Student Standouts and Faculty Feature for April 25, 2025

Student Standouts: Coppel ’25, Naber ’25, Schuerer ’25, LaMartina ’25, Poojari ’25, Puri ’25, Rohan ’26, Borders ’28, Weaver ’27, Macam ’26, Harris ’26
Faculty Features: Yoshioka-Tarver

Congratulations to this week’s standouts below. Way to go #RamNation! And as always, if you have a story to share, please email weeklynews@micds.org.

 

Three Rams Make All-Metro Girls Swimming and Diving Team

The 2025 All-Metro Girls Swimming and Diving Team members have been announced and three of our Rams made the list! Congrats to the following three seniors:

  • Grace Coppel ’25 took home four top-eight medals at the Class 2 state meet, including third place in the 50-yard freestyle, fifth in the 100 free, and two runner-up finishes in the 200 and 400 free relay teams.
  • Lindsay Naber ’25 earned four medals at the Class 2 state meet. She was runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke and fourth place in the 200 individual medley. Also, she was part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
  • Nina Schuerer ’25 also took home four all-state medals, including three second-place finishes at the Class 2 state meet. In addition to the second-place finishes in the 200 and 400 free relays, she earned fourth place in the 500 free and a runner-up finish in the 200-yard freestyle.

Way to go, Rams!

Senior Returns to Perform with the St. Louis Muny this Summer

Grant LaMartina ’25 will be returning for his second summer with the St. Louis Muny. He is a member of the Teen Troupe and will be performing in two shows. The Muny Teens is an acclaimed program that spotlights approximately 30 teens who demonstrate exceptional voice/dance talent and discipline. Grant has been working towards this achievement for many years and is thrilled to be spending his last summer of high school with the Muny. Break a leg, Grant!

Two Rams Named Semifinalists for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

Congratulations to Amisha Poojari ’25 and Arjun Puri ’25 who were announced as Semifinalists for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program! The program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. It has since been extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts as well as ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields. Amisha is also noted as a Semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education.
Read the full list of national semi-finalists here! Congratulations, Amisha and Arjun!

Records Broken at Track Meet

At the Parkway Central Track & Field Meet, Henry Rohan ’26 ran a new school record in the 100-meter run with a time of 10.47. He beat alum and now MICDS Boys Track & Field Assistant Coach Joshua Sutton ’19’s record of 10.48 set on May 18, 2019.

Additionally, Blaike Borders ’28, Nick Weaver ’27, Morgan Macam ’26, and Sebastian Harris ’26 ran a new school record of 3:54.03 in the Mixed 4x400M Relay. This beats the previous record of 4:06.82 set by Sophia Goodwin ’25, Amir Muhammad ’24, Abby Wyckoff ’24, and Liam McCarthy ’24, set on April 13, 2023.

Way to run, Rams!

Faculty Feature: Dr. Megumi Yoshioka-Tarver Named the 2025 High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year

Dr. Megumi Yoshioka-Tarver, Upper School Science Teacher, has been named the 2025 High School Chemistry Teacher of the Year by the St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). This award is one of the highest honors a high school chemistry teacher in our region can receive and is part of a national tradition by the ACS—one of the world’s largest and most respected scientific societies—of recognizing excellence in chemical education. Each year, only one teacher in the St. Louis region is selected, making this a significant professional milestone and a testament to the high standards Dr. Yoshioka-Tarver brings to her teaching.

Dr. Yoshioka-Tarver’s instruction is marked by rigor, relevance, and a deep commitment to student engagement. She creates a learning environment that challenges students to think critically and discover connections between chemistry and the world around them. Her passion for her subject and continuous pursuit of professional learning inspire both students and colleagues alike.

Bravo, Dr. Meg!