Hall of Champions: Service

Joliet Catholic Academy President/Principal Dr. Jeffrey Budz is pleased to announce the 2024 Hall of Champions: Service: Sister Anna Marie Becker, OSF ’35 (in loving memory), Sue Bornhofen, Kathy Hibner, Dr. John Kahler ’65, Amy (Lausch ’87) & Ken Mihelich ’83, Dr. Tim Schuster ’90, Rev. Jeffery R. Smialek, O. Carm., and Max Ziesmer ’90. 

The mission of the Hall of Champions: Service is to honor SFA, JCHS, and JCA graduates for their commitment to serving others and the overall JCA community. With over 24,100 alumni and counting, the lessons instilled by both the Carmelites and Franciscans over JCA’s 155-year history of Catholic education in the Joliet community has consistently cultivated leaders that have produced a world-wide impact. The Carmelite and Franciscan charism of living in service to others inspires the JCA community, its graduates, parents, and staff members to help people find God’s presence in their lives and in the world. The God of all life is everywhere and we find — and help others discover — God’s presence in every person, experience, and event.

Dr. Jeffrey Budz said, “Joliet Catholic Academy is very honored to be inducting our newest members of the Hall of Champions: Service and completing the vision, which included the Hall of Champions for Athletics, Hall of Champions of Business and Industry, and now the Hall of Champions for Service.  Each of the honorees in this first class epitomizes the mission of the HOC of Service: character, kindness, generosity, modesty, and goodwill.  JCA is very proud of our new inductees and thankful for all that they have given to our school and community.”

This year’s honorees will be inducted on Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. at the Jacob Henry Mansion, 20 S. Eastern Avenue, Joliet, IL 60433. Tickets to the Hall of Champions: Service event are $50 per person which includes drinks and dinner prior to the Induction Ceremony. Please contact Chris Voss, Director of Special Events at 815-741-0500 ext. 283 or by email at cvoss@jca-online.org for more information. For tickets, please visit https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=mrcpAH

Nominations for the Hall of Champions: Service can be submitted by mail: 1200 N. Larkin Ave. Joliet, IL.  60435 or by email: sbebar@jca-online.org.  Please send to the attention of Sue Bebar, Director of Alumni Relations.

Congratulations to the 2024 Joliet Catholic Academy Hall of Champions: Service:

Sister Anna Marie Becker, OSF ’35 (in loving memory)

Sister Anna Marie Becker was born on July 8, 1917, in Joliet, Illinois, to William F. and Anna M. Hauppa Becker. After graduating from St. Patrick’s Grade School, Dorothy (Sr. Anna Marie) attended St. Francis Preparatory. In 1935 she was the class valedictorian and received a four-year scholarship to attend the College of St. Francis. On September 9, 1935, Dorothy began her postulancy.

After her first profession on August 12, 1938, Sister Anna Marie completed her studies at the College of St. Francis. She graduated in June 1939 with a Bachelor’s degree in History. Sister Anna Marie received her master’s degree in history from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1954.

In 1939 Sister Anna Marie began teaching history and other classes at St. Francis de Sales in Chicago, Illinois. She also taught at St. Peter’s, Mansfield, Ohio, and SS. Peter and Paul, Chicago, Illinois. In 1953 Sr. Anna Marie came to St. Francis Academy. In 1954 she became the Alumnae Moderator and a new era began at SFA. Over the 50 years she taught history, Spanish, civics, English, religion, and economics, served as chair of the social studies department, senior homerooms and senior moderator.

In 1971 she wrote about her service at Saint Francis Academy, “I believe that my present service of teaching is a good service for me because my community has prepared me well for teaching. I had several sisters who were very interested in helping me. I’m very grateful. I believe St. Francis Academy is a good place for me. I’m acquainted with the school; I’m more than willing to give much of my time to help with extra jobs in school. I’m happy. I feel I’m serving God; I give Him everything. I really try to live for God and make the best of everything.”

In applying to Joliet Catholic Academy in 1989, she wrote, “I love to teach…the education of young women and men is such an important human endeavor that I want to continue to help. Really, I honestly feel I may do this by becoming part of the Joliet Catholic Academy faculty and community.  I want to continue to work in a school which will create a spirit permeated with the Gospel spirit of love and concern for one another. The people of Joliet will come to know JCA as a Christian community that will meet the occasions of need with a Christian response. I feel that I am still able to work for my God.” She retired in 2003.

Sue Bornhofen

Sue Pritz Bornhofen grew up in Joliet, Illinois, in a close-knit family with her parents, Ken and Carol, and five siblings. Her parents owned J.D. Brown Pharmacy, where she gained valuable insights into entrepreneurship while working alongside her family. After working in the pharmacy for many years, her family opened a children’s clothing store, The Peanut Gallery, located next door.

