Tempo of Alums' Lives Includes Music - Bishop Watterson High School

Make a Joyful Noise
Tempo of Alums’ Lives
Includes Music
Laura Brunner ’02
Jazz Vocalist and Composer
Laura Brunner’s experience in the Bishop Watterson band
program was the springboard for finding her way to her current
occupation as a jazz vocalist and composer.
“One of the joys of my life in high school was standing on that
football field with my drum waiting to put on a show every
week,” said Brunner, who like her sister Kate ’99, became a
member of the BWHS drum line. “I progressed from [playing] the
cymbals up to the center snare
as a senior, and took refuge
from the usual teenage anxiety
in all of the band programs.”
During the summer and fall,
Brunner drummed with the
marching band and in the
winter she played contra bass
and percussion in the concert
band, but it was in jazz band
that she felt most at home.
“Mike Renzi saw something in
me when he heard me and for
Laura Brunner
Photo by Abby Walters
that I am ever grateful, considering that I was probably terrible!”
said Brunner. “Because I was already studying drum set and jazz
privately I began to take an extremely active role in jazz band, so
Mr. Renzi let me bring in a few songs and arrangements for the
jazz band to play. Then during sophomore year I began trying to
sing jazz, emulating the greats: Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Lena
Horn and Ella Fitzgerald.”
When Mr. Renzi finally gave her the chance to sing with the jazz
band, she chose “Stormy Weather” and “Ooooh, that was it!”
Brunner says, “I was right at home.”
The next year Brunner had a private audition with the director
of the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra who informed her that
she needed to be singing jazz, not playing the drums. She was
awarded the BWHS Louis Armstrong Jazz Award during her
senior year.
“It was through the band faculty and my parents’ constant
encouragement that I decided during my senior year to audition
for Berklee College of Music in Boston.”
Berklee, one of the top music schools, not only accepted
Brunner, but gave her a scholarship. She graduated in 2006 and
now lives in the New York City area, performing with the likes of
Esperanza Spalding, Ellis Marsalis and Kurt Elling.
She has also performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival (where
she was awarded second place in 2007), the Boston Pops Jazz
Festival, and the International Association of Jazz Educators
Convention, and she spent a year at the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead
Arts in Residency Program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. Brunner is now a voice instructor at the New
York Conservatory of Music and is head of the music department
at Hudson Dance and Movement.
“Without the constant love and support of my family and my
teachers, I would never have gotten this far,” said Brunner. “I
hope to give my love of music to kids just as I was encouraged
by all of the band faculty at Bishop Watterson. It is because I
had a place to flourish and grow within the Watterson band
community that I am where I am today. Watterson’s band
program has flourished because of the unrelenting support of
all of the band parents and families. The arts in this country are
often an afterthought in the world of education. It is time we
realize that every child needs a place where they feel like they
belong. For some it is sports, for some it is academics, some
theater. For me it was always music.”
www.laurabrunner.com.
Scott Edgar ’98
Assistant Professor of Music Education
Scott Edgar has music in his blood and has carried that to a
career as a music educator. After seven years as an assistant
band director at Carroll High School in Dayton, he is moving on
to teach musicians how to teach music as an assistant professor
of music education at Lake Forest College near Chicago.
Edgar, whose dad was a trombone player and whose great
uncle was a trumpet player (both in Ohio bands) was wired for
music from the start, so it was natural that he started band as a
fourth grader at Immaculate Conception. He continued his band
involvement when he arrived at Bishop Watterson.
“When I got to high school I did pit orchestra, jazz band, concert
band and marching band,” Edgar said. “Pretty much everything
I could do in band I did. That was a big part of my high school
identity. That was my circle of friends. It’s kind of that band
family thing.”
When it was time to start thinking about college and a career,
Edgar needed to look no further than BWHS Band Director
Mike Renzi, who studied trumpet at Bowling Green with
George Novak.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
13

Make a Joyful Noise
“I recognized that Mike was doing well for himself and happy
with what he does, so I decided to explore that for a career.
I ended up studying under the same professor at Bowling
Green,” said Edgar. “Mr. Renzi came to see me in concerts and
came to my recital and that support was invaluable. It was the
social environment of the band in high school, seeing us come
together with the music and having that leadership to facilitate
it all that appealed to me in choosing music education for
my major.”
