Focus Spring 2024

FOCUS MAGAZINE

For Alumni, Families, and Friends of St. Francis High School SPRING 2024

SPARTAN OLYMPICS

Principal Huhn Receives National Leadership Award, Page 5 Student enjoys alum Grandfather’s SFHS

Our Mission

St. Francis High School is a Catholic, college preparatory learning community that promotes spiritual, academic, physical, and social development in the daily presence of Jesus Christ.

Our Vision

Develop students who are faith-filled participants of the Church, committed to Christian service, critical thinkers, effective and creative communicators, persons of integrity, physically fit and emotionally healthy, respectful and accepting of others, responsible citizens of the world, and selfdirected and lifelong learners.

President’s Council

Phil Kerr

President

Raeann Huhn

Principal

Fr. Bob Barko

School Priest & Chaplain

Ron Darin

Director of Finance & Operations

Maureen Isphording

Executive Vice President & Director of Admissions

Jamie Lavigueur

Director of Communications

Advancement Office

Danielle Costello

Director of Special Events

Becky Feltes ’97 Fischesser Director of Annual Fund & Scholarships

Peg Kopec Advancement Associate

Todd Shaw ‘89 Alumni Relations

Focus Magazine aims to present interesting and relevant news about SFHS and its alumni. Story ideas and suggestions may be sent to Editor Jamie Lavigueur at jlavigueur@sfhscollegeprep.org. We reserve the right to edit and revise all material accepted for publication.

Please send address changes to:

St. Francis High School Office of Advancement 2130 W. Roosevelt Road Wheaton, IL 60187

(630) 668-5800 bfischesser@sfhscollegeprep.org

Stay Connected

@sfhsspartans

St. Francis HS College Prep

@SFHS_Spartans

St. Francis High School

OPENING LETTER

Dear St. Francis High School Community,

The good news keeps coming at St. Francis High School! This has been a landmark year for the school – possibly one of the most significant in our school’s history. Shortly after being named a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School this fall (the U.S.‘s top honor for the nation’s top 1% of all schools), we were notified of another national award. The National Catholic Educational Association named Principal Raeann Huhn as one of its 11 recipients nationwide for the “Learn. Lead. Proclaim.” Leadership Award. More on this designation is featured on page 5. I’d like to personally congratulate Ms. Huhn on her outstanding accomplishments and her nearly 40 years (and counting) of service and dedication to the school.

On the athletic side, our girls volleyball team won their back-to-back state championship title in the fall while our football team was a state semifinalist for the second year in a row. In the winter, one of our wrestlers, Jaylen Torres, earned second place at state as a sophomore. This March, our music department (band, choir, and orchestra combined) earned its first state championship and our choir individually secured its fifth consecutive state championship. These are just a few of the many accomplishments in recent months.

These accolades, and so much more, are part of what makes our school so remarkable. None of it would be possible without your support, and we sincerely thank you for your partnership.

I wanted to take another opportunity to thank everyone for their generous support of our Ensuring Our Future Auction on March 2, including those who contributed to our Fund-A-Cause to help pay for the construction of a new traffic light at the exit of our school. This critical safety improvement is one of the many initiatives that will transform our student experience.

We are also full steam ahead with our Capital Campaign, Progress Can’t Wait –Secure Our Future Today. The safety and security features outlined in the plan are now complete, and work on our HVAC systems, replacement of our classroom windows in the north and south hallways, the construction of a mock classroom, and more will be completed this summer. Additionally, you will see a new look on the façade of the school this summer (see rendering on page 15).

We will continue to raise funds for the additional improvements needed, which you can read more about at sfhscollegeprep.org/progress. Please feel free to reach out to me by phone or email any time if you have questions or wish to be a part of this exciting chapter in our school’s history.

We hope you enjoy the stories on the following pages that celebrate who we are and the many great things that have happened this year. And it’s not over yet! Graduation is Sunday, May 19. Congratulations to the Class of 2024. We know the successes you experienced here are just the beginning.

Saint Francis, pray for us!

Phil Kerr, President

SCHOOL NEWS

Roosevelt Road Traffic Light: Student Safety Initiative

For many years, we have advocated for the addition of a traffic light at the east end of our parking lot on Roosevelt Road to better ensure the safety of our school community.

