Class of 2008

SPOTLIGHT: PAIGE BARLOW

St. Christopher class: 2008

High school: Vandalia-Butler

College: Miami University

Major: Middle Childhood Education: Math & Language Arts

Job: Teaching language arts at Van Cleve 6th Grade School in the Fall of 2016

Paige Says: “I realized that I wanted to become a middle school teacher when I was in the 7th grade at St. Chris. So many of the teachers I had here inspired me to help students in the same way as they did. I am so grateful to have had such amazing role models here at St. Christopher Catholic School! “

SPOTLIGHT: TIMOTHY FLINN

St. Christopher class: 2008

High school: Chaminade Julienne

College: Case Western Reserve University

Major: Chemical engineering, with a minor in business management

Current location: Columbus, Ohio

Job: Chemical engineer for Guild Biosciences, a biotech company

I am also a member of The Sandbox Kids, an improv comedy troupe, and recently completed my first half marathon.

SPOTLIGHT:  MICHAEL MCGRAW

St. Christopher Class:  2008

High School: Vandalia-Butler High School

College:  South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Colorado State University

Job:  PhD Student

I went to St. Chris from kindergarten to 8^th grade, where I graduated in 2008. I then went to Vandalia Butler High School where I graduated in 2012. I went on to study chemistry at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, where I fell in love with organic chemistry and began doing laboratory research on lithium-ion batteries. I graduated in 2016 with my bachelor’s degree in chemistry, with two publications and a patent under my name.

I am currently living in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado working towards my PhD in organic chemistry. I spend my days studying, teaching classes, and doing lab research. My research is related to the synthesis of biorenewable and recyclable plastics, on which I’m about to publish my first work. I am fortunate enough to be working for a great mentor in a field I am very passionate about. I want to pursue a career in science as well as education, where I can tackle challenging chemistry problems on the cutting edge of new technologies while mentoring young scientists.

Michael says “The Catholic education I received at St. Chris was foundational to the development of my core values. I cannot express how essential these values were, which carried me through my high school and undergraduate years where it seemed like the enemy was attacking me from all directions. Without the strong Catholic foundation provided to me by my parents and St. Christopher school, I might not have been equipped to maintain a faith centered life within the Godless world that is the university and scientific community.”

SPOTLIGHT: EMILY MICHAEL

St. Christopher class: 2008

College:  St. Bonaventure University

Current location: Denver, Colorado

I attended St. Chris from 6th-8th grade where I was very fortunate to start my Catholic education. While at St. Chris I had many opportunities to serve others, a large part due to my involvement with the Student Council. I carried many of the skills I learned at St. Chris with me to Chaminade-Julienne High School. There, I also was involved in Student Council and played tennis for two years and basketball for four years. St. Chris was my first experience with Catholic education and I knew that I wanted that experience through high school and college, which is why after graduating from CJ in 2012, I went to St. Bonaventure University where I majored in Business Management. I received both my Bachelors and MBA and also played basketball for 4 years. Through basketball I had many opportunities to help others. I got involved with the Special Olympics and volunteered at local schools. Getting to help the kids in the classroom and then seeing them interact through sports was very rewarding. Another great experience in college was going to the NCAA Tournament my senior year, where my women’s basketball team made it to the second round. After college I moved to Denver, Colorado where I am a recruiter. Helping people search for jobs and finding their passion is something that I really enjoy!

Now I am in my second year of Recruiting-which basically means that I help people find jobs.

SPOTLIGHT: ALAINA SMITH

St. Christopher class: 2008

High school: Vandalia-Butler

College: University of Dayton

Major:  Applied Mathematical Economics

Job: I am currently a Pricing Analyst at Spinnaker Coating in Troy, OH. Spinnaker Coating is a manufacturing company that produces pressure sensitive material.

I graduated as Salutatorian from Vandalia-Butler High School in 2012. After, I went on to study at the University of Dayton and graduated with a degree in Applied Mathematical Economics in 2016. I moved to Troy, OH not long after graduation to be closer to my new job. I also recently got engaged. My fiance Alex and I plan to get married in June 2019.