After graduating from Bowling Green, Edgar took a position
as an assistant band director at Carroll High School, where he
taught about 1,500 students over the seven-year span.
“It is a very similar program to Bishop Watterson,” he said. “Seven
elementary schools feed into it. It was a comfortable setting and
I was able to speak that language right out of the gate.”
Edgar enjoyed this teaching experience so much that he earned
a master’s degree in music education from the University of
Dayton. He said there wasn’t one grade level he liked best … they
all were fun.
Richard Jeric ’07
Classical Pianist
Richard Jeric ’07 is in his first year of the Master of Music
in Piano Performance degree program at the University of
Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. As
the winner of the 2012 Concerto/Aria Competition, he had
the opportunity to perform with the UMKC Conservatory
Orchestra in February. Jeric played Sergei Rachmaninoff’s
Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1.
This is Jeric’s second winning performance in a concerto
competition. As a senior at Kent State University Hugh
A. Glauser School of Music, Jeric won the 2010 Concerto
Competition which gave him the opportunity to perform
Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with the Kent State University
Orchestra.
“My fulfillment comes from teaching music. I love teaching
the beginners, seeing their smiling faces with their shiny new
instruments, but ‘Hot Cross Buns’ only gets you so far, so I also
like working with the ensembles. If I had only worked with a
single group I would have gotten bored!”
with social and emotional challenges, from the normal teenage
challenges of boyfriend or girlfriend problems to abuse. I have
delved into how four veterans in music education have handled
these situations, how they approach it, how to do so safely, how
they feel it is important to handle it and how it affects the music
classroom. The teachers strongly value the communication with
their students. They know there are some things they can help
with and some things they can’t and the most important thing
is to listen.”
Edgar said Bishop Watterson prepared him for his higher
education.
Scott Edgar, back row on right, with members of the
Carroll High School band.
Edgar is currently completing his dissertation on social
emotional learning in the music classroom at the University of
Michigan, studying the bond between music teachers and their
students. He has worked with four music educators to learn how
they handle the variety of situations that arise.
“Because of the community that develops with a band, music
teachers and students develop a bond,” said Edgar. “Because of
that it is common for music students to go to their band director
“My Bishop Watterson education was invaluable. I had some
of the finest English teachers I could have asked for,” he said.
“As a researcher, publishing is my life. Sister Mary Hope and Ms.
DeFrancis were excellent. It prepared me for my undergrad work,
my masters and now my doctorate. My parents had to sacrifice
a lot to send my brother and me to Immaculate Conception
and Watterson. What that did was instill in us the importance
of Catholic education, because in order for them to sacrifice
so much to get us there it must be worthwhile, so I have been
drawn to Catholic schools.”
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Make a Joyful Noise
Karyn Garvin ’00
Orchestra Marketer
Karyn Garvin ’00 went into Capital University with the intention
of majoring in radio/TV/film but quickly figured out that
something was missing … music.
“I always knew I wanted to do something in the entertainment
business, but music had been such a big part of my life at Bishop
Watterson I just could not see myself working outside the
performing arts after devoting so much time to it in high
school,” said Garvin, who played flute in the BWHS marching,
concert and pep bands and the pit orchestra. “Then I discovered
that Otterbein College has a degree that combines elements
of the music industry so I transferred there to major in music
and business with a minor in arts administration. My overall
After the internship finished she was offered a job as the press
department’s assistant and then moved into an administrative
assistant job for the National Symphony staff.
“I would perform any task they gave me from answering phones
to stocking the dressing rooms with water,” Garvin said. “Within
a few months I was escorting some of the biggest names in
classical music backstage and troubleshooting problems for our
musicians in the orchestra.”
Soon Garvin was promoted to Operations and Special Projects
Coordinator, a position she held until she left in 2010 to attend
graduate school. At the same time, the Executive Director of
the Alexandra Symphony Orchestra contacted her about her
current position which has led to quite a full schedule. She is
currently studying Arts Management at American University
while completing a graduate assistantship as a manager for
the university’s orchestra and working as Operations/Marketing
Manager for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.
“The current work is perfect because it has some flexibility with
my school schedule while allowing me to continue working
in the classical music business,” she said, explaining that the
marketing component of her job includes working on publicity
and designing ads and e-mails, among other tasks.
