The Path September 2025

Marking 70 Years at Convocation

Albuquerque Academy launched its 70th school year with its annual convocation, a tradition that brings the entire community together at the start of each fall semester. The ceremony began with the pairing of the youngest and oldest students — sixth graders from the Class of 2032 and seniors from the Class of 2026 — who walked side by side up the Path as classmates, faculty and staff, and families cheered. This symbolic walk marked the beginning of the year’s journey for the sixth graders and the culmination of the Academy experience for the seniors.

In her welcome, Head of School Julianne Puente reminded students that convocation is both solemn and celebratory, an opportunity to “make some noise” in recognition of each class and to honor the school’s community in all its breadth.

This year’s convocation celebrated the Academy’s 70th anniversary with a musical journey through time. With the help of a group of faculty musicians, Julianne marked each decade with a song that once filled radios and school dances — from Bill Haley & His Comets’ "Rock Around the Clock" in 1955 to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’s "Uptown Funk" in 2015. Together, the seven songs created what she called a “sonic timeline,” reminding the community that music not only marks moments in history but also carries deeply personal memories of friendship, growth, and belonging.

“School communities, like the people in them, are constantly evolving,” Julianne reflected. “The Academy has changed — in its buildings, its programs, its demographics, and its dreams, but it’s always been shaped by the people who pass through it.”

Chargers Athletics Named #13 in U.S.

Following a banner school year in which the Academy Chargers won a record 10 state championships, the school’s athletic program was named #13 in the U.S. in MaxPreps’ annual ranking.

“I’m always proud of our students and coaches — not because they win, but because of how they practice, how they play, and the dedication they bring every day,” said Head of School Julianne Puente. “Being ranked #13 in the country is an honor, but it’s the character behind the achievement that truly stands out for me.”

• Fall state championships: boys soccer, boys cross country, girls cross country
• Fall state runners-up: girls soccer
• Winter state championships: boys swimming, girls swimming
• Spring state championships: boys golf, girls golf, boys tennis, girls tennis, boys track and field
• Spring state runners-up: girls track and field

“Being ranked 13th in the nation is an incredible achievement — a testament to the dedication, talent, and hard work of everyone involved,” says Athletics Director Taryn Bachis. “It reflects the outstanding quality of our coaching staff and the exceptional student-athletes they are privileged to work with.”

The MaxPreps Cup is a competition that attempts to determine the best overall high school sports program in the nation. The algorithm is based on state championships, runner-up finishes, and national rankings. Points are awarded for the size of the state the school is from, the popularity of the sport, the enrollment division the school participates in, and the number of schools participating in that enrollment division.

Nick Anaya ’00 Shapes Students for Life

As Albuquerque Academy celebrates its 70th year, we’re celebrating one of the community’s core values: education. To mark this milestone, Alumni Council member Ted Alcorn ’01 is highlighting the impact of graduates who have dedicated their careers to teaching, learning, and inspiring others. These stories show the powerful ways Academy alumni are shaping classrooms and communities — continuing the school’s legacy of impact well beyond campus.

A public school on the south side of Chicago is an unlikely place for fabricating robots. But at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, nearly one in ten students spend class time doing just that. There, Albuquerque Academy alumnus Nick Anaya ’00 has grown a fledgling engineering program into one of the school’s most popular activities. “It’s more prominent than the basketball team,” he joked.

These are not your grandparents’ Roombas. Lindblom students build sophisticated machines that can outmuscle and outrun humans, then pit them against rival schools in competition. Lindblom’s varsity squad is the top team in Chicago and has gone to the world championships three times.

An engineer by training, Nick adores the machines, but they aren’t really the point. In his classroom, students gain hands-on experience in STEM, practice design-thinking, learn teamwork, and grow in confidence. “The robot is the tool that we use to build better humans,” said Nick.

As a kid himself, Nick never imagined he’d end up a teacher; it was hard enough being a student. But he knew he came alive playing tenor saxophone in John Truitt’s band classes and during physics and engineering lessons from Tom Buchanan.

Both men had a reputation for infusing learning with humor. Buchanan and other mischievous physics faculty illustrated lectures about velocity and inertia on the football field, where they fired off massive home-made potato cannons. During cafeteria lunches, Truitt was known to carve apples into flutes, then solo on them during announcements. “Learning is an important thing, but it’s not necessarily a serious thing,” Nick said, “and perhaps shouldn’t be.”

