In the second part of a two-phase acquisition, The Gunston School is pleased to announce that the school has secured an additional 15-acres of waterfront property adjacent to the campus. This new property, in addition to the 25 acres acquired in November of 2022, were part of the estate of the late Carter (Middleton) Bond, the granddaughter of the school’s founder, Samuel and Mary Middleton.

This second acquisition, which closed on February 21st, includes a waterfront lot adjacent to the Gunston’s current Corsica River shoreline, and it grows the campus footprint from 60 acres to 75 acres. Overall, the recent two-phase expansion has expanded the school’s campus by 114%.

Head of School John Lewis shared, “For the better part of a year, we have been working closely with the Middleton-Bond family to make this a reality. Their century-long relationship with the school gave the family the vision to understand how this additional space will serve the school’s next generation of students and educators.”

Photo: The Gunston School’s second acquisition of land includes a waterfront lot adjacent to the Gunston’s current Corsica River shoreline, and it grows the campus footprint from 60 acres to 75 acres. Overall, the recent two-phase expansion has grown the school’s campus by 114%, with the red line denoting where the original 35-acres ended.

“In the immediate term,” Lewis continued, “we will use this additional space to serve our athletic, environmental education, and summer programs. In the longer term, now that we have further enhanced one of most beautiful independent school campuses on the East Coast, we will need to reshape our campus master plan. Our ongoing goal is to serve as an essential part of the Queen Anne’s County and Mid-shore educational ecosystem for hundreds of students during the school year and through our Horizons and YMCA summer programs.”

Gunston’s Board Chair Patrick Shoemaker (03’) noted, “Gunston’s waterfront is central to our school’s identity, curriculum, and program. It extends a campus shoreline where so many students have thrived over the years, including me when I was a student here. Let me again acknowledge our Board of Trustees for their vision and skill over the past few months. This was a complex process, and the Board never lost sight of the acquisition’s long-term benefits to the school.”

The Gunston School is one of only 209 schools in the United States to be recognized for the College Board’s AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women’s access to Advanced Placement Computer Science A (CSA). This award acknowledges 1,105 schools for their work toward equal gender representation during the 2021-22 school year. Research shows that female students who take AP computer science are more likely to major in computer science in college compared with matched peers.

Gunston offers several courses including Introduction to Computers, Topics in Computer Languages, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A. Other STEM offerings include Robotics, First Tech Challenge (Gunston Robotics Team), and Robotics, Lego.

“The atmosphere here at Gunston has allowed me to explore my passion for Computer Science and Engineering by means of excellent instructors, collaborative classroom environments, and the opportunity of independent studies,” said Autumn Watson ’23 who will be attending Rutgers University, School of Engineering in the fall. Watson also serves as a teacher’s assistant and mentor for fellow students.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

On Friday, February 10, The Gunston School sent 18 swimmers to the inaugural Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) Swim Invitational at the YMCA in Cambridge, Md. Competing in 20 events against five other ESIAC schools, including Delmarva Christian (48), Worcester Prep (141), Salisbury School (86) and Saints Peter & Paul (52), Gunston’s Boys team finished in first place with a score of 206.

Andrew Rich ’23 (Annapolis, Md.), Damian René ’23 (Easton, Md.) and Zach Steinberg ’25 (St. Michaels, Md.) led the way, dominating the meet from start to finish. Rich, who will be swimming in the ACC for Florida State University next year, placed first in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard butterfly and was recently named Scholastic All-American by USA Swimming for the 21-22 school year. René, who also placed first in the 100 yard breaststroke, will be swimming for Swarthmore College. Steinberg placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Head Coach Victoria Windmiller, who has been swimming competitively her entire life and is a USA Swimming certified coach added, “I’m incredibly proud of our Girls Team, who, without hesitation rose to the occasion swimming in events they would not typically swim in, namely Lea Berling, who swam the 200IM and Emma Morris who competed in the 100yfly. We had JUST enough girls to have Gunston represented in each of the events.”

