SUMMER 2021
DOMINICAN Magazine
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re e H t Star
How Dominican (successfully) navigated a school year, five days a week and in-person, in the middle of a pandemic.
You made it!
TRUTH
COMPASSION
JUSTICE
COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP
WE DID IT! The Class of 2021 celebrates their graduation with traditional hat toss after successfully completing a school year full of unprecedented challenges. Photo by Spencer Smith
FRESHMAN FLOATER Keona McGee ’24 attempts a floating shot in the WIAA Sectional Semifinal versus Howards Grove in February. A first-team all conference selection, McGee helped lead the Knights to their first regional championship since 2015. Photo by Spencer Smith
From the President As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we are excited to bring back the many activities and events that were put on hold last year. Things like celebrating our school spirit as fans cheering on our Dominican Knights, holding assemblies and dances, attending our theatre performances, celebrating our faith through all-school liturgies, most especially our North Shore Catholic Schools Week Mass in February, alongside the communities of our four neighboring Catholic grade schools, and returning to our service sites and full class retreats. We are also preparing for our 2021 Alumni & Friends Reunion on Friday, August 13th at Dominican. There is much information in this magazine about our upcoming events, please mark your calendar and join us!
Spencer standing proudly in the middle and, as always, wearing Dominican spirit wear.
Dominican Family and Friends, If you have stayed current with Dominican throughout this past year via social media, monthly newsletters, or are part of our everyday experiences, you know that Covid did not prevent our students from having a highly successful year of learning. Throughout all 180 days of school, Dominican provided in-person instruction for our entire student body. In fact, for a few months we were the only high school in the surrounding North Shore area that was providing in-person instruction, five days per week. This magazine highlights many of the positives we experienced during the 2020-2021 school year, all of which were only possible because our faculty and staff and current parents were in full support of doing what was best for our students. It was an incredible experience and another shining example of why Dominican is not only a leader in Catholic education, but such a special and beautiful community.
Before you dive into this incredible magazine, I want to take the opportunity to thank Spencer Smith for his service to Dominican as our Communications Manager. Spencer has been a blessing to Dominican over the past six years through his writing, creativity and design. Our brand recognition has been heightened because of his exceptional ability to tell the Dominican story in his magazine articles, social media, website and other platforms. Thank you Spencer, for being the biggest cheerleader and advocate for Dominican. We wish you the very best in your next adventure at Marquette University! Dominican family and friends, thank you for your belief, love and promotion, especially throughout this past year. Your prayers and encouragement truly made a difference for all of us. With deep gratitude and appreciation for the Dominican mission,
Leanne Giese President Past Parent Current Parent
Board of Directors
Special thanks to our 2020-2021 Board of Directors and Officers Ida Androwich ’60 PhD, RN, FAAN Professor Emerita Loyola University Chicago
John Desing * Board Chair Financial Advisor Morgan Stanley
Cara Fuller Director, Customer Operations Support WEC Energy Group
Theresa Barry * Vice President, Student Affairs Carroll University
David Dlugopolski ’85 Co-owner Outdoor Lighting Construction Co., Inc.
Leanne Giese * President Dominican High School
Arthur Phillips * Vice Chair Special Counsel Foley & Lardner LLP
Tsebaot Hailemichael Chemist Bostik, Inc.
Christine Rice ’93 Shareholder Attorney, President Simpson & Deardorff, S.C.
Sr. Mary Howard Johnstone, OP Sinsinawa Dominican Ambassador
Stephen Roche ’94 Patent Attorney Setter Roche, LLP
Louise Berg ’79 Co-Owner/Producer – Editor 1eleven1 LLC Brian Conole ’73 * Senior Vice President Bank of America Mark Darnieder Jr. ’06 Associate Attorney Darnieder & Sosnay
John Dunn Attorney - VP of Investment & Advisory Services Northwestern Mutual Paul Engibous ’74 Assistant Professor School of Dentistry Marquette University
Sr. Erica Jordan, OP * Sinsinawa Sponsorship Council Liaison
Dave Mazza VP-Investment & Sales Marketing Dana Investment Advisors
Annemarie Scobey-Polacheck ’86 Director of Corporate Programs/ Corporate Responsibility Johnson Controls
* Executive Members
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CHILLIN’ LIKE A VILLAIN Aries Alvarez ’21 performing as Carlos, Cruella de Vil’s son, in Dominican Theatre’s winter musical “Disney’s Descendants” in February. Photo by Kate Jurgens
In This Issue
DOMINICAN Magazine
Dominican High School publishes Dominican Magazine for alumni, past parents, current families and friends.
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CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Cazares Julie Dlugopolski Edward Foy Leanne Giese Joseph Grady Christine Hudak Claudia Martin Spencer Smith MAGAZINE DESIGN & LAYOUT Spencer Smith, Communications Manager PHOTOGRAPHY Indicated by photo credits
FEATURES
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CLASS OF 2021
The Class of 2021 navigated a school year full of unprecedented challenges with grace and hard work, and celebrated their accomplishment at graduation.
FINDING A WAY
While schools across the country struggled to adjust to providing instruction in a pandemic, Dominican found a way to provide in-person instruction, five days a week, for the full school year.
PLUS 12 CAMPUS BUZZ 22 ART SPOTLIGHT
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KNIGHTS AT STATE
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ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Dominican sent eight athletes to WIAA state competition this athletic season in cross country, tennis and track & field. See how the Knights performed at the highest level. Dominican High School welcomes six new members into the Dominican Athletic Hall of Fame. These inductees represent everything it means to be a student-athlete at Dominican.
THEATRE SOMEONE TO KNOW
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CAMPUS MINISTRY ALUMNI UPDATES
CONTACT US Comments and address changes are welcome and may be sent to: Dominican High School Attn: Claudia Martin 120 East Silver Spring Drive Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 (414) 332-1170 ext. 177 cmartin@dominicanhighschool.com
Our Mission
To provide young adults with a co-educational, Catholic, college-preparatory experience based on the teachings of Jesus. Our faith-driven school community fosters spirituality and creativity, and encourages intellectual, social, physical and artistic development. We commission our students to develop a heightened sense of social responsibility and respect for human dignity based on the values articulated by our sponsoring congregation, the Sinsinawa Dominicans: Truth, Compassion, Justice, Community, Partnership. Dominican Magazine
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Hats Off to the Class of 2021! For the second year in a row, a massive tent donned Dominican’s North Campus and became the epicenter for Dominican High School’s year-end events including the Class of 2021’s senior dinner, awards ceremony and graduation. On Friday, May 28, family, friends and members of the Dominican community gathered under the tent as the Class of 2021 crossed the stage and joined the ranks of Dominican alumni. It was a fitting end to a roller coaster year that the graduating class navigated through together with perseverance and great spirit. Congratulations Class of 2021!
We
Our Seniors!
