What's Happening in Cougar Country

Historically, as both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, volunteerism and charitable giving peak compared to other times throughout the calendar year.

Lake Catholic High School is no different. 

The entire school participates in Socktober throughout October. Led by Visual Arts Department Chair Mrs. Kelly Wolf, students, faculty, and staff collect socks and money for donation to several local charities.

On Monday of this week, the Class of 2026 took part in the 51st annual Turkey Day event. What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

And next week, on the National Day of Giving, the school community will once again participate in #weGiveCatholic, which is the school’s largest single-day of giving, and benefits all current students.

Although students have always been called to serve and give back throughout all four years at Lake Catholic, Mrs. Beth Paskey, who joined the faculty this school year, is enriching that commitment in new ways. She’s making service more accessible, more visible, and more woven into everyday school life.

Paskey, who’s been in Catholic education for the past 34 years, including the last 17 years at St. Gabriel, teaches Freshmen Theology during the morning and then serves as the school’s service coordinator throughout the afternoon – not that those roles are exclusive of each other.

“When this job became available, and the way it’s structured, it was a no-brainer for me,” Paskey said. “A life of service is what we’re called to live. Watching the students get involved and help others is what I enjoy the most. Taking time out of school and helping others in a different environment – it’s very rewarding for me to see.”

Outside of Turkey Day, where nearly a dozen locations were visited by the senior class, students of all grade levels have made multiple trips to Birthright Lake, Inc., Brookdale Senior Living, and the St. Gabriel Food Pantry. Students have also been to the Warehouse of HOPE, participated in both a Living Rosary at St. Gabriel School and the Respect Life Day planned by the Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice Network, and helped out at the Special Sports Halloween Party hosted right here at Lake Catholic. 

So far, 103 students have participated in 15 projects, averaging approximately 154.5 hours of service. Turkey Day accounted for another 111 students at 12 locations for about 2.5 hours of service each.

All that in three-plus months of school. And that’s not even counting any service the students do on their own.

“We want service to become the norm,” Paskey said. “We want the students to want to do these things, and not something they have to do to check the box, so to speak.”

The school does have service requirements for the students to graduate. A minimum of 50 hours – 10 hours as a freshman, 15 hours as both a sophomore and junior, and another 10 hours as a senior – is the minimum. To earn the service cord to be worn at the commencement ceremony, a student must have at least 80 hours of service.

“Right now, I work a lot with the freshmen because that’s who I teach,” Paskey said. “To some of the upperclassmen, I’m just a name on an email. But I’m already making plans for the second semester and would love to take kids to different places at least two days a week.”

Some students have even reached out to Paskey with their own ideas for service. A group of students approached her about going to play music at different locations. 

“This is not just a me thing,” she said. “Students can come up with their own plans, and I’ll help arrange them in any way I can.”

With Paskey’s leadership and the students’ growing enthusiasm, service at Lake Catholic continues to evolve—not as an obligation, but as a shared way of life.

In a moment of downtime in Health class one day, the students were Googling each other to see what would come up. They’d search for one name after another. 

Then came freshman Ethan Monaghan (St. Paschal Baylon). 

“Wait! You’re famous,” Ethan said he remembers them saying. “I told them I wasn’t famous. If someone saw me walking down the street, they wouldn’t know who I am.”

Well, if a blue elephant is walking down the street, most students and anyone else would certainly know Dr. Seuss’s Horton. So, in a sense, they would know who Ethan is.

Ethan is Horton.

On Monday, October 6, 2025, Netflix released the first seven episodes of Dr. Seuss’s Horton! - bringing the beloved elephant back to the screen in a brand-new animated series. 

Ethan technically isn’t a blue elephant, but Horton is voiced by Ethan.

“I auditioned for the show in early 2024, got a call-back, and then got the job,” he said. “From February 2024 until April of 2025, I recorded an episode a week for 40 weeks and then had 30 more weeks of pickups.” Pickups are re-recordings of a small portion of an audio project, like a single sentence or phrase, rather than the entire script.

According to an article by Common Sense Media, “Dr. Seuss's Horton! is a preschool animated series based on Dr. Seuss' classic Horton Hears a Who. Here, the animals are younger and cuter versions of the book characters, living in harmony in the Jungle of Nool. Horton is an optimistic elephant who, alongside his sidekick/best friend, Samson, is eager to help anyone in need. Their challenges start small—like rescuing a kite or finding a birthday cake—but quickly turn into imaginative adventures where they fly on leaf airplanes or get catapulted using a slinky toy.”

Despite his mom, new Lake Catholic Performing Arts Director Kelly Monaghan, turning her home office into a studio and their basement allowing for more video recordings, Netflix rented studio space at Breakthrough Studios in Valley View for those 70+ weeks where he would record the episodes while on Zoom with the show’s writers, designers, and voice directors. The show isn’t recorded like a traditional live-action production where the actors are all together. In fact, he said, he would have the script so he could see what the lines were before and after his lines, just so he could judge the tone, inflection, and emotion of each of his lines.

“It’s funny, Horton’s best friend is Samson, and I never met him,” Ethan said. “I waved hello to him once on a Zoom, but that was it.”

Although the first seven episodes of Horton! have been released, Netflix has not announced when the rest will come out yet. In the meantime, while Ethan is waiting for his next opportunity on the screen, he said he plans to continue to be involved with the Heights Youth Theatre in University Heights. 

“I really enjoy all parts of acting – the singing, dancing, whatever,” Ethan said. “But I do prefer acting over the voice work.”

Last Christmas, he starred as Ralphie in A Christmas Story at the Allen Theater in downtown Cleveland. Rehearsals started in September for the December run and ramped up as the show neared, working for 12 hours or more that final week before it opened. Then it was three weeks, consisting of 24 shows – one each on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and two shows each on Saturday and Sunday.

“That was a lot. We only had Mondays off,” Ethan said. “And I would have loved to go back this year, but I’m too old now. You have to be 13 (years old) or younger. So, I miss all my friends who were in it last year. They’re all back again, but, unfortunately, I’m too old now.”

As his career continues to evolve, Ethan said he’s up for any opportunity but would prefer to get away from the voice work in children’s shows and move on to something more his own age range. Besides Horton, he’s also voiced Kyle, a polar bear friend of Goofy, in Mickey Mouse Funhouse, and George, a kindergarten friend of Kotaro, in the English version of Kotaro Lives Alone.

“I want to work on something with kids my own age,” he said. “In my perfect world, I’d love to be on the Outer Banks, or a show like that.”

Ethan is no stranger to “live acting” on television or the big screen, so a move like that wouldn’t be too daunting. He said he’s been in 8-10 commercials. He’s credited for his part in Sweet Girl, a 2021 movie starring Jason Momoa, although his scene was cut. He was also in three episodes of season two of Manhunt, which premiered in 2020. The season followed the hunt for Eric Rudolph, who was the perpetrator of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. 

“I was in Pittsburgh shooting Manhunt,” he said. “That’s a lot of waiting around for your scenes. So, I had a tutor on set. She was more of a teacher and just kept me on track with my schoolwork.”

Now that his part of Horton! is done, Ethan is just a high school student walking the Lake Catholic halls. Although his previous commitments are keeping him from taking part in the Performing Arts Department’s Fall Play – Peter and the Starcatcher – he didn’t rule out helping with the show in some capacity or joining one of the casts in the future.

“I don’t know if I’ll take part in the fall play or spring musical. We’ll have to see what my schedule is like when those shows audition,” he said. “In the meantime, with this show just starting, I might come in and help with tech or the lights or something like that.”

Whenever that next part comes, Ethan will be ready to continue on his path. He said he wants to go to college in New York or Los Angeles. And eventually end up permanently in LA, where he can act forever.

For the next 3+ years though, Lake Catholic will be his home.

“Everyone here is so welcoming and understanding of what my goals are,” he said. “The teachers are all willing to listen and give me any help I might need.

“Lake Catholic allows me to be able to do what I love and still get a great education at the same time.”

Looking out at a congregation of more than 5,000 high school students at the Cleveland Public Auditorium, Bishop Edward Malesic reflected on the building’s history - concerts, political rallies, basketball games, and even boxing matches. 

But on Thursday, October 23, it was the host of the Diocese of Cleveland’s Catholic High School Rally and Mass. 

The entire Lake Catholic student body, faculty, and staff traveled downtown on 11 buses to join the more than 20 other high schools for a day of music, reflection, and worship.

This is the second time Bishop Malesic has hosted the event. Two years ago, nearly 100 Lake Catholic students and a handful of faculty members attended. This year, Principal Tom McKrill (’07) made it a priority for everyone to experience the celebration.

“The Jubilee of Hope was an incredible chance for our students to see faith come alive in a real way,” McKrill said. “As a Catholic school, we do our best every day to help students encounter Christ, but this event gave them the chance to experience that on a much bigger scale — surrounded by thousands of other young people celebrating the same faith. I wanted every Lake Catholic student to feel that sense of belonging, joy, and hope firsthand.”

In this, the Jubilee Year 2025, the Church’s motto is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The Jubilee Year is a sacred time to rediscover God’s mercy, and the theme reminds Catholics to walk in faith, bring hope to others, and move forward together toward God.

Before the mass began, Damascus Worship, a missionary movement devoted to bringing revival to the Catholic Church, led the crowd in upbeat praise and worship. Students sang, clapped, and even danced in their seats.

Fr. Eric Garris, a 2008 Lake Catholic graduate and the Diocese’s Vocation Coordinator, served as emcee and introduced testimonial speakers Claire Green, a senior at Stow-Monroe Falls High School and a member of the Diocesan Youth Council, and Meg Hunter-Kilmer, an author and national speaker. Both spoke about self-worth, especially that of high school-aged people.

