Kaipust Memorial Scholarship Fund

Mark Kaipust & Taylor Kaipust Memorial Scholarship Fund

The Mark Kaipust & Taylor Kaipust Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Gross Catholic alumnus, Mark Kaipust and his son, Taylor.

A $2,000.00 scholarship will be awarded to one incoming Gross Catholic freshman.

Details of the Scholarship

1. Kaipust Memorial applicants must embody the qualities and characteristics Mark lived out each and every day – patience, positivity, leadership and service to others.

2. Applicants will submit a 200 word essay on the following prompts: ‘What does positive leadership look like in the high school environment and how can it lead to positive change?’

3. Applicants will provide a character reference from a non-family member. Reference should include first name, last name and email address

Applications must be submitted by Friday, March 28, 2025. The scholarship will be awarded in April 2025.

Questions? Contact Ryan Larson at larson@gcgmail.org
Apply for the Scholarship

About Mark Kaipust

Mark Kaipust was a genuinely loyal person who demonstrated great patience and a positive attitude. He lived out his mission as a Christian by serving others with his many talents and abilities. Mark was committed to advanced education and worked to achieve a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University where he contributed positively to the world of academia as an Assistant Professor at Creighton University. He had a quick wit about him in his teaching and interactions with those close to him. Mark had years of experience coaching kids in sports who looked up to him. He loved traditions and kept those with family and friends. Mark loved his children and encouraged them to work hard and be well-rounded individuals. He is in heaven now, enjoying that one-on-one time with his son, playing endless games of baseball and basketball.

About Taylor Kaipust

Taylor Kaipust was a unique spirit with a naturally curious mind. He always had deep-thought questions that most never had the answers to give him. He was compassionate and empathetic, often taking on others’ pain and emotions and on his own doing, determined to save his own money to help others in need and work hard to one day in life be able to cure others. Taylor had the best sense of humor and like his father, was always the life of the party, making others smile and laugh. He would laugh out loud at shows and movies, get up and dance and sing along with songs, and entertain everyone. Taylor loved Jesus and now he is with Him, enjoying his “mansion” and “epic pool” that he often dreamed he would one day share with his siblings.

Follow Us on Social Media!

 

Fourth Quarter Honor Roll Announced

Congrats to our Honor Roll Students!

Congratulations to our 4th Quarter Honor Roll Students. High Honors is awarded to students who earn a grade point average of 3.75 or higher and Honors is awarded to students who average 3.25 to 3.75.

This quarter, our students represent over 20 different parishes in the Omaha Archdiocese.

Freshman High Honors

Laura Acevedo-Sanchez, No parish listed
Marie Jean Brousek, St Columbkille
Aillyn Mary Bugarin, St Francis of Assisi
Amy Campos, Sts Peter & Paul
Alex Matthew Cogswell, St Bernadette
Robert Maurice Greenhagen, St Gerald’s
Jacob Louis Heffelfinger, St Columbkille
Joshua Jansen, St Bernadette
Gracye Mae-Rosi Laney, St Columbkille
Grace Elizabeth Nilson, St Bernadette
William Talbot O’Donnell, St Bernadette
Mae Eloise Peters, Our Lady of Lourdes
Andrew William Powers, St Columbkille
Ava Renea Puentes, St Gerald
Taylor D Ross, No parish listed
Catherine Clare Seguin, St Columbkille
Mackenzie Catherine Serow, St Columbkille
Kelsey Beth Sigmund, St Gerald
Mary Kate Upah, St Thomas More
Grace Catherine Wozniak, St Columbkille
Camila Zamora, Our Lady of Guadalupe

Freshman Honors

Thomas John Brousek, St. Columbkille
Yasmin Cardenas, Sts. Peter & Paul
Widni Castillo Menjivar, All Saints
Alyvia Christensen, St. Columbkille
Nghi Dam, No parish listed
Mia Donohue, St. Bernadette
Adelade Fehrman, St. Gerald
Jane Therese Hiatt, St. Bernadette
Faustina Rose Hoff, Our Lady of Lourdes
Dezirae Marie Hunter, No parish listed
Joelle Leigh Krzemien, St. Gerald
Ellason Rose Manning, St. Robert Bellarmine
Avery Mae Murtaugh, St. Matthew
Anna Marie Rice, St. Bernadette
Calvin Michael Roberts, St. Bernadette
Jessica Michelle Treu, St. Matthew The Evangelist
Kali Grace Wonderlich, St. Gerald
Abigail Grace Zeleny, Mary Our Queen
Abigail Mae Zeller, St. Gerald

