FALL 2013

Green GoldGreen & GoldMelbourne Central Catholic High School

State Champs Receive RingsBy Holli Couch, Beeline Staff

Hard work. Focus. Trust. Three words every MCC baseball player knows all about. Finishing the season with gold medals around their necks, the tal-ented athletes all agree it was a season they won’t soon forget. After a long awaited ring ceremony, the State Champions finally received their dazzling rings on Friday, August 23 at the opening football game. Although the boys were confident in their abilities all season, there was one particular game that caused some a few pre-game butterflies. “When we found out we were facing First Academy in the regional final I think all of our confidence waivered a little bit,” said Christian Vargas, catcher, “but we were well prepared for this moment, thanks to Coach Dooley and Coach Hender-son. As a team we stepped on the field very relaxed, and we have no regrets!” Hard work did pay off for the MCC Hustlers and they came out on top with a 23-5 record. “Winning the State Championship for baseball was an absolutely indescribable moment in my life, and a milestone I will never forget,” said Vinny Capra, second baseman. The hard work, dedication, and brotherhood that the baseball team demonstrates is a great example for teams everywhere.

More Students & ParentsSee Value of ChallengingAcademics and Faith Formation

Congratulations to the 2013 Hustler Baseball Team for earning the title of 3A State Champions

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The faculty and staff warmly welcomed 502 students on the first day of school this year. For the third consecutive year, enrollment at MCC has increased from the previous year.

“MCC is at capacity with more than 500 students,” said president Mike Burke. “Because of this increase in demand, we had to initi-ate a waiting pool for applicants this year. Every available class-room is occupied, every locker is assigned and we added faculty to accommodate our students’needs.”The upward trend can be attributed to new initiatives at MCC including its partnership with Florida Tech, more rigorous aca-demic offerings, increased college counseling, additional enrich-ment opportunities as well as the traditional benefits of a Catholic education.According to Lourdes Wyatt, admissions officer, students and parents are recognizing the value that MCC offers. “Educational trends come and go, but the tradition of excellence that a Catholic education offers is the most important thing you can give your son or daughter.” “Parents are seeking an atmosphere where Catholic teachings and service projects are woven in to the curriculum. And, they desire a strong academic reputation where their children can be challenged,” added Mrs. Wyatt.This year’s freshmen class of 123 enrolled students was selected from a pool of over 200 interested students. “Because of the limited number of seats in the freshmen class we had to give priority to students from our partner schools and to public school students who were up for the academic rigors of our curriculum,” stated Mrs. Wyatt. This year is expected to be the same with more inquiries and applicants than seats at every grade level.“Our online application for the next school year will be posted on our web site on November 1 but will be limited to students from our partner schools.” Applicants from public and other private schools can apply beginning January 1, 2015. “I encourage inter-ested students to apply early because we do anticipate another waiting pool this year,” said Mrs. Wyatt.

MCC Open House Monday, November 11 9-11 a.m. & 1-3 p.m. • Campus tours

• Curriculum information • Tuition Assistance Guidance

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Parent Guild MakesA Difference

Now that we are almost two months into the new school year I am pleased to let you know that MCC is

