Academic Team Wins State Championship
2017 Whelan Award Matthew Harding ’17, from Livonia, was recently presented with one of Catholic Central’s most prestigious honors, the Rev. James H. Whelan Award.
The Academic Team won its seventh-consecutive State Championship by sweeping the field at the NAQT State Championship Tournament held at the University of Michigan on April 1, 2017. Furthermore, the Shamrocks dominated the State Tournament with the C Team finishing 2nd, the B Team finishing 4th on a tiebreaker, and D Team finishing 5th. Catholic Central continues its tradition of success by placing four teams in the top 5 in the state of Michigan. Additionally, CC won the Michigan State University Honors College Class A State Championship tournament on April 22, 2017. Their season continues with the National Championships in June. As of April 16th, CC’s A Team was ranked #1 in the nation according to High School Quiz Bowl Rankings. The B and C Teams are also nationally ranked at #49 and #181 respectively. The team is coached by co-head coaches Ben Herman ’98 and Chris Gismondi ’00 and assistant coach Anthony Cornish.
The Whelan Award, named in honor of Catholic Central’s fourth principal, Rev. James H. Whelan, C.S.B., is given annually to a senior who has excelled academically, is an outstanding athlete, and is looked upon by his peers as a Christian gentleman. A four-year member of the CC Football, Basketball, and Baseball programs, Matt has earned 6 varsity letters and was voted a senior football captain by his teammates. Matt helped lead the football team to a 13-1 record and an appearance in the State Championship game. Robert Crawford ’18, Austin Morton ’17, Robert Mansueti ’17, and Will LaMarra ’17
He was named All-League by the Catholic League Football Coaches Association. Matt maintained a 4.6 GPA and served as Student Council Treasurer.
Career Conference Program – Providing Career Insight Among CC Brothers
He will be attending Hillsdale College next fall. Left: Matthew Harding ’17
Shawn Mather Honored by NAMI Michigan
Dr. Robert Forte ’69
Corrigan O’Donohue ’87 and Kyle Smith ’04
The Sophomore Career Conference Program brings alumni and current CC sophomores together in an informative, mentoring, and discussion environment. Throughout the second semester of the school year, sophomores are able to learn more about various career paths while interacting with alumni who work in the different fields. This school year, career paths in Medical/Health Science, Law/Law Enforcement, Art & Design, Engineering, Entrepreneurship/Business/Goal Planning, and Financial Planning/Accounting/Marketing were presented and discussed.
Kevin Mason ’03 and Spencer Hicks ’09 group photo with students 34
SCHOOL BELLS • SPRING 2017
Colin Bonathan ’09
Bill Downs III ’84
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Medical/Health Sciences: Dr. Bob Forte ’69 – Surgeon and Dentist
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Law/Law Enforcement: Kyle Smith ’04 – Attorney, and Corrigan O’Donohue ’87 – Police Chief and Assistant City Manager of Royal Oak
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Art & Design: Colin Bonathan ’09 – Creative Designer
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Engineering: Kevin Mason ’03 – Mechanical Engineer, and Spencer Hicks ’09 – Mechanical Engineer
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Entrepreneur/Business/Goal Planning: Bill Downs III ’84 – CEO, Business Owner
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Financial Planning/Accounting/Marketing/Sports Marketing: Jim Burns ’04 – Financial Planner, Accountant, and Mitch Eisenstein ’05 – Lawyer, Sports Agent, Marketing Executive
Jim Burns ’04 and Mitch Eisenstein ’05 with students
Ms. Shawn Mather, the Director of Guidance at Catholic Central, was recently honored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as Secondary Educator of the Year. Through her partnership with NAMI Michigan, Ms. Mather has introduced, organized, and coordinated bringing the NAMI presentation “Parents and Teachers as Allies” to the entire CC faculty and staff. In April 2016, Ms. Mather successfully completed the NAMI training to become a certified presenter of the “Ending the Silence” Program which she presents annually to the senior class. As a result, she has brought the difficult topic of mental illness into supportive discussion at Catholic Central.
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NAMI Michigan Executive Director Kevin Fischer (father of Chris ’08 and the late Dominique ’05), Shawn Mather, and NAMI Michigan Board of Directors President Holly Rhode
Class of ’66 - Member CC Alumni Glee Club - CC Ambassador Roy Wilson IV Class of ’00 I will donate up to $1,000 to CC in your name when you buy or sell property with us! Contact me today for more details. SCHOOL BELLS • SPRING 2017
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