What's Happening in Cougar Country

The end of the school year marks the time for many different awards and honors to be bestowed upon students within clubs and teams, departments, and even the greater school at large.

At Tuesday’s Baccalaureate Mass and Senior Awards, Lake Catholic awarded senior Gianna Rubino the school’s highest honor – The Christian Life Award.

The Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award is the most prestigious recognition presented by our school community.  With the inception of this award in 1972, a tradition was established to focus on the active expression of the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Gospel values both within our school environment and in the greater community. Criteria for the Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award are as follows:

• The student is an extraordinary witness to the Gospel message and the Spirit of Jesus.
• The student is a person of great integrity who dynamically lives his or her faith, both within the Lake Catholic Community and in the greater community at large. 
• The student lives an exemplary life consistent with the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Core Values.
• The student actively expresses a willingness to serve within the Lake Catholic Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life areas, Lake Catholic Community, Church Community, and our greater community at large.

Congratulations to Gianna for such a deserving honor.

Other senior award winners were: 

• President’s Award for Educational Achievement - Kyan Harrold, Domonic Orlando, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Olivia Switalski, Daniel Tomic, and Charlie Trinetti
• President’s Award of Educational Excellence - Jonathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Haley Horen, Garrett Knisely, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Joseph Powaski, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, and Chloe Stossel
• Service Cord - Greg Bares, Mya Brannen, Kira Brennan, Makenna Bretz, Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Delaney Charlton, Juliana Conforte, Gianna Coreno, Parker DiCello, GiGi DiDomenico, Claire Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Egypt Kamara, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Joey Lonchar, Grace McCalligan, Katie Morgan, Cassie Nagy, Alexandra Newnes, Stephen Parrish, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, Sutton Pikor, Meadow Pontius, Joseph Powaski, McKenzie Prosuch, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, Gianna Rubino, Mia Schaefer, Taylor Scharf, Madeline Spies, Chloe Stossel, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Christopher Vanjo, Olivia Viskovic, and Kelly Ward
• Happy Moose / Monday’s With Malta Scholarship - Parker Pikor
• John Peyton Meritorious Award - Christina Lombardo
• OHSAA Scholar Athlete - Zoe Pesek and Greg Bares
• OHSAA Courageous Athlete Award - Mia Schaefer
• OHSAA Award of Excellence - Stephen Parrish
• OHSAA Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award - Claire Duricky and Luke Snider
• Nick D’Angelo Award - Caroline Brown, Gianna Koenig, Josh Styles, Daniel Tomic, and Olivia Viskovic
• Willoughby Junior Women’s Club Award - Mia Schaefer and Charlie Trinetti
• Mentor Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship - Mya Brannen and Madeline Spies
• Red Cross Scholarship - Emily Aliff and Davide Patriarca
• Cardinal Credit Union Scholarship - Joey Lonchar, Greg Bares, Charlie Trinetti, Chloe Stossel, Jonathan Bokausek, Meadow Pontius, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, and Dominic Orlando
• P.E.O. Star Scholarship Award - Kayla Calvey
• Phi Beta Kappa Award - Zoe Pesek
• Academic Honors Diploma - Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Juliana Conforte, GiGi DiDomenico, Garrett Knisely, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Grace McCalligan, Marko Odorcic, Domonic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Cooper Pikor, Parker Pikor, Joseph Powaski, Kate Powaski, Nicholas Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Chloe Stossel, Olivia Switalski, and Daniel Tomic
• Art Honors Diploma - Kathryn Ridler
• St. Thomas Aquinas Distinction - Ivan Blazevic, Caroline Brown, Juliana Conforte, Parker DiCello, Gigi DiDominico, Tyler Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Tessa Koenig, Joey Lonchar, Dominic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Hannah Pattie, Andrew Pellecchia, Zoe Pesek, Joe Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Gianna Rubino, Jarred Smith, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Isaiah Tyree, Chloe Stossel, Oliva Switalski, Chris Vanjo, and Dani Villa
• Christian Leadership Recognition - Chloe Stossel and Dominic Orlando

More photos from the evening, including ones of all the winners, can be found on our Senior Awards page.

Most high schoolers have summer jobs for spending money throughout the year.

A lesser amount saves some of that money to use after high school and help pay for college.

For Lake Catholic senior Theresa Lazanich, she’s turned her summer job from the past two years as a caddie at Canterbury Country Club into four years’ worth of full tuition and room and board.

Theresa was named an Evans Scholarship winner at the end of January, and just this past week found out that she will use that scholarship at Ohio State University.

The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies. According to the scholarship website, to qualify caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character.

