Alumni News

Today we celebrate alumna and Gwinnett native Elise Karinshak '19, who was recently named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar, earning the highest and most prestigious award of its type for the fields of mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences. She was among only 417 undergraduates selected from 5,000 applicants across the nation.

GAC wishes all the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces a happy Veterans Day. We thank you and your families for your service to our country. If you are a football fan, you may have seen the Fox Sports “NFL Sunday” show broadcast from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) this past sunday. The show honored several midshipmen including GAC’s own Jessica Carothers, Class of 2019.

As GAC opened its doors for the first time in 1968, Nilas and Ellen Manley took a step of faith and enrolled their two eldest daughters Debra and Cathy. In the years that followed, all eight Manley children joined the GAC family, with seven eventually graduating from GAC. Both Ellen and Nilas went to work as involved, dedicated parents, supportive of young GAC with their time, wisdom, resources, and energy. 

Last summer, Elise Karinkshak '19 was a Research Intern at the Stanford University Social Media Lab. The prestigious internship was part of a National Science Foundation-funded program at Stanford's Center for the Study of Language and Information. 

GAC is proud and inspired by so many women who make a big impact in this world. Here are just a few Spartan female role models who are living out their purpose and serving others. 

God. USA. Sports. These three things say a lot about fierce competitor and devoted follower of Christ, Ashley Van Ryn. While a GAC student, Ashley competed in volleyball, basketball, track, and softball. After graduating in 2004, Ashley attended the University of Central Florida on a softball scholarship. Remarkably, today Ashley is an accomplished member of the USA Women’s National Team for the sport of handball

While most business owners faced great uncertainty and disruption when the pandemic hit in 2020, it’s all BrightStar Care franchisee Chris Jackson has known.

Chris opened his home health care agency in Greeley, Colorado shortly before COVID-19 hit the U.S., yet he has found a way to become one of the leading agencies in the network of BrightStar Care franchisees. He credits the team around him for being able to launch his agency and consistently build momentum throughout 2020.

When Hans Brechbuhl, a senior at Texas A&M University and a member of the Corps of Cadets, learned about damage in East Texas and Louisiana caused by Hurricane Laura, he knew it was time to jump into action.

GAC alumni Chuck Efstration (Class of 2001) authored and helped to pass Georgia’s new Anti-Hate Crimes Act, which received national attention this year and was recently signed into law. Georgia previously had been one of four states without a hate crime law.

After graduating from GAC, Jordan enrolled at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He commits to creating a positive impact in his community through his entrepreneurial ventures, and has since published several books as a college student.

Buckhead Art & Company occupies a large, bright showroom in the Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors flood the space with light, illuminating bright white walls and cement floors covered in paint. A substantial array of works line the walls in a variety of styles from abstract to figurative, framing a set of plush couches in the center of the space. Behind a raw wood desk is a friendly face: owner Katie Jones.

Two recent Greater Atlanta Christian School alumni have been chosen to captain the U.S. Naval Academy football team for the 2019 season. Captains are elected by a team vote, and for the first time ever, 4 co-captains were chosen. GAC graduates Paul Carothers of Flowery Branch (Class of 2015) and Ford Higgins of Peachtree Corners (Class of 2016) are seniors at the Naval Academy and will lead the team side-by-side, just as they did while they were Spartans.

We were so glad to have GAC graduates back “home” on campus for the day on Friday, March 22. Our Alumni Speaker Series event, hosted by the Alumni Relations Office, provides current GAC juniors and seniors with a unique opportunity to hear from fellow Spartans about life after graduation, college experiences, and their chosen careers.

The idea for Southern Commercial Roof Tech came to GAC alumni Thomas Vorpahl ('92) and Brandon Barron ('92) during a family vacation. Friends since the 6th grade, they put their plan into action in 2014, opening the doors to their roofing company in a low-rent warehouse with an unyielding commitment to success but zero employees. Since then, their company has been extremely blessed, and Vorpahl and Barron want to return the blessing. They recently gifted GAC with in-kind roofing services.

GAC alum and former Bon Appetit restaurant editor is the host of high-stakes, global culinary competition, The Final Table.

Katie Irwin, GAC Class of 2015, was honored as UGA's Amazing Student for this week and deservedly so! An exemplary student with an impressive resume even as a junior in college, she epitomizes the GAC student, one who is guided by faith, courageous in character, engaged in service, empowered by strengths, driven by passions, shaped by experiences, inspired by vision, motivated by mission, and committed to action. 

As an on-air correspondent based at CNBC's Washington, D.C. bureau, Tausche focuses on the intersection of government and business. She joined CNBC in 2011 as a general assignment reporter covering corporate finance and deals for CNBC's Business Day programming, including reporting on a wide range of high-profile stories for the network like the Facebook initial public offering, the Occupy Wall Street movement and the News Corp. phone hacking.

Bri Emery '04 is a Los Angeles based graphic designer and art director and the founder of designlovefest, a lifestyle blog with an eye for design in style, DIY, food, travel, entertaining and more. This alumni is on fire.

Greater Atlanta Christian grad and Buford native Cindy Brogdon was announced Thursday as a member of the Southeastern Conference 2018 Class of Women’s Legends.

A video of Drew Curd '10 receiving a thoughtful Christmas present from his girlfriend goes viral.

For three years in a foreign country, a young alumna serves as a church planter and uses art as a ministry tool to reach the unreached.

“My mom has taught me and my brothers to be more than that — to not identify yourself as your profession,” Brogdon, 24, said to an audience of Morehouse students and faculty recently. “It’s more so what type of person you are, what type of character you have and how you treat your fellow man.”