SUMMER 2016
Marian Magazine
60 Years of Empowering Young Women
Class of 2016 Commencement, page 4 Faculty Earn Honors, page 12 Chemistry Labs New look, page 26
President’s Message Dear Marian Community, Field Day is the “glue” that binds Marian alumnae together. Since 1955, every Marian student has experienced this time-honored tradition. This year we harnessed the spirit and competition of Field Day 2016 and created the first Alumnae Field Day Challenge. From 11 a.m. on May 28 to 11 a.m. on Field Day, all alumnae were invited to participate in this 24hour effort to competitively raise dollars for The Marian Fund. Updates about the challenge were posted periodically on social media. The class of 1979 led “wire to wire” and were declared the winners at the awards presentation on Field Day. The classes of 1990 and 1989 were not far behind! Alumnae throughout the world were able to watch the live streaming of Field Day. Adding the 24-hour “Text to Give” Field Day Challenge created an opportunity for alumnae to relive a bit of the Field Day competition through their financial support of Marian. Nationally, 21 percent of the alumnae of all-girls schools financially support their alma mater. Marian alumnae are on the high side of that at 20%, but I’d like to think our alumnae could shatter that statistic and set a new standard of alumnae support. Alumnae, together with parents of alumnae, grandparents and friends, keep Marian vibrant and strong. Your support moves Marian forward in the areas of academic excellence, leadership development, extracurricular opportunities and facility enhancement. As tuition increases, families in need must have access to financial assistance so that every girl who wants to attend Marian can do so. You can make that happen! In late April, I met with each senior Theology class to address their transformations from “students” to “alumnae.” I encouraged them to stay connected and involved with Marian and to consider giving back to the school that has prepared them so well for college and beyond. Each student was given the opportunity to sign a pledge of giving over the next 5 years totaling $75. Nearly 90% of the class of 2016 signed that pledge as a commitment to paying it forward. The 2016 graduates have said goodbye to their final Field Day but can say hello to sharing Field Day stories as alumnae. After all, it is the “glue” that binds Marian alumnae together.
Sincerely,
Mary Higgins ’69 President
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Marian is a Catholic, college preparatory school for young
Marian Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Class of 2016 Legacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
women founded by the Servants of Mary and dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. Marian
Faculty Earns Honors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Year in Varsity Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
teaches the beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith in a caring and loving community atmosphere.
Servants of Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 The mission of Marian High School Future Marian Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 is to commit all its resources to the Advancing the Mission of Marian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Chemistry Labs New Look. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
college preparatory education of young women, teaching them to be leaders and lifelong learners in a
Alumnae Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Alumnae Class News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
society where their talents and faith will give hope to the world.
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Writers Nancy Kettering Casey ‘82, Interim Editor and Communications Director Morgan Mitchell ‘14, Advancement Intern Proofreader Amy Schumacher Bauman ’92, English Teacher Alumnae News Nancy Kettering Casey ’82, Alumnae Director
Photography Marian Journalism Students Maggie Hinrichs ’10, Electronic Communications Manager Layout and Design Tracie Sis, Green Hat Creative Heads
ON THE COVER (From left to right): Class of 2016, Ann Porter, Maia Delkamiller, Mary Townley, Savannah Nichols, Elizabeth Sheehan, Alexandra Muniz, Sydney Miller, Nithali Sridhar, Ruvarashe Tsoka, Emily Cheloha, Payton Ranck and Kellyn Daly.
Printing Elman & Co.
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Marian Today Since Marian opened its doors in 1955, the young women who have come and gone have continued to prove themselves as empowered, confident, independent, thinking leaders; today Marian is no different. Our Marian girls are embracing leadership roles in the classroom, on the stage, on the court and in their community.
COMMENCEMENT 2016
179
graduates
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One hundred percent of Marian graduates will attend college.
students were named National Merit Finalists
63% of the Class of 2016
earned scholarships. The average award was $44,000. 16 earned full ride scholarships or more.
The entire student body contributes over
10,000 service hours
(non-required) to our community each year.
Seniors Earn Marian Honors Marian recognized seven members of the Class of 2016 for their outstanding accomplishments in leadership, service and academics at the Senior Honors Day Assembly.
For the first time Marian faculty wore academic regalia and the Palladium Brass Ensemble ushered in the graduates at the 2016 Commencement ceremony.
Kathryn Fuxa ‘16 was honored as Valedictorian. Claire Davis ‘16 was honored as the Salutatorian and was The Mistress of Ceremonies for the graduation ceremony on May 22. Kateri Determan ‘16, Emily McKenna ‘16, Emma McGill ‘16, and Mary Townley ‘16 were honored with Service Awards. Marian’s highest honor, Marian Girl of the Year, was bestowed upon Julia Griffin ‘16. Front row: Emily McKenna, Julia Griffin, Claire Davis, Kateri Determan; Back row: Emma McGill, Mary Townley, Kathryn Fuxa 4
Where They’re Headed…
Congratulations!
1-4 Graduates California Colorado Florida Illinois Indiana Louisiana Michigan
Minnesota North Carolina North Dakota Oklahoma Oregon
South Carolina Texas Washington Wisconsin Wyoming
5-10 Graduates Iowa South Dakota
Marian 2016 Field Day
10-25 Graduates
Kansas Missouri
25+ Graduates Nebraska
2nd
Senior Cinema: That’s a Wrap!
1st
Junior Jockeys: And We’re Off!
3rd
Sophomore Sockhop: Dancing with Spirit!
4th
Freshman Fastball: Swinging for Spirit!
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CLASS OF
2016 LEGACY Madeline Allen
Erin Everroad Allen ‘87
*Kathleen DiBiase Everrode ‘65
There are 36 young women from the Class of 2016 who have something special in common with their mothers and grandmothers! They are all members of Marian’s Alumnae community and will forever share that bond.
Lauren Bolamperti
Mary Whalen Bolamperti ‘81
Liliana Boyle
Mary Weathers Boyle ‘87
Emily Cheloha
Michelle Goaley Cheloha ‘82
Kellyn Daly
Lisa Shannon Daly ‘82
Kateri Determan
Anne Lutz Determan ‘86
Eva Drzaic
Amy Adams ‘81
Meredith Faust
Jeannine Aron Faust ‘87
Sara Flaxbeard
*Mary Jackson Dobson ‘60
Elizabeth Geske
Mary Beth Fabian Geske ‘89
Jillian Gray
Denise Wagner Gray ‘89
Molly Haddick
Linda Lonowski Haddick ‘76
Abby Hermanek
Brenda Kusek Hermanek ‘93
Mary Kiscoan
Patricia O’Leary Kiscoan ‘80
* Grandmother
Ally Hermanek
Carly Anne Kelly
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Eileen Stratman Kelly ‘82
Mimi Kelly
Mary Tarsney Kelly ‘86
Lexie Linderman
Michelle Robb Linderman ‘93
*Kathleen Becker Robb ‘73
Cecilia London
Monica Forman London ‘86
Tessa McLaughlin
Joan Lukas ‘77
Emma McGill
Renee Weaver McGill ‘86
Molly McKillip
Theresa Braun McKillip ‘79
Emma Pink
*Deborah Erhart Pink ‘69
Jamie Rosenthal
Karen Campbell Rosenthal ‘84
Courtney Schincke
Michelle Walz Schincke ‘88
Claire Schneckenberger
Jeaniene Bolamperti Schneckenberger ‘89
Elsie Stormberg
Alison Lynch Stormberg ‘88
Shayla Taute
Jennifer Dugan Taute ‘83
Hannah Uhl
Heather Hays Uhl ‘86
Faith Vinton
Maureen Gotch Vinton ‘78
Emily Vlach
Lisa Potempa Vlach ‘77
Madeline Walz
Renee Stovie Walz ‘80
Margaret White
Ann Coyle White ‘81
Emmy Witzenburg
Molly Dolan Witzenburg ‘86
Ashley Yakopec
*Jacqueline Goeser Hurst ‘74
Allison Zuerlein
Stella Mihulka Zuerlein ‘80
*Sheila McQuillan Campbell ‘69
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Marian Community Celebrates the Life of Mrs. Karen Brown For four years, Marian students walked into school each morning and were greeted by the warm, smiling face of Karen Brown. When Karen was hired as Marian’s attendance office manager in 2010, she had told her family she had found the “perfect job.” Although it was Karen’s first year at Marian, it seemed as though she had worked there for years. She knew each student by name and made everyone feel at home when they entered the doors. Karen moved to Omaha with her husband in 1984, where they raised their two daughters, Jenny and Amanda. After jumping around several jobs, Karen took the job at Marian.
“Mrs. Brown was a presence at Marian that made every single student and faculty member feel loved,” Carly Novacek ’14 said. “She was the person who, when someone was having a bad day, would remind them to see the good in the situation. She truly loved everyone with all her heart.”
In December 2013, Karen was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. The news brought distress and sadness to many, but it ultimately united the Marian community through prayer, love and support. Students showed their support by wearing hats to school and writing notes and cards. Before heading to Oklahoma for treatment, the Marian community sent her off with an assembly and gave her boxing gloves to symbolize the fighter she was. Through her treatment, she continued to attend events and cheer on the sidelines of sporting games. However, after a long fight, and despite her strength and spirit, Karen passed away on April 9, 2016.
Karen had a giving spirit and referred to herself as the “Duchess of Fun.” She influenced many and left her mark on this world. The life Karen Brown led caused her memorial service to be moved from a mortuary to Marian’s own gym, with a live stream to an overflow room. The memorial was full of tears; however, it was not a sad occasion because it was the celebration and remembrance of a life well lived.
“Karen was pure sunshine. Our lives are all a little dimmer without her.” - Sarah Brashear ‘14
Marian Mourns the Loss of Past Faculty and Staff Member, Dorothy Dietz Dorothy Dietz began her career at Marian in 1967. She taught business courses and was dedicated to ensuring that all young women learned business. “Dorothy was the epitome of professionalism,” Tom Baker said. “When I first started Marian, she had created a vibrant business department.” Dorothy was instrumental in moving Marian to a college prep curriculum, while phasing out home economics. She managed the book sale every year, led FBLA and was meticulous in correcting any errors within the accounting ledgers. Dorothy taught her students the importance of precision and discipline. “I truly believe that my long-term career in the various functions of accounting was the result of the foundation we had the opportunity to build and develop from the experience of being taught by Mrs. Dietz,” Patricia Greco Wiederholt ’70 said. Dorothy and her husband Howard were well-known in the Catholic community in Omaha. “They were faithful servants to all who came in contact with them,” Michelle Procopio Delisi ‘74 said. Dorothy was a big recruiter of Marian and supporter and friend of the Servants of Mary. Her friends and students admired her fairness, her enthusiasm and her sense of humor. “The caliber of our school was influenced by Dorothy,” said longtime friend, Sr. Caroline Foley, OSM. In 1984, Dorothy retired from teaching, but continued to volunteer in the business office until 2009. Dorothy passed away on March 20, 2016 at the age of 96.
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ACADEMICS
Mary Higgins Presents at ICAN A group of Marian students had a wonderful experience at the 2016 ICAN Women’s Leadership Conference with President Higgins and Principal Sullivan. The highlight was getting to watch Ms. Higgins speak to the unique aspects of all-girls education and how many of our alumnae are out in the real world, defying gender stereotypes in their chosen career fields because of the skills, confidence and values they learned at Marian.
