Honoring Tomorrow's Work Force

For years, Evansville Catholic High Schools have held the “Tomorrow’s Work Force” luncheon to honor the senior-class men and women who are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime – founded in their Catholic education.

On Oct. 1 at the Old National Events Plaza, those “next generation” leaders welcomed some who came before them as the event also recognized the first recipients of a service award named in the memory of the late Father Raymond Kuper of Jasper, who served Catholic education in our diocese for decades.

1965 Mater Dei High School graduate Andrew E. Goebel and 1966 Reitz Memorial High School graduate Robert M. Kent Sr. received the first Father Raymond Kuper Service Awards. Father Kuper’s niece, Gina Pavelec, traveled from John’s Creek, Ga., near Atlanta, to represent the Kuper family and help honor Goebel and Kent.

As always, the luncheon featured 15 seniors from each high school who earned the 2015 Tomorrow’s Work Force Leadership Award. From among them, Lauren French of Mater Dei and John Cameron of Reitz Memorial were named winners of the 2015 Tomorrow’s Work Force Leadership Scholarships.

French plans to attend Indiana University and pursue a degree in Nonprofit Management Leadership. She is the Mayor of Mater Dei-ville and is involved in theater and the Youth Resources Teen Advisory Council, Teen Court and Teen Power programs.

Cameron will pursue a management degree and hopes to work in aviation or hospitality. He serves as Student Council President and captain of the bowling team, and is an Eagle Scout.

French and Cameron also joined six of their classmates as recipients of Job Shadow Awards. Each will spend time with a local business or organization in the field they plan to pursue as a career.

Mater Dei Job Shadow winners, in addition to French, include Kyle Cuttrell, Kristin East, Rachel Goedde, Valerie Muensterman, Matthew Ondash and Tristen Watts.

Reitz Memorial Job Shadow winners, in addition to Cameron, include Jonathan Kline, Austin Kuhn, Nathanial Schadler, Elizabeth Schoenbaum, Benjamin Sermersheim and Cheyenne Warren.

Other Tomorrow’s Work Force Leadership Award winners from Mater Dei include Abby Burnett, Andrew Folz, Samantha Marx, Joseph Memmer, Courtney Record, Jacob Schapker, Bett Weinzapfel and Brennen Yancey.

Other Tomorrow’s Work Force Leadership Award winners from Reitz Memorial include Kelsi Auker, Cori Dixon, Marcus Gahagen, Elliott Reising, Sarah Riedford, Katherine Schaefer, Emma Ubelhor and Lydia Wessel.

Father Raymond Kuper Service Award

Father Kuper was ordained to the priesthood in March 1964, and served Catholic education throughout much of his priestly ministry. He taught in St. Ferdinand School, served as superintendent of Rex Mundi High School, then later as superintendent of Evansville-area Catholic Schools and as Diocesan Superintendent of Schools. In addition to serving St. Ferdinand Parish immediately following his ordination, Father Kuper later served as pastor of the former Christ the King Parish (now Annunciation Parish), which had a school as one of its ministries, and he was later appointed Diocesan Director of Catholic Education – with responsibility for all Catholic schools and parish religious-education programs across the diocese.

Beginning in 2015 with Goebel and Kent, Evanville Catholic High Schools intend to present the Father Kuper Service Award annually two individuals (one from each school) who exemplify Father Kuper’s commitment to youth and Catholic education.

Marian President Elsener keynotes

Mater Dei graduate Alecia Kissel, a Marian University admission counselor, and Reitz Memorial graduate Maxx Hagan, an accountant at the school, welcomed and introduced

Marian President Dan Elsener, who delivered the luncheon’s keynote.

He discussed former Notre Dame University President Father Theodore Hesburgh and his example of leadership, President Abraham Lincoln and his example of honest commitment, Blessed Mother Teresa and her example of self awareness and Marian founder Mother ClarissaDilhoff and her example of resourcefulness.

“Christian love is the cherry on top,” he said, showing a photo of Pope Francis as the example. “Catholic education probably teaches that better than any educational system I know. And you don’t have to be a pope to pull that off.”

Elsener then told the story of young Cole Winnefield, a cancer patient “adopted” by the 2014 Marian football team. When the players heard about Cole and made him a member of the team – including Elsener’s approval of a full scholarship to Marian for the 11-year-old from Bedford, Ind. – their season took off. After starting the year 2-2, Marian won the 2014 NAIA national football championship.

“Our season was going downhill when Cole came on,” he said, adding, "the team responded with Christian love. That’s what really good leaders do.” He then showed a slide of the youngster’s finger engulfed by a Marian national championship ring.

“His father called me one day, and I knew it wasn’t good. He said, ‘this morning, Cole lay in bed and he couldn’t move. Your football players drove down here to Bedford and came in; he got up and played video games for three hours. Then he lay down and put his ring on, and he died. The Marian University was the cherry on top.’

“That’s exactly what I tell you about your Catholic schools,” Elsener added. “At the end of the day, people will follow us and we will influence people because of how much we love them.”