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APRIL
Jessica Douglas ('16)
Public Relations
La Grange Highlands, Illinois
More Than Your Typical 'Every Day Hero'
2016 graduate, Jessica Douglas, has caught the attention of more than just her friends, family and classmates. Just one short year after graduating, the Chicago Blackhawks named her one of their Every Day Heroes. “I was shocked, honestly,” Jessica started. “I was given the opportunity to tell my story and explain why I give back. Service has always been a big component of my life.” Her heroism through service is a common thread that ties together Jessica’s professional accomplishments. Through her work at Holy Family Catholic Schools in Dubuque, Iowa and her current work with One Million Degrees in Chicago, Illinois, centers around giving back to the communities she works with, Jessica’s drive for service began years earlier. “In High School, I completed countless service hours and my mom always said, ‘remember to give back to the community that gave to you.’” That led Jessica to serve in all the ways that she could with her time, talent and treasure.
Using her strengths in the digital realm, Jessica has also been working hard running her own business, Jess Nicole Visuals. “I want to make someone’s vision come to life through photo or video — so I help any way that I can.” Jessica has managed to weave her creative mind and navigate the professional realm with a great deal of purpose. With her work on A Love Letter to Black Women and Community Kitchen, two pieces centered around people in her communities, Jessica has cemented herself as a serious talent with important stories to share. “Some of my work were assignments in my master’s degree program, but I always think outside of the bubble with the projects I create.” She often utilizes her community to be a part of her art and creativity, allowing others to share their stories as well. Her company also seems to blend her Loras and work worlds together. Duhawks often find their way to being the subject of Jessica’s work, from engagement photos to studio shoots.
Jessica’s Loras experience was far from average; she was involved in Greek life, Black Student Union, Dance Marathon and more all while being an incredibly accomplished student in the classroom. When looking back at her experience, she has several mentors to thank: Craig Schaefer (’89), Cindy Behnke (’12) and Anthony Davis to name a few. “They helped me navigate Loras and made it feel like Home.”
Jessica has shared her Loras experience with countless individuals in her time after graduation, but she shares some connections with the previous Duhawk Dozen as well. She was a dancer in Dance Marathon while March recipient, Nick Coleman (’15) was President and followed in the footsteps of February recipient Est Mungai (’14) as President of Black Student Union. Jessica learned countless lessons after spending her four years at Loras being so involved. “Stay involved and stay in-touch with the people you graduated with, because it’s definitely a shift.” That trend of staying involved with Loras has continued to her alumni experience as well. Jessica is eager to make it back to campus for Homecoming on October 7, 8 and 9, 2022.
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MAY
Kevin O'Brien ('11)
Spanish, International Studies & Politics
Virginia
Pro Deo et Patria: A Motto to Take to Heart
The blog aptly titled, in all caps, “I’m Kevin! Iowa Native, Loras College Grad, and now Peace Corps Volunteer Headed to Mozambique!” perfectly sums up 2011 graduate, Kevin O’Brien. Kevin’s love of Loras has been building for a lifetime. He was born in Davenport, Iowa and grew up with frequent visits to the Loras campus. Following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin O’Brien (’72), and other family members, Kevin found success as a Duhawk. “I had a lot of examples in front of me,” said Kevin. “It was a long journey to end up at the school I had always known was the right fit for me.” Following his time as an involved student, Kevin started his professional career as the Special Projects Manager in the Loras College Admission Office. In this position, Kevin was able to find a great deal of success as it was positioned at the intersection of his love for Loras and his love of helping others.
Though Kevin announced the phrase “DCU: Dubuque, center of the universe,” in a Loras College video years ago, he has had the great joy of traveling far and wide for his studies and his professional career. He has spent time learning and helping others in Spain, Honduras, Mozambique and Jerusalem; just to name a few places he has called home since leaving Loras. There were countless lessons learned and opportunities taken advantage of along the way. “I didn’t see myself traveling to so many places while I was at Loras,” Kevin started, “but after the amazing study abroad opportunities and service trips, it whet my appetite for more travel for my work and personal life.” While spanning the globe, the pillars of health and community have been his guiding light from job to job. “Having a lot of connections through service work and Campus Ministry helped me see how service and giving back could be incorporated to my professional life.” Kevin has had a great deal of depth on his resume and has learned a lot from his experiences. One of his greatest takeaways has been “always lead and find the adventure.”
