Broncos,
A great Walther tradition is the annual band/choir tour. Every year, just as winter is about to turn into spring, either the band or the choir boards a coach bus and heads somewhere far away. For 5-6 days it is a musical adventure. Hundreds of miles go by out the bus window, and multiple stops are made to sing or play at Lutheran churches, sometimes in the context of a worship service, and sometimes as a stand alone concert.
Three years ago, I went along on Choir Tour as a chaperone, and I was surprised by how much I loved the experience. The hospitality in small churches in Ohio and Pennsylvania was remarkable. We were always well-fed, and most churches arranged homestays with host families. It was wonderful to see our students having meaningful conversations with strangers–and bonding even more tightly as a choir. We made it all the way to New York City (my hometown!) where we explored the sites, had great pizza, and sang at a church on Central Park West before catching a Broadway show. The real highlight was seeing Walther students spreading the light of Christ through music.
This year, once again, I’ll be joining the tour–Band this year. And Ms. Rose even asked me to play trumpet. Please keep us in your prayers as we journey to North Carolina on Band Tour this week!
Yours in Christ,
Tim Bouman
Head of School
Bronco Benefit 2026 was a wonderful evening of fellowship and fundraising. We had 215 guests in attendance, up more than 40 from a year ago. We had more parents and faculty in attendance this year. But, we also had more than 100 alumni, parents of alumni, and former teachers present. So, for many it felt like a big reunion.
We celebrated the impact Walther has on our students and alumni by hearing from two current students as well as retired teacher and coach, Bruce Tuomi, who received the Sower Award. We enjoyed live music performed by our talented music faculty and students. And, we raised the most money ever at a Bronco Benefit, netting around $93,000 to assist our students and teachers.
I would love to see even more alumni in attendance next year. Plan ahead and get a group together. You will enjoy the experience. Details on a date and location will be announced in the next couple of months.
Bill Koehne ‘87
Director of Advancement
Walther Christian Academy
On February 27, Lori Boyer and eleven of Walther’s A Cappella members traveled to Valparaiso University. There they performed live with the Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer as part of an Honor Choir Festival. In addition to rehearsing with and learning from these world-famous professionals, along with 100 peers from other high schools, they experienced sessions that included original songwriting, music therapy, music and engineering, and more! Walther junior Andrew Hoy shared, “Singing with a professional group was unreal.” Classmate Jaden Fructuoso added, “I also enjoyed singing with other students who are also really dedicated to music. I can’t wait to return next year.”
Kickstart, as it is called, now meets in the Music room every Tuesday morning at 7:15am to sing praise songs and share a devotional thought based on scripture. Andy shared, “The name comes from the idea to kickstart your day with Jesus.”
The five member leadership team rotates weeks picking the songs and leading the devotion. They rehearse on Mondays after Gospel Choir and communicate with each other at A Cappella and through a group chat.
Elijah Seabaugh was asked by Steven to play keyboard. “After the first week I was like ‘wow this is a powerful experience.’” He then joined the leadership team. Fellow leader Blythe Balock added, “What I like is that we have more autonomy over which songs we choose to sing. It is more free-flowing. Steven has a real passion, confidence, and genuineness in his leadership that makes this so much fun to be a part of. It’s really cool.”
The group is currently getting 10-12 students a week to attend, but would love to get more. “We are looking for ways to attract more students,” shared Steven. “Once they experience it, we believe they will come and enjoy being in God’s presence. Seeing people worship warms my heart.” Ellen added, “Just because it is student-led doesn’t mean only students can attend. Teachers, parents, or anyone else are certainly welcome.” All are welcome to come when you can and leave when you need to.
Principal Swims shared, “Kickstart is one of the most rewarding experiences for me as a Walther school leader. Students taking the initiative to organize, gather, sing, pray, and testify in worship to God – at 7:15 in the morning – is so beautiful! Kickstart is the embodiment of who we are cultivating our students to be at Walther!”