“Our girls’ team narrowly missed the top spot but provided arguably the highlight of the meet in their come-from-behind win in the 400 freestyle relay,” said Coach Bobby Stephenson, who is also Gunston’s Cross Country and Triathlon Coach, of Lea Berling ’25 (Germany), Allie Fitzgerald ’24 (Stevensville), Emma Morris ’26 (Stevensville), and Zoe Buzelli ’24 (Grasonville).

Looking to expand conference offerings, the ESIAC Athletic Directors worked together to secure a venue for the inaugural swim meet with swim coaches working to find a successful format for the meet.

Swimming will likely now be permanently added to Gunston’s athletic offerings that also includes crew, sailing, cross country, triathlon, field hockey, golf, tennis, futsal, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, pickleball, and volleyball.

Said Breto, “Gunston has always had a significant number of students that swim competitively for local club teams and we wanted to be able to serve those student athletes by expanding our athletic offerings to include swimming..”

On Friday, February 10, The Gunston School Boys’ Team finished in first place with a score of 206 in the inaugural Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) Swim Invitational at the YMCA in Cambridge, Md. Pictured (l-r) Gunston Athletic Director Josh Breto, Aidan Marketto ‘26 (in front), Colin Hallmark ’24, Jason Ye ‘23, Zach Mozher ’23, Tilghman Overton ’24, Kazys Morris ’25, Oliver White ’23, Andrew Rich ’23, Damian René ’23, Zach Steinberg ’25, Riley Walker ’25, Coach Bobby Stephenson and Coach Victoria Windmiller. (Not pictured: Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie)

Emma Morris ’26, Lea Berling ’25, Allie Fitzgerald ’24 and Zoe Buzzelli ’24.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce that six members of the class of 2023 have signed their letters of intent to play sports at the college level. At a recent signing ceremony this past Wednesday, January 18, students and their families along with coaches and faculty gathered in the Alice R. Ryan Family Library to celebrate their accomplishments. Nationwide, a little over 7% of high school athletes (about 1 in 13) go on to play a varsity sport in college and less than 2% of high school athletes (1 in 57) go on to play at NCAA Division I schools. These six college-bound athletes comprise 10% of Gunston’s graduating class, beating the national average for the second year in a row. 

Pictured (seated, l-r) Gunston seniors Kelby Booth (Denton), McKinsey Brown (Centreville), Damian René (Easton), Andrew Rich (Annapolis), Isabelle Wagner (Chestertown), and Autumn Watson (Centreville). Pictured (standing, l-r) Jaxon Booth ’25, Noah Cook, Steven Booth, Madison, Jennifer and Michael Brown, Jean and Katherine René, Peter and Julie Rich, Nicole Wagner, Jim, Heather, and Aidan Watson ’25, and Carrie York.

Damian René of Easton, Md., will be swimming for Swarthmore College. He began his swimming career at age three and transitioned to competitive swimming at age six, making the two-hour round trip six times per week to the Naval Academy Aquatic Club (NAAC)  in Annapolis for the last seven years for two-to-three hour practices. “I enjoy swimming because it has provided me with lasting relationships, helped me hone my leadership and time management skills and taught me the importance of competing as an individual and a team,” said René. “Making the decision to continue swimming at the college level was an easy one. I wanted to improve as a swimmer and swimming is one of the few sports that you can continue for years to come.”

NAAC Head Coach Hilary Yager commented, “Success has always been extremely personal to Damian. He knew at a young age exactly what he wanted to accomplish both academically—which has always and rightfully come first—and athletically. He has been steadfast in his pursuit of his goals, never letting setbacks upset him or knock him off course. He would simply take a moment, reflect on what did and did not go right and then he would get back to work. This trait has made him quite the leader over the years with NAAC. It has been a true privilege for me and the NAAC staff to have been given the opportunity to be involved in his childhood. All of us look forward to Damian’s next steps and following what I am sure will be an incredible journey into adulthood and beyond.” René plans to pursue a degree in Computer Science at Swarthmore.

