Layout 1 (Page 1) - Divine Child High School

MESSAGE
from the Principal
The new year will mark the 55th anniversary of Divine Child High School, and
I invite you to come back and visit your alma mater if circumstance and distance
have kept you away. When you come onto campus, you must stop in and see the
beautiful worship space that we have created in the Chapel, the welcoming
environment in our Bernardine Franciscan Learning Center, and our
Advancement Office in the west wing of the Convent.
If this winter sports season is anything like the one we enjoyed last year, buckle
your seat belts! We are counting on our hockey, wrestling, and basketball teams
to be competitive once again and lead us to regionals and beyond. Our student
athletes prove their mettle on and off the court and continue the tradition of
excellence that many of you helped forge.
Our theater department will stage a rocking version of "Bye Bye Birdie" this
spring that should help our students compete for awards and accolades again this
year. Divine Child continues to be the place where God given talents and gifts
are making a difference on and off campus in the lives of our families.
I hope that you will drop us a note or stop in to let us know how your Divine
Child education is helping you to live out your gifts . As we celebrate our 55th
year, we should take stock of the many successes our 10,000 Falcons have
inspired over our five decades of serving the families of this vicariate and beyond.
Blessed New Year!
Peggy Knuth '72
Principal
MESSAGE
from the Pastor
Dear Alumni,
With the gift of the New Year
upon us, we start to think about
the many facets of life. If you take
a moment to think about this past
Christmas time, you may have
come up with a common denominator:
relationships. God gave us the gift
of His Son, Jesus, to open the
way to Salvation. Through our
relationship with the Lord Jesus,
we come to know the depth and
meaning of life and how integral
our faith in God needs to be.
I pray and hope that your time at
Divine Child High School helped
to build a foundational relationship
with the Lord, for the Lord is the source of all life. We have many children in our school, and
we strive to bring the Lord and His mystery into every classroom. Living our faith doesn't just
happen in Church and religion class. Our science teachers instill the value of life and the power
of healing of the body through science. Our history teachers show how history may have been
altered depending on whether the presence of God was evident or not. These two examples are
just reminders that we need Divine Child High School to bring Christ into the world every day!
Thank you for being proud alumni of Divine Child High School.
Please continue to support our wonderful school, as we continue with
the gift of Catholic education!
I wish all of you good health, happiness and the gift of hope and
God's peace this New Year.
Rev. Jim Bilot
Pastor
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
LETTER
from the Director of Advancement
Dedicated to Excellence - Spiritually, Academically, and Athletically. During our
years at Divine Child we would have come across this tag line many times, and in
many different places,
from the inside cover of
the student handbook to
the back wall of the
gym. It wasn't until
recently though, when
we began to feature it
pr om i ne n t l y i n o u r
recruiting materials, that
I stopped to think about
the deeper meaning
behind the words and
how they relate to the
mission of Divine Child
High School.
Academic excellence is a
defining characteristic of a Catholic school. Catholic education goes beyond ensuring
that students are college or work-place ready, however, and seeks to provide
students with a spiritual, Gospel-based education for life. The post-graduation
success of Catholic secondary school students depends as much on their school's
Catholic identity as it does on the strength of its academic program.
Unfortunately, given the economic downturn and changes in demographics,
Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit have suffered significant
decreases in enrollment, and many have had to close. In 1970, the Archdiocese
boasted 81 Catholic high schools. Today that number has been reduced to 24 (a
68% drop). Of those high schools remaining, Divine Child has the second highest
enrollment, though we have not been at capacity for a few years now. While
enrollment is comparatively high, our tuition is comparatively low, with 18 of the
24 high schools having tuition higher than our out-of-parish rate, and significantly
higher than our in-parish rate. As a parish-based school (only 1 of 4 remaining in
the Archdiocese), Divine Child High School is obligated to balance the tuition
increases necessitated by increased education costs against the Archdiocese's
mission of making Catholic schools accessible for as many children in the
Archdiocese as would like to attend. The reality is that only 83% of the cost of a
Divine Child education is covered by tuition. The remaining cost is supported
through the generosity of our parents, parishioners and a small, but loyal, group
of our alumni.
As you read this latest issue of Once A Falcon, pay particular attention to how
Divine Child High School's mission to teach in the context of Gospel values
and Christian tradition is producing students and alumni who pursue lives of
responsibility, leadership, and faith in action. (For even more evidence, visit
www.divinechildhighschool.org/mission.html, and view the “Faith In Action”
video developed for the current recruiting season.) If you believe that the Catholic
education you received at Divine Child has given you a firm foundation in life,
please show your gratitude for what was given to you, and offer your financial
support to Divine Child. We need the help of all of our alumni in order to
continue providing the next generation of Falcons with the excellent spiritual and
educational foundation we received.
Kind regards,
Kristin (Szpunar) Hermann '89
Director of Advancement
Congratulations to Divine Child's Advanced Placement Students!
National Merit Scholars
168 Divine Child High School students took Advanced Placement exams this past
spring. Of those:
•
•
•
•
28 were named AP Scholars (average 3 or better on 3 or more exams),
10 were named AP Scholars with Honor
(scores of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams),
13 were named AP Scholars with Distinction
(scores of 3 or higher on 5 or more exams), and
1 was named a National AP Scholar (scores of 4 or higher on 8 or more
exams), with a 4.22 average on 9 exams!