Karyn Garvin, with Gustavo Dudamel backstage at Lincoln
Center after he conducted the New York Philharmonic.
experience at Bishop Watterson instilled in me the value
and importance of education. It’s one of the biggest reasons
I decided to go back to graduate school after working for several
years. Mr. Renzi expected nothing but 110 percent from us, and
I’m sure it’s still the same today. That definitely reflects my work
ethic now through my career and academics.”
After graduating from Otterbein, Garvin was working for Class
Acts Entertainment, a talent booking agency in Columbus, when
she decided on a whim to apply for an internship with the John
F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
“I had grown up watching the Kennedy Center Honors on TV and
my Bishop Watterson class actually saw a play there during our
senior class trip to D.C., so I applied. I think I was more surprised
than anyone when I got it!”
“During the week of a concert I can be doing anything from
one last push for publicity to driving soloists back and forth
to coordinating an event for donors. It’s a smaller operation
than the Kennedy Center/NSO, but the advantage there is that
I’m gaining an even richer view in many areas of orchestra
management. I’m proud to say I currently have experience in
orchestra operations, personnel management, public relations,
marketing, and development thanks to my years at the Kennedy
Center, NSO, Spoleto, and now the Alexandria Symphony
Orchestra.”
While Garvin feels the arts are the fitting field to apply her
talents, she is also driven to promote classical music.
“I just feel so much value in working for orchestras and the
arts,” said Garvin. For years people have been predicting classical
music’s demise, that it’s a dying art that will no longer be
relevant in our modern society. I want to be on the forefront of
proving those people wrong.
“We’re now in an era where arts programs are being cut left
and right, inside and outside of schools, so it’s such a powerful
testament to the values of the Bishop Watterson community
that its music program–which was such an influence on the
career and academic decisions I made–has only become stronger
since I was there.”
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
15

Justin Kouns ’06
Disney Performer
Justin Kouns left high school and ended up acting as if he were
still there for three more years, performing in all three Disney
High School Musical live tours.
After graduating from Bishop Watterson in 2006, Kouns had
been studying nursing at Ohio Valencia Community College
for a year when he decided he needed a break. He packed his
bags and moved to Orlando, Florida where he quickly learned of
auditions for Walt Disney World dancers. So he tried out and was
placed into the ensemble for a new traveling show which was
an abbreviated version of the hit movie, “High School Musical.”
The original movie was so popular that the sequels, “High School
Musical 2” and “3” followed, and so did more live shows.
Kouns and the cast started rehearsals in July 2011 and opened
in August 2011. Since then he’s been to more than 50 cities with
more to go before the tour closes on May 14, 2012 in Mexico City.
He said some of his favorite cities are Phoenix, San Diego, San
Francisco and New York.
“Performing in over 50 cities in nine months is crazy!” he said.
“I always forget what state we’re in and what city we’re in!
Sometimes I go through a whole day not even knowing. It’s
great, though, because I get to see many things the cities have
to offer.”
“It’s been quite the journey since I graduated from high school,”
said Kouns. “I am honored and pleased to say I attended Bishop
Watterson, which prepared me for this journey with faith in
God so that I can carry that with me on my adventures in the
real world. I would tell current students to follow their dreams,
keep what’s important close and never give up on your passion,
whether it’s singing, dancing, playing football or even knitting!
You never know what the future holds so just keep doing what
you love and what makes you truly happy!”
Morgan Paros ’06
Violinist/Singer/Songwriter
“My first gig in LA was playing violin and singing backup vocals
with a country singer preparing for industry showcases,” said
Morgan Paros. “Now I have two of my own bands...I also perform
and record with many different bands and artists in a variety of
genres. Sometimes, I feel like I’m on tour in Los Angeles because I
often play a few nights a week at different venues.”
Justin Kouns
While at Bishop Watterson, Kouns sang with the choir for four
years and the concert choir for two, although “I never auditioned
for the musicals at Bishop Watterson” he says. “But singing and
dancing has been a big part of my life. I always liked performing
whether it was at a school dance or on the stage.”
Lessons learned at Bishop Watterson helped to prepare him for
performing with a Disney ensemble.
“When I was in choir at Bishop Watterson, Mrs. Margaret
Pritchard was a big help,” said Kouns. “She taught me how to
breathe properly when I sing, how to put accents on certain
words while I was singing and she was a positive force in
encouraging my passion to sing.”
