Veritas Academy

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 for nearly two weeks of compelling Thesis Presentations, which will conclude here soon at the Final Fourum™! Join us beginning at 4:30pm in the Auditorium to see the winners from this week’s Top 16 Competition as they present their thesis one final time and compete to be named the Senior Thesis Laureate at graduation. If you are unable to join us in person, presentations will also be available through livestream (accessible via the NEW livestream link below).

Congratulations to our Advanced Senior Thesis students who presented last week and congratulations to this year’s Top 16 Thesis contestants! Tonight we enter the second week of Thesis Presentations with our Top 16 Competition beginning this afternoon at 4:30 in the Auditorium and continuing every evening through Thursday. We hope you attend as many evenings as you are able—especially the Final Fourum™ this Friday, May 1, which brings the winner of each night this week together in a final competition to see who will be crowned Senior Thesis Laureate at Graduation. Please visit the School Memo or our Thesis webpage (link in bio) for the daily presentation schedule, thesis descriptions, and more! The countdown to Final Fourum™ has commenced!

The time has come! Advanced Senior Thesis presentations begin Monday afternoon at 4:30 in the Auditorium, and we hope you attend as many evenings as possible—especially the Final Forum, which is Friday, May 1. Please see the School Memo or our Thesis webpage for the daily presentation schedule, thesis descriptions, and more!

Enjoy a little flashback Friday from our 2025 Final Fourum. It seems like just yesterday they were here competing!

Our 8th Grade students embarked on their class trip and traveled to Washington, D.C., where their study of American history took on tangible form!

They visited the institutions and landmarks central to our nation’s story—Capitol Hill, the White House, the Smithsonian museums, and the memorials that commemorate both triumph and sacrifice. A particularly special moment was the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, led by students selected for their Veritas Valiant character.

Students and Chaperones navigated the city in small groups, planning their routes and engaging thoughtfully with each site. Their time also included a visit to Mount Vernon, where they encountered more fully the life and legacy of our nation’s first president, George Washington.

Such experiences are integral to our Veritas education, inviting students not merely to study history, but to encounter it—and in doing so, to grow in wisdom, responsibility, and an understanding of their place within a larger civic tradition.

After a few days of learning under the monuments and memorials of D.C., they have returned and now pivot back to indoor learning for the final six weeks of school!

What an incredible showing for Veritas Speech and Debate at the TAPPS 4A State Championship in Waco, especially in just their second year as a team! Over three full days of intense competition, our students rose to the challenge, advancing through rigorous rounds and earning multiple state placements. A special congratulations to Drew Krawzsenek and Ezra Blythe for their outstanding achievements.

Drew was named State Champion in Original Oratory, competing against more than 20 students, including nationally ranked speakers. His ten minute, fully memorized speech reflected deep research, clarity, and conviction, truly embodying the art of the good man speaking well. Ezra also delivered an exceptional performance, earning 3rd place in Lincoln Douglas Debate after nearly six hours of competition. He demonstrated thoughtful reasoning, composure, and articulate communication throughout.

Congratulations to Drew, Ezra, and the entire Speech & Debate team! We are especially proud of the way you portrayed key elements of the Portrait of a Defender—one who “reads deeply and charitably; reasons truthfully, diligently, and earnestly; and speaks and writes with clarity, wisdom, and eloquence.” 
A special thank you to Coach Leslie Quinnell and the many wonderful parent volunteers who support this team!

Under the leadership of coaches Alisa Dusan, Ryan Dobbs, and Fran Adair, our Veritas Swim Team delivered a historic performance at the TAPPS State Championships. For the first time in school history, the Girls team claimed the State Championship title, winning gold by an incredible 58-point margin. After finishing 2nd, 4th, and 3rd in recent years, this long-anticipated victory marks a defining moment for the program.

The Boys team earned the title of State Runner-Up, finishing just five points behind British International of Houston and securing their 10th consecutive Top-2 finish at State — a decade-long legacy of excellence in TAPPS swimming. Even more remarkable, this is the second year in a row that both the Boys and Girls teams have finished Top 2 at the State Championships — a rare and extraordinary accomplishment.

Five of six Veritas relays finished on the podium, including a State Championship victory in the Girls 200 Medley Relay (Kate MacPherson, Bailey McGehee, Julia Rhodes, and Jane Thomas). The Boys 400 Freestyle Relay (Aiden Diaz, Nathan Kozubek, Andrew Morgan, and Silas Sekula) dropped an impressive 23 seconds on their way to a fourth-place finish.