Over 85% of the Divine Child students taking the exams scored a 3 or better, compared
to the State average of 67% and the Global average of 61%.
Way to go Falcons!
Dustin Klavon (Son of David Klavon '83 and Donna (Poshadlio) Klavon'84)
Kevin Hart, and Griffin Miller
NHS News
The annual retired faculty and staff reunion dinner at 5IVE Restaurant in Plymouth, MI with Chef Jason Stoops '91
Congratulations to the students who
have been selected for membership in
the National Honor Society:
Seniors:
S tac y C ollin s , Adr ien ne C r uz ,
Mackenna Hill, Dustin Klavon, Jesus
Miramontes, Olivia Murray, Meghan
O'Sullivan, Fadie Saad, Bradley Schock.
Juniors:
Lindsey Brewis, Angela Brown,
Teddy Ceccarelli, Justin Dolkowski,
Jack Mazur, Han-nah Moore, Joseph
Moss, Jillian Neill, Sheila Nicolin, Ki
Lee O'Brien, John Orischak, John
Pestenariu, Nicole Urbanick.
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Bottom Row 1: Jason Stoops'91, Ms. Michele Kostyshak, Mrs. Connie Hansen, Mr. Greg Smetek.
Row 2: Mrs. Judy Miller, Ms. Pam Romanelli, Mrs. Judy Altesleben, Mrs. Pam Powers, Ms. Sally Kilcullen, Ms. Kate Gedert,
Mrs. Marcia Closson, Mrs. Georgi Mattieson, Mrs. Karen Pritchard.
Row 3: Mr. Mike Opper, Mrs. Roberta Shortt, Mrs. Carol Pieti, Mrs. Lois Olah, Mrs. Shelia Giroux, Sister Mary Elena
Sabalausky, Sister Marie Cacciatore, Mrs. Mary kay Polo, Mr. Wes Wishart.
Back Row 4: Mr. Doug Strayer, Mr. Frank Lisjak, Mr. Larry Rivard, Mrs. Diane Rivard.
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
DC Forensics set to defend their State Championship
The 2013 team "INTENDS TO DEFEND" their 2012 FORENSICS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP at
Oakland University on May 3 & 4, 2013. Thirty-nine current team members in grades 9 - 12 will begin the
new season with their first tournament on January 26, 2013.
In Memoriam
The Divine Child community joins in
prayerful remembrance of those who have
died this past 2012-2013 school year. “Happy
are those who have died in the Lord; let them
rest from their labors for their good deeds go
with them.” (Rev. 14:13) Our deepest sympathy
and prayers go out to the families of:
Faculty
William G. Hessler
Alumni and Students
Peggy Ann (Tomaszewski) Studzinski '76
Robert Marcyan '81
Joseph Tudryck '84
Kathy Olis '85
David Arcand '03
2013 Varsity Members - Left to Right back row: Natalia Havlin, Harry Totten, Daniel Polster, Dustin Klavon,
Shannon Flory, Kaitlyn Tatro
Left to Right front row:
Nicole Witzleben, Samantha Myers, Alyssa Dunbeck, Stephanie DuRoss, Adrienne Cruz
Faith in Action - Divine Child Class of 2013
Divine Child Seniors partnered with Sweet Dreamzzz to deliver their R.E.M.
(Rest, Educate, Motivate) Sleep Program to over 375 children at Neinas
Elementary School in Detroit on Thursday, December 13, 2012. Sweet Dreamzzz
is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to educating at-risk children and their
families on the importance of sleep. DC Seniors, as part of their Senior Class
Service Project, made over 100 fleece blankets for the Neinas students during their
retreat at St. Francis Retreat Center in Dewitt, Michigan in November.
Pictured front left to right, Olivia Bechard, Bridget Gardner,
Starr Ambrosia Muslim, Rachel Foreman, Ashley O'Neill,
Natalie Kulongowski. Back row, Bridget Gardner, Michelle
Franco, Paige Patterson, Madison Springer, Yvonne Galdes,
and Mrs. O'Malley
The Once A Falcon magazine is going green
We've heard from many of you who would like to receive Once a Falcon electronically.
The magazine is currently available online at www.divinechildhighschool.org
(click on "Alumni Magazine" under the "Alumni & Friends" tab). Commencing
July 2013, copies of the magazine will only be mailed to the Classes of 1962
through1979. For all others, hard copies will be available in the High School Main
Office or will be mailed upon request to [email protected].
If you'd like to receive a notice when the next issue of Once a Falcon is available
online (January and July), please register your email and update your contact
information by clicking on the "Register Now" link found on the Alumni
Magazine page of the website.
Serge Danielson Francois Member Spotlight in the Michigan Library Association
Serge has been the librarian at
Divine Child High School in
Dearborn since 2007, when
he and his wife moved to
Michigan from Texas. Prior
to serving at DCHS, Serge
worked for the Kansas City
Public Library, Saint Paul
School of Theology, and Cy-Fair
College. Serge earned his MA
in Information Resources and
Library Science from the
University of Arizona in
2000. Before entering the
library profession, Serge was
a foreign language teacher at
Rutgers Prep in New Jersey
and a fifth grade teacher at
Lourdes Catholic in Arizona.
Scholastic All- Catholic Students
On Saturday, October 20, 2012 Divine
C h i l d Hi g h S ch o o l Ho n o rees w ere
recognized at the Prep Bowl.