In November and February, we asked our community to support us as we advocated for the light to the Wheaton City Council. For the first time in more than 20 years of effort, we are seeing progress!

In February, the Wheaton City Council unanimously approved moving forward with the installation of the light. The vote followed a lengthy presentation and discussion, which included the voices of many members of our school community and SFHS President Phil Kerr.

Next steps require the coordination of the State of Illinois, City of Wheaton, and affected property owners – and funding

is key. While there may be public funds and grants available over a several-year period, to expedite the installation of the light, we have launched a fundraising initiative that began in March with our Ensuring Our Future Auction’s Fund-A-Cause.

Since then, we have received a $100,000 match donation and raised an outstanding $208,415 at our Ensuring Our Future Auction – but we still have more to raise. We believe this is one of the most important fundraisers in the history of our school and we hope our entire

school community will join us. Everyone can participate in funding this critical safety improvement that impacts our students daily.

The video linked in the QR Code below highlights the dangerous crossing and its impact on our students, parents, and prospective parents. To support the initiative, please visit sfhscollegeprep.org/ safecrossing.

Scan here for a video about the project!

Quest Brings New Flavor to

Cafeteria

We are thrilled to announce that we partnered with Quest Food Services as our new food vendor on February 20.

Students, faculty, and staff alike have been enjoying the meals served by Quest, which are guided by a food philosophy that includes high-quality ingredients, scratch-made cooking techniques, and responsible product sourcing.

Just a few of their new offerings include taco bars, salad bars, pasta bars, and fresh-made pizza, as well as a smoothie bar for students.

Headquartered in Lombard, Quest offers a robust, local staffing model and expanded service hours. As a showing of their support of our school, Quest generously made a $25,000 donation to our Capital Campaign. Please join us as we welcome Quest to our Spartan community!

Principal Huhn Receives National Catholic Educational

Association Leadership Award

11 leaders in Catholic education were selected for nationwide honor

Principal Raeann Huhn, who has served St. Francis High School for 38 years (including 20 years as principal), received the 2024 National Catholic Educational Association “Lead. Learn. Proclaim.” Award! Ms. Huhn is one of 11 recipients nationwide to receive this award for outstanding work being done in Catholic education across the country.

The awardees are a mix of leaders, teachers, pastors, and superintendents who are entrusted with the faith formation of students in Catholic school communities.

“Our LLP honorees tirelessly carry out the mission of faith formation deeply invested in the students, the schools, and their ministry,” said Lincoln Snyder, NCEA President/ CEO. “Together, let’s honor them for doing the Lord’s work as true servant leaders.”

Ms. Huhn’s career at the school began in 1985 when she was hired as a Business Education teacher. From 1990-1998 she served as Business Department Chair, then Assistant Athletic Director for four years, Director of Athletics for two years, Assistant Principal for six years, and then Principal since 2004. She also coached cheerleading and girls and boys tennis.

“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition,” Ms. Huhn said. “It is a privilege to partner with the amazing St. Francis High School community and support our outstanding faculty, staff, and students in my role as principal.”

It has been a particularly exciting year for the school. In addition to Ms. Huhn’s national recognition, the school also received the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon School Award, its girls volleyball team celebrated a back-to-back state championship win, and the school is also celebrating its 7th consecutive year as a Microsoft Showcase School.

Phil Kerr, SFHS President, said of Ms. Huhn and the award: “I

48 Students Named Illinois State Scholars

St. Francis High School is pleased to announce that 48 students from the class of 2024 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars, a prestigious recognition of academic achievement presented by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

This fantastic representation accounts for 29% of the senior class. This year, nearly 16,700 honorees join the other outstanding students who have been honored since the designation was first introduced in 1958.

Each State Scholar will receive a congratulatory letter and a Certificate of Achievement. Congratulations to all!

View the full list of students named Illinois State Scholars

would like to personally congratulate Ms. Huhn for her achieving this highly prestigious national award. Under her nearly 40 years of leadership, she has fulfilled St. Francis High School’s mission of developing Catholic, faith-filled young adults. At the same time, the school has transformed from a well-kept secret on a community level to a powerhouse academic, athletic, and performing arts school now recognized as a top 1% premier school in the United States. This is a perfect testament to a career of dedication to our special school. Well done, good and faithful servant!”