“I was super excited when I found out that I won the Evans Scholarship,” Theresa said. “And now that I know I’m going to my first-choice school (Ohio State), it’s even more exciting.

“I want to be a physician’s assistant, which will mean extra schooling. So that’s a huge financial commitment. And being the youngest of six kids, this is a huge help for me and my parents.”

Evans Scholars can be found at 24 universities nationwide. Their students live and work together in a community, earning a reputation for scholastic achievement and excellence in community service.

What’s different about Evans Scholars though is that they don’t have the final say on where they attend. Once she received the scholarship, Theresa had to submit a list of her top three school choices – that she had applied for and had been accepted to. Her top three were Ohio State, Marquette, and Miami University.

“I had the choice of Ohio schools or any private or possibly border state schools,” she said. “But I’m glad I got my No. 1 choice.”

Theresa has been around the game of golf since she was a kid, she said. As the youngest in her family, her parents would often take her to the course when they would play. That’s where she learned the game, first hit the ball, and became fond of the game that would become such a big part of her life.

“I started playing when I was really young, maybe eight or nine (years old),” she said. “I would play in leagues throughout the summers and have played all four years here at Lake Catholic.

“When I started playing here, I met a girl from Beaumont, who talked me into getting a job at Canterbury with her.”

So, for the past two summers, Theresa has been at the country club early in the morning and helped members and guests with their rounds of golf throughout. Eventually, it was there that the caddie master suggested she apply for the Evans Scholarship.

“There’s also a ton of members there who are Evans Scholars, so I had a lot of support when I applied,” she said.

All the while, she continued her successful high school career. She was a two-year captain for the Cougars while playing as the team’s No. 1 player. She was named First Team All-Crown Conference in both her junior and senior seasons.

It was after her senior season when she was named a finalist for the scholarship, and she began prepping for her interview at Moraine Country Club in the Dayton area.

“The four green coats (chairpersons) were there, along with 60 other Evans Scholars,” she said. “They all had read my essay and I had to just stand there for 20-25 minutes answering questions about it.”

And from there it was a waiting game – first to be named an Evans Scholar and then to find out she was heading to her first-choice school.

Not too bad for a summer job.

Giving money directly to teachers brings immediate results in the classroom.

It’s the approach Toshiba America Foundation (TAF) takes with its grants, funding projects designed by individual classroom teachers. 

Lake Catholic Science Department Chair Chris Ronzi is happy to benefit from the approach.

Earlier this month, Ronzi was presented with a grant of $2,646, which she’ll put toward the rebirth of the school’s vivarium. It’s the second grant Ronzi has received from Toshiba.

“We are renovating the space and want to incorporate (two) hydroponic gardens to educate our environmental chemistry class as well as our biology students,” she said. 

The two hydroponic towers will serve multiple purposes and lessons for those environmental chemistry and biology classes. Immediately, students will be able to grow different types of produce – lettuce, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, spinach, and kale, just to name a few.

“We want to be able to help out the Meal Ministry program,” Ronzi said. “Having the ability to provide fresh vegetables and herbs to prepare those meals would be awesome.” Meal Ministry meets once a month to cook a large hot meal in the school’s Campus Ministry office that is delivered to local shelters.

“With two towers, we would be able to also help our entire school community by allowing students in need to take some of the produce home to help out their parents,” she said.

Students will not only continue to grow plants in soil in the vivarium’s grow beds but having the hydroponic towers will help educate them on a whole different method of growing. A longer-term lesson for students will be on sustainability and climate change.

They will be able to investigate and observe the needs of plants in a different modality than the more widely used soil model. They will see the value of growing hydroponically in areas where water and soil are limited.

“They will see the value of growing hydroponically in areas where water and soil are limited,” Ronzi said. “In a world where global warming is an issue that we face, optimal conditions for plant growth will decrease. Having experience with hydroponics will give the students a certain level of expertise that they will feel confident to carry on in their adulthood, fostering a love of plants and healthy eating.”

Students will learn responsibility in managing the hydroponic systems by incorporating STEM concepts into their classroom experience. This will allow them to see how hydroponics can reduce human impact on the earth, helping to conserve water and to be able to provide a much more nutritious and sustainable product. 

In biology classes specifically, the students learn about macromolecules and nutrition, and having the towers would lead to a culminating project where they would plan a meal to assemble in our school kitchen focusing on the nutrition knowledge that they gained in the unit.

Ronzi’s first grant from TAF, for $5,000, was back in 2014. With those funds, she purchased Anatomy in Clay supplies for both her anatomy class and human biology to use. 
“Over the years, there has been proof to substantiate that hands-on experience with using the manikins has been valuable with them retaining the knowledge about bones, muscles, and organs,” she said. “Students remember them better when they have built them.”