Marian Wins: Cornhusker Motor Club Education Grant The Cornhusker Motor Club Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Nebraska and funded largely by AAA and its members, selected Marian as a winner in its 2015-2016 Education Grant program. Marian social studies teacher Mr. David Anderson submitted the grant application. Marian was awarded $500 to purchase a set of “The American Spirit,” an Advanced Placement primary source book, for Anderson’s Honors American History class. The goal of the grant project is to improve reading comprehension and ACT scores by supplementing higher-level reading material, while also giving students an idea of the perspectives of real people from the past.
Top row, left to right: Susie Spethman Sullivan ‘80, Kristin Beduhn ‘19, Olivia Putnam ‘18, Lauren Novacek ‘17, Mallory Grote ‘17, Mary Higgins ‘69; Front row: Andie Hanus ‘16, Mary Kate Mulhall ‘16, Claire Davis ‘16 and Ally Kmiecik ‘16
Pat Hess Travis ‘64 Pat, the oldest of 6 children, grew up in the St. Bernard’s neighborhood and could see Marian and the convent from her house. It was always her dream to attend Marian, and that dream came true in 1960 as she walked every day to Marian. As a result of her entrance exam, Pat was placed in Sr. Marcella’s 9A class, which was the college prep track, studying primarily math and science. She graduated in 1964 from Marian and entered the convent on Sept. 8, 1964. Pat studied and took her final vows. She spent the next seven years in the convent teaching in various places: Omaha, St. Louis, Massena, N.Y. and back to Omaha. She was the first person to also obtain her degree in music in addition to teaching English and history, a rarity in those days; this accomplishment afforded her more opportunities for teaching. In 1971, Pat left the convent to get involved in mission work, aiding migrant workers. She joined VIDA, Volunteers In Diocesan Action, which took her to Alamosa, Colo. and Denison, Colo. In 1976, Pat met Paul Travis, an accountant, and they married later that year. Pat began her career at Marian in 1981 and has taught Church Teaching, Church History, Vocations and Sacraments & Morality. Pat intends to ‘live the mystery;’ she does not have definite plans for retirement but does have dreams. Pat would like to have her dog, Dillon, become a therapy dog so they can visit nursing homes. She will continue her involvement at her parish, St. John Vianney, in the RCIA program, Baptism instruction and as an EMHC. She would like to develop a follow-up program for both RCIA and Baptism families. Of course, travel is on her dream list; her son Andrew lives in New York, and son Mark and two grandsons live in Elko, Nev. She will be visiting them often. Pat may even throw all her camping gear in the car and take off to ‘live the mystery.’
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NSAA Academic All State awards The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) is pleased to announce the student recipients of the 2015-16 Nebraska Chiropractic Physicians Association (NCPA) Academic All-State Awards. Since 2006 this NSAA Award Program has recognized students who meet the criteria for nomination by their school in the season of their activity. Each year the NSAA and the NCPA recognize students during fall, winter and spring seasons who are nominated by their schools for their individual academic excellence, leadership and significant contributions in their NSAA activity. CROSS-COUNTRY Julia Griffin ‘16 Katie Williams ‘17
BASKETBALL Tehillah Alphonso ‘16 Madeline Shaffer ‘17
MUSIC Ione Enderez ‘17 Elizabeth Messerschmidt ‘18
GOLF Abigail Hermanek ‘16 Alexandra Hermanek ‘16
SPEECH Sofia Hingorani ‘16 Jenna Taylor ‘16
SOCCER Sophia Dineen ‘17 Molly Kuehl ‘16
SOFTBALL Kellyn Daly ‘16 Aly Freeman ‘16
SWIMMING Anya Lindholm ‘16 Kelly Straub ‘17
TENNIS Sara Flaxbeard ‘16 Anna Slezak ‘16
VOLLEYBALL Andie Hanus ‘16 Brittany Witt ‘16
JOURNALISM Molly McKillip ‘16 Noelle Pick ‘16
TRACK & FIELD Maddie Mingo ‘17 Katie Williams ‘17
Nebraska FBLA State Leadership Conference Results The Omaha Marian Chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America attended the State Leadership Conference April 7-9. This year, the Marian Chapter was the recipient of the Sweepstakes Award. The following students were recognized with individual awards: Megan Keyser ‘16 - eighth place in Business Plan Taylor McHugh ‘16 - eighth place in Electronic Career Portfolio and also a recipient of the Nebraska PBL Scholarship Elle Putnam ‘16 - eighth place in Health Care Administration Megan Keyser ‘16, Taylor McHugh ‘16, and Meredith Zielie ‘17 - fourth place in Network Design Elise Pape ‘16 - recipient of the Who’s Who in Nebraska FBLA Award.
STATE Journalism Results CLASS A STATE JOURNALISM CHAMPIONS: Devon Gottsch ‘16, Column Writing Tessa McLaughlin ‘16, Editorial Writing Kathryn Baginski ‘16, Entertainment Review Writing THIRD PLACE FINISHES: Maria Sakowski ‘16, Yearbook Sports Feature Writing Kathryn Baginski ‘16, Editorial Writing FOURTH PLACE FINISHES: Ally Hermanek ‘16, Photo Illustration
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Maria Sakowski ‘16, Yearbook Feature Writing
Kaitlin McKenna ‘16, Advertising
FIFTH PLACE FINISH: Rachel Sedlacek ‘16, Advertising
McKenna Simpson ‘16, Advertising
SIXTH PLACE FINISHES: Jamie Rosenthal ‘16, Yearbook Layout Kellyn Daly ‘16, Column Writing TOP 12 FINISHES: Kateri Determan ‘16, Sports/Action Photography Molly McKillip ‘16 & YB Staff, Yearbook Theme Development
Clara Wertzberger ‘16, Editorial Cartooning Collette Gillaspie ‘16, Graphic Illustration Abby Hermanek ‘16, Graphic Illustration Rachel Johnson ‘16, Newswriting Katie Drobny ‘16, Yearbook Layout
Congratulations to the Marian Journalists who have been recently recognized. Marian placed fourth overall. Each contest and category had a different judge and different criteria. Any work that is recognized, honors the entire program, as it takes many contributions to publish any journalistic endeavor.
Marian Seniors Named to All Metro Academic Teams Each year, the Omaha World-Herald identifies outstanding students for academic achievement throughout the state. These students were featured in a special section in the newspaper on May 15.
Marian Wins S.A.M.E. Competition
Left to right: Maddie Mingo ‘17, Isabelle Swanson ‘17, Alexis Jordan ‘19, Sarah Villarreal ‘17, Lily Foley ‘17, Allison Monzu ‘18, Audrey Laney ‘19, Vienna Tang ‘17
Marian students won top honors, the “Post President’s Award of Honor” at the S.A.M.E., Society of American Military Engineers, competition on March 17. They competed against 16 teams from 9 Omaha-area high schools. The 2015-2016 school year was the first time in over eight years that Marian has had a team participate in the S.A.M.E SMP (Student Mentoring Program). Last fall, the team began identifying a need within their community, an alternative to the school’s long-outdated outdoor track. Through months of research and project development, they came up with a highly innovative solution. The team submitted a proposal for an elevated running/walking track that would be accessible to the entire Marian community. The track would make use of existing space such as the East Gym, but would also include an enclosed tube/tunnel extending over the roof of the athletic training facilities, cafeteria, and quad, before returning to the East Gym. The Society of American Military Engineers (S.A.M.E.) is a national professional engineering
organization. Each school year, the Omaha chapter organizes a Student Mentoring Program (SMP) and competition. The program is designed to stimulate the student’s interest and excitement in engineering, architecture and the related sciences. The program began in 1994 and has offered more than 4,000 students an opportunity to participate in “real-life” projects facilitated by professional engineers, architects and other science-related professionals. The program stresses STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math), teamwork and problem solving. The Marian team presented their proposal to a panel of judges consisting of professional engineers and architects. The team took home top honors, the “Post President’s Award of Honor,” and was awarded a cash prize to use on future projects.
New Online Classes Will Offer Balance Between Art, Theology and Science Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, Marian will offer three online courses through the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy. These courses are AP Art History, which is a full-year course, Digital Photography, which is a semester course and offered only in the fall, and Astronomy, which is a semester course and can be taken in the spring.
“Most students will take an online class during their college careers, so we felt it was important to give them this opportunity,” said Principal Susie Spethman Sullivan ’80.
Twenty five Marian seniors were included in this special recognition. The following graduates were recognized for their scholarship: HONORABLE MENTION Tehillah Alphonso Mary Beth Apker Kathryn Baginski Claire Davis Aly Freeman Kathryn Fuxa Collette Gillaspie Julia Griffin Andrea Hanus Mimi Kelly Hannah Lazio Anya Lindholm Lauren Manganaro Katrina McCutcheon Emma McGill Maureen McKillip Mary Kate Mulhall Noelle Pick Payton Ranck Maria Sakowski Rachel Ann Sedlacek Anna Slezak Nithali Sridhar Sierra Stratten Clara Wertzberger 2016 OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR Kathryn Fuxa
2016 KEY STAFFER Clara Wertzberger
President of the Vatican Observatory Fr. Guy Consolmagno will be teaching the Astronomy course. Fr. Consolmagno graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed postdoctoral work both there and at the Harvard College Observatory. He is the Vatican’s top astrophysicist and believes that religion and science need each other in order to discover answers. These classes are offered to seniors, who are required to have a study hall in order to enroll. If these are successful, Marian will open up more courses that students may take. 11
NEHS Marcella Chapter Inducts New Members On Feb. 24, twenty six juniors were inducted into the Marcella Chapter of the National English Honor Society. The Marcella Chapter is named in honor of Marian’s first principal, Sr. Marcella Sitzmann, O.S.M. Inducted as honorary members of the Marcella Chapter were English teachers Adrianna Magistro ’09, Aleecia Cotton ’05, Halli Tripe and Marian principal Susie Spethman Sullivan ’80. In keeping with the national motto, “Duty goes with honor,” the Marian chapter has two annual service projects: the Marian High School Marcella Writing Center and Catholic elementary school libraries. This spring, the Marcella Chapter supported the Catholic elementary school run by the Servite sisters in the Congo.
Sharon Genoways Recognized for Excellence in the Classroom Science teacher Sharon Genoways was recently named the Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Archdiocese of Omaha and will be honored at the Archbishop’s Dinner for Education in Sept. She was also accepted into the UNO Cohort for the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers Program in Computer Science. She will spend time over the next year participating in several opportunities to study strategic problem-based approach to Computer Science.
Susie Sisson was awarded the Optimist International Outstanding Educator Award Susie received this award at the Optimist Club of Omaha’s annual dinner held at Champions Run Clubhouse on April 23. She will also be invited to speak at one of their meetings. The teacher selected is a committed educational professional who seeks to bring out the best in children and youth and exemplifies the Optimist Creed. Ms. Sisson was also recently named to the Launch Leadership Foundation Board of Trustees. She has been volunteering with Launch (formerly NASC, the Nebraska Association of Student Councils) for over 20 years.
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Marian English Teacher Received First Place Teacher Award Marian English teacher Megan Piernicky received the First Place Teacher Award in the Institute for Holocaust Education’s Tribute to the Rescuers Essay Contest. In this contest, students are asked to write an essay about an individual or a group who demonstrated moral courage. Megan invited her students in Honors/AP English Language to submit an essay. Sixteen Marian students were semifinalists in this contest and senior Maia Delkamiller was a finalist. Megan received the teacher award because she had more students reach the final round of judging than any other teacher. Megan attended the awards ceremony on April 25. At the awards ceremony, the executive director of the Institute for Holocaust Education made the point that if teachers are not willing to take up the cause, then Holocaust education goes no further. This is one of the reasons why the organization recognizes teachers– because they know teachers are the ones making the intentional decision to include these difficult topics in their curriculums.
