UNDER THE LIGHTS - Alumni Community

Nearly 500 parents, alums, and other community members gathered for the V.J. & Angela
Sku� Catholic High School annual fundraiser, Angel Flight, on Saturday, Sept. 19 , held
at the school. This year’s event, themed Passport to the World, raised more than $300,000,
ensuring that general opera� ng expenses are met, while s� ll supplemen� ng the school’s
fi nancial aid program and technology fund. The evening began with cocktails and a silent
auc� on at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a live auc� on at 7:30 p.m.
General chairs for this year’s event were Sku� Catholic parents Kevin and Denise Bartels
and Kevin and Shari Munro. “We’re really excited by the overwhelming support from our
Sku� Catholic parents, alumni and the Omaha community,” says Denise Bartels. “Even with
the economic recession, we had an outpouring of support for the fundraiser and had a very
successful event.”
New to the event was the recogni� on of an outstanding alum, honoring a graduate that has
achieved dis� nc� on in his/her endeavors. John A. Fredrickson from the class of 2005 was
named as the 2009 Outstanding Alumni. (See separate ar� cle.)
Angel Flight General Chairs Kevin and Shari Munro & Denise and Kevin Bartels
The school was once again transformed, by the incredible vision and eff orts of the Angel Flight
decora� ons commi� ee. Guest enjoyed the look and feel of a street market during the Silent
Auc� on, before being escorted into an Indian-themed castle in the main gym for dinner from
Brandeis Catering, and the Live Auc� on.
SC students assisted with a variety of aspects that evening. They served as valet parkers,
modeled jewelry, acted as tour guides, sold special raffl e � ckets, manned the market store,
served as wait staff and auc� on runners, performed a Moroccan–styled trumpet fanfare to
kick-off the dinner presenta� on, helped guests load the cars at the end of the evening with
purchased auc� on items, and showed up the following day to assist with clean-up ac� vi� es.
Angel Flight volunteers Mark and Debbie Prucha, Teecie and Mark Mendick
& Pa� y and Joe Peska
angel �light 2009 - PASSPORT TO THE WORLD
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Outstanding Alumni Award Winner,
Jon Fredrickson ‘05 In conjunc� on with Angel Flight 2009,
Sku� Catholic -- Passport to the World,
nomina� ons were sought for the fi rst
Sku� Catholic Outstanding Alumni
Award. Seventeen special alums were
nominated by friends, family, and peers
as outstanding graduates who have
achieved dis� nc� on in their endeavors.
(See name of nominees listed below.)
These young people promote the
values of Sku� Catholic, and serve as
an inspira� on to others. Although
each nominee’s story is remarkable
in its own right, one young man’s
accomplishments reached a “world”
scale.
A� er John Fredrickson graduated
from Sku� Catholic in May of 2005, he
moved to New York City to a� end New
York University's Silver School of Social
Work. During his sophomore year of
studies, John studied abroad in the
west African na� on of Ghana. While there, he interned at the West Africa AIDS Founda� on,
assis� ng in a poster compe� � on at local schools to help reduce s� gmas associated with
HIV/AIDS. Upon comple� on of his studies, John extended his stay in Ghana to help pilot a
high school program in the annual Pan African Film Fes� val, which highlights documentary
fi lms made by Africans throughout the world. He returned to NYC that fall to con� nue his
studies. A� er his junior year, he returned to Africa, but this � me to the east African na� on
of Tanzania, where he interned at an interna� onal street children's home. While in Tanzania,
he advocated for and helped coordinate an ini� a� ve to have all of the children within the
organiza� on tested for HIV. By the end of the summer, every single orphan within the
organiza� on had been tested.
Upon John’s return to NYC, he secured an internship at Harlem United, a community-based
HIV/AIDS agency. He interned there for the remainder of his � me at NYU, and was hired
by the agency upon his gradua� on in May 2009. He was selected by NYU to represent the
gradua� ng Social Work class on stage at the NYU commencement, where he received his
Bachelor’s of Science alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Today, John is a Columbia
University graduate student, where he is pursuing a Master’s of Science in Advanced Clinical
Social Work.
Sku� Catholic congratulates John A. Fredrickson, Class of 2005, as the 2009 Outstanding
Alumni Award winner. John’s parents are Allen and Marilee Fredrickson.
Nominees for Skutt Catholic's 2009 Outstanding Alumni Award
Rob Chesire - Class of 1997
Nadine Bissone� e White - Class of 1997
Melissa Walsh Albers - Class of 1998
Charles Olson - Class of 1998
Michaela Odorisio - Class of 1999
Heather Heller - Class of 2000
Theresa Maier - Class of 2000
Renee Wingert - Class of 2000
Annie Jankowski - Class of 2001
Mike Wooley - Class of 2001
Traci Christensen - Class of 2002
Kyle Ludvik - Class of 2003
Ma� hew Mimick - Class of 2003
John Fredrickson - Class of 2005
Catherine Haller - Class of 2007
Zach Ossino - Class of 2007
Sarah Rose Warburton - Class of 2008