off to another fantastic year! Students and faculty have returned ready to embrace new academic challenges, our sports teams are off to a strong season, the Stingers are dancing up a storm and teachers both new and veteran are alive with the Hustler spirit. As I begin my fourth year at MCC, it causes me to reflect on why school spirit is so strong among all of our students, families, faculty and staff. It did not take long to figure out the answer to my question. It is simply the quality of the young men and women who attend MCC. When your campus is full of students who are truly excited about being a Hustler, it is contagious! There is nothing more exciting as a teacher, coach or admin-istrator than to work with young people who are anxious to be taught, coached and led. Our students are changing and growing so much each day it is an honor to be part of that process. In our staff meetings, we are always talking about MCC being a “transfor-mational experience” for our students. Our goal is not just to educate our young people but to help them grow and mature into outstanding citi-zens. In short, we are in the business of forming, shaping and molding our students not just teaching. I think this commitment to the whole person is what creates the excitement amongst the MCC community. The idea of sending forth graduates who are educated, compassionate, empathetic and faith filled is the fuel that drives the engine at MCC. A good example of the quality and commitment of MCC students to always do their best is illustrated by some of the Class of 2013. After winning the 2013 State Baseball championship in a late night game (after midnight) in Ft Myers, two seniors had AP exams at 9am the following morning. Mindful of what time the seniors had returned home after the game, both boys were offered the opportunity to not take their exam. They insisted on taking the exam, saying they had worked hard all year in their AP class and would not stop short of completing all the require-ments. Chances are with 2 hours sleep and the euphoria of just winning the baseball championship their scores were not as good as they could have been, but the perservance to see the AP class through will carry them far in life. We began the 2013/14 with full enrollment. Every classroom is being used with an average grade size of 125 students per year. We count ourselves blessed to be at capacity and thank the many families that have entrusted their young people to our care. Each year we are trying to increase the opportunities for our students. This year we will have a mission trip to Jamaica in February, there is an option of foreign travel in June to Europe, our partnership with FIT continues to expand with our seniors taking classes on their campus in more departments and our retreat program is expanding. At our monthly student liturgy, we announced our part-nership with Aquinas Diocesan School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In September 2014, we will send 24 students and 3 faculty to Belfast and in February 2015, they will send the same number to us. Not only will this be a cultural exchange but faculty and students will be working on a joint project in the area of STEM. The benefits of this shared experience both academically and developmentally are going to be fantastic. As always, thank you for your continued support of the educational minis-try at MCC.

Yours in Christ,

MCC President Michael C. Burke

ThePresident ’s

LetterMembers of the Parent Guild aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work! Attend a meeting and you may find yourself elbow deep in modge podge, fruit punch, cookies, flowers or pies. The committee members stay busy throughout the year providing refreshments for various school events and organizing teacher/staff appreciation activities.Only in their second year, the Guild has already been very active and creative. For example, during Catholic Schools Week, the Guild members made “custom” clip boards for each teacher. Hours were spent creating a clip board that would perfectly reflect the personality of its re-cipient. They were definitely a hit among the teachers!“It was such a nice surprise to receive a hand-made gift from the Parent Guild,” said faculty member Allison Reynolds. “It is nice to feel appreciated by our parents.”The teachers aren’t the only ones who see the value in the Parent Guild. Other parents find the Guild members to be a great resource. Their presence at school events is appreciated by parents because they not only serve as friendly faces, but they also can assist parents with questions and information. “I find that parents, especially the new ones, have lots of questions. Sometimes they think their question is too trivial to bother anyone,” said Nancy Morgan, president of the Parent Guild. “But many times, they feel comfortable talking to a peer, another parent, who already knows the ropes.”New members are always welcome. Committee meetings are held monthly in the evening, but many projects can be done at home to accommodate different schedules. If you are in-terested, contact Nancy Morgan at nmorgan21@cfl.rr.com.Members of the MCC Parent Guild are:

Becky LowdermilkChristina NunezCynthia SturgeonDebbie ShermanJoyce SmeenKarin HarndenKathleen DeglomineLauren MontzPam StimpsonSandra YounglingZee Tenewitz

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Important Dates:

Alumni Homecoming CelebrationOctober 25, 2013

2014 Green & Gold GalaSaturday, March 1, 2014

For more information visit our web site: www.melbournecc.org

Reaching Beyond the Borders:MCC Students Embrace Global Experience

Fr. Colin Grant from St. Thomas Aquinas Grammer School in Belfast, Ireland celebrated mass with Fr. Karl Bergin and our MCC

community in early September.

