What's Happening in Cougar Country

As the members of the Lake Catholic Class of 2004 began planning their 20-year reunion, not only did they want to plan a party, but also come up with a way to give back to the school they called home for four years.

In the end, in addition to their reunion in August, they collected and made an impactful donation to the Erin (Gaydos) Carlisle Memorial Scholarship in memory of their classmates Erin and Mollie (Stanic) Hoar.

That scholarship was awarded earlier this month, with both the Gaydos and Stanic families on hand, to Lake Catholic senior Max Barnes (St. Mary of the Assumption).

“When the committee came together to decide how we wanted to honor Mollie and Erin with the funds we raised at our reunion, a scholarship was an easy choice, as their friendship left a lasting mark on many lives,” said Pam Schneider, from the Class of 2004 who helped plan the class reunion. “It was a true blessing to use the funds raised at our reunion to support a current student in their memory. This gesture reflects their enduring legacy and the positive impact they had on the lives of those who knew them.”

Erin passed away in 2011 in a boating accident, while Mollie passed away in 2018 after a battle with cancer.

Soon after Erin’s passing, her family began the memorial scholarship in her honor (as well as one at Gannon University, where Erin earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy in 2009). 

Her favorite quote on her Facebook page at the time of her passing was, “I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

Erin’s mom, Marianne, said at the scholarship presentation reception that Lake Catholic played a key role in instilling this passion in Erin and her family is proud to see current Lake Catholic students follow in her footsteps. It’s in this spirit that part of the criteria for the scholarship remain – a student who has a positive attitude, discreetly shows kindness to others, and goes the extra mile to reach out to others when it might not be the most popular action to take. The student must live as an exemplary young adult consistent in living the Lake Catholic mission statement and core values.

“These are the values that others see in you Max,” Marianne said. “We are proud and honored that you are receiving this scholarship in Erin’s name.”

The Stanic family was gracious of her classmates including her in the donation they made, and reminded everyone of the great life Mollie had, but also the legacy she left behind in her three young daughters.

Mollie’s sister, Becky (Stanic) Cervenka (’05), said that Mollie continued to be a cheerleader in life long after Lake Catholic – that she loved organizing parties, especially one with a good theme, because she was able to gather friends, family, and strangers to celebrate someone or something she loved.

After graduating Mollie continued to strive to embody Lake Catholic’s Core Values, especially a willingness to serve. Becky said Mollie excelled at caring for others, particularly her family. 

“She was born to be a mom, she was phenomenal at it,” Becky said. “There was nothing she loved more. She celebrated each of her girls for their unique personalities while fostering strong relationships between them. In the short time she had with them, she ensured their life was filled with love, family, and community. She always said it takes a village to raise a child and she made sure to build one for them before she left. I couldn’t think of a better way to honor her legacy and show her girls how much their mom meant to people than through this scholarship. 

“Max we wish you all the luck in the world. Continue to work hard, be compassionate, and serve others, but do it like Mollie did. Make it a party.”

Lake Catholic became the first school in Lake County to partner with The Howley Foundation, whose mission is to create social and economic mobility and improve lives by providing quality educational opportunities. 

Earlier today, five Lake Catholic freshmen who excel academically and in extracurricular activities were awarded renewable scholarships from The Howley Foundation. 
Amarion Levitt (from St. Jerome School), Gabriella Rios (Urban Community School), Lilly Macek (St. Gabriel School), Finnigan Kilbane (Mater Dei Academy), and Mason O’Donnell (St. Mary of the Assumption) met with representatives from The Howley Foundation for lunch where they were presented with a congratulatory letter, a certificate, and their Howley Scholar pin.

“I came out last (academic) year to see what Lake Catholic was all about,” said PJ Reindel, the Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer of The Howley Foundation. “I was really impressed with what the school does and the environment that the leadership and faculty have created. You can see the character formation. You see it when you pull in – Enter to Learn and Exit to Serve. It’s right there. You come here for academics, but it’s so much more than that. And that’s what made it a perfect fit for us to partner with Lake Catholic.”

Nick and Lorie Howley formed The Howley Foundation in 2001, with the intent of helping students, all students, regardless of financial means, receive the best education possible. The Howleys firmly believe that education is one of the most important catalysts for promoting positive change in individuals and society as a whole.

Starting with one student scholarship at a local Cleveland Catholic high school, they have grown the Foundation and the Howley Scholars Program to provide meaningful tuition assistance in 2024 to more than 1,400 scholarship students in Cleveland and Philadelphia, as well as in other high schools and colleges around the United States.
The scholarships are funded with a four-year pledge if the students meet the maintenance criteria – maintaining a 3.0 GPA, participating in, and meaningful contributions to, extracurricular activities, and remaining in good standing with the school.

“The partnership with Lake Catholic was formed just months ago and we are so excited to have the support of the Howley Foundation,” said Lake Catholic Director of Advancement Carla Ronnebaum (’00). “They have made such an impact on education here in Northeast Ohio, and we are grateful Lake Catholic students are now able to benefit from such a great foundation.

“Our hope is to continue this partnership every year culminating with a total of 20 students at Lake Catholic being honored as prestigious Howley Scholars.”
 

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.

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.).

Nick Brandt, a standout on the football and boys basketball teams, was recently named a winner of an Ohio High School Athletic Association student-athlete scholarship by the OHSAA's Northeast Athletic District Board's Scholarship Committee.

The award is a $1,000 scholarship, which Brandt can now use as he moves on to Miami University.

He is the second winner to be named from Lake Catholic since the scholarship's inception in 2007. Kennedy Newhart won a scholarship in 2018.

Recipients were selected based on a point system which rewards students for grade point averages; class rank; community service; varsity letters earned; and individual and team athletic honors. 

Brandt finished high school with a grade-point average higher than 4.0 and ranked in the top 5 in Class of 2023. In his time at Lake Catholic he earned eight varsity letters (three in football and basketball and two in track and field). 

This past season on the football field, Brandt was a jack-of-all-trades on offense. He had 51 receptions for 489 yards and two touchdowns as a wide receiver; he carried the ball 44 times for 179 yards and three touchdowns; and even played quarterback completing 11 of 22 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown. All told he accumulated 777 yards and accounted for six touchdowns.

“Nick was a constant leader for our program - academically and on the field - throughout the duration of his four years at Lake Catholic,” football coach Marty Gibbons said. “He strives to do well and we all look forward to seeing him do great things in the future.”

On the basketball court, Brandt was the starting point guard and captain for the district champion Cougars. He led the team in steals and assists, with his 166 assists making him one of the top assist leaders in Northeast Ohio. He was named to both the Northeast Lakes All-District and All-Crown Conference teams.

“It is very well deserved, but not surprising to me, that Nick Brandt has won the OHSAA Scholar Athlete Scholarship because I was fortunate enough to see daily how hard he works on the court and in the classroom," said boys basketball coach Matt Vespa. "Nick consistently demonstrated that he is not intimidated by hard work or willing to back down from a challenge. I have no doubt he will continue to demonstrate these admirable skills in the next phases of his life. It was truly an honor to not only coach Nick for this season but also to see someone receive the recognition they deserve for all of the hard work they have put into being successful academically and athletically.”

For winning the scholarship, Brandt will be honored along with the other scholarship winners at an awards presentation and dinner at Progressive Field prior to a Cleveland Guardians game later this summer.

photo courtesy of Full Stop Photography

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