Andrew Rich of Annapolis, Md., will be swimming for Florida State University. Recently, Rich was named as one of the 1,281 high school Scholastic All-Americans by USA Swimming for the 21-22 school year. At the Winter Junior National Championships East in Greensboro, N.C. earlier this month, he qualified for finals in the 100 and 200 Backstroke and swam times of 48.00 and 1:45.68, respectively. These times broke the NAAC  records and are both in the top 40 swum by high school students nationwide this season. The swims have helped move Rich into the overall #4 ranking for the state of Maryland and the current #143 worldwide (#91 USA) recruits in the class of 2023 based on the top swim recruit ranking website.

Rich began to swim competitively at age five, swimming for both NAAC and the Bay Ridge Swim Team, which he also coached. “Andrew has been a member of NAAC for 12 years— the longest possible time you can spend on the team. He joined us as a tow headed, big smiling 6-year old whose love for the water could be seen in his ear to ear grin. Over the years, we have watched Andrew grow and mature into a very talented athlete and leader. His love for swimming is contagious and the impact it has on his teammates is quite impressive,” said NAAC Head Coach Hilary Yager. 

“The competitive nature of the sport always gives me the drive to get better and swim harder,” said Rich. “Being able to compete in the championships I watched when I was a kid like ACC Championships and NCAA championships would be a dream come true.” He plans to study business at Florida State. 

McKinsey Brown of Centreville, Md., will be playing lacrosse for Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Brown began her lacrosse career in the fourth grade, playing first for travel team Lady Blue Crabs before joining Maryland United, as well as playing for Gunston. “I love how [lacrosse] makes me stronger and work harder every day. I wanted to stay in shape in college but more importantly to come in and play at a higher level and already have a great friend group who would be there for me,” said Brown. 

“SCAD is a really great program and well-known for their consistent championships over the years. McKinsey will definitely have the opportunity to contribute there in a big way,” said Gunston’s Girls Lacrosse Head Coach Imani Black.

“I’ve had the privilege of coaching McKinsey the past three years with Maryland United Lacrosse Club,” said Head Coach Scott Boyles. “Playing for a club like Maryland United the past several years says a lot about McKinsey’s commitment and dedication to the team and sport. She is a stellar model of the term ‘coachable player!’ She will play or take any role as a player, always exceeding the coaches expectations. She is a dominant figure at the game, showing superb athleticism, stick skills and high field IQ. She leads by example and will set the bar high. McKinsey truly displays great character and certainly the ability to play this sport at the highest level. She will always have such a positive impact on those she interacts with as she passes through life.” McKinsey plans to study fashion design and marketing at SCAD. 

Kelby Booth of Denton, Md., will be rowing for Bryn Mawr College. She began rowing in her tenth grade year at Gunston. “I love how rowing pushes me physically and mentally,” Booth said. “I also love the welcoming community and the close bond that comes with it.” She is looking forward to the familiar routine of waking up early every morning, adding “it’ll be good for my time management [in college] and I just truly enjoy being on the water.”

“Kelby is a fierce leader and is incredibly determined in athletics,” said Gunston’s Assistant Athletic Director for Waterfront Athletics Natalie Reading ’16. “She tackles every practice with 100% effort and is supportive of all of her teammates. I was able to coach Kelby as a novice when she was first starting to row and her determination to learn and excel in rowing was contagious.” Booth plans to study International Relations at Bryn Mawr. 

Autumn Watson of Centreville, Md., will be rowing for Rutgers University. She began rowing for Gunston her ninth grade year during all three seasons, serving as coxswain. She recalls learning about crew for the first time, “I was amazed there was a role specifically for people that are short and are loud—and I thought ‘Well, I am short, (4’9 at the time and now 4’11), and I am a loud person when I want to be, so I thought I would be the perfect choice.” Watson also appreciated the opportunity to become a strong leader, “In my role as coxswain, I have to steer the boat, be the team’s coach when we’re out there on the water and make sure I am constantly encouraging everyone to stay strong and not give up,” she explains. “The bond you create is a feeling I have a hard time describing; it makes you all think as one [while you’re] in the boat.”

