Where are our school’s past student class officers, and are they living life to the fullest? Cardinal Nation reached out to officers from the 2000 class to see where life took them since graduates from those years are now in their careers and some even have their own children.
Class of 2000
The class officers from 2000 were Roslyn Steward, Anthony DiBacco, Katie (Savage) Fisher, and Shaun Reitman. They all took a picture together for the 2000 MHS yearbook.
The Class of 2000 Treasure Roslyn Steward studied at Ohio State University, where she got a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs. She then went on to Washington College of Law, where she became an attorney. She now lives in Washington, D.C., and is an Assistant Chief Counselor at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Katie Savage Fisher, Secretary, graduated in 2004 from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. After teaching Kindergarten in North Carolina and Virginia, she has settled back in Mentor with her husband and 5 children. She teaches preschool at Mentor United Methodist Preschool, is the Theater Director at Memorial Middle School, and volunteers on the Cardinal Voice Board.
Lastly, Shaun Reitman, the Class of 2000 President and theater scholarship winner for that year, still lives here in Mentor, where he is a care coordinator, helping children and families through different support organizations. He is still involved in our local area and is now our Shoreline Singers director, where he guides children who share his passion for giving back to the community.
Cardinal Nation also interviewed two of the officers, thanks to Shaun Reitman, who helped me contact the other officer.
Cardinal Nation: Do you enjoy what you picked to do with your life?
Mr. Reitman: I am very glad to be helping kids and families through OhioRISE and the Ravenwood CME. I’ve found that empathy, empowerment, and education are the most important tools we have to grow as individuals and communities, and I can use each of these tools in my current role as a Care Coordinator.
Cardinal Nation: Are you doing what you thought you would be doing when you were in high school?
Mr. Reitman: Not in the literal sense, although I think I wished I knew someone in this type of role when I was in high school. I began to find my voice in music, theater, and the performing arts through the Mentor Schools, and those programs became a second home for me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next, but I knew that I loved learning about others through storytelling, so I followed it through college. I started as an undecided major at the University of Toledo, continued doing theater there, decided to become a theater teacher, and then transferred to Ithaca College just as most states were dropping their licensures for theater education. I became an acting major, and then traveled to Connecticut, London, and Moscow, ultimately earning a B.A. in Theater Arts at Ithaca. I cherish those experiences, having met and learned from so many people who are passionate about the arts. While living in multiple states after college, I learned I am happiest when I am supporting communities, teaching, and learning from others. I’ve been lucky to do that for the past eight years in social services, and now I get to do it as the Director of Shoreline before and after school.
Cardinal Nation: Did you think you would move out of Mentor? And why or why didn’t you leave Mentor?
Mr. Reitman: I did want to spend time outside of Mentor. I’d gone on a People to People Student Ambassador trip when I was 14, traveling with other kids through the U.K. for three weeks and staying with families in England and Ireland. That experience changed my perspective about everything, and I knew I wanted to explore that more. I also knew, when I graduated high school, that I wanted to return at some time to give back, and to share something that I’d learned of the arts and life. I am glad to be doing that now. Northeast Ohio has a lot going for it, and it continues to grow and be a beautiful place for people of all backgrounds.
Mr. Reitman gave me so much information to put into this article and was very helpful while I was creating this piece. I enjoyed learning about what he has done and plans to do. He is an exciting and impressive man.
Cardinal Nation also interviewed Class President Roslyn Steward. Ms. Steward.
Cardinal Nation: Are you doing what you thought you would be doing when you were in high school?
Ms. Steward: Yes and no. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer, but back then I had no idea how many different kinds of jobs there are in law, policy, and government relations. I had no lawyers in my family – I only knew about prosecutors and defense attorneys because that’s what I saw on TV.
Cardinal Nation: Are you still close to the friends you had in high school?
Ms. Steward: I’m still close to one – my best friend Kristen. We met at Orchard Hollow Elementary School when we were 10 years old and went to Shore and MHS together. I’m still close with a bunch of girls from my church youth group that I met while I was in junior high, however they did not go to MHS. I’m closer with friends from college and law school.
Mr.Reitman and Ms.Steward were very helpful and cooperative while creating this article, which I appreciated, and I hope you love their answers, just as much as they loved writing them.
Class of 2006
The class officers from 2006 are Brandon Beech, John Jewell, Kelsey Baron, and Jimmy Northrup.
The year before these students became class officers, Brandon Beech, the president for this class, participated in a two-mile walk starting at a no-longer-existing elementary that his little brother went to and walked to Mentor High School. Beech did so to show people how far a two-mile walk is, helping ensure no future student would have to make that walk in heat or snow.
After high school, Brandon Beech continued being great at what he did and went to Ohio University from 2006 to 2009 for an undergraduate degree in journalism while simultaneously getting a Bachelor’s degree in political science, political journalism, and German at the University of Dayton. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2010. After he finished at the University of Dayton he went to The University of Edinburgh where he got a Master of Science in Nationalism Studies, Political Science, and Sociology. This is where he finished his educational studies. Eventually, he got a job as Manager of Inward Investment at Scottish Development International where he has now been for 12 years and where he lives in the greater Chicago area.
John Jewell has not disappointed with his accomplishments since graduating. While he was in high school, he was on the varsity football team and was the class vice president. After high school, he went to the University of Dayton to get a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance where he was Student Government President and Alpha Delta President, and played on their varsity football team where he was almost undefeated all three years. He stayed at the University of Dayton to get his Master of Business in accounting. After the University of Dayton, he worked in Chicago for nine years but then switched jobs and moved to be what he is now, a Director of Financial Planning and Analysis.
Kelsey Baron was the only girl out of the officers for this year, and she was also the best swimmer on the swim team winning many competitions. She went to Medical school here in Ohio at the University of Toledo graduating in 2016 and then doing her residency at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where she now specializes in internal medicine as a physician. She has her MD so she is now referred to as Kelsey Baron MD as any medical professional
Unfortunately, Cardinal Nation could not establish contact with, Jimmy Northrup, but considering the success we’ve seen so far, we are sure he has made great accomplishments.
These alums are living with the intent to get the most out of life and never let anything stop them. Looking at the stories of these alums, we can safely say that establishing yourself in high school and continuing to pursue further education or training, no matter what field or method, can and will lead to success.
