International students get a taste of Thanksgiving traditions

Over Thanksgiving break, members of our faculty and staff had the opportunity to share their holiday traditions with our international students. The students had expressed interest in experiencing an American Thanksgiving – from helping cook and prepare meals to joining in for all the good eats.

Julia Yaklich, St. Bede’s Director of Mission Advancement and Major Gifts, spent her Thanksgiving with Guatemalan students Luis Monroy, a sophomore, and Adriana Perez, a junior.  They spent the day at Julia’s son’s home, Jon Yaklich ’17, in Mahomet, IL. Julia said they had a nice ride down from St. Bede and spoke about their families and Guatemala. She went through what the typical Thanksgiving meal consists of and the students were especially excited for turkey. They had a great time carving it and did a fine job, Yaklich said. They enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin cheesecake and an attempt at a pecan pie on the grill, which didn’t turn out as well as they hope, but they all got a great laugh out of it.

Dan Fitzpatrick, St. Bede Science Teacher, took home Chinese students Viola Ren, a sophomore, and Gordon Chen, a junior, and Ukrainian student, Mark Rudenko, a sophomore. They took part in the Fitzpatrick traditions by helping carve turkey and cook side dishes, and also enjoyed enriching conversations. Following dinner, the students joined the family on their traditional walk on the farm where they took part in making cider.

Fitzpatrick said students were surprised by the abundance and diversity of foods in their household. At the Fitzpatrick household, Thanksgiving dinner featured wild foods, such as smoked venison, offering students unique flavors. The students said their favorite foods were turkey and Fitzpatrick’s mother’s meatballs.

Glenda Smith, St. Bede History Teacher, took home Vietnamese student Lin Lee, a junior, and Mexican student Beatriz Vasquez, a junior. Both girls enjoyed meeting the family cat, Stormi, and getting to know the Smith family. They watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV with the family while Glenda finished cooking dinner. They were part of the family’s 10-members at the dinner table.

The girls didn’t hesitate to try the dishes and even enjoyed pie for dessert.

“They were happy to participate in our celebration. I think I heard (from the kitchen) some of my family members asking them questions about holidays and traditions they have back home and how they celebrate them and they were happy to share,” Smith said. “They were really surprised about the number of rooms we have in our house … What surprised them the most was that we have an iguana who lives in the bathroom of the guest bathroom upstairs during the winter. I am not sure either of them had ever seen an iguana before.”

Fall Theatre brings 'Expectations' to life

The Academy continued its tradition of Fall Theatre with three 10-minute plays presented Nov. 17 and 18 in the Little Theatre. The evening began with Last Minute Adjustments, a play about a baby about to be born who is reluctant to leave the womb and enter a world of uncertainty. A dark comedy titled, From the Mouths of Babes followed, in which a trio of toddlers plan a violent end to their daycare teacher for withholding juice boxes. The third play was an original script, written by SBA students under the experienced guidance of Academy Drama Director Fr. Dominic. The theme of the show, Expectations, was suggested by senior Ella Englehaupt.

“Some Stage Rats and I were discussing the possibilities for Fall Theatre,” said Fr. Dominic, “and Ella suggested a play about how teenagers often feel the weight of other peoples’ expectations: parents, teachers, friends, society, etc. We had a group of about a dozen writers.”

That may seem like an unwieldy number of authors, but Fr. Dom has developed a method for collaborative script writing in which every person has an opportunity to contribute, without one or two people dominating the process. He has taught workshops on this method in a variety of venues, including schools, theatre festivals and educator conventions.

“Our group was made up primarily of freshmen and Chinese boarding students,” Fr. Dominic reported, “and after they got over some initial shyness, they really got excited over the project. Every single person on the writer’s team made at least one important contribution to the plot or the dialogue itself.”

The play depicts Mara, a high school senior, interacting with her parents, her friends and boyfriend, social media, and her boss, each of whom have different expectations for her. The weight of their opinions was symbolized by Mara putting on shirts with words like “popular” or “loyal” to represent their desires for her. Eventually she finds herself unable to move under the weight of these expectations.

