VILLA HILLS, Ky. — Villa Madonna Academy in Villa Hills, Kentucky, opened the Chase and Cole Fischer STEM Wing at the start of the 2026-2027 school year, honoring two brothers and former students killed in a tragic boating crash in 2023.
Students stepped inside the nearly $2 million wing for the first time on Aug. 18, the first day of school.
"The students were so excited to come back to school because they knew the STEM wing was waiting for them," Executive Director Pamela McQueen said. "We stood outside to greet them on the first day, and the senior parents were here to welcome the seniors, and when they walked into the foyer and saw it, they were just in awe."
WATCH: Villa Madonna Academy opens the Chase and Cole Fischer STEM Wing
The wing was part of a capital campaign that began in 2019 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Construction on the STEM wing began in January 2026 and was completed just weeks before the school year started. The Fischer family, Pilot Contracting and RossTarrant Architects were all involved in the project.
The wing features a student commons, the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Innovation Lab, the James and Rebecca Bilbo Biology Lab, chemistry and physics labs, new science classrooms and the Launch Point — a collaboration space for teachers. The Innovation and Production Lab is equipped with laser cutters, 3D printers, woodworking tools, a heat press and more.
Principal Joe Cordonnier said at the dedication, "For years, we have told the students and the community, 'Just wait. You are going to be amazed at what's coming,' and looking at your faces, I think we got that."
"I hope to see students making things that I never dreamed possible," Cordonnier said.
McQueen said the wing was designed with a clear educational philosophy in mind.
"No one knows what careers will be available or what they will look like 5 or 10 years from now," McQueen said. "So we knew it was our responsibility to teach students and to help students know how to think and not what to think, and to be curious and collaborators and problem solvers, and so that's the whole point of this space."
The dedication was attended by the Fischer family and the Most Rev. John Iffert, Bishop of Covington, along with members of the Villa Madonna Academy high school and junior high community.
Chase Fischer had just graduated in the spring before the 2023 crash. Cole Fischer had just completed eighth grade. McQueen described both as spirited, curious and joyful members of the school community.
"They brought so much joy to our school and to our campus," McQueen said. "This really is an honor to carry their name forward through the work that we do here."
Senior Anna Raziano said Cole Fischer was the first person she met when she arrived at Villa Madonna.
"He was the first person that I met, and he basically told me, 'My name's Cole, and this is Villa,'" Raziano said. "That was like my biggest and best memory of him."
Fellow senior Nori Barker said Cole Fischer's personality made an immediate impression.
"He was so joyful and funny, and immediately when you met him, it was just like — you're friends," Barker said. "He always had a good story to tell."
Both students said they believe the Fischer brothers would have appreciated the tribute.
"I think they would enjoy knowing that through their memory, we have this new space and they can't be part of it in here, but we are able to remember them every day through this," Raziano said.
"I think Cole would have wished to be here because he loved stuff like this, but I also think he's probably very happy that he gets something named after him like this," Barker said.
Senior Jimmy Zhou said he plans to study mechanical engineering in college and called the new space a game-changer.
"Before, if you want to cut out panels and stuff, you might have to outsource it to other companies, and it's going to cost a lot of money," Zhou said. "But here, we can just process it directly, and it comes out super clean and fast."
Sophomore Isaac, who graduates in 2029, said he has been fascinated by mechanical engineering since fifth grade and is already working on a project in the space — building a baseball bat using one of the wood-turning tools.
McQueen said the wing was designed with the boys in mind at every step.
"In everything we did, we knew it was going to be named after the boys, and so there was a lot of love and a lot of care that went into every detail that you see here," McQueen said.
As part of the dedication, McQueen reflected on what the wing represents.
"This wing was made possible through an extraordinary act of generosity, and it is dedicated in honor of Chase and Cole," McQueen said. "It stands as a lasting tribute to two young lives whose joy, kindness, laughter and spirit touched so many of us. It stands as a tribute to their enduring curiosity, their sense of adventure and the goodness and grace that they brought to our campus."
Villa Madonna Academy also thanked St. Elizabeth Healthcare and the Bilbo and Gerakos families for their contributions to the STEM Wing.
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