Class of 2021 Valedictorian Angelina Maly
Class of 2021 Salutatorian Aidan Phillips
2021 VALEDICTORIAN & SALUTATORIAN The valedictorian of the Class of 2021 is Angelina Maly, daughter of Kent and Laura. Angelina achieved a grade point average of 4.188 through seven semesters at Dominican. Angelina will attend Carroll University in the fall and plans to study animal behavior. The salutatorian is Aidan Phillips, son of Arthur and Denise. Aidan achieved a grade point average of 4.150 through seven semesters at Dominican and will attend Princeton University where he plans to major in computer science. 8
2021 LEGACY STUDENTS
(Left to right): Louie Maier III ’61, Lou Maier IV ’85, Jean Maier ’61, Lucy Maier ’21, Cynthia Palabrica ’78, Henry Palabrica-Schorse ’21, Karen Donlow ’81, Londen Donlow, Jr. ’21, Londen Donlow, Sr. ’00
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Class of 2021
Members of the Class of 2021 were accepted to the following colleges and universities worldwide. University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama Alma College Alverno College American International College American University Arizona State University-Tempe The University of Arizona Assumption College Aurora University* Ball State University* Barry University Baylor University
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Belmont University Beloit College Boston University Briar Cliff University University of British Columbia Butler University University of California-Davis University of California-Irvine University of California-Merced University of California-Riverside University of California-San Diego University of California-Santa Barbara Cardinal Stritch University
Carroll University* Carthage College Central College Central Methodist University Chadron State College Chapman University College of Charleston Chicago State University University of Chicago* University of Cincinnati Clarke University Clemson University* Coastal Carolina University
Columbia College Chicago Concordia University-Nebraska Concordia University-Saint Paul Concordia University-Chicago Concordia University-Wisconsin Creighton University Crown College Culver-Stockton College Davenport University University of Dayton University of Denver DePaul University* Drake University
Class of 2021
Eckerd College Elmhurst College University of Florida Fordham University Fox Valley Technical College Franciscan University of Steubenville George Washington University Georgia State University Grove City College Hamline University Hampton University Hillsdale College* University of Houston Howard University University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Springfield Illinois College Illinois Wesleyan University Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana University-East Iowa State University Jackson State University Judson University Kalamazoo College University of Kansas* Kentucky Wesleyan College Lake Forest College Lakeland University Lane College Lawrence University* Liberty University* Lincoln College Lipscomb University* Long Island University Loras College Loyola University Chicago*
Luther College Lyndon State College Macalester College Marian University Marquette University* Maryland Institute College of Art* Maryville University of Saint Louis University of Massachusetts-Boston McGill University Miami University-Oxford Michigan State University Milwaukee Area Technical College* Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design University of Minnesota-Crookston* University of Minnesota-Morris University of Minnesota-Twin Cities* Molloy College Monmouth College Moraine Park Technical College - West Bend Campus Morningside University Mount Mary University* Mount Vernon Nazarene University University of New Hampshire North Carolina A & T State University North Central College North Central University North Park University Northcentral Technical College Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Northern Illinois University Northern Michigan University Northwestern University University of Notre Dame
Oakland City University Oberlin College Ohio University* Pennsylvania State University Philander Smith College University of Pittsburgh* Point Park University Princeton University* Purdue University Reed College* Regent University Ripon College* Roberts Wesleyan College Rochester College Roosevelt University Saint Louis University Savannah College of Art and Design* School of the Art Institute of Chicago Seton Hall University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Simpson College Spring Arbor University Saint Ambrose University Saint Norbert College* St Olaf College University of St. Thomas Syracuse University Taylor University Temple University Tennessee State University* The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Texas A & M University-College Station Texas A&M University-San Antonio Texas A & M University-Commerce Texas Tech University
Ohio State University University of Toronto* Trine University Trinity Christian College Trinity International University-Illinois UWM at Waukesha Valparaiso University Viterbo University Walsh University University of Washington Waukesha County Technical College Weber State University Webster University West Virginia Wesleyan College Western Illinois University Western Michigan University Western New Mexico University William Penn University Wisconsin Lutheran College University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire* University of Wisconsin-La Crosse University of Wisconsin-Madison* University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee* University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh* University of Wisconsin-Parkside University of Wisconsin-River Falls* University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point* University of Wisconsin-Stout University of Wisconsin-Superior University of Wisconsin-Whitewater* Worcester Polytechnic Institute Xavier University* Xavier University of Louisiana * Indicates a student attending
CLASS OF 2021: BY THE NUMBERS
$6,019,632 Total received in scholarship offers
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Students attending a University of Wisconsin System school
Student-Athletes continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level
Colleges/Universities with highest number of Class of 2021 Grads attending:
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Students attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Students attending Marquette University
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Students attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Campus Buzz Academic Department Excellence Awards The Academic Department Awards recognize seniors who symbolize the culture of excellence at Dominican High School. The 2021 recipients were honored for their accomplishments in each respective department at the baccalaureate and senior dinner ceremony and graduation in May. Darwin Kaestner/ William Crowley Award
Philip Dentice Award (Social Studies)
Ryan Patoka
(Science)
Angelina Maly
Sinsinawa Core Value Awards Truth: Alexa Mercado Compassion: Randy Brownlee Justice: JC Haliburton-Roque Community: Mary Mitchell Partnership: Kaylee Pikula
Jennifer Doerr Award (Art)
Jack Hillman Matthew 25 Award (Religious Studies)
Ryan Patoka
Mark Kasprzak Award (Athletics)
Ellie Mazza
Alumni Career Day Held Virtually Dominican alumni presented to students virtually this year. While we weren't able to welcome our alumni in person, it was a great opportunity for alumni from across the country to participate via Zoom. Dominican had 19 alumni presenters, including alumni from Massachusetts, Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, California, Colorado and New York. We are so grateful to our alumni that participated and gave back to the Dominican community through this event!
Dominican Robotics Completes First Year of Competition The Dominican Robotics Team 8531, dubbed the “TermiKnightors,” completed their first season of competition in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and submitted scores for the FRC Infinite Recharge At Home Challenge. The TermiKnightors easily outscored the other two rookie teams in their group and placed ninth in the HyperDrive Challenge, which was a test of driver skill and robot speed and agility. In July, the TermiKnightors traveled to the Lakeshore FIRST Robotics facility in Manitowoc to participate in a scrimmage with 10 other teams. This was the first time the team was able to bring their robot to an in-person competition. The team played in eight qualification matches, finishing with a 3-5 record.
Aidan Phillips, Sean Moore Earn National Merit Scholarship Recognition Dominican seniors Aidan Phillips and Sean Moore received recognition by the National Merit Scholarship Program for their outstanding academic achievement. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year. Aidan earned the Commended status in the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Sean was named a National Merit Award Finalist.
Aidan Phillips
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Sean Moore
In addition to these honors, the College Board’s National Recognition Program named both Aidan and Sean as National African American Scholars. In the fall, Aidan will attend Princeton University and Sean will attend the University of Chicago. Congratulations to both Aidan and Sean!
Natalie Tapia Rojas Presents Bishop Haines with Original Art Dominican senior Natalie Tapia Rojas presented Bishop Jeffery Haines with an original piece of art she created as a gift. Natalie presented the painting at the North Shore Catholic Schools Mass hosted by Dominican for the second consecutive year. The painting depicts the cross that is given to each Dominican senior at their senior retreat. Natalie will continue to pursue her passion for art at the Maryland Institute College of Art in the fall.
NHS Inducts Newest Members The National Honor Society inducted its newest members from the Class of 2022 in May. Class of 2021 members of the National Honor Society were also recognized because they were unable to have an induction ceremony last year. Congratulations to the new inductees and all our members of National Honor Society. Well done! Class of 2021 NHS Members: Margaret Boettinger, Michael Branigan, Audrey Cunningham Natan Fessahaye, Benjamin Frediani, Alexandria Kokalis, Anna Krawczyk, Angelina Maly, Elizabeth Mazza, Mary Mitchell, Sean Moore, Serena Nketcha, Ryan Patoka, Aidan Phillips, Kaylee Pikula, Mason Sammarco, Adelaide Schaetzke, Kunpeng (Andy) Zhang Class of 2022 NHS Members: Caleb Artman, Josephine Balistreri, Paul Firsan, Brigitte Harrison, Anna Hundt, Benjamin Lozano, Leah Madi, Louis Maier, Fiona McCoy, Rose O’Keeffe, Joseph Parlier, Noel Rubalcava, Ian Stefaniak, Peter Stieg, Morgan Theiler, Saron Weldemariam
Dominican High School Makes Appearance in Music Video Dominican had the amazing opportunity to be used as one of the locations for Cash Cash’s music video for “Too Late” (feat. Wiz Khalifa & Lukas Graham)! The music video has more than 1.4 million views on YouTube. Dominican was chosen as a location for the music video when a production company visited the school in the fall for a promotional video shoot and immediately felt the sense of community in the building by the students and teachers. This prompted the company to suggest Dominican as the perfect location for the music video that was shot just a few months later. Dominican Magazine
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Getting Social Here’s what was trending on Dominican’s social media this School year.
Our freshman class was out in the community today cleaning four local Milwaukee County Parks: Kletzch, Lincoln, Estabrook and Meaux, as a part of their Freshman Retreat. Freshmen Retreat is one of two events for our freshmen focused on the Dominican Pillar of Community.
January 9, 2021
November 13, 2020
Dominican High School is excited to announce Steve Showalter as the next head coach of Dominican boys basketball. Coach Showalter comes to Dominican with a career record of 314-102, including WIAA Division 1 state titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014 as the head coach at Germantown High School. April 22, 2021
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With Dominican’s 68-47 win over Brookfield Academy tonight, Head Coach Jim Gosz earned his 600th career win coaching high school basketball. Congratulations Coach Gosz! 600
Today we recognized our senior student-athletes that will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level: Ronald Kirk Jr. - University of Minnesota Crookston - Basketball, Kate Poellmann - Aurora University - Volleyball, Lee Barnes Jr. - UWWhitewater - Football, Eferin Burns - UW-River Falls - Football, Jeremy Timmons - Ripon College - Football. Congrats Ronald, Kate, Lee, Eferin and Jeremy! May 17, 2021
We held our ugly Christmas sweater contest today and there was some stiff competition. Here are the winners from each class...but nobody could beat Mr. Murray’s sloth sweater.