“Jesus doesn’t need me, but he wants me,” Green said. “It’s real, undeserved love – not based on performance or anything, just about me. You don’t have to do anything, or prove anything, to be loved by God.”

“The hope that Jesus brings is when he sees all of you – all of your sins, your suffering, your goodness – and he loves you,” Hunter-Kilmer said.

The speakers set the tone for Bishop Malesic’s Mass, which began with a procession of nearly 100 people, including representatives of each high school carrying their school flag as well as petitions from their students, priests representing the participating schools and areas, and seminarians leading Bishop Malesic to the altar on the stage.

During his homily, Bishop Malesic mixed humor and heart, referencing Taylor Swift lyrics and even revealing his Cleveland Browns loyalty, despite being born and raised near Pittsburgh. He then outlined four practices that will help keep the fire of faith alive:

1. Pray daily – through Scripture, the Rosary, or even quiet reflection in nature. Prayer also means listening to God.
2. Let Jesus plan your life. Invite Him into every part of it.
3. Share your faith with others
4. Ask God your purpose. Why are you here, in this time and this place?

Echoing the earlier speakers, he encouraged his “youngest brothers and youngest sisters” to be aware of their purpose and that no one can determine that besides themselves and God.

“You be you. That’s what God wants,” Bishop Malesic said. “That’s why He put you here.”
 

As the libero on the three-time state champion volleyball team, sophomore Lola Loncar (St. Gabriel) always wears a different-colored jersey than her teammates. 

The different uniform allows her to stand out to officials because of the special substitution rules for that position. 

As any volleyball fan around the area and state could attest, Loncar doesn’t need a special uniform to stand out. Her play does that on its own. And now it’s earned her a different uniform altogether – one that is red, white, and blue.

Back on September 11, while she was on the court for the Cougars’ match against Hoban, Loncar received an email letting her know that she had been selected as one of 17 players for the US Volleyball’s first-ever U17 Girls National Team. The roster was officially announced on September 26.

“I didn’t even know the emails were coming out, but I was just so excited when I opened it,” said Loncar, who was in the car with her dad, Marty (’92), when she finally checked her phone.

Now she’ll be off to participate in a training block from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Following the training, 12 athletes will be named to the final competition roster to represent the United States at the 2025 NORCECA Women’s U17 Continental Championship, set for early November in Costa Rica (with the other five named as alternates). With a good showing there, the team could qualify for the 2026 World Championships.

“When I think about the opportunity, I get excited, but also a little nervous,” she said.

While she’s the only player from Ohio to be selected for the team, that’s nothing new for her. She’s the only girl from Ohio in her age group who’s been a part of the National Team Development Program (NTDP), but it’s an honor and recognition that is truly deserved. 

In this high school season alone, which isn’t over, Loncar has 28 aces, 49 assists, 307 serve receptions, and an astonishing 450 digs – which is around 6.6 per set and 22.5 per match.

“Those dig numbers are insane,” Lake Catholic head coach Tess Connolly Alcantara (’16) said. “Lola has skills beyond her time. She strives to be the best. And even with all those great stats, her best quality might be her mindset for her game, as well as the entire team. 

“I’m very proud of her and honored to be her coach. This invitation is well deserved, and I’m excited to see her play at that level.”

Despite missing about half of last year’s high school season because of a knee injury, she still received that invitation to her initial NTDP camp.

According to its website, the NTDP, which was launched by US Volleyball in 2021, is the official youth development program for the senior men’s and women’s national teams, with the mission of identifying and accelerating elite player development to ensure sustained competitive excellence on the international stage.

Loncar has been a part of the NTDP since last winter, when, after the Cougars' third straight state championship, she trained for five days in Colorado Springs. 

“When I started to get serious about volleyball, my goal was just to be invited to the NTDP, so when I got the invitation, I was just as shocked,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to the national team. But now when I go, it’s great to see all the same girls working on the same things the National Team does.”

After her trip in the winter, she participated in similar camps at the IMG Academy in Florida in the spring and in Cincinnati over the summer – where she was coincidentally coached by newly inducted Lake Catholic Athletic Hall of Famer Abby Detering (’14).

While playing for a high-level Junior Olympic (JO) club, Academy Volleyball Cleveland, and now taking part in three NTDP trainings, Loncar has played against and with some of the best players in the state and the country. Despite that, it hasn’t been lost on her how being a part of the Lake Catholic volleyball program has set her up for this success.

“We have one of the best programs in the state,” she said. “I’m surrounded by older players who have come up in this program. They know what it takes to be successful, and it trickles down to all of us. It’s such a great environment, and we just all push each other to be better.

“The stuff we do with Coach (Jimmy) King (’11) not only during our season, but all offseason is unmatched.”

It’s been a long journey — and it’s far from over. From a third-grader at St. Gabe’s to wearing the red, white, and blue, Loncar’s story is one of steady growth, big dreams, and a community that’s been behind her every step of the way. The next chapter begins in Colorado Springs.
 

One of the core values held closely by all Lake Catholic students and alumni is a Willingness to Serve.

So, when there’s someone in need, it doesn’t matter how difficult the task is.

For sophomore Nick Evangelista (St. Mary of the Assumption), putting his body through extreme conditions was no deterrent to raising money for children battling life-threatening illnesses. 
For 24 hours, from noon on Saturday, October 4, to noon on Sunday, October 5, Nick took part in the 24:in:24 presented by CleanEats at the SPIRE Academy. According to the 24:in:24 website, the event itself features challengers attempting to run one mile every hour, on the hour, for 24 consecutive hours.

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Nick said. “I was still so sore for about four or five days afterward.”

After watching his aunt take part in the race a year ago, Nick, who is a member of the Lake Catholic track and field team, decided he wanted to give it a try.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, all the while raising money for a good cause,” he said.

By himself, he raised more than $1,100 for the cause. He said his mom’s employer, Jenniffer & Co., was the biggest donor, but he also had a lot of single contributors. Last year, the event brought in $565,000 for A Special Wish – Northeast Ohio Foundation.

Nick said he’s been running on his own since about fifth grade after having played basketball for a few years, but he’s never actually trained for something like this. And really, he didn’t train much for the 24:in:24 either. He said he trained for just one day to try to get his endurance up, but then just spent the entire day before the event resting and saving as much energy as he could.
He started off the 24 hours well, doing his one mile per hour in under 7 minutes.

“After each mile, you had to go up two flights of stairs to get back to where we had our camp set up. So, you think you have close to an hour in between each mile, but really it was just about 35 minutes.”

It did get to the point where his mom actually made him sleep for an hour to help his body recover. He slept from 2a-3a on Sunday, which caused him to miss miles 15 and 16.

“You are able to make up the miles you miss,” he said. “So, by mile 19 I was caught up.”

Some of the families and children who benefit from A Special Wish were on hand to cheer on all the runners, and as Nick said, they helped serve as extra motivation for those last few miles over those last few hours.

“The last lap was absolutely the hardest,” he said. “But when you are carrying that flag that you are on your last lap, and then when you cross that finish line, it’s the best feeling.”

After the grueling day, he said he slept until 10a Monday morning, waking up for just a couple of hours before that. Despite the challenge, he said he would do it again.

“Being a part of this school, a place that does stuff like this all the time for other people, is what made me want to do it,” he said. “And when it’s an event like this that helps so many people, anything I can do to help raise money, or just spread the word about it, it means so much regardless of what I have to go through.”
 

The Lake Catholic students have been in classes for almost a month to kick off the 2025-26 school year, but on Thursday, September 18, they returned to summer, if only for an hour.

Classes merged, departments collaborated, and students and teachers alike worked on various projects all relating to this past summer’s One School, One Book reading project – The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

This is the third year for the One School, One Book summer reading, and Assistant Principal of Academics Maghen Frindt thinks the overall concept keeps getting better.

“This is something that unifies us all and brings us all together,” Frindt said. “Whether a student worked all summer or spent the entire summer at the beach, our entire community had this one thing in common over those months.”

While each student did take an exam on the book during their English class, Thursday’s special session was a true cross-collaboration between departments and students as grade levels and departments were mixed and combined in various ways. And, as Frindt said, this particular book lends itself to such synergy.

“The first thing we look for when picking a book is whether it’s accessible to our entire community,” she said. “But this book in particular has a log of complex and interesting elements, with touch points in every content level.”

The story follows four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—who are evacuated to the English countryside during World War II. In their temporary home, Lucy discovers a magical wardrobe that leads to Narnia, a land under the spell of the White Witch. Her magic makes it “always winter but never Christmas.”

At first, the children are divided—Edmund betrays his siblings by siding with the Witch—but soon they join together to help the rightful ruler, Aslan the great lion, free Narnia. Aslan sacrifices himself to save Edmund, but through deeper magic, he rises again. With his help, the children and Narnians defeat the Witch’s forces.

By the end, the Pevensies are crowned as kings and queens of Narnia, ruling for many years before eventually returning to the wardrobe and finding themselves back in the real world—no time having passed.

Some of the deeper themes that come out of the story are good vs. evil; betrayal and forgiveness; courage and growth; faith and belief; and sacrifice and resurrection.

As for Thursday, there was a basic, but minimal framework that the teachers had to follow:

• Make sure they have read the book
• Their lesson/project had to be contained to an hour and could not result in homework
• Take their own content area and ground it in the text

A few examples of what teachers came up with are:

• Ms. Kane (art) and Mrs. Gainar's (culinary arts) group worked on two projects - students prepared a meal similar to the book and got to eat it together and also created trading cards based on the book’s characters, locations, and other items.
• Mr. Clark (art), Ms. Halcomb (English), and Ms. McVicker’s (English) group used AI to illustrate texts from the book. They searched for different quotes and passages and then used ChatGPT to create illustrations, and
• Mrs. Hufgard (science), Ms. Pattison (math), and Mrs. Graff’s (intervention) group used shaving cream to make their own snow.

