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TRADITION A magazine for the alumni, families and friends of Joliet Catholic Academy Winter 2018 #OnwardJCA JCA’s campus and learning environment continues to move forward - Pages 8 & 9 ANNUAL REPORT EDITION LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT/PRINCIPAL OUR TRADITION Dear Alumni, Families and Friends, Published by the Joliet Catholic Academy Communications Office This 2017-2018 school year has brought much ex- citement thus far to the JCA community. Aside from Administration our tremendous Illinois State Scholar numbers (31), President/Principal our record breaking numbers that will be attending Dr. Jeffrey Budz Vice Principal, Faculty and Operations the March for Life (71), and our Freshman Class Test- William Pender ing Numbers (204), we have had a remarkable year Vice Principal, Curriculum and Technology in the JCA community. The landscape of the Joliet Laura Pahl Catholic Academy campus is changing, thanks to Business Manager your vision, donations, and all-around help. Current- Edward Mayer ly, we are finishing Phase II of our Capital Initiative which changed the look of the building with new en- Admissions Office ergy efficient windows, strong Wi-Fi to aid with our Director of Admissions and Communications 1:1 Technology Initiative, and our classroom air con- Ryan Quigley, 2003 ditioning. This project coincides with our Strategic Assistant Director of Admissions Plan 2013-2018 which will be ending in June of this Mary Russell Ragusa, 1993 year. Thus far we have raised a little over $1.3 million Assistant Director of Admissions for a $1.5 million-dollar goal. Hopefully, as we close the book on our 5-year plan, with your help, Joe Gura we can rest assured that we will achieve our monetary goal by school year’s end. We have also been blessed with a very generous gift from LaVerne and Dorothy Brown to help Alumni Relations Office with Phase II, update our Prayer Garden in the back of the school, and to restructure our current Director of Alumni Relations library space into a brand new Chapel. As we begin the new Strategic Plan in July of this year, we Sue Ruettiger Bebar, 1990 will be looking to make this big change on our second floor. As stated, the library will be converted into a brand new Chapel and we will be making plans to convert our current chapel into an Innova- Development Office tion Research Center, which will mirror college libraries and give our students the best space and Director of Development opportunities for success. The Innovation Research Center will be linked to our Technology Center John Horn, 1991 which will also get a makeover including a STEM area to further our current Robotics offerings. Development Coordinator We have also been busy updating, through the generous donations of time, talent, and trea- Sue Hansen sure, our weight room and our wrestling / cheer / dance area on the second floor of the Student Activity Center. Further…speaking of Dance, through very generous donations of time and talent Special Events (and monetary donation) we have built a Dance Studio in Room 6 by the cafeteria. We are very Director of Special Events excited to be able to offer more space for our Arts Program. Christine Voss Finally, we are very excited to welcome the first class for our Hall of Champions – Business and Industry. As the success of the HOC-Athletics has gained momentum, we felt that it was only Alumni Association Executive Board appropriate to start a chapter of the HOC that honored those that are leaders and innovators in President their industries. This first class will be honored in February and we are proud to announce the Jeff Phelan, 1986 Vice President inaugural members: Paul Arling 81’, Bob Dow 83’, Sally (Nolan ’86) Giegerich, Thomas C. Kennedy ’83, and Lynne Scheffler ’85. These five inductees are so deserving and have been proven leaders Matt Schimanski, 1998 Treasurer in all that they do. John Qiunn, 1986 So with all that is happening: the updates to the campus, the launching of a new strategic Secretary plan, the welcoming of new families, we have a lot to be thankful for and a great feeling of FAMILY. Aaron Barr, 2003 We are truly blessed to have Alumni and friends of JCA that are so gracious with their time, talents, and donations. Thank you once again for all that you do for JCA and I wish you many blessings in 2018! Joliet Catholic Academy Blessings, 1200 N. Larkin Avenue Joliet, IL 60435 815.741.0500 Jeffrey R. Budz www.jca-online.org Dr. Jeffrey R. Budz President/Principal Joliet Catholic Academy 2 | Tradition | Winter 2018 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Went to Harvard, worked at Citgo, played