Sophomore Winner - Jaclyn White
Junior Winner - Adam Rauh
Senior Winner - Jennifer Cimino
Congratulations! We are very proud of
our students!
Pictured Jennifer Cimino and Adam Rauh
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HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
World Language News:
This year the World Language Department has
proudly launched a 15 station computer lab. Students
are able to digitally record their voices, use the web
cams to speak with native speakers from other
countries, research cultural aspects of the languages,
and use digital textbooks with online activities.
The Spanish Club took a group of students to
Mexicantown for a presentation on the Day of the
Dead celebration in Mexico and to view the altars
made by the merchants in the area. The second year
Honor Students went to The Academy of the
Americas in Southwest Detroit to sing Christmas
Carols and make Christmas Cards with the children.
The fourth year Honor Students went to the DIA to
view the artwork they had
studied in class. All of the
first year students celebrated
Our Lady of Guadalupe
o n D ecem b er 1 2 t h b y
t ak i n g f l o w ers t o t h e
chapel, saying the Spanish
Hail Mary, and singing a
song to her honor.
The German classes meet
once a week for Stammtisch,
m eet i n g s af t er sch o o l
where all are welcomed
and German is spoken.
S t u d en t s are g i v en t h e
opportunity to use their
newly learned language
sk i l l s i n a co m f o rt ab l e
setting with classmates.
This past November we participated in our annual
World Cup Competition. The very cold afternoon
was made warmer by friendly competition and warm
snacks provided by each club. The Spanish Club was
victorious and will care for the trophy until next
year's competition. A hearty thank you is extended to
the German Club for their organization of the event.
This past November, 55 Latin, Greek and AP Art
History students attended our 4th Annual University
of Michigan Classics campus visit. During their time
on campus, the students attended Latin, Greek and
Art History classes, toured various museums, including
UMMA and the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Heart of Divine Child
It is with conviction to our mission of providing
opportunities that nurture each student's spiritual,
academic, athletic, social, and creative growth
that we ask your support for the 2012-2013
annual fund, the Heart of Divine Child Fund
for Education. Your gift to the Heart of Divine
Child provides continued support for campus
initiatives that tuition alone does not cover,
giving both our faculty and students the tools
necessary to pursue lives of responsibility,
leadership, and faith in action. Each gift is
important as we seek to maximize the results of
this campaign by boosting the number of alumni
that contribute each year. Please consider making
a donation online by visiting:
www.divinechildhighschool.org/giving.html
and clicking the "Online Giving" link.
week, Student Council took the time to honor the real heroes
among us. They organized a “Teacher Homecoming Court” where the teacher who raised the most money for
the Wounded Warriors Project was crowned teacher homecoming king or queen. In just four short days, the
student body and staff raised over $3,000 dollars that would go towards the organization. At the pep rally,
the students crowned teacher homecoming king, Marc Sierra, and queen, Liz Giza '01. It was a great moment
for students and staff alike to come together and celebrate Divine Child and our everyday heroes.
Other notable Homecoming moments came when queen, Mallory Myler '13, was crowned at halftime of
the Homecoming game. It was a proud
moment for first time moderator, and
DC Alumni Katie Sopheia '02, who
helped the freshmen complete their first
place float!
The service continued into November
when Student Council joined forces
with Falcon Fever to put on a can drive
for the St. Mary's of Wayne Outreach
Center. Collectively, the student body
brought in over 2,300 pounds of food.
Not stopping there, Student Council,
together with Interact, adopted four
families from DMC's Children's Hospital.
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Check out the Tumbaco Falcons basketball
team! This past July Divine Child High
School Spanish teacher Sara Calupina traveled
to Tumbaco, Ecuador and brought along
some "retired" uniforms for the local team.
The previously unnamed team used to wear
t-shirts and non-uniform shorts. They were spotted
wearing the new uniforms the next day and are
now proudly calling themselves Falcons!
HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
Link Crew is a high school transition program that increases freshman success. Members of the junior and senior class are trained to be yearlong Link Leaders who act
as positive role models, motivators, mentors, and teachers helping guide the freshmen to discover what it takes to be successful during this pivotal transition to high school.
Our Divine Child Link Crew Faculty coordinators, Mrs. Berry, Miss Pauline, Mrs. Welte, and Herr Young, have been busy with the 50 Divine Child Link Crew Leaders.
Many of our leaders travelled to Taylor Truman High School on December 11 to participate in a Link Crew Leader Conference and were among 300 plus leaders from
the surrounding states and Canada.
The Divine Child Choirs
have had a very busy season so far!
In between singing at Mass
and putting on an entertaining
Christmas Concert with the
Symphonic and Jazz Bands, the
Choir has sung at various community
events. Such events included the
Advent Tree Lighting Ceremony
and Caroling at English Gardens. Many members
of the community came out to English Gardens for
the beginning of their Christmas Season, and they
were pleasantly surprised to hear the D.C. Choir
caroling inside. People had a great time singing
along with the Choir.
Rogers during his Christmas
Concert at the legendary Fox
Theatre on December 13th!
The Fox was packed to capacity,
and the kids were so excited
and honored to be able to sing
with a music legend on one of
the nation's most prestigious
stages. The Choir has had a lot
of fun this year, and
they are very much
looking forward to
the beginning of the
next season!
