Senior Spotlight: Juliana Unger, Lucas Jeske, Joshua Klavinski, & Grant Hallacy

Juliana Unger

Juliana Unger is quick with a knife…if you are a chicken.

Juliana became the Action Skills State Champion at the Michigan SkillsUSA competition in Grand Rapids earlier this month. She “fabricated” a chicken – slicing a whole bird into specialized portions – in five minutes.

Those five minutes earned Juliana a partial scholarship to Sullivan University’s culinary program in Louisville, Kentucky, and a chance to compete for a full scholarship at the nationals this June.

Sullivan is Juliana’s dream school, but she shelved it due to expenses, electing the Grand Rapids Community College’s culinary program. Now, she is undecided.

“If I do score high, I might go to Sullivan,” Juliana said.

Juliana has always loved cooking, making meals for her family. Her passion, combine with skills she’s learned at the Calhoun Area Career Center, has become a career.

“I want to be a chef or own my own catering business,” Juliana said.

Lucas Jeske

Lucas Jeske has always been drawn to nature. A career as a conservation officer just fits.

“When I was younger I would pack some snacks and drinks and I would wander off into the woods,” Lucas said. “I never knew that what I am most passionate about would end up being what I do as my job.”

Lucas is shadowing a Department of Natural Resources officer for his senior internship. He enjoys the work and the perks.

“…while I’m on the job, I can scout for good fishing and hunting areas,” Lucas said.

Lucas plans to study natural resource sciences in college, upping his odds in this competitive field.

“Anything that gives you that extra boost may be the difference between a job and no job,” Lucas said. “I'm just a guy that loves the outdoors and wants to dedicate his life to preserving it for the generations to come.”

Joshua Klavinski

Joshua Klavinski is a military man.

“I’ve always been interested in the military, ever since the third grade,” Joshua said. “I never really considered anything else.”

Some of his influences came from friends.

“I had a lot of friends growing up [who had] family in the military,” Joshua said. “I just thought it was really cool what they did.”

Some of his influences came from his experience with the Civil Air Patrol in Battel Creek, where youths ages 12-19 learn to fly, hike, and drill. Joshua holds the rank of Cadet Airman, with one orientation flight under his belt.

“I got to fly a Cessna, a little two-seater plane,” Joshua said, an experience he describes as terrifying and exciting.

Josh plans to enlist in the Navy after graduation.

“I don’t really know yet what I want to do in the navy,” Joshua said. “I just know I want to enlist.”

Grant Hallacy

Grant Hallacy wants to stay in uniform.

This decorated Eagle Scout plans to be a military lawyer. Interning with a JAG attorney on the Air National Guard base has him well on his way.

“We had to put our thinking caps on,” Debbie Evans, senior internship teacher, said. “[Grant] had to jump through a lot of hoops to get on the base.”

One of those hoops is not being called an intern despite doing paralegal work.

“They can’t technically have interns, they have to have volunteers,” Grant said. “Pretty much they call me a volunteer and it works out.”

Grant will attend Kellogg Community College this fall, completing his bachelor degree at Western Michigan University. The Navy will pay for law school in exchange for Grant’s service.

“I planned on going in for a number of years anyway, so it just helps out that they pay for it,” Grant said.

Taking on the role of Jesus

There are many ways BCACS students reflect on the Lord’s Passion – they study the scriptures, they attend the Stations of the Cross, they say the Sorrowful Mysteries on the Rosary. When they entered the eighth grade, they bring the Lord’s Passion to the stage.

“Watching the play in the past, it has always been really neat to see how the kids put themselves in the places of Peter, James, John, and Mary,” Don Shafer, St. Joseph Middle School theology teacher, said. “I think the kids really try to embrace and get into those parts as much as they can, and they really do a super job.”

This is Mr. Shafer’s first time directing the play, which has been passed from teacher to teacher for more than ten years. Although the script remains the same, each class leaves its own mark. This year seventh-graders Nathan Pawlowicz, Arianna Pontoni, and Cami Arroyo played the piano.

“We did add a seventh-grade influence this year,” Mr. Shafer said. “Tina Sprague [middle school science teacher] had the idea to add music during transitions. It turned out really nicely.”

The play is primarily an eighth-grade production, taking these Confirmation candidates on a unique journey with the Lord.

“How do the kids take on the role of Jesus, knowing how important that is beyond just knowing the lines?” Mr. Shafer said. “I think it’s the fact of representing, maybe in a very small fashion, what Jesus gave up for us. What does that really mean and how does that come to life in our own lives?”

Students spend nearly two months reflecting on these questions and memorizing their lines.