Academy Social Worker Megan (Considine) Theisinger ’09 was impressed with the insightfulness of the script and the emotional power of the performance.

“I see students in my office every day who are feeling these same pressures,” she said. “Seeing them represented on stage was genuinely moving, and I love how the script portrayed Mara making the choice not to listen to every voice. I’m also happy to see how many freshmen and sophomores were involved in the project.” 

Fr. Dom agrees. “With so much young talent both in the writing group and on the stage, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming years of Fall Theatre,” he said with a grin. “Our writing program is unique among local schools, and I’m happy to see it inspiring a new generation of theatre artists.”

Five St. Bede students named Illinois State Scholars

St. Bede Academy Illinois State Scholars are Isabella Hagenbuch (from left), Zachary Popurella, Logan Potthoff, Ali Bosnich and Ella Englehaupt.

PERU - The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) recognized high school seniors as 2024-25 Illinois State Scholars, including five students from St. Bede Academy. Illinois State Scholars represent the top 10 percent of high school seniors, from more than 21,000 high school students across the state.

Students receiving this honor possess strong academic potential and are chosen based on a combination of exemplary ACT or SAT test scores and sixth semester class rank.  ISAC, the state agency committed to helping make college accessible and affordable for Illinois families, first introduced the Illinois State Scholar recognition program in 1958.

"The students selected for the Illinois State Scholar program have earned this recognition due to their hard work and their dedication to their studies,” said St. Bede Principal Nick McLaughlin. “We take great pride in our students and their ability to meet the standards and the requirements set forth by the Illinois State Scholar program and the commission each year."

The honored students named include:  

Ali Bosnich (previously attended Trinity Catholic), daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Mark Bosnich of LaSalle.

Ella Englehaupt (Ladd Grade School), daughter of Ms. Heather McCutcheon and Mr. Phillip Englehaupt, both of Ladd.

Isabella Hagenbuch (Holy Cross), daughter of Mr. & Mrs. John Hagenbuch of Utica.

Zachary Popurella (Putnam County Junior High), son of Atty. & Mrs. Bradley Popurella of McNabb.

Logan Potthoff (Dalzell Grade School), son of Mr. & Mrs. Jack Potthoff of Spring Valley.

St. Bede Academy announces SAR and DAR award recipients

Seniors Logan Potthoff and Isabella Hagenbuch have been chosen as the 2023-24 SAR and DAR Good Citizenship award recipients.

The faculty and students of St. Bede Academy have selected seniors Isabella Hagenbuch and Logan Potthoff as the 2023-24 winners of the DAR (Daughters of American Revolution) and the SAR (Sons of American Revolution) Good Citizenship awards.

Hagenbuch is the daughter of John and Kati Hagenbuch of Utica and a graduate of Holy Cross Catholic School in Mendota. She was selected for the DAR award based on her ability to show courtesy to others, loyalty, truthfulness and self-control; with the ability to assume responsibility. The DAR award is sponsored by the Princeton-Illinois Chapter NSDAR and presented annually to an outstanding senior based on dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

Hagenbuch has been involved in volleyball and golf throughout high school at the academy and is an outstanding member of competitive curling where she recently competed in the World Mixed Curling Championships in Scotland. She is a recipient of the HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth) Leadership Award and the Citizenship Award her sophomore year. She earned second place in the WYSE Regional Competition for English and Chemistry in 2023, is a recipient of the National Rural and Small Town Recognition Programs and is an Illinois State Scholar. Hagenbuch is a St. Bede Ambassador, Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Stage Rats, tea club and podcast club. She has spent the last four years volunteering at the Waltham Curling Club, LaSalle County Historical Society and HOBY Youth Leadership Program. Hagenbuch plans to attend a four-year university to major in Exercise Physiology, with a minor in Spanish. She plans on earning a doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Hagenbuch also hopes to represent her country as a curler on the world stage at the Olympic level.

