Carrabassett Valley Academy is pleased to present the graduating class of 2023! Please join us in congratulating this group of amazing student-athletes.

Josie Alexander, Boyne Falls, Michigan

Elli Andrus, Carrabassett Valley & Camden, Maine

Africa Arango, Madrid, Spain

Kai Glidden, Carrabassett Valley & Kennebunk, Maine

Sasha Jansujwicz, Bangor, Maine *

Jackson Knobloch, Carrabassett Valley & Wells, Maine

Kiernan Mann, Georgetown, Maine

Francois Meloni, Luxembourg, Belgium

Dory Michaud, Carrabassett Valley & Falmouth, Maine *

Althea Noyes, Carrabassett Valley & Falmouth, Maine *

Ruby Poland, Bristol, Maine *

Dahlia Saifee, Chevy Chase, Maryland *

Summer Saifee, Chevy Chase, Maryland *

Grace Schad, Carrabassett Valley, Maine & Rapid City, South Dakota

Baran Tatlidede, Adana, Turkey

Nya Wolfe, Carrabassett Valley, Maine

*National Honor Society Member

Big Dog Awards

Commencement Weekend activities begin with the Big Dog Awards Luncheon on Friday, June 2, from 12:00 - 2:00 pm at the Carrabassett Valley Anti-Gravity Complex. All students, families, and staff are invited to this end-of-the-year awards ceremony to recognize students' academic and athletic achievements.

Senior Banquet

All seniors and their families are invited to the Senior Banquet on Friday, June 2, at 6:00 pm in the King Pine Room at Sugarloaf. This banquet is semi-formal and features a reception, dinner, and program in celebration of graduation. There will be a senior slideshow, speeches, and awards. Reservations are required.

Commencement

CVA Seniors will accept their diplomas during this year’s commencement exercises on Saturday, June 3, at 10AM in the Richard Bell Chapel at Sugarloaf Mountain. A luncheon in the CVA Capricorn Dining Hall will follow. The ceremony will feature student and faculty speakers, awards, and a guest speaker.

For more information about our Commencement Weekend activities, please contact Melissa Fogg, mfogg@gocva.com, or 207-237-4505.

The arrival of Spring brings one of CVA's favorite traditions - Senior Class Spring Sports. It is a time for the seniors to be together, as a group, leading up to graduation.

During athletic blocks, the seniors participate in structured training and fun. In this photo, senior Kai Glidden, shows his classmates the basics of rock climbing on Clem's Climbing Wall at the Carrabassett Valley Anti-Gravity Complex.

Congratulations to the CVA Alpine athletes invited to U.S. Ski & Snowboard Eastern Region Spring Colorado Projects: Althea Noyes '23, Charlie Koenig '24, Will Roy '24, Caleb Stefanakos '24, Kaden Theriault '24, Mia Bruno '25, Lucia Littlefield '26, Nick Klemperer '27, and Ethan Godomsky '27.

Eastern Region Spring Camps provide high-level training to the East's top Alpine junior athletes in a fun, low-pressure environment to promote camaraderie and build regional team culture amongst Eastern athletes.

Congratulations to CVA Snowboard athletes Boden Gerry '24 and Sullivan Platte '25, and Freestyle athletes Dory Michaud '23 and Chase Littlefield '24, who were invited to attend U.S. Ski and Snowboard Project Gold Camps this Spring. This selection was based on their competitive and athletic achievements during the 2022-23 season, and a testament to their hard work and dedication to their sport.

Project Gold is designed to identify the nation's top juniors and bring those juniors and their coaches together to work alongside the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team staff and athletes to learn what it takes to get to the next level. It is intended to help athletes and their families better prepare for what is expected of athletes when they are named to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team.

Congratulations to the 2023 National Honor Society (NHS) inductees: Mia Bruno '25, Luna de la Vega '25, and Natalee McKenzie '24.

Advisor, Shelley Koenig, and Head of School, Kate Punderson, hosted the new members, their families, and the CVA community at the NHS Induction Ceremony held in the Atrium of the Academic Center on May 10th. 

The purpose of this chapter is to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in the students of Carrabassett Valley Academy.

CVA is pleased to announce the 2023-2024 Peer Mentors. The role of a Peer Mentor is to guide and support other students at CVA, helping to create a safe, supportive, and productive environment for all students. They help new and younger students feel welcome and comfortable as they join the CVA community and can be looked to for advice and guidance.