As coxswain, she also has to keep an eye out for other boats on the water and is responsible for the boat’s hardware as well as training new crew members. 

“Autumn has always been incredibly efficient on and off the water,” adds Reading. “She has grown into her role as both a coxswain and captain with strong enthusiasm. Autumn’s passion for the sport motivates those around her, and will be an incredible asset to her new team.”

Watson decided to compete at the division one college level because she likes the challenge and finds that she thrives the most when involved in sports. “Sports help me keep my life together [and] crew has become such a major part of my life at Gunston over the last four years, I can’t imagine my life without it.” Watson plans to major in mechanical or electrical engineering and minor in computer science programming at Rutgers, with the ultimate dream of designing robots.

Isabelle Wagner of Chestertown, Md., will be rowing for Washington College. She began rowing in the seventh grade at the Naval Academy Rowing Camp and continued there until she came to Gunston where she began to row competitively as part of the rowing team. “I love how free rowing makes me feel and how every time I sit in the boat and start to row it feels as if the world around me goes away and that there is nothing to worry about,” said Wagner, who wants to row in college to stay in shape.

“Isabelle is a humble and unpretentious competitor,” said Reading. “When it is time for a tough practice or race she will focus in and do what needs to be done. She never complains about workouts, and shows up ready to do whatever is asked of her. I have no doubts that Isabelle will excel in collegiate athletics.” Wagner has not yet declared a major and wants to see what Washington College has to offer. 

The Gunston School Athletics Program has 19 interscholastic teams, as well as several recreational athletic offerings. Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

The Gunston School’s Fine Arts & Performing Arts Departments held their annual Night of the Arts on December 8 to celebrate the creative talents of its students. Families and guests enjoyed a wide variety of paintings, photographs, mixed media prints, pottery, wood sculptures, and 3D printed projects. Several performances were also featured, including student bands Brookletts and Soundproof, as well as instrumental soloists. The school’s theater group, The Gunston Players performed a scene from their upcoming production, “The End of the World (with Prom to Follow)” which will be shown at the Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Md., on February 10-12, 2023.

Gunston’s small class sizes allow the opportunity for students to learn and practice unique forms of art that would otherwise not be available in a larger class. “After students master the basics, we provide the opportunity to pursue whatever artistic interests they may have, such as sculpture, woodworking, pottery, mixed media approaches, lithography, screen printing, you name it. Often, students will come up with something totally new and unconventional or discover a talent they never knew they had,” said Chair of the Fine Arts Department Victoria Windmiller.

Equally impressive is the work and talent coming from the Performing Arts Department, headed by Dr. Ryan Asprion. “We have many dedicated performers in our midst, from actors and dancers to musicians and singers. Even with all of their other obligations, they practice hard and are ambitious with their performances. As you can see from this evening, their hard work has paid off,” he said. 

In addition to traditional performances, students have also collaborated to create short films in which various skill sets are needed including graphic design (opening and ending credits), costume design, creating sound effects with non-conventional materials, filming, editing, acting, and even writing and producing. 

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information. 

The Gunston School is delighted to announce that the school has acquired 25-acres of property adjacent to the campus from the estate of Carter (Middleton) Bond. Bond was the granddaughter of the school’s founders, Samuel and Mary Middleton, and she passed away peacefully at the age of 91 in early 2022.

The acquisition, which closed on November 22, will grow the campus footprint by 40% from 35 to 60 acres. The newly-acquired parcels substantially extend the eastern edge of the school’s campus, and include the forested and farm field areas behind The Gunston Tennis Center and the school’s athletic fields (see map).

Gunston’s Board Chair Patrick Shoemaker ’03 noted, “The phrase once-in-a-lifetime can be overused, but I think it’s appropriate in this situation. Institutions rarely have the opportunity to acquire substantial adjacent property. Our Board immediately recognized the opportunity we had in front of us. We’re excited to consider how to utilize this new space to benefit our students today, and in the future.”