“[The hardest part was] demonstrating the struggle that Jesus went through and doing it with my whole person,” Ben Shafer, who played Jesus, said.

“As a narrator, I was trying so hard not to make a mistake and make sure I pronounced everything correctly,” Kathryn Keller said.

“[The best part was] being able to be Peter and share his passion for Jesus,” Pedro Reyes said.

Normally, the show takes place in St. Joseph Church, but due to ongoing roof restorations, it was moved to the school gym.

“It was different, just to get a lay of the land, to be able to know how we were going to move, our transition from one scene to the next,” Mr. Shafer said. “The administration did a great job helping the kids get to that transition point with practice.”

Challenges aside, on Holy Thursday, elementary and middle school students, as well as the greater St. Joseph community gathered to watch the Lord’s Passion as performed by our eighth-graders…and a few seventh-graders.

“The kids made me very, very proud,” Mr. Shafer said.

Senior Spotlight: Olivia Woods, Noah Ellinger, Taylor Pessetti & Grayson Obey

Olivia Woods

Olivia Woods is the daughter of medical professionals, but her decision to become a doctor began in Zambia. Her family helped build a school and tend the sick while living there.

“That trip showed me who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do, and how kindness and love can change others lives,” Olivia said. “Helping the Zambians made me realize I want to be a doctor so I can serve those struggling with illness and poverty.”

Olivia returned a woman on a mission.

This high-honor student secured a senior internship at Borgess Medical Center, splitting time between physical therapy and radiology. She will start her studies at Michigan State University this fall. She plans to earn her medical degree from the University of Michigan.

“My mom has taught me that I will never work a day in my life if I'm doing what I truly love,” Olivia said.

Noah Ellinger

Noah Ellinger enjoys biology and chemistry equally.

As a Math and Science Center student, Noah bulked up on chemistry and biology courses. His Senior Capstone on genetic manipulation and human embryos earned him a chance to compete for a $5,000 Diocese of Kalamazoo scholarship.

“I thought it would be a cool thing to research,” Noah said. “I already knew Catholics were against it, but I wanted to see why and to what extent.”

And what will this honor student will study at Kalamazoo College in the fall?

“Either biochemistry, chemistry, or biology,” Noah said.

Noah is an Eagle Scout, a rank only 5% of Boy Scouts achieve according to National Eagle Scout Association. The experience taught Noah about leadership and humility.

“I learned it was okay to ask for help, which I found was a very valuable lesson instead of just trying to do everything on your own,” Noah said.

Taylor Pessetti

Taylor Pessetti embraces leadership.

She’s played four years on the volleyball, basketball, and track team, becoming a captain of all three. She is treasurer of both the senior class and the National Honor Society. Her Senior Capstone on abortion made the final round of the Diocese of Kalamazoo’s scholarship competition.

Taylor also embraces numbers.

She is class salutatorian, a member of the 30+ ACT club, and a four-year Math and Science Center student. She earned an internship at Kellogg’s Data Analytics and Services, where the field of statistics caught her attention.

“I knew I loved math from day one, but they talked about all the stuff you could do with it and I didn’t even know any of it existed,” Taylor said. “I thought I would explore it a little more and that’s what kick-started everything about stats.”

Taylor plans to study statistics at the University of Michigan this fall.

Grayson Obey

Grayson Obey doesn’t know if he will study at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University or Ohio State University this fall.

He does know what he will study.

“I intend on majoring in biomedical engineering because of my interest in prosthetics and prosthetic design,” Grayson said. “This comes from an interest in my father's occupations, as well as the biology and math based classes I have taken throughout my high school career.”

This scholar-athlete has distinguished himself on the field and in the classroom. Recently, Grayson became a finalist in the Diocese of Kalamazoo’s Capstone scholarship competition for his presentation on the morality of stem cell research. Specifically, he highlighted adult stem cell and umbilical cord blood stem cell research.

“Neither of these types of stem cell research results in the harming of human life and has seen real results in helping people overcome illnesses and diseases,” Grayson said.

Seniors "cap" their education by defending the faith

High school seniors are constantly demonstrating their skills, often for scholarships. For our St. Philip seniors, this includes demonstrating their knowledge of the faith.

The Diocese of Kalamazoo Capstone project is a yearlong undertaking, requiring diocesan high school seniors to defend the faith on a subject of their choice. It is a graduation requirement, a diocese-wide competition, and a scholarship opportunity.

“This project sums up not only their education at our schools but especially their faith,” Nicole Krajewski, St. Philip theology teacher, said.

The Capstone journey begins junior year when students pick a topic from an approved list based on the Theology curriculum. With help from teachers and priests, these students research their subject with an eye towards defending the church’s position.