Toshiba America Foundation’s grants funds projects designed by individual classroom teachers. This “direct-to-teacher” approach brings immediate results. Teachers are able to change the way they teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects because the grant supports equipment for hands-on experiments and inquiry-based approaches to the curriculum. At ATF, they believe STEM is a lot more fun than just reading a textbook. TAF grants provide teachers with the tools they need to be more effective educators. The grants make the classroom a more exciting place for both teachers and students.

Very few students are perfect in school. Everyone needs help – whether just needing a helping hand with homework or feeling pressure because of an upcoming test. Lake Catholic is now proud to offer a few different options for all its students to get the help they might need.

Tutoring help can be found in Tutoring Lab in the back of the Media Center, where, most recently, the CBN Studio used to be.

Tutor Ohio Kids

Principal Tom McKrill has been working with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio to bring in tutors during the school day. To that end, Lake Catholic has been approved for and accepted into the Tutor Ohio Kids program.

Established in 2022, Ohio House Bill 583 required the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a program to provide tutoring and remedial education services to students in participating public and chartered nonpublic schools. Tutors placed in schools must provide services in math, science, social studies, reading, and/or English language arts.

Through this program Mrs. Christine Deighan will be on campus three days per week to tutor students in science. She is the mother of alums Kelli (class of 2015) and Ryne (class of 2017) and recently retired after more than 25 years in the Chagrin Falls School District. Mrs. Deighan will be on campus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10a-130p in the Tutoring Lab.

“The times were intentional so that students can meet with a tutor during their lunch period,” Mr. McKrill said.

Mr. Dennis Ebner, who teaches the on-campus CCP English class, as well as helping out throughout the English Department, will also be available for English tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the lunch periods.

Mr. McKrill is working on bringing in a math tutor as well.

“We don’t have any local applicants at this moment,” he said, “but we may begin with a virtual option until we can bring someone to campus.”

National Honor Society

If meeting with a teacher or adult tutor is intimidating or simply not the best way to learn, students have an option this year for peer-to-peer tutoring. The National Honor Society students, usually two at a time, are available in the Tutoring Lab during most periods of the day.

Students can just walk into the lab during their lunch or study hall period. No reservations are required.

“I have learned in my years in the classroom, that when students work together and help each other, both of them benefit,” said Mrs. Melissa Grai, the National Honor Society advisor. “Students have the ability to communicate with each other in a language that both of them understand. I am hoping that this will help the NHS students, as it will force them to think of the content in a new light, and it will help the students seeking tutoring, as they will understand the content.”

If the National Honor Society member(s) aren’t familiar with the subject matter, they’ve been told not to lead the student(s) down the wrong path, but instead just to be honest with them. The student should be directed back to their teacher, or tutor.com for additional help.

“This is a trial year.  As the year goes on, I am hoping to make changes based on feedback from students on what is working and what is not,” Grai said. “As we progress through the year, this program may change, but I am hopeful that this will have a positive impact on the Lake Catholic community.”

Tutor.com

At the beginning of the school year, the Dean of Academics Maghen Frindt worked to get all the students a Mentor Public Library card. One of the features associated with the card is that those students with one can create a free account with tutor.com.

“I would 100-percent endorse this program,” Frindt said.

Tutor.com allows students to connect with a live tutor in an online classroom, watch videos to review concepts, take practice quizzes to prepare for tests, and review past work. Tutors screen share with students allowing them to work with someone on a math problem in live time. Students can also submit a paper and receive writing lab feedback within twenty-four hours.  

Tutor.com is completely anonymous, and covers all levels and a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to math, science, writing, English, Spanish, social studies, AP classes and even SAT/ACT prep. 

Lake Catholic students took part in The Leadership Summit, presented by All Choice Matter and Team IBB, earlier this week at Andrews Osborne Academy. 

Representing Lake Catholic were Ariana Coyne, Layla Foradis, Raegan Kvoriak, Katie Morgan, Hannah Pattie, Kate Powaski, Kenzie Prosuch, Mia Schaefer, and Maddie Spies.

Those nine, and students from 11 other schools heard local leaders share stories of how they persevered in the face of adversity to become respected leaders people seek to follow. 

There were seven speakers, each with their own message, as part of the Summit. 

Dione DeMitro, Executive Director of United Way Lake County, reminded the group that “Your past does predict your future,” and that “Happiness starts with gratitude,” but also reminded them to “Be of service to others and be at peace with yourself.”

Elizabeth Brassell, who was the first runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair Ohio, pointed out that “Our flaws make us unique,” “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try,” and to “Focus on what you can do.”