Joseph Marino - Divine
Child Choir
Finally, the Divine Child High School Choir was
selected to be the only choir to sing with Kenny
Fall Play - The Mouse that Roared
Eagle Scout of Honor
Divine Child Fine Arts performed its fall play, "The Mouse that Roared," which
is a light hearted political comedy about the little country that could! The
performance took place the 2nd weekend of November with over 50 students
in the production. Seniors
Cara Ruetz, Adrienne
Walling, and Joseph Cellini
starred as Duchess Gloriana,
Countess Mountjoy, and
Tully Bascom respectively,
with seniors Kevin Hart,
Chris Wepler, and Natalia
Havlin; juniors Brendan
Olech Daniel Polster,
and Ronnie Noonan;
a n d sophomore John
Burklow rounding out
the supporting roles.
Congratulations to sophomores
David Totten, son of Nancy
(Focht) Totten '74, and Joseph
VanBuhler, son of Mary
(Gallagher) VanBuhler '87,
who celebrated their Eagle
Scout Court of H o n o r o n
Wed n esd ay, October 17, 2012.
The Eagle Scout Award represents
many years of dedicated effort
and demonstrates how Scouting
can truly help a young man
d ev el o p a so l i d sen se o f
leadership, citizenship, and
responsibility. This is Scouting's
highest rank achievement, and
only 2% of those in Scouts
will achieve it.
Divine Child High School Band and DC Pom Team March in the Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Thanksgiving Day this year was an extra special day for the Divine Child band director, Mr. Robert Bush.
Besides leading the DCHS Marching Band in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, it was also his birthday. Fr. Bilot
started the day off with a special prayer for the group. Those prayers were answered with a beautiful day for
a parade which was nationally televised and millions of people got a chance to see Divine Child shine!
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ALUMNI
Focus
Matt Peck '76 Turns MT into a Volleyball Power
Jeffrey Stone '91
Selected to Crain’s 40 under 40
Entering his ninth season at the helm of the Middle
Tennessee State University volleyball program, Matt Peck
has garnered a reputation as one of the best coaches in the
region. He has earned two Sun Belt Coach of the Year
Awards building the Blue Raiders into a perennial Sun Belt
Conference contender.
Joining Middle Tennessee after nine seasons of building
North Alabama into a Division II powerhouse, Peck has
experienced enormous success in Murfreesboro, leading
Middle Tennessee to their most successful run in school history. The Blue Raiders
have gone to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments and have won four Sun Belt
Tournament Championships and two Sun Belt regular season titles.
Peck's mark on the program
can be seen throughout
the record books. The
winningest coach in
school history, Peck holds
an overall 164-65 mark at
Middle Tennessee.
When Speyside Equity LLC brought in Jeffrey Stone in 2006 to help with a recent
acquisition, the business couldn't have known just how fortuitous a move that
would turn out to be.
Speyside had just purchased Stahl Specialty Co., a Kansas-based aluminum
foundry, from Thyssen Krupp AG. Stahl was bringing in about $130 million in
annual revenue at the time.Stone had been the investment banker representing
Thyssen¬Krupp. After the sale, Speyside's founding partner, Kevin Daugherty,
asked Stone to come over to Speyside as a
partner and help manage Stahl.
By the time the firm sold Stahl in 2010, the
four partners were ready to move on to new
horizons. Stahl hit some bad times during
the recession, with revenue dropping and
the company's primary lender going bankrupt.
"I literally thought there was no way I could
make it," Stone said. "I couldn't make the
pension payments."
Prior to coming to
Murfreesboro, Peck
established himself as one
of the best coaches in
Division II, leading the
U ni v e r s i t y o f No rt h
Alabama to a national
title in 2003 and earning
National Coach of the Year honors. Peck developed a national powerhouse at
UNA, compiling a 312-61 record over nine years, and leading the Lions to seven
consecutive Gulf South Conference titles, eight straight NCAA Tournament
appearances and advanced to the Elite Eight in each of his final four seasons. Peck
is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a native of Dearborn Heights, Mich.
Stone acted as CFO throughout the
ownership and also stepped in as CEO and
COO at times to steady the ship. By the
time of the sale, Stahl was clear of long-term
debt and was back up to $100 million in revenue,
Stone said. He also renegotiated agreements
and prices with customers.
Kevin Schnieders '90
EDSI Named to Inc 500/5000 Fastest Growing List Again
Being young certainly doesn't mean you can't succeed in business. Just ask Bill
Gates - or John Govan '12 and his partners. Govan, 17, is a recent Divine Child
graduate who currently attends
Grand Valley State University.
DEARBORN, Michigan - For the fifth consecutive year, EDSI (Educational Data
Systems, Inc.) has been named to Inc. magazine's Inc. 500|5000 list of the nation's
fastest-growing private companies. Headquartered in Dearborn, MI, EDSI is a
workforce development, customized training and consulting company with one
goal: to help people and companies in transition. The Inc. 500|5000 list represents
the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy America's independent-minded entrepreneurs.
“We are proud of our culture at
EDSI and passionate about our
efforts. We will continue to see
through the eyes of our customers
and deliver more than they expect.
None of our success would be possible
without the exceptional people at
EDSI who live our values, treat
people the right way and offer
innovative solutions,” said EDSI
CEO Kevin Schnieders.
EDSI CEO Kevin Schnieders was
selected as one of Oakland County,
Michigan's Elite 40 Under 40 by
Oakland County Executive, L.
Brooks Patterson. Schnieders was
also designated as one of Lawrence
Technological Institute's 2012
Leaders and Innovators, an award showcasing professionals in the metro Detroit
area who exhibit leadership and innovation.