Kevin and our March recipient, Nick Coleman (’15), have something in common: their younger siblings followed in their footsteps as Duhawks. There was one key difference, Kevin and his brother, Tim O’Brien (’15), never had any overlap as students. Being the older brother and seasoned Loras veteran, he did have some sage words of wisdom that he shared with Tim and was able to follow along his journey from a distance. As previously mentioned, Loras was always a part of Kevin’s life and his family. Purple and Gold were woven into generations of Duhawks including his dad, uncles, brother and most notably his grandfather. “Having the opportunity to retrace my grandpa’s footprints at Loras was really special to me,” Kevin shared of his late Grandfather. “It would hit me that I was sharing in the experience of so many different relatives.” You can see the passion that Kevin has for Loras across the personal, familial and professional spheres of his life. He summed it up best in his 2015 blog post, A Motto to Take to Heart: “what I hold as important to me, starts in small moments, and they all bring me back to Loras.”
Kevin has spent his time as a Graduate Of the Last Decade (GOLD) staying involved and giving back to the Loras community. He worked at Loras, was a member of the Young Alumni Advisory Board (YAAB) and served on the Class of 2011 Reunion Committee this past Fall. As he gears up for Homecoming 2022, he had some advice to share with those preparing for their own reunions: “Try to invite everybody on an individual basis because that direct invite means a lot to people that were so formative in your life.” Join Kevin back on campus for Homecoming on October 7, 8 and 9, 2022.
JUNE
Kellie Klein ('13)
Elementary Education
Dubuque, Iowa
Teacher of the Year
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2013 grad, Kellie Klein, is doing nothing short of amazing work in the classroom, on the softball field, and in the entirety of the Dubuque community. Kellie started her work with the Dubuque Community School District in 2014, and ever since she has adapted and grown to an ever-changing education system. “I started there right after I graduated from Loras. I love it and I see myself working there for years to come!” Since then, she has helped countless students both as a teacher and coach. Through all of this, she has been able to keep calm but stay excited with the help of some other Duhawks. Kellie said, “My teaching partner, Annie Kashmar (’18) was awesome in hyping me up for this and she would keep me humble too.” Her work in the classroom didn’t start after graduating, though. She had spent time working at Resurrection, Irving, Audubon, and St. Marks Elementary schools during her time at Loras. In reflecting on her time in the classroom and the impact she had made, she realized that ‘younger Kellie’ had some great insights during her senior year while creating her portfolio for Elementary Education. “Good job, younger Kellie!” Klein said before she went on to solidify that her success has come from the mutual respect that she shares with her students.
All of Kellie’s strong work ethic dates to her days working at the Hy-vee Bakery when she was younger. Now, in addition to her full-time teaching job, she has helped coach softball at Wahlert Catholic High School, Loras College, and more. “I always assumed I would coach,” Kellie started. “I naturally slipped into that position because my passion is Softball and helping kids do what they love.” Long before she had known she wanted to be a coach, she had more of a love-hate relationship with the sport. “I remember specifically, I was the worst player on the team,” Kellie started. “I told my dad, ‘No. This isn’t happening I need to get better.” However, as she and her sister Holly Klein (’16), grew up they both found a healthy level of competition and were constantly improving together with the help of their dad who drove them both to practice perfecting their craft.
Kellie and Holly both went on to play softball at Wahlert High School and then at Loras as well. Kellie became Loras’ first softball All-American as well as the only member of the softball program to earn All-IIAC recognition all four years of her career as a pitcher, designated hitter, and first baseman. Looking back on her experience, she felt a great deal of excitement about the current successes of the program. “I was so happy, smiling ear-to-ear the whole season. I am proud of coach Ashley Winter and the program she has continued to build.” Affectionately known as “Fun Aunt Kellie” to her classmates, Kellie has stayed incredibly connected with her network of Duhawk alumni. “Any time that all of us Loras girls get together, it’s so much fun and exciting to see how successful everyone is.”