A commitment to helping students have an educational experience beyond the bricks and mortar of our campus is a goal of every faculty member at MCC.“We are challenging our teachers to prepare our students for a more global society,” said Can-dee Terry, Academic Dean. “This includes exposing them to various cultures, providing stu-dents with travel opportunities and using technology to access information from all parts of the world. We must allow them to gain experience that is beyond their usual comfort zone.”To accomplish this, MCC is embarking on a multifaceted course of action which includes sev-eral components:

International students enrich school communityStudents from all over the world are part of everyday campus life at MCC . This year, students from almost a dozen countries are part of the school community. Some of these countries in-clude Germany, France, England, Curacao, Dominican Republic and China. These students gain a quality education and enhance the school’s academic experience by sharing their cultures with our domestic students.“I have enjoyed making new friends from other countries. I’ve learned so much,” said Katy Sherman, a member of the International Peer Mentor Club at MCC and host family

member. “Even though my international friends are from different backgrounds, I havediscovered that we are all really the same deep down.”

Student exchange program with school in Belfast, Ireland underway.The leadership team at Melbourne Central Catholic is working with representatives from Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School in Belfast, Ireland to finalize plans for a student andfaculty exchange program. During the week of Sept 2, St. Aquinas president Barry Kelly and Rev. Colin Grant visited MCC to review curriculum, discuss logistics and tour facilities in preparation for the first phase of the student exchange. MCC students will visit Ireland and attend classes at St. Aqui-nas. This is expected to occur in fall 2014. While in Ireland, the MCC students will learn about Irish history and culture, tour the area and meet their teen peers. The second phase of the program will be for students from Ireland to visit MCC for an extended stay in spring 2015. Thereafter, it will become an annual program and will include a faculty exchange component.

Mission Trip to Jamaica puts faith in action MCC students will have an opportunity to put their faith in action by participating in a mission trip to St. Anne’s Bay, Jamaica in February 2014. According to Cara Giuliano, MCC religion teacher and coordinator of the trip, the school is working with Catholic Heart Workcamp. “We will be helping build a home for the less fortunate, visiting a school and possibly visiting an orphanage, said Mrs. Giuliano. “The students will also have the chance to explore the countryside by hiking and visiting some waterfalls.” “Our students will experience a deepening of their faith by serving the less fortunate. It is especially poignant when visiting a third world country and

serving those who have so very little. It will be life-changing for our students,” added Mrs. Giuliano.

England, Scotland & France next destinations for student travel program The United Kingdom and France are on the itinerary for MCC’s student trip scheduled for June 2014. Students can partici-pate in the 11-day trip exploring England, Scotland and France and learn about the regions’ history, culture and language.Savannah Scott , MCC faculty member, is coordinating the trip with the help of student travel experts from Education First in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The trip begins in Edinburg, Scotland. The group will visit a variety of sites including Edinburgh Castle, Shakespeare’s birthplace, and Windsor Castle. The last part of the journey will include a trip to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and several other historical sites. Along the way, the students will see history come to life as they tour these amazing sites and talk to experienced tour guides. “We feel strongly that all of these programs will allow our students to broaden their view of the world and increase their leadership skills as they move to college and be-yond,” added Mrs. Terry.

Senior Grady Reed is one of the many students at MCC who enjoys learning about other cultures.

Beyond Borders

On the Move: MCC Students Embrace Chance to Challenge Themselves

Many MCC students used their summer vacation as an opportunity to broad-en their skills or to serve those in need. Here are four students who truly maximized their time off:

