Winter 2018
A Magazine for the Constituents of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
We are family
Holiday Greetings from OLSH!
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hen asked to supply key words that convey the essence of OLSH (as part of a recent series of surveys), “family” emerged as the top descriptor among all constituencies that form the OLSH community. Family is an essential component of our culture, and, as such, many who enter our doors for the first time each year tell us that they immediately feel welcome, and warmly embraced within our community. Our family atmosphere fosters an ideal environment in which our students are formed, educated and readied to contribute to our world, confident in the notion that they are loved and valued. OLSH’s family spirit sets us apart from other schools in our region and across the globe. Fostered for so many years by the Felician Sisters who founded and advanced OLSH, it is our great privilege to continue their tradition of welcoming all who gather here into a family that spans generations – as well as the globe.
ALUMNI AND PARENT RELATIONS MANAGER Deena Swank '92 WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Cerchiaro Hannah Chestnutt '18 Katrina Kaminski '18 Christopher Kocent '18 Biagio Shipman '18 Deena Swank '92 Kayla White '18 DESIGNERS Stephanie Barletto Michael J. Cerchiaro '96
“OLSH’s family spirit sets us apart from other schools in our region and across the globe.”
It is extremely satisfying to know that what begins here, within the confines of our beautiful OLSH home, doesn’t end here. As our OLSH family continues to grow, the seeds of our school multiply and spread throughout the world, bringing hope and positivity, and demonstrating faithfulness, dedication and excellence. And yet, at the same time, more family and friends are coming back, reflecting back and/or giving back to OLSH than ever before. We are blessed by our OLSH family. We are blessed by YOU! May God’s blessings surround and sustain you in 2018 and always.
Terry O’Rourke Donoghue President
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & CONSTITUENT RELATIONS Jessica Cerchiaro ADVANCEMENT OPERATIONS MANAGER Kim Corrado
As I meet on a regular basis with OLSH alumni as well as alumni parents, I am struck by the fact that these cherished members of our OLSH family are prouder than ever of the status and reputation our school has earned. Our faculty, coaches, programs and students have achieved new heights of excellence. The collaborations we have formed with leading colleges, universities and businesses add depth and distinction to our profile. Our students are highly sought by area businesses on an increasing basis for part-time and summer work because of their manners, work ethic and integrity. At the same time, however, we remain committed to our Felician Core Values and our Catholic faith, which form the solid foundation upon which we continue to add layers of value to the OLSH educational experience.
Sincerely,
PRESIDENT Terry O’Rourke Donoghue
PHOTOGRAPHY Jessica Cerchiaro Harry Giglio Caroline McAndrews '19 Ryan Parker '19 Deena Swank '92 Luke Travis '15 PRINTING Multi Print Media SPECIAL THANKS Felician Sisters OLSHighlights is published by the Advancement Office of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School and mailed free of charge to alumni, faculty, staff, students, families, and friends of OLSH. Contributions to Alumni News & Notes and address changes may be sent to: OLSH Alumni Office 1504 Woodcrest Avenue Coraopolis, PA 15108 (412) 424-4610 · alumni@olsh.org
Table of CONTENTS Winter 2018
www.olsh.org
FEATURES 2
Distinguished Alumni Awards
4
Homecoming 2017
12 The Transformative Power of a Wish 15 Diocesan Grant Gives Two Spaces a Facelift 24 Alumni Family Christmas Party
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5
10
15
24
SPOTLIGHTS
IN EVERY ISSUE
5
Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley '07 Inspired by OLSH
6
Advancement News
7
Rick Romesburg '02 A True Example of the OLSH Family
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Moment for Mission
16 What’s Happening Around OLSH
9
New Faces in the Halls of OLSH
10 Career Day at OLSH
18 What’s Happening Around OLSH Athletics 20 OLSH News & Notes 21 Alumni News & Notes 23 In Memorium
#OLSHChargers
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 1
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School presented the inaugural OLSH Distinguished Alumni Awards at the Homecoming Alumni Brunch on October 1, 2017. The Distinguished Alumni Awards were created to recognize OLSH graduates who have achieved outstanding accomplishments and who serve as role models for students currently enrolled at OLSH. The 2017 OLSH Distinguished Alumni honorees are: CHRISTINE (PLUCINSKI) GLATZ '78, JAMES ROSENWALD '84, CHRISTY (TANCRAITOR) UFFELMAN '95, and ALEXANDER VALLEJO '11
Christine (Plucinski) Glatz '78
was recognized with the OLSH Alumnus with Heart Award, which honors an OLSH alumnus who exemplifies one or more of the Felician Core Values (Respect for Human Dignity, Compassion, Transformation, Solidarity with the Poor, Justice & Peace) and maintains a strong connection to OLSH. Chris has been a fixture in the OLSH Main Office since 1986. She served as the OLSH Spirit Coordinator for many years, planning dances, pep rallies, Homecoming events, spirit weeks, and more, and she continues to have a hand in almost every student function. She also serves on the OLSH Alumni Council, and has been a youth group leader at her church for over 20 years.
James Rosenwald '84
was the recipient of the OLSH Christian Leadership Award, which honors an alumnus who has distinguished themselves through community service, devotion to faith, and/or philanthropic efforts. James has more than 20 years of experience working in Fortune 500 companies, and is currently the Senior Control Officer at BNY Mellon. He is an active volunteer and/or contributor to multiple charities and organizations, including: OLSH, Duquesne University, Slippery Rock University, Light of Life, the Jubilee Soup Kitchen, the Homeless Children’s Education Fund, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, veterans organizations and cancer research programs, and is active in the employer resources group HEART that promotes inclusive work environments for those with disabilities. 2 • www.olsh.org
Christy (Tancraitor) Uffelman '95
was recognized with the OLSH Professional Excellence Award. This award honors an OLSH alumnus who has distinguished themselves in their profession. Christy launched the east coast office of Align Leadership in 2013, with a focus on women’s leadership development and Millennial/Gen X initiatives. She has won numerous awards for both her professional achievements and her volunteer work supporting empowerment of women in the workplace, including the Athena Young Professional Award. She serves on numerous boards and committees and is a volunteer with several different organizations, mainly with a primary focus on the empowerment of girls and women.
Alexander Vallejo '11
was the recipient of the OLSH Young Alumnus Award, honoring an OLSH alumnus who has graduated within the past 15 years who has distinguished themselves in one or more of the following areas: service, leadership, academics, and professional achievements. Alex’s performance during his junior year college internship with Microsoft earned him a job offer before he finished his senior year. After graduating, he went to work for Microsoft full time as a software engineer. Alex is also the Technical Director for The Green Hope Orphanage, Inc., which operates an orphanage and school for children in Tanzania. Alex recently spent a month in Africa working at the orphanage.
If you would like to nominate an outstanding OLSH alumnus for a 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award, please contact Deena Swank '92, Alumni & Parent Relations Manager at (412) 424-4610 or dswank@olsh.org.
