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SUMMER 2017 COSTA RICA CULTURAL TRIP Students from US A through US E had the opportunity to visit this unique Hispanic country with so much to offer. They learned about the culture, ecology and environmental efforts. Students visited several national parks, two volcanoes, a beautiful beach, a rainforest situated along the Pacific coast and a wildlife refuge. They hiked to and swam in the basin of a water- fall and enjoyed bathing in the thermal springs. Students visited an organic farm where they had interactive experiences such as making sugar cane juice, sampling raw cacao and many types of exotic fruits. They also made tortillas and took part in a coffee tour. Students were able to observe an abundance of wildlife, including coatimundis, kinkajous, crocodiles, sloths, iguanas, different species of birds and butterflies and various types of monkeys. Everyone had a great time zip -lining and white water rafting. The students were also involved in a community service project: painting an underprivileged prima- ry school and bringing them school supplies earned through a successful Lee Academy fundraiser. The city tour of San Jose was a great cultural experience and they visited places such as the Art Museum, National Theatre, National Sta- dium and the presidential home. Most importantly, students learned about the culture through contact with the locals, exchanging currency, trying typical foods, shopping at the markets and participating in folkloric dances. NIGHT OF THE ARTS Inherit the Wind - A diverse group of actors from Lee Academy’s Upper and Lower School (along with a few parents and teachers) presented a riveting rendi- tion of this classic play. While set in the framework of the famou s Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925, the lesson of this play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee was to criticize McCarthyism and show how different viewpoints can divide friends, families and even a nation . It is about our understanding of each individual’s right to his or her opinion without retribution because it doesn’t fit our own opinions. Most importantly, it is a play that shows its audience that having different opinions and allowing debate is the basis for our country’s entire system of freedom. This year’s play, directed by John Hendrix and Ben Sperduto, featured a very large cast encompassing a variety of students along with members of the faculty and school community. Using the entire campus as a stage and audience members as the jury, each attendee was able to become a member of the play and thus begin to rethink his/her own ideas on intellectual free- dom with the idea of embracing our differences rather than judging each other for them. Art Exhibion Student artwork adorned the lobby area throughout the school year. This year each student painted a 5” x 5” canvas, which parents ea- gerly purchased along with bidding on class artwork at our S.A.G.E. fundraiser in April. 2 0 1 7 G R A D U A T E S Sebastian Babis has attended Lee Academy since 2007, achieving at the highest level in all subjects throughout his time with us. Not only is Sebastian a top performer in academics, he is also a talented violinist and tennis player. He has performed with the Pinellas Youth Symphony Orchestra and as a member of a duet and quartet with the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra. Sebastian has also played for us many times at school. He passes on his love for music by working with some of our younger students who are just starting out on their musical journey. Tennis is also a passion for Sebastian. He played at a club level for a number of years, win- ning several tournaments and more recently has been captain of the Alonso High School Varsity Team, where his skills have been recog- nized with several accolades. Sebastian’s Senior Capstone Project was An Investigation of the Improvements that can be Made upon Commercially Available Insect Repellents . He will attend the Georgetown School of Foreign Service where he will major in Foreign Af- fairs with a focus on International Politics. Sebastian is a dedicated student who will go far. Alexandra (Sasha) Clarke has been at Lee Academy since 2006 and has made a great success of her time with us. She has al- ways taken a full part in school activities and has appeared in all our drama productions. She is also a talented artist and enjoys painting as a hobby. Sasha loves to travel both at home and abroad and has already visited England, Spain and Germany, as well as a number of different states here in the U.S. Sasha's ambition is to visit as many countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea as she can over the next few years. Her Senior Capstone Project was Tampa for Locals , a travel guide designed to increase tourism and awareness. Sasha will be attending the USF School of Nursing and would like to become a travel nurse. What better way to pursue her traveling goal! We wish her every success and look forward to postcards from all the places we know she will vis- it. Nicolas Ortiz joined us in 2011 and over the last six years we have seen him mature into a fine young man. He has always been a hard -working student, determined to do well and achieve his goals. Nicolas has a sharp wit and a great sense of humor, which have been apparent in our Winter Performances. His portrayal of Henry Drummond in our recent performance of Inherit the Wind showed he has a commanding and convincing stage presence. Nicolas also en- joys traveling and competing in card tournaments. His Senior Cap- stone Project was The Efficacy and Plausibility of Biodegradable Materials in Personal Fishing. During his junior year, Nicolas served as a Senate Page in the Florida Senate in Tallahassee, so it is no surprise that he is considering a major in political science when he enters the University of Florida in the fall, with a view to a career either in law or politics. We will follow his progress with much interest. 2 2 0 1 7 G R A D U A T E S Jackson McMillan came to Lee Academy in 2006, skipping Kindergarten and going right into our equivalent of first grade. His capacity for higher level thinking and learning was apparent then and continues to today, as he graduates as one of our youngest ev- er students. Jackson has always taken a full part in all aspects of school life, from fundraising to travel to appearing in our recent drama production of Inherit the Wind , with a very convincing per- formance as Matthew Brady. He enjoys playing guitar and piano and has accompanied students for Spanish Heritage and Cinco de Mayo activities. He also likes competitive card games. His Senior Capstone Project was Combatting Poverty through a Psychological Approach . Jackson wants to become a research scientist in the field of paleontology and will attend the University of Florida in the fall, majoring in Biolo- gy. We look forward to hearing more from this very talented student. Nicholas Strid joined us in 2006 and quickly became known for his love of sport, both as a spectator and a competitor. He ini- tially played baseball, then became interested in hockey and golf. Nicholas is a skilled skater and played high school hockey on the varsity team for Bloomingdale High School. He is always willing to shoot baskets or throw a frisbee at lunchtime with our younger stu- dents as well as start a game with his peers. Nicholas has partici- pated in many school activities with great gusto, particularly in our Winter Performances! He has volunteered in an elementary school, working with other gifted students and has also made time to work with our Early Childhood students on their PE skills. His Senior Capstone Project was Automatic Sliding Glass Door for the Physi- cally Impaired and Hindered Persons. Nicholas will be attending the University of South Florida in the summer to study Computer Intelligence. We wish him every success and hope he will be able to continue his athletic pursuits at the next level. Greyson Bottini entered Lee Academy in 2009 and quickly established himself as a valued member of our school community, well respected by his fellow students and the faculty. He has al- ways participated in school activities, including travel both at home and abroad, as well as our annual drama productions. This year he very convincingly played the role of Reverend Brown in our pro- duction of Inherit the Wind . Greyson’s passion is the culinary arts and we have all enjoyed the fruits of his labors. His Senior Cap- stone Project was Community Garden and Local Restaurant Con- nection Project. While also accepted at USF, UF, and Queens Uni- versity (NC), Greyson chose to major in the Culinary Arts at the Tampa Arts Institute in order to pursue his ambition of becoming a professional chef. We wish him every success and look forward one day to dining in his restaurant! 3 A L U M N I Claire Winters (’92) graduated from the Brian Dudley (’99) holds a PhD in Ge- American Conservatory Theater and has netics from Case Western and a Juris played numerous roles on stage and Doctor from American University. He is screen in New York and Hollywood. presently an associate at a law firm in When Claire is not playing people, she Washington, D.C. in the Bio techn olo- likes to write about them, with essays in gy/Chemical practice group.

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