their lives.

"Our time at Albuquerque Academy laid the foundation for our success, and we're incredibly grateful for the opportunities it afforded us,” Faze affirmed “As alumni and corporate partners, we're committed to supporting the next generation of students and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.”

As if their work with Blueink’s eSignature product wasn’t enough, Faze and Zach have again set their sights on their latest venture, Blueink Vault. Building on their expertise in eSignatures, Blueink Vault aims to revolutionize how businesses store, manage, and share sensitive documents in the cloud. With state-of-the-art, zero-trust encryption technology and AI-powered document management features, Blueink Vault will provide organizations with the benefits of cloud storage with industry-leading security and data access controls.

As they continue to chart new territories in digital innovation, Faze and Zach offer a poignant reminder that sometimes the most meaningful ventures are rooted in cherished memories and enduring friendships. With Blueink, they are not just revolutionizing how businesses operate – they are redefining what it means to leave a legacy.

Vote for the Academy as Best of the City

Show your Charger pride! Now is your chance to support Albuquerque Academy as the top private school, summer camp, and adult education classes (through Levanta Institute of Music & Creativity) in our city. This is a great opportunity to recognize and highlight, to our entire city, our wonderful school!

• Best Private School: Albuquerque Academy
• Best Summer Camp: Albuquerque Academy’s Think Summer!
• Best Adult Education Classes: Albuquerque Academy’s Levanta Institute

Dreaming Up a More Prosperous New Mexico

To celebrate 50 years of educating girls at Albuquerque Academy, Alumni Council member Ted Alcorn '01 is telling the stories of women alumni.

By Ted Alcorn ’01

When Alicia Keyes ’93 called up an executive at Netflix, she couldn’t have known it would eventually bring $2 billion in film and television production to the Land of Enchantment.

It was only her third day on the job as Albuquerque’s liaison to the film industry, as she recalled, and the language of economic development, from Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding to job incentive training programs, was still foreign to her.

But as a long-time movie producer and media executive, she knew the business. And she had a penchant for dreaming big and taking daring leaps. “One thing that's made the difference in my career is I'm not afraid to just pick up the phone and talk to somebody and figure out if it's gonna work,” Alicia said.

It was a practice she traced back to the Academy, where she landed for middle school and which, by her account, changed her life.

Her mom had grown up in Las Vegas, New Mexico, working on a family ranch and without access to a top-quality education, so she put a premium on getting outstanding educations for her daughters. But Alicia says she felt “very behind academically” when she arrived at the Academy. Her math teacher, John Leggott, sat with her at lunch each day, tutoring her to bring her up to speed, she recalled.

She found other spotlights in which to excel, however, including on the tennis and volleyball courts, in drama productions led by Mickey Prokopiak, and on Randy McCutcheon’s speech and debate team. “They really taught me how to get up on stage, get up behind the podium, and speak.”

She was also elected president of the Student Council her junior and senior years, where she practiced leadership and learned something about its purpose. In particular, she remembered sitting on a bench with an Experiential Ed instructor Steve “Chappie” Chapman, talking about the goals of student government, “what it could achieve that would have lasting impact on the student body, instead of just planning parties and dances.”

That lesson was with Alicia 25 years later, after decades working in the movie business and raising twin boys, when she accepted a job in the administration of Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. She was disillusioned with the direction of national politics but determined to do something to help her city and state.

A rumor had reached her that Albuquerque Studios, a sprawling property on the southeast side of town, was for sale. Knowing that production space was at a premium in Los Angeles and elsewhere, inspiration struck. A friend at Netflix confirmed the streaming giant was looking for space to expand. “I just started talking to people in the city and state government who are a lot smarter than me, who had been there for a lot longer, and said, ‘How can we put this deal together?’”

Later that year, Netflix bought the stages, promising to create thousands of jobs for state residents and produce $1 billion of projects, a commitment it later doubled.

The initial deal also caught the attention of Governor-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham, who promptly poached Alicia to be cabinet secretary of the state’s Economic Development Department, tasked with fostering growth in the media industry as well as in other economic sectors in order to diversify the state from oil and gas.