Sophomore High Honors

Arianna Lynn Alcala, St Thomas More
Allison Karen Carroll, St Gerald
Carly Jean Chase, St Columbkille
Joseph Howard Conner, St Wenceslaus
Ella Augustina Curry, No parish listed
Colby Christian Duncan, St Thomas More
Grace Willyam Fanowiel, St Thomas More
Cooper Joseph Franks, St Bernadette
Megan Rose Hempel, St Columbkille
Makenzie Anne Hughes, St Bernadette
Anna Carolyn Jacobs, St Gerald
Ainsley Marie Krehbiel, Mary Our Queen
Ethan Hieu Le, St Bernadette
Ayla Christine Lee, St Mary Bellevue
Elizabeth Lee Linder, St Matthew
Augustine John Paul Maldonado, Sts Peter & Paul
Connor Kelton McGarry, St Mary Bellevue
Nicholas Meier, St Gerald
Jack Mitchell Miller, St Columbkille
Marissa Elizabeth Monico, St Columbkille
Monica Mora Becerra, No parish listed
Gabriel O’Doherty, St Pius X
Nathan George Pechar, St Columbkille
Olivia Joy Susanne Riera, St Frances Cabrini
Grace Rose Riha, St Bernadette
Aaron Michael Schmitz, St Mary Bellevue
Molly Jane Shanahan, St Columbkille
Anna Grace Simpson, St Columbkille
Lauren Ardyth Stuhr, St Columbkille
Savana Abigail Sweeney, St Columbkille
Christian Daniel Swiecicki, St Mary Bellevue
Jacob Daniel Vankat, Assumption Guadalpe
Saydie Anne Waldron, St Gerald
Ryan William Weiss, St Columbkille
Martha Ann Yanovich, St Columbkille

Sophomore Honors

Anush Bhujel, No parish listed
Isaac John Bies, Immaculate Conception
Annie Josephine Biros, St. Joan of Arc
Tyler Minh Khang Chau, St. Columbkille
Elliott James Bunnell Cook, St. Matthew
Kate Davenport Demman, St. Gerald
Evangeline Autumn Elia, St. Columbkille
Gabrielle Louise Hunter, St. Bernadette
Natalie Dena Krehbiel, Mary Our Queen
Jacob Dylan Luna, Mary Our Queen
Leah Catherine Martin, St. Bernadette
Raiyah Noor Nader, No parish listed
William Edward Pelton, St. Columbkille
Paloma Penacoba Paramo, No parish listed
Mason Lee Rempe, Mary Our Queen
Madison Jean Riggs, No parish listed

Junior High Honors

Harshil Devenkumar Amin, No parish listed
Christian Michael Anderson, St Columbkille
Jayden Timothy Bowen, St Bernadette
Julia Bravo Rodriguez, No parish listed
Julia Karen Brennan, St Gerald
Thu (Jacklynn) Hoanganh Bui, No parish listed
Lucas Carrera Gonzalez, No parish listed
Matheo Comte, No parish listed
Daniel Nicholas Crow, No parish listed
Anna Dho, No parish listed
Luis Garcia Bercebal, No parish listed
Jake Michael Garcia, St Columbkille
Tristan Ivan Gutierrez-Ramos, St Frances Cabrini
Gabe Hardisty, St Stephen
Josie Jansen, St Bernadette
Alec Paul Kleinsasser, St Columbkille
Alex Kosse, St Gerald
Joseph Micheal Kouba, St Mary Bellevue
Michael Ludvik Kowal, St Bernadette
Josephine Maritxu Mansisidor, St Mary Bellevue
Margery Millicent McCartney, St Columbkille
Martin Michalec, Sts Peter & Paul
Owen Michael Nolte, St Gerald
Nathan James Paczkowski, St Bernadette
Charlie Joseph Paladino, St Columbkille
Olivia Grace Persing, Mary Our Queen
Jazlyn Alondra Rodriguez, Assumption
Isabel Marie Simpson, St Columbkille
Lucia Alejandra Venegas Barrantes, St Columbkille
Isabell Rose Zeller, St Gerald

Junior Honors

Connor Robert Capece, Mary Our Queen
Timothy John Combs, No parish listed
Maria Katelin Connealy, St. Mary Bellevue
Caecilia Nicole Cronin, Mary Our Queen
William James DeLaet, St. Columbkille
Jackson Christopher Drake, No parish listed
Makenna Faith Earnest, St. Bernadette
Mary Karol Engelkamp, St. Mary Bellevue
Ethan Gillespie, St. Gerald
Jason Goetz, St. Mary Bellevue
Joanna Dalene Goetz, St. Mary Bellevue
Helena Heitkoetter, No parish listed
Kayleigh Josephine Hofmann, St. Bernadette
Khoi (Simon) Chung Le, No parish listed
Malual Mamer, St. Mary Bellevue
Salvatore Paulo Nacarelli, Our Lady of Lourdes
Isabella Sebastina Nastase, St. Mary Bellevue
Benjamin Arman Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Shawn Thomas Pelchat, St. Columbkille
Makayla Rae Plisek, St. Mary Bellevue
Andrew Gregory Podkovich, St. Stanislaus
Andrew Powers, St. Bernadette
Benedict James Rice, St. Bernadette
Collin Anthony Sauley, St. Matthew
Julia Rose Swiniarski, St. Matthew
Alexis Villagomez, Assumption/Guadalupe
Jaksen Thomas Wonderlich, St. Gerald

