2011 Fall - Saint Joseph's College

of Galveston-Houston. Kidd
was co-valedictorian of his
class in 1973. His graduate
work was at Bowling Green
State University in Ohio. Kidd
says, “…In the end, we are
only the human extensions
of the healing hands of our
loving God, the Source of all
we know and do.”
GARY WALLYN ’74 is now
the Executive Director of the
Indiana Music Educators Association.
PATRICK J. KANE ’78 joined
Cape Cod Healthcare as Senior
Vice President of Marketing,
Communications,
and Business Development.
AMY BLOCK ROKITA ’01 received
her master’s degree
in Secondary Education
from Purdue and is starting
her 10th year of teaching with
the Lake Central School Corporation.
Chicago, Ill.
TARA KENSINGER NAZA-
RENKO ’05 received her
MBA from Union Graduate College in Schenectady, New
York and is currently a sales training manager at the corporate
office of AngioDynamics, a medical device company
in Albany.
MICHELLE BOVA ’07 is attending graduate school at the
University of Cincinnati.
RENEE RYBOLT ’09 was the featured soloist during the
“Sounds of Switzerland” concert in Berne, Ind. She recently
earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from
Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. There, she
served as a graduate assistant to the choral director and
also held the position of soprano section leader for two
area churches. Rybolt received her Bachelor of Arts in
Music in Vocal Performance from SJC, where she won the
Indiana State NATS Competition in 2007 and finished regional
runner-up in 2008. She is starting her post-graduate
career as one of the core 16 singers of the Bach Society in
Houston, Texas.
THE TALE OF THE 39-YEAR-OLD SJC CLASS RING CAPER •
In Evanston, Illinois, around 1972, Denny Harris ’69 lost his SJC
class ring.
Flash forward 39 years later, to July 2011. SJC Alumni and Parent
Relations Director Kendra Illingworth ’93 received a package with a
handwritten note from a man in Portland, Oregon, who discovered
the ring rolling around a Portland sidewalk two years ago. Illingworth
sent the ring and the note to Harris immediately, who said, “It was a
welcome sight to see after 39 years of the ring traveling the country
like a wandering minstrel.”
It seemed the ring must have “gone through the ringer” because
it had a large, lawn-mower–like dent in it and the stone was chipped.
Harris visited a jeweler to see if he could get the ring straightened
out, and the jeweler said it was possible—for a $50 charge, but he
could not guarantee complete satisfaction. He recommended going
back to Jostens in Minnesota. They often repair their rings as part of
their warranty service for less than $100. So Harris sent the ring to
Jostens, and they said it was too damaged to repair. However, they
were able to recast it for about $69 because they have the SJC mold,
so that Harris was able to get a totally new ring, which he received on
September 12. How does it look? Harris exclaims, “Beautiful—just like
new! Well, of course...because it is new. They probably melted down
my old ring.” Harris emailed the man who found the ring and thanked
him profusely. Harris also thanked Illingworth for all of her “Sherlock
Holmesian efforts—now the cycle is complete.”
BRITTANY RENNELS ’10
is the band director at
Porta High School, Petersburg,
Ill.
MALLORY JULIAN ’11
is an elementary music
teacher at Oak Hill Elementary,
Lowell, Ind.
TONY ROSSI ’11 is
an elementary music
teacher for West Central
Schools, Francesville,
Ind.
Former SJC President
ALBERT “SKIP” SHAN-
NON and wife, MJ, are
in Danvers, Mass. Skip
retired and is now Headmaster
Emeritus at St.
John’s Prep. Skip and
MJ remain loyal Eagles.
They celebrated their
40 th wedding anniversary
at the Prep’s commencement
in May
2011. Skip is a consultant
with a group called
Partners in Mission,
which services Catholic
schools. Son, SEAN ’97, is teaching in Tinley Park, Ill. and
daughter, ERICA ’96, is a customer care specialist for a
medical group in Boston. Three grandchildren keep them
busy, along with some philanthropic work and travel. Life
is good in Danvers.
Denny Harris ’69 is Vice President of Business Forms Solutions,
ENGAGEMENTS
LARRY SOLTIS ’69 to Sue Putz.
NICHOLE LUKOWSKI ’98 to David Barocio. A 2012 wedding
is planned.
Correction from Summer 2011 issue: BRENT A. ROPP ’10
to LINDSEY SMITH ’11. A June 2012 wedding is planned.
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CONTACT •
FALL 2011