The faculty and staff is a huge part of what makes St. Dominic so great. But what makes it even more special is that many of our teachers and administrators are proud alumni! But what was St. Dominic like when they were students here, and how has it affected their careers now?

In total, there are 17 alumni who are now a part of the St. Dominic faculty and staff including religion teacher Mr. Matt Winkelmann, who graduated from St. Dominic in 2006.

“St. Dominic was pretty much the same when I was a student, but we didn’t have the new gym or PAC so we were a lot more packed in the old gym. It’s nice to see all the changes, but in a lot of ways it’s just home to me,” Mr. Winkelmann said.

Along with Mr. Winkelmann, English teacher Mrs. Trisha Goins was a part of the St. Dominic class of 1999, and described what the school was like when she was a student.

“We did not have a stadium. We also didn’t have some of the same opportunities for classes, like PLTW or digital art. The school community was vibrant and caring! Teaching at St. Dominic allows me to give back to a community I hold dear to my heart. I am blessed to be able to continue the tradition of St. Dominic,” Mrs. Goins said.

Dean of Students Mr. Nathan Tock was a member of the St. Dominic graduating class of 2003. Mr. Tock enforces the rules now, but he may not have followed said rules back when he was in high school.

“I was a model student when I was here. That may have been a bit of a lie. I had to be reminded to tuck my shirt in, just like today. The important thing to me is that kids care enough to do the right thing, and are able to navigate through that conversation with me. Also, I was a model student— this community is responsible for making me who I am. And I love the fact that I get to have that effect on others,” Mr. Tock said.

Wellness counselor and varsity cheer coach Ms. Kat Lammering graduated in 2012. She was a cheerleader for four years, and said that daily school life was way different than it is now.

“We didn’t have empower hour, which I’m still bitter about. It was also not cool to use a book bag here when I was in school. Everyone used their locker, and everyone would literally rather carry all their heavy textbooks than be caught dead with a backpack… so weird that was even a thing, since now we all use iPads,” Ms. Lammering said.

She also said that she was taught by teachers who are still here like Mrs. Goins, Ms. Mary Nasser, Ms. Elizabeth Murphy, Mr. Greg Cissell, Mr. Greg Koeller, and Mr. Tock.

These alumni teachers and faculty members are just a few of the many St. Dominic alumni who call the school home. If you’re ever curious about what life used to be like at St. Dominic, you can always ask one of our alumni!