Once the research is complete, students write a thesis paper on their findings, as well as prepare an 8-12 minute presentation on their topic. Students present their Capstones to a panel of school judges for a final grade in March.

Three students move on to the diocese’s Capstone competition held in Kalamazoo in May, presenting alongside finalists from Hackett Catholic Prep and Lake Michigan Catholic High School. The winning presenter receives a $5,000 scholarship, second place receives a $3000 scholarship, and third place receives a $2000 scholarship. All Capstone finalists receive a $500 scholarship.

[l. to r.] Noah Ellinger, Taylor Pessetti, Grayson Obey

Representing St. Philip this year are Noah Ellinger, Taylor Pessetti, and Grayson Obey.

Noah focused on human genetic manipulation, a subject he became familiar with during his Math and Science Center studies.

“Genetic manipulation is much more than adding a gene to somebody,” Noah said. “It takes on much more responsibility when you do things like that. [The project] really affirmed my Catholic beliefs and why you don’t do something like that.”

Taylor used the principle of double-effect – a four-step process to determine if something is morally right – to defend the church’s stance on abortion.

“I took a little bit of a science approach, going back to where life is defined as beginning, and I talk about the Catholic Church’s vision,” Taylor said.

Grayson tackled the morality of stem cell research, spotlighting adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells, which don’t destroy human embryos.

“I believe that it is important for others to be informed and aware of the other types of stem cell research being done and the results that have come from them,” Grayson said.

The Capstone’s true reward isn’t grades or scholarships, but maturity in the faith.

“They are going to have to defend their faith in college or at least live out their faith,” Ms. Krajewski said. “This helps them to know how to find resources to defend their faith [by] helping them learn how to teach themselves.”

Senior Spotlight: Zach Nelson, Camille Cornils, Ben Swagler, & Jack Greenman

Zach Nelson

Zach Nelson’s dedication has earned basketball and baseball accolades. It also earned an internship in his desired field – geriatric care.

“I knew how hard it was going to be,” senior internship teacher Debbie Evans said. “I made sure [his intention] was authentic and not just something he was comfortable doing because of the personal experience he has.”

“The biggest challenge I faced was all of the places that turned down interns just because it can be a difficult field for an intern,” Zach said.

Zach persevered, finding a placement at Centra Care.

“The most interesting thing is being able to meet all the older people and learn about...what they have done throughout their lives,” Zach said. “This internship has ultimately confirmed what I want to do. I would love to stick with the geriatric field.”

Zach will start his studies at Kellogg Community College, before transferring to Western Michigan University.

Camille Cornils

Camille Cornils is persistent. This multi-sport athlete, tennis captain, and honor student used that tenacity to land a health field internship.

“She had a lot of doors shutting because of what she wanted to do,” senior internship teacher Debbie Evans said.

Camille endured, and Nessels Nutrition opened their doors. This might not have been the hospital placement she wanted, but it ended up being the right placement.

“This internship only confirms my desire to become a nutritionist and pursue it as a career,” Camille said. “The most interesting part of my internship is how much I unintentionally learn. Every session with a patient I learn something new. The most challenging part of my internship is not interrupting the sessions to ask questions.

Camille plans to study health science at Indiana University this fall.

“My ultimate goal is to help people who are struggling with food and proper nutrition,” Camille said.

Ben Swagler

Ben Swagler has energy. It radiates from him on the field and the court and propelled him to the exclusive rank of Eagle Scout.

“I always want to be doing and accomplishing something,” Ben said. “I want to make a difference in this world. I want to make positive impressions everywhere I go. If I can change one person's life for the better I'm a satisfied person.”

Ben thought that difference would be as an athletic trainer, but his internship with Borgess Health Park has him considering other fields, including law enforcement.

Although the future may not be clear, Ben’s next step after graduation is set.

“I have been involved in sports my whole life and I think being involved in those kinds of things builds character,” Ben said. “That's why I plan to attend the University of Spring Arbor to continue my soccer career and finish my general studies.”

Jack Greenman

Jack Greenman is synonymous with running. This decorated track and cross-country athlete has earned MVP honors, competed at the state level, and, one day, hopes to coach.

“I love sports and I want my career to be involved with something I love,” Jack said. “I would love to coach the next generation about everything I know.”

Interning at Minges Creek Athletic Center, Jack works with Ray Yager, personal trainer, and St. Philip’s cross-country coach.

Jack appreciates all his mentors, starting with his family.

“I grew up with three older sisters and two loving parents,” Jack said. “I always say that I have four moms because they are all like a mother to me. My dad raises me to be a great man…and I look up to him. My family taught me to be a great person.”

