The Explorer: Alumni Edition
The Harrisburg Area's
First IB World School
March 19, 2014
Connect with us Online!
Dear Friends,
It is such an honor for me to be working at Harrisburg
Academy. For those of you who don't know me yet, I am an
alumnus of the Class of 2002. I owe a great deal to how the
Academy shaped me ethically, morally, and academically. My
experience was something upon which I often look back with
fondness. Perusing old yearbooks in the MS/US Library and
finding old pictures of myself has made me nostalgic, and
undoubtedly, we all have this same thing in common...
Harrisburg Academy.
My background is in IT consulting. I've started a business,
worked in business development and relationships management, and have certifications in Six
Sigma process improvement.
I will be blending my background in business into my current role in alumni relations. As
alumni, while we were all at school, we were working for the Academy. Now I want to make
sure the Academy works for you. Stay tuned for these new and exciting projects in the coming
months.
Best,
Michael LaRue '02
Assistant Director of Alumni Relations
Academy-Link
Our goal is to develop a centralized online platform where alumni can interact and engage
meaningfully, both with each other and directly with the Academy. We have a rare and unique
opportunity, given our total alumni community, to make a valuable impact for everyone:
experienced and young alumni, current students and families, faculty and staff, and our
communities at large, here in Harrisburg and around the world. Your involvement is needed
and your advice is welcomed.
It is the intention of our "Academy-Link" program to serve as an online networking community
for Harrisburg Academy's alumni body. Through Academy-Link you, as an alumni, will be able
to stay professionally connected to trends in various industries. If you need help with career
transitions or mentorship, Academy-Link is there to help you. Our alumni are a valuable
resource, and it is our goal to provide a platform for meaningful professional networking. We
are in the planning stages of Academy-Link, but if you have ideas on how a community could
better serve you individually and professionally, please contact Michael LaRue.
School Updates
Growing the Academy Advantage
The Academy's new three-year strategic plan, Growing the Academy
Advantage, has been unveiled and we encourage all alumni to learn
about the future direction of our school. This latest blueprint for the
future is the Academy's fifth consecutive strategic plan. It
demonstrates the kind of steady leadership and future vision the
Academy's Board of Trustees has capably provided to our school
community during the last 20 years. Growing the Academy Advantage
will do just that -- it will enable us to enhance our students' learning,
growth, and understanding of character. This new three-year plan was
crafted with careful consideration to our past and our future, and with
input from parents, staff, trustees, and our alumni.
Many thanks to everyone in the Academy community who was part of the strategic planning
process, making Growing the Academy Advantage such a valuable document for guiding the
future growth of the Academy! Questions? Please contact Steve Fry, head of Middle School.
Academy Advantages
The Academy Advantages booklet provides parents and alumni testimonials with research and
statistics about frequently asked questions, and as such, is an invaluable document to the life of
the school. Even for those who have been connected to the Academy for as long as our
alumni, some of the information in this booklet may surprise you! Please take a minute to read
through this document, and feel free to pass it along to a friend who may be looking for what
the Academy has to offer. Questions? Please contact the Admission Office.
International Baccalaureate at Harrisburg Academy
Harrisburg Academy is proud to be the first school in the Harrisburg area to receive
International Baccalaureate World School accreditation and through this, offer the IB Diploma
program to its Upper School students. Designed as a comprehensive, two-year curriculum that
allows students to fulfill requirements of various national education systems, IB incorporates
the best elements of education across the globe. Click here to learn more about the IB Diploma
Program at Harrisburg Academy. Questions? Please contact Tom Banks, head of Upper School
and IB program coordinator.
Philanthropy News
230 Years of Academy Advantages
This year marks Harrisburg Academy's 230th anniversary,
and as alumni, we should be honored to be part of the
tradition of the 17th oldest independent school in the nation.
In recognition of our school's great legacy, the Alumni Office
is pleased to announce the 230 campaign, the goal of which
is to secure the support of 230 alumni by June 30,
2014. Please celebrate the Academy and help accomplish
this goal by giving to your alma mater.
"Celebrate the Academy" Spring Benefit
The Academy's 28th annual spring benefit is fast
approaching, and you are invited to attend! Alumni are
invited to join us on April 12 at Level 2 in downtown Harrisburg for a night of revelry to
celebrate and support the Academy. The evening will include cocktails, hors d'oeuvres,
dancing, a live auction, and a "Best of the Best" raffle. Learn more about the spring benefit on
our website and contact Beth Zak in the Development Office if you would like to attend.
Why I Give
"I support Harrisburg Academy because it is a true treasure in
our greater Harrisburg community. I love that the Academy
celebrates and supports each member of its community. I am
proud that my children are learning, as I did, to look beyond our
small community and realize that the world is a big place. I love
that the school celebrates core values such as diversity,
curiosity, and integrity, while also providing an amazing
education. Giving back to the school also means supporting the
Academy's financial aid and merit scholarship programs, which
is important to me. In short, I support Harrisburg Academy
because I am proud of the school!" Alison Hassman
Ballantine '91
Faculty Updates
Connecting with Iran in the Global Classroom
This winter, Mr. Bowie's IB Visual Arts class and Mr. Frengel's IB
Literature class conducted a live internet video exchange with
Maryam and Ebrahim, Iranian students now studying art in
Sweden. Maryam and Ebrahim offered many insights during an
hour-long conversation about their Persian cultural influences and the
role of government censorship in their home country of Iran. Read
more...
Faculty Feature: Steve Pancoski
Steve Pancoski has been a fixture not only at Harrisburg Academy
but in the Southcentral Pennsylvania hoops scene as well, coaching
AAU in Camp Hill and assisting in area shoot-out competitions. He's
in his 22nd year leading the Harrisburg Academy Spartans Boys'
Basketball team, making him one of the longest-tenured basketball
coaches in central Pennsylvania. Read more...
Student Updates
Harrisburg Academy is proud of its role as a private school
with a public purpose, and we encourage our students to
also take pride in their community. Students learn from
putting their ideas into action and becoming engaged as
local and global citizens. Below are some examples of
Academy students who have found a purpose in community
service.
LeeTal S. '14
I have spent my entire high school experience as a volunteer at B'nai Brith Youth Organization
(BBYO), seeking a meaningful Jewish experience. I dedicated my time to learn, grow, and
develop my own Jewish identity and to help other teens do the same. Read more...
Lauren Z. '14
How you spend the summer before senior year of high
school matters. Not only are students starting their college
applications (and the Historical Investigation and Extended
Essay for IB students), but colleges want to see where their
interests lie. So last summer, I chose a program generously
funded by Harrisburg Academy's IB Summer Study
Scholarship, through which I could pursue my main interest,
medicine. Read more...
Professional Opinion: When Weather Strikes
When disaster strikes, we hear much about the damage to
infrastructure and the impact on human life -- the tangible
losses wrought by weather events, public health crises, and
social unrest. But what gets less coverage is the impact on
economies; this is what Alex Kaplan '97 studies. Since the
beginning of this century, natural disasters have destroyed
over $2.5 trillion in economic value across the globe. To
better identify and manage the impact of unforeseeable
events, we need to increase our awareness of "economic
resilience." Read more...
Days of Yesteryear
The Spectator, 1994
The Spectator, 2002
Most Visited
Past Alumni Explorers
Academy Newsroom
Sports Schedules
Purchase Academy Photos
Questions? Contact Michael LaRue.