While students seemed to enjoy the special session, not only working with different students and classes, but also learning differently, besides just a lecture, the singular day has concluded, and the work on next year’s One School, One Book summer project will soon begin again.

The administrative and faculty team will begin reviewing books in November, with the announcement of next summer’s book coming in April or May, before school lets out, Frindt said.

“My hope is that as we continue to grow this program, the faculty, staff, and students will really look forward to the book and days of working together once we return to school,” she said. “What happened (Thursday) is one of the most STEM, STEAM, STREAM-thing we’ve done here since I’ve been here. We were able to pull multiple content areas together and intertwine them for a very productive hour of projects, discussion, and learning.”

The Lake Catholic community gathered in faith and celebration for the Class of 2025 during the annual Baccalaureate Mass last night at St. John Vianney. 

Held as a spiritual send-off for the graduating seniors, the Mass offered a moment of reflection, gratitude, and blessing. Students, families, faculty, and staff came together to honor the accomplishments of the class and to pray for guidance and strength as they prepare to embark on their next chapter. The ceremony was a meaningful reminder of Lake Catholic’s commitment to faith, service, and community.

During his homily, Lake Catholic Chaplain Fr. Joshua Trefney told the Class of 2025, "I'm so excited for you as you continue to grow and for you to share your gifts with so many other people. Wherever you're going, those places need you.

“Thank you for being the people God called you to be.”

After mass, Lake Catholic awarded seniors Holly Suponcic and Maximus Barnes the school’s highest honor – The Christian Life Award.

The Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award is the most prestigious recognition presented by our school community.  With the inception of this award in 1972, a tradition was established to focus on the active expression of the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Gospel values both within our school environment and in the greater community. The criteria for the Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award are as follows:

• The student is an extraordinary witness to the Gospel message and the Spirit of Jesus.
• The student is a person of great integrity who dynamically lives his or her faith, both within the Lake Catholic Community and in the greater community at large. 
• The student lives an exemplary life consistent with the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Core Values.
• The student actively expresses a willingness to serve within the Lake Catholic Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life areas, Lake Catholic Community, Church Community, and our greater community at large.

The school's Campus Ministry also presented two other awards after the mass - the St. Thomas Aquinas Distinction and the Christian Leadership Recognition.

St. Thomas Aquinas Distinction

Lake Catholic’s Mission and Core Values are exemplified through the life and work of our Patron, St. Thomas Aquinas. It is fitting that this Spiritual Life award is named for his exceptional example of faith and his constant quest for academic excellence. This award is granted to extraordinary seniors who have excelled in faith, leadership, and scholarship. They have consistently acted as leaders in Campus Ministry committees, events, retreats, and activities. Incorporating faith, scholarship, integrity, and commitment throughout all Lake Catholic Spiritual Life areas.

Congratulations to: Connor Aurand, Maximus Barnes, Natalya Bergant, Caden Boyes, Ava Budrys Rini, Avery Budrys Rini, George Csepegi, Maria Gallo, Jack Gogala, Brecklin Harrold, Allyson Huber, Luke Joy, Megan Joy, Olivia Kitchen, Devon Keeper, Isabella Leffel, Jimmy Meden, Jazmin Moses, Dakota Mudrauskas, Julia Oster, Annie Owens, George Prosuch, Nick Prostak, Patrick Radigan, Brandon Rangel, Carmella Sowers, Shea Sievers, Gavin Snyder, Caleb Stein, Holly Suponcic, Trey Siepka, Frankie Trinetti, Isabella Trem, Ray Troha, Alexa Udovicic, Nikole Valentino, Audrey Vamos, and Brian Zalar.

Christian Leadership Recognition

Lake Catholic promotes the dynamic expression of our Catholic Faith through exceptional positive actions and solid decisions. Seniors are recognized for embodying the ideals of Lake Catholic High School by consistently acting with faith and leadership throughout all aspects of their high school careers. These students have earned a GPA of 3.5 while consistently acting with extraordinary leadership and holding a leadership position in an extracurricular activity.

Congratulations to: Caden Boyes, George Csepegi, Luke Joy, Megan Joy, Annie Owens, Isabella Trem, Audrey Vamos, and Brian Zalar.

Earlier in the evening, Fr. Trefney also blessed the Service and Academic Honors cords, which will be worn on Saturday at the school's 52nd Annual Commencement Ceremony. 

Academic Honors Cords

To earn the Honors Diploma, students must have achieved all six of the following: 

• Four credits in English
• Four credits in math
• Four credits in science or four credits in social studies
• Three credits in world languages or two credits in two different languages
• One and a half credits in fine arts
• Maintained an overall high school GPA of at least 3.75 through the last grading period of their senior year.

The following students earned the Honors Diploma, which will be represented by a gold cord and worn at Commencement: Maximus Barnes, Caden Boyes, Ivana Cmeljesevic, Juliette Cowger, George Csepegi, Morgan Davis, Shaun Foley, Brecklin Harrold, Allyson Huber, Sophia Iannini, Megan Joy, Isabella Leffel, Dakota Mudrauskas, Julia Oster, Lily Parrish, Emily Schoen, Caleb Stein, Zachary Stossel, Holly Suponcic, Isabella Trem, and Alexa Udovicic

Service Cords

All seniors must complete the required 50 hours of service in order to graduate. Any student who completes 80 or more hours of service throughout his/her four years at Lake Catholic will wear the service cord for commencement. 

Congratulations to the following for earning their service cord: Hannah Aliff, Maximus Barnes, Natalya Bergant, Ava Budrys Rini, Avery Budrys Rini, Cali Cantrell, Filip Cindric, Ivana Cmeljesevic, Juliette Cowger, Shaun Foley, Maria Gallo, Carson Gilbert, Brecklin Harrold, Allyson Huber, Sophia Iannini, Luke Joy, Megan Joy, Rhiannon Kasunic, Olivia Kitchen, Mason Krauss-Kerr, Isabella Leffel, Andrea Leon-Moscosa, Jazmin Moses, Dakota Mudrauskas, Daniel Nguyen, Cross Nimmo, Julia Oster, Annabella Owens, Valentino Perkovic, Ace Peterlin, Patrick Radigan, Meghan Rowan, Carmella Sowers, Caleb Stein, Holly Suponcic, Isabella Trem, Frankie Trinetti, Alexa Udovicic, Audrey Vamos, and Brian Zalar.

The Class of 2025

Walking the halls of Lake Catholic, it’s unfortunately tough to find a student whose family hasn’t suffered personal tragedy to family members, with alcohol at the root of the situation.

So, again, this Prom and graduation season, Dean of Students Matt Moran has been working with the Mentor Police Department to help the Lake Catholic students understand the dangers of drinking and driving, the effects of alcohol, and how one decision can change their lives forever.

Earlier this month, Moran, other administrators, and a group of students spent the day at the Spire Institute in Geneva, with 1,200 other students from schools in four different counties, for the inSpire to Drive Safely program. 

Then this week, officers and officials from 11 different police departments and health agencies were on campus for the annual Prom Blitz.

“Both events are definitely eye openers,” said junior Drew Zegela, who will be going to Prom for the first time this year. “The staged crash site was a tough reminder of what could actually happen.”

Senior Jimmy Meden agreed.

“This year it definitely hit harder,” said Meden, who will be attending Prom for the second time. “I don’t know if I was paying attention more or what, but the stories everyone was telling just really showed the truth and the dangers that are possible. During this time with Prom and graduation parties, those stories will sit with me and be constant reminders of what can happen.”

And that’s exactly what Moran and Dan Radigan, a 1993 Lake Catholic graduate and an officer in the Mentor Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit, were hoping for.

inSpire to Drive Safely

“The stories that we heard out at Spire were so powerful,” Moran said. “You could hear a pin drop it was so quiet while listening to what happened to these families.”
At the inSpire event, Brian Rosenberg, a former Jefferson Area High School student, shared his powerful personal story.

In 2014, when he was 22 years old and attending the University of Toledo, Rosenberg chose to drink and drive—which resulted in the death of a woman. He was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, served seven years in prison. He also lost his driver’s license for life.

Now a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor, Rosenberg told everyone in attendance that it doesn’t matter how good of a student you are or whether you’ve ever been in trouble—one poor decision can change the lives of many people.

“When I took that drink after work that night, I had no idea what path it would take me down,” Rosenberg said.

He pointed out that people often assume tragedies like this happen to someone else.

“We see the commercials about tragic accidents, but we think, ‘This will never happen to me,’” he said. “Nobody ever stood in front of me and explained what happens after the crash—yes, someone may have been hurt or died, but what about the person who caused it? Unfortunately, my worst nightmare became my reality.”

Also, Dr. Brian Hoeflinger and his wife, Cindy, shared the heartbreaking story of their oldest son, also named Brian, who died at age 18 after driving under the influence.

“We had the perfect life—four kids, two boys and two girls. Our oldest, Brian, was very active in sports, did well academically, and life was just really great,” Cindy said.

But everything changed after one night of poor decisions following a school basketball game.

Cindy received a chilling phone call from one of Brian’s friend’s mother.

Eventually, they learned that Brian had driven alone, crashed into a tree, and the car caught fire, according to reports.

“Sometimes kids think, ‘I would never do anything that stupid,” Cindy said. “Well, my son had a 4.6 GPA from St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo, a 32 on his ACT, was a scratch golfer, very well-liked and respected—and he made three really bad decisions that night.”