Lauren Borell’s Journey to Africa Changes Lives Over the summer, MCC senior, Lau-ren Borell traveled to Malawi, Africa with a group of 22 people from all over the United States. The trip was affiliat-ed with a Christian organization called Gospel Link. While in Malawi, Lauren stayed in a humble home of a native couple. The house was certainly far different from Lauren’s home—it had no running water, no showers or rest-rooms, and very little electricity.The main mission for Lauren and her team was building and painting homes and other structures for orphaned chil-dren. Much of their time was also spent at the orphanage playing with the kids and sharing stories about Jesus.Their second mission was medical based. Two American doctors visited Malawi to provide medicine and care to the less fortunate. Lauren and the other volunteers spent two full days running a completely free medical clin-ic. More than 250 patients were treated during the course of those two days.. Lauren also assisted the medical team

in performing physicals and wellness tests on all the children living in the orphanage. The volunteers also visited three dif-ferent hospitals and children’s centers in Malawi, in an attempt to give them hope and spread the word of God. “Seeing all the extreme types of suffering, really made me ap-preciate how fortunate we are here in the United States,” said Lauren. “My favorite part about Malawi was all of the exuber-ant and loving people. These people have almost no posses-sions, but they are still so in love with God and so trusting in Him that He will provide. They are truly some of the happiest people I have ever met. It was such a memorable experience and I cannot wait to go back next summer!”

Elizabeth Wyatt Explores DentistryAt her semi-annual dental cleaning in December, senior Elizabeth Wyatt had the chance to talk to her dentist, Dr. Mike MacKay, about the opportunity to do a summer internship in his office. To her delight, Dr. MacKay agreed and Elizabeth’s long-awaited dream became a reality!“I am considering many career opportunities in the medical field, pediatric dentistry being one of them,” said Elizabeth. “As a kindergartener, the first career I was interested in was den-tistry. That choice was made after my very first visit with Dr. Mike MacKay. Dr. MacKay was kind to me and his office was very child friendly. It wasn’t long before I requested two new toys from my parents; a personal-ized white lab coat and a play model of the mouth with removable teeth.“ Elizabeth had the opportunity to gain first-hand knowl-edge of the field as she assisted Dr. MacKay and his staff. Her duties included making reminder phone calls, filing, sterilizing instruments, preparing and organizing treatment rooms, and observing procedures.

“Dr. MacKay and his staff were professional and took every opportunity to teach me about their careers. It meant a great deal to me to have worked with a wonderful doctor and one of the people I have admired for so many years. It was a memorable summer at Dr. MacKay’s office and I am very thankful to have had this dream experience,” said Elizabeth.

Adeline Morgan Performs with Opera Company Senior Adeline Morgan was chosen to attend the presti-gious Brevard Music Center Summer Music Institute in Bre-vard, North Carolina. During this intensive program, Adeline had extensive performing opportunities which included “A Program of Song” where she sang a solo and a trio in the “Piccolo Opera”. The students performed small opera scenes in which Adeline was the lead of the trio in Mikado. Adeline not only audited rehearsals of Brevard’s Janiec Opera Compa-ny she was also invited to sing in the fully staged production of Falstaff. “Performing on stage with professional opera singers was the thrill of a life time,” said Adeline.Aside from the profession-al productions, Adeline’s schedule included classes in music theory, private lessons, music literature, acting, movement, vocal technique and diction and yoga. “There was little down time so when we could, we hiked to and in waterfalls,” added Adeline. “I especially enjoyed learning from and interacting with all the various music aficionados from the Conductor of the Boston Pops and BBC Orchestra to the two vocal coaches who had various backgrounds-- one sang with the New York City Opera and the other specialized in vocal jazz and the use of technology in the voice studio.” “I feel very blessed to have been given an opportunity to attend and receive a merit scholarship. I made fantastic friends, with a love for opera, from across the United States. It was a summer I will always remember!”

Niki deVries explores real world applications of computer programming Like many high school students, Niki deVries enjoys video games. But her interest goes well beyond just playing for fun. Niki is interested in one day working in the field of video game development and

is interested in computer program-ming. To learn more about the real lifeapplications of computer program-ming, Niki pursued a summer intern-ship with Geodetic Systems, Inc. (GSI) in Melbourne. GSI is the world’s lead-ing provider of portable, automated photogrammetric systems for non-contact, high accuracy 3D coordinate measurements in industries ranging from aircraft, aerospace and auto-mobile manufacturing, through to shipbuilding, and to the antenna and wind power industries While working at Geodetic, Niki had the chance to learn about many aspects of computer programming and had the chance to get involved in some projects including the testing of different types of cameras for color bias.

