alumni

ALUMNIWEEKEND

After a lesser affair last year due to the Covid pandemic, Walsh Jesuit Alumni Weekend was back in full swing! The weekend of August 13-15 was packed full of events to celebrate, recognize, and reconvene WJ’s finest asset, our alums. The weekend started off with two classes (2020 & 2021) being inducted into the Walsh Jesuit Athletics Hall of Fame. Nine Warrior greats were enshrined in a ceremony, emceed by Justin Alaburda '00. The ceremony saw a graduate from 1970, Dr. Bill Wojno, inducted alongside an '08 grad, Brianna 'Bo' (Segerson) Brunello. Two WJ coaching legends, Mr. Pat Ritchie and Mr. John Kissner were also inducted for their successful careers mentoring their studentathletes. Joining them were Mr. Doug Kuhlman '92, Dr. Ryan Smerek '96, Mr. Josh Zupancic '03, Mr. Dwayne Jackson '05 and Mrs. Kristin Horomanski '05. A large and lively crowd was on hand to take part in the event. On Saturday, the sold-out 34th Annual Legends of Walsh Jesuit Memorial Alumni Golf Outing took place with 140 golfers. Roses Run Golf Club was once again the host, and if one needs proof that God loves the Jesuits, look no further than the weather for this day, which was once again, picture perfect. The golf was top notch, but more importantly, it was a wonderful chance for alums from far & wide - young & slightly less young, to come together in the spirit that makes Walsh Jesuit such a special place. Saturday evening, reunions took center stage. The Grand Reunion was held at the school with the class of 1970 holding their 50+1 event (postponed from last year), and the class of 1971 had their 50-year reunion. Meanwhile, the class of 1990 celebrated their 30+1 in other parts of Akron. It was a great night for all of those who returned. The chance to catch up with classmates that had not seen each other in almost 50 years was amazing to see. Finally, on Sunday, the Alumni Mass was held to celebrate the over 10,000 graduates of Walsh Jesuit. It was also a chance to remember those of our reunion year classmates who have passed on to be the Lord. Father Fred Benda, one of the first teachers at WJ, was the guest celebrant. He did a fantastic job marking the occasion and bringing the Alumni Weekend to a close. Thank you to all of the alums who came back and made Alumni Weekend a special event.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR ALUMNI WEEKEND 2022 - AUGUST 12-14, -

HALL HALL of fAME

2021 INDUCTEES

Pat Ritchie is a one of the greatest and most successful coaches in WJ history. In 36 seasons at the helm of the men’s cross country and track & field teams, he has led his teams into countless honors and great achievement. Under his direction in cross country, WJ won 19 district championships, 8 regional championships, and 2 state championships. Pat has coached 10 district champions, 3 regional champions, and 20 All-Ohio honorees. On the track, Pat had continued success with 3 district championships, 16 All-Ohio honors, and a State Championship in the 4x800m Relay. Pat was inducted into the Ohio Association of Track & Cross-Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013, received the Clem Caraboolad Coach of the Year Award in 2016, and was inducted into the Summit County Hall of Fame in 2019.

Bill Wojno ’71 etched his name into WJ history on the gridiron. As a member of the team’s undefeated season in 1970, Bill continued to succeed on the field. He was voted team captain his senior year along with being awarded All SummitAll District Honors, 1ST Team All-District, and 3RD Team All-State. Off the field, he was named a WJ 10 Outstanding Senior Award Winner. After his 4 years at WJ, Bill continued his involvement with his alma mater by serving on the WJ Board of Directors. Most recently, Bill was selected as the Manresa Award Winner in 2020, WJ’s most regarded award.

Josh Zupancic ’03 is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in Walsh Jesuit history. He showed great talent from the start, appearing in the state finals all four years at WJ and winning the state championship in 2002. Josh also played a large role in his team winning the state championship in 2000. He took charge by captaining the team his senior year, in which he was named team MVP and was recognized as All-American Honorable Mention. After his career at WJ, Josh attended Stanford University where he was twice named All-American. He went on to coach 5 seasons at Cleveland State, and he is currently the head coach at Streetsboro High School.