Laura Gray, the founder and executive director of iPride, said that everyone should “Be the leader in your life, and lead with your heart.”

Wendy Kunash, a professional development coach, shared the simple message that everyone should “Share your thoughts and feelings; otherwise, people do not know.”

Karyssa Kestranek, who is a motivational speaker, also had a simple message, “Make good choices.”

Jimmy Mrozek, the Dean of Students at Andrews Osborne Academy, reminded everyone that “The way you act impacts other people,” but also, you should “Thank people who give meaning to your life.”

Finally, Michael Hutter, a professional wrestler known as EC3, shared a truth that “Leadership comes with value, but can be a burden, cast doubt, cause fear, and is about sacrifice,” but also “Leadership is the opportunity for growth and change.”

All Choices Matter is “a nonprofit established to connect youth to local leaders to take pressure off of teachers, engage parents, and help youth navigate life’s tough stuff,” according to its website.

Team IBB was created to very simply help others achieve more. As stated on its website, “We have learned a lot in our lives about failure, success, and the importance of having a plan in place that is directly inline with your goals. We want to use our experience to help others do the same in any way we can.”
 

This is the first in a series introducing new members of the Lake Catholic community.

Carolina Kane has always wanted to be an art teacher, just like her mom, except for those rebellious teenage years, when no teenager wants anything to do with his/her parents.

“I rebelled when I was a teenager, but other than that, this is what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Lake Catholic’s first-year art teacher.

Although this is Ms. Kane’s first year in a full-time high school classroom setting, she’s been around the art world for almost her entire life.

“I’ve been going to the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition and the Lake/Geauga Art Show since I was five years old,” she said. “I would go with my mom all over to different shows. So I’ve been around the art world for a long time.”

Her mom, Mrs. Michelle Kane, has been teaching art classes at Mentor High School for more than 30 years and has numerous awards, most recently the 2023 Cleveland Institute of Art Excellence in Teaching Award.

Lake Catholic’s Ms. Kane has her own impressive resume.

She’s been a photographer for Cleveland Magazine since the summer of 2017 and John Carroll University since the summer of 2018. She also started her own photography business – Carolina Kane Photography - in 2017.

Once she got her degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 2019, Ms. Kane was hired for a full-time marketing position at John Carroll in the Center for Service-Learning and Social Action. 

In November of 2020, she left John Carroll to work as an assistant director at District Gallery, an art gallery in Shaker Heights. Soon after, the director left to pursue her own art career, and Ms. Kane stepped into the director role, where she learned the business side of the art world.

“I had to learn Quickbooks pretty quickly,” she said. “I knew almost nothing about that side of things, but I’ve learned a lot since then.”

While serving as the director of the gallery, she doubled the square footage and wall space of it.

But still she wanted more.

“I’ve lived off my artwork. I’ve been the gallery director of a studio. But the passion to share with others is what I was really missing,” she said.

So in February of this year, Ms. Kane took her Art content exam and began Ohio's Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute (IPTI) through Ohio State University – an intense 16-week program that’s essentially an expediated path for working and experienced professionals to become a certified teacher. She did her field work from mid-March through May in the Mentor Schools.

“I love the challenge high school art education and students present” she said. “I want to connect with them through their artwork – whether it’s incorporating food, shoes, sports. Whatever works. I want them to play to their passions. I want them to be vulnerable and eventually make them passionate about art.”

In her first year at Lake Catholic, Ms. Kane is teaching Art Foundations, Drawing, and Digital Photography and Design.

“I’ve learned in a really short time that the students really do care about what they’re doing,” she said. “They’re coming in whenever they have study hall or even lunch and working on their projects. In just a few short weeks, I’ve noticed a lot of kids evolving already.”

It’s not even been a month since the school year started, and since Ms. Kane’s high school teaching career began, but she’s ready to challenge her classes and move them quickly forward.

"Mrs. Wolf and I make a great team as Lake Catholic's art department,” she said. “I know that I can't do everything yet in my first year, as I have much to learn about Lake Catholic and our students still. But these students, this department, and this school has a ton of potential for incredible collabs, projects, and greatness. I am so excited for what lies ahead."

Quick Hits

Family: Mom, Dad and brother, Camden. Mom is an art teacher. Dad is an accountant. Camden is a senior at Hiram majoring in business and accounting.
Pets: Two cats – Ronald and Mouse
Hobbies: Softball – plays in Mentor Coed Rec League. “I played in six games over Labor Day weekend!”

Music – “I love all types of music.” She likes Taylor Swift, The Bleachers, Lord Huron, just to name a few. “I like what (German philosopher Arthur) Schopenhauer said about music … ‘Music is different from all other artforms because it alone is an expression of itself rather than something else. Notes and melodies, unlike phrases and colors, do not try to represent anything but can instead be appreciated simply for what they are.’”