National Volunteer Award: Cameron R. ‘26

Cameron R. ‘26 received the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award for over 100 hours of community service in a year!

This award recognizes the important role of volunteers and honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action.

The PVSA has continued under each Presidential administration, honoring the volunteers who use their time and talents to solve some of the toughest challenges facing our nation. Congratulations, Cameron!

SCHOOL NEWS IN MEMORIAM

October 16, 2023 –March 1, 2024

Celebrating Catholic Schools Week and Welcoming Fr. Bob

From January 29 through February 1, we recognized Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States. Throughout the week, we recognized the special experiences at our school and the intersection of faith and community.

On February 1, at our Catholic Schools Week All-School Liturgy, we officially welcomed and blessed Fr. Bob Barko as our School Priest and Chaplain. We are thrilled to have a Franciscan priest here on a full-time basis to support our school community.

ALUMNI

Patricia Diedrich ‘64

Joseph Draffkorn ‘61

Karen Hale ‘63 Craven

Thomas Krueger ‘61

Bill Lapinskas ‘67

Rock Madden ‘77

Maureen Nelson ‘64 Greger

Bob Noonan ‘63

Paul Photopulos ‘72

George Thoma ‘63

Meredith Thomas ‘08

Donald Wurtz ‘68

Reunion Recap

FAMILY & FRIENDS

Mary Beck

Sr. Ellen Enright, IBVM

Diana Gideon

Br. Raphael Mascari, FSC

Maria King

Dolores Piekos

James Russell

Sr. Mary Simpkin, IBVM

Raymond Wallensack

1 The Class of 1963 hosted their 60th reunion at Pal Joey’s in West Chicago on August 5. More than 45 members of the class celebrated their milestone reunion together. Thank you to Jo Ann Polach ‘63 Vacko, Maureen Quinn ‘63 Olsen, and Jim Manna ‘63 for planning.

2 The Class of 1965 celebrated together at Pal Joey’s in Batavia on October 21. They had a great turnout with over 40 in attendance. Thank you to Maureen Rogina ’65 for planning.

3 The Class of 1971 celebrated their “70th Birthday” on October 6 at the Wheaton VFW. Thank you to Bob Krzyzewski ’71 for planning.

4 The Class of 2013 gathered at On Tour Brewing in Chicago on November 18 for their 10th reunion. Thank you to Peter Quirk ’13 for planning.

5 The Class of 2018 celebrated their five-year reunion at SFHS. They gathered at the Alumni Basketball Night on December 15. Thanks to Chris Bauer ’18 for planning their first reunion.

From Generation to Generation

Current Spartan shares historic photos from grandparents’ time at SFHS

Ava Marquez ‘24 has a special connection to share with her grandparents: all three of them have been St. Francis High School students.

Her grandfather, Ted Hobein ’64, and grandmother, Kathleen Wethern ’65 Hobein, were high school sweethearts and still live nearby in Wheaton. Ted was in photography club at SFHS and recently shared some historic photos with Ava, which she brought to school to share with her classmates.

“It’s really cool because looking at the photos I can recognize places I walk by every day,” Ava said. “It makes me think while I’m at school, my grandpa was in here 60 years ago. My French class is where my grandma’s homeroom was.”

They often swap stories about the school, and she said her grandfather has come to every home football game since her freshman year. They were also

all back on campus this winter when Ava performed with the SFHS choir at this year’s Christmas Concert.

“They love keeping up with the school,” Ava said. While her grandfather enjoyed photography in high school, he developed a passion for aviation later in life. Ava said she inherited the interest and is working on getting her pilot’s license.

1 Ted Hobein: 1964 yearbook

2 Kathleen Wethern Hobein: 1965 yearbook

3 Ava Marquez ’24 with her grandparents, Ted Hobein ‘64 and Kathleen Wethern Hobein ‘65, at this year’s Christmas Concert.

