Sherri Otto McCleod and Nina M. Ray (both of the class of 1971) reconnected thanks to their 50th reunion in September 2021 and decided to go on a Viking River Cruise together on the Duoro River in April 2022. They were old traveling buddies in high school, and after not really being in touch for 50 years, they immensely enjoyed the traveling experience together again. They visited wineries, old castles and buildings and just relaxed and watched the views. They even got lost a time or two (especially in Lisbon) but did make it on time for mass in a lovely very old local church, as the country was preparing for Easter.

BCHS is excited to welcome back BCHS graduate, J.T. Funk (Class of 2001) as the new Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Bishop Chatard.

Mr. Funk served on the faculty of Bishop Chatard for seven years as an English teacher and as department chair for three of those years before leaving education to practice law. He spent the last seven years pursuing a law degree and founding a successful law practice before “being called to return to Catholic education.”

“I am excited to bring my experiences, training, and personal qualities back to Catholic education, particularly Bishop Chatard, and I am excited to push myself in new ways,” Mr. Funk said. “I welcome the opportunity to learn from other school leaders and anticipate the challenges that will present themselves. I look forward to this opportunity to help Bishop Chatard continue to grow and excel in fulfilling its Catholic mission.”

Congratulations to Logan Cook, BCHS Class of 2006, who was named as a 2022 40 under 40 honoree by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Read about his journey at www.ibj.com.

Congratulations to Meredith (Smith) Fredrickson, Class of 2000, on graduating with her Bachelors degree in Nursing in May 2021 and now working at IU north hospital in Carmel, IN on the postpartum unit, caring for new mothers and babies. Meredith spent almost a decade working at Bishop Chatard in the advancement office between admissions and communications and marketing. She loved her time at BCHS but as Bishop Chatard encourages young men and women to follow their dreams, she found that she needed to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She resides in Indianapolis with her husband Sean and their three children who attend St. Pius X school.

Congratulations to two BCHS alumni from the Class of 2012, Paige Powers and Luke McHugh. They were married on Dec. 18, 2021 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Bloomington, Indiana.

Congratulations to Allissa (Battocletti) Noffke, BCHS Class of 2006, on being named as a 2022 Rising Professional by Purdue University.

“Allissa Noffke works for the Human Spaceflight Operations at NASA Johnson Space Center as a Certified Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Astronaut Instructor and Flight Controller. She is in charge of leading on-orbit operations for US EVAs on the International Space Station (ISS). Known as a “Professor of Spacewalking”, she teaches classes to astronauts in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and also works with Mission Control to write procedures when astronauts are up in space.

Allissa gives thanks to her Purdue Engineering degree and the opportunities that Purdue gave her to land such a stellar role. A 2011 graduate, Allissa received her B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering while simultaneously participating in a Co-op with NASA from 2007 to 2010. Her campus involvements included being a College of Engineering Ambassador, Professional Practice Ambassador, Director of Purdue Space Day (2009), the Barbara Cooks Mortar Board Chapter and an avid choral singer in Purduettes. She has continued her passion and involvement with music in her daily life as a current Purdue Musical Organizations (PMO) Advisor Board member.

Despite her impressive list of achievements and acknowledgments, Allissa loves to spend time with her friends and family, traveling, and attending sporting events in her free time.” ¹

¹ From purdueoldmasters.org

Working at Super Bowl LVI — gaining experience in your major — win-win for Jess Friederick, BCHS Class of 2018.

As a sports management major at Trine University, she couldn’t pass up the chance to spend 10 days in Los Angeles in a program sponsored by Living Sport, an organization that provides work and study experiences for student interested in a sports career.

Said Jess of her experience: “While the SoFi stadium is incredible and a sight to see, it is a very complicated layout for fans who have never been there before,” … “The first people I got to help were the parents of the Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker. That was such a memorable experience. I also got to escort the president of NBC Sports News, Jon Miller, to his suite with his wife, and he texted me the next day to thank me for helping them after an hour of frustration looking for their seat!” ¹

¹Read the full story at www.trine.edu

Congratulations to a BCHS alumni couple, Annie (Bates), Class of 2012 and Chris Tarpey, Class of 2011, as they welcome their second child to the world — Oliver Vincent Tarpey!

After a career fighting infectious diseases in Africa, Carl Henn, BCHS Class of ’76, has just published a book, My Two Centuries in Africa : How a Funny-Looking Kid from Indiana Wound Up on an Endless African Adventure, available now as an eBook on Amazon Kindle, print version and audiobook to follow. Carl sends a tip of the hat to his BCHS high school teachers: Mlle. Kerestes, French class, and Miss Moss, junior year English.