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Campus Happenings
On the week of Feb. 1, Hoban joined thousands of Catholic schools across the country in celebrating Catholic Schools Week. Hoban uniquely honored Holy Cross Celebration, a week of intentional focus and activities that perpetuate spiritual growth and reflection of our Catholic identity through the lens of Holy Cross core values. Each day students and educators focused on a different aspect of what it means to strive for Excellence, which was the chosen Holy Cross core value for the 2020-21 academic year.
EXCELLENCE IN HOLY CROSS HISTORY
The Congregation of Holy Cross celebrated its 200th anniversary this year. On July 20, 1820, The Rev. Jacques-François Dujarié founded the Brothers of St. Joseph, addressing the urgent need for education and catechesis for the youth of post-Revolutionary France. In 1835, Dujarié entrusted the leadership of the Brothers of St. Joseph to the Rev. Basil Moreau, who had gathered a group of auxiliary priests. He believed that the church would be best served if the brothers and priests were united into one community. On March 1, 1837, 54 Brothers of St. Joseph and seven clerics signed the “Fundamental Pact,” forming what we now know as the Congregation of Holy Cross.
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATING HEARTS AND MINDS
The Brother James Spooner Holy Cross Heart and Mind Award assembly was held on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Inaugurated in 2018, the Heart and Mind Award was created to honor Hoban employees who live Blessed Basil Moreau's vision of educating hearts and minds. It is named after the first recipient of the award, Brother James Spooner, C.S.C. This peer-selected award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions in support of Hoban students through their teaching, leadership and service, and whose admirable work is an inspiration to other Holy Cross educators. The 2021 recipient was religion teacher and Christian service coordinator Chris Fahey. He stands out to many as living as Christ asks us to do. Whether he is teaching in the classroom, leading morning prayer or just being around to help a student, he is found doing the right things quietly in the background. Fahey is an integral part of the religious studies department. He goes about doing his many jobs with flexibility and self-sacrifice. He spends much of his time off during summer break, snow days and pandemics planning, coordinating and delivering meals to nearly 100 members of the Akron community each week with Project HOPE. His dedication inspires students to become change agents in society, well beyond their years at Hoban. Previous recipients include Spooner, Amie Mancine and Kevin Hillery.
EXCELLENCE IN FAITH AND SERVICE
Throughout the week, students made donations to Project HOPE to celebrate Excellence in Faith and Service. Contributions benefited those served in the Akron community and included items such as toiletries, nonperishable food, hand sanitizer, hats and gloves.
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY
On Thursday, Feb. 4, Hoban held the One Hope-One Dream Assembly. The One Hope-One Dream Award is a tradition Hoban has proudly reinstated, recognizing three Hoban alumni – Hank Richard ’57, Pratik Shah ’94 and Tenishia Benson ’07. Each is an inspiring example of what it means to live out our Holy Cross values and exemplify the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King.
EXCELLENCE IN SPIRIT
On the final day of Catholic Schools Week and Holy Cross Celebration, Hoban celebrated Excellence in Spirit. Despite the year's difficulties, students were successful. The students' accomplishments throughout the year were celebrated, and special focus was given to finishing the year strong.
ONE HOPE-ONE DREAM AWARD
HENRY "HANK" RICHARD JR. ’57
Hank Richard, Class of 1957, is a member of Hoban’s first graduating class. Living in Akron his entire life, Richard lived a life of simple service that made a profound impact. Since his death on March 11, 2018, his legacy has continued to have a ripple effect in the lives of those he served.
While a student at Hoban, Richard discovered a passion and a true talent for mechanics. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the 101st Airborne Division. In 1970, he bought his first gas station and service center in Akron. Although owning a growing business took much of Richard's time and energy, his true calling in life became sharing his faith with others through prayer, service and fellowship.
Richard lived out his calling through many ministries. His contributions to the Akron community are many and varied. He founded Kingdom Builders, a nonprofit religious organization that helped men grow in faith through a speaker’s series and weekend retreats at churches of various denominations.
Richard organized a group of volunteers at his parish called the Skills Bank that helped perform small jobs for people in the community. Through the Skills Bank, volunteers completed more than 2,000 projects in one year, but more importantly, it connected people in meaningful ways. He worked to help incarcerated men transition back into the community. One of his favorite places was Hope Café, a local soup kitchen, where he met and helped countless people.
Richard's legacy and impact are still at work through Second Street Ministries for which he and his wife donated a building to house critical community programs and service work. Many Hoban students have served the community at Second Street Ministries during JAM. Richard's motto was, “be Christ with skin on,” meaning actually, physically be there for others. He lived a life of service. He exemplified the Holy Cross values – most specifically Option for the Poor. He created genuine relationships with people and did all he could to ease their burden.
