“Being able to deliver the voice of customer feedback and interact with network operations to optimize wireless network technology ultimately positioned me to help Ameritech Cellular earn the JD Powers and Associates award for highest customer satisfaction for three consecutive years.  Accolades in delivering customer centric strategy in call center operations led me to have responsibility for managing the largest customer service operation for Ameritech in the Great Lakes region.  Mergers in the late 90’s led to the consolidation of several wireless companies and I found myself overseeing customer operations for Cingular Wireless for the Southeast region of the United States being based in Florida.  I was recruited to T-Mobile in Nashville as General Manager of Customer Operations and played a key role in moving the company’s reputation from “worst to first” in terms of customer satisfaction.

“As my experience in call center operations grew so did the number of calls I received from executive recruiters which prompted me to leave the telecom industry to work for a BPO (business process outsourcing) company in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  In this role as Director of Operations for the third largest site of 24 locations I was responsible for turning around a poor performing location which handled clients like Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana, Verizon, Citibank, and Hotwire.com. I was soon asked to develop similar success stories in the Philippines.

“In 2010 my role in the global economy changed and I accepted an opportunity to return back to the United States where I am presently.  I work for cleverbridge, a global E-commerce company that helps software companies design and manage their shopping cart experience on the internet to sell their products worldwide.  I currently have responsibility for global customer support operations for the United States, Europe, and Asia and travel outside of the country about two weeks each month.  Visit our website www.cleverbridge.com to learn more about our business, our culture, and opportunities that may help lead you in the decision of your future path.  Make sure to visit the careers portion to get some valuable insight on some of the jobs and skill sets required.

“My education at St. Joe’s was instrumental in preparing me for the brave new world that has challenged me in my career.  I learned to think globally, be flexible to emerging business trends, and being open to explore opportunities that offer rich cultural diversity and international exposure.”

We are very proud of this Charger! Congratulations and good luck, Joe!

Benny’s work has always been tied to his faith. “Knowing that there are many Catholic schools in need and the future of our church rests on the development and cultivation of the youth and their faith, I felt the pull to stay in Catholic education. Through my own experiences as a student in Catholic schools, I recognized the importance of developing our faith in Jesus Christ, realizing the impact we can have on our society through social justice, and strengthening the sense of community that is found in a Catholic school setting.” To that end, Benny puts in long hours leading a school that had experienced some hardships. “I am very proud of the growth of Saint Ann School over the past seven years. We have reversed the trend of decreasing enrollment going from 187 to 233 students while adding two Preschool classrooms for three and four-year-olds. In addition, our 8th grade graduates go on to the top schools in Chicago including two students who will enroll at St. Joe’s next year.”

Benny and his wife, Sandria, (who is also a principal of a Catholic school), are expecting their first child in mid-May.

Saint Joseph High School is very proud of this young man. Congratulations and best wishes, Benny!

Doug Hammerschmitt, creator and owner of Dreamworld Productions and Design, located in Boston, knew before graduating from St. Joe’s in 1985 that he was destined to be a member of the music industry. “There is no such thing as a typical day when you’re in a business like mine,” Doug reflected. That business is running a “project studio,” a concept that lent itself to a man of Doug’s background. “I wanted to avail my experience to people who could use it. I sit down with clients, listen to their vision and then they let me contribute. And those contributions could mean any of a dozen things. Right now I am working with a classical composer on creating a modern variation of a score through my own suggestions. I also rehearse recording artists who are preparing for a performance or who simply wish to expand their repertoire. I might also be hired to do audio restoration, cleaning up older recordings. I write jingles, work on film scores or work on my own music. Every day is different!”

Doug did not jump into the studio business out of music school. He wrote and performed music on the piano for numerous bars and clubs before deciding to develop his own business. He built his studio piece by piece and opened it for recording in 1992. In 2000, he moved to a house and a much larger studio, complete with three isolation rooms and a grand piano.