Senior High Honors

Gabriel Alcala, St Thomas More
Isabella Alcala, St Thomas More
Jackson Balis, St Gerald
Luke Bies, Immaculate Conception
Kathleen Brousek, St Columbkille
Cole Scott Brown (Askren), St Thomas More
McKenna Buscher, St Bernadette
John Cervantes III, Christ The King
Kayla P Chau, St Columbkille
Patrick Collins, St Bernadette
Mackenzie Cook, St Matthew
Allison H Drozd, St Columbkille
Emily C Fischer, St Bernadette
Gabriela Gandara-Gutierrez, Assumption
Giovanni Gomez, Our Lady of Lourdes
Leia Groski, St Bernadette
Quentin Hanzlik, St Thomas More
Lindsey Henton, St Columbkille
Preston Higginbotham, St Columbkille
Gerald (Jerry) Hiles, St Stephen
Delaney Huck, St Matthew
Brandon Kabourek, St Bernadette
Kristin Kreps, St Mary Bellevue
Megan Le, St Bernadette
Kendall Martin, St Bernadette
Rosalie Maxwell, St Bernadette
Jenna McGargill, St Columbkille
Andrew McNamara, St Bernadette
Joseph Meier, St Gerald
Rebecca Metzger, St Matthew
Gage Mill, St Bernadette
Mary Miller, St Columbkille
Jack Nutter, St Mary Bellevue
Samuel Ortner, St Joan of Arc
Abigail Marie Parr, St Stephen
Robert Pechar, St Columbkille
Aleia Dineen Podliska, St Columbkille
Elizabeth L Rice, St Bernadette
Abby Scherbring, St Bernadette
Nathan Schmitz, St Mary Bellevue
Keegan Shanahan, St Columbkille
Jenna Lynn Skradski, St Bernadette
Jordan Lee Skradski, St Bernadette
Jayden Sterba, St Thomas More
Carly Stern, St Bridget
Cadence Sweetmon, St Columbkille
Alejandro Torres, Sts Peter & Paul
Jeff Treu, St Matthew

Senior Honors

Isaiah Barrientos, St. Thomas More
Nicholas Leo Boring, St. Stephen the Martyr
Bernardo Bracamontes, Catholic-No Parish
Brayden Brezenski, St. Columbkille
Alyssa Brunner, No parish listed
Kyle Capece, Mary Our Queen
Jessica Carroll, St. Columbkille
Ryan Paul Driscoll, St. Thomas More
Tessa Egermier, St. Columbkille
Ruby Floerchinger, St. Gerald
Dustin Jackson Franks, St. Bernadette
Perla Jacqueline Garcia-Munoz, St. Peter
Alexis Gewinner, Our Lady of Lourdes
Jessica Godek, St. Bernadette
Owen Legner, St. Mary Bellevue
Joshua Mai, No parish listed
Vincent Morales, St. Mary Bellevue
Michael Nowak, St. Stanislaus
James Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Thomas Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Sebastian Palma, St. Thomas More
Emma E Parr, St. Stephen
Liliana Spady, St. Joan of Arc
Chris Treu, St. Matthew
Samuel Joseph Wilwerding, St. Mary Bellevue
Angel Zamora, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Ellie Zoucha, St. Bernadette

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!

 

Thank You to Our Retiring Teachers, Mrs. Carson and Mr. Connelly!

Teachers Retire

As the 2021-2022 school year concludes, we say goodbye to two long-time Gross Catholic teachers. Mr. Dan Connelly and Mrs. Yvonne Carson are both retiring from teaching. We asked them both what their favorite memories are and what they are looking forward to during their retirement.

Mr. Connelly

One of our retiring teachers in his classroomMr. Connelly has taught Theology at Gross Catholic, since the fall of 1996. He has also helped coach baseball and football for over 20 years. Additionally, Mr. Connelly has helped organize and run student retreats as well as trips to Washington, D.C. for the National March for Life.

Mr. Connelly loved to see students who were difficult and lost, but during their time at Gross Catholic they grew and entered a positive relationship with the Lord. His favorite memory of his time at Gross Catholic is the people growing in their relationships with Jesus, especially Scott Schilmoeller who has become a priest and Molly Larkin, who has become a nun.

Mr. Connelly is especially looking forward to traveling, studying the Bible and not having to do ANYTHING on the computer, during his retirement.

Mrs. Carson

Carson wining stateMrs. Carson started teaching English at Gross Catholic in 1994. She has taught freshmen through Juniors as well as Honors English classes. She has coached Varsity Volleyball as well as Track and Field (for a short time). One of her favorite memories is bringing home the first State Volleyball Title in 1999. She really enjoyed working with the students, athletes, and colleagues.

Mrs. Carson is most looking forward to traveling, catching up on reading and spending time with her family and especially her grandchildren, during her retirement.

Thank you both for your years of service to Gross Catholic High School!

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!

Scholarships Earned by Business Students

UNO Scholars Academy Scholarships Awarded

Gross Catholic teacher, Mr. Shelby Sweetmon, is proud to announce that three students from the Business Education Department have been awarded scholarships to the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration.

Gio, Alison, & Cadence

Scholarship winners and their teacherGio Gomez, Allison Drozd and Cadence Sweetmon are recipients of the competitive CBA Scholars Academy Scholarship. The CBA Scholars Academy is a community where high-achieving students can develop their strengths, challenge their minds, engage with others and invest in their futures.

Exploring Leads to Scholarships

Gross Catholic offers many business classes allowing students to explore the possibilities of different careers including Business Management/Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance, Economics and Accounting. Allison Droze said “I absolutely loved taking Accounting.” She enjoyed the application problems where students learned how to work through accounting problems and business transactions and applied them to real life situations. Allison plans to major in Accounting at UNO.