The Hoeflingers urged students to think before driving or getting in the car with someone intoxicated.

“We’re not experts,” Dr. Hoeflinger said, “but we have experience with what pain a decision like that can cause—not just to the driver, but to a family and a community.”

Prom Blitz

The Blitz event, which also occurs before the Homecoming weekend, is put on during the lunch periods by several agencies. This year, the program was run by the cities of Mentor, Mentor-on-the-Lake, Kirtland, and Kirtland Hills police departments, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Lake County, the Lake Health Department, the UH Lake Health Community Outreach department, University Hospitals, the Ohio State Penitentiary, and the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. 

Students were able to answer questions related to public safety and safe driving habits, as well as participate in various activities – playing cornhole, walking a straight line, and even throwing a ball - while experiencing how impairment can affect their actions.

“The goal of events like this is to show the effects of alcohol,” Radigan said. “Those worst-case scenarios can happen to anyone. No one is immune. So when we come into the schools, if we can touch even just a handful of students with that message, we consider it a success.” 

Sometimes a lesson in one of your high school classes was just that, a lesson - something you needed to learn and know, something you had to study for a test, something you would use in future lessons.

Sometimes, though, a lesson is much, much more than that.

Miss Tabitha Halcomb’s freshmen English classes each read Night by Elie Wiesel. The 1960 memoir is based on Wiesel’s Holocaust experiences with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 1944–1945, toward the end of the Second World War in Europe. 

According to Halcomb, the text heavily addresses indirect and direct characterizations, symbolism, and themes. So, that might be enough for a freshman English class, especially considering the subject matter itself. 

But there’s more to it for these two sections of English 9.

“I also use this memoir to discuss central connections between literature and history through exploring the Holocaust and aftermath through Elie Wiesel’s perspective/life story,” Halcomb said. “Also, this text is central in teaching and discussing Catholic social justice principles and their connections to Elie Wiesel’s life experiences and story throughout his time in Auschwitz as a Holocaust survivor.”

This year, however, Halcomb has added even more to the lesson plan. She has partnered with Visual Arts Department Chair Kelly Wolf and brought her two classes to Wolf’s art room so they could work on their very own Butterfly Projects. 

“I truly enjoy doing cross-department collaboration throughout the school year,” Halcomb said. “I think it’s important for the students to learn from me and so many other teachers throughout the school. It really helps all of us build and maintain good relationships with others across campus and connect as the Lake Catholic family. Also, I really love the combination of teaching art and literature together. Anytime I can make that happen, I think it brings my students joy and really makes the content come alive in a meaningful, memorable, and real way for them.”

Wolf said this is not the first time she’s been involved with cross-department collaboration. She’s worked with several teachers from the English, social studies, and science departments in the past. 

According to its website, The Butterfly Project is a call to action through education, the arts, and memorial making. They teach social justice through lessons of the Holocaust, educating participants about the dangers of hatred and bigotry to cultivate empathy and social responsibility. By painting ceramic butterflies, which are displayed as symbols of resilience and hope, participants remember the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

The students have sketched and designed their butterflies, built them with clay, painted them, designed their butterfly boards, and will eventually display them once their projects are completed. 

“I thought the project was worthwhile,” Wolf said. “The students had fun creating their butterflies. It was apparent that many of them had never worked with clay before though. They spent a lot of time working on their background and how they were going to incorporate a quote from the story. Many of the students really tried to make their butterflies look real. Others were just having fun experimenting with color.”

The final Butterfly Projects were put out in Main Hall this week, where they will stay as a silent reminder of the project and its larger meaning.

“The students have asked so many questions about this unit and have shown real passion for it,” Halcomb said. “They have been most surprised about the reality of anti-semitism, how it led to the Holocaust, and the outcome of it for the Holocaust survivors’ lives.

“Elie ends up in Auschwitz at the age of 15, so the students connected strongly with many of the questions that he has about his relationship with God, his family, friends, himself, and life. Many of the students shared that they couldn't believe he could “find joy after so much pain and hatred that Elie experienced in his life. We have had good conversations about how to deal with major problems in the world and the importance of our words and sharing our stories.”

The lesson was to include another piece as well – a trip to the Maltz Museum. The goal of experiencing the Maltz Museum was to participate in the “Stop the Hate” writing workshop, discuss and reflect on Jewish influence on social, historical, religious, and economic growth in Cleveland, and hear another story from a Holocaust survivor. 

Because of the calamity days in late January, though, the trip was canceled. Halcomb said she would want to incorporate the field trip into next year’s lesson.

It may be Lake Catholic’s longest-standing tradition. 

This year marked the 50th year.

Yesterday, the senior class took its turn with Turkey Day. 

What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

“This is a very important day for our school and our senior class,” said Mrs. Cari Foster, the school’s Director of Mission and Formation. “We want to carry out our core values every day, but in particular this day, serving those in need is very important. Everything our seniors did today matters.”

The day started with a small prayer service, where there were prayers not only for the senior class but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between eight different service projects and headed out into the community. 

The groups headed to:

• Lake Farmpark, where the students helped set up Christmas trees for breakfast with Santa and cleaned up the barns for when families go for country lights and horse races.
• Outdoor YMCA in Perry, where they cleaned up the area by raking and blowing leaves and moving large tree branches.
• Botanical Gardens, where they also helped with fall clean-up of the garden areas.
• Camp Red Oak, where they worked on various maintenance projects both inside and out
• Vocational Guidance Center, where they worked with those who have developmental disabilities by playing games and making crafts. 
• Deepwood Industries, where they also worked with those who have developmental disabilities by playing games and making crafts. 
• Broadmoor School, where they worked and played with the children.
• Project Hope, where the students, after a tour of the facility, made cards for the packed lunches that are handed out every day, as well as sorting donations and organizing their storage room.

When the students returned to school, they were served a Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s. Lunch was served by some parents of the students, who also served as chaperones throughout the morning.

The day ended with the seniors joining the rest of the student body for a presentation from Mrs. Caitlin Alifirenka, co-author of I Will Always Write Back – the summer reading book for the entire school, which focuses on the power of friendship and how it can change lives.
 

Five Lake Catholic seniors have been awarded the Governor’s Merit Scholarship. 

Congratulations to Brecklin Harrold, Sophia Iannini, Megan Joy, Emmy Schoen, and Caleb Stein.

Each student could receive an up to $5,000 renewable scholarship for the next four years because they are in the top 5% of Ohio’s Class of 2025.

In collaboration with the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Governor Mike DeWine created this award to increase the number of high-achieving high school graduates who remain in Ohio for college.

Funds can be applied to tuition and fees, as well as other educational expenses, including books, equipment, and room and board. Students may use the scholarship at any public or private, non-profit college or university in Ohio.

Iannini, Harrold and Joy all said they haven’t made a college choice yet, but they do all have plenty of Ohio schools on their list of options, so using the scholarship remains a possibility. 

Schoen said she will be attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Stein said he will most likely be headed to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. 

More information about the Governor’s Merit Scholarship can be found on the Ohio Department of Higher Education website.

As the members of the Lake Catholic Class of 2004 began planning their 20-year reunion, not only did they want to plan a party, but also come up with a way to give back to the school they called home for four years.

In the end, in addition to their reunion in August, they collected and made an impactful donation to the Erin (Gaydos) Carlisle Memorial Scholarship in memory of their classmates Erin and Mollie (Stanic) Hoar.

That scholarship was awarded earlier this month, with both the Gaydos and Stanic families on hand, to Lake Catholic senior Max Barnes (St. Mary of the Assumption).

“When the committee came together to decide how we wanted to honor Mollie and Erin with the funds we raised at our reunion, a scholarship was an easy choice, as their friendship left a lasting mark on many lives,” said Pam Schneider, from the Class of 2004 who helped plan the class reunion. “It was a true blessing to use the funds raised at our reunion to support a current student in their memory. This gesture reflects their enduring legacy and the positive impact they had on the lives of those who knew them.”

Erin passed away in 2011 in a boating accident, while Mollie passed away in 2018 after a battle with cancer.

Soon after Erin’s passing, her family began the memorial scholarship in her honor (as well as one at Gannon University, where Erin earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy in 2009). 

Her favorite quote on her Facebook page at the time of her passing was, “I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Erin’s mom, Marianne, said at the scholarship presentation reception that Lake Catholic played a key role in instilling this passion in Erin and her family is proud to see current Lake Catholic students follow in her footsteps. It’s in this spirit that part of the criteria for the scholarship remain – a student who has a positive attitude, discreetly shows kindness to others, and goes the extra mile to reach out to others when it might not be the most popular action to take. The student must live as an exemplary young adult consistent in living the Lake Catholic mission statement and core values.

“These are the values that others see in you Max,” Marianne said. “We are proud and honored that you are receiving this scholarship in Erin’s name.”

The Stanic family was gracious of her classmates including her in the donation they made, and reminded everyone of the great life Mollie had, but also the legacy she left behind in her three young daughters.

Mollie’s sister, Becky (Stanic) Cervenka (’05), said that Mollie continued to be a cheerleader in life long after Lake Catholic – that she loved organizing parties, especially one with a good theme, because she was able to gather friends, family, and strangers to celebrate someone or something she loved.

After graduating Mollie continued to strive to embody Lake Catholic’s Core Values, especially a willingness to serve. Becky said Mollie excelled at caring for others, particularly her family. 

“She was born to be a mom, she was phenomenal at it,” Becky said. “There was nothing she loved more. She celebrated each of her girls for their unique personalities while fostering strong relationships between them. In the short time she had with them, she ensured their life was filled with love, family, and community. She always said it takes a village to raise a child and she made sure to build one for them before she left. I couldn’t think of a better way to honor her legacy and show her girls how much their mom meant to people than through this scholarship. 