4 A selection of Ted Hobein ‘64’s photos, which he took while a part of St. Francis High School’s photography club.

Faculty and Staff Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries

We are so grateful to celebrate the dedication and commitment of some truly extraordinary members of our St. Francis High School community! Their passion, combined with their years of experience, make them invaluable assets to our school. These amazing individuals have impacted countless lives and helped shape the bright futures of our students. Please join us in expressing heartfelt gratitude for their service and commitment to Catholic education.

Peg Kopec (50); Mary Pratscher ‘93 (25); John Schuller (25); Kate Kolasinski ‘95 Doane (20); Sheri Meadows (20); Bob Mamminga (20); Christine Paolella ’08 Dougherty (10); Jenny Stiefel (10); Maria Kazlauskas (5); Kevin Kloss (5); Lyn Schmidt (5); Amy Stumpf (5); and Brendan Tagler (5).

SCHOOL NEWS ALUMNI NEWS

2 4 5 6 3

1 Alums gathered at Sturdy Shelter Brewing over the Christmas Break to catch the SFHS Rock Band perform.

2 Sam Bledsoe ‘16 flies C17s for the Air Force Reserves and is a flight instructor as well. In a feature on the LadyAviators Instgram, she wrote: “I caught the flying bug from my dad. I completed all of my ratings in college as an equestrian studentathlete for the College of Charleston. After college, I instructed for two years before heading off to pilot training for the Air Force. I also fly Pilots n Paws flights in an effort to give back. Aviation is a huge part of my life and something I am proud to share with my family and friends. I absolutely love my job and all of the places it takes me.” Sam now lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

3 Anna Morello ’13 is a Senior Designer at Annarya Design. On their Instagram, Annarya wrote, “She has a natural inclination for exceeding expectations, taking initiative to develop the brand, and drive positive change.”

4 Thomas Castronovo ‘09 was nominated as Coach of the Year for his work as head girls/boys tennis coach at Saint Joseph Central High School, located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Under his leadership, the program has seen huge growth since 2020, increasing the girls program from 17 to 52 (+206% increase) and boys from 18 to 26 (+45% increase). In 2022-23, the girls finished 8-6 and

won the Suburban Conference Championship with two firstteam, All-Conference players and one individual finish of 3rd at Districts. The boys finished 16-2, won the Conference Championship (undefeated), and secured the #1 seed at Districts finishing champions, 7-0, a first for the school. They finished 5th overall at the Class 3 State tournament and had three first-team All-Conference players, three State qualifiers, and two Top 8 State medalists. Congratulations on your successes and award nomination!

5 Caroline Makauskas ’16 recently wrote a feature on Antwainette Walker ’18! Antwainette is a successful basketball leader in her graduate season at Eastern Kentucky University and Caroline is a sports reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky. We love these two Spartans’ worlds colliding!

6 Tim McGowan ‘19 studied International Studies with a concentration in diplomacy security and governance as an undergrad at Indiana University. As he moved into his master’s, he changed his concentration to global development. He was recently featured as a 2023 alum of IU for his work preparing for international development and global impact.

Music Department Takes Top Honors at IHSA Competition

For the first time, the SFHS Music Department (choir, band, and orchestra combined) placed first overall at the IHSA Solo and Ensemble State Competition (Class A) on March 2! In their respective competitions and divisions, the SFHS Choir placed 1st for the fifth year in a row, band placed 2nd, and orchestra placed 3rd.

Individually, Amanda Gierek and Alec Kissane received the Best of the Day Award in recognition of the most superior musical performance heard by a judge. Additionally, the percussion ensemble got a superior rating for their performance of “Doxy.”

The following students received a perfect scoreone of the highest, if not the highest, number of students to receive a perfect score in SFHS history:

CHOIR:

Sophia Costello (solo, ensemble)

Mary Free (solo)

Jackson Gabel (ensemble)

Amanda Gierek (solo)

George Gnorski (solo)

Madalyn King (ensemble)

Elena Mamminga (solo, ensemble)

Spencer McFarlane (ensemble)

Alexa Murray (solo)

Molly Quinn (solo)

Lauren Richardson (ensemble)

Vivi Taylor (solo, ensemble)

Victoria Turner (ensemble)

BAND:

Robert Barnhisel (solo, ensemble)

Elleson Connelly (ensemble)

Carter Ergang (solo)

Sofia Hutchens (ensemble)

Alec Kissane (solo)

Maria Knutsen (ensemble)

Yaahn Mody (solo)

Noah Munson (ensemble)

Sophia Munson (ensemble)

Congratulations to all students involved and Directors Madelyn Alvarado (Choir), Bob Mamminga (Band), and Steven Sjobring (Orchestra). We’d also like to thank our wonderful accompanists Leah Leman, Fr. Bob Barko, Nick Graffagna, Jeffrey Jensen, and Elaine Page. A special shout out to Gina Graffagna for all her work with the students as well. We are #SpartanProud!