In honor of National College Decision Day, our seniors wore gear for the schools they will be attending in the fall. We’re so proud of the Class of 2021!
December 10, 2020
Multicultural Day is back! After missing out on the celebration last year, we were able to hold a Multicultural assembly in-person for all four classes. We welcomed SistaStrings, along with a guest appearance by Chante Gayden ’22, and Zach and Ying Rosen from Arthur Murray Dance Academy Whitefish Bay. April 22, 2021
April 30, 2021
STATE
Two shows in one day? No problem. Mr. Schaetzke put on the electrostatic sprayer and sanitized seats between shows. February 21, 2021
We are so blessed to have been able to host Bishop Haines, Fr. Paul Hartmann, Fr. Enrique Hernandez, Deacon Mark Jansen, and our fellow North Shore Catholic Schools, Holy Family, St. Eugene, St. Monica and St. Robert for the second annual North Shore Catholic Schools Week Mass today. February 2, 2021
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Theatre Review Dominican Theatre, just like Dominican High School as a school community, seemed to accomplish the impossible in the 2020-2021 school year. In all, Dominican Theatre performed a full season of four shows with limited in-person audiences. Dominican found the possible in a difficult situation, and made the absolute best of it. The Theatre season began with the fall musical “Girls in the Boat,” a new play about the U.S. Olympic Women’s Rowing team and the rise of Title IX and women’s access in sports. That was followed up with the fall play, a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, “The Mousetrap.” In February, Dominican Theatre premiered its winter musical “Disney’s Descendants” to an in-person audience of family and friends. This brand-new musical comedy featured the beloved characters and hit songs from the films with a new twist on the classic stories. Finally, the season was capped off with Dominican’s spring dance revue “Elevation III” in May. “Elevation, The Temple of Growth,” gave students the stage to highlight the importance of individuality, self-love, and mental health. Dominican was one of very few schools able to find a way to perform during the school year, with an audience in the theatre. It took a lot of hard work, ingenuity, diligence, time and patience, and it all paid off in the end. Dominican Theatre kept the light shining and kept the spark there for the students through it all. Bravo.
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Photos by Kate Jurgens
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Athletics Update
Coach Gosz Retires
Wong Finishes Third at State Tournament
This season, Teddy made his mark again. He was named the Metro Classic Conference Singles Player of the Year and qualified for the WIAA State Tournament for the second time in as many seasons. In the state tournament, Teddy won his first three matches, including a victory over the fourth seeded player overall. Teddy then fell to the eventual state champion in the semifinals, but followed that up by defeating the sixth-seeded player to finish third overall in the state tournament. Congratulations on a great run, Teddy!
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4x100M Relay Team
Aidan Phillips ’21
Kaelyn Lockett ’24
Six Track & Field Athletes Qualify for State Meet
Qualifying for the Boys Tennis WIAA State Tournament has become the standard for Dominican junior Teddy Wong. In 2019, Teddy was just one of three freshmen, of the 28 qualifiers, to advance to the state tournament. In 2020, spring sports were canceled due to Covid-19, and Teddy had his own health issues to deal with. Teddy and his family discovered a benign tumor on the right side of his brain. In May 2020, after turning 16, Teddy had a procedure to remove the mass. After some complications post-op, Teddy recovered well and was able to return to the tennis court.
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Josie Balistreri ’22
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The Dominican track & field team capped off a year to remember with six athletes qualifying for the WIAA State Meet in four events. The track team had 11 qualifiers for the WIAA Sectional Meet in Waupun. There, four events finished in the top-four to punch their ticket to La Crosse and a berth in the state meet. The qualifiers were: Aidan Phillips ’21 in the 1600M run, Josie Balistreri ’22 in the 3200M run, Kaelyn Lockett ’24 in the Triple Jump and 4x100M relay, and Makaiyah Cornelius ’23, Makari Cornelius ’23 and Victoria Okoro ’23 in the 4x100M Relay. Aidan finished with a time of 4:33 in the 1600M to finish fourth at sectionals and followed that up with a PR at the state meet of 4:30. Josie finished third at sectionals in the 3200M with a time of 12:49. Kaelyn Lockett finished fourth in the Triple Jump at sectionals with a jump of 34 feet and 6 inches. Kaelyn was one of two freshmen, out of 16 qualifiers, to make it to state in triple jump. Finally, the 4x100M relay finished second at sectionals with a time of 51.68 and followed that up with a PR at the state meet of 51.57, finishing ninth overall.
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All-Conference Team Selections
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Baseball First Team All-Conference Conner Robertson ’22 - Utility
Soccer - Boys MCC Defensive Player of the Year Ben Frediani ’21
Honorable Mention Ian Stefaniak ’22 Charlie Wahlen ’24
First Team All-Conference Ben Frediani ’21 - Defender Filiberto Saavedra ’22 – Midfield
Basketball - Boys Second Team All-Conference Ronald Kirk Jr. ’21
Soccer - Girls First Team All-Conference Claire Emmerich ’24 - Midfield
Basketball - Girls First Team All-Conference Keona McGee ’24
Second Team All-Conference Serena Nketcha ’21 - Forward
Second Team All-Conference Alicia Burgos ’23 Honorable Mention Chante Gayden ’22 Cross Country All-Conference Aidan Phillips ’21 Josie Balistrieri ’22 5
Golf - Boys First Team All-Conference Tom Sukprasert ’23 Softball First Team All-Conference Ali Gotter ’23 Honorable Mention Kate Poellmann ’21 Lucy Maier ’21 Morgan Theiler ’22 Sophia Ayala ’23
6 1 The Dominican girls basketball team 3 Claire Emmerich ’24 led girls soccer team earned its first WIAA Regional Championship in goals (22), averaging more than two since 2015 with an upset win over numberper game. Claire led a Knights attack that one seeded, and conference champion, finished third in the conference in goals Racine Lutheran. Led by two underclassmen scored (35). Of the 11 athletes selected, all-conference players, Keona McGee ’24 Claire was just one of three freshman to and Alicia Burgos ’23, the Knights finished be named First Team All-Conference in the third in the Metro Classic Conference. Metro Classic Conference. 2 Conner Robertson ’22 led the Dominican baseball team in RBI (22), innings pitched (41.2), strikeouts (60) and wins, and was second on the team with a .400 batting average. Conner finished in the top-five in the Metro Classic in RBIs, Ks, and wins, earning a First Team All-Conference selection as a utility player.
Tennis - Boys MCC Singles Player of the Year Teddy Wong ’22 First Team All-Conference Teddy Wong ’22 - Singles Tristan Rouse ’23 & Ethan Grassl ’23 Doubles Volleyball - Boys Second Team All-Conference Cevon Welter ’21 Honorable Mention Barry Applewhite ’22 Ben Lozano ’22 Volleyball - Girls First Team All-Conference Kate Poellmann ’21 Morgan Theiler ’22 Second Team All-Conference Alicia Burgos ’23 Honorable Mention Ellie Mazza ’21
5 Ben Frediani ’21, a four-year starting defender, anchored a new-look backline. Ben tracked forwards and play makers with tenacity. Dangerous shots on goal were often prevented by his quick-footed defending, aggressive tackling or clean dispossession. Ben’s talent, aggressiveness and defensive acumen earned him the Metro Classic Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
4 Ali Gotter ’23 led the Dominican softball 6 Thanathat (Tom) Sukprasert ’23 shot an team in hits (21), extra-base hits (6), total bases (28) and batting average (.457). 80 (+8) in the WIAA Regional Meet held at Behind the plate, Ali led the Metro Classic Ives Grove Links, finishing second overall Conference in put outs (14) and ranked individually. Tom’s score helped lead the second in caught stealing percentage (0.27). Knights to a team berth in the WIAA Sectional Meet.
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Campus Ministry Relationship is at the Heart of Ministry The past year and a half has brought considerable hardship and challenges to many people in the world. Pictured on these pages are just a few ways that Dominican students, and the entire Dominican community, helped those in need and continued to live out the Four Pillars of Dominican Life and the Five Sinsinawa Core Values. Our students built community and served by cleaning parks, preparing prayer services and participating in liturgies. They never faltered in this unique year, as students worked for justice and served those in need, whether family or friend, alumni or neighbor, or even their peers. From studying social issues and coming together in deep prayer, to experiencing retreats and celebrating our faith as individuals and as a community, this year was filled with the Holy Spirit in countless ways.