Wind Ensemble Concert – Sunday, March 8 @ 3:30pm
Career Day – Friday, March 13
Spring Break – March 23-27
Students in Mr. Benke’s US History classes chose a person, event, or invention from Black history. Each Friday in February students had time to research and put together a gallery exhibit. Last Friday, students went around the classroom to learn about others’ exhibits just like they would at a museum. “The students really enjoyed the experience and even suggested we do this for other heritage months of the year. I will certainly continue this in years to come,” shared Mr. Benke.
Emmanuel Perez, Walther Class of 2012, is a Christian Counselor with Pneuma Counseling. After graduating from Walther, Emmanuel earned a BA in Applied Psychology from UIC in 2016 and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Concordia University Chicago in 2020. He began his professional career with Tandem Psychology and then Second Story Counseling before shifting his focus to Christian Counseling, first at In-Touch Health and now with Pneuma Counseling.
When asked why he chose this career path, Emmanuel responded, “I didn’t choose it, it chose me. I love pets and originally planned to be a veterinarian, but I learned that just because you have a passion, it doesn’t mean it is a career.” Early in his junior year of college he took a career aptitude test which pointed him towards psychology. He had recently helped a friend by just listening and decided to look into it. “I realized that I love to listen, encourage, share words of hope, and I loved to learn how people think. Counseling was certainly the right choice for me.”
In his current practice as a Christian counselor, Emmanuel works mostly with college students. “I get to use the gifts that God has given me. An ear to listen, words of hope. It is a beautiful honor to speak to my clients, become a part of their support system, and pray with them.”
“My time at Walther really set me up well for life. By building relationships with teachers, I learned how to speak with adults and feel comfortable communicating.” Emmanuel cited Mr. Benke, Mr. Samayoa, Mrs. Holliday, Mrs. Eberhard, Mrs. Mack, and Mr. Carnehl as teachers who really made a positive impact on his life.
Emmanuel also shared about the positive impact of being in a Christian school. “God was at the center. I experienced worship, we prayed for others, and took classes based on Christian faith. Seeds were planted in my heart. As I look back at it now, I realize that having friends who loved the Lord really kept me in line.”
“As a counselor I hear stories of how high school was trash. I had such a different experience. Walther was like a second home to me, especially during difficult financial times for my family. I loved that I had such a 1:1 connection with teachers. I always felt seen and heard. I pray for Walther all the time and I give of my time any chance I can because the school did so much for me. I also donate to Walther. Seeing how so many Lutheran schools have closed, I want to do my part to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
Boys Basketball – The varsity finished 11-20 (6-4 Chicago Prep Conference). They ended the season on a high note winning the 3rd place game in the CPC tournament followed by a win in the first round of the state tournament. All-Conference selections included junior Brandon Pettigrew and senior Zyon Murphy.
The sophomores ended their season on a 9 game winning streak including winning the conference tournament to finish 16-9 (9-1 CPC) Photo above.
The freshmen won three of their last four games to end the season at 4-5.
Girls Basketball – With a roster in which 5 of their 8 members were underclassmen, the team struggled to a record of 5-24 (5-8 CPC). But, they finished on a high note winning two games to claim the conference tournament consolation title.
Wrestling – With a roster in which 7 of their 10 members were in their first year of wrestling, and often filling only 8 of 14 weight classes, the wrestling team struggled to a 4-24 record. However, the team finished 5th out of 10 teams at the Regional tournament with five wrestlers qualifying for Sectionals. Freshman Santiago Vasquez (132lbs) finished 2-2 at the Sectional and was an alternate for the State Tournament.
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.
Martin Stritof, Class of ’59, passed away on August 18, 2025.
Robert Beck, Class of ’61, passed away on February 26, 2026.
Please email any death notices to Advancement@WaltherAcademy.org
Walther Christian Academy is operated for the purpose of providing Christian Education at the secondary level for the families of Lutheran congregations. However, it admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, and religion to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and religion in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
