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Alumni News
Mark Julien, ‘95, Receives $25,000 Top Teacher Award
Mark Julien got the player in high school, surprise of his career on Mark captained the October 1, 2013. 1994 football team that At a school-wide aswon the CHSL Central sembly at Henry Ford II Division and the District High School in Sterling Championship. He went Heights, where he is an on to Michigan State English teacher, Mark University, majoring in learned he was one of English and minoring in the recipients of the Mark Julien History, and picking up a 2013 Milken Educator teaching endorsement. Award, a $25,000 cash prize awarded Mark credits his DLS teachers with his to 40 teachers around the country. decision to enter teaching. Teacher Magazine calls the award the “I was a blue-collar kid from Sterling “Oscar of Teaching.” Heights. My teachers were some of my Mark was the only Michigan only college-educated professional role recipient. models. They had a huge impact on my Begun by the Milken Family life.” Foundation in 1987 “to honor excelMark notes that he and his brothers, lence in teaching,” the cash awards Matt, ‘93, his oldest brother Mike are given to teachers who have “dem(Bishop Gallagher, ‘89), and sister onstrated effective teaching practices Loree (Bishop Gallagher, ‘90), are the and results for students.” first generation in his family to attend In 2010, one of Mark’s students was college. named a Presidential Scholar, one of Mark cites two of his DLS English only 140 students in the nation to reteachers as memorable. ceive the award. The student named “Mr. (David) Kirck showed me you Mark as her most influential teacher, could be male, and be into literature, and he traveled to Washington DC and not be ‘hokey,’ and still be a family with her for the ceremonies at the man. White House with President Obama. “I was very competitive and when DLS teacher Mr. Michael Karas, and I didn’t know something, I wanted Ben Van Berkum, ’10, the only other to learn it. In freshman year, I had Michigan student to win the prestiMrs. (Vicki) Granger for English. My gious honor, were part of the same knowledge of grammar wasn’t very ceremony. good. She joked with me that I was a A four-year football and baseball ‘grammar moron,’ and she spent time helping me learn my grammar after school, free time, whenever. A lot of teachers at La Salle go the extra mile, and help students when they need help.” Mark was also influenced by the late Tony De Santis and by Mike Szatkowski. “I didn’t have either as a teacher. They were my football coaches. I saw that they were teachers first, and that they considered teaching their first priority. They showed you that you could be outstanding in both and compromised in neither.”
Mark began his teaching career at DLS in 2002, and taught English for two years. He coached JV baseball for two years, and was head coach for JV, and then Freshmen Football. He was offensive coordinator of the varsity football team from 2006 – 2009.
He joined the Utica Community Schools in 2004, as a teacher at Ford II. He has taught Advanced Placement English, Literature and Composition, for the last four years at the school, along with a variety of other English classes. He coached JV baseball for four years, and is now a varsity assistant.
Mark and his wife Julie live in Grosse Pointe Woods, and intend to put some of the $25,000 into a college fund for their three daughters – Annabelle, a third-grader, Charlotte, a first-grader, and Phoebe, a two-year old. “Maybe we’ll take a vacation, too,” said Mark.
Alumni News
Doug Skrzyniarz had quite a November this year. On November 5, Doug earned the second-highest vote total in the Sterling Heights City Council race, his first try at elective office.
And on November 6, Doug was one of “40 Under 40” honored by Crain’s Business Detroit in a ceremony gathering Southeast Michigan’s brightest achievers.
Doug began his foray into politics as a high-schooler, successfully lobbying the New Baltimore City Council to ban leaf burning. “I had really bad asthma and almost died from a respiratory arrest brought on by thick smoke from leaf burning. I went door to door in my spare time asking for signatures to encourage the city council to ban leaf burning,” said Doug. “That experience taught me the importance of local government and how one person can make a difference.”
