April 17, 2009
Mater Dei, Memorial honor Leadership Award recipients
On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, the Evansville Catholic Interparochial High Schools named and honored their 2009 Leadership Award recipients at a dinner reception at Kirby’s. The Leadership Award is part of the Tomorrow’s Work Force program. This effort partners the Catholic high schools with the business community of Evansville to assist Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial in producing the future leaders and work force of Evansville and beyond. The program has three areas of emphasis: science, technology and faculty development. The Leadership Award starts off the Tomorrow’s Work Force program in the spring and culminates in a luncheon in the fall. In September 2008, more than $110,000 was raised for Mater Dei and Memorial through the Tomorrow’s Work Force efforts.
A large reason so many businesses and individuals are supportive is the acknowledgement that Mater Dei and Memorial High Schools consistently, graduate students who are prepared for the next steps in life. They have top graduation rates, ISTEP scores, SAT scores, ACT scores, etc. and more than 95% of their graduates go on to some form of higher education. The results come from a committed faculty and administration, involved parents and families, active volunteers and alumni, and most importantly a student body who wants to excel.
All of this is achieved within a setting that teaches, directs, encourages and instills faith in God and the commitment to learn and serve. The faith aspect of the high schools is the driving force behind all that is done at Mater Dei and Mem-orial, and they are blessed with many great accomplishments.
The Leadership Award is presented each year as part of the Tomorrow’s Work Force program. Mater Dei and Memorial High Schools’ junior students are invited to submit applications and must first meet certain criteria — the student must have a GPA of Honors status (3.0 out of 4.0 at Mater Dei and 4.0 out of 6.0 at Memorial), be involved in three school activities (one of which may be athletics) and must complete at least one service or community activity during the current academic year. Each student submitted an essay answering the following question:
“How has my Mater Dei or Memorial High School education prepared me for life after high school — academically, socially and spiritually?”
From Mater Dei High School:
- Jennifer Atherton
- Sara Blankenberger
- Emily Jolly
- Erin Kelley
- Jessica Kempf
- Cara Kuester
- Kayla Lydon
- Caitlyn Mitchell
- Brooke Nurrenbern
- Rachel Rexing
- Benjamin Richardson
- Clare Scheller
- Alissa Schenk
- Matt Schneider
- Lauren Seitz
- Faith Slaton
- Kathryn Steinkamp
- Weston Tenbarge
- Katelyn Wargel
- Olivia Weinzapfel
- Annelise Will
- Jessica Wilson
From Reitz Memorial High School:
- Nicholas Bafunno
- Corinne Casino
- Ellen Dillman
- Susan Featherstone
- Maxx Hagan
- Molly Joest
- Katherine Loehr
- Olivia O’Dell
- Mariah Phipps
- Sarah Scheidel
- William Sievern
- Aviayna Thomas
- Lindsey Will
- Eric Wolf
In addition to the individual awards, two students were recognized with a 2009 Leadership Award Scholarship. This $500 scholarship was awarded to a student from both Mater Dei and Memorial High Schools; from Mater Dei: Rachel Rexing, daughter of Kelley Rexing and Russell Rexing; from Memorial: Olivia O’Dell, daughter of Tim and Barbarina O’Dell.
Each student recipient of the 2009 Leadership Award will be invited to attend the Tomorrow’s Work Force luncheon this fall where Indiana’s Governor Mitch Daniels will be the keynote speaker.