She had some pretty simple but helpful advice for other young alumni who are in similar stages of life, trying to stay connected. “It’s very easy to get caught up in everything that you have going on,” Kellie started. “My recommendation: if you’re thinking about them, big or small, reach out to them.” Kellie is hopeful to make it back for the Alumni Softball game during Homecoming Weekend: October 7, 8, and 9.
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JULY
PJ Fricano ('17)
History & Politics
Dubuque, Iowa
For God and Country
PJ Fricano, a 2017 graduate, never envisioned himself spending over 20 years in the classroom, but after his time at Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa, Loras College for his undergraduate degree, and finally Notre Dame for his law degree; PJ has a litany of academic achievements to be proud of. “Going from not liking school too much, to loving school at Loras, it was all hard but rewarding,” Fricano said. Since graduating from law school, PJ has become a Lieutenant in the United States Navy JAG Corps.
PJ has found a great balance in all aspects of his life within his line of work, from his physical regimen to his work-life balance. However, his inspiration and drive came from a unique place. “I saw A Few Good Men, a popular movie with a very young Tom Cruise,” PJ started, “and ever since I saw that movie, I knew that I wanted to join the Navy.” Looking back at his career, though, it seemed fitting that PJ ended up serving his country through his work with the military. He began interning at the House of Representatives, watching countless political systems working together first-hand. He worked with various constituents, bills, and processes to build his resume before clerking with the JAG Corps. “Getting to see how the JAG Corps operates within the Navy but with the larger community itself helped me realize that it was the right fit for me.”
PJ spent his entire academic career in Catholic institutions. Looking back on it, he always knew that he wanted to remain learning at Catholic institutions throughout his whole educational journey. “I have been able to be in many classrooms where religion was approached from an academic standpoint,” PJ Started. “I’ve been able to see how many different religions interact with government systems and the law and that is something that really contributes to a holistic analysis of the different aspects of my work.”
PJ didn’t know right away that Loras was the right fit for him. In fact, he hadn’t decided until the August after graduating from Wahlert High School, that he wanted to attend Loras. “Getting to know my professors and classmates well was really beneficial to me,” PJ started. “Dr. Andrew Auge (’78) was just one of so many great Loras professors that I had.” In addition to a wide array of classes with countless top-tier faculty, PJ stayed very involved outside of the classroom as well. From DuBuddies to his Honors group, PJ made the most of his Loras experience. After all of those experiences, PJ remains in contact with his Duhawk friends. A theme that has become common with our Dozen, staying in touch is something that PJ very much echoes with his advice to young alumni. “I don’t have Facebook, so I put my friends’ birthdays in my calendar. I send them texts. It’s just important to keep in touch.”
As PJ gets ready to return to campus for his 5-year reunion on October 7, 8 and 9 — he leaves our listeners with his greatest piece of advice: “You can’t be anybody else but yourself. So, the only way you’re going to be successful is by being true to yourself.”
The views presented are those of the speaker or author and do not necessarily represent the views of Department of Defense, the United States Navy, or its components.
AUGUST
Jacob Heidenreich ('21)
Spanish and Religious Studies
Dubuque, Iowa
Poco a Poco, Little by Little.
2021 graduate, Jacob Heidenreich radiates joy in all that he does. In describing all the highs, lows, and changes that have occurred over the past 365 days, Jake says he is “sitting and resting in a season of gratitude.” He brings a humble, yet confident, air to a new position on-campus as he returns home to Loras College as the newest member of the Spiritual Life team. “I am standing on the shoulders of titans like Debbie Gross (’08) and Michael Bagby,” Jake starts, “and I will be supporting the spiritual identities of all of our students.” A task that Jake does not take lightly. Not only is Jake back on campus working with some of the mentors that he looked up to as a student, but he’s preparing to become a mentor for current and future Duhawks as well.
