Winter 2021 THE FOR ALUMNICONNECTION & FRIENDS OF ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY HIGH SCHOOL A CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN THE MARIANIST TRADITION TROY PORTIS VM06 RN, SUMMA HEALTH IRISH ON THE FRONT LINES Alumni stories from the medical field during the COVID-19 pandemic theconnection "HIGH ATOP A HILL IN AKRON" OUR MISSION In the spirit of the Gospel, we are committed to educate the whole person; to lead and to serve, enlightening the mind, developing the body, touching the heart, and inspiring the soul. ALMA MATER High atop a hill in Akron, waves the Green and Gold. Proud she stands for truth and honor, courage strong and bold. Sound her praises, sing her glory, spirit will prevail! Ever stands our Alma Mater...St. Vincent-St. Mary Hail! THE CONNECTION MAGAZINE OUR LEADERSHIP WINTER 2021 Executive Board Chairman John C. Weisensell Director of Communications Anthony Boarman President Thomas M. Carone VM77 Director of Alumni & Community Relations Principal Michelle Hlivko Schaeffer VM92 Kimberlee Gorr FEATURES FOLLOW US! 8 12 STAY CONNECTED COVER ALUMNI STORY SPOTLIGHT www.stvm.com Alumni on the healthcare Features on several alumni front lines reflect on their doing some amazing things FOLLOW STVM ON SOCIAL MEDIA pandemic experiences. near and far. 16 20 ACADEMIC ATHLETIC SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT See how STVM is navigating The Irish returned to the learning in-person and playing fields in the fall and @stvmirish virtually during a pandemic. continued to thrive. 2 | THE CONNECTION WINTER 2021 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA • @STVMIRISH | 3 president'sperspective " s many of you already know, this is my final A year as President of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, “A Catholic School in the Marianist Tradition.” IT HAS BEEN "AN AMAZING During my twelve years at STVM, we have celebrated many successes while overcoming a JOURNEY, WHICH I WILL number of challenges. Through it all, the faculty, staff, board and community has continued to NEVER FORGET. I HOPE THAT provide a passionate commitment to our mission. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO Without that commitment, our successes would not have been possible. SUPPORT STVM AS WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES As STVM moves forward, the new strategic plan, “Our House - Our School - Our Plan,” is in the OF SO MANY STUDENTS... final stages of completion and will focus on the continuation of adapting to changing times that THE BEST IS YET TO COME! all Catholic schools are currently facing. Thank you to all of those who participated in the authoring of our new strategic plan. Mr. Tom Carone I am deeply grateful to all of you that have President supported me during my time here at STVM. The friendships that I have made will last a lifetime and the memories will always be cherished. It has been an amazing journey, which I will never forget. I hope that you will continue to support STVM as we make a difference in the lives of so many students...the best is yet to come! God Bless. Stay Safe. IRISH FOREVER! Thomas M. Carone VM77 President 4 | THE CONNECTION WINTER 2021 SAVE THE DATE! MARCH 1-31, 2021 Attention St. Vincent High School, St. Mary High School, and St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Alumni! Coming to you March 1-31, MAPLE STREET MADNESS! The ultimate alumni fundraising competition that will redefine "High Atop a Hill in Akron" and decide which class reigns supreme! Be sure to follow our social media posts (@stvmirish) as we release more information on this exciting, inaugural event! LEAVE A LEGACY AT ST. VINCENT-ST. MARY St. Vincent-St. Mary High School is built upon the rich history and traditions, which are deeply woven into the hearts of our Irish community. We continue to thrive and grow as a premier institution because of the unwavering support that we receive from our alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends who are committed to STVM. Our community moves forward with zeal and determination to support our students and live out the importance of our Catholic mission. As a Marianist Community, we strive to build a strong community and create a legacy of giving for STVM under the patronage of our Blessed Mother who brings us to the most sacred heart of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We invite you to be part of creating your own legacy and giving abundantly to our school community! A beautiful way to build your legacy is by creating a planned gift for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Planned giving provides different giving vehicles for donors during their lifetime or at the end of their life. We welcome a discussion to explore your interest to support STVM and how you would like to define your legacy. For more information about planned giving strategies, scan the QR code or contact Director of Advancement Tim Isabella at [email protected] or (330) 253-9113 