When it was time for the third High School Musical show to
close, Kouns knew it was time for him to move on and yet he
was able to stay with Disney, due to connections he made over
the few years. So he auditioned for “Phineas and Ferb: The Best
Live Tour Ever!” and earned the role of Buford, the tough guy of
the show who secretly likes musicals and dancing.
Paros left for Los Angeles two years ago to visit friends,
intending to move to Paris after the visit, but the violinist started
performing around LA and stayed. It just seemed like the right
time and place to cultivate her career in music.
“The cool thing is that I get to play a lot of different genres,
from rock to pop to acoustic indie,” she said. “I also get to wear
different ‘hats’ in the sense that I may be recording songs,
playing shows, rehearsing, or writing new music on any given
day. I’m always busy, always performing or have some new big
project of the week. It’s long hours and it can be stressful, but it’s
also a lot of fun.”
When she made the leap to Los Angeles, Paros said she knew five
people, had no car or place to live, but her experiences at Bishop
Watterson helped her to develop a support system.
“When I attended Bishop Watterson, I was one of a few students
that didn’t go to a Catholic grade school, so I didn’t have built-in
friends,” she said. “That’s something I’m now used to. Life is not
such that you always have built-in friends. At Bishop Watterson
I met a lot of great people, great friends and great teachers,
and I had a lot of successes as well. Starting from scratch and
building friendships in high school translates to college and to
16 Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012

the real world. I learned to put myself out there and trust in a
good outcome. Maybe it doesn’t work out perfectly, but at least
you get involved. You have to take a chance and try to meet
people and know that eventually you’ll have friends. Having that
experience at Bishop Watterson made a big impression on me as
a teenager, so I’ve just kept going through life like that.”
strings album with LA indie-electronic band Robotanists, as well
as a few of my own songs I look forward to releasing.”
Paros studied Violin Performance on a half-tuition scholarship at
the Cleveland Institute of Music. At the same time, she studied
French at Case Western Reserve University. She spent her junior
year of college studying in Paris, France.
“It was a lifelong goal and dream to study there,” she said. “I
attended Ecole Kenwood from kindergarten through 8th grade,
so I am fluent in French and I really wanted to further immerse
myself in the French culture. It was great. I studied violin at a
classical conservatory called the Ecole Normale de Musique and
took some graduate school classes at the Sorbonne.”
Paros lived with a host family, with whom she still keeps in
touch, as she does with several BWHS teachers.
Morgan Paros
While at Bishop Watterson, Paros was very involved in Columbus
Chamber Music Connection, which has a strong strings program,
and she took private lessons with the late Michael Davis, who
had been concertmaster at the Columbus Symphony and the
Scottish National Orchestra.
“I went to Bishop Watterson for the academics,” Paros said.
“I ended up participating in liturgical music. Mr. Fry was very
supportive as far as keeping me involved in that. But my goal
was to play violin professionally and Marian Hutson was a
catalyst in helping me pursue my music. When my violin teacher
only had a lesson available for me during school hours, I was
permitted to leave school after lunch to go downtown for a
lesson one day a week.
“There is a sense of community at Bishop Watterson,” said Paros.
“Being in an environment where people are supportive pervades
the rest of your life. The hardest part of moving to a massive
place like LA was not knowing where I was or who to connect
with on a personal or professional level. But when you’ve
experienced being a part of a community like Bishop Watterson,
where people are supportive and they’re looking out for you, you
want to create that in new places, with new people, and I feel
like I have.”
www.morganparos.com.
“Senior year I had to miss quite a bit of school to audition at
colleges for admission. They were really nice about letting me
go and pursue my goals. If I hadn’t auditioned at the various
universities, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Ms. Hutson was a
big factor in that, as well as my counselor Patti Creighton. I was
always so thankful for Ms. Creighton’s support of my music and
all of her help with my college applications, as they were literally
double the process and paperwork of normal admissions.”
Paros, who won the Emerging Songwriter award at the Gen Art
Film Festival in New York with talented singer/songwriter Cody
Wood for their song “Collage,” on which Paros sings and plays
violin, will be touring in April through the southwest and west
coast with the LA band Sandbox.
“I’m currently in the studio with my rock band Sanglorians,
recording our first full-length. I expect to record an acoustic
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
17

South Addition Transformed
in Shades of Autumn
This fall, Principal Marian Hutson’s long-time dream was finally
realized when the 18th annual Eagle Auction was held at Bishop
Watterson in the new south addition. “Hosting the Auction right
here at home really brought our Watterson family together like
never before,” said the delighted Principal Hutson. “It was such a
fun evening, and so beneficial for the school! Our goal is to hold
it here every October and make it bigger and better every year.”