Business Management Course

Shark tankCadence Sweetmon’s favorite business class was Business Management. She enjoyed this class because it is focused on entrepreneurship and she hopes to open her own business one day. Cadence said “The best project we did was the Shark Tank. We pitched an original idea to the UNO ELLC (Entrepreneurship Living and Learning Community) students to try to gain simulated funding. I loved this project because it allowed me to work with a team to build a company from the ground up, and ignited my passion for entrepreneurship.” Cadence learned of the Scholars Academy Scholarship when on a UNO on-campus visit. She said “As a prospective business student, I was invited to a UNO College of Business visit day. It was then that I fell in love with UNO and its business program, but also learned about this opportunity.”

Skills Learned

Gio Gomez agrees that the Business Management class has been his favorite business class. Gio said “Along with the many board games that give me more insight on how to run and manage a business, we also are challenged to come up with innovative ideas to improve society as a whole.” The Business Management class, along with several other classes at Gross Catholic have taught Gio many skills including good study habits, social skills, and leadership skills. Gio said “The teachers want you to succeed, and that is shown through their teaching.” Gio currently plans to major in marketing at UNO.

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!

COVID-19 Resources

Covid-19 Pandemic Information

Gross Catholic High School is in line with CDC and Sarpy County recommended COVID 19 protocols to protect and keep everyone healthy and safe.

Updated Gross Catholic COVID Protocols (2.7.2022)

Masks are required for all visitors. Masks are recommended (not required) for all students, faculty, and staff.

COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic: Fully Vaccinated Individual

  • Quarantine begins the day after a positive test/or 1st day of symptoms
  • Wear a mask and monitor symptoms
  • After 5 days if symptoms are gone, you may return to school and mask for the remainder of the 10 days.
  • After 5 days if symptoms persist, you should remain at home until fever or symptoms are better and continue to mask.

COVID-19 Exposure to Positive or Symptomatic: Fully Vaccinated Individual

  • Wear a mask and monitor symptoms for the next 10 days

COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic: Unvaccinated Individual

  • Quarantine begins the day after a positive test or 1st day of symptoms
  • Wear a mask and monitor symptoms
  • After 10 days if symptoms are gone, you may return to school
  • After 10 days if symptoms persist, you should remain at home until fever or symptoms are better and continue to mask.

COVID-19 Exposure to Positive or Symptomatic: Unvaccinated Individual

  • Quarantine begins the day after a positive test/or 1st day of exposure
  • Wear a mask and monitor symptoms
  • After 10 days if symptoms are gone, you may return to school
  • After 10 days if symptoms persist, you should remain at home until fever or symptoms are better and continue to mask.

For CDC COVID-19 Symptoms, visit the CDC website.

Covid Vaccines

In order to increase the safety of everyone in school, we encourage everyone to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot.

Fully vaccinated is defined as two weeks (14 days) after the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer, or 14 days after the Johnson & Johnson single dose.

The school requires the student to present their vaccination card showing the dates of all vaccinations to our School Office to Mrs. Rice. She will copy the card and update the student’s immunization records.

Fully vaccinated students will not be required to quarantine after close contact with a COVID-positive person as long as fully vaccinated students are asymptomatic.  Of course, we need proof of vaccination. That is why we ask that you bring your vaccination card to the main office. In this case, your word that you have been vaccinated is not enough, we need proof of vaccination.

If anyone is not fully vaccinated, they have to quarantine for 10 days if exposed to the virus.

These protocols are subject to change if new information becomes available from the CDC.

Gross Catholic Remote Learning Days 2021-2022

If needed, here are the expectations for Remote Learning Days.

Guiding Expectations for Teachers

  • Online office hours for teachers will be from 8 am – 1 pm. Attendance questions need to be posted by 8 am. All attendance questions need to relate to what you are studying at the time.
  • All assignments and synchronous meetings must be announced with at least 24 hours’ notice plus 24 hours completion time
  • Synchronous meetings can be scheduled using Teams (see separate email for teacher directions to arrange this). Teachers should record the Teams or other meeting chats online meeting for any attendee unable to join in person.
  • Google Classroom and email will be the source of all communication with students. It will be imperative to be very clear in all communications and to be very organized on Google Classroom pages to avoid confusion.

Guiding Expectations for Students

  • All work needs to be completed on the posted due dates. If you are ill or cannot participate in your classes for any reason, your parents will need to contact the school/ teacher via email.
  • Log in to Google Classroom and school email every day to determine class work. Direct questions to teachers if you are unsure of expectations. Each teacher will post a daily attendance question in their Google Classroom by 8:05 am and you will have until 12 pm to answer this question or you will be counted absent from class that day.
  • When attending class via online (in-virtual person), please be aware of your dress and surroundings. For example, do not attend class in your pajamas from your bed. Be respectful of classmates and teachers by presenting yourself as a student ready to learn.
Definitions
  • Synchronous—at the same time learning (class meeting)
  • Asynchronous—at your own time learning (homework)