Teacher of the Week! Congratulations to Vocal Music Teacher Lauren Morrissey ’09 for being named the Star 104.5 Teacher of the Week! Every week, the local radio station surprises a worthy teacher in the Omaha Metro. DJs Chris and Ricky caught up with Morrissey in her Select Women’s Choir class on Jan. 26 and presented her with the award, gift cards galore and boxes of books donated by Half Price Books. Sophomore Morgan Hodges ’18 nominated Miss Morrissey for the award. In her nomination, she wrote the following:
“Miss Morrissey is amazing. She is the choir director at our school but has taken over instrumental music while our teacher is on maternity leave. I don’t know how she manages it all, because she is one person doing a two-person job. In addition to teaching, she was also the musical director of our production of “Rags.” Rehearsals sometimes ran past 10 p.m., but Miss Morrissey maintained her friendly and bright demeanor throughout it all. Even though she doesn’t play an instrument, she is still a great teacher and we learn a lot in class. Miss Morrissey inspires our whole class to love music and put in our best effort. She works so hard, and she definitely deserves an award and to know how much we appreciate her.”
STATE SPEECH
Left to right: Maia Delkamiller ‘16 and Megan Piernicky
Congratulations to the four speech members who competed at a national tournament (NIETOC) in Denver, with three girls advancing to the quarterfinal round, making them among the top 30 in the nation in their respective categories! They were from left to right: Jenna Taylor ‘16 in Original Oratory, Claire Davis ‘16 in Dramatic Interpretation, Sofia Hingorani ‘16 in Humorous Interpretation and Emma McGill ’16. Based on these placements, Marian was also among the top 4 teams for the Sweepstakes Award.
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Marian Takes a S.T.A.N.D. Against Distracted Driving Representatives from the National Safety Council of Nebraska spoke to students of Marian High School on Friday, April 1 about the consequences of drunk and distracted driving. The presentation was part of the National Safety Council of Nebraska’s “S.T.A.N.D.” campaign, an acronym for “Smart Teens Are Not Drinking.” Students listened attentively as the speakers shared statistics, photos and video of deadly crashes that involved drivers who were distracted or drunk. Students then were asked to make the commitment to choose not to drink by signing a banner that reads, “I’m Committed to Taking a S.T.A.N.D.” The banner is hanging in the school’s cafeteria. Meredith Zielie, Marian junior and member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), organized this event. Marian has remained committed to keeping its students informed about the importance of driver safety, especially after a 2007 car crash took the life of then Marian sophomore Cady Reynolds. Cassie Heisey ‘16 gives a thumbs up.
BLOOD DRIVE
SERVICE & SPIRITUALITY
Students shared the gift of life at the March 30 blood drive sponsored by Marian’s Student Board. This year, 65 pints of whole blood were collected. Marian’s blood drive potentially saved 195 lives!
Servite Schools Unite Through Prayer to Celebrate Annual Founders’ Day Marian was united in prayer with Servite Schools across the world on Feb. 17 as it celebrated the Servants of Mary Founders’ Day, a day dedicated to honoring the order’s Seven Holy Founders. To communally celebrate the annual event, Marian and Servite Schools in France, Australia and California divided the day into three eighthour shifts and took turns contributing to 24 hours of continuous Eucharistic adoration. Students, parents, Servants of Mary, teachers and staff volunteered to help fill each school’s shift and practiced quiet reflection in their school chapels throughout the school day.
POLAR PLUNGE:
Students Raise Thousands for Special Olympics Temperatures in the low 20s did not stop brave Marian students from taking a dive into Lake Cunningham for Special Olympics Nebraska’s (SONE) Polar Plunge on Feb. 13. The students raised more than $4,600 to support the organization’s athletes this year. Thirty-seven students and one teacher participated in Polar Plunge, one of SONE’s largest fundraising activities. At Marian, the Polar Plunge Club raises money for the Special Olympics through various fundraising opportunities, but mostly through the Polar Plunge event, which involves jumping into Lake Cunningham during the winter. Minimum donations per plunger started at $50. Friends and family members of the plungers were on site for moral support.
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Along with Marian, these schools are all members of the International Servite Schools Network (ISSN), a collection of schools run and/ or founded by the Servants of Mary that actively live the Servite values.
During the week of Feb. 29 to March 4, Marian partnered with other Catholic schools to host Girls’ Education Awareness Week. FIAT (Faith In Action Team), a Campus Ministry group of students dedicated to faith and action projects at the school and in the broader Omaha community, hosted this program at Marian.
Catholic Schools Week Marian: A Community of Faith, Knowledge and Service
Marian Celebrates Girls’ Education Awareness Week Emily McKenna, a senior at Marian and a FIAT core team member, was inspired by Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography and approached Marian’s Campus Ministry program to raise awareness about the inequities in girls’ education in the U.S. and abroad.
Students were encouraged to attend weekly Liturgy with their families. Each morning, President Mary Higgins ’69 or a freshman student representative led morning prayers.
Each day of the week featured different events to create awareness; on Monday, orange ribbons signifying human rights were handed out to all students, faculty and staff. All were asked to wear these ribbons throughout the week as a testament that girls’ education should be a human right. On Tuesday, profiles of eight inspiring women who advocate for girls’ education were on display. On Wednesday, students were asked to take part in the No Backpack Challenge. This was to demonstrate the distance many girls travel to receive an education in other parts of the world. On Thursday, Leadership Workshop facilitators Megan Piernicky and Susie Sisson hosted a seminar pertaining to leadership from the female perspective. On Friday, students signed a banner in support of girls’ education.
At an all-school Mass, members of Marian’s Student Board presented a check in the amount of $4,000 to the Servants of Mary working in schools in the Congo. The money represents a portion of the funds raised through Walk-A-Thon, Marian’s annual studentdriven fundraiser. At lunchtime, the Marian Administration handed out free ice cream bars to the students.
In support of Marian’s sister school in India, bracelets were sold throughout the week and used as prizes. All members of the school community were invited to participate in the Twitter campaign #4GirlsEd.
The Marian Board of Directors hosted their annual “Breakfast of Gratitude” to thank the faculty and staff for their dedication to furthering the mission of Marian. A schoolwide talent show took place in the afternoon, showcasing the many gifts the students have to offer.
Various video links were used as supplements each day during homeroom. The videos shared with students all spoke to empowering young ladies and included such inspiring pieces as “Because I am a Girl: Raise Your Hand Now,” “Malala. One Girl. Among Many” and “Girl Rising: Educate Girls and Change the World.”
Marian celebrated the 41st anniversary of National Catholic Schools Week, starting Jan. 31 through Feb. 5. This year’s theme, “Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service,” expresses Marian’s focus on faith development, academic excellence and dedication to community service. Students, teachers and staff planned a variety of events highlighting a different theme each day. Throughout the week, Marian’s Faith in Action Team sold “Hearts for the Heart” Valentines. The funds raised from this effort will support the Heart Ministry Center in Omaha, co-founded by Sr. Mary Ann Murphy, OSM.
On the last day of Catholic Schools Week, students were allowed to use cell phones to join in a conversation with other Catholic Schools around the nation. (Cell phone use is normally prohibited during the school hours). Students used the hashtag #CSW16 to tweet what they love about going to school at Marian.
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Nine Marian Seniors Sign Letters of Intent It was a busy day at Marian, with nine Crusader student-athletes signing their letters of intent on April 13.
ACTIVITIES
Taylor Asche will play softball at Hastings College. Asche earned Honorable Mention AllState honors during the 2014 season and was a member of the 2015 State Championship softball team. Asche plans to major in biology and attend medical school. Lily Boyle will play soccer at the University of South Dakota. Boyle is a four-year varsity letter winner at Marian and was a member of the 2014 and 2016 State Championship soccer teams. Boyle plans to major in physical therapy. Makenzie Fuss signed for golf at Rockhurst University. Fuss was named District Champion her junior and senior year, was selected to the 2015 Girls 4-State Team and was named to the 2014 Academic All-State Team. Fuss plans to double major in psychology and English. Lexie Linderman will play softball at Hastings College. Linderman was named to the 2015 Omaha World Herald All-Nebraska 1st team, All Metro Conference 1st team, Lincoln Journal Star 2nd team and Lincoln Journal Star Class A All-State and was a member of the 2015 State Championship softball team. Linderman plans to major in health systems with a minor in psychology. Taylor McHugh will play soccer and tennis at Doane College. McHugh has been a member of her club soccer team since 2012 and back-to-back Nebraska Soccer League championship teams. McHugh plans to double major in accounting and business administration with a minor in leadership. Madalyn McKeone signed for rowing at Creighton University. McKeone’s well-rounded career at Marian included being a varsity letter winner in track and field. She also played volleyball and basketball and was a member of her club volleyball team. Savannah Nichols signed for swimming at Saint Louis University. Nichols is an All-American in the 200 Free Relay and currently holds the 100 Butterfly second place time in Marian’s records. Nichols plans to double major in psychology and criminal justice.
Left to right: Taylor Nihsen, Savannah Nichols, Madalyn McKeone, Taylor Asche, Taylor McHugh, Makenzie Fuss, Lily Boyle, Katie Petersen and Lexie Linderman
Taylor Nihsen signed for dance at Midland University. Nihsen has been a member of Marian’s dance team for the past 3 years and participated in numerous dance companies in Nebraska. Katie Petersen will join the trapshooting team at Doane University. Petersen was the 2015
Nebraska high overall ladies state individual and team champion. She was also the 2015 and 2014 ladies overall champion Division 1 trap and skeet champion. Petersen also was selected for the junior Olympic development camp in 2014 and 2015. Petersen plans to major in graphic design or accounting.
February Signing Mallory Edwards signed with the University of Nebraska-Omaha to play Division I soccer in the fall. She was a member of the 2014 and 2016 Class A state championship teams. As a junior, Mallory earned honorable mention all-state honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star. She is also a state champion for the past six years on her Omaha Football Club team and is a national league participant. She plans to major in criminal justice at UNO.
Mallory Edwards
Congratulations to the Track & Field Team! The Marian Track & Field Team placed 12th out of 32 teams in the Class A Track & Field State Meet.
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Soccer Clinches 13th State Title For the 13th time in school history, Marian clinched the Class A State Soccer Championship, defeating Millard North by a score of 2-0 on May 14, 2016. Marian was also awarded the 2016 Soccer Sportsmanship Award, thanks to an outstanding student cheering section!
Congratulations to Marian’s Tennis Team! The team placed first in the Metro Conference Tournament on May 12. Julia King ‘19 placed first in #1 singles and Caroline Lahey ‘18 placed first in #2 singles. The #1 doubles team of Clare Crockett ‘16 and Sara Flaxbeard ‘16 placed second, and the #2 doubles team of Macie Kubat ‘16 and Anna Slezak ‘16 also placed second. The team went on to compete in the State Championship. Caroline Lahey placed first in #2 singles. The team placed fourth overall. Front row: Mary Kubat ‘17, Clare Crockett ‘16, Katie Drobny ‘16, Morgan Crockett ‘16, Anna Slezak ‘16 Back row: Berkley Beene ‘19, Macie Kubat ‘16, Caroline Lahey ‘18, Julia King ‘19, Sara Flaxbeard ‘16
The 2015-2016 year was a strong one for MARIAN
VARSITY SPORTS
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2
4
3
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CLASS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS A STATE RUNNER-UPS
CLASS A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS A METRO CHAMPIONSHIPS
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS
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Spring Scholar Athlete Sara Flaxbeard ’16 was honored at the Greater Omaha Sports Committee’s 201516 Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award and Spring Season Award event. Sara was recognized as a superior student-athlete for tennis.