Shoemaker continued, “We owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs. Bond’s son, Wick Sollers, for honoring his mother’s love and connection to the school; to trustee Chris McClary for his skilled management of the transaction process, and to our Head of School John Lewis whose long-standing personal relationship with Mrs. Bond and other members of the Middleton family have kept their family legacy alive.”

Mr. Sollers shared, “My family has a deep affection for Gunston School, and we have been gratified to watch its extremely positive trajectory under the leadership of John Lewis and his team. We are delighted—and my Mom, her sister Emily Durham, and their parents and grandparents would also have been delighted—that Gunston will be the steward of and use wisely the beautiful land that it has acquired from my family.”

Head of School John Lewis said, “I think the first question to naturally ask is: What is the school going to do with this substantial additional property? We always begin with students in mind, and the additional acreage will likely help us to navigate some short-term challenges associated with our 2021 Campus Master Plan. However, complex and sizable acquisition of this scope will involve our Board coordinating a multi-year, multi-constituent planning process about how to shape and steward this new space. Perhaps the most immediate impact is that we’ll now have the best interscholastic Cross Country course in the ESIAC conference!”

The multi-year process of acquiring the adjacent acreage began when Lewis reached out to Bond about selling the school a 3-acre parcel of land bisecting the campus behind Heron Field and the Tennis Courts. “She was open to this idea,” said Lewis, “and we made several plans for her to visit campus to survey the space. Unfortunately, health challenges didn’t permit Mrs. Bond to travel, so our discussions were put on hold. After she passed away unexpectedly in early 2022, her son Mr. Sollers immediately picked up the baton of our discussion, and it became clear that a more expansive 25-acre acquisition might be possible.”

Carter Bond spent her life amidst independent school education. Her father Atherton “Appy” Middleton was the former lacrosse coach at the University of Pennsylvania and headmaster of the St. Paul School for Boys. During the summers, Appy and his wife Catherine helped to operate Camp Gunston, then a popular overnight camp for students in the Mid-Atlantic region. Bond spent her summers on Gunston’s campus and remained closely connected to the school throughout the years. She was a graduate of Garrison Forest School and eventually became an athletic instructor at the St. Paul School for Boys.

Lewis shared, “My relationship with Mrs. Bond began during the first year of my tenure at Gunston. She shared fun and moving stories of the role Gunston’s campus played in the lives of young people during the middle of the 20th century. Although she resided in the Baltimore area, Gunston helped to shape her, and she always supported the school and our mission. We miss her, and we’re glad that her legacy to Gunston will endure.”

Since its founding in 1911, Gunston has enjoyed a rich history on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It was founded as the co-educational Gunston Farm School for students between 8 and 18 before becoming the Gunston School for Girls, a boarding school with an enrollment of approximately 80 girls. In 1996, Gunston transitioned to become Gunston Day School, a college preparatory school for students in the Mid-Shore region and beyond. In 2011, the school’s Centennial Year, the school was renamed The Gunston School, tying together its rich and diverse history. The school now enrolls 235 students from six counties, two states, and four countries. It also houses two major summer programs in partnership with the YMCA and Horizons of Kent and Queen Anne’s. These programs serve hundreds of students during the summer.

“For 12 decades, young people have benefitted from Gunston’s stunning waterfront campus,” reflected Lewis. “Gunston has evolved with the times, always keeping youth growth and development as our central priority. We’re mindful of our role as part of the educational ecosystem of the Eastern Shore, so while this is an exciting time for the school, it’s also exciting for the region we serve.”

The Gunston School recognized 177 students for earning High Honors and Honors for the first quarter of the 2022-2023 academic year. To earn a place on the High Honors list, a student must have an academic average of 93 percent or above and effort grades of satisfactory, “S” or above. To earn Honors, a student must achieve an 88-92.99 average and effort grades of “S” or above.

