Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception is a Franciscan Catholic co-educational college preparatory high school committed to academic excellence, social responsibility, leadership and personal and spiritual growth for our students who will excel in our ever-changing world.
Photo Credits: Metz Photos, Rich Fowler; Brush and Palette Frame Shop, Susan Meer Gigrich ‘87, David Lohmueller, and Elizabeth Schulte ‘17
“Joy
is the simplest form of gratitude.” St. John Paul II
This quote by St. John Paul II is a favorite of mine as it reminds me that gratitude is a key to finding joy and happiness in life.
And, what a joyous year 2023-24 was for our OA community! From the everyday ‘wins’ in the classroom, to the ‘victories’ on the athletic fields, to the ‘applause’ on the stages, we have much to be grateful for this year. I am so proud of our students, our graduates, and all their accomplishments and truly grateful for the dedicated faculty, staff, parents, Sisters, alumni, board members, and friends of OA who continue to inspire me with their faithful commitment, support, and belief in our students and our shared mission of providing an outstanding Catholic education.
One of the most joyful events of the school year is graduation and what a beautiful celebration the OA Class of 2024’s Eucharistic Liturgy and Commencement Ceremony was on June 2nd. I encourage you to take a few minutes to view the photos of our graduates and to read the uplifting and inspiring speeches of Sadie (our valedictorian) and Kate (our salutatorian) found on pages 15 & 16.
Finding joy on campus this summer is not hard with 11 awesome youth summer camps happening in June and July! Check out the fun photos on page 18 and look for more social media posts in the weeks ahead.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to read through our summer magazine. We appreciate the opportunity to share the good news of OA with you! We hope to see many of you back in Oldenburg for the annual Freudenfest celebration in July - always a fun time!
Wishing you all time to relax, refresh, and reconnect with the joys of summer!
With joyous gratitude,
Annette
YEAR IN REVIEW
Academics
• Class of 2024 earned over $7.5 million in college scholarships
• 76% of students earned Indiana Academic Honors Diploma
• 35% of students earned Indiana College Core 30
• 18 of our students athletes were Academic All State Honorees
• 1 Dearborn County Lilly Scholarship Recipient
• OA Academic Team advanced to State at Purdue in English and Social Studies
• English Academic team placed 3rd at State Meet
• Social Studies Academic team placed 3rd at State Meet
• Academic Team Listed in Top 10 in our Division
• 2 students earned top honors in Voice of Democracy Writing Competition
• Juniors and Seniors registered for 327 courses through Ivy Tech during the 2023-2024 school year.
• Oldenburg Academy students took AP exams in 11 different AP courses.
College-to-career readiness
• 100% of seniors participated in a semester long internship program
• 20 different partnering businesses/organizations participated in our internship program
• A team of seniors finished 2nd in the statewide D.I.C.E Challenge, which is a southeast Indiana high school business pitch competition
• A team of seniors advanced to regionals in the statewide high school business pitch, Innovate Within.
• Business Class researched and created presentations to assist with Batesville Main Street downtown development plan.
• 38 students participated in the RISE project; Lead from Where You Are Program, immersing themselves in a day of dynamic leadership training and personal development.
• OA students offered admission to Notre Dame Summer Scholars Program
Athletics
• Boys Soccer Sectional Champions
• Girls Volleyball Sectional Champions
• The Cross Country team had 3 athletes advance to Regionals
• The Track team had 4 members advance to Regionals
• Boys Basketball Sectional Champions
• Girls Basketball advanced to Sectional Finals and earned most wins in school history
• OA Freshman Swimmer advanced to State Finals
• Archery Team Member advanced to State
• 18 of our students athletes were Academic All State Honorees
Fine arts
• OA Music Students earned gold medals in the Indiana State Music Association (ISSMA)
• Student artwork chosen for display at Archdiocese of Indianapolis Gala
• OA senior receives 3 Silver Keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for 2024
• 2nd and 3rd Place Congressional Art Winners
• BAAC - 13 Student Awards in 2-D and 3-D Art
• BAAC - 11 Student Awards in AP Art
• BAAC- 5 Student Awards in High School Play
• BAAC- 3 Student Awards in Instrumental
• BAAC - 5 Student Awards in Photography
• BAAC - 2 Student Awards in Poetry
• BAAC - 1 Student Award in Vocal
• 3 Students Earn top honors in VFW Patriotic Art Contest
• 24 students attended National Catholic Youth Conference Held in Indianapolis
• OA families raised $1500 for Honduras Adopt- A-Village- Project
• Students participate in Indianapolis March for Life and Mass
• Students donate to the OA Blessing Box
• Sophomore Retreat Service Completed
• Students participated in Change for a Change to raise money for Food for the Poor
• Students, Faculty and parent participated in the NHS Blood Drive
• 11 Students Earned Centennial Service Awards completing over 100 hours of service
• Art students created Easter Candles for All Saints Parish
• 15 students commissioned Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Field Day
At the end of the year, the students and faculty celebrated the annual field day! They enjoyed hamburgers and hotdogs, and took part in a pickleball tournament, a corn hole tournament, ultimate frisbee, outside volleyball, badminton, chalk art, bracelet making, board and card games, and other games. Special thanks to B&G Dairy Bar and Grill for bringing their ice cream truck to campus!
