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March 20, 2008

HOMECOMING 2005 ACTIVITIES and REUNION NEWS
 
Alumni ...
Please join us for all or some of the Homecoming Activities!

Friday September 23rd
The Alumni Golf Outing is on Friday, September 23rd at 10:00 am at Arrowhead Golf Course - Anyone is welcome to join in the fun...you don't have to be an alumni.

Sign up NOW!
Questions?? Call Bill Melka at 312-444-3423 or Trish Lynch at 630-668-5800 ext 115

Click Here for Registration Form for the Alumni Golf Classic

Homecoming Varsity Football Game is on Friday, September 23rd at 7:30 pm

. . . Soph. at 5:30 pm.Saturday, September 24th -Alumni Mass
September 24th . . . join us for an alumni mass in the Kuhn Cultural Arts Center at SFHS at 4:30p.m.

We are looking for Alumni to help with the mass. We need singers and readers and eucharistic ministers. If you are interested in helping, please call Trish Lynch at 630-668-5800 ext. 115 or email to tlynch@sfhsnet.org.

REUNION INFORMATION

2004 Distinguished Alumni Award Winners Addressed the students and faculty at SFHS
 
Sr. Barbara Nelson, IBVM
Class of 1962
Traveling from her residence in California, Sister Barbara Nelson, IBVM ’62 , one of the recipients of the 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award addressed the students and faculty at the Holy Thursday liturgy on March 24, 2005. She remarked that the “Slant Dome” gym where the liturgy was held has seen a lot in its 48 years: games like the regional basketball championship in 1962, where the relatively new St. Francis Knights proved that they were a team and a school to be reckoned with.

She said the gym has seen a lot of sacrifice, too: Yes this gym has seen a lot of sacrifice too – like those who warm the bench, but come day after day, practice after practice and contribute so much to make a good team even better, but see limited playing time. It’s a story about unselfish commitment like the second-string senior who played BB for 4 years. And when his team made it again to the regionals, he was taken off the roster so sophomores could be brought up for more experience. Yet he sat in the stands and cheered as if he were suited up. It’s a story of teachers and coaches who give up time with their families to add that extra dimension to student’s lives.

She questioned where this ideal of selfless giving come from – this ideal of service. “You don’t have to look any further than the Gospels you will hear today and through the rest of the Triduum. Listen closely to what Jesus does for others – his closest friends who in the end will let him down and deserted him,” she said. Sister Barbara challenged the students to really be there for others, those in their classes, on their teams, and above all their families. Being a good friend doesn’t mean just being there and agreeing with everything your friends do. She concluded her talk saying, “Your parents and teachers have tried to teach you by example – as Jesus did. May you go and do likewise…”

Timothy “Tim” Theriault
Class of 1978
Comparing his time at St. Francis and the experience of today’s student, 2004 Distinguished Alumni Award winner Tim Theriault ’78, spoke to the students at a liturgy on April 14, 2005. Noting the passing of Pope John Paul II earlier in the month, he reminisced about the deaths of Pope Paul VI and John Paul I in 1978. Tim compared the 93 graduates in 1978 when St. Francis was just surviving, to the 171 graduates in 2005 showing that St. Francis is thriving.

Tim told the students, “Once you leave St. Francis, you will look back and reflect on how much St. Francis High School has shaped you”. Identifying St. Francis as a family of families, he enumerated those that had students here in 1978 as well as 2005: Armbrust, Beck, Cronin, Jurich, Fagan, Dreisilker, and Lynch, to name a few. As 90% of a child's influence comes from the people they 'hang out with', SFHS is a great environment for students (children) to thrive. Tim has always been grateful to his parents for giving him the positive influences of the great people who attended with him. Tim also noted some of the teachers and coaches who affected his life – Kolodziej, Kopec, Brown, Driscoll, Craver, Don Jones and Jim Leonard to name a few !

SFHS offered Tim a chance to do many things: sports, theater and music. The school was big enough to offer variety and small enough to allow inclusion in many activities. Tim feels fortunate to have come from a great institution like SFHS to work at another, Northern Trust. Both embody strong character around ethics, morals, and high standards. He left the students with this thought, “While St. Francis offers you a foundation for the development of a strong character, it is up you to take advantage of this to build a life of success.”

Jamie Parisi '83
Returns to Speak to SFHS Business Students
 
Alumni Jaime Parisi ’83 returns to SF to share career experience with Business students In early May, over 40 students enrolled in business classes at St. Francis attended an in-school discussion held in the library at St. Francis to learn about careers in finance from alumni Mr. Jamie Parisi ’83, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Mr. Parisi commented on the academic offerings of the Business Department at St. Francis. When he attended St. Francis, he did not have the business opportunities that the students have today.

In discussing the changes that 25 years can have on industry, Parisi noted the marked difference in the trading floor from the late 80’s to the trading floor of today. “In the late 80’s computerized trading took hold and 70% of trading is done now on an electronic platform”, Parisi said.

Laws are different today as well. Parisi discussed the impact of the new laws that Congress established as a result of the Enron scandal. “The new internal controls are necessary to establish and maintain investors confidences”, Parisi said.

His parting advice to the students regarding their future employment: understand what the job your seeking entails (are your skills a good fit for the need), have a positive attitude, understand that people skills are important (you need to be able to get along with others) and finally, appreciate all levels of people who work in the corporation.

An Alumni Proposal!
Saturday, February 26, 2005 . . .

Orion Kevil '95 blindfolded Rachel Burke '95
and took her back to SFHS
where they met 14 years ago!
He took her to room 224 where they had their first class together and proposed!
Awe...
She said YES!
Congratulations to them both!

Alumni Phonathon 2005
Student volunteers from St. Francis gathered together on Tuesday, April 26th and Monday, May 2nd to make phone calls to many alumni asking for their support of this year's Annual Appeal. Thank you to all of you who made pledges to our students.

We hope that all of our alumni know that it is not so much the amount of the gift but the gift itself that makes a difference. We want our students to know that many of our alumni want to give back to St. Francis High School in any way that they can. It is that tradition of gratitude for a great Catholic education that makes St. Francis different from the rest.

Thanks Alumni for your continued support!

Alumni Scholarship Winners

St. Francis Alumni Association Scholarship:
($1,000 non-renewable)
Meghan Pirics ’09 - St. John the Baptist
daughter of Gail Stark '81 Pirics

Kuhn Alumni Scholarship: ($1,000 non-renewable)
Jeff Melin ’09 - St. Petronille
son of Sharon O'Connell '64 Melin