High Honors Grade 12: Nicholas (Nick) Abell, Zachary (Zack) Adams, Madilyn (Maddie) Algier, Olivia Amygdalos, Kelby Booth, McKinsey Brown, Julia Buchanan, Nicasio (Nick) Ceruolo, Sadie Cloud, Thomas de los Reyes, Celine Denat, Charles Evans, Irina Ganarin, Catherine Hansen, Sarah (Eli) Ireland, Thomas (Cy) Johnston, Paget Kellogg, Katherine (Kate) Kroncke, Paige Kroncke, Garrett Lang, Jennie LaTorre, YaXin (Angelina) Lin, Julia McClary, Calla McCluskey, Ava Melvin, Zacharia (Zach) Mozher, Elizabeth (Lane) Parkhurst, Grace Anne Phillips, Nathan Porter, Damian René, Isabelle Wagner Requena, MacKenzie Smith, William Stuart, Finnegan (Finn) Theeke, Brielle Tyler, and Yining Wei.

Honors Grade 12: Katelyn (Kate) Campbell, Olivia Faff, Alanna Grace, Natalie Henry, Ian Kissel, Christopher (Bates) Nittle, Miranda Pope, Julia Reed, Mekonnen Sahle-Selassie, Liam Thomas, Aidan Trautman, Oliver White, and Jiacheng (Jason) Ye.

High Honors Grade 11: Quinn Baughman, Michael Billings, Zoe Buzzelli, Benjamin (Ben) Cook, Turner Day, Liam Dickey, Aiden Dunlap, Allie Fitzgerald, Edward (Eddie) Gillespie, Trevor Green, Colin Hallmark, Jessica Hammond, Caeden Harrison, Abigail (Abbie) Houseknecht, Samantha Jayne, Samantha (Sam) Keith, Maren Kneeland, Lucas LaFleur, Arnold (Ben) Lutz, Madison (Madi) Lutz, Caitlin Myers, Joshua Nuessle, Tilghman Overton, Matthew Periconi, Taylor Rainer, Joanna Riley, Luke Roser, Ava Runz, Jan Serraviñals, Jonah Smith, Anna Szwaja, Isabella Taylor, and Evelyn Volkmer.

Honors Grade 11: Shawn Barry, Sedona Bell, Harrison Dunstan, Eleanor (Ellie) Hassett, Sophia Kent, Rowan Larkin, Rowan Lutz, Jaden Mahaffey, Lucia Melchiorre, Josie Merton, Kate Porter, Mariner Schut, Annabelle Sinatra, Amber Tormey, Arielle Tyler, and Jackson Wood.

High Honors Grade 10: Lauren (Alix) Allison, Jack Beasley, Lily Brantner, Alex Elfenbein, Jackson Frederick, Adit Gupta, Brayden Hamm, Grace Hanlon, Trevor Janssen, Phoebe Kelly, Phil Kokoschka, Celine Kumin, V McCluskey, Isla McCollum, Justin McCubbin, Sam Mielke, Elijah Moore, Louise Mulock, Benta Owino, Elizabeth Pupke, Alivia Runz, Katherine Sadler, Grace Shepherd, Mia Walker, and Aidan Watson.

Honors Grade 10: Lea Berling, Alayna Brown, Allison Davis, Alexa Duncan, Lennox Franks, Elena Fraser, Jeffrey (Tanner) Hatch, R.P. Johnson, Nina Johnston, Brendan (Wylie) Keegan, Logan Kille, Allison (Alli) Lutz, Victoria MacGlashan, Robert (Ethan) McWilliams, Caroline Mirando, Kazys Morris, Victoria (Tori) Nessly, Ellery Philippon, Margaret Randolph, Evelyn Russ, Emma Sharp, Jackson Showalter, Zachary Steinberg, and Evan Zottarelli.

High Honors Grade 9: Kate Andrews, Ava Augustus, Soren (Arlo) Badger, Annabelle Baker, Gabriella Bonfoey, Eleonor Hubbert, Sydney Kim, Eamon Schopfer, Lia Schut, Emily Steele, Alayna Thompson, and Lucas Watkins.

