Borgia Alumni E-Newsletter

AN E-NEWSLETTER FOR BORGIA ALUMS

A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni,

I wish you Christ’s blessings, good health, and peace in these challenging times.

Before anything else, I must thank everyone in the Borgia community for the warm and supportive welcome. When asked to serve at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School this year, immediately my thoughts went to the storied Borgia community. Being anxious, as in any new position, my concerns were very quickly assuaged through conversations with Fr. Mike, Mrs. Tholen, and the many other people I’ve had the pleasure to meet in my few short weeks here. Of note, this includes the countless alums – some just to say hello, many who continue to contribute in so many ways to the school. What a blessing!

The good news is I was blessed to be coming to a great community and school. The bad news: Covid-19. Since March, this has played a major role in the operations of our programs and will continue into the new school year. This presents the tremendous challenge of providing our incredible young people the same education provided to you – a Catholic education that fosters them to be spiritually, morally, academically, and technologically prepared lifelong learners.

I am amazed by the dedication of the faculty and staff and their efforts to provide a safe, effective learning environment. I am grateful for the input from so many in the community that support those efforts. Our goal is to have students in the building every week of this school year. While we are opening cautiously, we are opening with a purpose and a goal to meet the high standards set by our predecessors in educating our young people. With Christian love, we will take care of them spiritually, academically, emotionally, and physically.

Throughout the school year, our theme will be U-Knight. I have learned the Borgia strength, and it is community. We ask you to U-Knight with our students, faculty, and families this year – in prayer, time, talent, or other treasure. The hardest part of this pandemic is the divisiveness it can create. I know the Borgia community is strong enough to overcome that. I am looking forward to my time here to meet more of the Borgia family and to hear your thoughts. The energy of your community is life giving to myself and to our entire student body. Thank you. Please support and U-Knight with us this year, and show our young people why the Borgia community is so great.

Blessings,

Bernie Naumann

President

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

I made a super lame joke (my only kind of jokes if I’m being honest) during the Class of 2020 virtual awards ceremony back in May. “20-20 is supposed to be known for perfect vision, but we sure didn’t see this one coming!” Lame? Yes. True? Also, yes.

While no one could’ve predicted the twists and turns 2020 has thrown at us, we are proud to say that school is officially back in session. After five months out of the building, our awesome students, faculty, and staff are back at Borgia!

The first day of school was Monday, August 17. Currently, we are in the hybrid model, meaning students with last names starting A-K come to school on Mondays and Thursdays, and students with last names starting L-Z come on Tuesdays and Fridays. When students aren’t at school in person, they learn virtually at home using a variety of tools to connect to teachers, classmates, and content, including Google Classroom and video conference tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet). On Wednesdays, two grades are in the building at a time for advisory, faith development, and connecting with teachers and classmates.

We are treating this first few weeks as a “soft opening” of sorts, working to get our new safety and sanitation protocols in place and ensuring our screening, social distancing, and face covering expectations are sufficient and followed. Our greatest prayer is to be back in school five days a week with 100% of our students in-person, and we’re working hard to get there. We are so appreciative of our supportive community of families, students, faculty, and staff who are putting in the extra work to make our school as safe as possible.

I’ve heard a lot about how school is not the same if kids have to social distance, or they can’t participate in the interactive activities and traditions of the past. School does look different these days; that’s for sure. I will say, however, that I’m seeing new traditions made and innovative strategies created to build connections. It’s actually pretty incredible to see what teachers are doing to encourage collaboration and learning despite the distance and how our community has risen to the challenge of continuing to make our school feel like home in spite of our current obstacles.

I would appreciate it if you’d keep our Borgia Family in your prayers this year. You will certainly be in ours.

IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A KNIGHT!

WANTED: Social Media Ambassadors for

Borgia Giving Day

Interested in promoting the Advancement of Borgia? Below you will find an immediate way you can help strengthen our Borgia network, promote our mission, and be a champion for the future of our school.

Word of mouth is powerful, and so are social media algorithms!

A Social Media Ambassador for Borgia has a passion for the organization and a readiness to shine a light on our school within his or her own online profiles and followers. A Social Media Ambassador will be expected to share posts from SFBRHS and encourage participation in Borgia Giving Day on October 9. If you are busy, this is a great way to make a large impact!

If you are interested in being a Social Media Ambassador, contact Donna Grahl via e-mail at donna.grahl@borgia.com.

An Invitation to All Borgia Alums

Mark your calendars for this year's Homecoming celebration on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26! This year's theme is “Masquerade,” where we plan to celebrate our alumni as part of our rich history.

Jane (Richardson) '62 and Tom Dill '59 will be honored at our school and act as Grand Marshalls for the Homecoming Parade. (However that may look this year.)

We will announce details about Homecoming as they become available.

WELCOME ALEX AND DANNY!

We would like to welcome to our faculty/staff two awesome alums, Alex Piontek as our Learning Consultant and Danny Smith as our Athletic Trainer.

