Featured Alumni
List of 9 news stories.
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Featured Alumni- Elisa Trentham
Elisa Platillero Trentham- Class of 2008
Seventeen years have flown by since Elisa walked the halls of CAK, and in that time, life has been full of adventure, creativity, and purpose. After graduating in 2008, she attended Asbury University, earning a degree in Media Communications with minors in PR and Spanish.
Following college, Elisa spent three years working with the U.S. Department of State, capturing video and photo coverage for the Women’s Empowerment through Sports program. From there, a passion for storytelling and media production led to the creation of Sherwood Media, a video production company. Today, Elisa works as a story consultant and communication coach, helping business owners clarify their message and confidently present themselves on camera—turning what is often an intimidating experience into an empowering one.
Life outside of work is just as full! Elisa married Jonathan in 2015, and together they have three children—Cora (8), James (6), and Juliana (3). When not working, she enjoys playing strategy board games like Azul and Carcassonne, as well as fiber arts projects like knitting and sewing, often alongside their daughter.
Looking back on their time at CAK, some of Elisa’s favorite memories include launching the high school’s film club, creating short films with friends, and premiering them at Café PM. Another highlight? Being part of the band and marching on the football field for the first time ever during junior year! Reflecting on her journey, Elisa credits CAK for fostering a love of video and storytelling—an interest that has grown into a fulfilling career. “I really loved the opportunities CAK gave me to pursue my interests,” Elisa shares. “I found a love for video and storytelling there, and I'm doing that for my career today!”
You can get in touch with Elisa via her website and social media.
This spotlight was originally featured in the spring 2025 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni: Shane & Tammy Stanifer
Shane & Tammy Stanifer- Class of 1992
For Shane and Tammy Stanifer, CAK is more than just a school—it’s where lifelong friendships were made, faith was strengthened, and their story began. The couple, both members of CAK’s Class of 1992, fondly recall their time as Warriors, especially their days on the basketball court.
After graduation, Shane went on to Tennessee Tech, while Tammy attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The two were married in 1996 and built a life rooted in faith, family, and service. Shane has spent his career in both accounting and sales but recently took a leap into entrepreneurship, launching a logistics company in partnership with Amazon. Tammy has dedicated 25 years to the dental field, most recently working with Smile Doctors Orthodontics. Beyond their careers, the Stanifers have been involved in youth ministry, investing in the next generation.
Their family has grown over the years, with two children and now a daughter-in-law. Their son, 23, lives in New York City with his wife as they both pursue law school. Their daughter, 20, will be transferring to ETSU this fall after completing her studies at Pellissippi.
When they’re not working or serving, the Stanifers love to travel and spend time with family. But no matter where life takes them, CAK remains a special place in their hearts. “We frequently talk about the influence CAK had in our lives, from the teachers, coaches, and lifelong friends that were made,” Tammy shared. “They are truly years that we will always cherish.”
This spotlight was originally featured in the spring 2025 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Amanda Day
CAK is blessed to have many alumni return to teach in the classrooms where they once sat as students. Amanda Day, 8th-grade Bible teacher, is a prime example of that. Amanda graduated from CAK in 1992 and went on to attend Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA. Her husband, Jon Day, is currently serving as CAK's HS Assistant Principal. Amanda is in her 9th year of teaching at CAK. For her first seven years, she was a 4th grade teacher and now she is in the middle school teaching 8th grade Bible. All three of their children attended CAK. Charlie graduated in 2019, Jackson attended through his junior year and Jenneh just recently graduated in May of 2023.
Amanda said, "In my free time, I love being with my family and friends. We have a lot of family in town and it is life-giving to be able to be with all of them."
She is a part of the worship team at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, something Amanda looks forward to on the weekends. She enjoys traveling in the summer to relax and also be able to serve on mission trips. She also loves to go shopping.
Amanda's favorite CAK memory was the annual Cades Cove hayride and cookout. "Our class had an amazing community and we spent a lot of time together as a whole class," said Amanda. "We had a lot of social gatherings with everyone and it was awesome! The parents of our class made sure we had a lot of opportunities to spend time together." Another memorable moment for her was when the students were able to move to the new campus on Dutchtown Road! Before all students were able to be on one campus, they were scattered to three separate locations across Knoxville.
This spotlight was originally shared in the Fall 2023 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Blake Houser
Blake graduated from CAK in 2010 and attended Lincoln Memorial University. Since graduating from LMU, he has completed medical school at DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2018 and his residency in Internal Medicine at The University of Kentucky at Bowling Green, graduating in 2021. Currently, Blake is a nocturnist at Deaconess Hospital in Indiana.
Blake recently got engaged to Alyssa Bailey. They will be married on April 10, 2024! Blake loves to indulge in travel, golf, concerts, and sporting events. Last year alone, he caught performances by Morgan Wallen, Ian Munsick, and Luke Combs. He also attended games, including the Tennessee vs. Texas A&M match in Knoxville and a Cowboys game in Dallas, and even witnessed the World Series! Blake's fondest memory from his days at CAK is playing football under the Friday night lights and being cheered on by the whole student body.