MCC graduate living his dream as Gator football managerBy Jennifer Leggett

Clay Slentz has a unique job at the University of Florida. He’s been in the locker room when head coach Will Muschamp speaks with his team. He’s been on the sidelines when UF rallied for a fourth quarter win over FSU. He’s also done football players’ laundry. A lot of it. Slentz, an MCC graduate from the class of 2011 and current student at UF, is the equipment manager for the University of Florida football program. As an equipment manager, Slentz has several duties. For practices, Slentz gets to the stadium two hours before practice to set up everything the players will need, which can include uniforms, equipment and whatever Mus-champ wants for the drills. Slentz also handles the equip-ment on game days. For Slentz, his position as a UF football manager is the realization of a lifelong goal. Descended from a family of Florida Gators, Slentz has always been interested in the football program.“I’ve been a fan my entire life,” he said. “To be involved with Florida football, even if it’s only as a manager, is a dream come true.” Although Slentz loves being part of the football team, equipment manager can be a tough job. In the fall semester, practices are seven to eight hours long, and game days can take up as much as 12 hours. In the spring, Slentz has to wake up at 3 a.m. for 4 a.m. practices. Along with his job as equipment manager, Slentz juggles his coursework as a history and political science double major. Slentz believes he is able to handle both his job and his coursework because of the time management skills he developed at MCC. “I was never done with the day after school ended,” Slentz said about his time at MCC. “There were always extracurricular activities.” Slentz was a busy student at Melbourne Central Catholic. He played basketball, golf, was part of several honor soci-eties, student council, and had a schedule loaded with AP and honors classes.Slentz doesn’t see much difference between his sched-ules at MCC and UF. “It’s practically the same thing. It’s all about managing your time.” In the upcoming year, Slentz plans to continue working as equipment manager for the UF football team. It will be another year of long practices, early wakeups and loads of laundry – and Slentz is ready to do it all again. “I mean it’s a lot of time, but on game days, you realize it’s all worth it.”

Houstan Opera Company starReginald Smith performed with

Adeline Morgan over the summer.

Increase in enrollment leads to additional faculty and staff “Small classes and individual attention are key factors in the success of our students,” said MCC Principal, Tom Armstrong. “We are proud to expand our faculty and staff to accommodate our growing enrollment.”

Meet the newest members of the MCC community:

Mrs. Christina L’HeureuxReligion Department Mrs. L’Heureux moved to Mel-bourne last year from San Diego, CA. She is a graduate from Santa Clara University with a BA and MA. Her experience includes teaching Spanish, Religion and serving as a Director of Campus Ministry. At MCC, she is teaching Paschal Mystery. Mrs. L’Heureux has four children and they recently bought a home in Satel-lite Beach. She is a parishioner at Holy Name of Jesus. Her hobbies include traveling and reading.

Mr. Phillip PiotrowskiHistory Department

Mr. Piotrowski is an MCC graduate from the Class of 2008. He played baseball, basketball, and golf for the Hustlers. Upon graduation, he played baseball for two years at Central Florida Com-munity College and then transferred to Florida State

University. He received his BA degree in History with a minor in Education. Mr. Piotrowski is teaching World Geography and Cultures and Social Media. He enjoys any-thing involving sports and will be helping coach baseball and basketball here at MCC

Ms. Michele LombardFine Arts Department

A native New Yorker, Ms. Lombard lived at the Jersey Shore for the past 11 years. When Ms.Lombard first moved to the Melbourne area, she served as a Visual Art Teacher in Brevard. After spending the past year with family at the Jersey Shore, Ms. Lombard decided it was time to “answer the call” and return to the Sunshine State to teach Visual Art at MCC. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Purchase College and a Masters of Arts Degree in Art and Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. As an artist, Ms. Lombard has shown her work in galleries in New York, Martha’s Vineyard and New Jersey. Although her previous focus has been in Photography, Ms. Lombard’s current works explore mixed media and painting with a focus on the relationship between the arts and healing. She has over ten plus years of teaching experience in the arts and has taught in a variety of settings to students of all ages. She is teaching Art I/2D Design, Architecture/3D Design, Advanced Art, Portfolio, Ceramics, Photography and Graphic Design.

