St. Ambrose School welcomed about 100 community leaders to its campus on Jan. 29 for the annual Community Leaders Appreciation Breakfast, one of its Catholic Schools Week activities. Catholic Schools Week is Jan. 27 to Feb. 2.
Father Bob Stec, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish, greeted the visitors who included city officials, safety forces, business leaders, parents and others. Lisa Cinadr, St. Ambrose principal, accepted a Catholic Schools Week proclamation that was displayed throughout the event.
Members of the St. Ambrose Gaudetel Choir gave a brief performance before breakfast was served.
Ryan O’Donnell, St. Ambrose Student Council president, introduced Heather Sherman, director of the Ohio STEM Learning Network. Sherman explained how the STEM network originated through two entities. One is Battelle in Columbus, which conducts research and development, manages laboratories, designs and manufactures products and delivers critical services for its clients. The other, the Ohio Business Roundtable, also is based in Columbus. It consists of leaders of some of the state’s largest companies who work with state officials to help improve Ohio’s competitiveness. The STEM network also works with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as other partners and stakeholders.
Sherman said the STEM network helps ensure that schools can connect to resources and opportunities available to help students. There are 35 schools in Ohio identified as STEM schools, which means they have a special emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math. Three schools in the state have the added STEAM designation, meaning the arts are incorporated. St. Ambrose is both a STEM and a STEAM school. She said Ohio is one of only three states that recognize the STEAM designation.
Sherman talked about how quickly technology has grown and become integrated in our lives. When high-speed internet became available, many people were using dial-up internet. Today, 77 percent of people have smartphones and are connected 24/7 to the internet.
“It’s hard to think about the future. Some say it’s here now and that we are living in the future,” she said.
Today’s kindergartners are being exposed to technology. Sherman asked breakfast attendees to think about the advances those pupils could experience in 20, 40 or 50 years.
“What skills will today’s students need to be successful in the future?” she asked.
She acknowledged the work and achievements of St. Ambrose students, including those participating in the Future City program, noting they received two awards in the recent competition. Students also made prototypes of various prostheses to help a student with cerebral palsy. The student was able to test the prosthetics to find one that worked best.
“Students are learning skills outside of the classroom. These skills are enhanced by their interaction with community leaders, who help them expand on their classroom learning,” Sherman said. NASA is among the entities working with St. Ambrose students. The relationship can help students learn about possible careers with NASA.
“This also benefits the community,” Sherman said, noting that businesses can determine what students know and how they can help shape them as future employees.
Also speaking at the breakfast was Angela Falconi, a 2016 St. Ambrose graduate who is a junior at Padua Franciscan High School in Parma. She was introduced by Keira Kirpatrick, president of the St. Ambrose National Junior Honor Society.
Angela, an honors student, discussed how St. Ambrose helped prepare her for high school. She hopes to pursue a career in the medical field or computer science.
“I learned that you need to apply what you learn,” she said.
She loves working on projects and is in the Med Track program at Padua, which gave her the opportunity to shadow a doctor for 60 hours. She received first place for her research paper on dermatology.
“I also got to do sutures on pig’s feet,” she said, explaining that even medical students don’t have that opportunity so early in their schooling.
Angela talked about how she has grown since the time she sang “Happy Birthday” to Baby Jesus as a second-grader at the Christmas Eve Mass. In addition to her love of science, she said St. Ambrose helped foster a love of music. Angela has taken guitar lessons and is a cantor for parish Masses.
Thanks to her St. Ambrose education, Angela said she was well prepared for the honors and Advanced Placement classes she takes at Padua.
“I built on the foundations set at St. Ambrose. My parents sent me here to get a Catholic education because it was important to them. St. Ambrose helped me explore my faith and Padua helped me find it,” Angela said.
She also discussed how she developed friendships during her nine years at St. Ambrose – grades K-8 – and how they supported each other and grew together.
“I am forever grateful to them and to St. Ambrose. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” she said.
Father Stec closed the event by giving a brief update on projects under way at the parish, including renovation of the church, which should be completed in time for Easter. A new building to house the Littlest Angels preschool program and kindergarten classes is also planned as well as improvements to the gym. He said the parish assisted 10 families of TSA employees who were impacted by the partial federal government shutdown by providing them with emergency food supplies. Also, last week a baseball field was dedicated in the Dominican Republic as part of a parish mission outreach. Father said it took several years for parishioners to complete that project. The parish also assisted the Peter Maurin Center in Akron by collecting and donating food.
“We worked together on these things and we’re always better together,” he added.