Service and Study - The Speaker Series
As part of the uKnighted Service program that all students complete throughout their four years at Dominican, sophomores heard from a series of guest speakers who are pillars in the community working on contemporary social issues. Students were then challenged to study the social issues and reflect upon how they can be of service to their community about these issues. Students heard from the following guest speakers: • Pastor James West - Director of The Repairers of the Breach, Milwaukee’s only homeless daytime center • Nate Gilliam - Lead Organizer for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals • Adam Procell - Partners in Hope, a program that seeks to rebuild homes, lives, and families by developing faith, nurturing hope, and modeling love with persons who have spent time in prison • Ali Jablonsky - Director of Spiritual Care at Tufts Medical Center in Boston • Sean Lybeck-Smoak - Director of Experiential Learning and Career Education at Cardinal Stritch University
Black Lives are Sacred Campus Ministry’s Social Justice Committee hosted Black Lives are Sacred: Public Witness in November. The public witness invited people of all faiths and backgrounds to gather to proclaim the truth, that Black lives are sacred. The witness began with prayer and a keynote address. Dominican senior Natan Fessahaye, and juniors Chante Gayden, Barry Applewhite and Saron Weldemariam led the prayer and address. Black Lives are Sacred is a group of lay Milwaukee Catholics who gather to peacefully proclaim that Black Lives are Sacred.
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Holy Thursday Prayer Service
The school community celebrated Holy Thursday together and prepared for the Holy Triduum with a Holy Thursday prayer service. With a combination of music, poems, speeches and skits, Dominican’s prayer and liturgy team illustrated the healing power of a redemptive spirit and the truth that comes from serving the good of others.
Freshman Retreat
Sophomore Retreat The final retreat held in the 2020-2021 school year was the Sophomore Retreat, entitled “The Call.” Students focused on where God is calling them and the Dominican Pillar of Study. We were grateful and blessed to be able to hold a retreat for each class this school year!
Our freshman class went out in the community, cleaning four local Milwaukee County Parks as a part of their Freshman Retreat. Following their morning of service, the freshmen returned to school to spend the remainder of their retreat learning about the Four Pillars of Dominican life. Each year in the uKnighted Service Program, our students focus on a different Pillar of Dominican Life. In student’s Freshman year, that focus is on the Pillar of Community. Freshman Retreat is one of two events for our Freshmen focused on community.
Why Representation Matters Baby Drive For Women’s Care Center In a combined effort of all five North Shore Catholic Schools, a collection was taken up at the North Shore Catholic Shools Mass for baby items to be donated to the Women’s Care Center.
To honor Black History Month this year, Dominican and the Social Justice Committee created the theme “Why Representation Matters” for the month and created opportunities for student panels to speak with public officials in Wisconsin. Students met with Alderwoman Milele Coggs who spoke to students about why she chose to devote her life to public service, what she is proud of, people that have inspired her, what is most important to her in her work, and advice for anyone considering a career in public service. Subsequently, Dominican students had the opportunity to ask questions and visit with Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee native, Mandela Barnes over Zoom. Students were able to ask several questions encompassing education, representation, advice, and inspiration.
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Art Spotlight
Works of Art
Six Dominican art students earned a Scholastic Art Award in the 2020-2021 school year.
Winners are recognized by three levels of awards: Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention. Gold Key Award Stella Mireles ’21 – Mixed Media Silver Key Award Natalie Tapia Rojas ’21 – two Silver Key Awards for Painting Kaylee Pikula ’21 – Photography Honorable Mention Issa Padilla ’24 – Drawing & Illustration Mykiyah Harris ’23 – Painting Kaylee Pikula ’21 – Photography Natalie Tapia Rojas ’21 – Mixed Media and Drawing Pancho Carpio ’21 – Digital Art
Primary Emergence / Natalie Tapia Rojas ’21
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Mi Sagrado Corazon / Stella Mireles ’21
Mi Sagrado Corazon / Natalie Tapia Rojas ’21
Kaylee Pikula ’21
Extra Terrestrial / Issa Padilla ’24
Kaylee Pikula ’21
Self Portrait / Mykiyah Harris ’23
Underworld / Walter Carpio ’21
Friendly Reminder / Natalie Tapia Rojas ’21
Arbol / Stella Mireles ’21
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One hundred and eighty school days, five days a week, in person and zero shutdowns. Very few schools in the country can say that. Dominican High School did it. From August 2020 to May 2021, Dominican found a way to navigate through the sometimes seemingly insurmountable obstacles of providing in-person education during a worldwide pandemic. With the endless efforts of administration, the board of directors, teachers, families and students, the Dominican community made its way through 10 months of in-person classes.
Teachers prepared lessons for in-person and virtual students, and sanitized desks in-between classes. The maintenance team constantly disinfected tables, classrooms, lockers and everything in between. Health checks were completed on each and every student, every single morning. Coaches and directors had to become flexible with new protocols and missing students. All of that work and dedication led to a full school year, with experiences that many, if not most, high school students were not able to have in the 2020-2021 school year.
“It has been an amazing year and one which has made me so incredibly proud to be part of this community. This year has proved beyond a doubt that Dominican High School lives and breathes its mission and core values in so many wonderful ways, each and every day,” Dominican President Leanne Giese said.
“Honestly, this school year has been pretty exciting. We have been able to participate in more activities than we ever thought would have been possible, and so many more than what our friends have experienced at other schools. The teachers and staff made this a really fun year and we are grateful for all the ways they have gone over and above for us,” Celeste Vargas ’23 and Alicia Burgos ’23 agreed.
It wasn’t without its challenges, though. Teachers and students had to adapt to health protocols: wearing a mask at all times, spaced out classrooms, one-way stairwells, virtual lessons, intermittent quarantines. No matter the challenge, the message was always the same: we want to be here and we will do whatever it takes.
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Dominican is truly blessed with the love, support and dedication of the entire community that made the 2020-2021 school year possible. It was a year that will be remembered forever as the year Dominican found a way.
Livestreaming software was purchased to broadcast school-wide liturgies throughout classrooms as well as to community members who joined remotely.
Classrooms followed strict health and safety protocols throughout the entire school year.
The Class of 2021 still participated in their Senior Retreat and took the traditional “In & Out” photo for the yearbook.
The homecoming king and queen and prom court were announced, and prom was even able to take place outdoors.
Students, faculty and staff were still able to have fun with dress up days and themes.
School spirit was still on full display at events like KnightWalk.
Dominican Campus Ministry held the Kairos Retreat on campus with the dedicated senior leaders shown above.
Seniors were able to complete their puzzle pieces on Senior Retreat.
Every single athletics team held a season.
A “Recess Day” was Dominican Theatre held all held during lunch to four performances to limited give students a break. in-person audiences.
A large tent on North Campus allowed year-end The Dominican band found a safe way to make The Knight Life team provided energy and events to be held including graduation, senior music as a group, creating the “Bucket Brigade.” support to freshmen and the school all dinner, prom and a freshman/sophomore dance. year long.
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Dominican Athletic Hall of Fame
CLASS OF 2021
Dominican is proud to recognize the six student-athletes selected to the Class of 2021 Dominican Athletic Hall of Fame. These inductees represented Dominican High School at the highest level through their ability, integrity, sportsmanship and character on and off the field of play. Their contributions to their teams, and the school, left a lasting legacy. The Class of 2021 will be honored and officially inducted on August 13 during the Dominican Alumni and Friends Reunion celebration. Congratulations to the newest members of Dominican’s Athletic Hall of Fame!
