Back-to-school season was extra special this year as Head of School, Mike Maruca, marked his seventeenth and final “first day of school” at AJC. True to form, Mr. Maruca approached it just like any other: greeting students at the door with fist bumps, popping into classrooms to check in on teachers with his trademark “You good?”, and lightening the day with witty banter.

Our 2025–2026 Middle School motto — Imagine. Believe. Achieve. — perfectly reflects Mike’s leadership over the years. Mike imagined a school where every child could learn in a safe, loving environment. He believed in our students’ God-given potential — and in the support of the greater Richmond community — and he achieved something remarkable: growing AJC from 25 students in a two-story house to more than 200 across two school buildings, with a Lower School expansion on the horizon.

With hearts full of gratitude and excitement for our growth ahead, our AJC family kicks off a transformative year. We look forward to sharing it all with you — the community who makes it all possible.