3 minute read
Where Are They Now?
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: KASEY LIERZ, M.D., ’15 Goal Setting Comes Naturally to Doctor and Former Soccer Standout
For Kasey Lierz, M.D., ’15, choosing the right college meant finding the best place to pursue two dreams — preparing for medical school and playing soccer. She now says selecting Rockhurst University was one of her best decisions.
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Being part of Rockhurst’s medical scholars program paved the way for Lierz’ entrance into the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, which was perfect for someone who always knew she wanted to be a doctor. Lierz says she shadowed a family friend in high school who was an anesthesiologist in the Kansas City area and became hooked. Through that experience, she got to see heart surgery, nerve blocks and epidurals being placed.
Following medical school, Lierz did a surgical intern year at Duke Medical Center in North Carolina and she’s now a chief resident about to start her final year in an anesthesia residency at Saint Louis University Hospital.
It’s no coincidence that Lierz selected two Jesuit universities for her pathway to medicine.
“I think studying science at a Jesuit university allows you to be more mindful about the information you’re learning and how it applies to people,” Lierz said. “Instead of just learning pathways and disorders, it was beneficial to think about the whole person and how the disease affects them and their families every day.”
Lierz counts the support from her parents and from women’s soccer head coach Greg Herdlick as top reasons for her successful academic and soccer careers at Rockhurst University. In addition, she said being a college athlete forced her to have time management skills and to prioritize what’s important, whether it be school, soccer or being there for a friend.
Right now, Lierz is focused on finishing her residency and planning an October wedding with her fiancé, Brendan. Next up will be a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia and the completion of her formal training in 2024.
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EVERYDAY LEADERS
Teacher Embodies “Cura Personalis” in the Classroom
When Chris Shaver, ’09, was hired 10 years ago at Chaminade College Prep in St. Louis, it was for not one, but two jobs, teaching both math and theology.
That’s exactly how he likes it. Shaver, a St. Louis native, said he doesn’t believe it’s oil and water — rather, he feels engaging with either subject makes him stronger in both.
“I found in my personal experience a lot of value in allowing my faith experience and my theology to be in dialogue with my mathematical mind,” he said.
This year, Shaver was one of the St. Louis area teachers honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing his dedication to Chaminade’s students in and out of the classroom.
It has been a challenging couple of years for students and teachers. Like many other schools, Chaminade closed temporarily during spring break 2020 hoping to ride out the COVID-19 wave, only to shift to completely online for the remainder of the spring semester. Making sure students felt supported and had the resources needed to be successful during that time — and since — meant sometimes doing things differently, such as hosting “office hours” over Zoom in the evenings where students could drop in or setting up Zooms with specific students learning remotely to touch base on how things were going.
Even as they’ve come back to in-person instruction, Shaver said he’s had to adjust things to make sure that students who were at home still felt supported and part of the classroom community.
“I view teaching as a form of ministry, accompanying students on this portion of their life,” he said. “So that’s what I’ve tried to do despite the challenges.”
Chris Shaver, ’09
—Chris Shaver, ’09