Charles Synold ’65 Sports Participated in at Dominican: Team manager for Football, Basketball, Track & Field Dominican Athletics Accomplishments:
Varsity team manager for a total of 12 seasons Taped ankles, handed out towels, carried equipment and prepared playing facilities all four years at Dominican and earned 12 varsity letters
Christin Gainniou ’90 Sports Participated in at Dominican:
Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Track & Field
Dominican Athletics Accomplishments:
Volleyball - All-State Selection 1988 & 1989, All-Conference Selection 1988 & 1989 Softball - All-State Selection 1989 & 1990, All-Conference Selection 1989 & 1990 Outstanding Senior Athlete Award winner - 1990
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(# 4)
Hall of fame Troy Wagner ’91 Sports Participated in at Dominican: Football, Basketball, Track & Field Dominican Athletics Accomplishments: Basketball - First Team All-Conference - 1991 1991 State Champion in Football & Basketball
Melissa Orzehoskie ’99 Odorzynski Sports Participated in at Dominican: Tennis, Basketball, Track & Field Dominican Athletics Accomplishments:
1999 WISAA State Champion in Triple Jump Competed at state in all three sports (tennis, basketball & track) in 1996-97 Sports Illustrated Featured Athlete in 1998
Nick Horton ’00 Sports Participated in at Dominican: Football, Basketball, Track & Field Dominican Athletics Accomplishments: 16-time Track & Field Parkland Conference Champion 1999 WISAA State Champion in 200M 2000 WISAA State Champion in 100m, 200m & 4X400m relay 2000 WISAA State Track & Field Meet MVP
Demi Omole ’03 Sports Participated in at Dominican: Football, Basketball, Track & Field Dominican Athletics Accomplishments: First Team All-Conference Selection in Football 10-Time Track & Field Parkland Conference Champion WIAA State Champion in 100M, 3-time State Champion in 200M, Set WIAA Division 2 state records in 100M & 200M Dominican Magazine
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Advancement Sr. Duchesne Maxwell Volunteer of the Year: Aly El-Ghatit and processes necessary to meet the expanding technology needs and capabilities of both teachers and students. He served as the project manager for numerous technology enhancements during Dominican’s renovation projects in 2015 and has continued to streamline technology and information systems ever since. His expertise was especially valuable this past school year when Dominican needed to provide online instruction for students who required virtual learning options during the pandemic.
Aly El-Ghatit
Dominican High School is honored to recognize Aly El-Ghatit as the recipient of the 2021 Sr. Duchesne Maxwell Award. Aly has been a dedicated member of the Dominican community since 2015 and is happily married to past parent and past Board Chairperson, Theresa Barry. Aly has volunteered hundreds of hours of expertise in the areas of technology and data processing programming and development. After retiring from a successful career in technology and security solutions with Telecom and Ameritech/SBC, Aly jumped right into volunteering at Dominican. His knowledge and experience helped Dominican advance in its ability to implement programs
DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI AWA R D S
Dominican is so grateful for the many ways Aly has positively impacted the Dominican community. Although he is not an alumnus, current or past parent, his dedication and commitment to our community makes him an honorary Knight! Thank you Aly for your love and support of Dominican!
The Dominican High School Distinguished Alumni Awards honor graduates who exemplify our five core values of Truth, Compassion, Justice, Community and Partnership. Recognition is awarded to individuals who carry forth and support the Dominican mission through professional, leadership and service achievements.
2021 Distinguished Alum of the Year
2021 Young Alum of the Year
MaryAnne Mullaney ‘75
Amber Raffeet ’06 August
MaryAnne has been a continuous supporter and advocate of Dominican since she graduated 46 years ago. Through her key role in establishing St. Monica’s Kindergarten program and as a teacher there for the last 41 years, she has demonstrated strong faith, belief and commitment to Catholic education. Over the years, MaryAnne has shared her love of Dominican by attending events, supporting students through Knight Walk and scholarship support, and by facilitating tours for her young students to meet with high school students. The common theme found in Maryanne’s nominations is that she truly models Dominican’s core values of Truth, Compassion, Justice, Community and Partnership.
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Throughout the past six years, Aly has worked closely with many of Dominican’s administrative departments to ensure optimal usage of technology and data analytics. He created macro systems for the Finance Department to streamline payment processing systems and continues to help the Admissions Department in organizing and revamping its data collection system for prospective students. In addition to offering technical expertise, Aly continues to be an ongoing resource for questions, support and advice in order to optimize the efforts of Dominican’s technology infrastructure.
Amber obtained her B.A. in Spanish and Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and law degree from University of Wisconsin Law School. She works at Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee as Staff Attorney in the Guardian ad Litem Division advocating for children from indigent families in family court. Amber is PresidentElect of WI Association of African American Lawyers, member of the State Bar of WI Board of Governors and member of Women in Focus, Inc. By offering to mentor and provide internship opportunities, Amber serves as an excellent role model for current Dominican students interested in pursuing a career in law.
Auction 2021: There’s No Place Like Dominican Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my! On April 24th, the Annual Auction, A Knight in Oz, reminded us there’s no place like Dominican. Our community came together in various ways to support our Dominican students. Sendik’s created delicious to-go meals and party platters for families and friends to enjoy in the comfort of their own home. Auction co-chairs, Lou ’85 & Trenny Maier and John & Jayne ’85 Desing, had a lot of heart and made the livestream broadcast an over the rainbow success! The chairs came to us from Emerald City and Munchkin Land where we got to see Bill Crowley and several others as Munchkin cut-outs! The highlight of the evening was the Scholarship Paddle Raise when we heard from senior Lee Barnes about the positive impact Dominican has had on his life through a video produced by alumna, Louise Berg ’79. Dominican’s Board of Directors started us off with a collective contribution of $60,000. Another generous donor matched the first 15 gifts of $250 bringing our Scholarship Paddle Raise total to $165,000!
We had some exciting raffles this year! Lou ’85 and Trenny Maier were the Golden Ticket winners of a $3,000 tuition credit; current parents, Don and Anne Robertson won the coveted Yeti Cooler; past parents, Nancy and Mike Carter won the hottest piece of exercise equipment on the market, a Peloton Bike+; and Mr. Dominican himself, Bill Crowley, won the Honda Metropolitan Scooter! Mr. Crowley generously donated the scooter back to Dominican and it will be available to win at the Annual Bill Crowley Golf Outing in August. A heartfelt thanks to our many auction sponsors and volunteers who helped create a spectacular event. A special thanks to the 2021 Auction Co-Chairs, Lou ’85 & Trenny Maier and John & Jayne ’85 Desing for their creativity, leadership and hard work!
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Faculty & Staff Updates FACULTY & STAFF ANNIVERSARIES Dominican would not be the incredible and very special Catholic high school that it is without the dedication and passion of its faculty and staff members. The following faculty and staff members celebrated anniversaries this year. We are so grateful for their commitment to Dominican’s mission.
Ben Weiler
Academic Support English Teacher
20 Years
Ann Setterlun Guatemalan asylum seeker Miley blows bubbles at the Casa del Refugiado in east El Paso as her father Jaime looks on. Jaime said their life in Guatemala was getting very dangerous. “There are people who will kill you for a quetzal or your cell phone. People board the bus with a gun and rob everyone.” he said. “It’s hard to live there.” (Mark Lambie /El Paso Times)
Ann Setterlun to Aid in Refugee Resettlement and Integration
Melissa Senn
Science Teacher
10 Years
Lauren Cazares Events Manager
5 Years
Isabel Utschig Science Teacher
5 Years
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After teaching Spanish at Dominican for nine years, Ann Setterlun is pivoting her career path to use her Spanish and inter-cultural skills to help those in need. Hear below from Ann on her plans for the future. Thank you Ann for all of the love, support and passion you have provided the Dominican community in your time here! I loved teaching Spanish at Dominican High School these past nine years, but I will now follow the advice that I have shared with my students for almost 30 years: use your Spanish and inter-cultural skills to make a difference in this world. The 2021-2022 academic year will be an exploratory year for me as I make a career pivot to refugee resettlement and integration services. I will volunteer in different capacities to better acquaint myself with the broad goals of migrant and refugee integration that apply across countries: enabling new arrivals to reach and develop their full potential, to protect their human rights, prevent their marginalization, and foster social cohesion and relationships. In the years to come my hope is to be a caseworker, case interpreter, or teacher, working with local, community-based organizations to help new arrivals find housing; connect them to food resources, medical services, transportation, and other basic needs; learn basic English and prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Exam; adjust to the culture and city in which they are resettled; and learn other skills to build self-sufficiency. To start, I will be a short-term volunteer at Annunciation House from August 14-28. Annunciation House is a volunteer organization that offers hospitality to migrants, immigrants, and refugees in the border region of El Paso, Texas. Rooted in Catholic social justice teaching, the volunteers of Annunciation House live simply and in community, in the same houses as the guests it serves. Annunciation House and its houses are sustained totally by contributions of individuals, groups and faith communities and was the recipient of $1,200 in proceeds from the DHS Club Fuego Latino Baile in 2019.
Barbara Dineen ’60 Favorite part of your job: I enjoyed designing programs and being part of a large project team. Role Models: My mother and my aunt.
Education: B.A. in Mathematics with History and Secondary Education Minors, Dominican University Resides: Whitefish Bay, WI Career info: I taught junior high school for four years then spent 30+ years working as a mainframe computer programmer/senior analyst.
First Job: Working as a programmer for Mobil Oil Corporation. Favorite words of wisdom: Don’t worry about your mistakes, learn from them. Most meaningful accomplishment: My time teaching at an inner city junior high school which raised my awareness of the issues facing the Black community.