Both the pharmacy and the clothing store were destroyed by the Plainfield tornado. However, her parents subsequently purchased the historic Jacob Henry Mansion, where Sue, her sister Anne, and their parents envisioned creating a beautiful venue for weddings, receptions, tour groups, and special occasions. Today, as co-owners, Sue and Anne welcome thousands of guests each year.

From a young age, Sue understood the importance of community service. The mansion hosts numerous events each year, with a particular focus on nonprofit fundraisers that are dear to her heart. Notable events have included collaborations with organizations such as Witches Night Out, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys & Girls Club, and Easter Seals. Sue is passionate about ensuring that these events are not only successful but also beneficial to the community.

Sue and her husband, Larry, have been married for 42 years and have four daughters—Elisabeth (Joe), Sarah (Jeremy), Amanda (Tommy), and Anna (Nick)—along with twelve grandchildren. All four of their daughters work within the Jacob Henry Mansion, carrying the family business into its third generation. When she’s not at the mansion, Sue enjoys spending quality time with her family, whether relaxing in their backyard with the grandchildren, wine tasting, or vacationing on the beaches of Mexico.

 

Kathy Hibner

Kathy Hibner grew up on the South Side of Chicago and landed a volleyball scholarship at the College of St. Francis. While in college, she would walk to the JCA fields and watch the Fighting Saints play ball. Little did she know that some years later JCA would become such an integral part of her life.

Kathy graduated with a teaching degree. She went on to get her master’s degree. She is currently in her 36th year of teaching. Her love and passion for teaching is seen through her years of service and dedication to her students.

It was through her teaching that she met her husband of 30 years, Jamie. They have four beautiful children, Jimmy, Daniel, Molly and Maura. Their children started their path at the Cathedral of Saint Raymond School. Right from the start, Kathy was volunteering at various functions. She helped with fundraisers as well as parish events. She served on the school board for four years, two of which were as president. She also helped coordinate the parish Day of Service within the community.

When it came time for Jimmy to start high school, the decision of where to send him was an easy one. It was JCA. Her husband Jamie is a graduate and so is a long line of his family. Hanging on the walls at JCA is a picture of his grandfather dating all the way back to 1936.  His mom was in the class of 1964.

Kathy’s path of service followed her to JCA. Kathy is what we call a “lifer” on the JCA Parent Board. She served on the board for 15 years, three of which were as president. She joined when Jimmy was a freshman and continued through all four of her kids with Maura graduating last spring. She was a leader who had a positive impact on her team that planned and implemented events throughout the school year. She was the behind-the-scenes person working with the administration to ensure that students and parents had a positive experience at JCA. Over the years, she mentored new families, gave tours at open house, organized Family Mass and breakfast, and spoke at the Freshman Mass influencing people to get involved. Kathy’s gifts of service went beyond the Parent Board. She also volunteered at fundraisers. She would organize events for team sports dinners or make her famous granola bars for the kids. Kathy also was part of the JCA Strategic Planning Committee.

Kathy values her years of service to say thank you for all that JCA has done for her children. Kathy’s commitment, achievement, service to others and faith have set the standards for her legacy at JCA.

 

Dr. John Kahler ’65

Dr. Kahler is a retired general pediatrician who grew up in Lockport, Illinois. After the Hill, he attended Lewis College & the University of Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He did his pediatric training at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago and stayed for the next 34 years serving the underserved of the metropolitan Chicago area. When he left the county, he worked as a regional medical director for a large federally qualified health center in Chicago. He ended that part of his career as the chief medical officer for the Will County Community Health Center in Joliet. In January 2017, he retired from pediatric practice to devote time to humanitarian work. 

Dr. Kahler spent the last 25 years serving the poor in medical mission work in Africa, Mexico, Central and Latin America as well as Haiti. 

Since 2013, he has been active in support of the Syrian refugees. He has worked with the diaspora in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Greece. In June 2016, Dr. Kahler went to Aleppo, Syria with two colleagues to work with the besieged medical personnel. They were among the last western physicians to leave Aleppo before the siege was completed. 

Dr. Kahler is currently the co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of the International medical non-governmental organization MedGlobal. Its mission is “Building a world without health care disparity.”

In 2019, MedGlobal established programs in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. All three of those programs remain active. Dr. Kahler worked in Gaza and Lebanon twice in 2024. 

Dr. Kahler has received several humanitarian awards for their work in Aleppo, he and his colleagues were honored as Chicagoans of the Year 2016 and Bush Foundation Daily Points of Light. 