This spotlight was originally featured in the Spring 2024 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Bo & Erin Sanford
Bo & Erin Sanford graduated from CAK in 2008, where both were involved in sports and ran track in high school. They attended the University of Tennessee for their undergraduate studies and remained at UT for nursing school (Erin) and law school (Bo).
Bo & Erin got married after graduating from UT and now have two little girls, Lindsey and Harper. Lindsey is currently in 4th grade and Harper is in 2nd grade at CAK. "We have so many happy memories from our time at CAK and we treasure the lifelong friendships that were made during our time there," said the Sanfords. Erin is currently one of the on-campus nurses at CAK and Bo works as a lawyer at Gentry, Tipton & McLemore.
They love seeing alumni bring their children back to CAK, just like they have. "I pray that my kids have the same experience we had and develop those lifelong friendships. We are blessed by teachers that love them and partner with us to point our kids to Christ and help establish a foundation of biblical truth in their lives," said Erin.
This piece was originally shared in the Fall 2022 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Jackson Morris
After graduating from CAK in 2019, Jackson earned his degree in Supply Chain Management with a Collateral in Sales from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in May 2023. Since then, Jackson has accepted a position at PepsiCo's Frito-Lay Headquarters in Plano, TX. In his role as a project manager, he's been working on implementing a new warehousing agenda across Frito-Lay warehouses nationwide. Since July, he has worked in CA, MA, OH, GA, and TX.
In his free time, Jackson enjoys exercising, watching sporting events and movies, listening to music, spending quality time with friends and family, and attending church. He travels back to Knoxville as often as possible to visit and watch UT sporting events. Reflecting on his time at CAK, Jackson enjoyed time spent with friends in the cafeteria, on the football field and basketball court, and after school. He said, “I am very grateful for some of the lifelong friendships I built during my time at CAK. I am blessed to have parents who supported me and saw the value in having a private Christian education. I would not be where I am today if it were not for my time at the Christian Academy of Knoxville. CAK fully prepared me for my time at The University of Tennessee Knoxville and beyond and will always hold a special place in my heart!”
This spotlight was originally shared in the Spring 2024 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Jeremy & Kristin Miller
Jeremy and Kristin Miller were high school sweethearts while attending CAK. Jeremy graduated in 2006 and Kristin in 2007. While Kristin went to UT for her undergraduate studies and Vanderbilt for graduate school, Jeremy was the reverse. He started at Vanderbilt for his undergraduate studies and UT for graduate school. Jeremy is now an attorney at Egerton, McAfee, Armistead, & Davis, P.C. Kristin is serving as the Community Engagement Director for TN Kids Belong.
While they both love spending time with their family, they also enjoy reading, traveling and hiking. Three of their four children attend CAK, Mabel (9th), Jude (3rd), and Titus (1st) while their daughter Portia (9th) attends West High School. Kristin said, “One of my favorite memories is rolling houses with Mrs. Mynatt and Mr. Margene! I just recently found out that Mrs. Mynatt would go back the next day to help clean up the mess! 20 years later they have both taught Mabel.”
This write-up was originally featured in the Spring 2023 Alumni Newsletter. -
Featured Alumni- Katie Duncan
Katie, a University of Tennessee Grad, is working in Washington DC at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as a uranium expert supporting the nation's nuclear stockpile. She is working to re-establish depleted uranium manufacturing processes that are required for projected needs in nuclear weapons. NNSA interviewed Katie for their Women in Defense Programs series in September. Click HERE to read the full article about her challenging but fascinating work!
Katie is a 2014 graduate of CAK. She said, "I will always reflect fondly on my time at CAK. One of my favorite memories is the semi-final football game against Alcoa in November 2011. My brother, Reece, was the kicker on the football team. The game-winning field goal was intense and exciting." Even now, Katie and the friends that she made when she came to CAK in 5th grade have a group text they consistently use to keep in touch with each other. They attend each other's weddings and enjoy visiting all the new cities they have moved to. Katie said, "what a gift it has been to grow up with such wonderful people and continue to cultivate those friendships in adulthood." When Reece passed away suddenly in August of 2014, Katie's time at CAK became an even more coveted chapter in her life. "The community of parents, students, coaches, and teachers rallied behind me and my parents as we learned to navigate our new normal. I cherish the place and people at CAK that made me so much of who I am today, and for that, I will always be grateful," said Katie.
This piece was originally shared in our Alumni newsletter on October 1st, 2022. -
Featured Alumni- Nathan Heathcox
Nathan Hethcox graduated from CAK in 2019. He attended the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee Knoxville and just recently graduated in December of 2022. UT Haslam College of Business did an article about Nathan and how his success came from his ability to balance everything life threw at him. Click HERE to read the full article. Nathan just recently took a position as a financial analyst at Novinger, Ball, and Zivi and is loving his new job. His favorite memory of CAK was the senior trip to New York City. In his spare time, he enjoys playing beach volleyball. Nathan recently became engaged to Jocelyn Gillis, and their wedding is set for June of 2024.
This spotlight was originally shared in the Fall 2023 Alumni Newsletter.
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