PRATIK SHAH ’94
Pratik Shah, Class of 1994, is head of the renowned appellate practice at the international law firm Akin Gump in Washington D.C. In his role, Shah briefs and argues cases in federal and state appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, where he has argued 15 cases (and won all but three).
As a student at Hoban, Shah was influenced profoundly by teachers like Brother Ed Libbers and Rose Zaucha, stating, “They both made a huge impact on my life, opening doors of opportunity and instilling confidence in me to tackle new challenges.” He attributes his later interest in attending law school to his experience on Hoban’s mock trial team, which he led to its first state championship.
Following high school graduation, Shah attended Princeton University where he earned a chemical engineering degree, graduating summa cum laude. Throughout college, he invested much of his time in serving others – tutoring underprivileged students in Trenton and volunteering weekly at a soup kitchen in Philadelphia. These experiences further shaped his commitment to service, which he has carried throughout his career.
ABOUT ONE HOPE-ONE DREAM
The One Hope-One Dream award was created in 2003 and recognizes Hoban graduates whose values, attitudes and behaviors exemplify living out a dream that brings hope to others. The award recalls the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech and incorporates the Holy Cross motto, “Spes Unica,” which means “one hope.”
Recipients must meet three criteria:
1. Hoban graduates whose work or activities bring hope to others. 2. Persons whose work or activities help bring Jesus’ teachings to life in our world. 3. Persons who, through their ministry, model the ideals of justice, love and peace taught by Jesus and modeled by Dr. King.
The One Hope–One Dream award assembly was held on Feb. 4 as part of Hoban's Holy Cross Celebration and Catholic Schools Week. LEARN MORE AT HOBAN.ORG/ONE-HOPE-ONE-DREAM
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Shah clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Stephen Breyer, taught constitutional law, and served several years as Assistant to the Solicitor General in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he helped represent the Obama administration in its successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, working in the private sector, Shah continues to serve through his pro bono litigation work on several social justice issues, including LGBT equality, Native American treaty rights and immigration rights. Most recently, he supported the defense of the Affordable Care Act in the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.
Among a lengthy list of awards and recognition, Shah has been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Litigation Trailblazer, named to Washingtonian magazine’s list of top Supreme Court lawyers and received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award. Throughout his career, Shah has been active in high-profile and formative work to help protect the rights of marginalized groups of people, exemplifying the Holy Cross core values of integrity, hope and inclusiveness.
TENISHIA BENSON ’07
Tenishia Benson, Class of 2007, embraces the Holy Cross value of divine providence. She knows and has benefited from unexpected circumstances that materialize after seemingly unfortunate setbacks. With each experience, Benson finds the opportunity. And, in each role God has placed her, she has made it her mission to help create opportunities for others.
While at Hoban, Benson was a multisport student-athlete, honors student and class president all four years. A standout on the girls basketball team – setting new school records and achieving numerous state and national awards – Benson's love of basketball has been a consistent thread in her life. She received a full scholarship to play women’s basketball at the University of Cincinnati, and finished her college and athletic career in 2012 at Ohio University, leading the Mid-American Conference in scoring and earning a degree in speech pathology.
Benson's plans to play professionally were interrupted after she suffered a sports injury, leading her to yet another opportunity to coach at the collegiate level at Alabama A&M and Cincinnati Christian University. Since 2015, Benson has served as owner and executive director of Ohio Girls Basketball Report, a scouting service and event company that serves girls basketball players in Ohio. Benson and her team coach and mentor young girls to play at the next level and develop as student-athletes.
In 2018, Benson founded Buzzer Beater, a basketball program for women in prison. She serves Ohio’s two largest women’s correctional institutions, providing mentorship for incarcerated women to learn, grow and heal by playing basketball. Also, since 2018, she has served as president of Perpetual Motion Basketball, a nonprofit organization specializing in serving underprivileged young women and teaching them how to advance in life and basketball.
Two years ago, Benson assumed a position with Franklinton Preparatory High School on the westside of Columbus. In her role on the leadership team, she works to bridge the gap for her students. She has created numerous school programs to help students develop career skills, prepare for college, complete community service and obtain internships. And, of course, she also coaches the high school’s girls basketball team.
In her daily life, Benson asks and prays to be an opportunist for other people. In her career and her volunteerism, she has worked to find the gaps between those she serves and the opportunities that are possible. In teaching the game of basketball, she is also teaching the game of life – the skills, attitudes and determination necessary to play at the next level.