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www.divinechildhighschool.org
Speyside has two portfolio companies:
Sweet Ovations, a Philadelphia-based yogurt business, and United Initiators, a
German chemical business that Speyside sold 80 percent of last year.
John Govan '12
Govan and his two partners just
started PIN (Personal Incentives
Network), with a website of
www.joinpin.com. Visitors to
such places as Fiamma Restaurant
in downtown Plymouth can
upload discount offers to a
mobile app.
They have partnered with
Plymouth businesses, as well as
Westland, Canton, and Dearborn.
They've been visiting businesses
to arrange discounts. They take
that deal and advertise it. They
offer two styles of keychain, each
good for life at $20. There's no
clipping of coupons involved.
The men set up several categories
online of food, drink, entertainment,
shopping, and services.
ALUMNI
Focus
Cubs lefty Chris Rusin '05
gets first big−league win
''They're a good team, but
regardless of who it is, I just try to
do the best I can,'' Rusin said.
In his second start against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a week,
Rusin went five innings and gave up two runs and four hits to
gain his first major-league victory.
''He had a lot more life on everything,'' manager
Dale Sveum said. ''When you strike out Andrew
McCutchen twice, you're doing something right.''
Rusin struck out six without issuing a walk and didn't
allow a hit until the fifth. ''They're a good team, but
regardless of who it is, I just try to do the best I can,''
Rusin said. The previous week, in his first big league
start, he also worked five innings against Pittsburgh,
giving up a run and five hits, but wasn't involved in the
decision in a Cubs victory.
by Toni Ginnetti
Brianna Gardner '06 wins an Emmy
Brianna said “Ms. Last's Film
Studies class my senior year was
the turning point that made me
decide I absolutely wanted to
work in the entertainment
industry and since that class I
have never looked back.”
Brianna Gardner won an Emmy Award for a video that she produced this past
year, and has since moved to Los Angeles and is now working for Disney/ABC
Television! Brianna said “Ms. Last's Film Studies class my senior year was the
turning point that made me decide I absolutely wanted to work in the
entertainment industry and since that class I have never looked back.” Brianna has
studied Media Arts and Finance at Michigan State University, with the hopes that
having a business background would be beneficial in landing a career as a
film producer one day! Brianna said “I am so grateful for that class; I still go back
and watch my first movie that I made for our final and it gives me inspiration and
satisfaction of knowing how far I've come in my skills since then!”
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HOMECOMING
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2012
Falcon Athletics Update
2012 MHSAA Individual State
Golf Champion!
Divine Child Volleyball makes history
Congratulations to Natalie Blazo 2012 MHSAA Individual
State Golf Champion! Natalie became the first Golfer in Divine
Child history to accomplish the feat. Natalie shot an 81 & 76 in
miserable conditions to claim the title by 5 shots. The Team
finished in 4th place in the State Regional, narrowly missing a
spot in the Team Finals.
Varsity Volleyball captured its first ever Regional Championship advancing to the elite eight
where they defeated Haslett to go to the Final Four at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. They were
led by senior captain Megan Mancini, daughter of Carolyn (Sharpe) Roman '84.
Head Coach Damian
Hermann '89, Natalie Blazo '13,
Asst. coach Richard Knuth '05
Natalie Blazo with her parents
David '77 and Theresa
(Bernocco) Blazo '80
BOYS TENNIS:
The boys team won the Catholic League Championship
for the 2nd consecutive season. Junior Vincent Colarossi
qualified for the Individual Class B State Finals, where
he placed 6th overall.
Divine Child's Vincent Colarossi
was the champion at No. 1 singles
at the All-Area Tennis Tournament
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY: The Girls won the All-Area
Meet and finished third in the State Regional which qualified
them for the State Finals at MIS Speedway. Junior Lindsey
Brewis finished first overall in the All-Area, Catholics and
Regional Meets earning All-State honors.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY:
The Boys Team won the All-Area Meet and also finished
third in the State Regional, which qualified them for the State
Finals at MIS Speedway. Senior Griffen Miller earned AllState honors.
Griffin Miller wins the
Falcon Invitational
BOYS SOCCER: The Varsity finished with
a 16-9-3 record and won the District
Championship for the second time in three
years. The Varsity Team also finished as
Catholic League Runners-up.
The Divine Child soccer team
celebrates with the trophy after
winning the Division 2 district
championship at Allen Park
FOOTBALL: Varsity Football won their
final two games, including a thrilling 23-17
overtime victory over Lutheran North on
Homecoming, and a convincing 24-0 win over
Michigan Collegiate.
Regional champion Lindsey Brewis
(Daughter of Rick '75 & Denise Brewis)
Senior Josh Childs, son of Don '81 & Tonia
(Vella) Childs '83, leads the team onto the field
The students at Divine Child High School were ready when
Channel 4's Friday Football Frenzy visited the school to
hype the Falcons' football game against Detroit Country Day.
WDIV-TV's Ashlee Baracy interviewed Falcons coach
Steve Robb before cameras panned out to the student body.
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ALUMNI
Updates
Joan Bihun, Ph.D '83: Congratulations to Joan Bihun,
who received the Excellence in Teaching Award at the
University of Colorado - Denver. University Provost Rod
Nairn said “We honor faculty who've made outstanding
contributions over the last year.” These accolades
recognize superior accomplishments in teaching,
research and creative activities, librarianship, faculty
mentoring, and service.