How did Dominican shape the person you are today: The Dominican nuns educated me through grade school, high school, and college. I was influenced by their faith and their selfless dedication. I thank them for taking the time to teach me grammar, composition and critical thinking. My papers were returned covered in red ink. What are some ways you’ve been able to give back to Dominican: This year through a school fundraiser, I bid on, and won, having the Dominican choir sing Christmas carols at my house. The students were terrific, it was so festive and fun and my neighbors loved it.
Why is Dominican worthy of support: They are instilling Christian values in students from diverse backgrounds and providing a nurturing, rigorous environment to prepare students for a successful career. What values were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: I was impressed by the Dominican motto of Caritas/Veritas - Charity and Truth. Since the 60’s, I have been aware of the unjust treatment of those in the Black community and I am committed to raising awareness on these issues. Words of advice for current Dominican students: Don’t be afraid to plunge in and take risks. Follow the leadings of your conscience.
Someone To Know.
We checked in with Dominican alumni from each decade to see what they are up to. Here is what they had to say.
Joe ’76 & Claire ’76 Brand Career info: We both retired from our career jobs in the last few years. Claire was a Vice President at Hallmark Cards, Inc. in marketing and product development for 36 years. Joe was a Vice President and Project Director for transportation projects at HNTB Corporation for 38 years.
Best/Favorite Dominican Memory: There were many great memories at Dominican. We started dating junior year and were on the Prom court as a couple that year.
What values or characteristics were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: A sense of community (being part of the Dominican family) and service for others.
Most meaningful accomplishment: Raising three children that we are Words of advice for current very proud of while balancing the Dominican students: Know Education: demands of successful careers. that this is an opportunity to Claire- Marquette University, B.S. Role Models: In high school, there take advantage of all aspects Business Administration were teachers that we both recall How did Dominican shape the that Dominican can provide: the Joe- Marquette University, B.S. today who had positive influences in person you are today: There are education, extracurricular activities, Civil Engineering and Rockhurst our lives: Mr. Kaestner, Mr. Crowley, lifelong friendships and memories service projects. The diversity of University, MBA Sisters Maggie and Kathleen, that we made during our time at experiences and different talents Fr. Dominiak, Miss Piraino, Mrs. Dominican. The influence of teachers of others you are exposed to will Resides: Kansas City, MO Sturino… to name a few. Their helped direct and shape us. The allow you to learn where you can interest in helping us succeed value we placed on a faith based excel and/or make a difference. The Family: We celebrated our 40th as individuals and as part of the education was one we chose for our memories and friendships from your anniversary on June 6. We have community at Dominican has had a children who all attended Catholic years at Dominican are lasting ones. two daughters, a son and five schools. grandchildren (plus one on the way). lasting impact.
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Someone to Know. Randy Christianson ’84
Chris Michaud ’94
one that was steel because the glass backboard on that end had been broken in the last gym class that day!
If you could change one thing or have done something differently during your time at Dominican, what would it be: Travel abroad as part of the foreign language program. I’ve come to really love traveling and experiencing different cultures. I truly wish I had gotten an earlier start on seeing the wonderful places this world has to offer.
Favorite pastime/hobby: Anything outdoors with my family. I ride motorcycles, enjoy archery, hunting, boating, fishing, sports, etc. I’ve enjoyed watching and coaching my children in sports. Also spending time in Adoration – I recommend every major decision in life should be done with input from our Lord. Education: B.A. in Organizational Management, Eastern University Resides: Waukesha, WI Family: Married to Denise for 24 years. Eight Children: Kylie, Jaret, Trystan, McKenna, Carson, Kada, Taya, Cayden. Current job: Amcor Flexible Packaging – Vice President of Operations for the past three years. I’ve also worked for PPG Industries and HarleyDavidson Motor Company. Favorite part of your job: Seeing people, machines and materials come together to provide packaging solutions for the food and medical industry. There is a real joy in seeing a manufacturing system work as intended. Walter P. Chrysler is reported to have said “There is a joy in manufacturing that only a poet is supposed to know…” Role Models: My friend John Doering. He has been blind since age 19. He holds a full-time job and lives life like the rest of us in spite of additional challenges. Very impressive. My wife Denise – manages it all. Favorite Dominican Memory: Playing basketball against Messmer High School in the old “Metro” conference. The gym was always packed, loud and exciting. In one game at Messmer we had one backboard that was glass and
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What are some ways you’ve been able to give back to Dominican: We have donated funds and I participated in Career Day. If I’m honest, I could have done more. Why is Dominican worthy of support: Catholic education is a vital part of helping develop the next generation of faithful Catholics. Integrating faith with the educational and social experiences of high school helps build the whole person. The legacy and long traditions at Dominican leave positive, life-long experiences. What values or characteristics were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: Many characteristics including interacting with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and social statuses. I was well prepared for the working world and continuing my education to help shape the person I am today. The integration of faith with education was an important part of augmenting my solid base that my parents had helped develop. Words of advice for current Dominican students: Take your education seriously and get the most out of it. Enjoy the time and don’t get caught up in, or create, distracting drama. Care for each other – especially those that have a difficult time fitting in. Build your faith.
Education: B.A. in Architecture and Master of Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Resides: Wauwatosa, WI Family: Married to Jes for 14 years. Three children: Calvin (12), Eleanor “Nora” (10), Oliver (8) Current job: Eppstein Uhen Architects, Senior Design Architect Favorite part of your job: I design schools and being able to have an impact on a student’s experience and the environments that they learn in, socialize in, and for the most part, really grow up in, whether they are 6 or 16, is very rewarding. Role Models: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Barack Obama, Greta Thunberg First Job: Bussing tables at the Mequon Chancery Favorite Dominican Memory: Sophomore year, JV Football, Coach Longtine Favorite words of wisdom: Measure twice, cut once. Favorite pastime/hobby: Cycling, hiking Most meaningful accomplishment: Father of three wonderful children
How did Dominican shape the person you are today: I had some great teachers who supported my interests in the arts, literature and sciences. They gave me room to explore, and backed me when I needed help, and not only introduced me to some of my passions, but also showed me the lasting importance a mentor can have. What are some ways you’ve been able to give back to Dominican: Dominican set me on a path that eventually led me to a profession as an architect that I love and am passionate about. I’ve always enjoyed sharing my story with DHS students at their annual Career Day event. Why is Dominican worthy of support: Dominican is a special place that helps shape the next generation of learners, and the next future leaders in our communities. What values or characteristics were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: Hard work. Be thankful for what you have. The importance of a good education. Words of advice for current Dominican students: Work hard, have fun, cherish the friendships and relationships you make.
Someone to Know. Que El-Amin ’01
Heather Stern ’12 including cross country, basketball and National Honor Society, but I wish I would’ve participated in student government and track.
I think that it would have been fun to be in a theatre production, but as I played sports year-round there just were not enough hours in the day.
Favorite words of wisdom: Be consistently persistent.
Favorite pastime/hobby: Swimming Laps Most meaningful accomplishment: Earning my OD
Most meaningful accomplishment: Closing financing on the largest privately owned affordable housing development in Wisconsin’s history. Education: B.S. in Art, UW-Madison M.S. in Geography, Chicago State Resides: Milwaukee, WI Family: Married with 2 kids: Pash and Maven Current Job: Principal of Scott Crawford, Inc. and Co-Founder of Young Enterprising Society where our mission is to mobilize information and resources in order to revitalize communities, particularly for people of color. Favorite part of your job: Being able to help other people realize their dreams. Role Models: I really learn from everyone I meet, but my father would be my #1 role model. Favorite Dominican Memory: Freshman orientation. I was already enrolled at Marquette High School and had been attending for a week, but after going to freshman orientation, I knew I wanted to go to Dominican. A close second was playing on the 2000 basketball team when we won state. If you could change one thing or have done something differently during your time at Dominican, what would it be: I would have participated in more extra-curriculars. I did a lot,
How did Dominican shape the person you are today: Dominican made me into an independent thinker because we were able to critically analyze all ideas even religion. What are some ways you’ve been able to give back to Dominican: I have been able to attend multiple Career Days to give back to Dominican and I would want to bring our STEAM program to Dominican to aid students in entrepreneurship and job readiness. Why is Dominican worthy of support: Dominican is worthy of support because the school has shown decades of producing successful well-rounded students. What values or characteristics were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: Sister Peggy’s Morality class was instrumental, playing Scruples, and learning in a practical fashion what differences in right and wrong were; basically, how to be a good person. Words of advice for current Dominican students: 1. Relationships last a lifetime. 2. Your life is a sum of the choices you make. 3. Karma is real. 4. Love yourself Like Kanye loves Kanye 5. Don’t be afraid to try. 6. Fall in love.