Immediately after graduating, Jake did not imagine that he’d be back at Loras just one year later. “I always knew it wasn’t a goodbye, but more of a see you later. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be stepping into this role, especially not this quickly.” A part of that surprise comes from the fact that less than a week and a half prior to starting at Loras, Jake was completing his year in California at Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School. Joining the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in 2021, Jake served as the Assistant Campus Minister. “Just the privilege of being in the role can’t be described, it’s priceless.” Focusing on the four pillars of spirituality, social justice, community, and simple living, Jake lived with six other Jesuit volunteers who were working for other non-profits around the San Jose area. The people he lived with, and the community members at the high school helped solidify his easy transition from Dubuque, Iowa to San Jose, California.
In reflecting on his time spent transitioning from high school to college, Dubuque to California, and finally California back to Loras – Jake recalls his personal mantra “poco a poco, little by little.” This mentality started at a young age when his parents helped instill strong, Catholic, principles in his daily life. “Growing up, my parents helped start my Catholic identity, and that continued with countless people at Loras.” His strong faith background and equally strong work ethic stem from a litany of jobs Jake held growing up. From cemetery grounds keeping, corn detasseling, leading retreats, and ministry, and assisting with a multitude of faith-based communities, Jake recalls a “priceless indescribable blessing from God” in every job.
Jake’s biggest takeaway from his professional career thus far is making sure that we are allowing ourselves to encounter people where they are at in their lives. He left us with one important point of advice, and words to live by: “Let’s grow together and let’s support one another in our highs and lows.”
SEPTEMBER
Brenda Gomez Solis ('18)
Spanish and Sociology
Millen, Georgia
Home Sweet Loras
2018 graduate, Brenda Gomez Solis has been going non-stop since she graduated. After a series of successful jobs across the Midwest, Brenda made her way back home to Georgia as the Multicultural Admissions Counselor at Georgia Southern University. The entire journey she remained on the higher education route. “I didn’t know I’d be staying in higher ed this long,” Brenda started. “I really like the work I do, though, so I can see myself doing it for a long time.” Brenda has spent all her professional career engaging with a wide variety of diverse communities and has found great success working with Spanish-speaking and first-generation communities. Her drive started with her work in the Intercultural Programs Office (now Center for Inclusion and Advocacy), but it’s the excitement she sees daily that keeps her motivated. “I get to inform people on institutional knowledge that many people aren’t aware of.” Between her time spent educating and advocating, Brenda has found great joy in serving the community around her.
Although Brenda has countless examples of her successes, her fulfillment boils down to something quite simple: getting students to where they’re going to be to have the best future possible. “As long as students and families are successful, that’s all I need to make my heart happy.” She did admit, though, that she would love to see the students that she works with end up at Loras College. “Loras College will always be my home away from home.”
One common trend she has seen across her career is a commute to and from work. Brenda has found that the separation between her job and her home has really helped her find a healthy work-life balance. Despite her ability to find peace in her drive time, she has been able to grind while she’s in the office. However, her nonstop work ethic started much earlier than her current role in Georgia. During her time at Loras, she held jobs both on and off-campus. “It’s one thing to be a student, but it’s a whole different thing to be a professional off-campus,” Brenda started. “I do have a very strong work ethic, but it’s nice to be able to learn out in the real world while you’re taking classes.”
Despite only being an alumnus for a short period of time, she has come back to campus as a speaker, held three different influential and important campus positions across the country, and has done it all with enthusiasm. It all stemmed from her Loras experience. Sharing her insights with students that are starting their Loras journey, she said: “Find your support group: friends, staff, faculty, and other mentors within the city of Dubuque.”Although Brenda’s not sure she can make it back to Homecoming on October 7, 8, and 9; she will be celebrating from afar with her community of Duhawks!
OCTOBER
Abby (Moore) Lawrence ('12)
Elementary Education
Dubuque, Iowa
Food & Family
2012 graduate, Abby (Moore) Lawrence, just celebrated her 10-year Loras Reunion at Homecoming 2022. In addition to the time she spent planning her reunion, Abby has been spending her days working with Verena Street Coffee in Dubuque, starting a barbeque business with her husband, and adjusting to life as a new parent. “I have found that just feeding a baby takes about 20 hours per week,” Abby said. “So, it’s like a part-time job just feeding.” But as mentioned, Abby is no stranger to hard work and long hours. She spent all four years at Loras, staying involved in clubs and organizations, and succeeding both inside and outside of the classroom.