Doug’s professional and private life intersected in a great way when he met his future wife in London in 1989. Emmanuelle, while originally from France, was studying at a business school while Doug was participating in an exchange program. Doug auditioned for a piano gig at a pub and Emmanuelle was visiting her friend bartending there. The rest is history. Doug and his wife formed a business team as Emmanuelle applied her talents in graphic arts to the development of the websites and clients’ CD and poster designs. “We complement one another very well,” Doug added. Doug and Emmanuelle will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary this summer with their two sons.

St. Joseph High School is very proud of this Charger and we wish him well!

The acting in this movie was fantastic. Jennifer Lawrence, an Academy Award Nominee, plays Katniss doing obviously an amazing job. Josh Hutchinson plays Peeta, the boy tribute of District 12, and he was good enough for the part but Jennifer Lawrence is who stands out in every scene. Other well-known stars in this movie are Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks. Woody Harrelson plays Haymitch, a man who won the Hunger Games years ago and is now Katniss and Peeta’s mentor. He does a great job and is everything I thought of Haymitch as when reading The Hunger Games. Elizabeth Banks plays Effie, the woman in charge of making Katniss look pretty and likeable. Effie is extremely enthusiastic about the Hunger Games and Elizabeth Banks does a terrific job playing the role.

The director, Gary Ross, did a fantastic job. He has only directed two other movies prior to The Hunger Games, and deserves the recognition for the success of the film. His other films include Pleasantville and Sea-biscuit. Ross had a way of making the duller portions of the book come alive in the film. Such as when the tributes were interviewed on talk shows while trying to gain sponsors who can help them in the games by sending goods and necessities. Ross made these scenes gorgeous to watch with his directing and I must give a hand to the costume design, makeup and set design as well. Elizabeth Banks’ makeup was so well done and I feel I wouldn’t have recognized her hadn’t I known before seeing the film.

Once the games get started, there is an amazing amount of violence for a PG-13 film. Although entertaining, at times the Director struggled with trying to create a greatly violent and bloody scene appropriate for PG-13. Being he couldn’t make an R-rated film, the Director used a lot of shaking of the camera in order for the scenes to appear more violent, where at one time I thought it was perfect but at another it felt very sloppy to where I had no idea who was who. But overall I understand why he had to use it and I think the shaky-cam added to the grittiness of the story, although at times it got annoying.

Other problems I had with the film were that it didn’t show much of Katniss’s sister and mother watching the Games. Although Gale, Katniss’s best friend in District 12, had a solid role in the story, I felt he was more important in the book. Another important character Katniss meets in the Games is Rue. In the book, you really like the character but in the movie, you don’t really feel that attachment. I’ve only read the first book so I’m not sure how Gale’s character fits in later, but the movie sets up a love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta which I really didn’t like because it’s been done a million times and can easily cheapen a great film. Speaking of, this film is compared a lot to Twilight because it is based on a book and appeals to teens. Although I’ve never watched them, I have heard horrible things about Twilight Series and in no way can think that The Hunger Games trilogy will be at all like Twilight. This movie is an amazing adaptation of the book. The characters, the locations, the Games, were all how I imagined them to be while reading the book. I will give the Hunger Games 4 out of 5 stars. It’s a great film and is similar to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo where you like the ending but it clearly wraps up nothing, leaving you wanting to see the next two films.

The trip is expected to be an eventful one. My class will be staying in a hotel in the center of Madrid. As the days go on, we will walk the city of Madrid at the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de España. While visiting these monuments and historical buildings we will gain a better understanding and feeling about the Spanish culture. Other places we will be visiting include the Calle Mayor, Gran Via, the Cibeles fountain, the Alcala gate, Columbus square, the Royal Palace, the Escorial & Segovia, the Valley of the Fallen, the Church of Santo Tome, St. Mary’s Synagogue, and the Avila and Salamanca. There will also be a flamenco evening full of surprises.

Educational travel is a key component in enhancing a student’s learning about a culture and language. The more a student is exposed to the outside world, the more opportunities it opens for that student. It may trigger a motivation to a student for a study abroad program.

My AP Spanish class has decided to travel with Explorica who has given the best deal. Despite all this, it is still going to be difficult for many students to afford a trip of this magnitude. This message goes out to you, as a local business owner and community member, to ask for your support of their mission.