Two Marian coaches are among 11 Nebraska coaches and one athletic director selected as finalists for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) national coach of the year award.
Rochelle Rohlfs
Pat DiBiase
Both Rochelle Rohlfs, retired 26-year volleyball coach, and Pat DiBiase, retired 11year head swimming and diving coach, along with ten others will represent Nebraska during the National Coach of the Year Awards banquet in Louisville, Ky. on June 29.
Marian Offers New Ways for Students to Get Active As of Spring 2016, yoga and Jazzercise classes were offered to Marian students on Tuesdays and Fridays before school. President Mary Higgins ‘69 proposed the idea and wanted to try it on an experimental basis, with hopes of continuing and expanding the classes into next school year.
“We have a moral obligation to help our students understand the importance of exercise, no matter the athletic ability,” Higgins said. “My hope is that we can inspire them to continue that into college and beyond.” President Higgins approached Student Success Coordinator Jennifer Feregrino Christen ‘96 to teach Jazzercise. Christen is a certified Jazzercise instructor and teaches classes at a local studio. The express class is 30 minutes and combines dance, kickboxing, pilates and strength training. Certified yoga instructor Cindy Jesse, mother of current student Emma Jesse ‘17, taught the yoga class. Students were able to go to Jazzercise on Tuesday and Yoga on Friday. Higgins plans to continue these classes in the fall.
TRIVIA NIGHT No April Fools for this crowd! 160 people attended the first Marian Trivia Night, sponsored by the Marian Booster Club. The crowd enjoyed ten rounds of trivia, prizes to the first and second-place teams, as well as the top three best themed tables. Each table was encouraged to create a theme and decorate their tables as they wished along with food and drink to go along with their theme. Faculty member Susie Sisson wrote all of the trivia questions and emceed the event.
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State Trap Competition T h e M a r i a n Tr a p Te a m ended up with a run of second-place finishes in the state competition. Senior Katie Petersen won the second-place Ladies Handicap trophy after finishing second in the Ladies Overall Division. In the team race, Marian Blue finished second in Handicaps and second overall.
Eight finalists from across the nation in 19 recognized sports categories will be honored during the event, with the highlight being the naming of the national coach of the year. The Nebraska Coaches’ Association selected coaches Rohlfs and DiBiase for this national honor. This selection was based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and winning percentage. Experts in the field of coaching using sport-specific rubrics to assign points in each category, evaluate the nominees and finalists. The National High School Athletic Coaches Association is the oldest coaches association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978.
ARTS Directed by Michael McCandless, Marian’s spring play production of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” was a bright, cheeky spin on a classical comedy. Set in the 1950s, this remarkably modern play showed how love brings out the best—and worst—in us. Masquerade balls and mistaken identities made the crowd laugh and kept them on the edge of their seats!
AMLA Commissions New Piece for Select Women’s Choir Marian’s vocal music department has its very own commissioned choral work—at no charge. The Select Women’s Choir was declared the winner in the American Music Literacy Association’s (AMLA) Annual Free Commission Contest. Music teachers from around the country submitted proposals for a free commissioned choral work. They were asked to describe the “perfect piece” for their choirs, taking into consideration voicing, style, text, texture, tempo, level of difficulty, mode and accompaniment. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Marian, as commissioned pieces are expensive,” said Marian Choral Director Lauren Morrissey ’09, who submitted the winning proposal. In her submission, Morrissey wrote about the desire to have an “anthem of sisterhood” to share with Marian’s sister schools around the world. Along with Marian, schools in France, Australia, England, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Africa and India are all members of the International Servite Schools Network (ISSN), a collection of schools run and/or founded by the Servants of Mary that actively live the Servite values.
Omaha Performing Arts announced junior Gigi Hausman as a winner of “Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role” in the 2016 Nebraska High School Theatre Awards Showcase. Hausman was selected based on her performance as “Bella” in the 2015 fall Marian musical “Rags.” She is also involved in Marian’s Select Women’s Choir and participates in community theatre, including the Rose Theater’s current production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” The showcase event took place June 9 and is a tribute to the enthusiasm, dedication and accomplishments of Omaha-area high school musical theatre programs.
Gigi Hausman ‘17
Students Receive State and National Scholastic Art Awards The Scholastic Art Awards of Nebraska have recognized 57 Marian students for their artistic talents. A variety of mediums and art styles were used: mixed media, drawing & illustration, ceramics & glass, fashion, comic art, digital art and painting under the direction of Mrs. Ashley Bauer and Mr. Jeremy Cisco. In addition, Blaire Kratochvil ’17 and Hannah Lazio ’16 received national recognition for their entries and were awarded Silver Medals in Art from the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Composer and head of the AMLA John Armstrong, along with his lyrical partner, Kerryanna Kershner, commissioned the piece. The music and lyrics were designed specifically for Marian’s Select Women’s Choir and customized to its artistic and skill parameters.
GOLD KEY Brielle Divis ‘16 Blaire Kratochvil ‘17 Hannah Lazio ‘16 Taylor Lazio ‘16 Jennifer Novotny ‘17 Gracie Soll ‘17 Ashley Straub ‘19 Megan Szwanek ‘17 Laura Theisen ‘16 Macy Thonen ‘17 Erin Walter ‘17 Lauren Weis ‘17
Marian’s Select Women’s Choir performed the free AMLA commissioned choral piece at its Spring Concert on May 7 in Marian’s Mary Joy and Tal Anderson Performing Arts Center. The choir also performed it at Marian’s graduation ceremony on May 22 at the Holland Performing Arts Center.
SILVER KEY Emmanuela Ahianti ‘18 Tyra Carstens ‘18 Maggie Forbes ‘16 Abby Hayes ‘19 Lauren Isenberg ‘18
Rachel Johnson ‘16 Mary Kubat ‘17 Molly Miller ‘16 Lily Nelson ‘18 Courtney O’Brien ‘17 Nina Oleynikov ‘18 Katie Petersen ‘16 Emma Pink ‘16 Mali Seran ‘18 Maddie Shely ‘16 Brighid Welchans ‘16 Brianna Wessling ‘17 Payton Wheatley ‘17 Rebecca Williams ‘17 HONORABLE MENTION Emmanuela Ahianti ‘18 Megan Anderson ‘17 Elizabeth Brison ‘18 Mary Eckert ‘19
Mary Elbert ‘17 Brooke Huerter ‘17 Natalie Kemler ‘17 Megan Keyser ‘16 Hannah Lazio ‘16 Kiera Leppert ‘17 Katrina McCutcheon ‘16 Megan O’Konski ‘16 Cassie Palmer ‘18 Katie Petersen ‘16 Kaitlyn Rosenbaum ‘19 Maddie Shely ‘16 Amanda Skalka ‘16 Gracie Soll ‘17 Megan Szwanek ‘19 Laura Theisen ‘16 Mary Townley ‘16 Brighid Welchans ‘16
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Juniors Named Nebraska Young Artist Winners The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts has announced the winners of the 19th annual Nebraska Young Artist Awards. Juniors Katie Williams and Susana Pettis were among the finalists selected from across the state who participated in a special day of activities on April 6. Williams was recognized for music/tuba and Pettis for dance. Students applied for the recognition and submitted an example of their work. Applications were received from 167 of students across the state. Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts faculty chose 70 students from 35 high schools who were recognized on April 6. Throughout the afternoon, honored students and their parents took tours of the arts facilities, attended classes, met faculty and college students and enjoyed lunch. The day concluded with an awards ceremony in the Sheldon Museum of Art’s auditorium at 3 p.m. Students received a certificate and a special gift. The Nebraska Young Artist Awards annually recognizes 11th grade students from Nebraska who are gifted and talented in the areas of visual art, dance, music, theatre and film and new media. These students exemplify the pinnacles of creativity in one of the fine and performing arts.
District Music Contest Congratulations to all the music students who participated in the District Music Contest in April. The results are as follows:
VIOLIN SOLO: Sarah Villarreal ’17
VOCAL SOLO: Julia Veik ‘18
SAXOPHONE DUET: Elizabeth Krejci ‘17 Susana Pettis ‘17
VOCAL SOLO: Gigi Hausman ‘17
Superior (I Rating)
VOCAL SOLO: Tehillah Alphonso’16
Select Women’s Choir 9th Grade Choir Marian Orchestra VIOLIN TRIO: Morgan Hodges ‘18 Ellie Messerschmidt ‘18 Hailie Rydel ’18 TUBA SOLO: Katie Williams ’17 VIOLIN SOLO: Natalie Sterba ’17
VOCAL SOLO: Madison Dushan ‘16 VOCAL SOLO: Juliet Kolterman ‘17 Excellent (II Rating) Marian Band
VOCAL DUET: Ciera Farrens ’16 and Molly Fisher ‘16
Junior’s Artwork Displayed at Governor’s Residence Artwork by one Marian junior was displayed at the Nebraska governor’s residence in Lincoln April 27 through June 2 in an exhibit titled, “My Life in Nebraska.” Megan Szwanek was among the 17 award-winning pieces selected for the exhibit. Szwanek’s “Peter Max Figure Drawing” was named a Silver Key award winner in the 2015 Scholastic Art Awards competition. Her work was recognized out of more than 1,200 submissions.
VOCAL QUARTET: Anna Cook ‘18 Maria Determan ‘18 Megan Doehner ‘18 Mia Soulliere ‘18 PIANO SOLO: Molly Fisher ‘16
FLUTE/CLARINET QUARTET: Kateri Determan ‘16 Grace Mortenson ‘17 Emily Pape ‘16 Hannah Saalfeld ‘16
Marian Theater Proudly Presents the 2016 Fall Musical Singin’ in the Rain October 27, 28, 29 - 7:00 p.m. • October 30 - 2:00 p.m. Mary Joy and Tal Anderson Performing Arts Center Singin’ in the Rain made famous by Gene Kelly features music and lyrics by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. It is adapted from the story by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 1986, it received Tony nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. Tickets are $7 per student and $10 per adult. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Oct. 12 and may be purchased on the Marian website. Questions contact Michelle Procopio Delisi ‘74 at delisi@omahamarian.org.
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Servants of Mary Dear Marian Community, By the time you read this, the pomp and circumstance of graduation will be over. The Class of 2016 will have officially become our latest class of alums. The excitement and anxiety of beginning again as freshmen will be heightened. Sixty years of graduates have crossed the stage to receive a Marian diploma. Sixty years of talented, competent women have become the teachers, medical professionals, scientists, technology experts, financial advisors, counselors, administrators, CEOs, active Church members and ministers in our world today, as well as wives, mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers to countless children. Sixty years of faith-filled women who have followed the path in life to which they were called, and done so in the best way they were able. What a legacy we have! Our legacy also continues when Marian alums send their daughters and granddaughters to Marian, and over the years many have done so. At graduation this year, Marian recognized the Golden Graduates - alums who were celebrating their 50th reunion. As the classes ahead of them had done in years past, representatives of the Class of 1966 once again got to walk across the stage and be recognized. I often wonder what the current graduates think as this “much older” group of women take part in their ceremony. After all, 50 years is so far removed from them; that’s a whole lifetime. The Golden Grads, however, probably think, “My, how time flies! How could it possibly be fifty years since we received diplomas from Sr. Marcella?”