Underclass Awards Day
In May, the hard work of our students throughout the year was celebrated with an awards ceremony. Congratulations to all of our students and faculty for a great year!
To view the awards/scholarships received by OA students, visit https://www.oldenburgacademy.org/oa-news.
Senior Mass & Awards Luncheon
To honor the seniors, there was an awards luncheon held for them and their parents, during which, many were recognized for earning scholarships and all of the seniors were introduced as the newest Oldenburg Academy Alumni. Additionally, Senior Mass was celebrated in the Sisters’ Chapel. Father Michael Keucher shared a wonderful Homily with the students and Dr. Brian Disney, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, spoke to the seniors. At the end of Mass, the Sisters sang the Blessing of St. Clare to the seniors as they prepared to embark on their next journey.
To view the awards/scholarships received by OA seniors, visit https://www.oldenburgacademy.org/oa-news.
Chloe Bohman
Noah Bruce
Jacob Cornelius
Amelia Crawford
Lily Dennis Thaddeus Eaglin
Evan Flaspohler
Ryan Geis
Tyler Gill
Austin Gregory
Logan Gregory
Calvin Grote
Bernard Heile
Matthew Hesselbrock
Rachel Lamping
Sara Lamping Kloie Lehman
Thomas Lohmueller
Emily Lonaker
Angus Lonergan
Kenlee Martin
Alexander Matacia
Connor Miles
Carson Phillips
Isabel Price
Lauren richards
Gracie Ripperger
Mary Ryan
Lillian Schebler
Noah Schenk
Jared Schuman
Jonah Short
Alexandrite Simmonds
Evelyn Vanderpohl
Sadie Wachsmann
Claire Walke
Kate Weber
Salutatorian
Kate Weber
“As we reflect on this journey, we can see our progress from three letter spelling tests to multiple page research papers, from picking grass in little league to late nights as varsity starters, from drawing stick figures to drawing portraits, and from afternoon bike rides to midnight car rides. Change is inevitable and we all experienced it in various ways and it is through this change where we have grown the most.
Change happened in our life when we left our middle school friends and walked through the front door of Oldenburg Academy and had our first religion class with Dr. Hollowell. Little did we know we would have the opportunity to hear his son, Fr. Hollowell, give a talk during our senior year. Change happened as we adapted to the ever changing rules that Covid-19 brought to our school.
Change happened as we tried new clubs or sports that were outside of our comfort zone especially with pickleball which quickly became a favorite to all.
Change happened as we went to our overnight retreats and spent time in prayerful adoration. Change happened as we experienced participating in our last sporting event or extracurricular activity and wished we had just a little more time.
Change happened as we experienced all the other lasts of high school all the way to the final bell. These lasts all feel bittersweet as we are closing this chapter of the book, but we look forward to the next with excitement.”
To read Kate’s full speech, visit oldenburgacademy.org/oa-news/ salutatorian-speech-kate-weber
Valedictorian Sadie Wachsmann
“These past four years at Oldenburg Academy have been filled with ups and downs, triumphs and defeats, and love and hate, but as a class we have persevered to accomplish one of the first monumental moments in our lives, graduating high school. Now I am sure a lot of you are thinking, well everybody graduates high school, but do something.org states that 25% of high school students fail to graduate on time if at all. We have accomplished a great feat together, and we should be so proud of this achievement. Even beyond our academic accomplishments, we have received so many outstanding distinctions in athletics, music, and art. Each and every member of our class is so unique and that is what has made our class so successful. I could go on for hours about all of the great things the class of 2024 has accomplished, but I will not get into all the details; what matters is the influence we have had on our communities and that we will continue to have as we go out into the world. I have no doubts that our class will make an impact on every industry we enter whether it’s healthcare, engineering, business, trades, or any of the endless paths we can take. By attending OA, we are now prepared for these possibilities in our life because we have been instructed not only in our academics, but on how to be upstanding individuals in society. We have been living out the values of virtue, honor, and education these past four years, and we understand that it does not stop here. All of us must continue to use what we have learned, and one of the most important things we should rely on everyday is our Catholic faith which has brought us here and will continue to move us throughout our lives. We will all be able to look back on our high school days with a sense of pride and gratitude for all we have learned in our time here.”