The collective goal is to raise $20,000. We greatly appreciate any donation you are willing to contribute. Every $10, $25, $50 or $100 adds up! My group will be working hard all year to raise funds for this trip and we thank you for your support.

Upon leaving college, he played in the D League as an undrafted rookie. Jeremy Lin’s intention was to play in the Italian league due to being cut and because of the NBA lockout. Jeremy Lin was released from two different teams within the span of 15 days. The Warriors cut him December 9th, and the Rockets December 24th, which was Christmas Eve. Many didn’t know that he had to live on his older brother’s sofa, that was, until he got kicked out due to his parents coming in. He then proceeded to crash at Landry Fields of the New York Knicks’ sofa. Little did he know by the time he came back, he would inspire masses.

As of result of his 25-point, 7-assist game and other games that followed it, he no longer lives on a sofa, and now has a guaranteed contract from the New York Knicks. He’s also solidified a starting spot as point guard. During that period, he’s also been without Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, for the most part. Though his numbers have dropped, Jeremy Lin has an extremely high ceiling. So buckle up, sit down and tune in to a New York Knicks basketball game. You’re bound to see a kid making plays all around the court.

As an aside, former St. Joe’s basketball player and graduate Garrett Leffelman, who is also a graduate of Brown University, actually played against Lin in the Ivy League. The following is an excerpt from Kevin Clark’s article on Lin in the Wall Street Journal online: “Ivy athletes traditionally have few bragging rights. So investment banking analyst Garrett Leffelman was surprised to find himself surrounded by 10 colleagues the Monday morning after Mr. Lin’s big night against the Lakers.

Mr. Leffelman’s Wall Street pals wanted to hear how he defended against Mr. Lin when Mr. Leffelman was a Brown University guard. Mr. Leffelman didn’t choke. In March 2009, he told the rapt crowd, he held Mr. Lin to 10 points and, as the game clock ticked to zero, Mr. Leffelman launched a game-winning 3-pointer.” The story yielded this quick calculation from someone in the finance crowd: ” ‘Jeremy Lin outscored Kobe Bryant, you’ve outscored Jeremy Lin, so by default that makes you better than Kobe Bryant,’ ” Mr. Leffelman recounted. That, he said, led to next question: “So why’d you end up here?” (Wall Street Journal: 2/16/12).

Frank’s original plan had been to open a coffee house but a friend associated with Gene & Jude’s Red Hot Stand in River Grove convinced him to do otherwise. “Gene & Jude’s has such a great tradition and reputation I thought it was a great idea.” To that end, Frank opened a similar place in July of 1999. While the menu at Joe’s Place is extensive, including the often requested Italian ice, it is the hot dog and fresh cut fries, wrapped together for a full effect that keeps people coming back. “I love serving food and I love making people happy,” Frank added as he prepared for the lunch-time crowd, “and seeing friends come in over and over and meeting new people continues to be a thrill.”

With the thrills, however, comes the work to make it happen. “There was definitely a honeymoon period when I first opened up,” Frank recalled. “Your first customer, establishing relationships with vendors and getting well-wishes from your friends and family. It’s awesome. Gradually, though, there comes the day-to-day grind and stress and since we’ve included catering now, there‘s been more to do.” As owner, he is also able to spend some quality time with his wife, who is a school teacher, and six-year-old daughter.

Two important factors impacted Frank’s life, education and his mom’s influence. “My folks always stressed education,” Frank emphatically remarked. “I remember Brother Michael Fitzgerald’s assistance in getting me into Benedictine University. I am also proud to be serving as a trustee for the Village of Westchester.” Behind every good young man, however, there is often a prodding mother. “I cannot tell you how much my mom has affected my life personally and professionally. There is no cup big enough to measure her influence.”

Frank also considers himself fortunate to have had great people working for him. “I’ve employed many Chargers over the years and they’ve all been great – responsible and trustworthy.”

Joe’s Place, named after his grandfather is open year-round and “serves homemade specialties from the ‘Old Neighborhood.’” Visit JOESPLACECATERS.COM for more information. Congratulations and good luck, Frank! You are a Charger of which we are very proud!