Movies – “Movies are another form of art I really appreciate. I love to examine set design and pick-a-part complex storylines in movies, but the last movie I saw was Barbie at the drive-in. Ha ha.”

Airplane Restoration - Wait. What? Airplane restoration? Yep. In her free time, Ms. Kane is part of the team at Vintage Wings Inc. (out of Franklin, PA) that restores World War II aircrafts.
 

Eighteen Lake Catholic students were honored and awarded scholarships last night by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve. 

The award ceremony was held at St. John Vianney and then Fr. Tom Johns held a mass for the students, their families and the Christ Child Society.

The chapter of the Christ Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve is an organization primarily dedicated to child welfare. Its motive and spirit shall be a love of Christ expressing itself in personal service for children and youth regardless of race or creed to honor the childhood of Christ.

The 40-year-old chapter serves "one child at a time" through many different programs, including scholarships. Scholarships are offered to students currently enrolled at Lake Catholic and Ursuline College for their current tuition.

Those receiving the scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are: Victor Arenas (Sr.), Carley Dondorfer (Sr.), Joey Lonchar (Sr.), Katie Morgan (Sr.), Alyssa Naro (Sr.), Mia Schaefer (Sr.), Katie Sowko (Sr.), Kyle Boyd (Jr.), Caden Boyes (Jr.), Carson Gilbert (Jr.), Megan Joy (Jr.), Luke Joy (Jr.), Jimmy Meden (Jr.), Angelina Capra (So.), Kaelyn Nemeth (So.), Kiera Nemeth (So.), Brayden Mann (So.) and Robert Vidmar (Fr.).

Earlier today, the Diocese of Cleveland named John Morabeto as the next President of Lake Catholic High School.

An accomplished leader and strong proponent of Catholic education, John has extensive experience in institutional advancement, having served as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland for 11 years, securing more than $150 million for endowment growth, facility improvements, and faculty
formation. 

A product of the Diocese of Steubenville’s Catholic Central High School, John holds a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Akron and a bachelor's degree in management and marketing from Kent State University.

John expressed his excitement about the opportunity to serve as the President of Lake Catholic stating, “Education rooted in our Catholic faith has been a lifelong commitment for me as a student, a professional, and as a parent. Its mission and outreach are critical as we look to form the young men and women of the next generation in this challenging world. I have experienced the grace Catholic education has provided my family and I am impassioned to help others experience it as well. I look forward to joining the Lake Catholic community and advancing this important work in Lake County and across the entire greater Cleveland area.”

Associate Superintendent for Secondary Schools, Michael Zelenka, shares in the excitement surrounding Mr. Morabeto’s appointment, “The Diocese of Cleveland’s Office for Catholic Education believes that John’s strong Catholic faith, proven track record in advancement efforts, commitment to Catholic education, and leadership acumen signals an incredibly bright future for Lake Catholic.”

Lake Catholic Principal Tom McKrill added: "I am very excited to work with John Morabeto as we look to maximize the opportunities for Lake Catholic. Mark Crowley has done great things for our school. I look forward to continuing his work, and the mission of Lake Catholic, into a bright future with John."

Morabeto replaces Mark Crowley, who announced his retirement early in 2023. Crowley's last day with Lake Catholic will be June 30.

“Mark has provided steadfast leadership to Lake Catholic through an important time in its history by focusing on mission and the unique charisms of the Lake Catholic experience. “Today the school enjoys steady enrollment and growing community support to ensure financial stability and position Lake Catholic for future growth,” Frank O'Linn, Ed.D., Superintendent of Catholic schools said back in January. ”Mark as also assembled a talented team to lead and sustain Lake Catholic for the future."

Now, Morabeto will take over the reins of that team and lead Lake Catholic into a promising future.

For the second year in a row, one of the Lake Catholic Robotics Club teams finished as runners-up at the AWT RoboBots Competition on Saturday, April 29 at Lakeland Community College. 

Team Thunderstruck, with its bot Bolt, came out of the loser's bracket of the tournament and beat undefeated Ashtabula, and its bot War Machine, but then ultimately was beat in the winner-take-all final. Team Thunderstruck was comprised of Lauren Olenik, Jackson Aliff, Christopher Kelley, Jeremy Jones and Nick Hancock and Marty Johnson from Lakeshore Compact.

Thunderstruck and the other Lake Catholic team, Clean Sweep, both won their first round matches, but then had to face off against each other in the second round. Thunderstruck pulled off the victory, sending Clean Sweep, and its bot Mr. Clean, to the loser's bracket. 