John Mihaloew Scholarship Fully Endowed! This fall, a generous alumni family challenged alumni and other friends of OLSH to support the newly created John Mihaloew Endowed Scholarship Fund. The match challenge was met and this scholarship is now fully endowed and ready for distribution for the 2018-2019 academic year! While specific details of the scholarship are still being determined, this award joins a list of several new scholarship opportunities offered to OLSH students in the last year. If you would like to support the John Mihaloew Endowed Scholarship Fund or any of our other endowed scholarships, or you would like to know more about starting your own, please visit www.olsh.org/endowmentfunds/.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 3
HOMECOMING '17 This year’s homecoming tailgate party took place on Friday, September 30 at Moon High School Stadium, which served as OLSH football’s home field this year. Alumni from the most recent graduating class of 2017 as well as decades back to the 1960s were in attendance at the party before the game. Many alumni stayed to cheer the Chargers on to victory over Cornell and watched the crowning of this year’s Homecoming Queen and King – Emily Halbedl and Ricardo Enriquez.
SPOTLIGHT: MALLORY (PRASKOVICH) HURLEY '07
Inspired by OLSH By Jessica Cerchiaro
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LSH is a place where students c a n “ B e I n s p i r e d ”, a n d f o r alumnus and art teacher Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley '07 that is exactly what happened. Not only did she find her voice as an artist, she learned the importance of letting her faith permeate all aspects of her life, and found a special devotion to the Blessed Mother. As a student, Mallory was involved in a wide variety of activities. She was an artist, a performer, and an athlete. She won a Gene Kelly Award for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress for her performances in OLSH musicals; she was a member of the liturgical choir and the honors chorus; and she was an anchor for WCHR. After graduation, Mallory pursued a career in art education, enrolling in the College of Arts & Architecture at Penn State University, where she had the opportunity to take studio classes and explore a variety of media. After college, Mallory took a job at Clayton Academy, an alternative education school in the Pittsburgh Public School District, teaching high school and middle school art. While the experience was rewarding, it was also challenging, and when she got a call from her aunt, former OLSH assistant principal Mary Catherine Praskovich, saying that OLSH’s long-time art teacher Mrs. Christine Stubna, was retiring, Mallory jumped at the opportunity. “I knew I wanted to work at a stable place where I felt comfortable and that would be supportive of me starting a family of my own,” Mallory shared. “I knew that I could be myself if I was working at OLSH.” She was hired and soon found herself back at her beloved alma mater. “Coming back to teach here was like coming home after a long trip,” she said. Mallory took up residence in the art studio where she had studied as a student and was embraced by her former teachers as a colleague. “I never had an
uncomfortable feeling transitioning from student to teacher,” she said. “It just had a nice familiar feeling.” The school’s focus on faith and the Felician Core Values played a huge role in Mallory’s desire to come back and work at OLSH. After working in a public school setting, she realized how much she missed the opportunity to talk about her faith openly and the value of prayer throughout the day. At OLSH, Mallory could incorporate faith into art projects and assignments, really creating an interdisciplinary approach and connecting what students were learning in Theology class with what they were creating in the art studio. Mallory has brought Theology into the art studio in many ways. Her students have created icon paintings of their patron saints, a project that required in-depth research about each saint’s life. She also began a project revolving around artistic interpretations of Jesus’ Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, after she discovered that many students did not fully understand the meaning of the “Sacred Heart”, which is so central to OLSH’s identity. Outside of the classroom, Mallory is a mother, wife, and working artist. She recently launched Sacred Art & Wellness, a Facebook page and pop-up art stand that serves as her personal outlet for her art, which is very much inspired by her devotion to the Blessed Mother. “Three years ago, I started focusing on Marian art and linking other elements with that. Coming to OLSH certainly played a role in my devotion to Mary, and creating this type of art gives me a sense of purpose,” explained Mallory. Ma l l o r y a l s o b e l i e ve s t h e re i s a n important connection between physical and spiritual strength. She has found a unique way to bring art, movement, and faith together through something called SoulCore. This movement, founded by two Catholic women, has spread to 18
Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley ‘07
states across the country, and combines core strengthening, stretching, and movement with the prayers of the rosary. Mallory teaches the only official class in the area at St. Bernards Church in Mt. Lebanon, and is working to bring the opportunity to OLSH. Mallory continues to enrich the OLSH family with her art, her faith, and her dedication to her students. She leads by example, living as a woman of faith and allowing God to work through her as she teaches and inspires others.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 5
ADVANCEMENT NEWS BRIDGE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SUPPORTS OLSH FAMILIES THROUGH EITC PROGRAM
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n Wednesday, November 8, OLSH hosted the Bridge Educational Foundation and a panel of business leaders and state legislators for an assembly of thanks. The Bridge Educational Foundation supports families throughout Allegheny County by providing scholarship dollars through Pennsylvania’s EITC (Educational Improvement Tax Credit) Program. Many OLSH families have benefited from this funding. Jennifer Kessler, board member of the Bridge Educational Foundation, emceed the event which featured a question and answer session between students and guests. Representatives from Waste Management and UnitedHealthcare, two companies who participate in the EITC program with donations to the Bridge Foundation, shared how important it is to their organizations to support students. State representative Mark Mustio, and PA Speaker of the House and OLSH alumnus Mike Turzai '77, were also in attendance. It is thanks to the hard work of these legislators that the EITC program continues to exist and that the state of Pennsylvania continues to allocate
funds from the state budget to support students in private schools. The state’s EITC and OSTC (Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit) programs offer businesses and individuals in the state of Pennsylvania the opportunity to
#GIVINGTUESDAY RAISES OVER $40,000 FOR OLSH!
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GivingTuesday is a national movement intended to inspire philanthropy and giving on the Tuesday following the major shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This year, $10,000 of the total amount raised was matched dollar for dollar thanks to the generosity of alumni parents Dr. Paul and Nancy Collier, who made their matching $10,000 gift in memory of Paul’s father, Andrew. Alumni, alumni parents, current parents, faculty and staff, board members, and friends of OLSH responded in grand fashion, helping us to reach our match goal well before the end of the day! Each and every gift to The OLSH Fund makes an impact on OLSH students.
6 • www.olsh.org
direct their tax dollars to scholarship organizations, like OLSH, while receiving up to a 90% tax credit. If you are interested in learning more about how you or your business could take the advantage of this program, please contact us advancement@olsh.org.
OLSH WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
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he OLSH community is excited to welcome Mr. Ben Becze as its next Director of Advancement. Ben comes to OLSH with a wealth of advancement experience, having worked at a variety of non-profits, including Grove City College and Geneva College. Ben takes over the leadership reigns from Jenna Sheetz '07 who recently left OLSH to pursue a position at Carnegie Mellon University. He looks forward to meeting alumni, parents, and friends of OLSH as he officially joins the team in January.