Craig J. Foster '84: Craig Foster has been named
President, Flint Group Global Operations. In his new
role Mr. Foster will have direct responsibility for all Flint
Group manufacturing locations worldwide, encompassing
over 150 facilities and 5,000 Flint Group employees.
In addition to his new role, Mr. Foster will continue to
serve as President, Flint Group Pigments, Chips and
Resins division. Mr. Foster and his family reside in
Louisville, Kentucky.
Lisa (Stachowiak) McDowell '84: Lisa McDowell MS,
RD, CNSD is the team sports dietitian for the Detroit
Red Wings and also consults to various Olympic, professional,
and collegiate athletes. She manages the clinical nutrition
department at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor,
Michigan. Lisa was recently recognized as a Health Care
Hero by Crain's Detroit for her work, and is a recipient
of the National Health Care Without Harm
Clinical Engagement Award for bringing healthy
food to health care. You can read Lisa's blog
http://stjoefarm.wordpress.com/ and follow her on
Twitter @LisaMcDowellRD.
Catherine Lindback '00: Catherine recently
completed the 27 month course of study in the
Physician Assistant Program at the University
of Toledo's College of Medicine and Life
Sciences. On December 15, 2012, she received
her Master of Science Degree in Biomedical
Sciences with a concentration in Physician
Assistant Studies. Catherine is looking
forward to working in a hospital setting
somewhere in the metropolitan Detroit area.
Catherine pictured with her parents
Mary Jo & Harry Lindback
Meredith Danowski '01: Meredith is a graduate student in the Department of
Astronomy and Center for Space Physics at Boston University.
Her current research focuses on extragalactic
dust. She's working on a sounding rocket project,
IMAGER, to probe the correlation between
ultraviolet dust extinction features and environment
in M101. Her responsibilities include data simulation,
optical design, detector calibration, electronics
work, and data analysis. When not in the lab,
Meredith is very involved in promoting diversity
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
(STEM) fields. She loves teaching and spending
time as an instructor for the Overnight Program
at the Museum of Science, Boston. What little
time is left is devoted to cooking and baking,
speaking German, and family and friends.
Patrick J. Wood '86: Congratulations to Patrick, who just retired after 26 years of
service in the Air Force as a Chief Master Sergeant (E-9). As a chief, Patrick
was in the top 1% of the Air Force.
Patrick said, “I could have never
reached that level without the
foundation of discipline, and values
I learned as a Falcon!” California
Congressman Ken Calvert read a
tribute to Patrick in the House of
Representatives. Here is the link
where DC is mentioned during the
tribute. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgibin/query/z?r112:E10SE2-0071:/
Erin Theisen '03 Congratulations to Erin, who
recently wrote and self-published her first novel,
titled Impulse. It's a young adult adventure/survival
novel set in a dystopian, post-biological warfare
future. The book is available on Amazon (paperback
and Kindle versions) and so far her feedback has been
quite positive. Erin said, “Given that my love of
creative writing was, in part, fostered in Mrs. Taylor's
creative writing class, I definitely wanted to share the
news with DC!”
Dr. Kevin Hatch '95: Congratulations to Dr. Hatch on
being named the University of Toledo's College of Visual
and Performing Arts' Top Alumnus for 2012. Kevin Hatch
grew up in Dearborn, MI and received his BA from the
University of Toledo in 1999. He went on to earn an MA
from the University of Delaware in 2001 and a PhD from
Princeton University in 2008, both in art history. He is
Assistant Professor of Art History at Binghamton
University (Binghamton, NY). His research has taken him to
Berlin, Germany, and Berkeley, California among other places.
Nisha Asher '04: Nisha is first year
blogger and MBA student at Duke
University's Fuqua School of Business.
This past fall she signed up for her first
case competition - the Humana Healthcare
Case Competition. The national competition
is geared toward graduate students who
have a passion for business innovation as
well as the evolving healthcare industry.
Nisha and her team received an invitation
to the final round of the competition!
Nationally, only 8 teams were chosen
from 50 to move on to the final round,
and actually, two of the final teams were
from Duke! You can read her blogs at
http://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke
mba/author/nisha/
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www.divinechildhighschool.org
ALUMNI
Updates
Nicole (Earl) Taylor '07 and Sean Taylor '07 Nicole and Sean were married July 20, 2012! The
Maid of Honor was Tricia DeBoer '08. Other wedding
attendants included Shannon Blicharz '07, Mary
Clare Foody '07, Jacob Earl '14, Michael Rice '07, and
Kevin Gage '07. Nicole and Sean started dating while
at Divine Child and have been together for 6 years.
They are very excited to begin the next chapter of
their lives together in their new house in Livonia.
Matt Nedwicki '08: Congratulations to Matt who competes
on the men's soccer team at the University of Detroit
Mercy. The senior captain was named to the second team
All-Horizon League. Matt has also helped the University of
Detroit win the Horizon League regular season championship.
Matt is the son of Steve Nedwicki '75.
Courtney Brewis '09: Congratulations to Courtney, a Grand
Valley State University Junior, who capped off the top five
runners for the Lakers with a time of 21:36.5. Courtney finished
just out of the Top 50 in 51st, helping the third-ranked Grand
Valley State women's cross country team to capture its second
Division II National Championship.
