The Culver Cannon

Culver Academies French teacher Anastasia Médard Beeson '94 SS'93 says a summer trip to Morocco is giving her new ways to bring culture to life in the classroom while helping students better understand the diversity of the French-speaking world.

Beeson traveled to the north African nation of Morocco this summer through the Council on International Educational Exchange, which connects educators and students with international learning opportunities. As Culver's study abroad coordinator, Beeson said the experience gave her valuable insight into the kinds of cultural immersion students encounter when studying internationally.

Art instructor Diana Westphal is bringing new perspectives back to Culver Academies after a 10-day summer tour of some of Europe's most renowned museums, historic sites and artistic centers.

Westphal, who teaches ceramics at Culver, an elite leadership-oriented boarding school in northern Indiana, traveled through the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Belgium to deepen her understanding of art, architecture and design while finding new ways to enrich her classes.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Lt. Col. Shawn Walsh ’80 was working in a newly renovated office at the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed less than 100 yards from his desk. Protected by recently installed blast-resistant upgrades, Walsh survived the attack and escaped through an emergency stairwell into a scene of smoke, fire and confusion.

Culver Academies math instructor Lt. Col. Bill Farmer spent part of his summer attending a national AP Statistics training institute at Eastern Kentucky University to prepare for the most significant redesign of the AP Statistics curriculum in years. Farmer joined educators from across the country to learn best practices, collaborate on teaching strategies and hear directly from leading experts, including textbook author Darren Starnes.

Physics instructor Monica Owens shared Culver Academies’ competency-based learning model with an international audience at the American Association of Physics Teachers Summer Meeting in Pasadena, California. Her presentation explained how Culver’s freshman physics courses assess competencies such as collaboration, problem-solving, supporting conclusions, questioning, iteration and deepening understanding through projects and rubric-based evaluations.

Culver Military Academy first classman Andrew Chen part of his summer in the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School’s Leadership in the Business World program, one of about 100 students selected nationwide. Chen thrived on analyzing financial statements, debating corporate decisions and developing recommendations for Hims & Hers, a telehealth company. The experience helped him clarify his college and career goals.