Mr. Thomas CrowellTechnology Department Mr. Crowell is a graduate of University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineer-ing Technology. He grew up in Monroe, CT but has spent the last 30 years living on the Space Coast. Before joining the teaching staff at MCC, Mr. Crowell worked at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station supporting NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and various Department of Defense contracts. This year he is teaching Accounting, Intro to Computer Programming and AP Computer Science. Mr. Crowell’s son, JP, is a sophomore at MCC. His wife, Beverly, is the vice president of a global talent manage-ment company and his daughter, Rebecca, is a sixth grad-er at Divine Mercy Catholic Academy in Merritt Island, FL. He is a big fan of contemporary Christian music and regularly supports various parish and diocesan retreats.

Mrs. Theresa CederstromHistory Department Mrs. Cederstrom is a gradu-ate of Minot State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and Social Science. Also she has a Master’s degree in Elementa-ry Education. She grew up in Plant City, Florida but spent

27 years living in North Dakota where she still maintains a home and spends her summers. For 16 years in North Dakota, she taught middle school history, geography and language arts. Mrs. Cederstrom’s son, Keaton, is a junior at MCC. Her hus-band is a Major League Baseball umpire who works with Coach Terry as an assistant basketball coach in the winter months. She also has two grown daughters, Erin and Cait-lin, and three grandchildren. She is a big Bruce Springs-teen fan and has attended concerts with her children all over the country.

Mrs. Marge HempleEnglish Department Mrs. Hemple is originally from Pennsylvania and has lived in Florida for 30 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida. She has two adult children and five grandchil-dren which she adores. Prior to joining MCC, she spent 23 years with Brevard County schools. She will be teaching freshman English.

Mrs. Anita KealerEnglish Department Mrs. Kealer holds a B.S. de-gree in Education from the University of Central Florida with a certification in English grades 6-12. As an MCC alumnus from the graduating class of 1988 and parent of an MCC graduate, class of 2012, as well as having worked for the Diocese of Orlando at Ascension Catholic School for 11 years, the transition to the MCC community was effort-less. She is excited to be teaching sophomore and junior English this year and looks forward to implementing an insightful and challenging curriculum. For fun, she enjoys attending Florida Atlantic University football games and cheering on her son, Garrett, as an FAU Marching Owl. She has five siblings who also graduated from MCC, and she is grateful for the opportunity to carry on the tradition of Catholic education in her family.

Mr. Leif ThomosonMath Department

Leif Thomason grew up in Satellite Beach and is a gradu-ate of Satellite High School where he ran varsity cross country and track for four years. In fact, he still holds the school’s record for the 2-mile run at 9:35. He attended

Florida Southern College in Lakeland and studied Psychol-ogy while running cross country for the Mocs . He ran in the NCAA Division ll Nationals race all 4 years of college and placed in the top 100 as an individual. Leif and his wife, recently moved from Brooksville, FL and share a passion for photography and videography. They run an independent production company . and have had their films selected for several local and national film festivals. Mr. Thomason is an avid reader and enjoys the arts. He is teaching Digital Video Production and math courses including Algebra 1 , Honors Algebra , and Geom-etry Honors.