Rachel Iaquaniello '09: Congratulations to Rachel, an Eastern Michigan
University volleyball standout (Plymouth, MI, Dearborn Divine Child). Rachel
was named to the Senior CLASS Award All-American First-Team Thursday, Dec. 13.
The Senior CLASS Award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I volleyball
coaches, national volleyball media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding
senior student-athlete in Division I
volleyball. To be eligible for the
award, a student-athlete must be
classified as an NCAA Division I
senior and have notable achievements
in four areas of excellence - classroom,
community, character and competition.
Lauren Malinowski '09: Lauren, a senior
at Holy Cross College, became the second
Saints player in program history to join
the 1,000 point club this season. The
Saints' senior guard reached the 1,000
point mark while taking on 19th ranked
Cardinal Stritch University. During the
2011-2012 season, Malinowski played an
instrumental role in helping lead the Saints to the program's best season ever.
Malinowski was named to the 2012 CCAC All-Conference 1st team.
David Bywalec '11: David has earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest award
given by the Boy Scouts of America. Bywalec's Eagle Scout project was to
enhance the flag pole located at St. Linus Church in Dearborn Heights, where
he assisted in several flag retirement
ceremonies. His project was to build a
brick paver walkway and flower bed
around the flag pole. He is currently
attending Grand Valley State University
pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.
Wedding in St. Louis
The Class of '75 representing Detroit
(note the hats) in St. Louis at the wedding
of classmate Joe Donovan's son. A
great time with great friends was had
by all. (Left to Right) Ron Dragan, Leo
Neville, Mike Smith, Joe O'Brien,
Maria Tell Torp, Tom Piotrowski,
Steve Nedwicki, Mike Roose. Not
present for the photo was Father of the
groom, Joe Donovan.
DC Alums and students lead DC CYO Cheer Championships
Congratulations to the Divine Child Elementary School Cheerleading teams and
coaches Angela (Cowan) Kraetke '00, Katie (Koch) Koveleski '97, Kaitlyn Belcher
'08, Paige Zubok '13, Monica
Jurczyk '13, Bree Pena '14, and
Megan O'Bryan '14! The cheerleaders
competed on Sunday, November
4 at the CYO Fall Championship
Competition at Divine Child
High School. Both teams placed
first in their divisions, bringing
home six trophies. Head Coaches
Angela (Cowan) Kraetke '00 and
Katie (Koch) Koveleski '97 were
also awarded championship plaques. This win makes the CYO Varsity team 3-peat
Fall Champions!
Summer Trip to Italy Some
of our newest Alumni from
the Class of 2012 enjoying the
sites at Herculaneum, Italy.
L -R Er in Wr igh t , Em ily
Grawburg, Sarah Knoerl and
Grant Veach
Homecoming was a family
affair for the Myler Family.
Left to Right: Carl Myler '81,
Linda (Peters) Myler '83,
Megan Myler '09, Homecoming
Queen - Mallory Myler '13,
Mary Ann Myler '15, and
Michael Myler '11.
MaryAnn Focht '66 and
Nicole (Martin) Succurro
'97, teachers at The Dancers
S t u d io , t o o k D C gr ad e
scho o l s t u d en t s Micaela
Kucinski, Alicia Naccarato,
and Gabriella Naccarato to a
national dance competition
in Sandusky, Ohio where
their routine "Turkey in the
Straw" won Ultimate Victory
awards. The girls worked
hard all year and competed
in several other dances, winning
numerous overall awards.
13
www.divinechildhighschool.org
ALUMNI
Reunions
L to R Eric Silvestri, Amy
(Dargo) Cordes, Toby Wherle,
Amy (Taube) Lewandowski,
Ben Loiselle, Jennifer Elkins,
Aaron Markavich
The Class of 1992
20 year Reunion was Saturday, November 24, 2012 at Andiamo-Dearborn, where a great
time was had with great friends.
Kristen (Cassisa) Guerriero, Kristen
Carpenter, Julie (Rychlik) Hemker
and April (Stanford) D'Antonio
Jennifer Elkins, Amy (Taube)
Lewandowski, Amy (Dargo) Cordes
Class of 2002 Reunion
The class of 2002 celebrated their 10 year reunion on October 20, 2012. A great time was had by all as they enjoyed food, music and recalling fond DC memories. Many
friendships were rekindled and plans made to catch up before another 5 years passed. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next reunion!
Christie Zakar, Leticia Romero, Tiffany
(Markyvech) Henderson
Jessica (Muscat) Domako, Jessica
Eaton, Jenny (Grantham) Kasaba,
Becky(Kreucher) Kolarik
Ryan Schreiber, Tim Sitkauskas, Kyle
Kosowski, Bryan Opalko
Sheila Sumanting, Sherry (Belch)
Szymanski, Christina (Nolte) Vickers,
Katie Sophiea, Megan (Thompson) Coscia
1962-1965 Super Reunion A wonderful time was had by all at the Dearborn Country Club on Friday, October 19, 2012.
The Class of 1972
On Saturday, August 25th, 2012, the class of '72 celebrated their 40th reunion
on a beautiful evening on the Detroit Princess Dinner Cruise.
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www.divinechildhighschool.org
ALUMNI
Events
Divine Child Golf Classic
The Annual Divine Child Golf Classic was held on August 17, 2012.
This year's four-man scramble was hosted at the Dearborn Country
Club. Thank you to all of the alumni and friends that participated in
this event and to Carl Salmonson who took all the photos!