Compassionate Presence in the Spirit of Mary
I say “we” because I happen to be one of this year’s Golden Grads, a proud member of the Class of ’66. When I say that aloud, it does sound like a long time ago. When I think about it, though, my how time flew! I learned a great deal at Marian. We were given a great education from well-prepared teachers. We were taught to think for ourselves. While we weren’t specifically taught that the compassionate presence of God is modeled through Mary, we could see this in the staff, especially the Sisters. We weren’t taught the six core values per se, but we learned them through the concept of esprit de corps, which was constantly mentioned. This “spirit of the group” meant that together we worked best; we were one Marian community. To the Class of 2016, I wish you Godspeed. To the Class of ’66, I say, “Welcome home!” I pray for you all and pray that the community of Marian may continue to flourish.
God bless you all,
Sr. Mary Gehringer, OSM ‘66 Golden Graduate US Community Prioress Servants of Mary
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Meet Sr. Kerry Larkin, OSM Sr. Kerry Larkin was born in Sioux City, IA and is one of nine children. She attended Bishop Heelan High School where she was exposed to seven different orders of sisters. It was there that she was introduced to the Servants of Mary, particularly Sr. Germaine and Sr. Carmelita.
Ever since Sr. Kerry was a young girl, she had a strong relationship with Mary. For that reason, she was drawn to the Servants of Mary order. During her junior year in high school, she was invited to the convent to attend a picnic and to meet some of the sisters. She enjoyed the outing and that is where she met Sr. Mary Gehringer, who was in the group ahead of her. Sr. Mary kept in contact over the year and, in 1967, she entered the convent. Sr. Kerry began college at Duchesne College; upon its closing, she graduated from the College of Saint Mary in 1971. Following graduation, she taught in the Archdiocese for 30 years and also in Colorado and Iowa. In 1996, Sr. Kerry obtained her Masters in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University.
SERVANTS OF MARY CELEBRATE JUBILEES Seven Servants of Mary will celebrate their dedication to religious life of 50 years or more.
70 YEARS
Sr. Angeline Hakel
60 YEARS
Sr. Juliana Fitzpatrick Sr. Beverly Pettke Sr. Anna Vintland
50 YEARS
Sr. Roselma Legault F r o m 1 9 8 5 - 1 9 8 9 , S r. K e r r y w a s t h e Sr. Margaret Stratman M o t h e r h o u s e C o o r d i n a t o r. A s t h e Sr. Mary Ann Zink FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC: Motherhouse Coordinator, Sister was responsible for the care of the Sisters Instrumental The Servants of Mary invite the living at the Motherhouse. Sister was FAVORITE HOBBY: Marian community to celebrate also responsible for the staffing these women with a card of their healthcare facility and Being outside shower. E-cards and messages caring for the Sisters who were may be sent to osmcomm@ ill. In 2000, she was appointed WHAT SHE’S READING NOW: osms.org. Please remember Director of the Associate ‘Being Mortal’ by Atul Gawande to include the name of the Program, which has over 80 Jubilarian in your message. members across the country. and also Richard Rohr books Mailed cards may be sent From 2007-2015, she was FAVORITE MARIAN TRADITION: to the Jubilarian in care the Associate Director of of Servants of Mary, 7400 the Jesuit Retreat House I have never taught at Marian, so it has been Military Avenue, Omaha, NE in Oshkosh, Wis. In 2014, 68134. Sr. Kerry was elected to the good to have the opportunity to be more involved leadership team and holds the and learn the different traditions. My favorite position of U.S. Community Councilor. Sister moved back to experience has been to join the students Omaha in 2015 and currently lives throughout the year for their at the Motherhouse, Our Lady of Sorrows Convent, where she continues special liturgies to be involved in spiritual direction and retreat work. The Congregational leaders of the Servants of Mary gathered in Omaha for their Council meeting from June 30-July 7. Congregational Prioress Sr. Marie Thérèse Connor of London, Congregational Councillor Sr. Michelle Sr. Audrey Jaron Sr. Marianna Reilly of Essex, UK, and Sr. Chantal7/13/1914 – 3/2/2016 DeSimone Mari Le Diraison of Villemomble, 9/24/1934 – 3/10/2016 F r a n c e w i l l b e j o i n i n g S r. M a r y Sr. Audrey worked at Gehringer in Omaha. These meetings Marian as an assistant Sr. Marianna worked are usually held four times a year. This principal and teacher at Marian as a meeting happens to precede the U.S. from 1965-69 and as a Counselor/Teacher Community’s Assembly on July 10-15, substitute teacher from from 1977-1989 allowing the Congregational leaders to 1994-2004. and as Advancement attend. The theme of the Assembly is Associate from 2007“What do we do now that we know?” 2014. At the Assembly, all of the U.S. Sisters and many of the associates will be in Eternal rest, grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May attendance. The Assembly is a meeting the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. for prayer, reflection and planning.
Congregational Leaders
Please Join Us in Remembrance
Amen. 22
Future Marian Girls
Fifty four 7th-grade girls from various Catholic and public schools attended the first 7th-Grade Trivia Night, which took place April 16. Marian recruitment students planned and assisted with the event. Five rounds of questions ranging from movies, TV, books, music and of course Marian Trivia mixed with snacks, dessert and prizes filled the night.
UPCOMING EVENTS Faces of Marian Orientation Saturday, August 13 • 8 - 11:30 a.m.
SAVE THE DATE
Molly Millea Kennison ‘06 and sister Erin Millea Del Santo ‘00 show off their future Marian girls in pint-sized uniforms, made by great grandmother Nora Millea.
All incoming freshmen and their parents, as well as all transfer students and their parents, are invited to attend this orientation. There will be separate sessions for parents and students. This event will conclude with a student-led prayer service.
First Day of School for Freshmen Thursday, August 18 • 7:55 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Big Sister/ Little Sister Ice Cream Social Nearly 70 Big Sisters volunteered their time to help at the event.
On May 7, Marian hosted the annual Big Sister/Little Sister Ice Cream Social for all Big Sisters and incoming freshmen. Of our students enrolled in the incoming freshman class, over 100 attended the social. Nearly 70 Big Sisters volunteered their time to help at the event. The girls enjoyed an afternoon filled with games, icebreakers and small group activities. The event concluded with ice cream sundaes! It was a great opportunity for future students to meet and interact with their future classmates.
Margaret Kennison (left) and Blakely Del Santo, class of 2034!
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Advancing the Mission of Marian OMAHA GIVES! 2016 GIVING TO MARIAN
TOTAL RAISED
$244,900
Omaha Gave to Marian Girls The fourth annual Omaha Gives! was a huge success! Together, we raised more than $244,000 in one 24-hour period on May 25. Marian was named the highest-grossing recipient this year! Marian and over 700 other area nonprofits participated in an online giving event organized by the Omaha Community Foundation. The event originated in 2013 with the goal of inspiring the community to come together for 24 hours to contribute as many charitable dollars as possible to support the work of local nonprofit organizations. Bonus funds and prize money amplified the charitable donations, which will support tuition assistance at Marian.
The outpouring of support for Marian has been tremendous. On behalf of Marian students, faculty and staff:
Thank You!
(EXCLUDES BONUS FUNDS)
FACTS & FIGURES
168
TOTAL DONORS
100% OF GIFTS
WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO A STUDENT
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In late April, President Mary Higgins met with each senior Theology class to address their transformations from “students” to “alumnae.” She encouraged them to stay connected and involved with Marian and to consider giving back to the school that has prepared them so well for college and beyond. Each student was given the opportunity to sign a pledge of giving over the next 5 years totaling $75. Nearly 90% of the Class of 2016 signed that pledge as a commitment to paying it forward. Senior Class Officers presented a check to Ms. Higgins at the Alumnae-Senior Breakfast in the amount of $11,625.00.
Sue Lindsey Mickey ’69 Retirement Sue Lindsey Mickey, Marian Fund Director, has announced her retirement having been part of the Advancement Team for nearly 17 years. Prior to that, Sue was a much involved alumna; she served on the Alumnae Board, was a MarianFEST volunteer and Phone-a-Thon volunteer.
Sue was responsible for growing The Marian Fund to its current level of pledges over $700,000 and oversaw the efforts to raise nearly $6 million during her career at Marian. Sue not only increased this important source of revenue but also established strong relationships with our donors, resulting in continued support of Marian’s mission. She was the first director to combine all the various donor groups, parents and alumnae together under one program. In her position, Sue increased our donor base significantly and established strategic plans to achieve the department’s fundraising goals. The Saints of the Giving Circle, Academic Wall of Fame, the new Performing Arts sculpture and our proud achievement banner of “100% Participation from Faculty & Staff” are just some of the areas Sue has coordinated. We wish her well in this next phase of her life and we are grateful for her long-standing dedication, loyalty and commitment to Marian.
Lexus Golf Tournament Celebrates 21 Years, Raises Over $110,000 for Marian Nearly $110,000 was raised at the 21st annual Lexus Champions for Marian Golf Tournament on June 13 at Indian Creek Golf Course. The tournament benefits tuition assistance at Marian and is part of Lexus Champions for Charity, a unique series of 200 charity golf tournaments throughout the United States. A total of 208 golfers registered for the tournament, which was formatted as a Texas scramble. Celebrity guest pro was two-time World Long Drive Champion Jamie Sadlowski. The 27-year-old Long Drive Professional is known for his incredibly athletic swing and the outrageous ball speed he creates at impact. His personal best drive is 445 yards. Sadlowski has proven his game will travel having made 75% of the cuts on the web.com and Canadian PGA Tours. He performed an exhibition show of his skills following the Lexus Champions for Marian Golf Tournament.
Left to right: Marian Principal Susie Spethman Sullivan ‘80, President Mary Higgins ‘69, Mickey Anderson, guest pro Jamie Sadlowski, Angie Anderson Quinn ‘87, Golf chair John Kuehl and Vice President for Advancement Karen Cimpl Hotz ‘79.
Since 1996, Marian has maintained a consecutive partnership with Lexus of Omaha, the official sponsor of the Champions for Marian Golf Tournament. The tournament supports tuition assistance to Marian students who are in need. The late Tal Anderson, who sponsored the event for 15 years, started the tournament and Anderson’s son Mickey and daughter Angie continue his legacy.
The event culminated with a dinner catered by Indian Creek, a live auction and awards program sponsored by Mickey Anderson and his sister Angie Anderson Quinn, a 1987 Marian graduate. Both are partners of Lexus of Omaha. John Kuehl was the golf tournament chair. His committee included Marion Slattery Bendon ’78, Mark Ellerbeck, Ty Fangman, Jeanne Farner, Pat Keenan, Chris and Jen Kennedy, Bob Kirby, Sam Mandolfo, Grant Matthies, Angie Anderson Quinn ’87, Pat Rosenthal and Joe Schwaller. Special recognition was given to three businesses that supported the tournament –MCL Construction, Ultra Air and Pacific Hills Dental. An awards ceremony recognized the winning foursomes and golfers.
Thank you,
Marian Fund Donors! Thanks to the generosity of over 2,300 alumnae, parents and friends, we are proud to celebrate a recordbreaking year for The Marian Fund. In 2015-2016, Marian raised nearly $670,000 for tuition assistance and restricted gifts.