“Max we wish you all the luck in the world. Continue to work hard, be compassionate, and serve others, but do it like Mollie did. Make it a party.”

Lake Catholic became the first school in Lake County to partner with The Howley Foundation, whose mission is to create social and economic mobility and improve lives by providing quality educational opportunities. 

Earlier today, five Lake Catholic freshmen who excel academically and in extracurricular activities were awarded renewable scholarships from The Howley Foundation. 
Amarion Levitt (from St. Jerome School), Gabriella Rios (Urban Community School), Lilly Macek (St. Gabriel School), Finnigan Kilbane (Mater Dei Academy), and Mason O’Donnell (St. Mary of the Assumption) met with representatives from The Howley Foundation for lunch where they were presented with a congratulatory letter, a certificate, and their Howley Scholar pin.

“I came out last (academic) year to see what Lake Catholic was all about,” said PJ Reindel, the Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer of The Howley Foundation. “I was really impressed with what the school does and the environment that the leadership and faculty have created. You can see the character formation. You see it when you pull in – Enter to Learn and Exit to Serve. It’s right there. You come here for academics, but it’s so much more than that. And that’s what made it a perfect fit for us to partner with Lake Catholic.”

Nick and Lorie Howley formed The Howley Foundation in 2001, with the intent of helping students, all students, regardless of financial means, receive the best education possible. The Howleys firmly believe that education is one of the most important catalysts for promoting positive change in individuals and society as a whole.

Starting with one student scholarship at a local Cleveland Catholic high school, they have grown the Foundation and the Howley Scholars Program to provide meaningful tuition assistance in 2024 to more than 1,400 scholarship students in Cleveland and Philadelphia, as well as in other high schools and colleges around the United States.
The scholarships are funded with a four-year pledge if the students meet the maintenance criteria – maintaining a 3.0 GPA, participating in, and meaningful contributions to, extracurricular activities, and remaining in good standing with the school.

“The partnership with Lake Catholic was formed just months ago and we are so excited to have the support of the Howley Foundation,” said Lake Catholic Director of Advancement Carla Ronnebaum (’00). “They have made such an impact on education here in Northeast Ohio, and we are grateful Lake Catholic students are now able to benefit from such a great foundation.

“Our hope is to continue this partnership every year culminating with a total of 20 students at Lake Catholic being honored as prestigious Howley Scholars.”
 

On August 23, Lake Catholic proudly celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated locker rooms, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to providing top-notch facilities for our student-athletes. This impressive $1 million renovation project, which commenced in May, was fully funded by the generosity of our benefactors, demonstrating their unwavering support for our school's athletic programs.

“Our student-athletes deserve facilities that reflect their hard work and achievements,” said John Morabeto, President of Lake Catholic High School. “This renovation is a testament to the generosity of our benefactors and the collective dedication of our community to our mission. We are thrilled to provide our students with an environment that supports their growth and success.”

The renovation, which started in May at the end of last school year, introduces a range of state-of-the-art features designed to enhance both functionality and comfort. The boys' locker room now boasts 100 brand-new lockers, including distinct areas designated for the football and boys' soccer teams. The girls' locker room, which accommodates 35 new lockers, is currently divided between the volleyball and girls' soccer teams, as well as the cheerleaders. To ensure that all teams have optimal access, locker room rotations will be organized according to the sports seasons.

“The new locker rooms are a game-changer," said football coach Marty Gibbons ('11). "They provide our players with a space that reflects the hard work and dedication they put into their training. The upgrades will undoubtedly boost team morale and performance.”

Each locker in both facilities is equipped with padded seats, two separate lockable compartments, and multiple hooks, combining convenience with security. Additionally, both locker rooms feature a dedicated coaching area complete with whiteboards for pre-game strategies and in-game instructions.

The renovation also includes new amenities for physical education classes, with extra lockers added to both locker rooms. The upgrades extend to the shower facilities, with eight individual shower stalls installed in each locker room, including one designed for handicapped accessibility. New bathroom facilities complement these enhancements, ensuring that the locker rooms meet the highest standards of comfort and accessibility.

“The renovation is a fantastic upgrade for our volleyball team," said new coach Tess Connolly-Alcantara ('16). "The added amenities and improved facilities will give our girls the edge they need and make a real difference in their daily training and preparation.”

The newly renovated locker rooms are part of the larger Zappitelli Family Athletic Performance Center. The Zappitelli family has been instrumental in funding previous improvements, including the weight room and softball field renovations. Their ongoing contributions underscore a deep commitment to enhancing Lake Catholic's student-athletes experience and performance.

The team room, generously donated by the Pecjak family in 2020, remains a centerpiece of our athletic complex. This addition exemplifies the spirit of community and support that defines our school's approach to fostering athletic excellence.

The opening of the new locker rooms is not just a celebration of our past achievements but a look forward to an exciting future. With these enhanced facilities, Lake Catholic reaffirms its commitment to providing our student-athletes with the best resources to excel both on and off the field. Thank you to all our benefactors for making this transformation possible and for continuing to support our mission of excellence in athletics and beyond.

Here’s to many more victories and memorable moments in our upgraded locker rooms at the Zappitelli Family Athletic Performance Center!

Photos and videos of the new spaces can be found on our athletics page

Caden Boyes (Lake Catholic Class of 2025) has been selected as one of 16 high school students from around the state for the 2024-2025 Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council. 

The Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) made the announcement on Thursday, May 30.

Boyes said he filled out the application for the position, which included several lengthy answers, more than a month ago. That led to a 30-minute virtual interview with OSSC members. He almost didn’t get the word that he was actually selected.

“They typed my email wrong, it was missing a letter,” he said. “So, I never got the email. Mr. (Tom) McKrill sent me the email he received.”

Although he said he believes he and his fellow students are safe at Lake Catholic and that they’re all taken good care of, nothing is perfect and there are always ways to improve.

“School safety has to be the No. 1 priority of our days,” he said. “So this is a big opportunity to learn more about it and bring ideas for upgrades, whether physical or procedural, back to Lake Catholic.”

Governor Mike DeWine created the council in 2022 to help OSSC leadership identify school safety concerns and develop innovative solutions to address them. Students from last year’s council will present their capstone projects at the 2024 School Safety Summit this summer, according to a press release.

“This year’s students took their capstone projects to new levels and got their peers more involved in the everyday safety activities at their schools,” said OSSC Executive Director Emily Torok. “Our alumni members quickly got the new council onboarded and they all supported each other in a student network to promote safety across the state. I encourage everyone to reach out to their local council members to learn about their projects and initiatives. They are very impressive.”

The Council will be invited to attend the in-person Ohio School Safety Summit on July 31-Aug. 1 at the Columbus Convention Center to network with their peers and attend initial informational sessions on violence prevention strategies and emotional safety.

Council members will develop strategies to encourage their peers to actively engage in maintaining a safe school environment and will be advocates for students’ overall well-being. Students will work directly with OSSC school safety liaisons to organize events, focus groups, and trainings to help highlight student success and safety best practices at various schools. These members will also act as a sounding board for the Ohio School Safety Working Group and OSSC on student marketing campaigns and other projects to ensure that student voices are represented. 

Eight of the previous year’s Council members have agreed to return this upcoming year as mentors for the incoming council. They will continue to work on projects in their communities and act as force multipliers for school safety improvements.

Governor DeWine created the Ohio School Safety Center in 2019. It is housed within the Ohio Department of Public Safety and works to assist local schools, colleges and universities, and law enforcement agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.
 

The end of the school year marks the time for many different awards and honors to be bestowed upon students within clubs and teams, departments, and even the greater school at large.

At Tuesday’s Baccalaureate Mass and Senior Awards, Lake Catholic awarded senior Gianna Rubino the school’s highest honor – The Christian Life Award.

The Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award is the most prestigious recognition presented by our school community.  With the inception of this award in 1972, a tradition was established to focus on the active expression of the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Gospel values both within our school environment and in the greater community. Criteria for the Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award are as follows:

• The student is an extraordinary witness to the Gospel message and the Spirit of Jesus.
• The student is a person of great integrity who dynamically lives his or her faith, both within the Lake Catholic Community and in the greater community at large. 
• The student lives an exemplary life consistent with the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Core Values.
• The student actively expresses a willingness to serve within the Lake Catholic Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life areas, Lake Catholic Community, Church Community, and our greater community at large.

Congratulations to Gianna for such a deserving honor.