Dwayne Jackson ‘06 is one of the greatest basketball players in WJ history. During his 4 years, Dwayne racked up individual records on the court including being the #1 career scoring leader, #1 career rebounding leader, and #7 in career assists. He was also awarded several recognitions in his WJ career. Dwayne was honored with All-Summit County All-Summit County (1st Team 2004, 2005, All-District (1st Team 2004, 2005), All-District (1st Team 2004, 2005), All-NE Ohio (3rd team 2003, 2nd team 2004, 1st team 2005), and All-State (HM 2004, 1st team 2005). After his WJ career, Dwayne went on to play collegiately at Binghamton University.

Brianna Segerson ’08 was a dual sport threat during her time in high school, playing both soccer and basketball. In soccer, Brianna was part of the 2006 and 2007 state championship teams including a historic national championship in 2006. Individually, she holds the records of #1 shutouts in a season and #1 shutouts in a career as a goalkeeper. Brianna was named 3rd team AllState, All-American, and Academic All-Ohio in between in the nets. She had similar success in basketball during her time and holds many records in WJ history including #1 in career assists, #1 in career steals, #4 in career scoring, and #7 in career rebounds. She was also part of the 2005 state championship team and was voted team MVP in her 2006 and 2007 seasons.

ALUMNI FEATURE COLEEN SCHOCH ‘99

Walsh Jesuit grad, Coleen Schoch ‘99 tells her story on how WJ led her to a career in law enforcemnet.

Coleen Schoch currently works in the District of Arizona, as an assistant District Attorney for the Department of Justice. She works on border crimes dealing with both drug and human trafficking, among other things. In speaking with District Attorney Schoch, the lessons she learned at Walsh Jesuit are ones she took with her during her college years and into her professional life. When asked about her time at WJ and what sticks out to her, she mentions the community aspect of her time at WJ. Playing sports came to mind... “I wasn’t the best player,” she remembered with a laugh, “but I loved being on the team. Working together toward a common goal, people setting aside their individual wants for what was best for the team. That’s hard to find.” She also mentioned the spiritual side of the journey at Walsh Jesuit as being particularly meaningful to her.“Kairos, going to the all-school masses, times when the community all come together,” were all meaningful to her. Also, the service projects made her time at Walsh Jesuit even more special... “These are things I take with me. I try to find time to help in our community with my son (4 year-old, Brady). Walsh had an all for one spirit that really appealed to me and it was a place that helped me grow up and be prepared for what followed." What followed for Schoch was an outstanding academic career... First, at Emory University where she completed her undergraduate degree, and then at the University of Virginia’s School of Law.

“I get to serve our community and help keep people safe from traffickers of both drugs and humans.”

She especially valued her time at Virginia where she was able to recapture some of that “All for one spirit” she valued so much at Walsh Jesuit. It also was a time of growth for her, as she thought about where to begin her legal career. After graduating UVA Law, she began her career as a paralegal back in her undergrad college home, Atlanta. From there, she worked as an international trade analyst in Washington D.C., before getting jobs clerking, first for a judge in D.C. and then in New Orleans. Schoch values all her experiences, pointing out that getting the right judge is key... “If you do get the right one, you are in there reading everything and helping form the decisions the judge will make. You learn a lot and have a lot of responsibility for a someone relatively young in the legal profession.” After her time clerking, she began with the law firm, King & Spalding in Atlanta. Here, she worked defending clients accused of white-collar crimes. The people she defended came in a lot of different flavors, but as she points out, the crimes many of her clients were alleged... with an emphasis on the word alleged. "Many of these people were not hardened criminals trying to get one over on the system.” Schoch spent 5 years at King & Spalding, but realized she wanted something different for her career. Thus, she embarked on a campaign to acquire a job that would pay about a third of what she was making. How did she become an assistant United States District Attorney in Arizona? She applied for a lot of jobs, and this is the one that stuck. Perseverance paid off in the end. “I love my job! I get to serve our community and help keep people safe from traffickers of both drugs and humans. I get to help educate the public on the work our office is doing. I get to work with victims and help them acheive the best possible outcomes for their situations.” DA Schoch tied it all back together by relating the teamwork and spirit of cooperation she feels from her current career that is so similar to the feeling she had while at Walsh Jesuit.