As a DLS junior, Doug lived in Washington DC, working as a Congressional page. “For six months, I would start classes at 7 a.m. in the Library of Congress, and then be on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by 10 a.m. as a Democratic Cloakroom Page. My job was to help Members of Congress during floor votes and retrieve them from the floor for important phone calls, including a few calls from the President. It was a lifeto keep the state and changing experience.” federal contracts coming While he’s been involved to WSU. He also makes in several statewide poevery effort to make litical campaigns, Doug’s sure that lawmakers in “day jobs” have been with Lansing and Washington non-profits, particularly DC know the good work the health care industhat comes from those try. He’s worked in the contracts. Advancement Offices at Last year, WSU competed Mount Clemens General Hospital (now McLaren), Doug Skrzyniarz with other universities, and won a 10-year, St. John Providence, and then Wayne $165.9 million contract extension from State University. the National Institutes of Health for He joined the Wayne State University perinatology research branch at Hutzel School of Medicine in 2006 as the Women’s Hospital. senior director of their $155 million "There is a shrinking amount of dolcapital campaign. He quickly saw the lars, and if you don't make your case need to create an office of governas to why you're a value-added entity, ment affairs for the school. He says you're not going to get support," he the medical school didn’t have any real told Crain’s. political connections, so he created the Doug and his wife Joan, an estate office of government affairs. planning attorney at Dickinson Wright, In his role as Associate Vice President have two sons and live in Sterling of Government Affairs, Doug works Heights.
Career Day is Coming!
The De La Salle Alumni Association will once again sponsor a Career Day on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. We are looking for alumni who can share their knowledge and experiences in their chosen professions. The day begins at 8 a.m. with a “Meet and Greet” with the other participating alumni in the DLS Library. The balance of the morning, beginning at 9 a.m., graduates will speak in three sessions to interested students. Lunch is provided following the sessions, and the day concludes at approximately noon. Interested alumni should contact John Monigold at jmonigold@delasallehs.com or 586-541-6212.
Alumni News
Blue Jays Give Back The St. Joe’s Class of 1953 recently assembled for its 60th reunion, and gathered donations for the De La Salle Tuition Assistance Fund. George Rinke and Arthur Wilhelm represented their classmates in presenting the check to DLS. Pictured at right (L. to R.) Br. Bob Carnaghi, George Rinke, Arthur Wilhelm, and Br. Patrick McNally.
Class of 1973 at its 40th reunion
Alumni News
Alumni Granddads and Grandsons at the Annual Freshmen-Grandparents’ Day (L. to R.) Al Brengman (SJ ‘46) and grandson Liam Brengman, Brennan Hawkins and his grandfather Al Callewaert (‘58), John Nicol (‘65) and grandson Ben Nicol, Michael Karam (‘59) with grandson Michael Karam.
Next Generation David Barthel (‘90), and his son Connor, a seventh-grader at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe Woods, toured DLS during the annual Open House in November.
Pilots in the Pros
The De La Salle Family is always very proud of Alex Avila, catcher for the Detroit Tigers. Although Alex returned to Florida in the middle of his junior year, he continues to be supportive of the Pilots and the DLS baseball program Some other alumni are also distinguishing themselves in the world of professional sports. Nick Buss, ‘04, got the call up to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the month of September. Although not on the playoff roster, Nick traveled with the Dodgers as they competed in the MLB playoffs. Nick graduated from the University of Southern California, and was a 2008 8th round draft pick of the Dodgers. He is playing winter ball in Venezuela. Danny DeKeyser, ‘08, joined the Detroit Red Wings late last spring as a free agent, and is already making a mark as an outstanding defenseman in his rookie season. Danny played junior hockey in British Columbia and in Iowa before going to Western Michigan University. Alex Marcotullio, ‘09, who had an outstanding college career at Northwestern, recently joined the Glasgow Rocks, a basketball team in the United Kingdom. Alex spent two summers playing for Great Britain’s U20 team at the 2010 and 2011 U20 European Championships. He withdrew in 2012 due to an injury. Alex was inducted into the CHSL Hall of Fame in June 2013; he played professional basketball in Italy this past summer.
Grads Playing College Football Former Pilot teammates met on the football field as Albion played Olivet this fall. (L. to R.) Andy DiFranco (‘13), Damorria Lilly (‘13), and David Van Ittersum (‘12).
