October 8, 2010
2010 Leadership Awards Recipients introduced at luncheon
Bill Pollian, president of the Indianapolis Colts, addresses the Tomorrow’s WorkForce luncheon at the Centre in Evansville, Sept 29. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Robert “Robbie” M. Kent, a shareholder sponsor of the Tomorrow’s WorkForce event, introduce the 2010 recipients of the leadership awards, pausing occasionally to comment on a family connection among the students.
Kent, whose name is long associated with one or more automobile dealerships, introduced a student from “across that money-saving bridge when he read the name of Memorial student Katie Faupel, from the family of Ron Faupel, a dealership name in Henderson, Ky.
He also noted his long time friendship with Dennis Lamey of Evansville, when he introduced Memorial student Patrick Lamey. He pointed out that there were 43 students receiving the award this year, including two sets of twins, Memorial students Anna and Marie Hackert and Reid and Ryan Schultheis.
The most surprising comment made from the speaking platform, though, came from the keynoter, Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts. Partway through his presentation, Polian praised the students for their achievements, then told a Colts staff member to get the names of the two Mater Dei students who sang the National Anthem — so they could come to sing at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The singers were Alex Orth, a junior, and Sarah Stolz, a senior, who sang just before the invocation was given at the Sept. 29 event. (Related story: Surprise announcement stuns singers at Tomorrow’s Workforce luncheon)
Polian, in his thirteenth season as president of the Indianapolis Colts, spoke about his own life, growing up in the Bronx, and participating in Catholic high school rivalry between his school, Mount St. Michael, and a competing school, Cardinal Hayes High School. Their annual football match-up was played on Thanksgiving Day, in the 30,000 seat stadium at Columbia University.
Among the personal stories Polian related was a time when he was called off the bench during a football game to see the coach, after some fans had started cheering, “We want Polian.” The coach noted that the fans were calling for him, so he told the player to “go up there and see what they want.”
Polian wrapped up his presentation noting that parents of Catholic school students “made sacrifices to send their sons and daughters to Catholic school because they knew that was the first step toward success.”
He said that “time has come for our generation to pay a debt of gratitude . . . . Please stand tall for Catholic schools. You’ll never make a better investment.”
The luncheon grossed al-most $146,000 for the two schools, from 167 sponsors, 55 of them new this year, according to announcements from the schools.
According to Sarah Wagner at Mater Dei, more than $500,000 has been raised over the past four years, through the efforts of the Tomorrow’s WorkForce Committee, the sponsors, the boards of trustees and other supporters.
Co-chairs of the 2010 event were Jeff Henning, Dennis Lamey, Madonna Niemeier and Stave Schaefer.
Money contributed through the program is used at the two schools for science, technology and faculty development.
Following is the list of Mater Dei students who are recipients of the leadership awards.
- Madalyn Bradley
- Hannah Daunhauer
- Jonathan DeFrees
- Josh Elpers
- Olivia Fritch
- Alecia Kissel
- Andrea Knapp
- Lauren Martin
- Ryan Meeks
- Bellinda Messal
- Jessica Moll
- Jordan Niemeier
- Amelia Reising
- Theresa Scheller
- Alexander Schmitt
- Quinn Schroeder
- Emily Short
- Sarah Stoltz
- Paige Townsend
- Adam Wilmes
- Allison Wolf
Following is a list of the Memorial students receiving the 2010 leadership awards.
- Elizabeth Behrens
- Megan Brandon
- Emily Braun
- Marjorie Daily
- Katie Faupel
- Ann Hackert
- Marie Hackert
- Logan Hazelwood
- Megan Hostetler
- Allison Kieffer
- Andrew Kuhn
- Patrick Lamey
- Bryce Lueken
- Rachel Massey
- Liza Mazzocco
- Drew Miles
- Kelly Moors
- Rebekah Riedford
- Christina Salgado
- Reid Schultheis
- Ryan Schultheis
- Matthew Stewart