Other senior award winners were: 

• President’s Award for Educational Achievement - Kyan Harrold, Domonic Orlando, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Olivia Switalski, Daniel Tomic, and Charlie Trinetti
• President’s Award of Educational Excellence - Jonathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Haley Horen, Garrett Knisely, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Joseph Powaski, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, and Chloe Stossel
• Service Cord - Greg Bares, Mya Brannen, Kira Brennan, Makenna Bretz, Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Delaney Charlton, Juliana Conforte, Gianna Coreno, Parker DiCello, GiGi DiDomenico, Claire Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Egypt Kamara, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Joey Lonchar, Grace McCalligan, Katie Morgan, Cassie Nagy, Alexandra Newnes, Stephen Parrish, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, Sutton Pikor, Meadow Pontius, Joseph Powaski, McKenzie Prosuch, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, Gianna Rubino, Mia Schaefer, Taylor Scharf, Madeline Spies, Chloe Stossel, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Christopher Vanjo, Olivia Viskovic, and Kelly Ward
• Happy Moose / Monday’s With Malta Scholarship - Parker Pikor
• John Peyton Meritorious Award - Christina Lombardo
• OHSAA Scholar Athlete - Zoe Pesek and Greg Bares
• OHSAA Courageous Athlete Award - Mia Schaefer
• OHSAA Award of Excellence - Stephen Parrish
• OHSAA Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award - Claire Duricky and Luke Snider
• Nick D’Angelo Award - Caroline Brown, Gianna Koenig, Josh Styles, Daniel Tomic, and Olivia Viskovic
• Willoughby Junior Women’s Club Award - Mia Schaefer and Charlie Trinetti
• Mentor Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship - Mya Brannen and Madeline Spies
• Red Cross Scholarship - Emily Aliff and Davide Patriarca
• Cardinal Credit Union Scholarship - Joey Lonchar, Greg Bares, Charlie Trinetti, Chloe Stossel, Jonathan Bokausek, Meadow Pontius, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, and Dominic Orlando
• P.E.O. Star Scholarship Award - Kayla Calvey
• Phi Beta Kappa Award - Zoe Pesek
• Academic Honors Diploma - Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Juliana Conforte, GiGi DiDomenico, Garrett Knisely, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Grace McCalligan, Marko Odorcic, Domonic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Cooper Pikor, Parker Pikor, Joseph Powaski, Kate Powaski, Nicholas Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Chloe Stossel, Olivia Switalski, and Daniel Tomic
• Art Honors Diploma - Kathryn Ridler
• St. Thomas Aquinas Distinction - Ivan Blazevic, Caroline Brown, Juliana Conforte, Parker DiCello, Gigi DiDominico, Tyler Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Tessa Koenig, Joey Lonchar, Dominic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Hannah Pattie, Andrew Pellecchia, Zoe Pesek, Joe Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Gianna Rubino, Jarred Smith, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Isaiah Tyree, Chloe Stossel, Oliva Switalski, Chris Vanjo, and Dani Villa
• Christian Leadership Recognition - Chloe Stossel and Dominic Orlando

More photos from the evening, including ones of all the winners, can be found on our Senior Awards page.

Most high schoolers have summer jobs for spending money throughout the year.

A lesser amount saves some of that money to use after high school and help pay for college.

For Lake Catholic senior Theresa Lazanich, she’s turned her summer job from the past two years as a caddie at Canterbury Country Club into four years’ worth of full tuition and room and board.

Theresa was named an Evans Scholarship winner at the end of January, and just this past week found out that she will use that scholarship at Ohio State University.

The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies. According to the scholarship website, to qualify caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character.

“I was super excited when I found out that I won the Evans Scholarship,” Theresa said. “And now that I know I’m going to my first-choice school (Ohio State), it’s even more exciting.

“I want to be a physician’s assistant, which will mean extra schooling. So that’s a huge financial commitment. And being the youngest of six kids, this is a huge help for me and my parents.”

Evans Scholars can be found at 24 universities nationwide. Their students live and work together in a community, earning a reputation for scholastic achievement and excellence in community service.

What’s different about Evans Scholars though is that they don’t have the final say on where they attend. Once she received the scholarship, Theresa had to submit a list of her top three school choices – that she had applied for and had been accepted to. Her top three were Ohio State, Marquette, and Miami University.

“I had the choice of Ohio schools or any private or possibly border state schools,” she said. “But I’m glad I got my No. 1 choice.”

Theresa has been around the game of golf since she was a kid, she said. As the youngest in her family, her parents would often take her to the course when they would play. That’s where she learned the game, first hit the ball, and became fond of the game that would become such a big part of her life.

“I started playing when I was really young, maybe eight or nine (years old),” she said. “I would play in leagues throughout the summers and have played all four years here at Lake Catholic.

“When I started playing here, I met a girl from Beaumont, who talked me into getting a job at Canterbury with her.”

So, for the past two summers, Theresa has been at the country club early in the morning and helped members and guests with their rounds of golf throughout. Eventually, it was there that the caddie master suggested she apply for the Evans Scholarship.

“There’s also a ton of members there who are Evans Scholars, so I had a lot of support when I applied,” she said.

All the while, she continued her successful high school career. She was a two-year captain for the Cougars while playing as the team’s No. 1 player. She was named First Team All-Crown Conference in both her junior and senior seasons.

It was after her senior season when she was named a finalist for the scholarship, and she began prepping for her interview at Moraine Country Club in the Dayton area.

“The four green coats (chairpersons) were there, along with 60 other Evans Scholars,” she said. “They all had read my essay and I had to just stand there for 20-25 minutes answering questions about it.”

And from there it was a waiting game – first to be named an Evans Scholar and then to find out she was heading to her first-choice school.

Not too bad for a summer job.

One of Lake Catholic’s longest-standing traditions continued Monday, Nov. 20, as the Class of 2024 participated in the 49th Annual Turkey Day.

What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

“This is a very important day for our school and our senior class,” Mrs. Brandi Mandzak, a Theology teacher who coordinated the entire day, said to the seniors. “Everything you did today matters.”

The day started with a small prayer service, where there were prayers not only for the senior class but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between 10 different service projects and headed out into the community. 

The groups headed to:

• Lake Farmpark, where the students helped set up Christmas trees for breakfast with Santa and cleaned up the barns for when families go for country lights and horse races.
• Outdoor YMCA in Perry, where they cleaned up the area by raking and blowing leaves and moving large tree branches.
• Holden Arboretum, where they mulched 300 trees for protection during the winter.
• Lake Humane Society, where they cleaned cages, swept the floor, mailed envelopes to donors, but most importantly got to play with the cats and dogs. 
  “It was so fun,” Hannah Pattie said. “I really enjoyed seeing all the little dogs and cats, and how their faces lit up when we were playing with them.”
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they sorted drinks and eventually packed 14,000 pounds of beverages.
• Broadmoor School, where they worked and played with the children.
• Karpos Ministry, where they baked desserts for Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless at St. Mary’s in Painesville. 
• Willoughby Workshop, where they read to the adults there.
• Grateful Giving, where students baked in the school’s Campus Ministry center that will be brought to first responders.
• Project Hope, where the students, after a tour of the facility, made cards for the packed lunches that are handed out every day, as well as sorting donations and organizing their storage room.
  “It was wonderful to have so many kids writing messages of positivity to put in the lunches of the homeless to help encourage them as they leave for the day after staying the night,” said Bryan Bossert, the property manager at Project Hope.

When the students returned to school, there was an all-class mass in the Chapel with Fr. Andy Gonzalez.

They then all moved to the Atrium for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s. Lunch was served by some parents of the students, who also served as chaperones throughout the morning.

The day ended in silence in the Auditorium as each student had time to reflect on their day, what their service meant to the community, and how thankful they were to be able to help those who need it. 

“It really is a great day for all of us,” Pattie said. “I’ve never heard of other schools doing this kind of service for their communities. And it’s great that we can give back to places around here, keeping that connection with our entire community.”

All the pictures from today can be found on the Student Life / Traditions page of the website under Turkey Day.

Very few students are perfect in school. Everyone needs help – whether just needing a helping hand with homework or feeling pressure because of an upcoming test. Lake Catholic is now proud to offer a few different options for all its students to get the help they might need.

Tutoring help can be found in Tutoring Lab in the back of the Media Center, where, most recently, the CBN Studio used to be.

Tutor Ohio Kids

Principal Tom McKrill has been working with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio to bring in tutors during the school day. To that end, Lake Catholic has been approved for and accepted into the Tutor Ohio Kids program.

Established in 2022, Ohio House Bill 583 required the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a program to provide tutoring and remedial education services to students in participating public and chartered nonpublic schools. Tutors placed in schools must provide services in math, science, social studies, reading, and/or English language arts.

Through this program Mrs. Christine Deighan will be on campus three days per week to tutor students in science. She is the mother of alums Kelli (class of 2015) and Ryne (class of 2017) and recently retired after more than 25 years in the Chagrin Falls School District. Mrs. Deighan will be on campus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10a-130p in the Tutoring Lab.

“The times were intentional so that students can meet with a tutor during their lunch period,” Mr. McKrill said.

Mr. Dennis Ebner, who teaches the on-campus CCP English class, as well as helping out throughout the English Department, will also be available for English tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the lunch periods.

Mr. McKrill is working on bringing in a math tutor as well.

“We don’t have any local applicants at this moment,” he said, “but we may begin with a virtual option until we can bring someone to campus.”

National Honor Society

If meeting with a teacher or adult tutor is intimidating or simply not the best way to learn, students have an option this year for peer-to-peer tutoring. The National Honor Society students, usually two at a time, are available in the Tutoring Lab during most periods of the day.

Students can just walk into the lab during their lunch or study hall period. No reservations are required.

“I have learned in my years in the classroom, that when students work together and help each other, both of them benefit,” said Mrs. Melissa Grai, the National Honor Society advisor. “Students have the ability to communicate with each other in a language that both of them understand. I am hoping that this will help the NHS students, as it will force them to think of the content in a new light, and it will help the students seeking tutoring, as they will understand the content.”

If the National Honor Society member(s) aren’t familiar with the subject matter, they’ve been told not to lead the student(s) down the wrong path, but instead just to be honest with them. The student should be directed back to their teacher, or tutor.com for additional help.

“This is a trial year.  As the year goes on, I am hoping to make changes based on feedback from students on what is working and what is not,” Grai said. “As we progress through the year, this program may change, but I am hopeful that this will have a positive impact on the Lake Catholic community.”

Tutor.com

At the beginning of the school year, the Dean of Academics Maghen Frindt worked to get all the students a Mentor Public Library card. One of the features associated with the card is that those students with one can create a free account with tutor.com.

“I would 100-percent endorse this program,” Frindt said.