Truitt and Buchanan were “transformational” not only because of the material they taught but also the passion they inspired. “If you can help a person develop that love for whatever the subject, then they're going to do the work to be successful — because they care about it,” Nick said. Few people enjoy playing scales, he explained, but if you love music, at some point you’ll realize how foundational they are to everything else you want to play, and then it’s much easier to put in the necessary work.

After graduation, Nick sought a career that braided his passions for music and engineering. He survived a grueling electrical engineering program at Rice University, then spent years doggedly applying for jobs at the premier audio equipment company Shure. “I’m just going to keep doing it until they put a restraining order on me,” he reasoned. Eventually, they gave him a job.

But upon attaining his professional goal, a funny thing began to happen. A colleague invited Nick to volunteer with Lindblom’s robotics program. Even as he climbed Shure’s ranks, he realized that what he loved most was watching students grow.

So in 2016, when Lindblom found itself short a full-time teacher, Nick took a leap of faith and asked Shure for a leave of absence. He’s never looked back. When he began, the school had a single robotics team; now it has five spanning grades 7-12. Each year, at least one of Nick’s students has been admitted to Rice’s engineering program.

This year, Nick was one of a handful of Illinois teachers honored with a prestigious Golden Apple Award. His students were taken aback to learn he spent the $5,000 prize money on a motorcycle. “I am a bad influence, but that’s what makes me an interesting teacher worth listening to,” Nick told them. He could have done something “boring” like saving the money for retirement, he reasoned, but that’s not what excites students. “If you do a really good job, you can buy whatever toy you want: that's a way cooler lesson.”

Admission Open House September 28: CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

Mother Nature had other plans! Due to Sunday’s weather forecast, Albuquerque Academy’s Admission Open House has been canceled. We’re disappointed we won’t be able to welcome visitors to campus as planned, but the safety of everyone on campus is our top priority. Other admission opportunities will be available to applicants this fall — ones that, hopefully, will allow our guests to truly enjoy our beautiful campus and all it has to offer.

We’d love for you to join us at our Admission Open House on Sunday, September 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. It’s a great chance to explore campus, meet with teachers, students, and parents, and get a feel for life at the Academy.

You can learn about student organizations, enjoy performances, and find out more about admission and tuition assistance for the 2026-27 school year. And don’t miss the highlight — our student-led campus tours!

Have friends or family who might be interested? Please pass this along — we’d love to meet them, too! Register here to let us know you’re coming.

Learn more about Fall 2026 admission.

Welcome New Alumni Council Members and New Trustees

The Albuquerque Academy Alumni Council and Board of Trustees are proud to welcome new members who bring a rich mix of experience, passion, and deep connection to our community.

• Alumni Council: Suzanne McCombs ’79, Ivan Gallegos ’95, Hillary Oestreicher ’00, Gen Studer ’04, Amanda Tapia ’05, and Stephen David ’20
• Board of Trustees: Christie Brundage, Noël Richeson ’96, and Lisa Young

New Alumni Council Members

New Board of Trustees Members

Join the Tradition: Be a Part of Community Day

Community Day strengthens connections between all members of the Albuquerque Academy community. During this special day, which will be held on Friday, October 24, regular classes are replaced with a unique schedule of events, and we would love for our current students to learn from the experience, passions, and expertise of members of our rich network of alumni, families, and friends.

We are seeking community members to lead student workshops from 9-11 a.m. or to represent community initiatives at the Community Fair from 12-1:15 p.m. All Community Day volunteers are welcome to join us for lunch and the annual running of the Reynolds-Lydon Regatta cardboard boat race!

Let us know how you would like to participate in Community Day by completing this Community Day participation form by September 25.

Visiting Artist Application Open

Apply by November 1

The Jada B. Gonzales Artist Series Fund establishes a visiting artist and speaker program to allow recognized artists to come to Albuquerque Academy’s campus to inspire, inform, and enhance our students’ creativity and knowledge of the arts. The program was established in 2023 in remembrance of Jada Gonzales with support from donors. Jada was an artist — both as a writer and photographer; she sought connection and savored the personal discovery inherent in the artistic process. She generously invited others in to share her art, and she was courageous and determined in her pursuit of her unique creative vision.

The selected artist will schedule a two-day visit to Albuquerque Academy’s campus between January and March 2026 to deliver a 30-minute artist talk to the students in grades 10-12 and to lead a two-day workshop with upper-level art students. Applicants will be chosen by both the visual arts faculty at Albuquerque Academy and students from this year’s Senior Studio class, an advanced-level, interdisciplinary studio art course. This award comes with a $2,500 honorarium, which is inclusive of travel fare and accommodation. Apply here.