SPOTLIGHT: RICK ROMESBURG '02
A True Example of the OLSH Family By Deena Swank
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s a student at OLSH, Rick Romesburg '02 found his home on the basketball court, and he has spent the last 10 years helping new generations of OLSH student-athletes enjoy their own experiences as Chargers. As the head coach of the 9th grade boys basketball team, assistant coach for the JV and Varsity boys basketball teams, and the announcer for the football team, Rick works tirelessly to support the OLSH athletics program that means so much to him. Rick began his coaching career less than a week after his last practice as a basketball player at OLSH. He took a position as an assistant coach at St. Joseph Elementary School in Coraopolis, and he would go on to coach there for 5 years, serving for the last two as the head coach for the Varsity team. I n 2 0 0 7 , O L S H A t h l e t i c D i re c to r Michael “Mac” McDonald was looking for a 9th grade basketball coach and he reached out to Rick, who was eager to return to his alma mater. He was hired at the head 9 th grade coach and the assistant coach for the JV and Varsity teams. Mac clearly remembers the dedication Rick had as a student during his time at OLSH. He remembers Rick’s passion for basketball, saying, “I honestly can’t remember him missing a single day of basketball while he was here - whether it was in season or out of season! And after he graduated from OLSH, he continued with his passion, by returning to his alma mater to continue to grow his knowledge of the sport and help impart that knowledge and experience to others!” He calls Rick an “example of what being an OLSH person really means.” Mike Rodriguez, head coach of the OLSH boys basketball team, shares Mac’s admiration of Rick, with whom
he has worked closely for about 10 years. Coach Rodriguez describes Rick’s commitment to OLSH as “exceptional”, saying, “Rick epitomizes all that is good about OLSH. He is a gentleman, a role model, and an amazing coach.” He adds that Rick’s dedication to OLSH and its students goes far beyond the basketball court. He volunteers wherever and whenever he is needed.
Rick Romesburg ‘02 (second from right)
Rick is grateful for the time he has spent working side by side with Coach Rodriguez. He says, “Coach Rodriguez, through his actions and words, inspires me each day. From the moment he was hired at OLSH, he made OLSH family. To say he is ‘one of ’ the best people I know would be an insult. He is THE best, most caring, person that I know… People like Coach Rodriguez are why OLSH is truly a special place.” This will be Rick’s 11th season coaching at OLSH, and he plans to continue to invest his time and talent in the school. “Anything I can do to help ensure that OLSH remains a special place,” he says. “I am happy to help!” It’s that mindset that has led to his involvement in many aspects of the OLSH Athletics Department. In addition to coaching the basketball team, Rick has also contributed his time and talents in support of the OLSH football team. When the program was new, Rick and other members of the basketball coaching staff offered to help in whatever way they could. “In the first couple of seasons,” he said, “this meant driving a U-Haul to and from games with equipment in the back. We would also get all of the equipment set up for the team pre-game.” As the football program developed and the staff increased, Rick and his team moved up to the press box to help run the clock and scoreboard. When announcer Matt Farago moved on to
work with the Harlem Globetrotters, Rick moved to the mic, and he has been the voice of OLSH football ever since. Having been with the program since its start, Rick is glad to see how much progress the team has made. This season, the Chargers were the Big 7 Football Conference Champions and made it to the 2 nd round of the WPIAL playoffs. “As much as I am a basketball guy,” says Rick, “in Western Pennsylvania everyone knows high school sports are centered around football. Having been around OLSH for so many years, it was exciting as the football program was starting up…I’d love nothing more than to see the program continue to be a success.” A husband and a father, Rick shares the OLSH experience with his wife, Kelley, and son, Sal. They are often by his side at OLSH events or in the stands cheering him on. Rick has brought his family to join the OLSH family that he supports so passionately, and both families are clearly proud of him.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 7
Felician ore Value
8 • www.olsh.org
a Felician Core Value
with the Poor
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ach Felician-sponsored ministry celebrates Mission & Heritage week during the week between St. Francis’ Feast Day and Blessed Angela’s Feast Day in October. It is time to reflect on the rich Felician-Franciscan tradition and spirituality which inspired the establishment of the many, diverse ministries of the Sisters. This year’s theme was: “Honoring Our Felician-Franciscan Tradition: Speaking the Language of Peace." As part of the many events planned for the week, OLSH students visited the Sisters’ Cemetery and recited a decade of the Rosary together, with each student standing behind a headstone in memory of those who have gone before us. On Wednesday, October 4, the Feast of St. Francis, the school community celebrated Mass together. Later in the week, one small group of students worked at the Jubilee Soup Kitchen in Pittsburgh and another group of students volunteered with the TOR Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother in Steubenville, OH, where students helped to prepare and serve food to the homeless. On Thursday night, students spent the night in boxes outside on the OLSH campus to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness. In addition, participating students raised $1,500.00 for the Felician Center in Kingstree, SC. The experience was meaningful to the students involved as they learned more about those in need.
a Felician Core Value
Justice & Peace
Solidarity
Transformation
Compassion
MOMENT FOR MISSION MISSION & HERITAGE WEEK 2017: SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF PEACE
a Felician Core Value
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH NEW FACES IN THE HALLS OF OLSH
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his year, seven new faculty and staff members began serving the students of OLSH in a variety of departments, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table.
Fr. Jason Charron is teaching several Theology courses in the morning at OLSH. He serves as pastor at Holy Trinity Ukranian Catholic Church in Carnegie and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Wheeling, WV, two parishes in the Byzantine Catholic rite. Ft. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in Theology. In addition to teaching, he also supports the Ministry Team and our chaplain Fr. Frank Kurimsky.
Literature courses.
Mrs. Erica (Flasco) Hollabaugh '04 returns to her alma mater to teach English. She comes to OLSH with a M.S. in Instructional Leadership and eight years of experience teaching middle school English at St. Alphonsus School in Wexford. She is excited to be at OLSH and support students in the World Literature and AP English
Mrs. Patricia Krueger joined OLSH as the Director of Technology. Most recently, Patricia served as both the full-time technology coordinator as well as computer teacher at Blessed Seelos Academy (formerly St. Alphonsus) in Wexford. She has also held a variety of technology-related professional positions in the for-profit sector during the course of her career. Mr. Chris Nagel is the newest member of the OLSH Science department. He comes to OLSH with a M.S. in Education. His experience teaching and working at the Carnegie Science Center is helping him to provide great learning experiences for his students in Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Bioinformatics.
Mr. Jerad Smith is the school counselor for students with last names A-L. He has his M.Ed. in School Counseling and has several years of experience working in school counseling and additional experience working as well as various mental health and school settings. He has served on Student Assistance Teams and has worked with students in all grade levels on college and career planning, academic support, and mental health support. Mrs. Regina (Lieb) Woynar '95 is the school counselor for students with the last names M-Z. She returns to her alma mater with her M.Ed. in School Counseling and fifteen years of experience working with students in both the school and social services settings. She is excited to build relationships with students and parents as she addresses student needs and helps them to reach their potential.
