Shout-out from Amy
It is hard to believe that December has arrived. It feels like the first day of school was only a few short weeks ago. Here at SFD we are busy preparing for the Christmas season. With the conclusion of our annual canned food drive and #GivingTuesday, I am inspired by the act of service and generosity of our school community. I am certain that the month of December will be no different. The staff and senior students will participate in Christmas in the Courtyard, which is an evening of food, crafts, games, gifts, and fun to bring cheer to some pretty special kids. We also have our annual band and choir concerts, a tradition that always puts everybody in the Christmas spirit. And, I heard that Santa is even making a stop to 4212 Karl Road soon for 'Pictures with Santa'! Among the fun and festivities, the students will also be buckling down in preparation for final exams. Who remembers the Christmas season of their high school years? I remember it being such a fun time full of spirit, joy, movie watching, and yummy food in every class. It was a time where every thing and every one shined a bit brighter. I am blessed to be able to witness our Stallions shining bright this month and the whole year through.
Connecting the past, strengthening the present, and promoting the future,
Amy Faulkner
Director of Alumni and Family Engagement
|
Stallion Notes
Congratulations to Judge Dan Hawkins '94 for winning the
race for a seat on the Common Pleas Court.
He will be leaving the Environmental Court to fill this position in Franklin County.
Sayyid Kanu '14 was named Academic All-Pioneer Football League for the third time in his career at Morehead State University. Kanu, a former two-time All-Ohio defensive back for the Stallions, was also recognized as Honorable Mention All-League after leading the Eagles with 62 tackles. Earlier this year, the Radiology major, was also a member of the University's Homecoming Court representing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
Haley Hott '17 and Bella Shivley '17 were named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference for the Otterbein Women's Soccer program. Hott, a junior, earned a 3.65 GPA in her Allied Health studies. Shivley, a nursing major, had a 3.9 GPA and was named the Midfielder of the Year in the OAC after leading the Cardinals with a school-record 16 goals. She also
received third team All-American honors from the United Soccer Coaches, and is now the sixth player in the program history to earn this status.
~Kathy Mitchell Wellman, class of 1973, passed away on November 24, 2018.
May the angels lead her to their eternal resting place in heaven and may perpetual light shine upon her.
|
Success Story
The following article, Mr. Reliable, is courtesy of Ohio Northern University, published soon after SFD alumnus Michael Kluse '96 was named a 2018 ONU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
|
|
 |
Michael Kluse, BSBA '00, has a knack for being there. The 2018 Ohio Northern University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee played in every game during his four-year basketball career. Actually, he never even missed a start. After graduating with a management degree, he joined the United States Air Force and became a pilot. He served active-duty for 12 years, and through five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, he never once missed a mission. He was as reliable as it gets, always there for his teammates on the basketball court and in the skies above the battlefield.
"You know, it's one of those things that you don't realize until someone tells you," Kluse says of his ironman streak of consecutive starts for ONU. "I actually had no idea until about halfway through my senior year when someone told me. I thought back and I was like, 'Yeah, I guess I have.'"
His military career was much the same. Kluse credits his reliability to a combination of good fortune - he was never sick or injured - and the lessons he learned at Ohio Northern. As a varsity athlete and a degree-seeking student, he had to learn how to manage his time. Through time management, he learned how to best prepare, whether for an exam or the Polar Bears' next opponent. Finally, he learned how to set goals and never quit until he reached them. He set two goals at Northern: play basketball and graduate in four years. He graduated in three and a half. Once he set a goal and laid the groundwork for success, he did everything in his power to achieve it.
In the Air Force, the territory Kluse found himself flying above was wrought with peril. Kluse flew the KC-10 Extender, a 500,000-pound flying gas station, one of the biggest aircraft the military has to offer and a perfect fit for the 6-foot-6-inch former small forward. Any time the United States military has soldiers on the ground in a combat zone, there is fuel in the sky above 24 hours a day, seven days a week, carried by the KC-10 and the smaller KC-135. These airplanes and their crews are responsible for ensuring that the smaller fighters and ground support aircraft can complete their missions without having to land for refueling. As Kluse explains, takeoffs and landing are when all airplanes are most vulnerable to attack, especially his.