Thunderstruck lost it's next match in the winner's break semifinals to Madison's Athena. It fought back in the loser's bracket winning against Madison's second bot, Cataclysm, Auburn's Titanium Titan and then getting revenge and beating Madison's Athena to set the stage for the finals against Ashtabula.

Clean Sweep, with Jarred Smith, Nicholas Olenik, Tyler Duricky, Andrew Zalar and Ryan Dressler and Mason Sampson from Lakeshore Compact, put together a nice run after losing to its schoolmates in the second round. It beat Maplewood's Hope and Lakeside's Point Break before finally exiting the tournament with a loss to Auburn's Titanium Titan. Clean Sweep finished in fifth place.

RoboBots is a high school combat robotics competition that allows high schools to partner with industry mentors to build a 15lb combat robot.

The industry partner provides financial assistance and mentorship to the high school students through the six-seven month robotic build process.

This educational and workforce initiative was started by the AWT Foundation. The AWT Foundation promotes rewarding manufacturing careers for the long-term sustainability of manufacturing.

Earlier today, Lake Catholic honored a number of academic scholars at a combined ceremony for the annual honors banquet and this year's National Honor Society inductions. 

The ceremony was opened with a welcome from Principal Mr. Tom McKrill ('07) and was emceed by Dean of Academics Mrs. Maghen Frindt.

New National Honor Society advisor Mrs. Melissa Grai introduced the newest members of the Lake Catholic chapter. In all, 30 members (11 juniors and 19 sophomores) were inducted. After each was recognized, they, along with all current members who were in attendance recited the NHS pledge.

I pledge to maintain the standards of by which I was selected. To uphold this promise, I will: Pursue academic excellence with diligence and integrity. Lead by positive example; Volunteer my time and energy for the betterment of my community and world; and Employ traits of high character in my words, actions and deeds 

Students were then recognized for academic excellence in the classroom throughout the 2022-2023 school year. The Academic Patch or Pin was awarded to students who had achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher for the first three quarters including the semester exam grade. Patches are given the first time a 3.75 is achieved, and a pin is awarded for every year after.

In total 52 freshmen, 25 sophomores, 54 juniors and 65 seniors received his/her academic patch or pin - that's 45% of the current student body who has earned a 3.75 or higher throughout the first three quarters of the school year.

The winners of the Certificates of Outstanding Achievement (the top student in each course) and the Medal of Outstanding Department Achievement (the top student in each department) were also announced.

The ceremony was capped off with eight Guidance Awards for excellent performance in academic activities in the community outside of Lake Catholic High School.

Congratulations to all of our scholars!

TODAY'S HONOREES

New National Honor Society members

Juniors - Juliana Conforte-Polson, Tyler Duricky, Katie Morgan, Gianna Nappi, Dominic Orlando, Cooper Pikor, Joseph Powaski, Taylor Scharf, Josh Styles, Olivia Switalski and Charlie Trinetti; Sophomores - Hannah Aliff, Ava Budrys-Rini, George Csepegi, Brecklin Harrold, Sophia Iannini, Megan Joy, Isabella Leffel, Nicholas Olenik, Julia Oster, Annie Owens, Ace Peterlin, Patrick Radigan, Emily Schoen, Trey Siepka, Caleb Stien, Isabella Trem, Frankie Trinetti, Alexa Udovicic and Sean Walsh.

Medal of Outstanding Department Achievement

English - Chloe Stossel; Health and Physical Education - Tristan Negrelli; Mathematics - Michael Skalicki; Performing Arts - Anna Sanford; Science - Blair Banker; Social Studies - Blair Banker; Techonolgy & Innovation - Anna Sanford; Theology - Camryn Byrne; Visual Arts - Susan Toth; World Languages - Maria Martincic

Guidance Awards

The Yale University Book Award - Zoe Pesek; Cleveland Technical Societies Counsel-Outstanding Junior in Science and Mathematics Award - Johnathan Bokausek; Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar Ambassador (HOBY) - Samantha Martin; Leadership Lake County - Michael Skalicki and Peter Skalicki; St. Michael's College Book Award - Kyan Harrold and Theresa Lazanich; University of Notre Dame Club of Cleveland Book Award - Isabelle Langer; St. Vincent DePaul Medal - Tessa Koenig; The Princeton Book Award - Garrett Knisely

A white envelope sitting on the kitchen counter. 

When you’ve had a bad day, and you’re tired after a long day of school and work, you never know what might turn that day around – no matter how late in the day it is.

For Lake Catholic senior Tristan Sanders, it was that white envelope sitting on the kitchen counter. 

