Alumni and Staff Spotlights Carmel Catholic’s alumni and staff continue to shine and make their mark on the world around us. Our values are the foundation that allow our students to become servant leaders enriching the lives of individuals, building better organizations and ultimately creating a more just and caring world. Here are a few of our alumni and staff sharing how Carmel shaped them and their post high school experiences. Read more on pages 32 and 33.
Kairos Retreat he took at the end of his junior year. He was greatly moved and realized that he was (and still is) part of the strong, supportive Carmel community.
Jay Sharp ’91 Among the many Carmel alumni on the front lines of the pandemic is Dr. Jay Sharp ’91. He is currently an Emergency Room physician at Amita Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago. In the spring, Jay found himself confronted by a significant jump in COVID cases coming into the emergency room. “I was amazed at how sick the patients were,” he commented. Jay found this time to be challenging and a test of his skills and training. “The pandemic has changed the way we cared for patients in the ED. We had to rethink how to keep the staff and patients protected from the virus.” He also had to take extensive precautions to prevent himself from contracting the disease as well as protecting his wife, Anna, and his three grade school children from introducing the virus to them at home. “There was concern that we may not have enough protective equipment to keep the staff protected, but my hospital did a great job procuring all the necessary PPE to keep us going.” Jay fondly remembers the great experiences he had as a student at Carmel. He recalls one of the most important times for him was the
He felt that Carmel prepared him well for his next destination as a student at The University of Notre Dame. “Carmel really laid the groundwork for the success I had academically in college and medical school.” He fondly remembers faculty members Bob Watson, Jerome Donahue, and his French teacher, Tony Recchia. One of his most memorable experiences as a student was a trip to Europe with Mr. Recchia and other students during spring break. “Mr. Recchia really trusted us to navigate a foreign city and return safely at the end of the day. I felt like I really grew up on that trip.” Jay annually donates to Carmel because he feels he still belongs to the Carmel community. He appreciates the education he received and the enduring friendships made. “Carmel helped me get to where I am today. Giving to Carmel is a simple way to say thank you for all that Carmel did for me.” Jay will also contribute to students as a guest speaker for health sciences classes in the near future.
“Carmel really laid the groundwork for the success I had academically in college and medical school.” 6