After graduating, Abby and her husband (and fellow 2012 graduate) Michael Lawrence, moved to the Twin Cities where Abby took her love of summer camp to the Catholic Youth Camp. She had worked there over her summers at Loras “It was really fun, and I knew I always loved camp,” Abby started. “It was a natural transition for me to work at camp with my Elementary Education degree.” Despite what some may think, one of Abby’s highlights was the paperwork she got to work on behind the scenes. “I would plan and organize, and it was a lot like lesson planning. It was kind of like education, just a different path.”
Abby and Michael spent four years in Minnesota until they moved back to Dubuque. “When we moved to the Twin Cities, it was for my job.” Abby said on their reason for moving. “Since Media Studies jobs are more difficult to find, when we decided to move to Iowa, I said ‘okay, it’s your turn.’” There were fewer opportunities, at the time, for full-time summer camp jobs so Abby pivoted to a new career path. While Verena Street Coffee is where Abby spends the bulk of her time, the barbeque business that Abby and her husband started, combines Michael and Abby’s love of family and food. “Food is how we met at Loras. I could bake some really good cookies in Rohlman and that’s how we met.” Since barbeque options in Dubuque was a little limited, Michael and Abby spend about 40 hours a week during the summer of 2021 trying to change that. “It was funded by Michael’s brother’s estate after he passed away,” Abby said, “so it’s called Lawrence Brothers’ Barbeque.” In April of 2022 a new Lawrence joined the family, their daughter Lucy was born, causing them to take a break from all those extra hours on the smoker to enjoy time with her. They plan to add more Lawrence Brothers’ events in 2023.
Not only are they receiving accolades through awards at competitions and Telegraph Herald articles, but they also found some local praise as Abby brought some of the pulled pork that Lawrence Brothers’ Barbeque is known for to Homecoming 2022. With nearly 50 classmates coming back for the Tailgate, Abby was able to enjoy the weekend while catching up with classmates, some of whom, she hadn’t seen in a decade. “It was a great time to meet up and a lot of people continued the fun after Tailgate at our social. I’d say it was a huge success!”
The last piece of advice Abby left with our listeners: “focus on making the memories – I know it can be a lot of work – but that’s what you’ll always go back to.”
NOVEMBER
Brian Honerbaum ('16)
History and Secondary Education Major
Bien Hoa, Vietnam
A Worldwide Educator
2016 graduate, Brian Honerbaum, in his five years since graduating, has become a worldly and accomplished teacher. Though he started his teaching career in Dubuque at Hempstead High School, he’s taught in Ukraine, Dubai, Vietnam, and virtually in China. With a great passion for history, Brian has been able to take his own experience in the classroom and his time traveling the world to inform his teaching. However, his ability to adapt to new environments began during his time at Loras. “I’ve learned a lot from classes and clubs like Business Ethics with Dr. Roman Ciapalo, Education Club, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Habitat for Humanity,” Brian started. “I feel that helped keep my education well-rounded and helped me to adapt to different places.”
With many changes in sight, there was a concern that there would be a seismic cultural shift moving from Hanover, Illinois to Dubai. However, as Brian recalls: “There wasn’t much of a shift. Instead of 90°F heat, there was 120°F heat.” Aside from the heat and humidity, however, there was a great deal of exciting food to try, landscapes to explore, and history to learn. “One staple restaurant that my colleagues and I went to a lot, was called Sticky Rice,” Brian recalled of the entirely duck-themed restaurant. “It had great food and just such a happy Duck mascot!” After a year in Dubai, Brian reflected on his plethora of experiences. Specifically, on the vast differences that he saw throughout the Emirates. “Some areas were ultra-modern and then other areas hardly had running water.”
With his experience in Dubai behind him and the adventure in Vietnam ahead of him, Brian’s experience in Ukraine was top of mind. Spending three consecutive summers teaching in Ukraine, Brian had an opportunity to experience first-hand a culture unlike any he’d experienced up to that point in his life. “It was very much culture-oriented in Ukraine.” With all the people he had met, from students to community members, there was something that Brian recalled hearing: “this is our culture, and we want you to experience it.” It was Brian’s time spent in Ukraine that helped him find the perfect crossroad between his passions of traveling and teaching.