Tutor.com allows students to connect with a live tutor in an online classroom, watch videos to review concepts, take practice quizzes to prepare for tests, and review past work. Tutors screen share with students allowing them to work with someone on a math problem in live time. Students can also submit a paper and receive writing lab feedback within twenty-four hours.  

Tutor.com is completely anonymous, and covers all levels and a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to math, science, writing, English, Spanish, social studies, AP classes and even SAT/ACT prep. 

Lake Catholic students took part in The Leadership Summit, presented by All Choice Matter and Team IBB, earlier this week at Andrews Osborne Academy. 

Representing Lake Catholic were Ariana Coyne, Layla Foradis, Raegan Kvoriak, Katie Morgan, Hannah Pattie, Kate Powaski, Kenzie Prosuch, Mia Schaefer, and Maddie Spies.

Those nine, and students from 11 other schools heard local leaders share stories of how they persevered in the face of adversity to become respected leaders people seek to follow. 

There were seven speakers, each with their own message, as part of the Summit. 

Dione DeMitro, Executive Director of United Way Lake County, reminded the group that “Your past does predict your future,” and that “Happiness starts with gratitude,” but also reminded them to “Be of service to others and be at peace with yourself.”

Elizabeth Brassell, who was the first runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair Ohio, pointed out that “Our flaws make us unique,” “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try,” and to “Focus on what you can do.”

Laura Gray, the founder and executive director of iPride, said that everyone should “Be the leader in your life, and lead with your heart.”

Wendy Kunash, a professional development coach, shared the simple message that everyone should “Share your thoughts and feelings; otherwise, people do not know.”

Karyssa Kestranek, who is a motivational speaker, also had a simple message, “Make good choices.”

Jimmy Mrozek, the Dean of Students at Andrews Osborne Academy, reminded everyone that “The way you act impacts other people,” but also, you should “Thank people who give meaning to your life.”

Finally, Michael Hutter, a professional wrestler known as EC3, shared a truth that “Leadership comes with value, but can be a burden, cast doubt, cause fear, and is about sacrifice,” but also “Leadership is the opportunity for growth and change.”

All Choices Matter is “a nonprofit established to connect youth to local leaders to take pressure off of teachers, engage parents, and help youth navigate life’s tough stuff,” according to its website.

Team IBB was created to very simply help others achieve more. As stated on its website, “We have learned a lot in our lives about failure, success, and the importance of having a plan in place that is directly inline with your goals. We want to use our experience to help others do the same in any way we can.”
 

Eighteen Lake Catholic students were honored and awarded scholarships last night by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve. 

The award ceremony was held at St. John Vianney and then Fr. Tom Johns held a mass for the students, their families and the Christ Child Society.

The chapter of the Christ Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve is an organization primarily dedicated to child welfare. Its motive and spirit shall be a love of Christ expressing itself in personal service for children and youth regardless of race or creed to honor the childhood of Christ.

The 40-year-old chapter serves "one child at a time" through many different programs, including scholarships. Scholarships are offered to students currently enrolled at Lake Catholic and Ursuline College for their current tuition.

Those receiving the scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are: Victor Arenas (Sr.), Carley Dondorfer (Sr.), Joey Lonchar (Sr.), Katie Morgan (Sr.), Alyssa Naro (Sr.), Mia Schaefer (Sr.), Katie Sowko (Sr.), Kyle Boyd (Jr.), Caden Boyes (Jr.), Carson Gilbert (Jr.), Megan Joy (Jr.), Luke Joy (Jr.), Jimmy Meden (Jr.), Angelina Capra (So.), Kaelyn Nemeth (So.), Kiera Nemeth (So.), Brayden Mann (So.) and Robert Vidmar (Fr.).

Lake Catholic, along with Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Beaumont, and Padua, will leave the Crown Conference after the 2023-24 school. The Cougars will join those three schools, as well as Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), Elyria Catholic and Holy Name in the new North Coast Conference. The new North Coast Conference will begin in the Fall of 2024.

“The transition to the North Coast Conference is a great opportunity for Lake Catholic and our partner schools,” said Lake Catholic Principal Tom McKrill (’07). “Our students work very hard in the classroom every day, and this will be a great opportunity for our student-athletes to continue to compete with other faith-based schools in interscholastic athletics.”

Similarly, Lake Catholic Athletic Director Erik Schroeder is excited about the competitive balance between all the schools.

“We're excited to be a part of the seven schools forming the North Coast Conference,” Schroeder said. “The NCC is going to be very competitive across all sports and is made up of schools of similar size. We believe that the new conference is a great fit for our student-athletes.”

All the schools will compete in their current conferences during the 2023-24 school year with North Coast Conference play beginning in the fall of 2024. Football will be the only exception, as not every school will play each other as most of the 2024 schedules have already been completed. Even though there will not be a football league champion in 2024, all-conference honors will be awarded.

“We are looking forward to the opportunities the North Coast Conference presents,” said Marty Gibbons (’11), Lake Catholic head football coach. “From a football perspective, this move enables us to increase the volume of conference competition, while providing a rigorous challenge to our program as we prepare to compete for championships at the regional and state level.”

This past school year (2022-23), the Cougars won four Crown Conference titles – volleyball, boys soccer, girls swimming & diving, and boys swimming and diving; had three coaches win Coach of the Year honors; nine Players of the Year honors; and 47 first team all-conference selections.

Coaches of the Year

Volleyball – Kara Oster ('13)
Boys Soccer – Kevin Pitorak
Girls Swimming & Diving – Matt Trem
Boys Swimming & Diving – Matt Trem

Players of the Year

Volleyball, Setter of the Year – Hannah Pattie
Volleyball, Libero of the Year – Emma Briganti
Boys Soccer, Defensive Player of the Year – Marko Odorcic
Girls Cross Country, Runner of the Year – Kelly Ward
Girls Swimming & Diving, Swimmer of the Year – Zoe Pesek
Boys Swimming & Diving, Swimmer of the Year – Owen Pesek
Girls Lacrosse, Offensive Player of the Year – Rylee Anderson
Girls Lacrosse, Defensive Player of the Year – Alexa Udovicic
Girls Track & Field, Runner of the Year – Claire Duricky

For the second year in a row, one of the Lake Catholic Robotics Club teams finished as runners-up at the AWT RoboBots Competition on Saturday, April 29 at Lakeland Community College. 

Team Thunderstruck, with its bot Bolt, came out of the loser's bracket of the tournament and beat undefeated Ashtabula, and its bot War Machine, but then ultimately was beat in the winner-take-all final. Team Thunderstruck was comprised of Lauren Olenik, Jackson Aliff, Christopher Kelley, Jeremy Jones and Nick Hancock and Marty Johnson from Lakeshore Compact.

Thunderstruck and the other Lake Catholic team, Clean Sweep, both won their first round matches, but then had to face off against each other in the second round. Thunderstruck pulled off the victory, sending Clean Sweep, and its bot Mr. Clean, to the loser's bracket. 

Thunderstruck lost it's next match in the winner's break semifinals to Madison's Athena. It fought back in the loser's bracket winning against Madison's second bot, Cataclysm, Auburn's Titanium Titan and then getting revenge and beating Madison's Athena to set the stage for the finals against Ashtabula.

Clean Sweep, with Jarred Smith, Nicholas Olenik, Tyler Duricky, Andrew Zalar and Ryan Dressler and Mason Sampson from Lakeshore Compact, put together a nice run after losing to its schoolmates in the second round. It beat Maplewood's Hope and Lakeside's Point Break before finally exiting the tournament with a loss to Auburn's Titanium Titan. Clean Sweep finished in fifth place.

RoboBots is a high school combat robotics competition that allows high schools to partner with industry mentors to build a 15lb combat robot.

The industry partner provides financial assistance and mentorship to the high school students through the six-seven month robotic build process.

This educational and workforce initiative was started by the AWT Foundation. The AWT Foundation promotes rewarding manufacturing careers for the long-term sustainability of manufacturing.

What's wrong with a little competition amongst friends?

Well on Friday, April 21st, it was all about competition amongst classes. 

The classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 all competed throughout the school day in the Third Annual Cougar Games - an Olympic-style competition in which the classes compete in certain games to determine an overall winner. The was finished off with the Annual Powder Puff game - pitting the senior girls against the junior girls in flag football. 

For the second time in three year, the Class of 2023 (the seniors) won the Cougar Games. 

But they fell to the juniors, who came from behind, scored on the last play of regulation and then won the Powder Puff game in overtime, 36-30.

COUGAR GAMES

The seniors won four of the eight competitions to score 28 points on the day-long event and outpace the rest of the school. The juniors (Class of 2024) finished second with 24 points. The sophomores (2025) were third with 20, and the freshmen (2026) were fourth with 8.

The seniors won the inaugural Games back in 2021 as sophomores and were runners-up to the Class of 2022 last year.

They got off to a hot start winning the first four events - dodgeball, basketball, speedball and the obstacle course. The juniors got their first win in soccer, and the sophomores got their only victory in kickball.

The juniors also won Mario Kart and the donation drive - a week-long competition to see which class could collect the most donations to benefit Birthright Lake.

The final results of all the competitions were:

• Dodgeball: 1. Seniors; 2. Juniors; 3. Sophomores; 4 Freshmen
• Basketball: 1. Seniors; 2. Juniors; 3. Sophomores; 4 Freshmen
• Speedball: 1. Seniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Juniors; 4. Freshmen
• Obstacle Course: 1. Seniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Juniors; 4. Freshmen
• Soccer: 1. Juniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Seniors; 4. Freshmen
• Kickball: 1. Sophomores; 2. Seniors; 3. Freshmen; 4. Juniors
• Mario Kart: 1. Juniors; 2. Seniors; 3. Seniors; 4. Juniors
• Donation Drive: 1. Juniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Seniors; 4. Freshmen

POWDER PUFF

When a team gets the football back with only 11 seconds left and needs to score to just get to the game to overtime, it needs quick-strike capabilities. Luckily for the Class of 2024, that's all its offense was. 