Shades of Autumn at Bishop Watterson High School.
Two-time Co-chairs of the event, both DeSantis and Yoakam
are candid about how much they enjoy being part of the
Bishop Watterson family. “We always knew we would send our
children to Watterson” said DeSantis. “But the experience here
has far exceeded our expectations. This school is far more than
its sports, academics, and extra-curriculars, I mean those are
excellent, but the sense of community you get here, the feeling
of being part of something bigger working for a greater goal is
truly amazing.”
Ecstatic about winning the Masters tickets, Bishop Watterson
golf mom, Judy Lyons, and her husband, John, beam for the
camera with Principal Marian Hutson.
In keeping with this year’s theme “Shades of Autumn,” the
gymnasium, the lobby and Dominican hall sparkled in a blaze of
fall colors. The most remarkable transformation took place in the
gym, which was barely recognizable as a sporting venue after
the 16’ fabric walls were installed and it began to appear more
like a twinkle-light bedecked clearing in autumn woods. Live
trees and flowers, beautifully decorated tables and the dazzling
array of Silent Auction items set the tone for a truly special
evening.
The festivities began with cocktail hour and a showcase of
the Bishop Watterson choir’s Carnegie Hall-worthy skills. An
incredible dinner prepared by Preston Catering followed, and
as guests enjoyed their meals, Mistress of Ceremonies, Gail
Hogan, and Auctioneer, Michael Julian kicked off the Live
Auction featuring perennial favorites—like the Baccalaureate
and Graduation ticket/parking package—as well as hot new
attractions, like Masters tickets. Following the meal, guests got
serious about their Silent Auction bids and then danced the rest
of the night away to nonstop hits played by local favorites, the
Pat Malloy band. With the dance floor packed to capacity almost
immediately, the Auction Co-chairs, Mary Beth DeSantis and
Sherry Yoakam vowed they would make sure to provide a bigger
one for next year!
After her tireless efforts supporting the Auction, it was fitting
that Bishop Watterson tech guru, Janet Anthony, won the
$1000 Shopping and Dining Spree in the raffle drawing. She is
shown here far right, accompanied by her husband Sam, and
Auction Co-Chair, Sherry Yoakam.
Grateful for all the members of this community and everything
they do, the Chairs also want to specifically thank the enormous
number of people involved in planning, preparing and running
this event, which required a good deal more logistical support
18 Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012

Father Michael Watson ’69
and Monsignor John Cody ’64
Jessie Anthony ’06
is ready to win!
Kathy Sroka assists Co-chair, Mary Beth DeSantis and Suzanne
Maple ’70 Smith in preparing for the big drawing in the
Watterson Way Raffle.
since it was held at the school. A number of committees and
hundreds of parent, alum, faculty and student volunteers all
generously donated their time and strong backs. A special
“thank you” goes out to Silent Auction Chair Jenny Hungler ’88
Woodford, Live Auction Co-Chairs Beth Good ’91 Pritchard and
Barb Good ’89 Fortkamp, and Homeroom Basket Chair Anne
Bogenrief, and to all of the Bishop Watterson administration,
faculty and staff who made it possible.
This year more than 340 parents, alums and friends attended
the event, which netted over $60,000 that will go directly to
tuition assistance. This is a strong showing for the event’s first
year at the school, but DeSantis knows the event can be much
bigger. She is already hard at work planning for the 19th Annual
Eagle Auction—scheduled for October 13, 2012—which she will
Co-Chair with Jenny Woodford. So mark your calendars now
and don’t miss this great evening of “Celebrating Community”
at Bishop Watterson High School! If you would like to find out
more or volunteer for the auction, please contact Mary Beth
Desantis at mbdesantis@sbcglobal.net or Jenny Woodford at
jwoodfo@columbus.rr.com.
Dave Pardi’83 and Laura Tegethoff ’83 Raish are excited to get
the bidding going.
About to take over the dance floor, Mary Neutzling ’83
Vlahakis, Sam Merkle ’83, Sandra Gabriel ’83 Merkle, Robert
and Sarah Thornton.
Mistress of Ceremonies Gail Hogan warms up the crowd as
Auctioneer, Michael Julian, calmly prepares his plan to bring
on a bidding war.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
19

Auction continued...