Senior captain Kate MacPherson and senior chaplain Julia Rhodes earned 1st Team All-State honors, each finishing Top 5 in all four of their events. Senior Bailey McGehee and junior Jane Thomas also received 1st Team All-State recognition, while junior chaplain Haddie Dusan earned 2nd Team All-State. Several swimmers earned All-State Honorable Mention, including Abigail Rhodes, Lorelei Dobbs, Caleb Eilers, Nathan Kozubek, Brayden Nelson, and Lyle Thorburn.

Congratulations to this exceptional group of student-athletes and to every member of the DeFINder family — swimmers, student leaders, parents, and coaches — who made this championship season one to remember.

Earlier this month, we had the profound honor of retiring basketball jersey #22, a symbol that now stands for far more than a position on the court. It represents the unwavering courage, quiet strength, perseverance, and unwavering faith of Nate Gabrysch—even in the hardest moments.

On Sunday, January 11, Nate went home to be with Jesus, peacefully surrounded by his family and his beloved dog, Boone. While our hearts still ache, we cling to the hope we have in Christ—and to the example Nate lived out so beautifully each day as he remained joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).

In his final months, Nate experienced so many meaningful moments: special adventures, time with family and friends, and the joy of seeing his number retired at Veritas. What a gift it was to celebrate him, and what an even greater gift to carry his legacy forward.

Today, on the 22nd, we pause again to honor Nate’s life and legacy, and we remember a Defender whose impact will never fade. His number may be retired, but his faith, courage, and joy live on—in our community and in our hearts.

Please continue to pray for the Gabrysch family and all who loved Nate. Today, and always, #22.

Happy New Year! Though a new year often brings new rhythms, the call for parents to raise their children in the paideia of the Lord remains constant. Ephesians 6:4 instructs, “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
At Veritas, that’s more than a verse — it’s our mission and at the heart of who we are. While our collaborative model allows parents to remain the primary disciplers of their children, we come alongside them to form students’ hearts, minds, and souls toward Christ-centered wisdom and service. Education here is discipleship and we are delighted to be starting another year and new semester with this truth anchoring us.
As part of the Veritas community, you enter into an extraordinary group of believers who love the Lord, love learning, and love children. Veritas will not only challenge you to grow professionally but also in your walk with God. Please visit the link(s) in our bio to apply to teach or join us at our next Open House to see if Veritas could be a good fit for your family.

In this season of advent, we reflect on how education inspires wonder and awe. At Veritas Academy, we pursue what is good, true, and beautiful in every facet of the educational journey — allowing students to discover and appreciate God’s handiwork in all aspects of life.
Regardless of where God calls our students next, the mission at Veritas is to produce men and women of wisdom and virtue. As image bearers of God, students are trained to know and love what is good, true, and beautiful, culminating in a virtuous life. Students educated in this tradition think logically, examine arguments, and communicate effectively both in written and spoken word.
As students progress through the three stages of learning and school levels at Veritas Academy —Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric—they receive a comprehensive education that fully integrates a Biblical worldview and focuses on ordering their loves to become life-long learners, Christ followers, and responsible citizens.
If you’re interested in helping students discover what is good, true, and beautiful, join us in partnering with parents to cultivate faith, virtue, and wisdom together. Please visit the link(s) in our bio to apply to teach or join us at our next Open House to see if Veritas could be a good fit for your family.

As we enter the second week of Advent, we shift our focus from the hope we hold in the promises of the Messiah, an expectant hope, to the peace Christ brings as He enters our world with reconciliation and restoration. This movement from hope to peace invites us to reflect not only on what Christ has done but also on how His peace is actively lived out in our community.This lived-out peace, rooted in belonging, care, and connection, shapes the heartbeat of our school.

From unique and intentional events celebrating families to mentorship and equipping opportunities — our students, families, and faculty aren’t just part of a school; they belong to a connected and joyful community. 

Family Ministries, one of our five pillars and a core function of our school, desires to help families build and strengthen their communities at the school, providing avenues for families to connect, serve, pray, and walk alongside families through times of joy and sadness. Family Ministries exists to care, connect, equip, and celebrate!

Being a part of our community as a member of our faculty and staff provides the opportunity to use your gifts to impact students, families, and co-workers for God’s glory. Together we seek to support one another in the pursuit of the Veritas mission. Read firsthand a testimonial from a long-time member of our team:

“I remember the first day I joined the Veritas staff and the sweet welcome I received from the community. That feeling of belonging, unity in mission, and love has only continued to grow. I could not dream of a better place to work . . .  Veritas is home.”

This same sentiment is one that we hear over and over from our families. “One of the biggest blessings for us when we first got plugged into the school was how quickly you can build community.”

We invite you to consider where you might fit into this caring, encouraging, and supportive Defender Community. Please visit the link(s) in our bio to apply to teach or join us at our next Open House to see if Veritas could be a good fit for your family.