BENEMERENTI MEDALS AWARDED TO FACULTY
Benemerenti Medals were awarded to Amy Philipp, Don Kraft, Keith Schertle, and Jim Katchko on Monday, May 15, during our final community Mass of the school year to recognize their 20 years of service to Loyola Blakefield.
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Amy Philipp has taught in both the middle school and high school. Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member in the late ‘90s, she taught summer school at Loyola for 20 years. She has been a part of the peer education team, attended summer service trips to the Dominican Republic, Navajo Indian Reservation, Jamaica, Philadelphia, Ester Virginia, New Jersey, and Baltimore, and has moderated the Sailing Club, Fishing Club, and co-moderated the Young Democrats Club. “The students are what make the Jesuit experience so rewarding as I get to watch them transform into men for others. I love teaching them, and when you love what you do, you don’t count the years, you count the memories.”
Keith Schertle was originally hired as the Intramural and Activity Period Director. Shortly after, he moved to the middle school as a 6th grade math teacher. For the last 18 years, he has served as a physical education teacher in both the high school and now solely in the middle school. He started the water polo program and was the head coach of the swimming program for 21 years before stepping down in 2016. He currently serves as the assistant swimming and water polo coach for the high school, head swimming and water polo coach for the middle school, and the middle school baseball coach. He was inducted into Loyola Blakefield’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016 for coaching. After stepping down as the head of the Loyola Blakefield Aquatics program, his focus besides teaching has been raising money for both the Endowed Schertle Family Scholarship and the Tim Pierce '60 Merit Scholarship. “I honestly never thought I would be at Loyola for 20 years, but I fell in love with the students, faculty, and the culture that is fostered at Loyola.”
Don Kraft has served as assistant athletic director, health teacher, physical education department chair, varsity soccer coach, 8th grade soccer coach, and varsity tennis coach. “Coming to Loyola Blakefield has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. My biggest joy has been witnessing my sons, Sean ‘05 and Jason ’12, graduate from here, and they couldn’t be doing any better out in the world. It is a joy to work with such great colleagues and students every day. I try to treat every day at Loyola as a gift, a gift for which I am very thankful. When I talk to young people, I often say that they need to find the thing in life that they love to do and are passionate about. I have found that here.”
Jim Katchko is the Performing Arts Department Chair and has taught AP European History, AP U.S. History, Colege Prep U.S. History, Music History, and Music Appreciation at Loyola. Over the years, he has served as the music director for the Blakefield Players, assistant baseball coach for both JV and varsity teams, and as a cantor for school liturgies. “On coming to Loyola in 1997, what immediately resonated with me was the Ignatian philosophy of education. No other school at which I had studied or taught had been so clearly focused. It soon became obvious that at my core, I was Ignatian and sharing a mission with like-minded colleagues. Educationally, I was home. The Benemerenti Medal reminds me that for 20 years, I have had the good fortune of teaching remarkable students and the great privilege of calling Loyola home!"
