The spring 2023 issue of Moravian Academy's print alumni magazine, The Journal, is here! The theme of this issue is excellence.

The theme of this issue of the Journal is excellence. As someone who knows our school well, this likely does not surprise you. Moravian Academy has long been synonymous with excellence in education in the Lehigh Valley. Our students' genuine curiosity leads them to make discoveries and pursue artistic self-expressions, resulting in excellent outcomes. 

The care and passion our students channel into their work is the true mark of excellence. Hanning Yan '25 won a prestigious writing award for a poem that paid tribute to the stories and experiences of her mother (pg. 3), while Okezue Bell '23 presented on the world stage of a climate conference because of his commitment to making a difference for our planet (pg. 4). Sophia Brancato '27 and Lia Nnenkwo '28 earned grant money to fund the "Day of Joyful Giving" because they understand the importance of serving their community (pg. 10). 

As LCDR Rory Yoder '06MA will tell you (pg. 38), "excellence is a habit." The Lions and their coaches showed us what this looks like in practice, with the boys soccer team bringing home one PIAA State Championship (pg. 32) and cross-country runner Virginia Kraus '26 running her heart out to bring home another (pg. 35).

Kristin Arend, PhD '92MA offers this advice (pg. 24): "Define excellence for yourself." These words resonate with us as we reflect on the installation ceremony of Head of School Adrianne Finley Odell. On a historical occasion like this, it was important to Ms. Finley Odell that the ceremony be fun, joyful, musical, and--above all else--centered around what this next chapter means for our students. The strength of our collective community is a huge part of what generations of alumni and families have attributed to our continued excellence. 

As you read about the experiences of students, alumni, and faculty from the Swain, Downtown, and Merle-Smith Campuses, we hope you will reflect on what excellence means to you, and find inspiration in the excellence (and compassion, curiosity, and courage!) of our community.