ext. 152. Thank you for your SCAN FOR MORE INFO! consideration and commitment to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School! FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA • @STVMIRISH | 5 green&goldnotes MULLIN PLACES SECOND IN SHINING STAR CLE SINGING COMPETITION Senior Julia Mullin earned first runner-up in the Shining Star CLE virtual solo-singing competition in early September after a powerful virtual performance. She advanced through several rounds and competed against many talented vocalists in the area. STVM vocal music teacher Mrs. Brooke Arbaugh said, "I am so proud of Julia. She has such an amazing voice and is consistently striving to challenge herself in order to accelerate her performance skills." AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE The STVM Future Medics teamed up with the American Red Cross once again in order to help save lives. Despite the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, our STVM Future Medics leaders in the school helped to assist the Red Cross in hosting the first local blood drive at a high school or college since the pandemic started in March. Thank you to all of the STVM community members as well as people outside of our school community who signed up to give blood. MARIANIST SPONSORSHIP RENEWED Accompanied by our Marianist student leaders, STVM President Mr. Tom Carone and Executive Board Chair President Mr. Jack Weisensell officially signed St. Vincent-St. Mary High School's five-year extension as a Marianist sponsored school. This Mariainst sponsorship offers STVM a continued approach to bolstering its Catholic identity, as well as the advantages of being part of a thriving network of Marianist-sponsored schools across the country. Learn more at stvm.com/marianist. STVM NAMED A CISCO NETWORKING ACADEMY SCHOOL We are excited to announce that STVM has been accepted as a member of the Cisco Networking Academy. The Cisco Networking Academy transforms the lives of learners, educators and communities through the power of technology, education and career opportunities. This program will give us the opportunity to greatly expand our course offerings in several different technology areas including networking, programming, cyber security, infrastructure automation and so much more. Learn more at stvm.com/cisco. STVM THEATRE UPGRADED: THANK YOU STVM COMMUNITY! As one curtain closes...a new one opens! We cannot thank the STVM community enough for their support of the Leprechaun Theatre Guild’s renovations. With all of the help and generosity, we were able to add all new seating (including handicap access), complete stage upgrades, new ceiling, carpet, speakers and lighting. Our students and audience will have an enhanced experience because of these upgrades. Take a 3D tour of the space at stvm.com/theatre. 6 | THE CONNECTION WINTER 2021 green&goldnotes STVM TO RECEIVE OHIO HISTORICAL MARKER We are excited to announce that St. Vincent-St. Mary was recently accepted to receive an Ohio Historical Marker on its campus! As the oldest operating high school (public or private) in Akron and one of the oldest Catholic high schools in the State of Ohio, STVM (combined with the histories of St. Mary & St. Vincent) has a vast history that will now be recognized through one of the Ohio History Connection's 1,800 markers throughout the State. Learn more at stvm.com/marker. STVM STUDENTS BUILD ONLINE SPIRIT STORE Are you looking for a gift for your favorite Irish fan?! Check out our great items on the new STVM Spirit Store. This website was designed by our very own students in Mrs. Gupta's Digital Applications & Web Design class. It was created over the course of a few weeks and is officially open for business. Get started at stvm.com/bookstore. BAND STUDENTS HOST INAUGURAL FALL FEST IN THE STVM GARDEN The STVM marching band put on a fun event on a beautiful fall afternoon on October 17 in the STVM Garden. Fall Fest was a real treat during a time where most public events were canceled. Many thanks go out to all who were involved in setting up and running the event as well as to our talented student performers. LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER RECEIVES UPDATES Thanks to the James Burdon 5K and the LeBron James Family Foundation, the Learning Resource Center was transformed over the summer and fall of 2020. With all of the other investments to the LRC, our students and staff members now have three amazing interconnected spaces to meet, study and build memories! Take a 3D tour of the new and updated spaces in the LRC at stvm.com/innovation-hub. WEBB AWARDED QUESTBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP Senior Myiah Webb was recently awarded the Questbridge National College Match Scholarship! Out of the 18,000 people that applied, Myiah was among 6,885 finalists chosen. Only 1,464 of those finalists were matched and Myiah was among them! Myiah matched with Tufts University in Massachusetts, where she will be attending next fall with a full four-year ride.