 

Amy (Lausch ’87) & Ken Mihelich ’83

Amy (Lausch) Mihelich is a 1987 graduate of St. Francis Academy and continued her education at the University of Illinois (B.S., psychology) and Loyola University of Chicago (M.S., human resources).  Her career path ultimately brought her back to JCA where she worked in the Admissions and Alumni offices until she left to stay at home full-time with her growing family.  

During the years as a stay-at-home-mom, Amy was able to stay connected with JCA through her work on the Marketing Committee. One of the most exciting projects during this time was planning for the JCA Heritage Quad.  During this time Amy was also an active member of the Joliet Junior Woman’s Club and the Easter Seals Board of Directors. 

By far, Amy’s greatest accomplishment and joy has been raising, five beautiful children with Ken (’83); Jake (’18), Zora (’19), Olivia (’22), Sophia (’24), and Lila (’27).  Marrying a die-hard Hillman, there was no doubt their kids would be future Hillmen and Angels.  Being back at JCA as a parent was as exciting for Amy and Ken as it was for their kids.  Amy has fond memories of watching her parents Jack and Barb (Fehst ’60) Lausch volunteer at JCHS and SFA – particularly at Jubilation.  Amy is thankful for the great example of volunteerism she learned from her parents.  Amy and Ken created wonderful memories and made lifelong friends through their volunteer work at JCA including Jubilate Planning Committee for 10 years and counting (including two years as co-chairpersons) and the JCA Parent Board.  

Amy currently is the administrative manager in the College of Education at the University of St. Francis.  She and Ken plan to cherish their last three years as parents at Joliet Catholic Academy and look forward to staying active at JCA as loyal friends for many, many years to come. 

Ken Mihelich is a 1983 graduate of Joliet Catholic High School.  He is married to Amy Lausch (’87) and they are the proud parents of Jacob (’18), Zora (’19), Olivia (’22), Sophia (’24) and Lila (’27).  Ken went on to graduate from Lewis University (’88) and Northern Illinois University (’96) with an MBA.  He is a CPA and after working for several years at KPMP in Chicago, went on to work 28 years and retired from the City of Joliet.  He is currently the VP/CFO for Cornerstone Services.

Ken’s greatest two titles are husband and dad.  He has been fortunate to spend a lot of time with his children in various coaching roles which include baseball, softball, basketball, flag football, and volleyball.  In addition, he has been involved with boards/committees including with Lewis University, University of St. Francis, YMCA and the Rotary Club of Joliet. Ken and Amy have volunteered for numerous roles for their children’s schools.  At St. Raymond’s they chaired Oktoberfest, chaperoned numerous field trips and worked other events.  At JCA, Ken has been on the Finance Committee for over 25 years, is currently on the Board of Directors, a member of the Parent Board and has co-chaired JCA’s Jubilate with Amy. 

 

Dr. Tim Schuster ’90

Tim Schuster graduated from the University of Michigan (BS,1994), Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine (MD, 1998), and then completed a urology residency and fellowship at the University of Michigan (MD residency, 2004; MD fellowship, 2005). He was a faculty member at the University of Michigan’s Michigan Medicine before moving to ProMedica Health Systems, where he has been for 18 years.

Tim has been recognized as a physician leader.  He served as the president of the Ohio Urologic Association, the chairman of the Department of Surgery at ProMedica Hospitals, and the co-chair of the ProMedica Transformers Committee, aimed at developing innovations for the health system. In addition to his leadership, Tim has mentored and supported hundreds of medical students, residents, and new physicians and received an award for urologic teaching excellence by the University of Michigan Health System. He has authored over 90 academic papers and presentations aimed at improving practices within the field of urology and holds two patents for inventions.  For his contributions, Tim won the ProMedica Innovation Award, given to a physician who demonstrates excellence in innovative practices to improve the hospital system.

Through the years, Tim has volunteered in global service to bring urological services to underserved regions, including Honduras and Belize, and built local capacity for delivering urologic care in those areas.  This work is among Tim’s proudest accomplishments. He helped initiate a global medical mission while a faculty member at the University of Michigan, and, more recently, became engaged with Global Surgical Expeditions (GSE), a non-profit organization aimed at providing life-changing urologic surgery and medical support across the world. For the last 10 years, he has annually led a surgical team representing physicians and nurses from across the county to Belize through his work with GSE.  In recognition of his service, Tim was awarded the American Urological Association Foundation’s Humanitarian Award.

Beyond medicine, Tim has a passion for spending time with his family and friends. He is most proud of his children, Dominic (18), a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his daughter, Libby (15), a sophomore in high school. He is also a passionate and avid runner.  He has completed 24 marathons, including 18 Chicago marathons, and recently became a Six-Star Finisher, awarded for completing all the world marathon majors (Chicago, Boston, New York, London, Berlin & Tokyo). His most recent adventure was climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with a group of fellow urologists this past September. 