It wasn’t the envelope so much, but it was the letter inside it. The letter that notified her she was one of winners of the Excellence Scholarship through Ohio State University’s Morrill Scholarship Program, which equals full in-state tuition for eight semesters (four years). 

The Morrill Scholarship Program (MSP) is Ohio State's premiere diversity/merit scholarship program, rewarding academically talented students who are actively engaged in diversity-based leadership, service and social justice activities, according to the program’s website.

“I was having a bad day, and when I got home from work, my mom handed me the envelope and told me I should I open it,” Sanders said. “I didn’t really feel like it, but I took it to my room and laid on my bed. I opened it and started reading it and saw the “Congratulations” and I just started freaking out.”

Every year, Ohio State will have roughly 75,000 total applications to the Columbus campus. Of those, approximately 8,000 students will be enrolled. Out of those 8,000, anywhere between 5,000-7,000 apply for the Morrill Scholarship Program. The program only admits 350-400 students (each earning one of three scholarships), and only 50-60 of those are from Northeast Ohio. 

So, the fact that Sanders freaked out is justifiable.

“Full tuition for four years. I still can’t believe it,” she said. “It makes things so much easier for my mom.”

The process for applying for the program was fairly simple. Click the button on the undergraduate application that you want to apply, and then answer the essay question. Answering the question, on the other hand, was the difficult part, as there was a 350-500 word count limit and trying to get her message across while being brief was challenging.

But when it came to answering the prompt – “How have your life experiences and/or endeavors prepared you to be a Morrill Scholar? Please answer fully, and when possible, provide specific examples.” – Sanders said she had more than enough to write about.

“I wrote about my experiences of diversity and inclusion from being bi-racial and not fitting in, the isolation, and racist things I’ve experienced,” she said. “Everything I’ve experienced has motivated me to work hard and be successful – turning tragedies into triumphs.”

The Morrill Scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis to students admitted to the Columbus campus for the autumn semester following high school graduation. The program seeks academically exceptional high school seniors who will serve as student ambassadors and champions of scholarship and diversity, according to the program’s website. 

As one of the top seniors, academically, in Lake Catholic’s Class of 2023, Sanders said whether she was getting the scholarship or not, she planned on being heavily involved once she arrived on campus in Columbus in the fall. 

“I’m planning on majoring in Health Science, because I want to be a dentist,” she said. “So, the program is pretty rigorous, and being involved around campus is important to me too. I was going to be able to meet the requirements for the scholarship once I’m there whether I got it or not, so I’m not worried about that.”

And now, because of the news in the white envelope that was sitting on her counter, she has even less to worry about.
 

(The image is just a sample illustration of what the space could look like.)

Lake Catholic High School is pleased to announce a major gift to benefit collaborative learning. The Skalicki family has made the generous pledge that will help fund the school’s innovative project-based learning program.

The Skalicki family has been a supporter of Lake Catholic for many years. This latest donation is a testament to their commitment to the school and its mission of educating students in a collaborative learning environment.

“Lake Catholic is blessed to have many multi-generational families with aunts, uncles and cousins sharing the Lake Catholic experience – The Skalicki Family is no exception with a dozen relatives from three families attending Lake Catholic,” said Lake Catholic President Mark Crowley. “They shine in academics, fine and performing arts, spiritual life, student government and really anything they put their mind to.

“They have also been generous in helping us transform the educational experience with this investment in our Media Center. We expect it to serve as a catalyst throughout the building.”

The project-based learning program at Lake Catholic encourages students to take an active role in their education. Through the use of technology and collaboration, students are able to work together to solve problems and complete projects. This type of learning encourages students to think critically and develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.

“This transformational gift will provide state-of-the-art educational facilities for our students and faculty,” said Lake Catholic Principal Tom McKrill. “The Skalicki family has been a strong supporter of Lake Catholic, and their vision aligns very well with the future of Lake Catholic.

“We are taking the time to rethink old norms by examining a broader more individualized perspective on what our students’ success is and how they achieve it. The Media Center project will come with faculty and student development to gain knowledge, acquire practical skills, and develop personally. We are excited for this opportunity the Skalicki family is providing us with, as we enter a new era at Lake Catholic High School. “

The donation will be used to purchase the necessary equipment and materials for the project-based learning program. This includes capital improvements to the space, furniture upgrades and improved technology.

McKrill said he plans on putting together a focus group comprised of faculty, staff, and students, to come up with the best working solutions for the entire media center space. The school will work with Ohio Desk, an office furniture dealership in Cleveland, to reimagine, plan and build the new space.