Tips for Parents During This Time

  • All teachers will have online office hours from 8 – 1 pm. Attendance will be taken each day also.
  • Most importantly set up a routine for your student/family. Keep normal sleep times and wake times that you would keep during the normal school day. Routine is important and will help. Gross Catholic is helping you with this by taking a virtual attendance daily in your student’s Google Classroom by 8:05 am each day. Teachers will post an attendance question with the date listed that each student is required to answer by 12:00 pm. If your student has not answered this question before 12 pm, they will be marked absent from that day of school.
  • Hold your student accountable. It is the teacher’s responsibility to continue to provide a means for learning the curriculum, but we will need your help at home. Please check in with your student to make sure they are meeting the deadlines the teachers have set for them in their classes. Check to make sure they are understanding the expectations and content the teacher is presenting. If not, encourage them to ask questions. Remember the teacher is required to have online office hours from 8 am – 1 pm daily
  • Lastly, encourage your student to self-advocate especially if they have questions and or need clarity.
  • Online learning days are not days off from school. Students are expected and required to complete all assignments assigned by teachers. Students are encouraged to contact their teachers with any questions or concerns they have.

Special Notes

  • Check with your internet or cellular provider. Many are extending to unlimited data and internet due to this situation. This may help with streaming and the online learning.
  • Mrs. Sweetmon will be offering a morning prayer with an inspirational message daily in the Marianist Mission Hours Google Classrooms. Please join her for this.
  • Any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Neuhalfen at neuhalfen@gcgmail.org

Third Quarter Honor Roll Announced

Congrats to our Honor Roll Students!

Congratulations to our 3rd Quarter Honor Roll Students. High Honors is awarded to students who earn a grade point average of 3.75 or higher and Honors is awarded to students who average 3.25 to 3.75. This quarter, our students represent over 20 different parishes in the Omaha Archdiocese.

Freshman High Honors

Laura Antonella Acevedo-Sanchez, No parish listed
Marie Jean Brousek, St. Columbkille
Aillyn Mary Bugarin, St. Francis of Assisi
Amy Campos, Sts. Peter & Paul
Widni Castillo Menjivar, All Saints
Alex Matthew Cogswell, St. Bernadette
Nghi Ncog Phuong Dam, No parish listed
Mia Donohue, St. Bernadette
Robert Maurice Greenhagen, St. Gerald’s
Jacob Louis Heffelfinger, St. Columbkille
Jane Therese Hiatt, St. Bernadette
Joshua Jansen, St. Bernadette
Joelle Leigh Krzemien, St. Gerald
Grace Elizabeth Nilson, St. Bernadette
William Talbot O’Donnell, St. Bernadette
Mae Eloise Peters, Our Lady of Lourdes
Andrew William Powers, St. Columbkille
Ava Renea Puentes, St. Gerald
Taylor D Ross, No parish listed
Catherine Clare Seguin, St. Columbkille
Mackenzie Catherine Serow, St. Columbkille
Kelsey Beth Sigmund, St. Gerald
Kali Grace Wonderlich, St. Gerald
Camila Zamora, Our Lady of Guadalupe

Freshman Honors

Thomas John Brousek, St. Columbkille
Yasmin Cardenas, Sts. Peter & Paul
Alyvia Ann Marie Christensen, St. Columbkille
Alec Christopher Eidem, St. Columbkille
Adelade Emma Fehrman, St. Gerald
Peter Augustus Ginn, St. Columbkille
Ashley Elizabeth Gogal, St. Columbkille
Victor Manuel Hernandez, St. Joseph
Faustina Rose Hoff, Our Lady of Lourdes
Dezirae Marie Hunter, No Parish Listed
Nicholas Emmanuel Maldonado, Sts. Peter & Paul
Avery Mae Murtaugh, St. Matthew
Anna Marie Rice, St. Bernadette
Brady Andrew Robbins, No Parish Listed
Calvin Michael Roberts, St. Bernadette
Dominic Patrick Roos, St. Mary’s Parish
Miley Sidzyik, St. Columbkille
Jessica Michelle Treu, St. Matthew The Evangelist
Mary Kate Upah, St. Thomas More
Bryce T Urban, Sts. Peter & Paul
Grace Catherine Wozniak, St. Columbkille

Sophomore High Honors

Arianna Lynn Alcala, St. Thomas More
Anush Bhujel, No parish listed
Allison Karen Carroll, St. Gerald
Tyler Minh Khang Chau, St. Columbkille
Joseph Howard Conner, St Wenceslaus
Colby Christian Duncan, St. Thomas More
Grace Willyam Fanowiel, St. Thomas More
Megan Rose Hempel, St. Columbkille
Makenzie Anne Hughes, St. Bernadette
Anna Carolyn Jacobs, St. Gerald
Ainsley Marie Krehbiel, Mary Our Queen
Ethan Hieu Le, St. Bernadette
Ayla Christine Lee, St. Mary Bellevue
Elizabeth Lee Linder, St. Matthew
Augustine John Paul Maldonado, Sts. Peter & Paul
Connor Kelton McGarry, St. Mary Bellevue
Jack Mitchell Miller, St. Columbkille
Marissa Elizabeth Monico, St. Columbkille
Monica Mora Becerra, No parish listed
Raiyah Noor Nader, Greek Orthodox
Gabriel O’Doherty, St. Pius X
Nathan George Pechar, St. Columbkille
Olivia Joy Susanne Riera, St. Frances Cabrini
Madison Jean Riggs, No parish listed
Grace Rose Riha, St. Bernadette
Aaron Michael Schmitz, St. Mary Bellevue
Molly Jane Shanahan, St. Columbkille
Anna Grace Simpson, St. Columbkille
Lauren Ardyth Stuhr, St. Columbkille
Savana Abigail Sweeney, St. Columbkille
Christian Daniel Swiecicki, St. Mary Bellevue
Jacob Daniel Vankat, Assumption Guadalpe
Saydie Anne Waldron, St. Gerald
Ryan William Weiss, St. Columbkille
Martha Ann Yanovich, St. Columbkille