Honors Grade 9: Lillian (Lily) Babylon, Aurora Baughman, Genevieve Baughman, Susannah Clark, Emery Day, Riley Faff, Gianni Figliozzi, Aiden Filer, Layla Kent, Lily May, Olivia Murray, Nevin Porter, Megan Riley, Arya Shajwani, Caroline Thomas, Luca Tyler, Lilah Wharton, and Sydney Wilson.

The Gunston School is pleased to announce Senior Zacharia (Zach) Mozher of Middletown, Del. has been selected as a semifinalist in the 68th annual National Merit® Scholarship Program, making him a part of the top 16,000 high school students selected out of 1.5 million qualified applicants. National Merit semifinalists represent less than one percent of high school seniors in the United States and include the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Mozher will be competing for about 7,500 scholarships worth almost $30M. Roughly 15,000 semifinalists will advance to the finalist level in February, with scholarships awarded later in the spring. The application process is rigorous, requiring an outstanding academic record as well as a detailed record of school and community engagement in various activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, endorsements and recommendations by a high school official, an essay, and near perfect SAT or ACT scores.

“As an academic, Zach chose to accelerate his studies starting in grade nine,” said Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis. “At the close of this year, he will have completed 11 AP courses. He is also a National Honor Society peer tutor and highly effective working with others.”

Last year, Mozher was selected by the faculty for Gunston’s Paul M. Long Award, given to the “junior who in his/her first three years at Gunston has made the greatest contribution to the school via academic work, student government, clubs, sports, service activities, chorus, drama, and general effort, time, and energy expended in the interest of the school. The award is named in honor of Paul M. Long who was Headmaster for 19 years.”

“Zach is more than a student; he’s a scholar, athlete, and citizen of the highest order. He led the school’s academic team to multiple appearances at the National Small School Quiz Bowl Championships in Chicago, where he ranks near the top of all scorers,” added Head of School John Lewis.

Mozher’s advisor, Tom Chafey agrees. “Zach is an exceptional student and he certainly has a fantastic knack for coding and a powerful curiosity for technology.”

Mozher himself is interested in biology and is considering a pre-med track and eventually becoming a doctor. “AP bio was the first time I ever studied biology in-depth, and the more I learned, the more it blew my mind,” he said.

Becoming a semifinalist was indeed a goal of his and he offered this advice to others, “I think at the end of the day, it comes down to prioritizing school work and studying and making sure that gets done before everything else. Planning ahead and good time management are also really important, especially when it comes to studying for the PSAT and SAT.”

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

The Gunston School welcomed parents, alumni and community supporters to their waterfront campus on Saturday, October 22 for their signature fundraising event, the Bull & Oyster Roast, raising nearly $107,000 for the Heron Annual Fund. Guests enjoyed delicious food provided by Phat Daddy’s BBQ (Chestertown) and Superior Oyster Shuckers (Baltimore) as well as beer from Bull & Goat Brewery (Centreville) and signature drinks from Traveling Spirits Mobile Bar (Chestertown). Guests also enjoyed dancing to a variety of music provided by Good Vibrations Entertainment. 

“The 2022 Bull & Oyster Roast was a success due to the tremendous collaboration of our Gunston community,” said GPA President Irene Hansen, P’23. “Gunston’s staff, educators, and parents share their time and dedication with the goal of enhancing our student’s high school experience and we are grateful for the overwhelming support from our parent volunteers and sponsors.”

The silent auction featured more than 60 items ranging from original artwork, specialty gift baskets filled with local gift certificates, professional photography sessions, sports memorabilia, spa packages, and a wide variety of experiences such as the opportunity to be a beekeeper for a day, many of which were procured by Gunston’s Parents Association volunteers. The live auction featured five items including a Paul Reed Smith SE Custom 24 guitar, a private yacht cruise, getaways to Rehoboth Beach and Montego Bay, and VIP tickets to the 2023 commencement ceremony. The evening’s auctioneer was volunteer Woody Dunstan, P’24, who once served as the Director of Operations at Christie’s Auction House, where he trained as a charity auctioneer. 

