By Hailey McPheron
This 2024-2025 school year is McNicholas’ 75th year, and while many teachers have come and gone, there are many who have been teaching Rockets for more than a decade.
Theology teacher/department chair, and Missions and Ministry Team member, Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann worked at Cardinal Pacelli for three years as an art teacher before coming to teach at McNick. She attended an art show at Xavier University where a past teacher told her there was an opening at McNick. Sandmann made the switch from Cardinal Pacelli to McNicholas thirty-one years ago and said, “I think there’s something special about the kids here. I really do. I get to watch them transform over the four years they’re here into pretty incredible young adults, and I love seeing that growth…it’s just a beautiful growth. They come in as good people and leave as good people.” English teacher Mrs. Andrea Wheeler who has been here for four years states “It’s a very positive atmosphere and I think a lot of that has to deal with the students and of course their families as well.”
Theology teacher, Mr. Sam Roflow, who used to be the theology department chair at Notre Dame Academy, has taught all McNicholas theology courses and has been working at McNicholas for twenty-seven years. “I love working with a department that is trying to make a difference in our world as well as the future of our world,” Roflow said.
Not only have students changed over the years, but the physical look of the school has changed as well. Theology teacher and Director of Mission and Ministry Mr. Jeff Hutchinson thought he would stay for two years but ended up staying longer. Hutchinson has been at McNicholas for twenty-five years and said he’s seen many changes over the years. “It’s nice to have the athletic complex back there that wasn’t there in my student days. Some of it was, but it’s just nice to have a place to gather,” Hutchinson said. Another change has been enrollment rates. Director of Student Life and math teacher Mr. Bill Losekamp, who has been here for twenty-eight years, stated, “I like the fact that we seem to be getting more students. We’re getting more of a diverse background of students and that enhances our community”
Some of the changes missed by the teachers are the homecoming floats, where each class would make a float, and the Homecoming Court would ride them in the parade. Another event that has changed and is missed is the annual walk fundraiser. English teacher Mrs. Julie Dill, who has been here for eighteen years, said, “We used to have a walk, and it was a fundraiser. Students would walk around Mount Washington, and they had to bring in money and there were different ways the walk would be done. I really liked that day because it was something the whole school did together.”
The McNicholas Milestone 