Sophomore Honors

Gavin Battreall, St. Columbkille
Isaac John Bies, Immaculate Conception
Annie Josephine Biros, St Joan of Arc
Carly Jean Chase, St. Columbkille
Elliott James Bunnell Cook, St. Matthew
Ella Curry, No Parish Listed
Kate Davenport Demman, St. Gerald
Evangeline Autumn Elia, St. Columbkille
Cooper Joseph Franks, St. Bernadette
Gabrielle Louise Hunter, St. Bernadette
Natalie Dena Krehbiel, Mary Our Queen
Jacob Dylan Luna, Mary Our Queen
Leah Catherine Martin, St. Bernadette
Nicholas Meier, St. Gerald
Mauricio Orozco Gutierrez, Catholic-No Parish
Ava Arman Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Paloma Penacoba Paramo, No Parish Listed
Mason Lee Rempe, Mary Our Queen
Ricardo Omar Rosas Onate, Sts. Peter & Paul
Savanah Kay Schofield, St. Gerald

Junior High Honors

Harshil Devenkumar Amin, No parish listed
Christian Michael Anderson, St. Columbkille
Jayden Timothy Bowen, St. Bernadette
Julia Bravo Rodriguez, No parish listed
Julia Karen Brennan, St. Gerald
Thu (Jacklynn) Hoanganh Bui, No parish listed
Lucas Carrera Gonzalez, No parish listed
Matheo Comte, No parish listed
Maria Katelin Connealy, St. Mary Bellevue
Daniel Nicholas Crow, No parish listed
Anna Dho, No parish listed
Jake Michael Garcia, St. Columbkille
Ethan Gillespie, St. Gerald
Joanna Dalene Goetz, St. Mary Bellevue
Tristan Ivan Gutierrez-Ramos, St. Frances Cabrini
Gabe Hardisty, St. Stephen
Helena Heitkoetter, No parish listed
Josie Jansen, St. Bernadette
Alec Paul Kleinsasser, St. Columbkille
Alex Kosse, St. Gerald
Joseph Micheal Kouba, St. Mary Bellevue
Michael Ludvik Kowal, St. Bernadette
Khoi (Simon) Chung Le, No parish listed
Josephine Maritxu Mansisidor, St. Mary Bellevue
Martin Michalec, Sts. Peter & Paul
Nathan James Paczkowski, St. Bernadette
Charlie Joseph Paladino, St. Columbkille
Olivia Grace Persing, Mary Our Queen
Jazlyn Alondra Rodriguez, Assumption
Isabel Marie Simpson, St. Columbkille
Lucia Alejandra Venegas Barrantes, St. Columbkille
Isabell Rose Zeller, St. Gerald

Junior Honors

Julia Bennett, St. Mary Bellevue
Casey D Braun, St. Gerald
Connor Robert Capece, Mary Our Queen
Timothy John Combs, No Parish Listed
Caecilia Nicole Cronin, Mary Our Queen
William James DeLaet, St. Columbkille
Jackson Christopher Drake, No Parish Listed
Makenna Faith Earnest, St. Bernadette
Mary Karol Engelkamp, St. Mary Bellevue
Luis Garcia Bercebal, No Parish Listed
Jason Goetz, St. Mary Bellevue
Megan Mary Harvat, St. Stanislaus
Kayleigh Josephine Hofmann, St. Bernadette
Jacob Ryan Legner, St. Mary Bellevue
Margery Millicent McCartney, St. Columbkille
Salvatore Paulo Nacarelli, Our Lady of Lourdes
Owen Michael Nolte, St. Gerald
Benjamin Arman Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Shawn Thomas Pelchat, St. Columbkille
Makayla Rae Plisek, St. Mary Bellevue
Andrew Powers, St. Bernadette
Benedict James Rice, St. Bernadette
Collin Anthony Sauley, St. Matthew
Julia Rose Swiniarski, St. Matthew
Alexis Villagomez, Assumption/Guadalupe
Jaksen Thomas Wonderlich, St. Gerald