“This was such a great event for the Gunston community,” said Director of Events Lynda Scull. “We love to see our parents come together and have a chance to relax, because they work so hard throughout the year, volunteering, attending sporting events, and just being here when we need them. This year we added a DJ and dancing to this event as well as line dancing lessons and it was a hit! We’ve already started planning our next Bull & Oyster Roast, scheduled for Saturday, October 21 and hope to have tickets on sale by mid August. We hope to see you there!”

A very successful “Raise the Paddle” also raised an additional $24,000 for Gunston’s waterfront, which is in need of new floating docks and maintenance of its vessels. The evening also featured a wine pull and cash raffle with five winners — four winners walked away with $250 each and the fifth winner got to choose between $1,500 cash or the option to have the number one live auction item pick. 

Head of School John Lewis shared, “This event draws supporters from a wide range of the Gunston community–current parents, past parents, community friends, and alumni–all of whom come together for a night to celebrate and raise funds for this very special educational experience for our students. It was a great night all around.”

The event had 51 sponsors and included:

• Grill Master: Dani & Rick de los Reyes, P’23, Precision Contractors, LLC (Lelsey & Tim Faff, P’22’26), and Fred Frederick Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (Janell & Jeffrey Frederick, P’23’25).
• Rockefeller: Friends of Gunston (anonymous), Easton Dermatology Associates, LLC (Brigitte and Dr. Donald Stranahan, P’25) and . 

• Prime Rib: Gillespie & Son, Inc. (The Gillespie Family, P’07’09’20’22’24),, Delaware Podiatric Medicine (Jake & Rebecca Hanlon, P’22’25) and What’s Up? Media.

• Choice: Chrissy McWilliams, P’25, Cross Street Realtors, Shore United Bank (John & Amber Agustus, P’26), Dr. & Mrs. Michael Amygdalos and Family, P’20’23, and McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker (Adele & Ryan Showalter, P’25 and Melissa & Doug Walker, P’25). 

• Select: The Shoemaker Family ’03, Paul T. Ewing, Inc. (Charlie & Pam Andrews, P’26), Kent School, Class of 2021 Parent, Coopers Tavern (Rick & Kathy Cooper), and Dr. Laurie Lewis and John Lewis. 

• Sirloin: Coastal Dock & Pile Inc. (Steve & Catherine MacGlashan, P’23 ’25, Joe & Martha Janney, P’20, Nina & Tom Johnston, P’23 ’25), The Morris Family, P’23 ’26, A Taste of Britain (Edward & Debbie Pierce, P’26), Charlie & Suzy Lutz, P’24, 360 Automation (Evan & Christine Evans, P’20),  and Envision Wealth Planning, (Sarah & Edward Schut, P’17’21’22’25’26). 

• Brisket: The Elfenbein Family, P’25, Mike & Isabel Hardesty, Laurie Porter, P’24 ’25, Adam & Tracey Steinberg, P’25, The Marketto Family, P’26, Glenn May & Amy Bower, P’26, Senior Women Rowers, Foundation for Tomorrow, The Figliozzi Family, P’26, The Keegan Family, P’25, Class of 2023, Jennifer & Tristan Arthur, P’25, The Kim Family, P’26, The Hodge/Niemann Family, P’24, The Tormey Family, P’24, Grain Surfboards (Aynsley & Brian Schopfer, P’26), Susan & James Walker, P21’25, Ildi & Mory Watkins, P’26, Reliable Pest Control, Wrench & Socket LLC. (Tim & Beth Lavery, P’26), The Hansen Family, P’23, The Thomas Family, The Algier Family, P’23’26 and Attraction Magazine, (Allison Rogers, P’21’24). 

• In-Kind Sponsors: Bull & Goat Brewery and Draper Bros. 

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.