Where are our school’s past student class officers and are they living life to its fullest? Cardinal Nation reached out to officers from the 2000 and 2006 classes to see where life took them, since graduates from those years are now into their careers and some even have kids.
Class of 2000
The class officers from 2000 were Roslyn Steward, Anthony DiBacco, Katie Savage, and Shaun Reitman. They all took a picture together for the 2000 MHS yearbook.
The Class of 2000 President Roslyn Steward went on to study at The Ohio State University where she got a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Affairs, then went on to Washington College of Law where she became an attorney. She now she lives in Washington, D.C. and is an Assistant Chief Counselor for government affairs.
The Class of 2000 vice president Anthony DiBacco went on to study at The University of Akron where he got a Bachelor of Science in Special Education and teaching. After university he went to work at The Playhouse Square where he still works to this day as the guest services manager in Cleveland, Ohio where he lives.
Katie Savage was the Class of 2000 Secretary and went to Oakland University where she got a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature. After Oakland she went straight into the working field, she was first a project manager and then went to where she is now as a retirement specialist at Fidelity Investments in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lastly, Shaun Reitman, the Class of 2000 Treasurer and theater scholarship winner for that year, still lives here in our very own Mentor, Ohio, where he is a care coordinator helping kids and families through different organizations. He is still involved in our community, as he is now our Shoreline Singers director where he gets to help kids who are just like he was back then, and continues giving back to our community daily.
I also got the chance to interview two of the officers, thanks to Shaun Reitman who helped me get in contact with 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 the 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.
I was also able to interview Roslyn Steward. Mrs. Steward was on vacation but still wanted to help with my article so she was happy to be interviewed, and she was a great addition since she was Class President.
Cardinal Nation: Are you doing what you thought you would be doing when you were in high school?
Mrs. Steward: Yes and no. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a lawyer, but back then I really 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?
Mrs. 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 Mrs.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 all the way to Mentor High School to show people how far a two-mile walk is and make sure no kid 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 hasn’t disappointed with his accomplishments since graduating, While he was in high school he was on the varsity football team and Class Vice President for both his junior and senior years. 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, Alpha Delta President, and on their varsity football team where he was almost undefeated all three years on the team. 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 is now an Ohio University graduate who works in Cleveland, Ohio. She has two kids and a husband who she loves to spend time with.
Jimmy Northrup goes by Jim nowadays. He went to Bowling Green State University to get a Master in Business Administration after he had gotten a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Ohio Northern University. Now he works at Marathon Petroleum Corporation as the Business Development Advisor. He is living in Arlington, Ohio, and has a beautiful wife and two daughters who he spends most of his time with. He even helped teach his daughter basketball this past summer because they wanted to learn.
These alums are living with the intent to get the most out of the life they have and they never let anything stop them. They also all keep going after their high school years, showing you that if you can get through now it can always get better as it has for all of these officers.