championship football at Joliet Catholic BY BOB OKON Barb and Jack sometimes went to see their son Shaw Media try cases, and once a lawyer from the opposing side Printed December 4, 2017 in the Joliet Herald News approached them to make a comment about John. “He said, ‘We don’t like to be in court with him JOLIET – The new U.S. Attorney for the Northern because we never win,’ ” Barb said. “We said we’re District of Illinois not only is from Joliet, but he’s also seeing a different person because he’s really a soft, in town a lot. kind person. He was doing his job.” John R. Lausch Jr., who was sworn into office at Lausch often was doing a job while going to high a private ceremony Nov. 22 in Chicago, has not lost school and later at Harvard University, where he was touch with his roots in Joliet, where he grew up in captain of the football team. He had a janitorial job the Cathedral area and was a linebacker on the 1987 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond, where he went to championship football team at what was then Joliet grade school, and later worked at the Thomas Steel Catholic High School. despite being named weeks ago. “I think he’s very proud to be a Hilltopper,” said “He said, ‘Until my hand’s on the Bible, and I’m plant in Lemont during summer breaks. At Harvard, Jeff Budz, principal at Joliet Catholic Academy, officially sworn in, nothing is set in stone,’ ” Barb he worked for the athletic department. where Lausch regularly comes to career days to visit said. One job that didn’t work out, Barb said, was a with students. Becoming U.S. attorney is a serious matter. short-lived stint as a vacuum cleaner salesman. “There are probably seven or eight of us who Some of Lausch’s longtime associates from Joliet “He came home after the second day and said, ‘I have stayed friends,” said former teammate Mike were visited by FBI agents in the background check will do anything, but I won’t do this,’ ” Barb said. “It Kelley of Joliet. “We get together a lot. We talk a lot. that preceded his taking office. was about two days later that he got the phone call I go to his kids’ games.” Sue Bebar, director of alumni relations for from the refinery. So it worked out.” “He even said the other day,” said his mother, JCA, recounted an amusing moment while being Kelley, who was a classmate at Joliet Catholic Barb Lausch, “On Thanksgiving, when we were interviewed by an FBI agent who asked if Lausch’s High School, where they both played football sitting around talking, ‘There’s no friends like the old friends were people of good standing. Seeing a and baseball, said one of Lausch’s strongest friends.’ ” chance to interject some humor, Bebar said, “Well, characteristics is his willingness to work. He’s the son of Barb, who taught at the old I don’t know about that.” “Even in high school, he outworked everybody,” St. Joseph’s Catholic School, and Jack Lausch, a The agent’s face remained expressionless. Kelley said. “That’s how he became successful.” retired Joliet firefighter who made extra money as a “He said, ‘That’s not funny,’ ” Bebar said. Lausch left the U.S. attorney’s office to go into Bebar and others describe Lausch, who now repairman for Sears. They raised five children. private practice in Chicago. lives in Chicago, as a regular guy, hardworking, Barb said he wanted to broaden his experience intelligent, moral and driven. “Even in high school, he outworked as a lawyer but always wanted someday to go back “He’s all the things you expect for the position,” to the U.S. attorney’s office. He wanted to be U.S. everybody,” Kelley said. “That’s Kelley said. “For people who know John, this is really not a surprise.” attorney. how he became successful.” Lausch was an assistant U.S. attorney in the A public swearing-in ceremony is planned for Chicago office from 1999 to 2010, trying more January. The private ceremony on the day before Lausch was not available for an interview for this than 20 jury cases involving racketeering, fraud, Thanksgiving came so suddenly that his mother story. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said narcotics, extortion and firearms offenses, according doesn’t know whether Lausch knew when it was he was not giving any media interviews for a few to the U.S. attorney’s office. He was deputy chief in coming. weeks. the narcotics and gangs section from 2005 to 2010, “All he wanted to do was go to work,” she said. Barb Lausch said her son told her not to talk overseeing prosecutions involving street gangs, “I guess, as soon as he was sworn in, he went to to any media until after he was sworn into office, fraud schemes and corrupt public officials.

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