“ We a re s o g r a t e f u l t o t h e generous donors who help support the mission of our school,” said Karen Cimpl Hotz ‘79, Vice President for Advancement. “Your generosity enables us to create unparalleled learning experiences for our confident, independent, thinking leaders!” A special “thank you” goes out to those who helped make this achievement possible by volunteering for The Marian Fund and asking others to join them with gifts. Marian would like to especially recognize this year’s Marian Fund Leadership Team: General Chairs Bryan and Kelly Mick; Marian Board of Directors liaison Pam Mortenson; Faculty and Staff Chair Andrew DeLeonardis; Parent Chairs Jeff and Suzanne Putnam; Parent of Alumnae Chairs Pat and Cindy Regan; Alumnae Chairs LaVonne Jenson Piotrowski ’69, Ann Coyle White ’81, Lisa Lathrop Bazis ’95, Sallie Delgado Peters ’00 and Mary Timmerman ’01. The 2016-2017 giving year is already underway, and Marian looks to build on these successes and continue to provide our school with support that can be used in the most strategic ways. Gifts at all levels help make this possible and – as we look to the year ahead – we thank you in advance for your participation and your support of The Marian Fund.
For photos from the event, please visit marianhighschool.net/events/photo-gallery. 25
100% of our students take physics and most take four years of science and math.
CHEMISTRY LABS
Out with the old, in with the new! As cutting edge and wonderful as they were in the 60s, Marian chemistry labs are getting a state-of-the-art make over. The lab renovations have been partially funded by Lozier Corporation and the Archdiocese of Omaha. Consider a donation; leave your mark for future students by dedicating a lab table in your Dedicate student, granddaughter, alumna or family name. The increased interest in STEM, science, technology, engineering and math, is driving the a Lab Table success of our students. in Your
Family Name $5,000
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John Daly: Generous Estate Gift This gift will enhance Marian’s ability to provide tuition assistance to those girls in need who wish to attend Marian. Over $800,000 was recently donated to Marian by the estate of John Daly. While having no direct connection to Marian, John generously included Marian in his will. John deeply treasured and valued his own Catholic education. He believed in the mission of Marian and its commitment to the education of young women. Other Omaha Catholic educational institutions were also beneficiaries of the estate. This gift to Marian will be placed in Marian’s Endowment for tuition assistance. John Daly was an only child and graduated from Creighton Prep in 1931. He then pursued an undergraduate degree from Creighton University and graduated from Creighton’s Law School in 1940. After law school, John joined the U.S. Air Force. From there, he worked at the law firm Spielhagen & Spielhagen and later joined the family business, Yellow Cab Company, where he ultimately became CEO and ran the business until his retirement. John married Anne Hanighen when both were in their late 40s and had no children. John’s only cousin and executor of the estate, Joe Daly, was especially close to John. He presented the gift to Marian President Mary Higgins ’69 on April 20. “We are deeply moved and exceptionally grateful that John included Marian in his will. His gift is a powerful testament to the impact of Catholic education. We will honor his memory through the scholarships that we will present in his name,” Higgins said. Joe Daly will be the family representative of the John Daly estate at Marian’s annual Scholarship Breakfast each fall, where we recognize and thank those generous families who have created named scholarships for Marian students in need.
Joe Daly, cousin of John Daly and executor of the estate, presents Marian President Mary Higgins ’69 with the estate gift.
Karen Cimpl Hotz ’79, Vice President for Advancement; Susie Spethman Sullivan ’80, Principal; Joe Daly; Mary Higgins ’69, President; and Joan Norman Becker ’76, Vice President for Finance. 27
Alumnae Today 2016 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Marian honored members of its school community who have excelled as athletes, teammates, coaches and supporters at the 2016 Marian Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on May 26. Three hundred guests enjoyed an evening which began with social hour followed by dinner and an awards program. The following individuals were honored: Coach: Stephanie Pantano, Swimming Patrons: Dave & Diane Millea Athletes: Jean Goltl Hern ‘90 Kari Mangan ‘82 Katie Stanzel Wright ‘01
Teams: 1985 State Basketball Head Coach: Jim Miller Assistant Coach: Roger Wright 1996 State Soccer Assistant Coach: Chris Rose
Also honored were two Scholar-Athletes, Andie Hanus ’16 and Aly Freeman ‘16, and MVPs from each of Marian’s nine Class A state-sanctioned sports and the 2016 State Championship volleyball, soccer and softball teams.
Jean Goltl Hern ‘90, Volleyball
Diane Millea, Rochelle Rohlfs and Dave Millea, Patrons
Kari Mangan ‘82, Golf
Katie Stanzel Wright ‘01, Basketball, Volleyball and Track
SAVE THE DATE
Esprit de Corps Awards Banquet Thursday, September 8, 2016 • 6 p.m. cocktails • 7 p.m. dinner Omaha Country Club “Esprit de Corps” which, when translated from French, means “spirit of the body,” embodies the special bond shared by the Marian community. It goes beyond achievement, leadership and excellence, and is a feeling of pride, fellowship and common loyalty. As such, the Esprit de Corps Awards Banquet was created as part of Marian’s alumnae and community recognition program.
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This year, Marian will honor the following: Connie Cavel ‘68 Alumna of the Year
Maureen McGargill ‘90 Sr. Marcella Leadership
Terry and Mary Sova Zach ‘76 Marian Award
Mark Elman Spirit of Marian
For more information, please visit www.marianhighschool.net.
Nancy Huber Honorary Diploma
Alumnae Board Sponsored Events
Legacy Lunch Marian’s annual Legacy Lunch welcomed past, present and future Marian girls and included fun activities, tours of the school and shopping in the BLUEtique. “Little Ladies of today, somebody ing in grade thinks that you are pretty After shadow ked her special to be here with school she as hile choking w (“ , you today. There is this daughter omach acid feeling of community, on words, st d te if she wan friendship, education churning”,) , s? ol ho her sc and faith.” to shadow ot , Mom.” od go I’m “No, Jesus, I raised “Praise be to her right!”
May Crowning Marian celebrated its annual May Crowning and honored the Blessed Virigin Mary with an address given by this year’s May Queen, Kateri Determan ‘16. Second-grade daughters of alumnae who received the Sacrament of First Eucharist this year were invited to participate in the ceremony.
Speaker Heather Hays Uhl ‘86 with props of her Sophomore Salad Field Day costume.
Field Day Welcome Tent Hannah Uhl ‘16 (seated) waits her turn at speaking, while Mary Tarsney Kelly ‘86 models past Field Day costume.
Marian alumnae, family and friends were welcomed with coffee and pastries, door prizes, and Marian memorabilia at Field Day 2016.
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Marian Legacy, 36 seniors, 32 alumnae mothers and 6 alumnae grandmothers.
Alumnae-Senior Breakfast The Marian Alumnae Board hosted a breakfast welcoming the Class of 2016 into the alumnae community. Joining the Class of 2016 were alumnae mothers and grandmothers, faculty/staff and Servants of Mary. Guest speaker, 2016 Alumna of the Year Connie Cavel ‘68
Class of 1966 Golden Grads at Graduation
Front Row: Ruth Wear Kuehl, Cheryl Tworek Shanker, Teresa O’Doherty Seminara, Carol Christine Marfisi Vacanti, Catherine Hanrahan, Patricia Fitzgerald, Alice Lind Villone; Middle Row: Christine Arkwright Connor, Janet Lamoureux, Carol Whalley Blazka, Rita Szablowski Hoffman, Catherine Brown Pakiz, Gretchen Mack, JoAnn Peterson; Back Row: Sandra Herring Nolan, Judith Schaefer Morinelli, Rose Fallon Roeder, Sr. Caroline Turnovsky, OSM, Susan Grier
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Marian Network: Marian-Owned Business Night Twenty four alumna-owned businesses were represented at the Marian Network on April 5 as attendees browsed the booths. Guest speaker, Melissa Gasnick Cloeter ‘79 of Own It Omaha, shared her experiences with the group.
Alumnae Class News ACCOMPLISHMENTS Charline Sutherland Payne’s ’60 latest novel Beauty from Ashes was released in March. Beauty from Ashes is a memoir of Charline’s personal story of transformation and is available on Amazon.
Mary Strom Hawkins ’69 has been named the Bellevue Leader Person of the Year for 2015. Since her appointment in 2009 as President of Bellevue University, she has overseen major transformation of the university. She is also being honored for her dedication and availability to the city of Bellevue. Mary Ellen Baum Keeley ’75 has gone into partnership and private practice in Omaha called Gold Circle Counseling. Mary Ellen Baum Keeley, MS LIMHP is one of 3 counselors in the practice. Sue Stahlnecker Venteicher ‘83 has been named Nebraska Mother of the Year. Dawn Morris was named National Mother of the Year in 2001. Dawn and Sue are second cousins.
Alison Hult Lewis ’99 is the owner of Anchor Holdings, one of a few custom homebuilding companies in Omaha. Erica Burke Peterson ’99 recently started a private practice called Home Speech. She provides home-based services to children and adults, targeting a variety of communication, speech, language, cognition and swallowing impairments. Christina Schrader Sample ’99 completed her Master of Science degree in Dec. 2015. Tina was an elementary education major with a concentration in early childhood education and is currently employed as a Lead Teacher-Early Head Start. Emily Bauman Tiensvold ’99 is now employed at Creighton University as the Senior Director of Development for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Laura Spanheimer DeChant ’01 will be inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame at its annual induction ceremony scheduled for Oct. 2. Laura led Marian to backto-back state championships in cross country and basketball, winning the individual gold medal at the state cross country meet in 2000. She won eight gold medals at the state track meet and went on to start 122 basketball games at Creighton where she still holds the record for career steals. Tory Lenosky ’03 was nominated for an Emmy in March for a short film she produced. Tory was named in the award: Outstanding Special Class - Short Format Daytime Program. Visit youtube to view her short film.
Nikki Schanne Maloney ’88 released her fifth Children’s book! The Peppermints: Big Sur continues where the nostalgic series left off and follows the one of a kind family on their latest adventure: The Peppermints: A Ski Vacation. Please visit NikkiMaloney.com for all things minty and to order the latest book. You can also go directly to Amazon to check out other titles in the series. Rachael Staebell ’96 is among the growing number of female firefighters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Out of 426 firefighters, 21 are women.
Christine Stormberg’s ’05 sculptures have been used as props for various music videos that caught the eye of a representative from Duff Goldman’s Charm City West bakery in Hollywood. Since then, Christine is called in occasionally to work on specialty cakes. The Food Network’s Cake Masters spring season features Christine in each of its six episodes. Visit the Food Network website for more information.