Alicia was the first woman to lead the department. Lujan Grisham has high expectations of her cabinet, Alicia said, but she was steadfast. “Economic development has traditionally been dominated by men, and there were people that struggled with me being a female,” she said. “The governor supported and stuck up for me.”

By the time Alicia stepped down in 2023, the state’s unemployment rate had fallen to its lowest point in 15 years and had added more than 10,000 new jobs. Her department calculated it had brought over $34 billion dollars in economic impact to New Mexico.

Now a consultant on projects important to her, including water, global trade, renewable energy, and outdoor recreation, Alicia is optimistic about the state’s future. “I feel like New Mexico is really at the precipice of change.”

Help Honor Academy Retirees

New International Studies Fund Named for Cathy Lydon

As the 2023-24 school year comes to a close, Albuquerque Academy prepares to bid farewell to some of its most esteemed faculty and staff members as they begin their well-deserved retirement. Although it’s sad to see them leave, we celebrate the exciting new chapters unfolding in their lives and are deeply grateful for their unwavering support of our school and students. The following Chargers have given more than 25 years to Albuquerque Academy:

• Ruben Garcia, Facilities, 45 years
• Cathy Lydon, History Department, 40 years
• Alan Vraspir, Math Department, 38 years
• Mike Linsell, World Languages Department, 37 years
• Paula Crawford, 8-9 Division, 34 years
• Stephen Meyers, Security, 34 years
• Jim King, TIS Department, 27 years
• Gayle Wilson, Computer Science Department, 27 years

We are pleased to announce the creation of the Cathy Lydon International Studies Fund. Cathy ran the Academy’s international student exchange program, guided by her firm belief that international experience provides critical global awareness while developing resilience and self-confidence. To continue to support students wishing to study abroad, Cathy’s family and Abi Hunter ’15 have established a fund in her honor and pledged a lead matching gift of up to $22,500. They welcome your participation in enhancing this new endowed fund.

All of our retirees have had an extraordinary impact, over decades of Academy students. We invite you to consider paying tribute to any of these retirees with a gift to the Academy in their honor.

If you would like to participate in any way or have further questions, please contact the advancement office at advancement@aa.edu.

2006 Grad Arielle Siegel to Speak at Commencement

Arielle Siegel, Class of 2006, was born and raised on the other side of the Sandia Mountains but was lucky enough to join Albuquerque Academy in ninth grade. She graduated in 2006 and then went to New York to pursue a double major in drama and psychology at New York University.

Arielle holds a BFA from the Atlantic Theater Company Conservatory Training program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is a proud founding member of Pipeline Theatre Company, which just celebrated its 15th successful season.

Currently, Arielle can be seen as Jen on Hulu’s hit series “Life & Beth,” created by Amy Schumer. Other notable TV credits include: “For Life” (ABC), “God Friended Me” (CBS), “Alternatino” (Comedy Central), “Inside Amy Schumer” (Hulu), “When They See Us” (Netflix), and “Blue Bloods” (CBS).

Arielle has worked for a number of national brands both on camera and as a voice-over artist. Most notably, she was the “spokesfairy” for Sparkle Paper Towels, for which she got to don fabulous wings and an incredible blue wig. You might also catch her in an upcoming commercial starring another New Mexico actor, Neil Patrick Harris.

Outside the entertainment industry, Arielle provides professional, pro bono voice-over services to multiple non-profit organizations and political campaigns.

In addition to her acting pursuits, Arielle serves as an impact producer for the independent documentary film “This Might Hurt,” which explores innovative treatments for chronic pain. The film aims to educate patients and practitioners and shift the medical industry away from opioids and invasive surgeries, toward a more holistic approach.

Vibrant Library Display Explores Asian Arts and Culture

This month’s display in Simms Library celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a focus on the rich tapestry of Asian arts. The Asian American Parent Council proudly showcases diverse artistic expressions from various Asian countries. From the intricate brushwork of Chinese and Korean calligraphy to the vibrant colors of Indian rangoli and depictions of various goddesses and stories in Indian culture, the display highlights these art forms’ beauty and cultural significance. By showcasing various forms of Asian art, the parent council aims to foster appreciation, understanding, and dialogue around the rich artistic traditions that originate from different Asian countries and hopes to promote cultural awareness, celebrate diversity, and encourage students to explore the beauty and significance of Asian artistry.