Mrs. Martha BurkeGuidance Counselor Mrs. Burke is a part-time guid-ance counselor dedicated to the MCC international student population. The rest of her time is spent as the Our Lady of Lourdes school counselor. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX and M.A. in Education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She is a National Cer-tified Counselor. This is her fourth year working as a school counselor. Most recently she was employed at Randolph School in Huntsville, AL. Her husband, Chris, is the middle school social studies teacher at Holy Name of Jesus. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, cooking, traveling, camping, and training for a va-riety of races. She is currently training for the Space Coast full marathon on December 1.

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Stingers to Perform atLegendary Macy’s Day ParadeBy Gabby Wienckoski, MCC Beeline Staff

Cheers from the roaring crowd, a fall breeze, and camera flashes everywhere. Just a few of the exciting things the MCC Stinger Dance team will experience this November when they participate in the Macy’s Day Parade. The team journeyed to the Universal Dance Association’s dance camp this summer in order to obtain their bid to compete at a national level this spring. While awards were being held at the camp, the dance instructors announced what might have been one of the most thrilling statements the team had heard all day; they earned a bid to nationals and a unique chance to participate in the legendary Macy’s Day Parade for junior and senior members of the team. The Stingers leapt out of their seats with excitement for the big news. “I am so excited for my team even though I cannot be there. I know they will do amazing,” said senior Shelby Vilardebo, “It is pretty cool that I can watch them on television.” The team will fly to New York City on November 23 and stay for six nights at the Hilton. This might seem like a long trip for such a short moment; however this occasion takes hours and hours of preparation. Starting on day one, the team will learn a dance routine to perform with 300 dancers from across the country. They will perform this catchy dance multiple times in front of millions of people on Thanksgiving Day while stroll-ing through the beautiful city. After hours of hard work, the girls have plenty of fun events to participate in. During their stay, they will visit the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, go to a Broadway show and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, obtain an exclusive shopping trip to Macys, and attend a dance class at the world renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Company. “Besides the actual performance at the parade, I am most excited to take a dance class at Alvin Ailey. I have grown up hearing about his amazing works and I have always wanted to see the studio!” said junior Jessie Schneider. It takes dedication, confidence, and spirit to participate in such a momentous event, three elements the dance team embodies. With just months left until the event, the team is anxious but very excited for the life changing day. The Stinger’s head coach Danielle Quinlivan will be guiding them through the active week. “This is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Quinlivan, “I am so excited to see my girls dance in the parade!”

Hustler Football Takes TexasBy Holli Couch, MCC Beeline Staff

Stepping off the bus, the Hustlers Varsity Football Team realized they weren’t in Florida anymore. Crack-ing grounds, wide-open fields, and blazing tempera-tures were some of the first things they noticed. “When I stepped off the bus the heat practically hit me in the face. I didn’t think it could get any hotter than Florida,” said junior, defensive end, Cameron Combs. The Hustlers arrived by plane in Bryan, Texas on Thursday, August 29. Anticipating the start of the game against the Tomball Christian Warriors, the boys pumped each other up for a potential win. In the first five minutes Austin Perlman, junior, wide receiver and safety, scored the first touch down. Perlman had five re-ceptions and 95 yards. “It was a great game for the whole team. I couldn’t have had the touchdowns without Brandon’s (Ziarno) accurate passes, or the awesome defense. Our team is really well rounded,” Perlman said.

Sophomore, Jumar Barnes likes being part of the Hustler football team, “I have always been a huge football fan,” he said. “My goal was to start on Varsity so I worked really hard during the off season. I’m very proud of myself.” You would never know this is Barnes’ first time playing high school football. Start-ing off the powerful defense with three interceptions that demonstrated he was serious about the sport. “I didn’t know what to expect from Barnes, but he has really proven himself to be a fabulous athlete and an important part of our team,” said Jim Ziarno, Varsity Coach. After a long, tiring game, the Hustlers were ecstatic to end with a score of 52-0. “I’m really proud of the way we all came together and fought for each other. We came out with a great team victory,” said junior, quarterback, Brandon Ziarno who connected on scor-ing passes of 40 yards to Austin Perlman, 23 yards to Kyle Taylor and 5 yards to Max Erdman. Chase Harris,