Potthoff is the son of Jack and Lucy Potthoff of Spring Valley and a graduate of Dalzell Grade School. He was selected for the SAR award based on his ability to display a cooperative spirit, politeness, sincerity, respect for others and academic excellence. The SAR award is sponsored by the Captain Zeally Moss Chapter for Bureau County and is presented annually to an exceptional senior based on dependability, leadership, service to their school and community, evidence of personal values and patriotism.

Potthoff has been involved all four years in golf and basketball, receiving the Most Improved Player in basketball junior year. Logan played football freshman year and has received many awards including: the Geometry Award, Academic Excellence Award, the Citizenship Award, the HOBY Leadership Award, AP Chemistry Certificate of Excellence, Illinois State Scholar and National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program Award. Potthoff is also a St. Bede Ambassador, a student government representative where he serves as president and a member of Lectio and bass fishing. He has spent his time volunteering for the Hall Township Food Pantry, St. Thomas Moore Church and Ladd Moose. Potthoff plans to attend Illinois University, majoring in electrical engineering.

St. Bede Academy announces HOBY Award recipients

The 2023-24 HOBY Award recipients are sophomores Lily Bosnich (from left), Mae Hagenbuch, Emma Slingsby and Noah Buck

PERU – Sophomores Lily Bosnich, Emma Slingsby, Mae Hagenbuch and Noah Buck have been selected by the academy faculty and staff as recipients of the 2023-24 HOBY (Hugh O'Brian Youth Association) Award. Bosnich and Slingsby will attend the state leadership seminar next summer with other HOBY Award winners from around the state. 

The HOBY seminar is a national program, exclusively for high school sophomores. The mission of HOBY is to seek out, recognize and develop leadership potential commencing with high school sophomores. The expected outcomes of the seminar are for students attending to learn to think critically; to enhance their leadership skills; to learn more about democracy, free enterprise, volunteerism and to accept the risks of leadership.

Throughout a three-day seminar, Bosnich and Slingsby will interact with key leaders in media, politics and business in Illinois. They will have the chance to ask these individuals questions and hear their plans for the future. They will also have the chance to speak with various representatives from different colleges. 

Bosnich is the daughter of Mark and Cinnamon Bosnich of LaSalle. She attended Trinity Catholic Academy and is on the volleyball, basketball, softball and track teams at St. Bede. She is also involved in student government and Lectio. Bosnich was a member of the 2023 IHSA Class 1A Softball State Championship Team, where she earned Table Setter, Home Run, Mudita and Utility Player of the Year awards. She also qualified and medaled in three events at the IHSA Class 1A Track & Field State Meet. Bosnich has also been on the honor roll every semester. 

Slingsby is the daughter of John and Christine Slingsby of Ladd. She attended Ladd Grade School and is involved in volleyball, cheer, softball and tea club at St. Bede. She was a member of the 2023 IHSA Class 1A Softball State Championship Team, where she received 2nd Team All-Conference, Table Setter, Mudita and Homerun Club awards. Slingsby has been on the honor roll every semester.

Hagenbuch is the daughter of John and Kati Hagenbuch of Utica. She was at the top of her class freshman year and has been involved in volleyball, basketball and golf at St. Bede. Hagenbuch is a member of the tea club and podcast club. She is a World Champion level curler and just returned from Aberdeen Scotland where she represented our country at the World Mixed Curling Championship. Hagenbuch hopes to continue to compete as a curler for the U.S. Olympics.     

Buck is the son of Andy and Janelle Buck of Peru.  He is captain of the E-sports teams, podcast club and is a member of the scholastic bowl team at St. Bede. Buck has also been involved in theater, golf and bowling. 

The faculty at St. Bede Academy nominated Bosnich and Slingsby for this honor according to the following criteria: outstanding oral and written communication skills, critical and/or creative thinking, creative problem solving, strong decision-making skills, sensitivity to the needs of others, charismatic personality, courage to speak out for one's beliefs, courage to challenge authority and community service. 

The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership program began in 1958 inspired by conversations with Dr. Albert Schweitzer. The program has grown with sophomores attending one of the approximately 90 seminars held throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico every year.