“Our family’s contributions over the years have always been geared towards strengthening the school’s technological capabilities and improving the opportunities available to both current and prospective students,” said John Skalicki (Lake Catholic Class of 1993), who made the donation along with his brother Robert (’89), sister Barb Schoen (’95) and their parents, Zeljko and Amalija. “We are excited to be considered a catalyst in Lake Catholic’s project-based learning movement and hope our financial commitment inspires others to help fund this initiative for years to come.”

The family’s donation is a major boost to the school’s efforts to provide a top-notch education for its students. By investing in the project-based learning program, Lake Catholic is ensuring that its students are prepared for the future.

“Our faculty are already teaching with Ben Franklin’s adage in mind, ‘TELL ME and I’ll forget; SHOW ME and I may remember; INVOLVE ME and I’ll LEARN’,” Crowley said. “Research has shown that the contemporary furniture we will be purchasing with the Skalicki Family donation engages the students and teachers even more, thereby increasing the student’s learning.

“We are so grateful for their support.”

If you, your family and/or your business are interested donating for future projects, please contact Carla Ronnebaum, our Director of Advancement, either by email or by phone (440.578.1020 ext. 234). 

The second annual Career Fair, which took place right before the Thanksgiving break, offered the entire Lake Catholic student body a chance to talk to many different professionals to get a glimpse of a few careers that might be options for them as they move on to the next steps of their lives.

For one senior, though, the Career Fair ended up being a springboard to a professional shadow day over the Christmas break, a set-up for his senior project and introductions to key contacts for a possible career after college.

David Mordini, who wants to have a career as a government analyst or investigator, turned a conversation at the Career Fair into a day at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office and said he hopes it turns into much more after graduation.

“Two days after Career Day, Mrs. (Brandi) Mandzak (Lake Catholic theology teacher) called me and told me I was going to be able to get into the FBI headquarters,” Mordini said. “I freaked out.”

Mrs. Mandzak’s husband, Thomas Mandzak, who is the Captain in the Cleveland Division of Police, was the key contact for Mordini. He spoke with him at the Career Fair because of his interest in criminology and criminal justice.

“I want to be an analyst or an investigator,” Mordini said. “So, I was talking to Mr. Mandzak about possibly doing my senior project with the Cleveland Police.”

It was from that conversation that turned into his five-hour day at the Cleveland Field Office of the FBI. Mordini was with one of the FBI’s analysts, as she gave him a tour of the entire facility and introduced him to many members of the office – surveillance teams, cybersecurity, bilingual agents and international security.

“Even though each group has different roles and responsibilities, most all of them work in a big bullpen area,” Mordini said. “Everyone works together. They are all part of the same team.”

He also was given a look at the office’s clinic, drone room, media/conference room, gym, and cafeteria. He met a few of the lawyers, and the supervisor of specialized agents.

“The supervisor of specialized agents oversees all the agents,” he said. “We got to talk for a little bit. She gave me her card and even told me to reach out to her once I’m ready to take the FBI entrance exam.”

For now, Mordini will focus on finishing his senior year, including completing his senior project with the police and/or FBI, but then hopes to study criminology and criminal justice, probably at Kent State University, he said. 

It’s a career path that might have been accelerated because of one simple conversation.

“Career day was initially started as a means to extend the senior project,” said Mrs. Mary Ridler, Technology and Innovation Department Chair and Career Fair coordinator. “It allows students an opportunity to connect with different careers prior to graduation. The hope is to make the connections with the career day speakers in the field of their choice and to allow an opportunity for our seniors to engage in those careers for even just a week (senior project) for a 'real life ' introduction to that professional world.”

For the second consecutive semester, Ms. Tabitha Halcomb’s English classes were engaged in a week-long Shakespearean experience.

Two actors, as part of the Great Lakes Theater Company’s School Residency Program, were in school last week to work with students on Julius Caesar with the sophomore classes, Macbeth with the senior classes and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the senior honors class.

Teaching the classes were Tim Keo, who has been with the company since 2004, and Noelle Elise Crites, who is only in her second year with the residency program.

The full-participation classes brought Shakespeare to life in the Media Center, where the classes not only discussed the text and language, but also the movements and interaction of the characters. 

Each day involved three components: acting, discussion, theater exercises. Earlier in the week the actors performed for the students, followed by actors and students rehearsing and performing side-by-side with each other, finishing the week off with students doing the acting while the actor-teachers serve as the directors. By the end of the week, the students reading Julius Caesar and Macbeth were acting out full-on fight scenes.

“This is a great chance for the students to get out of the classroom and bring Shakespeare to life,” Halcomb said. “It’s much easier to learn and understand a play, especially Shakespeare, when you can act it out and see what’s going on.”