Senior High Honors

Gabriel Alcala, St. Thomas More
Isabella Alcala, St. Thomas More
Jackson Balis, St. Gerald
Luke Bies, Immaculate Conception
Brayden Brezenski, St. Columbkille
Kathleen Brousek, St. Columbkille
McKenna Buscher, St. Bernadette
Kyle Capece, Mary Our Queen
John Cervantes III, Christ The King
Kayla P Chau, St. Columbkille
Mackenzie Cook, St. Matthew
Allison H Drozd, St. Columbkille
Emily C Fischer, St. Bernadette
Gabriela Gandara-Gutierrez, Assumption
Leia Groski, St. Bernadette
Lindsey Henton, St. Columbkille
Preston Higginbotham, St. Columbkille
Delaney Huck, St. Matthew
Brandon Kabourek, St. Bernadette
Kristin Kreps, St. Mary Bellevue
Megan Le, St. Bernadette
Kendall Martin, St. Bernadette
Rosalie Maxwell, St. Bernadette
Jenna McGargill, St. Columbkille
Andrew McNamara, St. Bernadette
Joseph Meier, St. Gerald
Rebecca Metzger, St. Matthew
Gage Mill, St. Bernadette
Mary Miller, St. Columbkille
Vincent Morales, St. Mary Bellevue
Jack Nutter, St. Mary Bellevue
Samuel Ortner, St. Joan of Arc
Robert Pechar, St. Columbkille
Aleia Dineen Podliska, St. Columbkille
Elizabeth L Rice, St. Bernadette
Abby Scherbring, St. Bernadette
Nathan Schmitz, St. Mary Bellevue
Keegan Shanahan, St. Columbkille
Jenna Lynn Skradski, St. Bernadette
Jordan Lee Skradski, St. Bernadette
Jayden Sterba, St. Thomas More
Carly Stern, St. Bridget
Cadence Sweetmon, St. Columbkille
Alejandro Torres, Sts. Peter & Paul
Jeff Treu, St. Matthew

Senior Honors

Isaiah Barrientos, St Thomas More
Nicholas Leo Boring, St. Stephen the Martyr
Cole Scott Brown (Askren), St. Thomas More
Alyssa Brunner, Non-Catholic
Alexa M Budler, No Parish Listed
Jessica Carroll, St. Columbkille
Patrick Collins, St. Bernadette
Ryan Paul Driscoll, St Thomas More
Tessa Egermier, St. Columbkille
Ruby Floerchinger, St. Gerald
Perla Jacqueline Garcia-Munoz, St. Peter
Alexis Gewinner, Our Lady of Lourdes
Jessica Godek, St. Bernadette
Giovanni Gomez, Our Lady of Lourdes
Quentin Hanzlik, St. Thomas More
Lesley Andrea Hernandez, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Gerald (Jerry) Hiles, St. Stephen
Jonathan Kaczmarek, Holy Ghost
Owen Legner, St. Mary Bellevue
Joshua Mai, No parish listed
Katherine Mitchell, St. Matthew
Michael Nowak, St. Stanislaus
Joseph A Nyberg, St. Bernadette
James Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Thomas Pajnigar, St. Bernadette
Abigail Marie Parr, St. Stephen
Emma E Parr, St. Stephen
Sadalla (Jeffrey) Ben Wani Sadalla, No parish listed
Liliana Spady, St. Joan of Arc
Chris Treu, St. Matthew
Samuel Joseph Wilwerding, St. Mary Bellevue
Lucas Andrew Wozniak, St. Columbkille
Angel Zamora, Our Lady of Guadalupe
Ellie Zoucha, St. Bernadette

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!

 

Celebrating Our Seniors: Class of 2022

A Wonderful Class

Celebrating our seniorsCelebrating our seniors! During the next month, we celebrate our seniors and their many accomplishments while attending Gross Catholic High School. Throughout this time, teachers, staff and alumni pray this special prayer for our seniors:

Heavenly Father, please be with these students as they go where they do not know.
As they seek to grow in knowledge, we ask that they grow in faith.
As they start to conquer the world, we hope that they conquer their fears.
As they strive to find their place, we pray that they find You.
Please go where we cannot, protect when we cannot, give strength that we cannot, and bring them safely home.

Of course, we encourage our entire Cougar community to pray for our senior class as well.

Here are some special ways we are celebrating them as they complete their final days at Gross Catholic High School.

Tuesday, April 26th: Senior Breakfast, Recognition Day Program and Mass

Seniors will enjoy breakfast together to start their day. The Recognition Day Program will being at 10 AM and highlights seniors that have received scholarships, Iron Man/Woman Awards, Spirit Scholar Awards, Brother Leo Willett Awards and Man/Woman of the Year Awards. Following the program, seniors will celebrate mass together.

Thursday, May 5th: College Spirit Day

Seniors sport their college spirit wear (with uniform bottoms). 

Cheer for the seniorsFriday, May 20th: Baccalaureate Mass

Seniors and their families are invited to celebrate mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral starting at 6 PM.

Monday, May 23rd: Graduation

Finally, seniors walk across the stage and receiving their diplomas at the Holland Performing Arts Center starting at 7 PM on the 23rd. Tickets are handed out during senior final week (May 9 – 11th).

2020-2021 Annual Report

Reflecting On the Past Year

The Annual Report is a yearly publication that looks back and helps us reflect upon where we have been. It is a great help to us, as we move forward.

A Message From Our President

Recently, I was privileged to partner with several students in presenting a “State-of-the-School” video series. The intention was to provide our community with a narrative summary of where Gross Catholic stands on several fronts – cultural, operational, financial, strategic. It complements the 2020 – 21 Annual Report in two ways: 1) it fleshes out the data points shared in the following pages; and 2) offers perspective on the distance we’ve come in just a short time thanks to the trust and philanthropy of parents, donors, and friends of the school. One thing is abundantly clear: We are positioned – and ready – for growth in all areas.