Tara Vaughan ‘06 recorded her first fulllength studio album titled “Dandelion Wine” in Nashville and released it with a concert in Omaha on May 20, 2016. She wrote the album over a period of two years from attic quarters off Omaha’s Poppleton Avenue and recorded it in Nashville with famed producer Joe Pisapia. The tracks stay true to Vaughan’s trademark honey-thick vocals and rhythmic piano pop style that soar with complex arrangements and atmospheric guitar. Tara received a bachelor’s degree in music from Tufts University, where she directed and toured internationally with awardwinning a cappella group sQ!. Her original song for the group, “22,” was chosen for inclusion on the Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) 2012 compilation. The album is available for order at taravaughan.bandcamp. c o m , a t H o m e r ’s i n Omaha, and on iTunes. Courtni Kopietz ’07, a childhood cancer survivor, celebrated 19 years cancer-free with a 100+ mile walk through Portugal and Spain, one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago. Courtni was joined by her dad and Elizabeth Longo ’07 and raised over $10,000 to benefit biomedical research at the Morgridge Institute for Research. Conner Rensch ’07 was selected as one of Omaha’s most inspiring people by Metro Magazine summer 2016 issue. She started My Butterfly Journey as a place for people to go for inspiration and motivation. C o n n e r ’s w e b s i t e , mybutterflyjourney.com, offers many insights. Emily Lowndes ‘08 graduated with her Masters in Public Administration (MPA) with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
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Kelsey Stewart ‘09 is a columnist with the Papillion Times. On Feb. 17, 2016, she wrote an amusing article about finding a box that held her old Marian uniform and all of her high school memories. To read more visit the Papillion Times website.
Katie Fell ’09 married Jason Boice on June 6, 2015 at St. Pius X Catholic Church. The maid of honor was her sister Colleen Fell ’12. Her bridesmaids included Lauren Morrissey ‘09, Ariel Talacko ‘09, Sarah O’Connor ‘09 and Julia Von Riesen ‘09. The mother of the bride is Molly Doyle Fell ‘78.
Taylor Anderson ‘10 graduated from UNL with a degree in Elementary Education and will be starting as a kindergarten teacher in the fall at St. Patrick’s in Elkhorn, Neb. Meghan Anderson ‘11 graduated from Iowa State Unviersity in May 2016 and has accepted a position at Rockwell Collins as a Systems Engineer. Megan Morrissey ‘11 received her Master’s in Health Services Administration in May 2016 from the University of Kansas.
Sara Borowiak ’10 married Gunhee Park on April 23, 2016 at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Omaha. Alumnae bridesmaids were Andrea Alonso ’10, Jordan Bosilevac ’10 and Cassidy Lemkau ’10.
Andrea Fox ’99 and husband Rob welcomed a baby girl, Lucy Ann Maguire, born Nov. 12, 2015. Annie Grace ’99 and husband Kevin Mortensen w e l c o m e d Calvin Lonergan Mortensen, born Oct. 21, 2015. Calvin joins big brother Emmett.
Kathleen Hoarty Hayden ’01 and husband Seth welcomed Eli Charles on June 26, 2015. Katie D’Agostino ’02 and husband Andrew welcomed their second baby, Gretchen Theresa, on Jan. 29, 2016. Gretchen joins big brother Malcolm, 3. Natalie Specht-Bartman ’03 and husband Patrick welcomed a daughter, Colette Marie Bartman, on Nov. 5, 2015. She joins her big sister Ophelia Roseburg.
Shannon Daly ’12 is a senior at the University of Souix Falls and had a record-breaking softball season with the Cougars. Shannon was named to the All-Central Region First Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She is the first allregion honoree in USF’s D2 history, will advance to the next round of voting and is eligible for NFCA All-American honors.
BIRTHS
WEDDINGS
Bridget Daeges Mendenhall ‘94 and husband Mark welcomed their fourth child, Mark Louis, on Nov. 26, 2015.
Laura Fahey ’96 married Ted Pollack on May 8, 2010. Combined, the couple has four boys: Hunter, 17; James, 4; Johnathan, 3 and Joseph, 6 months. Laura is employed at Union Pacific Railroad as a Manager of Environmental Site Remediation. Molly Moran ‘03 married Alroy Madsen on March 5, 2016 at Sacred Heart Church in Omaha, Neb. Megan Heeney (Marian Girl of the Year), Katie Brown, Annie Poler, Katie Kelsey, Laura Bisson Kinney and Katie Hartman Beckstand, all class of 2003, were important guests at the wedding. Alroy and Molly are looking forward to their life together in Omaha.
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Abby Siemek Rudloff-Royer ‘03 and husband Zach welcomed their daughter, Cassidy Jade, on Oct. 31, 2015. Cassidy joins big brother Jacoby, 2. Elisabeth Boever Gideon ’96 and husband Joshua welcomed Matthew Rupert on March 26, 2016. His older siblings Ruth, John, Isabel, Stephen, George and Joshua shower him with much love and affection.
Natalie Thomas ’03 welcomed Luca Marie on March 8, 2016.
Lauren Spittler Francis ’04 and husband Edward welcomed their first child, William James on April 6, 2016. The happy family lives in Kansas City, Mo.
Malori Orsi Titman ‘04 and husband Blake welcomed another little one; Drake Joseph was born Sept. 28, 2015 and joins big sister Alexa, 5 and big brother Brooks, 3.
Briannah Harrison ‘09 welcomed Brayden Wallace Harrison in Dec. 2015. David Anderson, Marian faculty member, and wife Elizabeth welcomed a baby boy, Eli Michael Anderson, on April 14, 2016.
Kaitlin O’Hara Ahart ’05 and husband Greg welcomed Owen Patrick on March 1, 2016. Christine Krapp O’Hara’79 is the proud grandmother and Erin O’Hara ’06 is the doting aunt.
SEND US YOUR UPDATES IN MEMORIAM OF DECEASED ALUMNAE Helen Cheslak Boylan ’69, sister of Susan Cheslak ’68
Ollie “Peaches” Miller Jackson ’61
Stacey Catton Kletke ’77, sister of Gail Catton Gundlefinger ’75, Sandy Catton Thomsen ‘77 and Margo Catton ’78
Kathleen Hearity Nemetz ’77, sister of Patty Hearity Constantino ’72 and Terese Hearity MacNaughton ’80 Tami Lynn Van Horn ’76
Have you recently tied the knot, had a child, moved, been promoted at work or recognized by a peer group with a special honor? We want to hear about it and so do your fellow alumnae! Please email, call or visit the Marian website at marianhighschool.net/alumnae/ send-us-your-updates. Email photos to Alumnae Director, Nancy Kettering Casey ‘82, at ncasey@omahamarian.org
Apologies: We apologize for the misprint in the In Memoriam of Deceased Alumnae section of the Spring 2016 Marian Magazine, Rosemary Giangrosso Smith ’65 and sister Pam Giangrosso’s ’66 names were misspelled.
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Each Friday, the students, teachers and staff of Marian offer a special prayer for those who are suffering from any kind of pain, illness, or loss and for those who have asked us to pray for them. We pray for those Marian alumnae and members of their families who have died and now experience the joy of resurrection. Following this, we say together the Memorare. You may join us in spirit each Friday at 8 a.m., and you will know the power of praying together in community.
THE MARIAN COMMUNITY JOINS IN REMEMBRANCE John Arman, Jr. brother of Lindsey Arman Johnson ’66 and Judi Arman Nebbia ’67 Madelyn Beck, grandmother of Jekara Hart ’12 James Beran, father of Emily Beran Brown ’91 Vivian Berger, mother of Mary Berger Steiner ’82, Marian Registrar; grandmother of Alison Berger ’95, Caroline Berger ’09, Sarah Berger ’13, Nicole Steiner ’15, Erica Steiner ’19 and mother-in-law of Nancee Berger, past Marian Board Member Patricia Bloemer, grandmother of Mikki Milan Duggan ’01 Joe Bonnett, Jr., brother of Erin Bonnett Wilson ’81 Arlene Borer, mother of Shelley Borer ’89 and Kristi Borer Sieczkowski ’97 Patrick Brennan, brother of Mary Jane Brennan Hendricks ’76 William Brennan, Jr., father of Kaela Brennan ’88 Rita Brock, mother of Emmy Brock Weber ’85 Sandra Brodersen, mother of Stacey Hovind Fleener ’89 Allen Brown, father of Colleen Brown Wiles ’73, (deceased), and Barb Brown Yarges ’71 James Brown, grandfather of Emily L. Brown ’99, Liz Lenihan Jacobsen ’00, Michaela Lenihan van de Westhuizen ’02, Katie Brown ’02 and Annie Brown ’08 Karen Brown, staff, 2010-2014 Daryl Bruening, father of Malia Bruening Pearson ’96 Albert Burk, father of Amy Burk ‘01 Marty Cahill, brother of Anne Cahill Schappe ’64 Thomas Callahan, father of Rita Callahan McMullen ’89 Chris Cerveny, mother of Catherine Cerveny Green ‘93, sister of Therese Standeven Gaeta ’79 and past staff member of the Servite Community Richard Conry, husband of Kathy Schuchart Conry ’61 Loyola Corcoran, grandmother of Becky Sekyra ’90 and Ginny Sekyra ’94
Frank DeGeorge, father of Fran DeGeorge Hoffman ’67 Sr.Marianna De Simone, O.S.M., past faculty/staff and past Marian Board Member Dorothy Dietz, past faculty 1967-1984, past staff 1985-2009; mother of Mary Elise Dietz Zezulak ’68 (deceased), Judy Dietz Tierney ’72; grandmother of Colleen Zezulak Daugherty ’95, Kelly Zezulak Witt ’96 and Maureen Tierney ’04 Brian Dolphin, husband of Kim Bazata Dolphin ’78 Sarah Jane Erftmier, daughter of Anne Bernard Erftmier ’85 and sister of Lizzie Erftmier ’14 Grace Federico, mother of Grace M. Federico ’83 Mary Kelly Fenlon, mother of Mollie Fenlon Marshall ’68 and Elizabeth Fenlon ’72 Erin Ferraguti, daughter of Debra Aurora ’70 Rita Feser, grandmother of, Jackie Sautter Dolinsky ’93, Jodi Sautter ’94, Susie Sautter DeVeney ’99, and Danielle Sautter ’13
FEBRUARY - MAY, 2016 Joanne Healy, mother of Carol Healy Lausten ’72, Pam Healy Mitchell ’81; grandmother of Michelle Lausten Gomez ’97, Melissa Lausten Peal ’99; mother-in-law of Patti Nolan Healy ’78 and Sheryl Gau Healy ’79 Ralph Heiman, grandfather of Stacy Heiman ’96 Gloria Henry, grandmother of Kari Mosser Kirchhoeffer ’88 and mother of Danna Mosser, past faculty Ross Herink, brother of Carol Herink Mendlik ’69 Barbara Herold, grandmother of Maggie Herold ’14, Emma Herold ’17 and mother-in-law of Camie Dennell Herold ’89 Faye Hill, grandmother of Carolyn Wolfe ’12, Anne Wolfe ’13 and Mary Katherine Wolfe ’17 John Hughes, father of Katie Hughes Buller ’83 and brother-in-law of Georgiann Weishapl Regan ’67 John Ish, husband of JoAnn Sloma Ish ’60 Sr. Audrey Jauron, O.S.M., past faculty, 1965-1969 and 1994-2004