All Brian’s worldly traveling, experiences, and jobs stemmed from his time spent at Loras. “I went to Northeastern Iowa Community College before I transferred into Loras,” Brian started. “One of my buddies that I worked with, Josh Arnold (’17), said that I really needed to check out Loras because of how much he loved his experience.” After registering for classes, Brian recalls the countless faculty members who helped shape some of the most formative years. With Bishop William Joenson, Dr. Mark Kehren, Dr. Hillarie Welsh, and countless other influential professors, Brian still references what he learned in all his various classrooms today. Even before his time at Loras, his middle school teacher Mike Klippert was the first person to encourage him to not only pursue a college degree but one specifically for History Education.
Like many of our Duhawk Dozen, Brian has done an incredible job staying in touch with his friends and classmates, and he left our listeners with one last sage piece of advice. “I always thought it was a two-way street: if they want to talk to me, then they’ll talk to me,” Brian started. “That was the worst mentality to have – just shoot that message, send an email, make a phone call. Most people are going to be happy to catch up.”
DECEMBER
Chris Stoker ('18)
Philosophy
Ames, Iowa
Stokes on Spokes
Many people dream of taking a step back, getting rid of stressors, and taking time to reflect: 2018 graduate Chris Stoker did just that as he left the material world behind for a cross-country bike trip. Although it may seem like an impulsive decision, discerning and taking a step back, became a common theme for all that Chris has done. “Discernment has been an ongoing piece for me,” Chris started. “In my first course at Loras, we were told discernment is where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” While facing the task of searching for his joys and the world’s needs, Chris has had experience within the Seminary and the Loras College Admission Office and acknowledges that it is a bit of a lofty task. “It’s an ongoing part of life and I try to constantly reflect on it. It’s a daily process.”
Chris’s discernment started when he was deciding on what college was the right fit for him. “One of my parish priests had recommended Loras to me,” Chris started. “I went to visit Loras during Iowa Private College Week, did an overnight visit, and received the Breitbach Catholic Leaders scholarship, and that really sealed the deal for me.” When searching for a college, the seminary was always in the back of Chris’s mind. “It started while I was in High School, but I hadn’t seriously considered it until I met the other seminarians on campus.” It was the summer between his sophomore and junior when he was able to step away from his attachments and reflect on the decision in front of him and enter the seminary. After 4 years of discernment, Chris recognized the need to take some time and step away from the seminary. The decision to discern out of the seminary was a difficult one, but ultimately Chris knew that even in deciding, he had made the right choice. “You must make a decision. Taking that step is crucial and things will always become clearer once you take that step.”
In 2020, Chris came back to his alma mater to join the Admission Team. Chris was able to take his overwhelmingly positive student experience and help families at Wahlert High School in Dubuque, as well as families in six Chicagoland counties, figure out if Loras was the place for them. Chris was able to take his incredibly positive experience as a student at Loras, and help potential future Duhawks find their perfect fit. “Loras does a great job preparing students for the future,” Chris started. “I was confidently able to tell families that I was working with that Loras is there to help them find their talents and find a way to give it back to the world.”
After a successful year recruiting future generations of Duhawks, the opportunity came for Chris to take the adventure of a lifetime, though he was still in a state of disbelief. “If you would have told me a year ago that I would be biking across the country, I would have told you were 100% wrong.” However, Chris found inspiration from an older friend, who encouraged him to go for it. “I wasn’t expecting a friend to encourage me to just ‘go.’ So, I figured I needed to take that leap and step into the unknown.” The 4,000-mile trip brought new sites, experiences, and friends into Chris’s life. The adventure encapsulated all the elements of life that both excited and scared Chris, but it was the decision to do it that Chris says really counts. Through it all, the highs and lows, Chris left our listeners with one last piece of advice. “You have to take that step, make a decision, and know you have a community to support you: that’s what makes life fun.”
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