Jack is still considering where to attend college but wants to study sports management.

Getting the facts from living wax

What happens when you combine history with a dash of Halloween? You get the BCACS Fourth Grade Wax Museum.

Posing as historical figures, fourth-grade students come to life with a press of a “button” on their hands. Laura LaLonde started the wax museum in 1999, which is currently under the stewardship of fourth-grade teachers Elizabeth Casterline and Ardis Vandenboss.

“It is an assessment of the students' reading comprehension, writing skills, and speaking skills,” Mrs. Casterline said. “It is also a creative outlet for students who enjoy demonstrating their learning in a unique way.”

It all starts with a historical celebrity wish list.

“Some [students] already ‘know’ who they want to be, but we remind them that it is done in a lottery fashion,” Mrs. Casterline said. “They have to have two or three choices because we don't want any repeats.”

Athletes, activists, princesses, and presidents are popular picks, but there can be surprises. This year’s museum had its first Phyllis Wheatley, the first published African-American poet.

"A lot of people didn't know who Phillis Wheatley was until I told them about her," Krystina Brutsche said.

After some research, students write and commit to memory a 1-2 minute speech.

“This seems like a nearly impossible task for some kids, but I never had a student who was unable to accomplish it,” Mrs. Casterline said.

Students then dress the part, often using wigs, makeup, props, and displays.

"A lot of us put a lot of detail into our costumes and speeches," Gabby Melges said.

Teachers mark one hand of each student with a black circle. Still and silent, students wait until a visitor presses their “button”. Once pressed, these wax figures come to life, giving their speeches, before resuming their frozen positions.

“The confidence the students gain through this experience is amazing,” Mrs. Casterline said.

"It was great learning how to say a speech in front of all those people," Alonso Campos said.

“I liked how we stayed frozen in between saying our speech,” Mary Sui said.

"My favorite part…was telling people how important these people are to our history," Breanna Ingraham said.

"I liked when people told me that they love my character," said Caleb Sebright.

Cameras clicked, visitors listened, and future BCACS fourth-graders got some ideas.

“We definitely tell the third-graders to look at the museum carefully because it will be their turn next,” Mrs. Casterline said.

We can’t wait!

Our 2017 Wax Museum

Senior Spotlight: Flora Sung, Ava Strenge & Kameron Haley

Flora Sung

Flora Sung has more than a dream for her future – she has a calling

“I want to become a Catholic sister,” Flora said.

Born in Myanmar, Flora came to the United States in 2011. English is her third language, learned while attending Michigan schools. Flora wants to continue her studies at Kellogg Community College.

“I believe education is one of the most important things in my life,” Flora said.

Dedicated to God and her studies, Flora continues to work on her English, as well as learn Spanish, during her internship at St. Joseph Parish.

“I know with God everything is possible,” Flora said. “I want to have a happy life of prayer, community, and service.”

“It has been such a wonderful extension for me...to really explore the faith formation path as a career choice for a student in such an open and supportive way,” senior internship teacher Debbie Evans said.

Ava Strenge

A two-time state champion cross-country runner, Ava Strenge knows how to stay in peak condition. Her plan to be a dietitian is a natural one.

“I am very passionate about this topic and want to educate others on the best way to fuel their body,” Ava said.

Serving her internship at Minges Creek Athletic Club, Ava helps clients meet their health goals by designing meal plans. This opportunity has developed Ava’s communication skills. Self-described as quiet, Ava works hard to make sure clients get the most out of their weekly meetings with her.

“[This internship] helped teach me how to communicate more effectively in a professional setting,” Ava said.

A gifted scholar-athlete, Ava plans to study nutrition and dietetics as well as run cross-country and track in college. She has been accepted at the University of Michigan and Mississippi State University but hasn’t made a final decision yet.

Kameron Haley

Kameron Haley has distinguished herself as an athlete at St. Philip – experience she plans to draw on as a physical therapist or athletic trainer.

Interning at Physiotherapy Associates, Kameron has been making connections between injury, surgery, and recovery. Some of her work involves assisting with clients, one of whom was her father.

“It was fun working with my dad because it was someone I knew and someone I knew what happen to,” Kameron said.

Kameron knows relationships will be a big part of her intended career.

“Being in this internship has made my people skills a lot stronger,” Kameron said.

An honor roll student, National Honor Society member, and heavily-decorated volleyball, basketball, soccer, and tennis player, Kameron plans to begin her degree at Kellogg Community College, where she will play volleyball. She wants to finish her degree at Western Michigan University, where, hopefully, “I would also like to still be playing volleyball.”