a first year player, also added a 25-yard touch down run. “The feeling when you make a touch down is indescribable. I’m so happy to be apart of this close-knit team,” said Harris. The Hustlers have been on the field working together all summer preparing for the season. “We worked really hard to get faster, stronger, and bigger this summer. We also put a lot of time in to learning our new playbook and it’s nice to see it paying off,” said Max Erdman. The team also got to experience the 100th anni-versary of the Texas A&M “Midnight Yell” and a Baylor University football game in Waco, Texas. “It was awe-some to see a Baylor game, they have a great team and the fans are so spirited,” said Alex Ponce, senior. This trip brought the Hustlers together and instilled the spirit of a champion in each player.

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ALuMNI NEWS TO SHARE?

Alumni NEwS

Gabriela Chassagne, Class of 2009, received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Sustain-able Development from Rollins Col-lege in May 2013. She has already started work toward an MBA with a focus in international business at Rollins which she is on track to com-plete in 2014.

Melissa Hartling Kruse, Class of 1999, married Michael Kruse Jr. in September 2012 in Hawaii. They are expecting their first child, a boy in October.

Brittany Altenhof and Dustin Ham-ilton, Class of 2007, got engaged on March 27, 2013. Their wedding is set for April of 2014.

Michael Zinsmeister and Angela Rivera, Class of 2004, married in May 2012. They live in Jacksonville, FL where Mike is working for East Coast Rail Road and Angela is working in student business services for the University of North Florida.

Lauren Zinsmeister, Class of 2007, is living in New York City where she works on Wall Street. She graduated in December 2012 with her Masters in Corporate Communication from Baruch College.

Lieutenant Adrian Kellgren, Class of 2002, and his wife Julie, welcomed their first child, Aria Sofia Kellgren, into the world on April 2, 2013 in Vir-ginia Beach, VA. Adrian is attached to VAW-125 Airborne Early Warning Squadron and recently returned from deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2012. His wife is working full time as a new mom and as the President of the Officer Spouses Club of VAW-125.

Jessica Hanson, Class of 2001, graduated from Florida State Uni-versity with a Bachelors of Science as well as an MBA. Jessica works for the American Council of Life Insurers where she is the Vice President of Communications.

Kathryn Lentz, Class of 1996, is cur-rently teaching at the University of North Texas while completing her thesis. She is set to graduate in May 2014 with a MS in Hospitality Man-agement.

Stephen LaRoche, Class of 2006, is a 2nd class petty officer in the US Navy. In June of 2013 Stephen returned from his third overseas deployment. He was stationed in Norfolk, Vir-ginia for four years assigned to the USS Enterprise which has now been decommissioned. Stephen is cur-rently stationed in Pearl Harbor and is assigned to the USS Paul Hamilton. He returned to Hawaii in June to be reunited with his five year old son, Zane, after a 10 month deployment.

Ashley Stack, Class of 2006, received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy in May 2013. Ashley has accepted a position as a Phar-macy Resident in the Norton Health Care System in Louisville, Kentucky. Kelsey Stinett, Class of 2009, gradu-ated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida and will attend the Levin School of Law at UF.

Catherine Koubek, Class of 2009, graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida and will at-tend the UF School of Dentistry.

Sarah Kroger, Class of 2005, has been traveling around the country using her talents as a recording art-ist to share God’s beauty and love. Check out her web site at www.sarahkroger.com to purchase her inspirational music and for a listing of her tour dates.

Lieutenant Adrian kellgren and wife Julie with Aria Sofia kellgren

God has given Sarah kroger a beautiful voice and she is using

it to inspire others

Stephen LaRoche greetshis son, Zane

Dustin Hamilton pops thequestion to Brittany Altenhof

MCC

Go Hustlers!!