It took the juniors just two plays (calling a timeout between them) to tie the game up as the final horn had sounded.

Once in the extra periods, both teams took turns scoring during the first two overtime sessions. The third session say a new set of rules come into play - one play from the five-yard line. The only way to score was to pass. 

Despite two players in the area, the seniors possession saw their pass fall to the turf. The juniors play developed slowly, but their pass found a receiver, who was shielding her defender, just over the goal line for the winning score.

The touchdown capped off a 12-point comeback for the juniors. 

The seniors moved the ball methodically down the field on all three of their possessions in the first half - all resulting in touchdowns, including the last one with just less than two seconds left in the half. The juniors scored twice on only two plays, getting their fast athletes in space and letting them just run for the endzone. They might have scored on their last possession as well, but their final attempt ended as their runner stepped out of bounds.

The seniors started the second half on defense, but scored on a fumble recovery on the first play of the new period. 

From there, it just the start of the comeback for the juniors.
 

The second annual Career Fair, which took place right before the Thanksgiving break, offered the entire Lake Catholic student body a chance to talk to many different professionals to get a glimpse of a few careers that might be options for them as they move on to the next steps of their lives.

For one senior, though, the Career Fair ended up being a springboard to a professional shadow day over the Christmas break, a set-up for his senior project and introductions to key contacts for a possible career after college.

David Mordini, who wants to have a career as a government analyst or investigator, turned a conversation at the Career Fair into a day at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office and said he hopes it turns into much more after graduation.

“Two days after Career Day, Mrs. (Brandi) Mandzak (Lake Catholic theology teacher) called me and told me I was going to be able to get into the FBI headquarters,” Mordini said. “I freaked out.”

Mrs. Mandzak’s husband, Thomas Mandzak, who is the Captain in the Cleveland Division of Police, was the key contact for Mordini. He spoke with him at the Career Fair because of his interest in criminology and criminal justice.

“I want to be an analyst or an investigator,” Mordini said. “So, I was talking to Mr. Mandzak about possibly doing my senior project with the Cleveland Police.”

It was from that conversation that turned into his five-hour day at the Cleveland Field Office of the FBI. Mordini was with one of the FBI’s analysts, as she gave him a tour of the entire facility and introduced him to many members of the office – surveillance teams, cybersecurity, bilingual agents and international security.

“Even though each group has different roles and responsibilities, most all of them work in a big bullpen area,” Mordini said. “Everyone works together. They are all part of the same team.”

He also was given a look at the office’s clinic, drone room, media/conference room, gym, and cafeteria. He met a few of the lawyers, and the supervisor of specialized agents.

“The supervisor of specialized agents oversees all the agents,” he said. “We got to talk for a little bit. She gave me her card and even told me to reach out to her once I’m ready to take the FBI entrance exam.”

For now, Mordini will focus on finishing his senior year, including completing his senior project with the police and/or FBI, but then hopes to study criminology and criminal justice, probably at Kent State University, he said. 

It’s a career path that might have been accelerated because of one simple conversation.

“Career day was initially started as a means to extend the senior project,” said Mrs. Mary Ridler, Technology and Innovation Department Chair and Career Fair coordinator. “It allows students an opportunity to connect with different careers prior to graduation. The hope is to make the connections with the career day speakers in the field of their choice and to allow an opportunity for our seniors to engage in those careers for even just a week (senior project) for a 'real life ' introduction to that professional world.”

As people continue to come out of what has been two to three years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s sometimes hard to remember what life was like before it happened.

But some students at Broadmoor School in Mentor and the Senior Class at Lake Catholic High School remember how exciting and how much fun their joint Christmas party was in the past and were so happy to celebrate it together again.

For the first time since December 2019, more than 100 students from Broadmoor showed up at Lake Catholic on Friday, December 2, for their annual Christmas party held in the school’s gym. There were games, live music, cookie decorations and other arts and crafts, face painting, and, of course, the man of the season – Santa Claus.

“There are some students who were here three years ago who remembered coming and were excited to come back today,” said Liz Miller, the Early Childhood Supervisor at Broadmoor.

The Class of 2023 was just a group of freshmen, three months into their high school years, when the only Broadmoor Christmas party they’ve ever known took place. Back then some of them were just volunteers at the party.

“I like to get the underclassmen involved with the party, to not only set up and clean up, but also volunteer at the games, craft tables and other places, so they can see how special this day is,” said Meg Finegan, a math teacher at Lake Catholic and one of the coordinators of the party.

Each year then, the seniors have their own buddy to take to the party.

“It’s a completely different experience as a senior,” said Abbey Caine, who was one of those underclassmen volunteers three years ago. “We get to connect with our buddies, one-on-one. It’s such a great thing to see how happy they are and how excited they get. It really means a lot, especially this time of year.”

The first partnership between the two schools for the Christmas party was back in December of 1992. Some of the teachers and aides from Broadmoor have seen firsthand how special this day is, as their own sons and daughters who attended Broadmoor have participated in the party.

“This is the only event we do where the entire school is here,” Miller said. “We do other things throughout the year where just certain grade levels go, but this party includes everyone. That’s what’s special about coming to Lake Catholic and the partnership we have with them.

“The other big difference is that often we facilitate our other trips. Not this one. This is completely student-led. So the fact that the Lake Catholic community does this is amazing.”

A big thank you to Aladdin Rents, who donated the games, and to Longo's Pizzeria, who donated all the pizza for lunch.

What had started off as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more at Lake Catholic. 
Turkey Day, one of the school’s longest standing tradition started back in 1974, continued on Monday, Nov. 21, as the Class of 2023 lived out one of Lake Catholic’s core values – it’s willingness to serve.

“This is one of the most important days of our school year,” said Alison Ellis, the Lake Catholic Theology Department Chair, and head of the school’s Campus Ministry. “It’s important for the seniors to go out and put our values into action. And we invite the entire school to the prayer service so the underclassmen can see what this means to all of us.”

The day started with an all-school prayer service, asking for prayers not only for the senior class, but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between nine different service projects and headed out in the community. 

Groups were sent off to clean up the Fairport Harbor beach, despite the snow and cold; Broadmoor School, to work and play with the children; Willoughby Workshop, to work and eat lunch with the adults there; Vocational Guidance Center, working with the adults there; Little Annie’s Hope Train, assembling toiletries for the homeless; Grateful Giving, baking cookies for first responders; Karpos Ministry, making hot meals for the homeless at St. Mary Painesville; the Food Bank in Geauga County, making hot meals for the homeless; and shoveling driveways for the elderly in Mentor (which was a change up from leaf clean up because of the weather).

The students came back to school for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s.

“This day originally started just as a way for us to have the entire senior class sit down and enjoy each other over a Thanksgiving dinner,” said Rich Troha, who was the originator of Turkey Day when he was a teacher at here. “It has grown into a day of service but bringing the kids back to school is a nice way to combine what it was to what it is now.”

The day ended with another new addition – a Community Action Poverty Simulation, which is an interactive immersion experience that sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty. The Simulation is a program run out of the Nonprofit and Public Service Center at Lakeland Community College. Dione DeMitro, who executed these simulations at Lakeland before becoming the President and CEO at United Way of Lake County, volunteered at Lake Catholic to head up the simulation.

She said when she works with a group entirely made up of students, that there is at least one who has that “ah-ha” moment to realize how blessed they are. She said she heard from a couple students afterward that they did have such a moment.

“My hope is that when you leave here, you understand how blessed you are,” she told the group as they wrapped up. “I hope you go out and share your time, talents, and gifts with your community.”  

For the second consecutive semester, Ms. Tabitha Halcomb’s English classes were engaged in a week-long Shakespearean experience.

Two actors, as part of the Great Lakes Theater Company’s School Residency Program, were in school last week to work with students on Julius Caesar with the sophomore classes, Macbeth with the senior classes and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the senior honors class.

Teaching the classes were Tim Keo, who has been with the company since 2004, and Noelle Elise Crites, who is only in her second year with the residency program.

The full-participation classes brought Shakespeare to life in the Media Center, where the classes not only discussed the text and language, but also the movements and interaction of the characters. 

Each day involved three components: acting, discussion, theater exercises. Earlier in the week the actors performed for the students, followed by actors and students rehearsing and performing side-by-side with each other, finishing the week off with students doing the acting while the actor-teachers serve as the directors. By the end of the week, the students reading Julius Caesar and Macbeth were acting out full-on fight scenes.

“This is a great chance for the students to get out of the classroom and bring Shakespeare to life,” Halcomb said. “It’s much easier to learn and understand a play, especially Shakespeare, when you can act it out and see what’s going on.”

One of the biggest functions of the Lake County Humane Society and Adoption Center is the pet adoption. It does promote all the animals on the website, but more publicity is always welcomed.

According to the Humane Society's website “Each year, over 1,200 pets enter our care. Once we nurse them back to health and prepare them for adoption, our team works to match our pets with the home and family that best suits their needs. We want all of the abused, abandoned, neglected, and unwanted pets in our community to find the loving forever home they deserve.”

Last week Ms. Laura Tyler's Creative Writing class went to the Humane Society in Mentor to meet and interact with the animals, but then write an advertisement from the point of view of the animal. The class wrote mostly about the dogs who are available, but there were some ads for a couple of cats and even a ferret.

Once turned in, the advertisements were sent off to the Humane Society to use.