28 th Annual Mothers’ Club
Style Show and Luncheon
On Saturday, March 10 th local restaurant/banquet hall Villa
Milano was transformed to fit the theme of travel adventure
and round-the-world excitement as the Bishop Watterson
Mothers’ Club presented the 28 th Annual Style Show, Luncheon
and Auction with the theme, “Oh the Places You’ll Go!”
The event was focused on our most important asset at BWHS,
our graduating seniors, and on the many directions their
lives will take as they move on to college, careers, and other
adventures!
Bishop Watterson mothers, Veronica Seguin, Jill Greene,
Teresa Kernan, Dede Dean, Carol Simpson and Anne Ralston,
enjoy great company and some serious shopping.
Missy Berry ’78 Lorenz, our event chairwoman and Mary Willke
’82 Jeffries, our decorations chair, created a plethora of visuals to
please everyone in attendance.
The unbelievable silent auction area was decorated to please
the savviest of window shoppers, recreating a quaint European
street with awnings and shop windows that showcased the
wonderful array of home goods, luxury items, jewelry, college
gifts and so much more. Jill Greene, Diana Carilli, Laura DeCocker,
Annette Ryan, Stephanie Benjamin, Jenny Hungler ’88 Woodford
and Mary Beth DeSantis all came together for hours on end,
combining their many talents, to give us this awesome auction
experience.
Seven lucky raffle drawing winners went home with
fabulous parish raffle items gathered by Mothers’ Club Parish
Representatives—with the help of Cathy Cleary and Susan Kairis.
Student volunteers, like seniors Kelly Griffith and Derek Hesse,
are an important part of the Eagle Auction team, assisting
with everything from prep, clean up, serving food and
parking cars.
The day’s main event, the style show, was coordinated and
emceed by Marri McGouldrick ’82 Petrucci and her assistant
Theresa McEwan ’79 Robenalt. A group of volunteer senior
students and their parents had fun strutting their stuff on the
runway to music provided by “The Fabulous Dance Doctors,”
Christian Cottrell ’98, as they modeled fashions from several
local shops and boutiques.
The entire Mothers’ Club would like to thank the many helping
hands that assisted in setting up the incredible decorations and
cleaning them up after, and most importantly all who spent the
afternoon with us enjoying our style show, purchasing our silent
auction items and just having a wonderful time!
One of the least visible, but most critical aspects of the
Auction is the technology. A number of volunteers (Dana and
Doug Hoover are show here) assist with checkout and help
Bishop Watterson staff members Janet Anthony, Don Dunlap
and Christelie Dunlap to keep everything running smoothly.
The 2011-2012 Mothers’ Club: Nancy McEwan, Jill Greene,
Laura DeCocker, Carol Simpson, Terri Kernan, Susan Kairis, Trish
Kobbeman, Kristen Livecchi, Laura Williams, Nancy Rague,
Jenny Woodford, Sue Preston, Kathleen Wiant, Annette Ryan,
Jennifer Woodson, Holly Andrews, Lisa Holthus, Missy Lorenz,
Trudy Elberson, Cindy Spanski, Julia Mrozak, Lisa Sabula, Mary
Jeffries, Laurie Luft, Michele Brown, Debbie Brahos, Cathy Cleary,
Stephanie Benjamin, Diana Carilli, Dede Dean, Theresa Robenalt,
Marisa Bittoni, Mary Beth DeSantis and Marri Petrucci.
20 Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012

The Silent Auction took guests on a shopping spree
around the globe.
Mothers’ Club members Julia Mrozak, Jill Greene, Nancy McEwan,
Diana Carilli and Trish Kobbeman enjoying the adventure.
Senior models Emily Simpson and
Katlyn Elberson.
The Jeffries triplets with Mom (Mary) and Dad (Dave).
Julia Mrozak and Theresa Robenalt
checking passports and handing out
tickets to an afternoon of fun.
Principal Marian Hutson and Style Show Chairperson
Marri McGouldrick ’82 Petrucci give the all
clear for takeoff. It’s time to hit the runway!