Education: B.S. in Biology with Chemistry minor, University of St. Thomas Graduated 2016 University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) College of Optometry Graduated 2020 Resides: Cedarburg, WI Current Job: Optometrist at Walmart in Saukville and E. Capitol Favorite part of your job: I have worked a lot with patients that have difficulty with teaming, tracking and focusing of their eyes. It is extremely rewarding to work with these patients and find solutions for them to have better and more comfortable usable vision. I have also had the opportunity to work with patients who have suffered mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and helping these people to recover from their injury through use of specialty lenses and therapies.
How did Dominican shape the person you are today: I learned a lot about cultural competency at Dominican. It was a huge advantage to have classmates who came from all sorts of different backgrounds from myself. I learned how to listen and understand others’ perspectives while maintaining an open dialogue. I think that cultural competency is something that can always be improved as we all have inherent biases, but my classmates at Dominican are a large reason for the level of awareness of my biases and competency. Why is Dominican worthy of support: The high standards that Dominican holds both its students and faculty to uphold. By setting high standards, students receive a high quality education that, in my experience, puts them a step ahead of their peers as they continue with their education and future endeavors.
Favorite Dominican Memory: I played sports all four years at Dominican. A lot of my favorite memories are from time spent with my teammates both during practices and games as well as just hanging out.
What values or characteristics were instilled in you during your time at Dominican: Resourcefulness and readiness to jump in and help others when able. Also, I rely heavily of the value of compassion every single day that I am seeing patients; whether I am helping them to recover from a brain injury, or simply updating a contact lens prescription.
If you could change one thing or have done something differently during your time at Dominican, what would it be:
Words of advice for current Dominican students: No one knows everything, but you can always learn more.
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Alumni Updates
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1980s
Ellen “Elly” Pick ’67, a Dominican Associate of Sinsinawa, has been awarded the Cornerstone Award by the Leadership Council of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. This award is given to a woman who exemplifies by her life and service the qualities of the early group of Sisters: an abundance of hope, courage in adversity, commitment to a shared mission, and deep faith in the providence of God. (2)
Michael Crowley ’88 married Tammi Savic on 2000s November 1, 2020 at Morningstar Golf Club. Ben Allgood ’06 and Ashley Cinealis ’04 The couple resides in Fox Point, WI. (4) Allgood welcomed daughter Hadley Mae in March 2020. The family resides in Glendale, Jim Gosz ’81, head coach of Dominican WI. (7) Boys Varsity Basketball, earned his 600th career win coaching high school basketball Rachel Feerick ’04 married Donald Race III on Friday, January 8, 2021. He is the seventh on September 12, 2020 in the Quarry at the boys’ basketball coach in state history to win Ledge View Nature Center in Chilton, WI. The 600 games. Jim retired following the 2021 reception took place in their backyard barn. season. Pictured with his father and former The couple resides in Saukville, WI. (9) Dominican basketball coach Don Gosz. (5)
Patrick Schelbe ’67 and Sally Callen ’67, volunteers for Friends of Lincoln Park, an allvolunteer group founded to connect neighbors and neighborhoods to celebrate Lincoln Park, spent the day with our freshmen on their retreat in November 2020 for fall cleanup at Lincoln Park. (1)
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Maureen (Mo) Crowley ’83 Burke married David Burke at the Grand Geneva Resort on February 20, 2021. In lieu of gifts, guests donated over $4,500 to Dominican’s Bill Crowley Scholarship Fund. The couple resides in DePere, WI. (3)
1990s
Joel Fletcher ’99 was recognized as a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal CFO of the Year 2021 Awards. Joel has worked for Northwestern Mutual for five years, three in Milwaukee and two in San Diego.
stay connected Let your fellow Knights know about the milestones in your life - weddings, births, promotions, retirements, awards and honors. Keep us informed so we can share your news with the Dominican community in our alumni publications!
First Name
MI
Maiden Name (If Applicable)
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Graduation Year
9 Street Address
City
State
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Email Address Yes, please add my email to Dominican’s Monthly Alumni & Friends Newsletter list.
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Makda Fessahaye ’07 received the Rising Star Award by the Wisconsin Women in Government in November 2020. This award honors a woman who has been in her profession for 10 years or less and has demonstrated excellence by making an extraordinary impact in her profession. In December 2020, Makda was appointed the Director of Employee Relations for the City of Milwaukee, and in May was selected as a Wisconsin Law Foundation Fellow. This honor recognizes outstanding career achievement, community involvement and efforts to advance the legal profession. Makda joins an impressive group
of attorneys who comprise 2.5% of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s membership. (8) Courtney Schlieve ’02 Blei and her husband, Jacob, welcomed daughter Hazel James on May 19, 2020. The family resides in Brookfield, WI. (10) Therese Wycklendt ’02 Simonis and her husband, Patrick, welcomed son William Patrick on January 22, 2021. William is joined by his three older siblings and the family resides in Milwaukee. (6)
Degree(s) Earned Yes, you may post my information both in print and online. Update:
More space on back
Alumni updates can also be submitted online at www.dominicanhighschool.com/alumni-updates
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Kevin Dix ’10 released his first animated comedy short, “Forest Folly” in March 2020 and received the 2020 Independent Shorts Award, the 2020 Prague International Indie Film Festival Award, and the 2021 Spotlight Gold Award from the Spotlight Short Film Awards in Atlanta, GA. Kevin resides in Los Angeles, CA.
Yes, we just had a baby! Send us a Dominican onesie! Join Dominican’s LinkedIn network. Add Dominican High School to the “Education” section of your profile and connect with Dominican alumni by location, industry, company, etc. Knights are always willing to help! Fill out this form and mail it to: Dominican High School, 120 E Silver Spring Dr. Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
Alumni updates can also be submitted online at www.dominicanhighschool.com/alumni-updates
James Luy ’11 married Erin Lawless on February 13, 2021 at Communion of Saints Church in Cleveland, OH. The reception was held at The Union Club. The couple resides in Lakewood, OH. (13)
Grace Nketcha ’17, was accepted into the University of Minnesota Doctorate of Pharmacy program (ranked #3 in the nation), and will begin her studies this fall. Allie Fritsch ’17, current Public She received her undergraduate Relations major at Marquette degree in May from UM and has University, recently started her own small business, coolAFglass, a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a minor in French specializing in custom stained glass. Allie’s love for stained glass Studies. started in high school while taking Charlie Peck ’14 and his wife, classes with beloved art teacher, Lauren, welcomed daughter Mrs. Mary Gehr. Her pieces can be found at coolafglass.com. (11) Maeve Ruth Anne Peck on December 22, 2020. The family resides in West Allis. (14) Kaelin Graham ’17 graduated from Hampton University in Yucheng Peng (Joe) ’12 will be December 2020 Summa Cum attending the prestigious Tsinghua Laude in the top 2 percent of University in Beijing, China to her class with a 3.97 cumulative G.P.A. She earned her Bachelor’s pursue his MBA. Joe is so grateful for his Dominican education in Psychology and minor in and hopes to be more like his Leadership Studies in 3.5 years. teachers, Patricia Ash (Science) Kaelin will be pursuing her and Megan Renner (Math) by Master’s in Psychology in the fall helping people overcome their and doctorate degree thereafter. challenges. (12) Ann Hagner ’11, was recently elevated to Vice President, Creative Director at Walker Sands, a full-service B2B Marketing Agency. Ann began her career at Walker Sands as a graphic design intern.
Cordell Titus ’15 has been accepted into the Master of Health and Service Administration Program at the University of Kansas and will begin his studies this fall. Cordell earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Drake University in 2019.