Students entering grades 10-12 can apply each spring to become a Peer Mentor. They receive training in suicide prevention and/or mental health first aid, and serve as the link between students and staff to address student concerns and promote a positive culture.

CVA student-athletes recently participated in a video contest where they submitted videos that showed a day in their life, in under 60 seconds. This contest ties-in to the theme of our recently produced enrollment video that shows a day-in-the-life of our Academy students. The full length video recently premiered at USASA Nationals on the Jumbotron. The 60 second and the 30 second versions have been shared on our and USASA's social media accounts.

The student-created videos were presented during a special 60 Second Film Festival, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prize winners were announced. Thank you to everyone that submitted a video, and congratulations to our winners:



• 1st: (Tie) Kai Glidden & Emily Peck, Lily Sittig, and Luna de la Vega
• 2nd: Chase Littlefield 
• 3rd: (Tie) Danica Sevigny, Lily Cole, and Mia Bruno & Jack Egan
• Viewers' Choice: Kai Glidden

Seventh grade students from the Stratton School - Eustis School Department, Aubrey Mills and Evelyn Pepin, had the opportunity to job-shadow our incredible Athletic Trainer, Tristy Wolfe this spring.

The students received an introduction to the types of jobs available to certified athletic trainers (ATC), saw what a day in the life of an ATC is like, worked with Tristy and the CVA students on Team Rehab, and even learned how to tape a sprained ankle and care for other sports injuries.

CVA students celebrated Earth Day with a week of environmentally themed activities to raise awareness about climate change and to beautify and improve the local community. Tuesday-Friday featured themed dress-up days: Green Day, Season Day, Hot Mess Day, and Flower Day. Thursday kicked off the start of a weekly Campus Clean Up period that continues through the Spring Term.



Students made seed bombs with wildflower seeds, clay powder, and compost from Sugarloaf. (Fun fact: the CVA kitchen is one of the biggest contributors to the Sugarloaf compost!) On Friday, the seed bombs were scattered around tree lines on campus to help attract bees to the area. Students also picked up trash outside and cleaned up the CVA canoe garden and vegetable garden.

Dahlia is an exceptional student who is consistently at the top of her class. She is a member of the National Honor Society and will be the Valedictorian for the Class of 2023. Dahlia, you are the perfect example of academic excellence, and we cannot wait to hear you address the Big Dog community about your journey at graduation next month.

Trenton goes out of his way to be a helpful member of the CVA community. Just one example of his community spirit is when he offered to help a friend assemble a new bike. Trenton biked from school to the Timbers with a heavy pack full of tools and assembled the bike in under an hour. Thank you, Trenton, for lending a hand and for going above and beyond to help others. 

Walker worked hard all season, and his effort showed in his results. At USASA Nationals this year, Walker was crowned the National Champion for SL. He also took 3rd for GS and 12th in SBX. Walker, your positive attitude toward training and desire to continuously improve has paid off. We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the future. 

Congratulations to CVA alum Kiersten Edwards, '17, who has been named a 2023 Syracuse University Scholar, the highest undergraduate honor the university bestows.

Kiersten was a CVA Snowboard athlete named to the US Team and Valedictorian of the CVA Class of 2017. Currently a senior at Syracuse University, she has received many academic honors as an undergraduate.

"As a community volunteer, an award-winning teaching assistant in the Department of Physics, and the recipient of multiple Syracuse University Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Engagement (SOURCE) awards for her public health research, Edwards has already made a significant difference in the lives of others. A double major in public health and neuroscience with a public health concentration in addiction prevention, Edwards is also designated as a 2023 Falk Scholar, the highest academic award conferred by the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

To cap off her exceptional four years at Syracuse, Edwards has been named a 2023 Syracuse University Scholar, the highest academic accolade given to graduating seniors, and she and her fellow scholars will lead the student processional at Commencement." (Changing the World, April 14, 2023: Through Public Health, Kiersten Edwards Finds Path to Improving Lives of Others)

CVA Alpine Coach and alum Anne Rockwell '10 competed in a series of Freeride World Tour Qualifiers events in the Northeast this past season, in hopes of securing a spot in the Challenger Series.

Anne says, "Freeride takes all of the aspects that I love about alpine ski racing and combines them with my passion for Big Mountain skiing."

She is well on her way to achieving her goal with a season of notable results including 1st place at the Stowe and Jay Peak 2* IFSA Qualifiers and a 3rd place result at the Smuggler's Notch 3* IFSA Qualifier.

Congratulations, Anne. We look forward to cheering you on next year!