"We would normally stage (take off and land) from the United Arab Emirates, which was pretty safe. But I remember landing at Bagram in northern Afghanistan a few times. We had to land in the dark with no lights in a spiral descent due to the RPG threat. It could get a bit spotty," says Kluse.
A special thanks to Meghan Dooley Kluse '96 for passing along this great article!
|
Stallion Spotlight
A highlight on current SFD teachers, coaches and students.
|
|
|
This edition's Stallion Spotlight is sure to warm your heart. Ms. Kathryn Stalnaker, senior at SFD, has made a wonderful impact on our recent canned food drive. She, along with her brother, freshman, Steven Stalnaker, pulled a wagon through their neighborhood to gather items for this great cause. Mr. Jack Welsh, leader of the drive, said, "
Kathryn
always has a smile on her face and is always looking for ways to bring people joy. I think her involvement in the canned food drive is one example of that. She's impacted a lot of folks with her contribution - from the people directly benefitting to the neighbors she asked to contribute. She's all about inviting people join her in being happy."
Along with being so caring and thoughtful, she is also very bright. She takes pride in carrying a high GPA and taking advanced level classes. Her favorite subjects are Math and Science. Kathryn is also very involved in our school community. She is the manager of the SFD Girls Basketball team, a member of the Concert Choir, National Honor Society, Run the Race Club, and Cross Country. She plays the guitar for Horizons and has been in two of our school musicals, Annie and The Sound of Music. In addition to all of these commitments, she works at the Westerville Recreational Center during the school year and Camp Molly Lauman as a camp counselor in the summer months. Her experience as a camp counselor solidified her decision to study Early Childhood Education in college. She is very excited about this choice and is looking into Ohio Northern University, Heidelberg University, and a few other colleges for next Fall.
Kathryn loves St. Francis DeSales High School, specifically how caring and genuine the teachers are. She is also very proud to be one of the many members of her family that attended SFD. Her mother is a graduate, along with her aunts and cousins, and her grandmother, Marsha Highfield, was a member of the Class of 1965. Kathryn and her family have radiated great light on our school community throughout the years and we are blessed to have them.
|
Special Announcements
Drop Off Canned Goods Today!
Today, Saturday, December 1, Mr. Garrick and a few students will be at SFD for a collection of non-perishable food items for our annual Canned Food Drive. Stop by between 9am and 11am to drop off cans! Please drop items off to the Theatre lobby. *If you can't stop by today, you can still drop donations off on Monday, December 3, our final collection day (7:30am-3:30pm).
DeSales Professions Night
Thank you to the alumni who presented at our DeSales Professions Night last month, including Jason Wiggins '96 (Owner and President of Envelope Solution), Dominic Julian '18 (student at OSU's Fisher College of Business), Ben Plzak '16 (student at OSU
), and Myron Goldsmith '14 (student at Capital University).
Thank you to those who participated on #GivingTuesday. We had over 60 donors, totaling $7,025 which helped kick off to our Holiday Give. If you didn't have a chance to participate in #GivingTuesday,
this is a wonderful time to give a gift to St. Francis DeSales High School. Your gift makes it possible for our school to immediately act on programs and opportunities, including faith life, advancing technology, scholarships, co-curricular programs, and improvements to our campus.
The 2018 Holiday Give drive runs through December 31. Click here to donate online. Thanks in advance!
Members of the Class of 2008 gathered at Land-Grant Brewing Company on November 21 to celebrate their 10-year reunion. Many memories were shared as they spent time together that evening. *Please contact Amy at faulkner@desales.co if you would like information on how to plan your class reunion.
|
Social Gathering
Thanks to Sam '82 and Pat '84 Chapman, Matt '81 and Paula '81 Stranges, Terri '75 and JP '74 Slupski, Pakie McGinnis '74, and Pat Rossetti '66, all SFD alumni are invited to come "Mix and Mingle" over appetizers and drinks. Please bring a pantry item to donate to the M.A.S.H. Pantry and Resource Center run by SFD alumnus, Ralph Smith. We look forward to celebrating another year of faith, family, and tradition. THERE IS NO NEED TO RSVP TO THIS EVENT! If you can make it, great! If you can't, watch for details on our next get together.
|
Spiritual Reflection
Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
|
|