SPARTANS AT STATE!

Girls Volleyball Wins 3A State Championship

Spartan Girls Volleyball won the 3A IHSA State Championship on November 11, against Lincoln High School! This is the team’s second consecutive state title and the 14th state title in Spartan Girls Volleyball history.

The Spartans prevailed 23-25, 25-23, 26-24 on Saturday against Lincoln after defeating Morton High School on Friday, November 10, in two sets, 26-24, 29-27.

Coach Lisa Ston said the championship match was a hardearned battle against a very good team and that the Spartans have several big-time players. The strength of the team lies in their balance, she added, which showed in the final statistics.

We are so proud of this team’s hard work and dedication. Coaches, fans, students - our entire Spartan communitythank you for your support and encouragement!

SFHS wins IHSA Sportsmanship Award

Our school community was awarded the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Do What’s Right! Sportsmanship Award for positive sportsmanship shown by the team, the community at large, and the student body during the IHSA Class 3A Girls Volleyball State Tournament.

This is the second consecutive year SFHS has received the award. An IHSA-formed committee grades all participating schools and selects the winner based on the conduct of their coaches, players, and fans.

Thank you to our entire school community for making this award possible, and congratulations to all!

Wrestler Jaylen T. ‘26 Takes 2nd at State

Congratulations to Jaylen T. ‘26 for taking second at the Class 1A IHSA State Wrestling Championship in the 285-pound weight division on February 17! Jaylen was also a two-time sectional champion in his sophomore year. Congratulations on your hard work Jaylen and to the entire Spartan wrestling team on a great season!

Cheer & Dance

1 Spartan Cheer placed 10th in the IHSA State Competitive Cheer Competition in February.

2 Spartan Dance placed 13th in the IHSA State Competitive Dance Preliminaries in January.

SCHOOL NEWS

Spartans at Hoosiers Gym

Spartan Girls Basketball played the iconic Hoosiers Gym in Knightstown, Indiana, in Decemberand it was like being transported right into the movie, “Hoosiers”! Thanks to our coaches for coordinating this awesome experience.

Spartan Student-Athletes Commit to Play in College

Congratulations to these senior Spartans headed off to play at the collegiate level. Your hard work and determination both on the field and in the classroom make us #SpartanProud!

November Signing Day

Paige C., Austin Peay State University - Soccer

Izabelle D., Trine University - Lacrosse

KK D., Rockhurst University - Volleyball

Gavin G., Menlo College - Volleyball

Shay M., Parkland College - Volleyball

Kyle Z., Grand Canyon University - Volleyball

December Signing Day

Alessio M., Michigan State University - Football

Andrew M., Loras College - Baseball

Nicole P., Benedictine University - Volleyball

Anna P., Bemidji State University - Volleyball

Fabiana P., Dominican University - Volleyball

Abbie S., North Central College - Swim/Track and Field

February Signing Day

Dom B., University of Wisconsin Whitewater - Football

Andy B., Benedictine University - Football

Jack D., Winona State - Football

Corin G., Grand Valley State - Football

Antonio G., Minnesota State - Football

Dan T., Valparaiso University - Football

PVA in Disney

During the President’s Day break, our talented Performing and Visual Arts crew jet-setted to Orlando for electrifying shows at Disney World and Universal Studios! The SFHS Choir hit the stage at Disney Springs, the Rock Band rocked out at Universal City Walk, and the Marching Band made waves (in the pouring rain!) at Magic Kingdom. It was pure magic from start to finish!

Spartan Olympics 2024

It was another action-packed Spartan Olympics in February! We love this SFHS tradition that brings together all our students, faculty, and staff in friendly (but fierce!) competition. Teams competed in relay races, tug-of-war, dodgeball, sumo wrestling, and more. Congratulations to the seniors for clinching their hard-earned victory!