The senior boys.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
21

Dr. Summit Shah Appreciates BWHS’s
“Holistic” Education
Dr. Summit Shah ’98, an allergy specialist in Columbus, is grateful
for the education he received at Bishop Watterson. We’ll let him
tell you in his own words…
I grew up on the West side of Columbus (near Cooper Stadium)
and my dad owned a small motel. We lived in a small apartment
attached to the motel and had limited resources. When my
parents were looking at high schools, they had two priorities:
education and spirituality. That’s why
Bishop Watterson made sense.
While at Bishop Watterson, I
remember vividly always being
encouraged to excel academically.
I remember weekly visits to my
counselors’ offices (Mrs. Nini and
Mrs. Withgott), where they would
find creative programs to enroll
me in such as the Post-Secondary
Program at Ohio State or National
Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine
in Chicago. I also remember being
pushed to do my very best in the
classroom; taking AP Calculus with
Ms. O’Connor as a sophomore or
learning how to ACTUALLY write in
Sister Mary Hope’s AP English Class
(best class I ever took even though
I never could get an A!). There is no
doubt in my mind that the faculty
pushed me to excel and laid the
foundation for my future career as
a physician. Like many professional
degrees, there is a high level of
competition to get into medical
school and I was able to keep that
drive which I acquired during my
days at Bishop Watterson. And I am not alone...if you look at
my Bishop Watterson graduating class, eight graduated from
the Ohio State College of Medicine, a testament to the strong
educational foundation we received.
But more important, in my opinion, was the emphasis on
spirituality, the development of our holistic personalities
that has guided me thus far. Any school can offer AP classes,
extracurricular activities, sports programs, and create individuals
who excel to become ‘successful’ or ‘rich’ in the eyes of society.
Dr. Summit Shah ’98
But at Bishop Watterson, we were taught that there is more
to life than how much money you make, how many degrees
you have or what title you have in front of your name. We were
taught to treat other individuals with respect and equality, not
out of fear of punishment, but because it’s the right thing to do
because we are all children of God. We were taught theology
and ethics don’t end when you leave religion class but that they
need to be carried out in the way you behave at home, on the
baseball field, at your job or once
you leave for college. As teenagers,
for example, in Mrs. Jane Jacquemin-
Clark’s class we were pushed to
think about the morality of real-life
issues such as the death penalty,
abortion and world hunger but also
to respect the opinions of others
who might be different than ours.
We were taught discipline, which
seemed like annoying rules at the
time, like tucking in your shirt or gum
fines, but it was really preparing us
to be productive and self-disciplined
members of society.
When I was a junior at Watterson,
my father passed away. The reaction
and support from my classmates,
teachers and administrators was eyeopening.
Today, when I remember the
shock that was felt from my father’s
sudden death, I also remember the
shock and awe that I felt with the
support at Bishop Watterson. I don’t
know why I was so shocked...we were
taught those principles all along and
our teachers lived those principles
in their lives. But the sense of family,
the compassion, the care for me and my family because we are
brothers and sisters under the fatherhood of God
was overflowing.
So did Bishop Watterson have a role in my becoming an allergist?
Yes. Was it because of the excellent academics and sense of
drive I learned during my time there? Probably. Was it because
of the values I learned about how to be a good human being?
Absolutely.
22 Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012

Today, I take pride in doing what’s right for the patient above all
else. I am lucky I had the opportunity to open my own private
practice in Columbus. It was a long road. I went to Ohio State
for undergrad and then decided to stay on for medical school
(I didn’t want to give up my football season tickets!) I finished
a 3-year residency in Boston and then moved to San Diego for
a 2-year Allergy/Immunology fellowship. I feel so lucky that my
wife and I have been able to move back to Columbus and provide
allergy and asthma care here.
It was daunting at first. There had not been a new allergy
practice to open in Columbus in over 75 years. Many of the
allergists in Columbus have been practicing for 30+ years
and are very well established. But I knew if I took the lessons I
learned at Bishop Watterson and treated my patients and staff
how I was taught to treat people, we would be successful. And it
has worked. We are able to treat patients and do what is best for
each patient....not for the profit, not for a title, not to try a new
drug/procedure but based on what is the right thing to do. We
are offering unique treatments that is literally revolutionizing
allergy/asthma care in Columbus such as rush immunotherapy
or our specialized food allergy clinic and it has been an
amazing ride.
We feel blessed. And I am forever grateful to Bishop Watterson,
its teachers, its administrators for giving me those tools to excel
in my life, academically and professionally but also spiritually
and as a productive member of society. I always remember the
quote from Mr. Durant at our graduation ceremony: “Don’t chase
success. Strive for excellence and success will chase you.” Bishop
Watterson taught me to strive for excellence in all areas of my
life and it seems as if success has decided to follow!