Alex Piontek '11

I was born and raised in Washington, Missouri, and I graduated from St. Francis Borgia in 2011. Went on to play baseball at Mineral Area Community College and graduated with an Associates Degree in 2013. After completing my Associates, I transferred to the University of Missouri St. Louis and graduated in 2016. While at UMSL, I was a member of the baseball team and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.

After graduation, I began working at St. Clair Middle School in the Special Education Department. I was at St. Clair for the last 4.5 years before coming back to Borgia. For the last 3 years, I’ve been coaching baseball at Borgia. In June of 2020, I was hired to become the Learning Consultant here.

Outside of work, I'm an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Mizzou football. In my free time, I enjoy playing softball, golfing, hanging with friends and family and going to the Lake of the Ozarks.

Forever A Knight

What does it say about a school when 24 members of its faculty and staff are also alums? We think it says a lot!

Missing from the photo above are our two new faculty members, Alex and Danny.

Danny Smith '12

Danny is a member of the National Athletic Training Association, is certified through the Board of Certification, and licensed as an Athletic Trainer through the state of Missouri. He was born and raised in Washington, Missouri, where he graduated from St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in 2012. He graduated from Saint Louis University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science. During this time, he also earned a minor in Biology and a concentration in Interprofessional Healthcare Practice. In 2017, he completed his Master of Athletic Training degree at SLU. In college, he was inducted into the Allied Health Professions Honor Society, Alpha Eta; the National Athletic Training Honor Society, Iota Tau Alpha; and the National Honor Society of Jesuit Universities, Alpha Sigma Nu.

Upon graduation, Danny worked as an independent athletic trainer providing athletic training services for youth, high school, and collegiate sports in the greater St. Louis area. He also serves as a volunteer for the Saint Louis University Athletic Training Program. He has been employed with Mercy since 2019, where he served as the athletic trainer for Hillsboro Senior High. In July of 2020, Danny was hired as the head athletic trainer for St. Francis Borgia Regional High School.

Danny is an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and SLU Men’s Basketball. In his downtime, Danny enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing golf, working out, watching movies, and playing video games.

MAGAZINE DRIVE

For 40 years, Borgia has sponsored a magazine drive soon after our students returned to school. While we have decided to end the drive format, you can renew or order new subscriptions by contacting a Borgia student or the Advancement Office at (636) 239-7871 x 122. You can also order online all year long! Click on the button on the right and begin shopping to start supporting Borgia and our students!

When subscriptions are ordered or renewed through St. Francis Borgia Regional High School students, we keep 48% of every dollar spent. In addition, every year Rick Boedeker, our Great American Opportunities representative, donates a scholarship to our school.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TODAY!

SCHNUCKS E-SCRIPT PROGRAM

If you shop at Schnuck's, you could earn up to 3% of your purchase amount for St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. Click the link below to sign up! Our eScrip school id is 6674669. Thank you!

ALUMS IN THE NEWS

Joe Wingbermuehle '00

We are so proud of Joe Wingbermuehle, Class of 2000, as being one of the co-founders of a Top 7 Rising Star Startup company identified by the St. Louis Business Journal. The company name is Well Principled, and here is what the St. Louis Business Journal had to say:

Well Principled: What it does: Well Principled aims to help companies replace strategic business decisions made by MBAs with software. Its software is designed to optimize marketing and supply chain strategy for major consumer packaged goods brands and retailers by using algorithmic technology to help companies improve growth and operations in areas such as retail assortments, right-sizing price and advertisement spending, and forecasting demand.

Founded: 2019

Top executives: Ryan Richt, co-founder and CEO; Joe Wingbermuehle, co-founder and principal platform engineer; Chris Shafer, co-founder and principal engagement engineer; Kate DeWulf, vice president of product and customer experience; and Beth Holmes, executive vice president of strategy and operations.

Employees: 10

What makes it a rising star: Since its founding, Well Principled has garnered investment by prominent venture capitalists and participated in acclaimed Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator. The startup said it hit a huge milestone in the past year when the first round of its software license renewals came up, and it renewed 100% of its customers, with an average 50% increase in deal size.

Funding: Well Principled raised about $2.55 million in 2019. Investors include Y Combinator, Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Global Founders Capital, VentureSouq, and St. Louis-based Cultivation Capital.

Ideal exit: If it doesn’t end up acquired by the likes of a McKinsey, BCG, SAP or Oracle, Well Principled says it will target an IPO as the first “algorithmic business” company in an effort to redefine how companies run their businesses with enterprise software.

Why it’s a rising star — in its own words: “Well Principled is a rising star startup because we’re delivering on our vision of solving a hugely valuable, fundamental problem: how do you run a complex business excellently? When we were first talking to investors over a year ago, they told us ‘Wow, you’re taking a big swing': we’re doing real science to unlock a huge market. We’re creating the new industry of algorithmic business where we use technology to optimize the core strategic and operational decisions of business — products, pricing, ads, distribution, supply. Each of our customers is on track to reap about $50 million worth of optimizations over the next 3-5 years. Of course ‘rising star’ also means, we still have a lot of hard work to do on polish, product, and persistence.”