SPRING
OPEN HOUSENTS
FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDFE
Thursday, March 23 6:30-8:30pm UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL AT
OLSH!
Ms. Emily Reeser is serving as parttime Math teacher and OWL instructor. She holds a B.S. in Education with a concentration in Mathematics and English Language Arts, and is certified to teach both Math and English. She supports students in the OWL Center on a daily basis.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 9
Career Day Returns to OLSH On Wednesday, November 22, OLSH hosted 52 career speakers who came to share information about their careers with OLSH students. Speakers were OLSH parents, family members and friends of faculty and staff, and alumni. OLSH alumni made up almost half of the group, sharing their experiences on a wide variety of careers from law enforcement to physical therapy to education to engineering, demonstrating the wide range of paths taken by OLSH students after graduation.
Joshua Haupt ’07, Police Officer
Dana Derbish ‘12, Army Police Officer
“Coming back to OLSH for career day felt like coming home. Although OLSH has changed a bit since
I graduated, I was happy to see that the welcoming, family environment of the school has remained. I enjoyed sharing my work experience with the students and hearing about their future career aspirations.”- Bob Waruszewski ’07, Finance
Tom Trautman ’12, Pilot
Mary P. Murray ’88, Judge
Kathleen (Berarducci) Dames ’06, Speech Language Pathologist
Participating Alumni Jill Ammon ’92, Marketing/Sales Christina Andrzejewski ‘02, Pharmacist Kathleen (Berarducci) Dames ’06, Speech Language Pathologist Dana Derbish ‘12, Army Police Officer Brianna Flasco ‘09, Recruiter Gabby Giglio ’13, Fashion Merchandising
“It was such an honor to be back at OLSH after so many years. Career day was a great way for me to combine my past and my present. I wouldn't be where I am or who I am
without the foundation of knowledge and faith I received during my time at OLSH. I hope my passion for medicine inspired some young minds to pursue the Physician Assistant profession.”
- Shelly Kocsuta ’05, Physician Assistant
Marisa (Romano) Greco ’95, High School Principal Joshua Haupt ’07, Police Officer Frank King ‘01, Finance Shelly Kocsuta ’05, Physician Assistant Elijah Kristek ‘04, Mechanical Engineer Kevin Logue ‘02, Educator Craig Luzik ‘04, Packaging Engineer Nicholas Michalenko ’07, Photography
Kevin Logue ‘02, Educator
Tara Zalewsky-Nease ’98, Artist
Will Miley ’09, Marketing/Sales Mary P. Murray ’88, Judge Ashleigh (Kaleugher) Musick ‘06, Prosecuting Attorney Maria Pacella ‘02, Trauma Psychologist Ky Plocinik ’07, Sports Management Tom Trautman ’12, Pilot Nick Urick ’02, Attorney Bryce Walat ’93, Digital Marketing Bob Waruszewski ’07, Finance Tara Zalewsky-Nease ’98, Artist
Maria Pacella ‘02, Trauma Psychologist
Christina Andrzejewski ‘02, Pharmacist
Frank King ‘01, Finance
Donna (DuBois) Heisler ’06 at the Make-A-Wish Pittsburgh office.
The DuBois family on their Make-A-Wish Disney trip.
The Transformative
POWER OF A WISH By Deena Swank ‘92
What is the power of a wish? A wish can give hope and inspire the imagination. It can motivate us to do things we did not think were possible and survive things we thought might break us. At Make-A-Wish®, their mission is to “grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy” (Make-A-Wish® Mission Statement).
body. I consulted our pediatrician, and he said to come in as soon as we returned and we would further investigate.”
Donna (DuBois) Heisler ’06 and her family saw the power of a wish first hand when her brother Joe DuBois ’08 was diagnosed with leukemia and had his wish granted. Now working on the program services team at Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Donna spends her days making sure that more wishes come true.
Christine feared the worst, saying, “Since he was so severely ill at onset, I felt scared for what seemed to be a death sentence.” In addition, she had two other children at home, Donna and Michael ’10 who was 13 months old at the time. She said, “We were told to consider that if he did not go into Grace Lipscomb ’18 and remission within the first 28 days, we Donna Heisler ’06 needed to prepare for the possibility of a bone marrow transplant and they would need to test the other children. So, all of a sudden, I was faced with the fear that his disease would now mean pain to another child. In short, there was no shortage of things to worry about.”
It was during a family vacation to Myrtle Beach in August of 1993 that the DuBois family began to first suspect that 3 ½ year old Joe was seriously ill. He had been in and out of doctors’ offices to address joint pain and other symptoms, but during the trip, he noticeably deteriorated. Joe’s mom, Christine, who is also a nurse, recalls, “I realized this had to be leukemia or lymphoma, because lymph nodes began to pop out all over his
Donna was 6 years old when Joe was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). “After we received confirmation about his diagnosis,” said Donna, “things completely changed for my family. Joe was immediately admitted to the hospital, and he underwent a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.”
The next few months held a whirlwind of testing, treatments, hospital stays, and a permeating sense of isolation. “Joe’s immune system was weakened due to his illness and, as his siblings, we had very little contact with him,” said Donna. “In addition, one parent was always with Joe while the other was at home.”
Jacob ’18, and Phil, all have participated in the Christmas radio-thon as well. Make-A-Wish has truly become a family affair for them.
After Joe finished his initial round of chemotherapy and radiation, his oncologist suggested that the family contact Make-A-Wish as soon as possible. In December 1993, right around Joe’s 4th birthday, volunteers from Make-A-Wish met with the DuBois family to discuss Joe’s wish, and in January 1994, the DuBois family boarded a plane on their way to the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Recently, Donna’s Make-A-Wish experience has brought her back to OLSH. She and her mother are working with the Lipscomb family to grant a wish for Joe with Pluto Grace Lipscomb ‘18, who was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma in May. Donna’s brother Jake, who is also Grace’s classmate, mentioned her situation, and Donna reached out to the Lipscomb family. Grace’s mother, Sharon, said, “When we were contacted by Donna and she relayed the OLSH connection it gave me chills! When Grace was presented with the opportunity to work with this family…she was happy to accept them as her Wish Family.”
