MEET ALUMNI KARI FORD AND JOAN FREDRICH: Reitz Memorial Graduates Come Home to Serve

The Reitz Memorial High School tagline, “A community of faith, knowledge, and service,” means a great deal to all associated with our school but is particularly meaningful to two alumni.

St. Benedict Cathedral School Principal Kari Ford, and Holy Rosary Catholic School Principal Joan Fredrich speak highly of those positive academic and social experiences they had at Reitz Memorial High School.

“When I think of Reitz Memorial, I think of community,” says Mrs. Fredrich. “It’s a place where you had a lot of opportunities to be involved, and you felt like you belonged.”

“It is a community that provides a strong sense of connectivity with lasting bonds,” says. Mrs. Ford.

Both educators believe that going through Catholic education formed them to want to do the same — to share that same foundation with the next generations. Mrs. Ford graduated from Reitz Memorial in 2001 and went on to the University of Southern Indiana. She taught in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation before assuming her current role five years ago.

Mrs. Fredrich graduated from Reitz Memorial in 1987, and this is her 30th year at Holy Rosary Catholic School. She taught third grade for seven years and has been the principal for 23 years.

Although they are at different schools, they agree there is a spirit of collaboration amongst all Reitz Memorial High School partner schools. All of the Eastside principals meet monthly, and they feel very fortunate to be part of this rich collaboration among administrators. Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Fredrich and their families are parishioners of Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

“We have strong partnerships with those who do the same work as we do,” says Mrs. Fredrich. “We are grateful to be able to reach out to support and encourage each other.”

Both women agree that serving as a Catholic school principal is genuinely a ministry, and they feel blessed to be part of it.

“I love having the opportunity to be an educator in a faith-based community with the ability to connect with students, staff, and parents in our faith,” says Mrs. Ford.

“It’s bigger than strong academics alone,” says Mrs. Fredrich. “At Catholic schools, we are blessed to work with our students to help them develop and grow in their faith and relationship with Jesus.”

Mrs. Ford has a fourth-grader and eighth-grader at Holy Rosary Catholic School. Both have been at the school since preschool. Mrs. Fredrich has a sophomore and junior here at Reitz Memorial High School. They both attended Holy Rosary Catholic School.

Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Fredrich both feel blessed by their vocation in Catholic education. They feel they are right where they are meant to be.

“Catholic education is extremely important to me and my family,” says Mrs. Ford. “Inserting our faith into our daily routine is the goal we strive to achieve.”

JOAN FREDRICH

KARI FORD