Way to go, Joe!

Luke Grayson '18

What are you currently up to?

This upcoming fall semester, I will be a Junior at the University of Missouri. I am a Health Science Leadership/Policy major and Military Science minor. I am a member of Army ROTC, where I am the Cadet Executive Officer (XO) for Blackjack Company (one of our three Companies). TIGERS LEAD THE WAY!

Tell us about your family/college experience?

After graduating from SFBRHS in 2018, I attended the Naval Academy Preparatory School for a semester- where I was recruited for football. I transferred to Mizzou in January of 2019, where I became a member of Mizzou’s Tiger Battalion (Army ROTC). My parents and best buddies supported me every step of the way in my journey so far. I love being at Mizzou and am proud to be a member of the finest organization on campus.

What was your favorite memory of high school?

My favorite memory of high school was carrying the American Flag out of the tunnel for every home football game with some of my best friends next to me senior year.

How has your Borgia education helped you in your life?

I see the Borgia education as a tool more than anything in my life. I was truly fortunate to attend Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and SFBRHS, both providing me with a solid foundation in my faith of God. - I am Lutheran, not Catholic. However, attending Borgia allowed me to see how others worship our God, and because of that I can resonate with other individuals on campus and be able to openly discuss various aspects of our faiths. After all, we all share the same faith in God.

What is the great takeaway from your Borgia education?

The biggest takeaway for me was how to handle a class structure and heavy class load. By schedule planning, doing homework, and studying around practices, I feel it all has greatly helped when I first started my college experience. My advice for prospective and current students is to take advantage of the help each teacher provides while you can.

What word or adjective would you use to describe Borgia?

Supportive. Specifically, every faculty and staff member is supportive of each student, no matter what. From the women that work in the cafeteria, to my former football coaches, to the teachers that never had me as a student, and to the gentlemen that volunteer at every sporting event, everyone is always supportive. The workers and community members are what make up the “Borgia family” and create a super supportive environment for all students.

Jack Politte '18

What are you currently up to?

I am currently a rising junior at the University of Missouri-Columbia, majoring in Architectural Studies and minoring in Military Science. I am also involved in Army ROTC and Marching Mizzou Drumline. In Army ROTC, I will serve as the Executive Commanding Officer of Ace Company this year. In Marching Mizzou, I will be serving as the lead snare and captain of the Mizzou Drumline.

Tell us about your family/college experience?

My first two years of my college experience have been the best years of my life. I have made so many connections and friends through the architectural program and my extra-curricular activities. I am blessed with a family that supports my academic goals and dreams. They always come out to Mizzou football games to watch me play.

What was your favorite memory of high school?

My favorite memory of high school would have to be when our drumline performed at the Borgia Homecoming Pep Rally in 2017.

How has your Borgia education helped you in your life?

Borgia provided me with the skills, tools, and college credits to give me a head start when I started college. I have also learned to be true to my faith and to trust God’s plan when challenged with adversity.

What is the great takeaway from your Borgia education?

The greatest takeaway from my Borgia education must be the life-long relationships that I established with the staff and my classmates. When I come home from school for Thanksgiving or Christmas break, I cannot help but to run into my former classmates and teachers around town. Although I might not be as close to them as I was before, it is always nice to catch up and see how they are doing.

What word or adjective would you use to describe Borgia?

I believe that the word “home” best describes Borgia because I practically lived there for four years of my life. This is where I received a quality education, played sports, met my best friends, and created so many good memories. I still visit Borgia frequently to run old Cross-Country routes, play soccer, and practice the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Athletic and Activities Schedule

Welcome to another exciting year of Borgia Athletics and Activities. Together, let’s always and, in all ways, celebrate the efforts of our students, players, coaches, and teachers as they strive to make Borgia #1 in class, style, sportsmanship, and competitiveness. Go, Knights!!

Click on the logo to see a comprehensive athletic and activities schedule.

Alumni Prayers

In thanksgiving for the sacrifices and contributions offered by those before us on our behalf, we at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School offer our afternoon prayer for different members of our alumni each day.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DAILY ALUMNI PRAYER LIST FOR AUGUST

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DAILY ALUMNI PRAYER LIST FOR SEPTEMBER

If you have children who are graduates and still receive mail at your home, but no longer live there, please contact Donna Grahl, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations to update your child's address. She can be reached by phone at 636-239-7871 ext. 131 or via email at donna.grahl@borgia.com.

Summer Mega Raffle Winners

Each year St. Francis Borgia Regional High School gives away $25,000 in prizes through our annual Borgia Mega Raffle. There are two $1,000 drawings each month and an additional $1,000 drawing on October 10 to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis Borgia. In addition, the student who sells the winning ticket receives free lunches for a week.