The granting of Joe’s wish gave the DuBois family hope. Donna said, “Joe’s wish was a huge beacon of light for our family. The excitement leading up to his wish gave Joe something to look forward to. The wish was truly transformational. That entire week Joe’s physical and emotional wounds were healed and we felt connected as a family…It was as if he wasn’t sick, and we could act like siblings again without IVs and tubing getting in the way.” Despite the uncertainty of Joe’s future and the knowledge that there would be many more challenges ahead, Make-AWish gave the DuBois family an unforgettable experience. “When Joe went on his wish,” said Donna, “we weren’t sure if that would be our last family vacation together. It was the Joe and Donna only time during his treatment that we truly felt like a family.” To this day, Donna keeps a photo album of their Disney trip on her desk at the Make-A-Wish office. After seeing the impact of Make-A-Wish on her own family, Donna became determined to help others have that experience too. In 2006, she followed in her mother’s footsteps and received her formal training to become a volunteer for Make-A-Wish. “We both got involved with Make-A-Wish because we felt firsthand the impact a wish can have on a sick child and their family,” said Donna. In her senior year at Duquesne University, Donna interned with Make-A-Wish and continued her support as a volunteer. After graduation, Donna worked for a time in a marketing firm. However, she felt called back to Make-A-Wish and decided that working for a non-profit would be more fulfilling and that is when she began working for the organization full time. Now the mother of two boys of her own, Donna works to help bring the magic of Make-A-Wish to other families. In addition to continuing to work with her mother on wishes, she has also recruited her husband and motherin-law as volunteers. Donna, Joe, their mom and dad, and their brothers and sisters, Michael, Ruth ’14,
Grace and her family are now working with Make-A-Wish to plan a trip to Spain. Sharon, says that her family’s experience with Make-A-Wish and Donna and her family has been amazing. “Chris and Donna are wonderful people who also bring first-hand knowledge of participants in the program to the employment side of the process,” Sharon shared. “Right now we are awaiting the return of our passports so that Grace’s wish of a trip to Spain next year can begin to be planned.” As an employee for Make-A-Wish, Donna works mostly behind the scenes, arranging the logistics of wishes. As a volunteer, she gets to meet the families and help deliver the wish. “It is like playing Santa Claus or being a Fairy Godmother,” she said. “I can honestly say that I enjoy going to work.” When dealing with children with life-threatening conditions, however, all of the stories do not have a happy ending. Losing a child before they can see their wish come true can be difficult. However, Donna says that the happier experiences outweigh the sad experiences. “Over the years I have played some type of role in at least over 300 wishes,” said Donna. “Sitting next to a child who is literally wiggling out of their seat while they wait to meet their favorite celebrity or hearing a musician play a child’s requested song has brought me so much joy. To be able to see their face in these moments is honestly a gift.”
SAVE THE DATE:
APRIL 8-21
This year we’re trying something new! We’re skipping the fancy dinner and inviting you to have fun and bid from the comfort of your own home! We’ll have a variety of items available for bidding – and we’re giving you a little more time to think about and plan for your purchases. More details will follow, including information on how to register as a bidder and a preview of the great prizes we will have available!
OLSH CAFETERIA GOES CASHLESS!
T
his fall, the OLSH cafeteria implemented a new point-ofsale system, providing a variety of benefits for the cafeteria and families. Through funding from a Felician Services, Inc. St. Francis Fund Grant, the school and Aladdin Food Service have partnered with MySchoolAccount.com. This online system allows parents to load money on to student accounts that can be used to pay for school lunches. Students check out using their student ID number, and cafeteria staff no longer have to worry about providing change, speeding up the check-out process. A highlight of the new system is the ability to anonymously supply funds for students in need. Since the school does not participate in the federal free and reduced lunch program, some families struggle with providing lunch for their children. If you would like to make a gift to support a student in need, contact Cathy Neubert at cneubert@olsh.org or send your donation to the school, Attn: School Lunch Donation.
14 • www.olsh.org
DIOCESAN GRANT GIVES TWO OLSH SPACES A FACELIFT!
L
ate this summer the first and third floor hallways at OLSH were busy with contractors, dust, paint, and noise as construction was completed on two key spaces in the school. Made possible by a grant through the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Campaign for the Church Alive!, these two projects updated spaces at OLSH for the study of engineering and technology, as well as made significant upgrades to our television studio. On the third floor, a new physics lab was built by combining an office space and classroom across from the Hall of Life. Prior to this renovation, physics and other science classes were held in an existing lab space. The lab space had lab tables, stools and each station had a gas and water supply, but lacked space for classroom lecture and instruction. Because the lab tables were permanently mounted to the floor, some physics lab experiments had to be moved to the hallway when more floor-space was required. The renovation provided a large classroom with ample space for lab tables, storage, and up-to-date technology. The room has moveable table space for 20 students, a work bench for engineering class project completion, counters and storage on the perimeter of the room, as well as a sink. A demonstration table and teacher desk provide space for the instructor. The new room has a large wallmounted whiteboard and permanent ceiling-mounted projector for presentations. The space also allows for the rearranging of tables for group work and laboratory testing. There is also room to display student work and space to store projects from day-to-day. This environment gives the students a sense of belonging and contributes to the science learning environment. The impact of this project is seen each day when classes are held in this space. Mrs. Susan Rusnak, physics teacher was excited for the new space – especially in light of the addition of AP Physics I to the OLSH curriculum this year. “Knowing that physics students have their own space provides a positive learning environment for engagement and building relationships,” said Mrs. Rusnak. The students are able to comfortably see all demonstrations and presentations, and lab experiments can be conducted within the classroom by rearranging tables and clearing floor space. The seating can be arranged for students to work together or to allow independent work. Projects from the engineering class are stored in the classroom in an area away from other classes but accessible to the engineering students. Ample storage allows these projects to be undisturbed during their construction. On the first floor, renovations were made to Studio M (named for former OLSH teacher and OLSH Legacy Award recipient Mr. Jack Mihaloew), the home of WCHR TV and some of its surrounding space. To increase security and functionality, the control room for WCHR broadcasts was moved out of the space that houses the school’s server equipment. The mini-lab was transformed into a more effective work space for the WCHR crew and the Digital Media Production course. It also now houses the school’s two 3D printers, used for Mrs. Vigrass’ Introduction to Engineering & 3D Modeling course. Moving a wall and adding doors allowed for increased studio space and access between three separate classroom and studio spaces. The casting equipment that controlled the switching of the cameras, microphones and sound board in the studio was replaced with a dedicated computer specifically designed for this task and the broadcast has been migrated from an internal IP address to a professional streaming service, improving quality. This project has resulted in a more student-oriented environment for the studio. By moving the control room to the space between the computer lab and the studio, students can access all of the areas with much greater ease. The larger space and re-design has encouraged more students to participate in the morning broadcast and the improved space has also improved the morale and willingness of students to participate in and provide content for our morning news show.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH STAYING CONNECTED: EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION ALUMNI PARENT SOCIAL Alumni parents Michael & Rufie Harr hosted a social for fellow alumni parents at their home in November. This group has been gathering alongside current parents at the First Friday Parent Socials and has plans for other get-togethers and activities throughout the year.
Chaplain Fr. Frank Kurimsky led the Eucharistic Procession, an annual OLSH tradition, throughout campus on Thursday, September 14. Local Knights of Columbus were on-hand to guide the procession, and the Felician Sisters joined the group for prayers.
ADOPT A HIGHWAY
OWL CENTER TRAINING
A group of NHS students worked to clean up OLSH’s “adopted” portion of Ewing Road during their day off on November 11.