Special Thank You to our “Hole” Sponsors:
Advanced Satellite Communications - Gus Semaan
Ann Arbor SPARK - Luke Bonner '95
Bifano Eye Care - Dr. Chris Bifano '84
Commercial Lawn Mower - John Murphy '72
Dearborn Italian Bakery
The New Double Olive - Steve Guibord '93
Edge Finance - David Childs '78
Educational Data Systems - Kevin Schnieders '90
Henry Ford Community College
Hemming, Polaczyk, Cronin, Whittoff & Bennett PC - Chris Polaczyk
Great Lakes Foot and Ankle Institute - Dr. Matthew Hansen '93
Packaging Concepts and Design - Tom Barszczowski '97
Painters Supply and Equipment - Pat Mayette '85
Pierino Frozen Foods
POAM - Frank Guido
Sabre Steel - Ray Shinney '67
Shaw Industries - Brad Varady
Hole in One Sponsors:
Jack Demmer Automotive Group - Jim Demmer '75
Varsity Ford - Jeff Stanford '95
Gift Sponsors:
Andiamo's - Dearborn
Crave Restaurant and Sushi Bar
Dearborn Country Club
Divine Child Alumni Association
Edge Finance - David Childs '78
The Henry - Joe Shurmur '86
Mason's Bar and Grill - Robert Kazanowski '64
Riddell - Brad Dickey '88
Spartan Forms INC - John Martin '77
Mike Prevost '77
2012 DCAA Softball League Champions!
Team White won a thrilling championship
against the Orange squad (Class of
1997). Team White was led by Steve
D'Arcangelo, Michael Greenlee, Steve
Karchefski, Tony Martin, Josh
Morozowski, and Lee Pociask all
from the Class of 2005, as well as
Kenny Dehart '07 Tim Dehart '08.
George Jusczyk '03. Also pictured are
Jared Jusczyk, Chris Deroche and Joe
Plonka. It was Team Whites third
championship!
2012 Champions
Kevin Schnieders '90, Paul Kolton '95,
Joe Juszczyk '05, Damian Hermann '89
Cam McCausland '83, Luke Bonner '95,
Sean McCausland '86, Mario Scibberas
Brian Jonca '93, Dr. Matt Hansen '93,
Pat Murphy, Jeremy Kurek '93
Dr. Chris Bifano '84, Jim O' Brien '80,
Mark Rakecky '84, Paul Blazo '84
Jim Zaya '62, Mike Surdyk '62, Dwayne
Kremko '62, Roy Kowalski
Chris Kuczajda '85, Bob Ostifin '85,
Bob Gutierrez '85, Pat Mayette '85
Dave Esper '67, Jim Bowers '67, Ray
Shhinney '67, Tim Shinney '71
Brian O'Donnell '91, Jim Solak '91,
Ryan Stupakis '94, Stan Wieckowski '94
Steve Guibord '93, Jason McKelvey '92,
Jeff Zelazny '92, Aaron Markevich '92
Mike Opiela '72, John Young '86, Frank
Guido, Tim Rinke
Al Cyster, Jason Pelc '91, Tim Giroux,
Ray Zalewski '94
Tom Spagnolo, Mike Prevost '77, Paula
Greig, Bill Young
Greg Kirchmeier, Eric Johnson, Jeff
Stone '91, Jodie Stone
Dr. Robb Weir, Jeff Blake, Andrew
Kisabeth '98, Dr. Daniel Park
Brad Varady, Matt Scalf '89, Doug
Mans, Keith Genzel
Mike Oldani, Bill Madek, Mark Madek,
Chris Madek
HFCC, Lisa Lewandowski, John
Lewandowski, Greg lewandowski
Joe Ghafari, Gus Semaan,
Schroeder, Mark Cicero
Mike Kostrzewa, Peter Kelly, John
Hamood, Ted Boloven
Giorgio Guglielmetti, Gianni Guglielmetti,
Manny Maniaci, Nick Maniaci '14
John
Falcon 5k Run
The 20th Falcon 5k Run was held August 11, 2012. Hundreds of runners and walkers of all ages and abilities participated in this event which started at Levagood Park.
The three events that day included the free Tot Trot, The Mile Fun Run, and the 5K Run. This years winners were Courtney Brewis '09 and Allan Peterson.
15
Thank you to Jack Demmer Automotive Group - Jim Demmer '75, for sponsoring this event.
www.divinechildhighschool.org
Divine Child High School
1055 N. Silvery Lane
Dearborn, MI 48128
ALWAYS A FALCON!
Heart of Divine Child
Your gift will transform the lives of Divine Child students.
Visit www.divinechildhighschool.org/giving.html
and click the "Online Giving" link.
See page 6 for details.
Class of 2013 Alumni Legacy Photo
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
For DC Alumni Parents and their
DC Senior
"A Reunion of Divine Child
Football Teams from 1959-1969"
Dinner with Coach Tony Versaci Is in the Planning Stage.
Please contact Dwayne Kremko,
[email protected] or (313) 530-7535
“Thank You to all the DC alumni who supported this year’s December Dreaming Raffle!”
Planning your Reunion for Your Milestone Year?
Please contact the Alumni Office for Assistance (313) 216-0892.
Class - Years
Class - Years
2008 -5
2003 -10
1998 -15
1993 -20
1988 -25
1983 -30
1978 -35
1973 -40
1968 -45
1963 -50
Once A Falcon
Magazine is
Going Green!
See page 5
for details.