SCHOOL NEWS

Alumni Panel Shares College Wisdom With Current Spartans

On January 8, our annual Alumni Panel event had current junior and senior Spartans gleaning college wisdom from recent SFHS grads about everything from the application process to how to get involved in campus life.

The alumni, Avery Bonk ‘22 – Drake University; Joe Cibulka ’20 – Loras College; John Gerdeman ’21 – University of Michigan; and Katherine Lemke ’21 – Virginia Tech transferred from Creighton University, shared fantastic insight into what their daily lives in college are like and fielded questions from the students for more than an hour.

The four Spartan grads unanimously agreed that taking advantage of extracurriculars has helped them adjust to the college lifestyle and develop more friendships, and that SFHS prepared them well for college. They also realized how robust SFHS writing classes were after working with their peers.

“Our teachers taught us well,” Katherine said.

They added that while the workload is comparable to SFHS’ rigor, the time management and self-discipline required can be an adjustment. Another insight was the importance of building relationships with professors by taking advantage of office hours.

Alums Visit Engineering Students

Tim Nitsch ’91 visited Dr. Tom Juliano’s Intro to Engineering class in early November and shared his experience and advice with students. Tim has a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has completed impressive projects such as automating the entire John G. Shedd Aquarium, including the water quality systems and the lighting systems. Also at the aquarium, he was able to regulate the temperature in the penguin exhibit, which previously fluctuated 10 degrees and caused the penguins to become sick. Because of his automated equipment, he was able to regulate the temperature within .2 of a degree. The penguins became healthier and started producing eggs, which were then sold for $1 million each!

After almost 10 years as a mechanical engineer, Tim went back to school and earned his law degree. Tim is now a patent lawyer, one of only 1,500. He is the named inventor on six patents and owns his own law firm, KCO Legal.

Matt Mucci ‘03 visited Dr. Juliano’s Engineering class in January to share about his career as an engineer - what he calls being “a professional problem-solver.” He encouraged students to stay broad in their choice of what area of engineering to focus on and offered different examples of careers in engineering.

Over time, he said he’s found it valuable to not be as hard on himself as he once was. He encouraged students to let things go that they’re not able to do at a given point in time and to be patient with themselves.

Matt has worked on several interesting projects over the years, including a role at a turkey factory, car safety design for the Tesla Model 3, and currently with industrial-size dishwashers.

Thank you to both alums for sharing your stories and expertise with our students!

1 Tim Nitsch ‘91

2 Matt Mucci ‘03

Joe Cibulka ’20, Avery Bonk ‘22, John Gerdeman ’21, and Katherine Lemke ’21 shared their insights at this year’s Alumni Panel.

Spartans in Paradise: Ensuring Our Future Auction 2024

It was another RECORD-BREAKING year for the Ensuring Our Future Auction!

We are thrilled to share we raised $685,351,* including $208,415 for the Fund-A-Cause, which will help us expedite the addition of a traffic light on Roosevelt Road at our school, helping students to cross safely daily.

A huge wave of gratitude to everyone who supported the auction by sponsoring the event, purchasing raffle tickets, attending, and bidding during the live and silent auctions!

A heartfelt thank-you is also due to all of our volunteers; Auction Chair Erin Stafford-Nugent; Décor Chairs Lori Connelly, Alicia Haley and Jeannette Curtis; Graphic Designer Kristin Chmiel; and Packaging and Spartan Shoppe Chair Kelly Tangorra.

*Gross amount raised, as of publication time

Photo Credit: WCS Photography

Fall Play: “Clue”

Our fall performance of the play “Clue” left audiences both baffled and in stitches! The classic whodunit, adapted from the beloved film and board game, had all the elements of a thrilling murder mystery wrapped in a hilarious farce. The production was a delightful blend of mystery and laughter, proving the talent of our captivating and entertaining Spartans.

Spring Musical: “Beauty and the Beast”

The magic of storytelling and the power of love took center stage in our production of “Beauty and the Beast” this spring. This tale as old as time was brought to life through song, dance, and dazzling sets, offering a spellbinding experience for all ages.