Patricia Flynn, mother of Eileen Flynn Wieland ’91 and Jennie Flynn Copenhaver ’93
Jack Jensen, grandfather of Lauren Lubeck ’08 and Morgan Lubeck ’14
Peg Gallagher, (deceased, May, 2015), stepmother of Alice Cannon Smith ’74, Barb Cannon Orsi ’77, Liz Cannon Maggi ’79, Joan Cannon Manriquez ’85, Mary Tarsney Kelly ’86, Katie Tarsney Doyle ’89, Colleen Tarsney Langhorst ’91, Julie Fitzgerald Ryan ’88, Didi Fitzgerald Turkel ’89, Eileen Fitzgerald Grothe ’93; great grandmother of Joan Smith ’05 and Mimi Kelly ’16 and stepmother of Ligeia, ‘Gigi’, Cannon (deceased), past Marian Board Member
Kevin Jones, father of Kristin Jones ’09
Maxine Gengler, mother of Cyndi Gengler Grabow ’69, Nancy Gengler ’71, Cheryl Gengler Wells ’73, Kim Gengler Lagrou ’79, grandmother of Courtney Wells ’02 and Caroline Wells McLellen ’05
Harlan King, father of Renee King Schwery ’95 and Heather King Combs ’97
Arthur Grossoehme, father of Kris Grossoehme Coble ’84 Charlotte Hakel, mother of Mary Jo Hakel Blum ’80, Ann Hakel Stanek ’81 and Katie Hakel ’83
Marjorie Kantor, grandmother of Jamie Kantor ’02 Orin Kavan, grandfather of Brooke Kavan Smithberg ’00 and Molly Kavan ’02 Peggy Jean Keeler, grandmother of Kirche Keeler Harman ’90 Barbara Kidder, grandmother of Clara Kidder ’19
Michael Kingston, father of Lauren Kingston ’05 Jerry Kraemer, father of Maureen Kraemer Adams ’67, Mary C. Kraemer ’75, Rosie Kraemer Tomka ’77; father-in law of Maureen Trouba Kraemer ’72 Carlin Kranjc, stepson of Ginni Lyons Kranjc ’65
Douglas Halbur, brother of Sue Halbur ’72
Marlyn Crockett, grandmother of Clare Crockett ’16 and Morgan Crockett ’16
Pete Kropp, grandfather of Chelsea Kropp Wachter ’05
Gary Hallberg, husband of Kirstin Laustrup Hallberg ’68 and father of Kate Hallberg Geiger ’99
Donna Kulas, mother of Barb Kulas Greder ‘64
John Dahlhauser, grandfather of Julie Dahlhauser ’90 and Angela Dahlhauser ’01
Jean Hannibal, mother of Felicia White Collins ’87
Phyllis Dannenberg, grandmother of Savannah Dannenberg ’16 Walt Dean, father of Julie Dean Lingelbach ’89 Marian DeFontaine, mother of Cheri DeFontaine Pilant ’62 and Joan DeFontaine Womach ’64 and grandmother of Nicolle Pilant Ekkeren ’87
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Eleanor Hanus, grandmother of Ann McCabe Price ’99 and Kristin McCabe Owens ’01 Mike Harper, grandfather of Bregan Wherry ’00, Shannon Wherry ’02, Annie Murphy ’09 and father of Betsy Murphy, past Marian Board Member Terry Hart, brother of Linda Hart Bacon ’72 Edward Hazuka, grandfather of Katie Petersen ’16
Victor Lechtenberg, father of Suzanne Lechtenberg O’Hearn ’70, Jean Lechtenberg Taylor ’74 and Victoria Lechtenberg Grosso ’75 Doris Lindemeier, grandmother of Lindsay Toth Mike ’96 Jeffrey Logan, brother of Linda Logan Stitt ’75 Peggy Long, mother of Mary Lynn Long ’73 (deceased), Cindy Long ’77 and Nadine Long ’82
Bernard Lotspeich, grandfather of Krista Lotspeich Wear ’92, Kara Lotspeich Reeves ’95, Kathleen Lotspeich Scott’ 99 and father-in-law of Patricia Jostes Lotspeich ’67, past faculty/staff Gary Mandolfo, brother of Nancy Mandolfo ’72 Margaret Manson, grandmother of Caitlin Mahoney ’08 and McKenzie Meola ’16 Frank McCabe, grandfather of Mandy Tessmer ’05, Megan Tessmer ’10 and Molly Tessmer ’14 Marcelline McCowan, mother of Angie McCowan ’91 Dennis McCoy, grandfather of, Melanie Brusnahan’19 and father of Melissa Brusnahan, Brusnahan faculty member Michael McGill, father of Julie McGill ’86, Martha McGill Scanlan ’87, Molly McGill ’87, past Marian Board member Karen McKeone, mother of Teri McKeone Klavins ’82, Tricia McKeone Berg ’88 and grandmother of Ashley Klavins Hickson ’01 Ruby McMinn, great grandmother of Emily McMinn ’15, Grace McMinn ’17 and Lily Nelson ’18
Robert Poggenpohl, father of Genie Poggenpohl Taddeo ’74, Teresa Poggenpohl ’79 and Olivia Poggenpohl ’82 Barb Pulte, mother of Colleen Pulte Starman ’83
George Tarr, father of Julie Tarr Andresen ’84 and grandfather of Georgia Andresen ’12
Dorothy Redding, mother of Beth Redding Jareske ’68 and Rita Redding Hejkal ’69
Doris Teutsch, grandmother of Hannah Teutsch ’09 and Leah Teutsch ’13
Vincent Robertson, grandfather of Afton Robertson ’09, Brynn Robertson ’15 and father-in-law of Gail WernerRobertson, Marian Board of Trustees Member and past Marian Board Member
Mary Tunakan, mother of Anne P. Nelson ’86
Jean Ann Smith-Rowley, sister of Diane Brown Radford ’76 and Debbie Brown Bibb ’77 Sam Scarpello, father of Susan Scarpello ’78 Gloria Schaefer, grandmother of Taylor Long ’14 Anna Margaret Schafer, grandmother of Lauren McArdle Wallraff ’02, Caitlin McArdle ’06 and mother-in-law of Jane Potter ’69 Max Schmidt, father of Kathleen Schmidt Clifton ’69 and Jayne Schmidt Morgan ’72
Joseph, “Don”, Meier, father of Susan Meier Wilwerding ’70 and Barb Meier Cunningham ’76
Betty Ellen Schanbacher, mother of Mary Schanbacher Davey ’77 and mother-in-law of Cheryl Laferla Schanbacher ’71
Philip Monnig, grandfather of Kelly Woodruff ’12
Jack Scholz, brother of Irene Scholz Kethan ’68
Marie Morlan, grandmother of Emily Coniglio ’17
Max Schmidt, father of Kathleen Schmidt Clifton ’69 and Jayne Schmidt Morgan ’72
Marianne Nicola, mother of Susan Nicola Walenz ’68, Nanci Nicola Mahon ’71, grandmother of Hannah Portis ’12 and Greta Portis ’16 Phyllis Nixon, grandmother of Julie Feldman ’08 Carl Nussrallah, father of Margaret Nussrallah Quinn ’73, Kathy Nussrallah ’76 and Barb Nussrallah Vaupel ’77 Elizabeth O’Daniel, mother of Maureen O’Daniel Mangan ’63, Kevyne O’Daniel ’66 and grandmother of Kari Mangan ’82 Coley O’Doherty, brother of Shannon O’Doherty Brown ’86 and Colleen O’Doherty ’04 Dan O’Doherty, father of Jackie O’Doherty ’67, Peggy O’Doherty ’69, Susan O’Doherty Mueller ’73, (deceased), Maureen O’Doherty Koenigsman ’81, grandfather of Kara Kalal Morford ’95, Michelle Mueller Kastl ’98 and great grandfather of Emma Morford ’17 Harriet Otis, grandmother of Grace Otis ’18 Anthony Pantano, father of Marilou Pantano DiPrima ’67, Jeri Pantano Davis ’72, Karyl Pantano Einerson ’75 and Jann Pantano Stathos ’79
James Suiter, Sr., father of Suzette Suiter Woodward ’79
Pearl Schrorer, grandmother of Beth Schroer Zimmerman ’07, Kelli Schroer McCumber ’09 and Pearl A. Schroer ’12
Russell Van Horn, father of Tami Van Horn ’76, (deceased) George Vercruysse, father of Jan Vercruysse Hursey ’66 and Diane Vercruysse McClain ’70 Edith Villone, mother of Kathleen Villone Altmanshofer ’68 and mother-in-law of Alice Lind Villone ’66 Barc Wade, father of Krista Wade Bensinger ’72 Mary Rita Walsh, mother of Deborah Walsh Alexander ’84 and Laura Walsh ’87 Thomas Welborn, father of Susan Welborn ’78 Jack Welch, Sr., grandfather of Denica Simms ’02 and Diamond Simms ’08 Kathleen White, mother of Kathleen White Cohen ’62 and Connie White ’65 (deceased) Dorothy Williams, mother of Sue Williams Irlbeck ’69 Louise Zarbano, mother of Rose Marie Zarbano Eyberg ’72, Margaret Zarbano ’74; grandmother of Angela Eyberg Hoban ’98, Nicole Gruber ’99, Laura Niehaus ’01, Lisa Eyberg Caine ’02 and Maria Gruber Weigum ’06
Patricia Sedlacek, mother of Cherene Sedlacek Lantis ’80 Mark Shada, husband of Fran Kill Shada ’76 Lucille Shanahan, grandmother of Kelly Shanahan Freeman ’96 Eileen Sheldrick, grandmother of Barbara Sheldrick ’14 James Smith, brother of Jeanne Smith ’72 Ted Stessman, father of Karen Stessman Weber ’72, Laurie Stessman Barnes ’78, Susie Stessman Blue ’81, grandfather of Jennifer Weber Abney ’96 and Emily Stessman ’04 Marge Stratman, mother of Mary Kay Stratman Hautzinger ’68, Pat Stratman DeHarty ’69, Peg Stratman Cramer ’70, Jayne Stratman Dworak ’79, grandmother of Heather Hautzinger Beisch ’91, Colleen Hautzinger Hobbs ’93, Jamie Hautzinger Steinmetz ’96 and great grandmother of Morgan Hobbs ’17 Pat Sweetman, grandfather of Emily Stessman ’04
Thomas Peters, brother of Ann Peters Bartlett ’76
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Omaha, NE Permit #323
Marian 7400 Military Avenue Omaha, NE 68134
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER Faces of Marian Orientation Aug. 13 • 8 - 11:30 a.m.
Walk-A-Thon Sept. 30
First Day of School for Freshmen Aug. 18 • 7:55 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
2016 Marian Musical: Singin’ in the Rain Oct. 27, 28, 29 • 7:00 p.m. Oct. 30 • 2:00 p.m.
First Day of School for All Aug. 19 • 12:40 p.m. dismissal
Marian’s Open House Nov. 20 • 12-2:30 p.m.
Mini School Night Aug. 31 • 7 p.m. Esprit de Corps Awards Banquet Sept. 8 • 6 p.m. Omaha Country Club
CONTACTS President Mary Higgins ‘69 Principal Susie Spethman Sullivan ‘80 Vice President for Advancement Karen Cimpl Hotz ‘79 402.571.2618, ext. 1119 khotz@omahamarian.org Alumnae Director Nancy Kettering Casey ’82 402.571.2618, ext. 1270 ncasey@omahamarian.org Transcript Requests Mary Berger Steiner ’82 402.571.2618, ext. 1127 msteiner@omahamarian.org Prayer Needs Sr. Jackie Thorn, OSM 402.571.2618, ext. 1166 jthorn@omahamarian.org
For more information about any of these events, please visit Marian’s website at www.marianhighschool.net
The Marian Magazine is published three times per year through the Marian Advancement Department. Please report any address changes and corrections to:
Stay in touch with all things Marian through our social media websites! We’ll keep you up to date on events, news and information at Marian.
Nancy Kettering Casey ‘82 Interim Communications Director 402.571.2618 ext. 1270 Fax: 402.571.2978 ncasey@omahamarian.org
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