We Are Growing

And we are growing. The latest numbers indicate that this fall we will have the largest incoming freshman class in the last three years. We have added several new staff positions that will provide greater facility and service to students and families. New teachers and coaches are being hired. On the curriculum front, starting next fall, we will have three dual-credit academies: Health Science Career, STREAM Academy with a math and computer science track, and Health and Athletic Training. Advancement efforts have made great strides this year, breaking records in event participation and fundraising. Capital upgrades – including a state-of-the-art Innovation Center, installation of new lights on the baseball field, and plans to completely renovate all classrooms and labs – demonstrate where we can and must provide students with needed resources.

Generosity of Our Benefactors

None of these would be possible without the generosity of our benefactors. To you I extend my deepest gratitude. You have opened students to one of life’s greatest treasures: the gift of a Gross Catholic education. You’ve ensured that we remain one of Nebraska’s premier Catholic high schools. The quality of the integral education, the Catholic and Marianist values, the spirit of family and lifelong friendships – you’ve shown these qualities to be worth investing in, for the return is everlasting.

Thank you.

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!

New Coaches at Gross Catholic

New Coaches for Various Openings

New coaches! It’s spring, and that means new growth! Gross Catholic is growing its coaching staff with these wonderful and talented individuals.

Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach: Mr. Terrance O’Donnell ‘98

New coaches include Terry O;DonnellGross Catholic recently hired Mr. Terrence O’Donnell ’98 as Assistant Athletic Director. He will also serve as Interim Head Coach of Varsity Boys’ Basketball for the 2022-2023 season. O’Donnell has extensive experience in playing and coaching basketball at the intermediate (St. Joan of Arc), secondary (South HS, Bryan HS), and collegiate (Bellevue U.) levels. Currently, he serves as Athletic Director at St. Joan of Arc where he coordinates physical education for the Dual Language Academy in the Consortium of the Archdiocese of Omaha. Additionally, this spring he will complete a master’s degree in Educational Leadership at UNO. O’Donnell enjoys triathlon training and mountain biking, practices mindfulness and yoga, and is an avid adventure traveler.

Varsity Cheerleading Head Coach: Ms. Holly Pospichal ‘18

Holly PospichalMs. Holly Pospichal is a proud alumna from the class of 2018. After graduating from Gross Catholic, she attended the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. More recently Pospichal moved back to Omaha to attend UNO as well as assist in coaching cheer. She fell in love with coaching and is very excited to coach at the high school level. Holly cheered for Gross Catholic and is honored to be named the head varsity coach for her alma mater. Cheering for Gross Catholic made a positive impact on her life, and she hopes to make a similar impact for all of the girls – present and future. When Ms. Pospichal is not coaching, she works as a data entry specialist for Buildertrend.

Varsity Cross Country Head Coach: Ms. Leah Scwartz

Leah SchwartzMs. Leah Schwartz is a science teacher and is currently the assistant coach for both Cross Country and Track & Field. She came to Omaha as a part of the Magis Catholic Teacher Corps program at Creighton University, where she is currently pursuing her masters in education. Schwartz grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with a degree in Biology in December of 2020. Outside of school, she enjoys running, biking, and hiking the National Parks with her family.

Job Search

As a matter of fact, Gross Catholic is currently still searching for a few other head coaches including Girls’ Volleyball, Boys’ Golf and Girls/Boys’ Track & Field. Review open positions.

Hamersky Wins Prestigious Award

Innovations Award Presented to Steve Hamersky

Gross Catholic High School is very pleased to announce that longtime teacher, Steve Hamersky, is the winner of the National Catholic Education Association‘s (NCEA) prestigious Dr. Karen M. Ristau Innovations Award.

The NCEA

The NCEA is the largest, private professional education association in the world. Its mission is to strengthen Catholic school communities by providing professional development, formation, leadership, and advocacy. Yearly, the NCEA is honored to recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to Catholic education with their President’s Awards.

This award is presented annually to an individual, school, or program that has furthered the mission of Catholic education through an innovative program or approach.

Hamersky is Brilliant

Mr. Hamersky has taught at Gross Catholic for over 40 years. His teaching style and his programs have been all about innovation. He has pioneered our robotics, engineering, and innovation teams. All the while teaching full time as well as managing our technology programs and school network.

Accordingly, those students who have been taught by Hamersky or have been on one of his teams, would all say that Mr. Hamersky is a great teacher and leader and that they have learned so much from him. Steve Hamersky is always on the cutting edge.

Our new Innovation Center is appropriately dedicated to Mr. Hamersky. A plaque in the center reads as follow:

“In honor of the distinguished and unselfish service given to Gross Catholic while serving with outstanding leadership, vision, and ability. Steve Hamersky has served as a model to countless students and made an impact like no other. His is a legacy of dedication, service, inspiration, and innovation.”

Steve receives the award at the NCEA President’s Dinner held at the annual convention in New Orleans on April 18. The awards dinner recognizes outstanding contributions of exceptional Catholic school educational leaders across the country.

Again, congratulations, Steve, on this well-deserved distinction!

What You May Have Missed

Follow Us on Social Media!