La Salle College High School
THE WISTERIAN Vol. LXXX VIII No. 2| November 2022 OUR 2022 LASALLIAN EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR History teacher Mr. Gregory Bielecki ’99 was awarded the Distinguished Lasallian Educator of the Year at La Salle College High School. Nominees for the Distinguished Lasallian Educator of the Year must have at least five years of service to the school, find excellence in teaching the Catholic mission, and work with the community to promote gospel values in the lives of faculty, staff, and students. “I’m really honored and humbled to win this award. When you look at who has won this in the past there’s some fantastic people on that list. To be chosen by our administration and my colleagues means a lot; it was pretty emotional for me,” Bielecki said. Mr. Bielecki was a La Salle College High School graduate of the Class of 1999. He was inspired to pursue teaching by his former La Salle educators. He named English teacher Ed McCabe, history teacher and his former running coach Pat Devine, and religion teacher and track coach Fran Johnson as inspirational teachers throughout his educational journey. "[These teachers] took great interest in me as a person, wanted to hear what I [had to say]. I was inspired by how they treated me as a human being,” Bielecki remarked. This speaks to the way he teaches: “I'm convinced all students want to understand the world they
live in, the world they will be an adult in; you can't understand the society without understanding the past." Mr. Bielecki is in his 20th year teaching at La Salle. He teaches AP US Government and Politics and AP US History. Mr. Bielecki also coaches the cross-country team and indoor and outdoor track at the school – the only coach at La Salle to be a head coach all three seasons. “He gets his students to think about how the government has changed and developed into what it is today,” John Connaghan ’23, one of Mr. Bielecki’s AP Government and Politics students, said. A former winner of this prestigious award is current chemistry teacher Mr. Tom Barna. Mr. Barna spoke about the award’s honor saying, “For those people who are familiar with the La Salle tradition, La Salle prides itself with the way it [conducts the] teaching and learning pedagogue of St. John Baptist de La Salle. St. La Salle had a lot of opinions on teaching. He saw it as a mission to make teaching better. The award is given to someone who exemplifies that kind of ideal.” Mr. Bielecki exemplifies these ideals everyday as a member of the La Salle College High School community. -Brendan Olimpo '23
Mr. Bielecki 2021 Lasallian Educator of the Year Award
25 YEARS OF CONTINUED EXCELLENCE In celebration of 25 years of continuous service as La Salle faculty, Mr. Chesnik and Mr. Gibbons ’92 were awarded with medals at Thursday night’s honors convocation. While surrounded by family and colleagues, they accepted and brandished their medals as representation of their dedication to the school. First awarded was Mr. Gibbons, introduced by Mr. Cirelli, who emphasized Gibbons’ humorous, friendly nature. Described as the quintessential family man, Mr. Gibbons embodies the values synonymous with La Salle in all he does. As a ’92 graduate, Mr. Gibbons is more than familiar with the culture that surrounds this institution, and being an accomplished rower, he is a perfect example of the Lasallian Gentlemen: a man of integrity, accomplishment, and service. Operating as the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Gibbons was the driving force behind La Salle’s success and outreach over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mr. Gibbons’ commitment has endured, fully integrating himself into the stitching of La Salle and solidifying that sense of brotherhood he’s always felt. “This is an incredibly strong community
of people, throughout it all, the good the great, and the tragic,” said Mr. Gibbons. Following Mr. Gibbons, Mr. McCabe had the honor of presenting his former teacher Mr. Chesnik with this prestigious distinction. Mr. Chesnik is and has always been the face of Kairos at La Salle, starting with the first retreat, Kairos 37-1 through the most recent Kairos 37-150. Teaching primarily seniors, Mr. Chesnik continues to make a lasting impression on those finishing their four-year tenure at La Salle. With many former students returning as faculty, the sense of community at La Salle that Mr. Chesnik advocates for continues to endure. “It feels like a family,” said Mr. Chesnik. The sense of brotherhood found within the hallways and classrooms of La Salle is broadcast through the accomplished faculty who are the pillars supporting the next generation of prestigious La Salle alumni. The La Salle community gave their heartfelt thanks to Mr. Gibbons and Mr. Chesnik at the 2022 Honors Convocation. “You don’t realize how impactful this place is until you leave, it’s a special, special place,” said Mr. Gibbons. -Matthew Smith ’23
Mr. Chesnik and Mr. Gibbons after receiving their 25 year medals
THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS HEATS UP Students participated in a crucial step in the college applications process at College Interview Day, which took place on October 4. The annual College Interview Day brought an opportunity for seniors to put a face to a name for college admissions officers. On this day, students met with some of their favorite universities for a fifteen-minute interview. Mrs. Palopoli, College Counseling Assistant, laid out the logistics of the day. “Every senior fills out a list of their top five schools that are attending” Mrs. Palopoli said. “Each student is guaranteed an interview with an admissions officer from at least one school on their list.” Samantha Murray is an admissions officer from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. She gave an idea of what type of questions would be asked in an interview. "...most of us will start by asking a student to just tell us a little bit about themselves. We’ll ask why a student is interested specially in our institution, what programs
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specifically have peaked their interest, and what they hope to get out of an education at our particular school,” Mrs. Murray said. Admissions officers evaluate students during these interviews. When looking for the ideal fit for their institution, many admissions officers look for similar traits and characteristics. They want to see a student be themselves. “I love to see a student’s personality!” Mrs. Murray said. “Also, it’s important students learn how to conduct themselves in an interview.” Interviewing and personal skills are extremely important in making a great first impression in not just college interviews, but job interviews as well. Mr. Cassidy, the career counselor here at La Salle, helps students prepare for interviews with many different businesses around the area. “The do’s of interviews include introducing yourself, maintaining good eye contact, being personable, being confident, and overdressing,” Mr. Cassidy said. “The do-nots include saying like, um, you know, uhh, and be honest. It is
also important not to make things up.” Students focus on mastering these personal skills and their knowledge of each university before the interviews. Senior Colin Broderick ’23 practices at home in preparation for an interview with Villanova University. "I am mostly worked on my personal skills, doing mock interviews with my parents at home,” Colin said. “I am creating questions to ask and making sure I know a lot about Villanova.” These interviews serve as a crucial part in the admissions process. Colleges look for things that make students stand out, and these interviews could be the difference between an acceptance and a rejection at a school. “Some institutions hold interviews in heavier consideration when reviewing an application, and in some cases a strong or weak interview could make or break a student’s chance for admission,” Mrs. Murray said. -Justin Muttreja ’23
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