Dr. James Purdy of Duquesne University led a workshop for the OLSH Writing & Learning (OWL) Center tutors, training the students in effective methods for conducting peer writing conferences.
16 • www.olsh.org
PARENT SOCIAL
MODEL UN
In addition to the First Friday Parent Socials, where current parents gather monthly on a Friday morning for coffee and friendship, Mary Kim and Laurie Kanoza have worked to organize some evening parent socials, as well. This one took place at a test kitchen owned by fellow OLSH parent Mike Rykaceski.
OLSH’s Model UN Team, coached by social studies teacher Scott DeVivo, competed at the Gannon University competition this fall. The team will attend other Model UN competitions later this year.
RING DAY This year’s Ring Day ceremony was extra special as several parents of junior students are OLSH alumni themselves! These parents, David Pendel '87, Marie (Dixon) Wrabley '92, and Noelle Panza '87, had their OLSH rings blessed, and helped distribute their children’s rings, as well.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 17
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND OLSH ATHLETICS FOOTBALL GIRLS CROSS BOYS CROSS COUNTRY COUNTRY OLSH football had its most successful season yet, ending with a 9-1 record, and making it to the quarterfinal round of the WPIAL playoffs. The team was named Big Seven Conference Champs and had a key upset win over Rochester during the season.
The Girls Cross Country Team finished 3rd overall at the WPIAL Championship Meet. Haley Hamilton '20, Francesca Taylor '20, Katherine Marks '19, Katherine Kaminski '18, and Lisa Nardozzi '20 all qualified to compete in the PIAA State Championship Meet in Hershey, where Haley placed 7th and the team finished 11th overall.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL The Girls Volleyball Team finished the season as section champs and was ranked 3rd in the Class A Section. The girls competed in their first-ever WPIAL title match, taking home the title of WPIAL Class A Runner Up after a tough loss to Bishop Canevin. They qualified to compete in the PIAA Class A Volleyball Championship Tournament, where they lost in the 1st round. The team finished its season with a record of 9-0 in section play and 17-2 overall.
18 • www.olsh.org
The Boys Cross Country Team finished 4th overall in the WPIAL Championship Meet, where all of the varsity boys ran personal bests and the team just missed making states by one team place. Chris Kocent '18 finished 4th overall and Matt Rees '20 finished 25th, qualifying both of them for the PIAA State Championship Meet.
GIRLS SOCCER BOYS SOCCER
The Boys Soccer Team qualified for the WPIAL playoffs, but suffered a hard loss to Bentworth in the 1st round. They finished their season with a record of 12-5 overall and 7-3 in section. Kip Michel '98 also hit a milestone this season, taking home his 100th career win as the OLSH Boys Soccer Coach.
The OLSH Girls Soccer Team once again qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. They took home a 6-2 win over Bentworth in the 1st round, but lost in the quarterfinal round to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic. The girls ended their season with a record of 7-2-3 in section and 106-3 overall. In October, sophomore Francesca Taylor was named the Girls Athlete of the Week by The Beaver County Times.
GOLF
CHEERLEADING
The OLSH Golf Team had a winning season, finishing with a record of 7-5 overall and 7-6 in Section 9 AA.
The Cheerleading Squad not only put on some great performances at the football games this season, they also sold over 200 Pink Out Shirts and raised $1,800 for the Susan P. Fahey Memorial Scholarship Fund.
WPIAL SPORTSMANSHIP SUMMIT Maddie Hoff '19, Maggie Dulac '19, Tess Deken '19, Tyler Bradley '19, Andrew Schnarre '18, and Luke Saftner '18 represented OLSH student athletes at the annual WPIAL Sportsmanship Summit this fall.
TENNIS
This year’s WPIAL runner-up, Katherine Marks '19 won in the preliminary round of the PIAA Women’s Tennis Singles Tournament, but lost in the quarterfinals to eventual PIAA champion Brenna Magliochetti from Bethlehem Catholic.
MAKING SCHOOL HISTORY! Two teams made school history this fall with their ventures into the playoffs. Football won its section and made its farthest run into playoffs ever, and the girls volleyball team played for the WPIAL title for the first time in team history. Two individual studentathletes also made history with their performances in cross country this fall. Haley Hamilton '20 won the WPIAL Cross Country title – a first for OLSH! Jim Hamilton, Haley’s dad and the head coach of the OLSH Cross Country, won the WPIAL Cross Country Championship in 1986 when he ran for West Allegheny High School. Like father, like daughter! Haley went on to finish 7th overall at the PIAA Championship meet and became the first OLSH cross country athlete to place in the top 10 at States in OLSH history. Also following in his father’s footsteps, Chris Kocent '18 finished 17th overall at the PIAA State Championship Meet and medaled with his best finish in 4 years. His dad, Bob Kocent, also had the same finish of 17th place at cross country states in 1971.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 19
OLSH NEWS AND NOTES FACULTY, STAFF, & COACHES Dan Bradley, head football coach, was voted Big 7 Conference Coach of the Year by his fellow coaches. His son, quarterback Tyler Bradley '19, was named to the 1st team all-stars and was named Offensive Player of the Year. Connor White '18 was named to the 1st team for offense and defense and was named Lineman of the Year. Also named to the 1st team were Biagio Shipman '18, Andrew Schnarre '19, Richard Banks '19, and Matt Gauntner '19. Andy Aubrey '18 was named to the 2nd team. Kate Kelly, OLSH theology teacher, served as the emcee for the recent Diocesan Catholic Women’s Fellowship Conference. Nancy Jarocki, OLSH theology teacher and alumni parent, and Erin Stuvek '07, former OLSH teacher, co-chaired the event. The conference committee included OLSH alumni Merritt Donoghue '13, Theresa (Valenty) Buettner '04, and Elizabeth Jarocki '06. Cathy Neubert, business manager, had the opportunity to attend the Felician Leadership Institute at Felician College in New Jersey this summer. Theresa Long '86, OLSH teacher, also attended the Institute as a representative of the Mooncrest After School ministry. The two met other employees of Felician ministries and learned more about the Sisters’ rich culture and history.
20 • www.olsh.org
STUDENTS Gianna Barbieri '18 participated in the St. Lucy’s Auxiliary Medallion Ball on November 24, 2017. Gianna tied for most hours of service with 595 hours performed at a variety of locations, mainly St. Clair Hospital. Lyla Rose Buzila '18 was accepted into one of 30 spots in Duquesne University’s highly competitive Speech Language Pathology program. Caroline Friend '20 and Ganina Gonzalez '18 were selected as members of the prestigious Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. The two performed with the choir and the group, “Musical Miniatures” in November at the Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside.