Tim credits his passion for service and leadership to his foundation at Joliet Catholic and the impact of his teachers and friends, especially his deep and enduring friendship with classmate Matt Sicinski.   After Matt’s untimely passing, Tim, together with his wife, Katie, founded the Matt Sicinski Memorial Scholarship to honor this friendship and Matt’s legacy and provide tuition support for JCA students.

 

Rev. Jeffery R. Smialek, O. Carm. 

Father Jeff was born on July 12, 1975, to Robert and Carol Smialek and lived on the southeast side of Chicago. He attended Sacred Heart Parish and School as a child and credits the Franciscan friars and sisters who staffed the parish and school for their role model and instilling in him his faith and desire to serve the people of God. Father Jeff attended Mount Carmel High School where he was introduced to the Carmelites and was deeply impacted by their spirituality. In both grade school and high school, he was actively involved in many service projects offered. He won the award for outstanding service to the school and community in his graduating class from Mount Carmel. Father Jeff went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he was involved with the Newman Center campus ministry and the Knights of Columbus council, where he organized numerous volunteer projects on the campus and in the community. The Knights council volunteered monthly at a local homeless shelter and helped with Special Olympics among many other service projects. That call to service has been part of Father Jeff since his youth. He went on to graduate school at Chicago State University. While in graduate school, Father Jeff served as a state council officer for the Illinois Knights of Columbus, in charge of organizing all the college age knights in the state.

As Father Jeff’s time in graduate school was ending, he made the decision to answer the vocation calling that he has heard throughout his life and joined the Order of Carmelites in 1999. In his formation years, Father Jeff continued to volunteer his time with groups such as Stella Maris at the Port of Houston, TX, Birthright Crisis Pregnancy Center, Mid-Hudson Correctional Institution, the Newman Center at the University of Maryland, and the National Naval Medical Center. Father Jeff professed his first vows in 2001, his solemn vows in 2005 and was ordained a priest in 2007. His first assignment was to Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, AZ as a teacher and campus minister. There, Father Jeff helped to lead numerous trips for students to work with Habit for Humanity in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. He also became involved with Catholic Heart Workcamps, a national organization running mission trip experience for Catholic teens. Father Jeff went on over 25 weeklong mission trips with Catholic Heart Workcamps.

Father Jeff came to Joliet Catholic Academy in 2011 and spent the next 11 years as campus minister, teacher, department chair, and a coach for our Angels and Hilltoppers. At JCA, he continued to lead numerous service projects for our students. Father Jeff was instrumental in developing our all-school retreat and service day. He organized service experiences for all the seniors and freshmen during these days. He worked out partnerships with dozens of Joliet area volunteer organizations where JCA students could serve. In 2022, Father Jeff was asked by the Carmelites to serve as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Darien, IL. He is still active at JCA by helping with numerous Sacramental needs such as Kairos retreats, class masses, all school masses, and football team masses and the Advent and Lent reconciliation services. Serving our brothers and sisters is our duty as Catholic Christians.

 

Max Ziesmer ’90

The Joliet Catholic community has been an integral part of Max’s life for as long as he can remember, forming as significant a part of his identity as his own family. His father, Terry, a 1962 graduate of The Hill and a former president of the Alumni Board, and his mother, Linda, a 1963 St. Francis graduate, established deep family roots within the institution. Max’s connections extend even further back, with his maternal grandfather graduating from The Hill in the 1940s and several great uncles from his paternal side attending both The Hill and the former De La Salle High School.

This tradition of commitment continued through Max’s brother, Jake (Class of 2004 and current teacher at JCA), as well as Max’s own children, Luke (Class of 2022) and Emerson (Class of 2024). After graduating from The Hill, Max pursued higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree from North Central College and an MBA from the University of St. Francis. His distinguished career in the financial industry spans over 30 years, including a significant tenure at the former First National Bank of Joliet and his current role at CIBC Bank USA in downtown Chicago.

Married to Nicole since 2001, Max and his family reside in Joliet. Known affectionately as “The Last Hillman” for being the final graduate of the all-boys school in 1990, Max has remained dedicated to the JCA community. Even during his final years at JCHS, he was committed to preserving the faith and traditions of JCHS and SFA within the new school. Over the years, Max has actively participated in alumni events and school functions, serving on the JCA Board of Directors for several years, including multiple terms as president.

One of Max’s most cherished achievements as a board member was contributing to the creation and construction of the Heritage Quad and the Victory Light. These landmarks celebrate the faith, traditions and alumni of the three predecessor schools that culminated in the establishment of Joliet Catholic Academy.


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