To read Sadie’s full speech, visit oldenburgacademy.org/oa-news/ valedictorian-speech-sadie-wachsmann
2024 Summer Camps
Earlier this summer, OA welcomed students to campus for a series of summer camps put on by the OA faculty/staff, including art, service, volleyball, math, archery, girls basketball, boys basketball, and cheerleading. Coming up in July, there will be a boys/girls soccer camp!
Alumni Updates
Two alumni, Chris Hautman ‘21 and Andrew Oesterling ‘21, team members on the Hanover College baseball team, helped the team earn their first ever Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season title since 2001 and secured the program’s first ever HCAC Tournament title. Chris was a starter in the final game and Andrew went 2-4 with a double!
We had a great alumni showing at the OASIS Golf Outing this year! Thank you to everyone who came out to support OA!
John and Julie Doll Eckstein ’61 celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on April 4th surrounded by family and friends!
What a wonderful legacy Julie began as a member of the class of 1961, as then her two daughters, Deb Eckstein Grieshop ’84 and Deann Eckstein Kaiser ’99, followed in her footsteps and attended OA, along with her eight grandchildren, Megan Grieshop Zernich ‘09, Bailey Grieshop Wilhelm ‘12, Mara Grieshop ‘15, Jon Grieshop ‘21, Courtney Eckstein ’15, Curt Eckstein ’17, Kyle Eckstein ‘18, Mindy Eckstein ’20, and Clay Eckstein ’26.
Elizabeth Bachus Fritschner ‘14 married Paul Fristschner on June 22, 2024.
Sarah Schulte Sena ‘07 and Adam Sena were married on June 15, 2024, accompanied by Sarah’s sisters and fellow alumni Anna Schulte Blanchard ‘10, Rachel Schulte Hinton ‘12, Emmalee Schulte Kessens ‘15, and Elizabeth Schulte ‘17.
Davis Daniel Sierzputowski was born May 1st, 2024 at Good Samaritan Hospital. Located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Matt and Elle Riehle Sierzputowski ‘11 already love being parents!
Before turning one month old, Davis had met his 105 year old great grandmother and received his passport! Davis also enjoys weekly visits out to Indiana to visit his grandmother Melanie Riehle, former OA board member.
Kirsten Stenger Weigand ‘16 and her husband Peter welcomed their son Quinn Owen Weigand to the world on March 21, 2024!
Alumni Homecoming
Saturday, October 12, 2024
10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Alumni are invited to bring their spouse or a friend/guest to join in the festivities of this adult-only event!
Is your class having an Anniversary this year? If your graduation year ends with a 4 or 9, we are honoring your class with photo composites and group pictures. Come see how the campus has changed and grown. Make your class reunion special by attending OA Homecoming this year!
More details will be shared closer to the date of the event!
Volunteers are always appreciated! If you are interested in volunteering to help with the planning/setup of the event, please contact Debbie Holtel Lamping ‘73 in the OA Advancement Office at dlamping@oldenburgacademy.org.
A few hours of your time can really make a difference!
Ways to support OA!
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Be a Career Guest Speaker
We are looking for alumni or friends in the OA community who are interested in speaking to OA students about his/her career and exposing fellow Twisters to all of the amazing things they have the ability to do after graduation!
If interested, fill out our form by scanning the QR code or visiting https://www. oldenburgacademy. org/alumni-association#stay.connected
Volunteer in the Twister Cafe
We can always use extra helping hands in the cafe during the school year.
If you are interested in serving lunch and assisting in the cafe, please contact Mrs.
Angie Voegele in the cafe: avoegele@oldenburgacademy.org
Purchase Raffle Tickets and Attend Our Events
Each year, OA holds their Cash Raffle and Lucky Buck Raffles as well as a number of fun events including the OASIS Hog Roast (November 2, 2024) and Dinner Auction (February 22, 2025). We would love for you to join in the fun! Purchase a ticket(s) and help support OA students by contacting these respective people:
Debbie Lamping | Lucky Bucks and Cash Raffle: dlamping@oldenburgacademy.org
Patrick Kolks | OASIS: pkolks@oldenburgacademy.org
Your support is what helps make it possible for OA to continue its mission of academic excellence, social responsibility, leadership and personal growth for our students.
We are so very grateful for any gift you are willing to share.
To give today, scan the QR code or visit https://www.oldenburgacademy.org/ ways-to-give#give
Doors open at 6:00 PM; Dinner at 6:30 PM (first number pulled at 7:00 PM)
$100 Per Ticket (includes 2 people and their dinners)
VIP Table | $500 (Includes 4 tickets (8 people), reserved seating, special gifts, first through the buffet line)
Activities include the famous Dessert Auction, Split-the-Pot, Heads or Tails and lots of laughs!
All proceeds benefit OASIS Athletic Boosters #002071