Nathan Hart '18, Patrick Brogan '18, and Scott Symons '18 played on the gold medal winning West Region baseball team in the 2017 Keystone State Games, coached by OLSH coach and teacher Phil McCarren. The team, comprised of high school players from the Western PA area, had a record of 5-0, beating Lehigh Valley in the gold medal game at York College this summer. Stephanie Petinaux '20 placed first, winning a $1,000 prize, at a piano competition at Allegheny College where she competed against top high school pianists from across Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.
Congratulations
to the following students who have received OLSH Scholarships for the 2017-2018 school year: ST. FRANCIS SCHOLARSHIP Daniel Farrell '21 ST. CLARE SCHOLARSHIP Madison Chlystek '21 ST. FELIX SCHOLARSHIP Finnian Sweeney '21 SR. MARY DENISE BERNAS SCHOLARSHIP John Tilson '21 ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX SCHOLARSHIP Grace Gartley '21 COLLIER FAMILY INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP Jacob Gartley '20 & Jordan Martinez '20 WILLIAM J. WOLF ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Ava DiMichele '21 Adalia Schmidt '20 Rebekah Kohser '19 Alexis Moskala '18 SR. MARY PULCHERIA SAUKAITIS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Madeline Fiedler '21 Xavier Moskala '20 Daren DiMichele '19 Macy Skepanski '18 POLESKI FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Matthew Shick '20 For more information on applying for or creating an endowed scholarship, please contact the OLSH Advancement Office.
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES 1962
Dr. Andrea Mastro recently retired after 42 years at Penn State University.
1996
Eric Fogle was selected as a “TinkerStar” from Tinkercad - a beginner CAD software used to make designs for 3D printing.
1998
The Class of 1962 celebrated its 55th reunion on June 17 with a Memorial Mass for Eleanor & Eileen Paul in the Chapel and a brunch.
1982
Matthew Gray was married to his beautiful wife Meg on August 5, 2016. They just celebrated their first anniversary and purchased a home. Matt also is the Print Manager for an up and coming start up “Forever”.
Michael Kavic, Associate Professor of Physics at Long Island University, was recently a part of the discovery of a major astronomical phenomenon. Kip Michel celebrated his 100th career win as the OLSH Boys Soccer coach in the Fall of 2017.
2000
Patricia (Withrow) Nicolas and her husband, Frank, welcomed their second child, Zachary Ethan, on September 19, 2017. Zachary joins his big sister, Ava.
The Class of 1982 celebrated its 35 year reunion on June 18 at Bravo in Robinson Township. Those attending included Valerie Kapela Zanotti, Valerie Wilczynski LeMunyon, Anna DeChellis Marks, Keren Puglielli Watts, Lois Latusick Buttray, Barbara DiCicco Bachurski, Roseann DePace Carlson, Cyndi Ramagalia Dibler, and Joe Farley.
1987
The Class of 1987 celebrated its 30 year reunion on Saturday, September 16 at the Seneca shelter at Settler’s Cabin Park.
1989
Steven Smith was named Pennsylvania’s 2017 National Distinguished Principal (NDP) by the National Association of Elementary School Principals for his “commitment to increasing student achievement and creating an environment in which students thrive”. Steven is the principal at Eden Hall Upper Elementary School in the Pine Richland School District.
1962
Moon Township Supervisors read a proclamation honoring Sister Rene Procopio for her dedication to serving the Mooncrest community at the June 7 board meeting. Sister Rene has worked tirelessly to revitalize the Mooncrest neighborhood. She created the afterschool program which provides a safe, comfortable environment where students learn, build a positive self-image and develop mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Along with the Felician Sisters and the former Neighborhood Association, she established the Mooncrest Community Center which hosts a variety of other programs to meet the needs of residents of all ages, including an adult GED program in conjunction with the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council.
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 21
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES 2002
Katie (Sexton) Yurchak and her husband, Joe, welcomed their third child, Brendan Michael, on May 15, 2017. He joins big sister Natalie (4 years) and big brother Joey (21 months). Jessica Cherry married Brett Young on October 6, 2017.
2003
Gina Bianco married Daniel Dugan, Jr., on September 1, 2017.
Ashley (Skocz) Klink and her husband, Brenden, welcomed their son, Jacob Brenden, on November 8, 2017.
2004
Victoria (Teichman) Fouse and her husband, Adam, welcomed their son, Joseph Samuel, on July 14, 2017. Joseph joins his big sister Hayden.
22 • www.olsh.org
Jamie (Smith) Hopkins and her husband, Spencer, welcomed their second child, Brayden Kelly, on November 2, 2017. Brayden joins his big sister, Harper.
for the next two years in Lock Haven, PA, while Adam completes a two-year Physician Assistant Masters program.
2007
2005
On August 18, 2017, Shelly Kocsuta graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Masters Degree as a Physician Assistant. She graduated second in her class with highest honors and was inducted into the Nu Sigma Upsilon Chapter of the Alpha Eta National Honor Society. She recently passed her boards and has her license in Florida. She is also newly engaged to Daryl Polydor of Upper St. Clair. They plan to marry in August of 2018.
Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley and her husband, Ed, welcomed their second child, Jane Francis, on July 13, 2017. Jane joins her big brother Edward. Dr. Caitlin (Feth) Matthis and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Logan Robert, on November 9, 2017.
Fr. Dan Waruszewski was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop David Zubik on June 24, 2017. He returned to the OLSH Chapel on November 13, 2017, to celebrate Mass with the juniors and seniors.
2006
Kathleen (Berarducci) Dames and her husband, James, welcomed their son, Finn Michael, on July 18, 2017. Finn joins his big sister, Evie. Adam Scheletsky was married to Gretchen Wall on July 15, 2017, in a ceremony on Bob’s Lake, near Westport, Ontario. He and Gretchen will reside
Joshua Haupt graduated from the Pittsburgh Police Academy in April 2017. He will be serving in Pittsburgh.
Alyssa Silvestri and Steve Sluzynsky were married on October 14, 2017.
2009
Jordan Kristek married Nikki Wallis on June 2, 2017. William Miley started working at ADP after graduation from Robert Morris University as a District Manager. He recently accepted a promotion to Sales Executive.
2010
Abigail Hamm married Nathan Mortimer on September 9, 2017.
2013
Samantha Davis graduated from Youngstown State Cum Laude with a degree in Public Health. She and her fiancé, Kevin, plan to marry in late 2018. Jillian Iurlano was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2017 semester at Baldwin Wallace University. Jillian majored in Music Therapy.
manager.
Sara K. Smith married Francis Koh, an attorney in the DC area, on June 24, 2017. Sara currently works as a teacher for the Archdiocese of Washington and as a freelance stage
2012
Adrianne Knapp recently performed the role of Juliet in the PICT production of Romeo and Juliet at the WQED Fred Rodgers Studio in Oakland. Ruby Nowakowski graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in Music Therapy. Vinnie Smith performed in the Pittsburgh CLO’s Newsies which ran July 18-23 at the Benedum Center.
