Whether it's a freshman student who is just getting acclimated to high school, or a teacher who has been a part of our community for years, the people at St. Joe's are, by far, our greatest and most valuable resource.
Made in the image and likeness of God, each of us has something unique to contribute to the world. There's so much depth to the people of SJ. Check out these mini profiles that shine a spotlight on a few of us because...
every Spartan has a story!
“We go to Italy every summer for about 2 months. We have a lot of family that lives there that we visit. My grandfather and his brother are the original owners of J&S Pizza. They created it after coming to America from Italy. My siblings and I grew up working there with my family.”
“I knew I wanted to go to an SEC school; I wanted to go back to the south because that's where I am from. LSU was one of two of the schools down in that area that have the 3+3 law program which saves a year on tuition. It definitely is a new beginning for me going eighteen hours away and over a thousand miles from home. It's just a fresh start, which is something I really need. It will be a new chapter for my life, a new place. Geaux Tigers!”
“ I used to wear mostly box braids and changed my styles. I was inspired by the people I saw on social media. They were passionate and spiritually connected with their hair. I finalized my decision and my coils will take about 6 months to loc. ”
“My family is composed of immigrants from Vietnam, and I am the only American born person. There is a large cultural contrast between me and my family, but it allows us to share perspectives that wouldn't have been otherwise possible. Vietnamese culture and language are strict compared to American culture. The language is quite a contrast since the meaning of words are different. I can say certain things without getting in trouble because it is considered normal here. We also have different customs. For Vietnamese customs, we wear áo dái, which is a traditional Vietnamese dress.”
Dave Pakulski’s official title is Director of Maintenance yet, he says, “I treat St. Joe’s like it is my own house.” Pakulski knows a lot about how things are made as he owned a construction business before he came to SJ. You can find him fixing lights, hanging up pictures on the walls, and changing furnace filters.
"In a Catholic school we do things a little bit different. I think understanding the uniforms and some of the obligations that we have here with our code of conduct is helpful.
Going to Mass, especially being Catholic, is helpful too and a big perk of working here. I think that having teachers that genuinely care is almost a guarantee in a Catholic school because they certainly don’t do it for the money.”
Amelia Wygonik, '24
"I was 3 years old when I started dance. My mom noticed that I really liked it, so she kept encouraging me and I've been dancing ever since. I started competing when I was 10, and I've been doing a lot more jazz and musical theater since then. It helps me get out of my comfort zone. If you are thinking about doing anything creative, you should! It pushes you a lot as a person, and it helps you make new friends outside of school."
Elsie Jannello, '26
"The church makes pierogies for the Fish Fry, and soon for the summer festival too. I volunteered to help because I thought it was going to be a very interesting and cool experience.
In total we made one hundred and thirty dozen, but I personally made over 10 dozen pierogies."
"When I was really young my grandfather had a quad and took me out on it. I wanted one and saved until I could get my own."
"I began riding when I was 7 years old.
Later I started working on flipping houses to make money until I could purchase a quad of my own. "
"One challenge I face in my life is my diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which has affected my vision since the time of my birth. Due to retinal detachment I am blind in my right eye and have low vision in my left eye.”
“I overcame adversity through acceptance and creating a plan to mitigate the apparent issue in the most efficient way possible. Most limitations that one encounters can be ameliorated in some way, especially with the support of others.”
“Advice that I would give to others in our school is to ask for support from teachers, peers, or family members when needed. It is important to take advantage of all the resources available — that is what they are there for.”
Madeline Meier, '23
"For me, art is an expression of my emotions and deepest feelings. It helped me out of a really dark place. Without my experiences and emotions, I would never have created anything. What my art can do is try and bring out others' emotions as well. That's all I want to do with my art: make you feel something."
Elaina Moore, '25
"I started modeling because I found it a way to embrace my height, since I have always been taller than most people/girls my age. I am very glad I made the choice to start modeling as it has made me feel much more comfortable with my height and showed me that it is not a bad or unusual thing to be tall. Everyone should embrace their unique qualities."
Olivia Svitek, '26
“ I went to NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) and that’s what made me want to go to St. Joe’s because it was just a bunch of kids who are really active in their faith and are happy to talk about stuff. Everyone was so positive and I thought that ‘if this is what a religious environment is like than that’s what I want to be surrounded with.' "
Using "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman as a model, the Sophomore Class wrote a list poem to represent their experiences at SJHS:
I Hear St. Joseph High School Singing
by The Class of 2025 & Walt Whitman
I hear St. Joe’s singing, the diverse tunes I hear,
Those of the athletes singing before the games, ready to give it their all,
The Latin students singing their board challenges,
The Chemistry students singing as they complete a lab,
The Gym teacher singing as he sails past students to score a goal,
The students satirical song of clapping in the cafeteria as a chair crashes down,
The bowler’s song of hope as she steps onto the shiny, lacquered wood and takes aim for the pins,
The students singing in between classes and in the hallways on the way to gym class,
The acapella song of the musical cast as they rehearse in the John Paul II Center, the student section singing the Alma Mater after a win,
The students late-night singing of a slew of homework, the women's basketball team singing a victory chant, while the teachers are singing math formulas and dress code reminders,
The student choir lifting their voices to God,
Each singing what belongs to SJHS and no where else,
Their song of sanctity, justice, honor, and scholarship,
Singing with their chins held high their strong harmonious song.