The New Allergy Shot
Dr. Shah’s practice, Premier Allergy, specializes in a
treatment called rush immunotherapy.
“With rush immunotherapy, we use the same science
of traditional allergy shots but achieve results in one
day,” said Dr. Shah. “Instead of having to wait months
for your allergies or asthma to improve, you get
results quicker and with fewer shots. Now patients
with terrible allergies or uncontrolled asthma that
couldn’t make the commitment for weekly shots can
get the treatment they deserve.”
Dr. Shah said that Columbus is ranked as one of
the most challenging places to live for people with
seasonal allergies.
The concept behind allergy shots is similar to the flu
vaccine – your immune system develops a resistance
to the flu, or in the case of allergy shots, your immune
system builds a tolerance for offending allergens such
as ragweed, grass pollen or cat dander.
Traditional allergy shots generally require
continued treatment for three to five years. Rush
immunotherapy, according to Dr. Shah, can show
improvements within weeks with fewer visits for
injections.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
23

Baker, Pusateri Join
BWHS Hall of Fame
Phil Baker of Dayton and Paul Pusateri of Columbus were
inducted into the Bishop Watterson Homecoming Hall of Fame
during Homecoming week 2011. They join the ranks of the 71
members who have been inducted since the Hall’s inception
in 1979. Baker and Pusateri were welcomed to Bishop Watterson
for a Mass and special presentation at halftime of the
football game.
About Phil Baker
Phil Baker spent 18 years at Bishop Watterson as Industrial Arts
teacher, track coach, football coach and eventually Athletic
Director. When he joined the football program, Bishop Watterson
played its games on Saturday nights on borrowed fields at
nearby high schools. Baker set out to shift Eagles games to
Friday nights by adopting Hagely Field, a location that needed
a lot of work before it could be utilized for Bishop Watterson
football games. He made it happen with a team of dedicated
volunteers who constructed a press box, bleachers and goal
posts, installed electricity and plumbing and did a lot of general
clean up over a three-month period. The Eagles joined the Friday
night football scene with the opening of the refurbished Hagely
Field in 1995.
About Paul Pusateri
Paul Pusateri, a 1971 BWHS graduate, has been a dedicated
volunteer for Bishop Watterson since his sons were students
in the 1990s, a role he continues to this day. Pusateri is a
fixture at Friday night football games at Hagely Field, playing
an instrumental role in set up and tear down each week. As a
captain’s parent for the football team, he also played a key role in
team dinners and events.
Paul’s father, Joe, was inducted in the BWHS Hall of Fame in 1986.
In addition, the Joe Pusateri Spirit Award is presented each year
to a senior football player who exemplifies the spirit of Bishop
Watterson and who truly loves the school.
Scholarships and
Eagle Grants
Thanks to the support of many members of the Bishop
Watterson High School family, there are more scholarships and
financial assistance packages available to students than ever
before. In the 2011-12 school year, total financial assistance to
families approached $600,000. This year also saw the creation
of a number of new, named scholarship funds which are being
awarded to students based on a variety of qualifications,
including academics, co-curricular activities, service record, and
financial need.
In addition to diocesan tuition assistance and scholarship
programs, Eagle grants and work/study opportunities, and
parish feeder school scholarship programs, the number of
individual scholarship opportunities made available through or
coordinated by Bishop Watterson has increased to twelve.
They include:
Band Booster Scholarship Program
Henry P. Bucci Scholarship Program
Teresa Disbrow Franckhauser Scholarship Program
Monsignor Kenneth Grimes Scholarship Program
Joe Hill ’63 Scholarship Program
Sister Barbara Jinks Scholarship Program
Mahaney Scholars Program
Lisa Marryott Service Award
Pongonis Family Service Scholarship
Ronald R. Shay Service Scholarship
Billy Spitler Scholarship Program
Joanne L. Walsh Scholarship Program
Inductees Paul Pusateri and Phil Baker are joined by Student
Council officers Eric Rutkowski and Megan Holthus.
If you are interested in helping to secure the future of Catholic
education, please contact Jenifer Bernard Rasor, Alumni Relations
Director, at (614) 268-8671 or email her at jrasor@cdeducation.org.
24 Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012