News

St. Mary of the Springs Honor Four at Spring Alumnae Luncheon

St. Mary of the Springs Alumnae Association hosted its annual Spring Luncheon on Saturday, April 26.

The gathering was held in the Spangler Learning Center on the campus of Ohio Dominican University, founded as the all-female College of St. Mary of the Springs College in 1911 by the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

Festivities began with a social hour of Mimosas and visits to the Center’s St. Mary of the Springs Academy historical exhibit. The event specially honored those in the Reunion Classes of 1950, 1955, 1960 and 19653, both living and deceased.

Sister Carolyn Thurn ’55 provided the invocation and Alumnae Association president Karty Ryan Paolini ’61 introduced Shonna Riedlinger, D.M.Sc., PAC, President of Ohio Dominican University, who welcomed the ladies back to their “home” and thanked each for having served as “pathfinders” and role models who have served as true inspirations to generations of women that have followed them.

Following a served lunch, recipients of this year’s Erskine Award were honored. Congratulation to:

Nancy Hicks Caudill ’60, PhD
Sr. Ellen Dunn ’58, O.P.
Mary Hackett Howard ’62
Sr. Elizabeth Jackson ’60, O.P., MD

Sadly, Katy announced that due to the inevitable "march of time," next year will mark the final time that the Spring Luncheon will be held by the organization.

While Ohio Dominican will proudly continue to display the St. Mary of the Springs Academy "Museum" on the library's first level, it was decided that monies left in the SMA "Museum Fund" were to be donated to the Dominican Sisters. Sr. Carolyn, representing the Sisters, announced that their group was donating those funds to the Academic Success Center to support its ongoing work that has been supported by the Alumnae Association for many years.

Special thanks to all those who helped coordinate the event: (Board Officers) President Kathleen Ryan Paolini ’61; 1st Vice President, Rose Tonti Deffet ’55; Treasurer, Patricia Ryan, Ph.D. ’63; Recording Secretary, Linda Cianelli Younkin ’63; Corresponding Secretary, Margaret Fauth ’48; Advisor Barbara Fernandez Murphy '61; and Moderator, Sister Carolyn Thurn, O.P. ’55.

St. Charles is honored that so many of the SMA alumnae are grandmothers, mothers, wives and supporters of our own St. Charles graduates and students!

HAIL TO ST. MARY'S - "Alma Mater"

Hail to St. Mary’s, her glory and her power.

Carry her fame to the ends of the earth.

Singing her praises wherever we go.

Telling all ‘round us the joy that we know.

Chorus:

Right here at St. Mary’s, St. Mary’s our own.

Her blue and her white ever dearer have grown.

So S.M.A. we sing to you;

We hail you St. Mary’s, St. Mary’s our own.

Live for St. Mary’s with purpose in your heart.

Work for St. Mary’s, do nobly your part;

Play for St. Mary’s, whatever the game.

Cheer for St. Mary’s, stand firm by her name.

Repeat Chorus

Beatty III '87 Appointed to Columbus City Council

1987 alumnus Otto Beatty III was appointed to Columbus City Council on January 27, 2025 to fill the vacant District 7 seat, bringing decades of experience in business, law, and real estate development to his role.

A lifelong Columbus resident, Councilmember Beatty has worked extensively in economic development, small business support, and real estate investment, with a focus on increasing access to affordable housing and expanding opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

With over 30 years of experience in real estate, Beatty has worked as an investor, developer, landlord, consultant, and attorney, participating in more than $250 million in transactions. As President of Otto Beatty Companies and Otto Beatty Real Estate, he played a key role in affordable housing initiatives and workforce development in Central Ohio. His leadership in the Emerging Developer Accelerator Program, Project REAP, and the Urban Land Institute’s Real Estate Diversity Initiative has contributed to expanding access for new developers in Columbus.

In addition to his work in real estate, Beatty is a leader in business development and entrepreneurship support. As Owner and Managing Director of Intelligent Office of Columbus, he provides virtual office solutions for small businesses and nonprofits.

Through OB3 Advisory and Management, helps entrepreneurs secure funding and achieve long-term sustainability. His contributions to Columbus’ business community have been recognized on the Columbus Business First Power 100 List in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Beatty previously served in multiple public service roles, including positions on the City of Columbus Downtown Commission, Development Commission, and Northeast Area Commission, where he helped shape policies on housing and economic development. He has also chaired the Ohio Elections Commission and served as a Commissioner on the Ohio Lottery Commission.

Beatty holds a degree from Morehouse College and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law

School, with additional executive education in real estate from Rice University and business coaching from Kent State University.

Columbus, the 14th largest city in the U.S. and the fastest-growing city in Ohio, is home to over 900,000 residents. A hub of innovation, culture, and economic opportunity, Columbus continues to grow as a center for business, education, and community development.

Cardinals Well Represented at Downtown Columbus St. Patrick's Day Parade

You can't go anywhere, it seems, without running into someone from St. Charles...and the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Columbus is a perfect example of this. Here are a few members of the Carolian community who took part in these festivities.