In Memory We join in prayerful remembrance of those in the Dominican community who have passed. May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Eternal rest grant unto them, Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Marie Barrock, mother of Barb Niemiec ’64 and Anita Fleisch ’67 Michael Becker, son of Gary ’60 Christine Belnavis, mother of Samuel Jr. ’79 (deceased) and Michelle ’80
Gertrude (Trudy) Gripentrog, wife of former faculty member and coach from 1968-76 Ray (deceased), mother of Susan Nalevac ’69, Ann Berneir ’70, Maria Kueng ’72 John ’79, Steve ’82
Mary Beth End ’71 Johnson Patrick Johnson ’66
Patricia Catalano, mother of Margaret ’80, Ted ’81, Gregg ’82 and Sue Petropoulos ’87
David Kasdorf, son of Betty ’60
Pauline Catalano, mother of Robert ’67 (deceased), Debby ’69, Paula Maniscalco ’73 and Christine ’78
Leroy Konzal, Husband of Susan Repinski ’62 Konzal, father of Beth ’86 Rouse, Jeffrey ’88 and Michael ’91, grandfather of Nathaniel ’19, Mitchell ’20 and Tristan ’23 Rouse
John Claffey ’60 William Collentine ’67, husband of Christine Sorgi ’67, and brother of Kathleen ’62 Ryan and Ann ’65 Kessenich
Kathleen “Kathy” Harris ‘60 Kraus Roger LeGrand, brother of Kathy ’66, Mark ’68, Stephen ’72 and Monica ’77 Trudell
John Coster-Mullen ’65
Marlene Speckert ’60 Listwan
Carol Dati, mother of Janine Baudhuin ’85
William Durkin, husband of Kathleen Pritchard ’69 Kathie Fetherston, wife of Timothy ’69 and sister-in-law of Catherine Harrison ’66 and Margaret Kasch ’73 John Formolo, father of Lauren ‘74 Beckmann, Gina ’77 Flynn, Lisa ’79 Charney, James ’75 and Thomas ’82 Eunice Trotman ’79 Francis Michael Gehrke ’61, brother of Irvin ’63 and grandfather of Josh ’24 Alyce May “Allie” Geske, mother of Patty ’70 Schultz Dolores Goble, mother of former Dominican staff member (2003-2006) Lydia LaGue and grandmother of Elizabeth LaGue ’02 Wakim, Henry LaGue ’05 and Ben LaGue ’07 Raymond Grimmer II, father of Judy ’81, Peggy ’83 and Cathy Murphy ’85
Janice Honzelka, mother of Steven ’92 and Joseph ’94 William Jennaro, father of Lisa ’89 Lewein, grandfather of Will Lewein ’18 and Taylor Lewein ’22
Sr. Peggy Brennan, member of the Dominican High School community beginning in 1986 serving as a Religion teacher, mentor, role model and leader for 24 years
John Deinlein ’69, brother of Mary ’72 Connelly, Laura ’73 (deceased), Thomas ’76 (deceased), and Peter ’77
Paul Hauer ’91, brother of Sara Wells ’94, Emily ’94 and Mark ’96
Sr. Margaret “Peggy” Brennan The Lord called our sweet Sr. Peggy home on April 5, 2021. Sr. Peggy joined the Dominican High School community in 1986 and served as a Religion teacher, mentor, role model and leader for 24 years. After retiring in 2010, she continued to volunteer in the school library until 2017. The following summer, she moved to the Sinsinawa Mound. Sr. Peggy entered the congregation in 1956 and was in her 63rd year of profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican. We celebrate her beautiful life and are grateful for they many ways she brought love and happiness to our Dominican family.
Lois Ann Guidinger, mother of Joe ’80, Jerome ’82, Jeff ’83 and Jay ’87 Mary Therese Guzniczak, sister of Catherine ‘80 Sauvage Margaret Harrigan, mother of Dan ’61 (deceased), Richard ’62, Cathy Arst ’65 and Peggy Goldstein ’69
Maxine Listwan, mother of Vicki Roehsner ‘66 and Thomas ’69 Bodwid “Buzz” Literski ’71, brother of Brian ’68 Robert “Bob” Mallwitz ’70 Richard “Dick” McCormick, father of Dan ’70, Terry ’73, Jack ’76 and father-in-law of Mary Jo ’74 Anne O’Connor McKie ’62, sister of Carol ’70 Riesmeyer Eileen Meehan, mother of Laurie ’72 Lukaszewicz, Theresa ’74 Meehan-Felknor, Daniel ’75, Suzanne ’78 Saidat and Margaret ’79 Christine Melloch, mother of Alia ’20, Myles ’22 and Sean ’24 Margaret Moroder, wife of Tony ’70 and mother of Adrienne ’93 Tomaszewski and Kirsten ’98 Lanza Andrew Nawrocki ’98 Courtney Neale ’09, sister of Marissa ’11
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In Memory
Terese Neumann, mother of Christopher ’80, Joanne ’82 and Carolyn ’85 Anthony “Tony” Padovano, father of Jeffrey ’77 Joanne Piotrowski, wife of Michael ’69 and sister-in-law of Gary ’71 and James ’75 Reverend Jeffery Prasser ’77 Patricia Prazen ’82 Nancy Roddy, mother of Mary “Meg” Chun ’78 and Patrick ’80 Mary Kathleen “Kathy” Ronan, mother of Brian ’92 Martha Rukavina, mother of Louis III ’68, Mark ’69 and Christina ’70
Doug Shears, husband of Laura Bass ’85 Mary Sinnen, mother of Becky Sinnen ’95 Tuma, Mike ’99, Brenda ’00 Pence and Megan ’04 Mary Ann Jennaro ’63 Stehling, sister of Robert Jennaro ’67, sister-in-law of Susan Postles ’67 Jennaro Yaakov (James) Sullivan ’65 Kathleen Temme, wife of Timothy Fetherston ’69 Henry Thinnes, father of Mary ’76 Fuda and Nancy ’78 Weas Maureen Torti, mother of Michael ’81, Gena ’84 Beckers, Ned ’87, Tony ’90, and Pat ’92
Harold William “Bill” Trainor ’75, brother of Lee ’70 John Wick ‘63, brother of Elizabeth (Betty) ’60 Kasdorf and Mary Wick ’67 Kathleen Wierdsma, mother of David ’79 Joseph Young, father of Dashal ’84 and Staci ’93 Constance (Connie) Hubbard ’69 Zeller, sister of Jamie Hubbard ’71 James Zetting, father of Wendy Holloway ’80, Brian ’84 and Scott ’86
*All names as of May 31, 2021
Memorial listings acknowledge Dominican Alumni and their parents, spouse, children and/or siblings who attended Dominican High School. We rely on the information available to us and sincerely apologize for any names we have inadvertently omitted. Please inform us about the death of a loved one in the Dominican community by contacting Julie Dlugopolski at jdlugopolski@dominicanhighschool.com.
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8.13 FRI
DOMINICAN ALUMNI & FRIENDS REUNION Friday, August 13
CALENDAR 8.13 FRI
Alumni & Friends Reunion Dominican High School
Join us from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. for music, raffles, tours, food, drinks, the Distinguished & Young Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies.
8.16
MON
38th Annual Bill Crowley Scholarship Golf Outing
Ozaukee Country Club
Enjoy a round of golf at the beautiful Ozaukee Country Club with alumni, family and friends. Not a golfer? Join us afterward for dinner.
OCT
Fall Musical
Thu-Sun Dominican Auditorium Join us in October as Dominican Theatre kicks off the season with its fall musical, directed by Jeff Schaetzke!
9.24 FRI
Knightwalk
Dominican/Whitefish Bay Area
Dominican’s annual fundraiser culminates in a six-mile walk around Whitefish Bay where students show off their Dominican spirit.
10.2 SAT
Homecoming Football Game
Whitefish Bay Football Field
Get in the homecoming spirit and cheer on the Knights football team as they take on Living Word Lutheran at home for the annual Homecoming football game.
NOV
Fall Play
Thu-Sun Dominican Auditorium Join us for Dominican Theatre’s second performance of the year, the fall play, directed by Jenna Bonofiglio.
12.8 WED
Immaculate Conception & Grandparents Day Dominican Auditorium
Celebrate the Immaculate Conception with the Dominican community. Grandparents of our current students are invited to join us for Mass and a reception afterwards.
10.31 Open House SUN
Dominican High School
Bring your middle school or grade school student for a tour of Dominican, or visit your alma mater and see what’s new. A Mass will begin at 8:30 a.m. and tours will run from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Dominican Magazine
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120 E Silver Spring Drive Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
ALUMNI & FRIENDS REUNION WEEKEND August 13 - 16
Alumni & Friends Reunion Friday, August 13th, 5-8 p.m. Distinguished Alumni Awards Athletic Hall of Fame Induction
CLASS Reunions Saturday, August 14th
38th Annual Bill Crowley Scholarship Golf Outing Monday, August 16th, 12 p.m.
For more information on Dominican’s Alumni & Friends Reunion Weekend, please visit our website, dominicanhighschool.com/reunionweekend or contact Julie Dlugopolski at (414) 332-1170 ext. 172 jdlugopolski@dominicanhighschool.com.