Rachel Petro graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a degree in Biology. Stefan Christian Arch graduated with Honors from Marietta College in 2016 with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. He currently works as a Pipeline Project Manager for Henkels and McCoy, Inc., and serves as a Project Manager in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
2014
Brian Hammel, who is a senior public relations major at Otterbein University, was recently selected by the Public Relations Student Society of America to serve on a national subcommittee that connects PRSSA chapters from across the region. He was also awarded the Altschul Champions for PRSSA Outstanding Internship Award scholarship from the PRSA Foundation.
Jennifer M. Haseleu, a senior biochemistry major at Saint Vincent College, recently completed a threemonth internship as a research assistant at Oklahoma State University’s Chemistry Department in Stillwater, Oklahoma where she was honored with an OSU award for Best Poster Presentation in Undergraduate Research. Shaughn McDonald was named to the Provost list at St. Francis University. Lexi Yoho, who plays for Westminster College’s women’s volleyball team, was recently named President’s Athletic Conference player of the week.
2015
Lauren Harrison was named to the 20162017 Mercyhurst University Dean’s list. Micarah Young was named to the Summer 2017 Dean’s List at Georgia State University.
2017
Rachael Leininger was one of forty incoming freshman to be named members of John Carroll University’s “Arrupe Scholars” Class of 2021. The Arrupe Scholars Program is a missionbased scholarship and learning opportunity tailored specifically towards creating leaders for social action.
In Memorium Elizabeth “Betty” & Warren Butera June 29, 2017 Parents of Khaela '08 and Alexis '12 Butera Ronald M. DiCicco July 11, 2017 Father of Brian '89 and Scott '92 DiCicco Sr. Ralph Marie Piontek '38 July 22, 2017
Marie Cercone Martinez August 4, 2017 Mother of John R. Martinez '77 Karen S. Pentland August 16, 2017 Mother of Keith '09 and Erika '11 Pentland William “Willy” Tallo September 7, 2017 Father of Petra Tallo '96
Sr. M. Anthony Venneri '55 September 21, 2017 Joanne Estelle (Rozanski) Pasquinelli '56 October 2, 2017 Eleanor Kapko October 22, 2017 Mother of Kenneth '74 and John '74 Kapko and Janet (Kapko) Shozda '78
Sr. M. Naomi Suba '63 July 31, 2017
Be Known | Be Transformed | Be Inspired • 23
A LUM N I FA M I LY
Christmas Party
On Saturday, December 2, OLSH hosted the annual Alumni Family Christmas Party. This is the 3rd year for this event, and it continues to grow. Over 100 guests packed Founder’s Hall to enjoy breakfast, crafts, cookie decorating, and a visit with Santa. Alumni brought their parents, spouses, children, and grandchildren to share in this celebration. The Class of 1996 was the best represented at the event, and its members took the opportunity to have a mini-reunion and tour the building. The Alumni Family Christmas Party Planning Committee continues to build this event each year, adding new activities and experiences for the guests to enjoy. Many thanks to this year’s committee: Kathryn Fogle ’96 (chair), Christopher Wilfert ’01 (chair), and Thomas Goodwin ’92. If you would like to join this committee, please contact Alumni Relations Manager Deena Swank ’92 at dswank@olsh.org or (412) 424-4610.
Photos by Luke Thor Travis ‘15
OLSH ALUMNI Making a Difference since 1932
CLASS AGENTS
Class Agents help the Alumni Office gather updated contact information and news about their classmates. Please contact your Class Agent with updates or reunion plans that can be shared with OLSH. 1963 RoGene (Falbo) Clark, rogene@custom-carpets.com 1968 Sr. M. Francine Horos, smfhoros@olsh.org 1971 Virginia Maria Grilli, gingergrilli@aol.com 1972 Claudia (Bonchak) Lewis, troop150@yahoo.com 1976 Michael Pentland, theoutdooraddict@msn.com 1978 Christine (Plucinski) Glatz, cglatz@olsh.org 1982 Joseph Farley, joseph.farley@dcsg.com 1985 Karen Nolder, vargo008@icloud.com 1986 Beth Ann Roland-Studeny, bethrolstu@gmail.com 1987 Eileen (Gallagher) Landucci, eidover@yahoo.com 1988 Raquel (Roney) Sanders, chevychick612@yahoo.com 1989 Lara (Kannenburg) Kenney, larakenney@yahoo.com 1992 Jill Ammon, jillammon@gmail.com
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS
Nominations for the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Awards will be accepted through April 1, 2018. To submit a nomination, go to www.olsh.org/distinguishedalumni/ or contact Deena Swank at dswank@olsh.org or (412) 424-4610.
RALLY FOR MCNALLY – SAVE THE DATE!
The 2018 OLSH Rally for McNally Endowed Scholarship 5K/1 Mile Walk will be held on Saturday, June 9. The 2017 event raised over $12,000 for the Michael McNally Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will benefit future OLSH students in need of tuition assistance.
UPCOMING REUNIONS
Classes of 1984-1989
Attention OLSH Classes of 1984-1989 and staff from those years: The Class of 1988 will be celebrating its 30th reunion on May 26, 2018, at the OLSH AAC, and they want to invite you to join them. If you are interested, check out their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/812935295527056/!
1996 Michael Cerchiaro, cerchiarogd@gmail.com 2000 Brendan Gallagher, brendan.patrick.gallagher@gmail.com 2001 Christopher Wilfert, cwilfert@wm.com 2002 Jordan Hinds, jordanhinds@hotmail.com 2004 Robert Skvarca, robert_skvarca@yahoo.com 2006 Siemone Cerase, cerase0923@gmail.com 2007 Mallory (Praskovich) Hurley, mhurley@olsh.org 2012 Greg Ott, gmo18@case.edu If you would like to serve as a Class Agent, please contact Deena Swank at dswank@olsh.org.
Things have changed since 1932!
We're sure you have too! Send your news to alumni@olsh.org or visit the alumni section of the OLSH website to submit online.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 1983
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School 1504 Woodcrest Avenue Coraopolis, PA 15108-3054
Upcoming Events JANUARY 2018 19 March for Life 20
Placement Test Class of 2022
23
Scholarship & Tuition Assistance Information Night
28
APRIL 2018 22 Junior/Senior Prom MAY 2018 17 Fine Arts Festival
Catholic Schools Week begins
FEBRUARY 2018 14 Ash Wednesday Mass MARCH 2018 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 Spring Musical: Beauty and the Beast 6-9
Middle States Accreditation Visit
24
Ham Bingo
28
Senior Seminar Presentations
18
Roots Reception
26
Reunion for Classes of 1984-1989
31
Baccalaureate Mass for Class of 2018
JUNE 2018 3 Commencement Ceremony for Class of 2018
For more information on these, or other upcoming events, visit www.olsh.org. PARENTS OF ALUMNI: If your publication is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify us so we can update his/her mailing address.
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Give your copy to a neighbor who is in grade school and help spread the word about OLSH.