Relay win lifts St. Charles to first OHSAA state swimming championship since 2008

Story by Dave Purpura, Columbus Dispatch

As his team prepared to accept the Division I boys state championship trophy, St. Charles swimming coach Kyle Goodrich couldn’t help but draw parallels to the Cardinals’ only previous title 17 years ago.

“In 2006 and 2007 we were state runners-up to (Cincinnati) St. Xavier and coming into 2008, we felt like we had a pretty good, deep squad that could contend for a state title,” Goodrich said. “We weren’t afraid to put it out there for the guys … and by the time we got to the state championships, they had a little bit of a lead and we ended up winning a close meet.”

Swim Team Edges Cincinnati St. Xavier by 1 Point to win DI State Title

This story was written by Dave Purpura and appeared in the Columbus Dispatch Saturday evening:

As his team prepared to accept the boys Division I state championship trophy, St. Charles swimming coach Kyle Goodrich couldn’t help but draw parallels to the Cardinals’ only previous title 17 years ago.

“In 2006 and 2007 we were state runners-up to (Cincinnati) St. Xavier and coming into 2008, we felt like we had a pretty good, deep squad that could contend for a state title,” Goodrich said. “We weren’t afraid to put it out there for the guys … and by the time we got to the state championships, they had a little bit of a lead and we ended up winning a close meet.”

Considering few of the Cardinals’ swimmers were born at that time, this year’s group ended up writing its own thrilling story Saturday at Branin Natatorium.

In one of the more dramatic finishes at the state meet in recent memory, St. Charles junior Austin Carpenter erased a 1.34-second deficit on the fourth and final leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay, powering the Cardinals to first place in 2:59.97 – 0.05 of a second ahead of St. Xavier, winner of 15 of the past 16 team titles and a state-record 44 overall.

That win gave St. Charles 311 points, one more than the Bombers.

School Hosts Alumni at Metropolitan Club on its Return to the Big Apple

St. Charles returned to the Big Apple February 6 to reprise its 2021 visit to the grand Metropolitan Club in downtown New York City.

Special thanks go out to to Bob Dilenschneider '61 and Paul Kuppich '05 for serving as hosts at this magnificent location. The event welcomed more than 30 alumni whose grad classes spanned six decades! Some traveled more than 2 hours by train to attend!

The group representing St. Charles included Jim Lower (Head of School), Jaime Lawler (Advancement Director), Kristin Williams (Director of Donor Relations), and Louis J. Fabro '83 (Director of Communications and Alumni Affairs).

Stay tuned for more details about a future alumni gatherings in the New York region as discussions begin about creating a formal regional "Alumni Group."

College Road Trip Visited Miami (OH), Cincinnati/Xavier and Dayton

Our College Roadshow events kicked off with a visit to SC grads attending Miami (OH) University February 19. Welcomed by 31 Cardinal grads, we enjoyed catching up, hearing stories and sharing updates from 2010 East Broad.

On February 20, the "Cardinal Caravan" traveled to the University of Cincinnati to gather together Cardinals attending both UC and nearby Xavier University. Sixteen grads dined at Mio's Pizzeria and shared their goings-on at college and Mr. Jim Lower (Head of School) reported on the great things happening back in Columbus.

The final stop was at the University of Dayton on Thursday, February 27. Principal Rick Ey '94 was greeted by 19 alumni who enjoyed pizza in the school's Kennedy Memorial Union.

Where will SC travel next...?

2025 Father/Son Mass and Breakfast Largest Ever

A big THANK YOU to all those who helped make this year’s Father/Son Mass & Breakfast on March 1 the largest in the event’s 16-year history.

We are especially grateful to our celebrant, school Chaplain Fr. Michal Wojciak, and our guest speaker, Dr. Dennis Durbin ’79 MD, President of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Another Enjoyable Spaghetti Dinner in the Books

Good food and warm camaraderie was the hallmark of the recent St. Charles Spaghetti Dinner. The annual community gathering, sponsored by the St. Charles Alumni Association, was held from 1:00-6:30 p.m. in the Walter Student Commons on Sunday, February 2nd. More than 980 people enjoyed dinner in-person while the kitchen handled more than 300 carryout orders!

We are especially grateful to:

…Band Director Philip Meyer and the students in the St. Charles Concert and Jazz Band for entertaining us throughout the afternoon.
…Mr. Ey and Mr. Lower for being on hand to welcome and interact with our guests.
…Mrs. Lawler for providing tours of the Brotherhood Center and for sharing her bubbly personality and energy with everyone.
…Mrs. Hanna and her team of volunteers selling “Sprit Gear.”
…the students and parents who coordinated the “50/50” raffle to benefit the Dominican Sisters of Peace at Mohun Health Care Center.
…the members of the St. Charles Alumni Association who handled our front-door duties and helped direct the kitchen volunteers.
….our annual “First Shift” line crew made up of the Ralston (five brothers!), Sweeney, and Davidson Families.
…and of course, TJ Susi of Berwick Manor Catering as well as his staff, for the hot, intense, and messy job of preparing our food all day long!

Thank you!