Voices Ringing Blog /

Justin Apwisch '28, Trinity House and St. Peter School Alumnus, with Mr. John Neuman

Justin has demonstrated strong academics over our first eight weeks together in class and supports his group members.  He also takes it upon himself to help gather extra papers for recycling at the end of class.

-Mr. John Neuman

Favorite Restaurant:

Texas Roadhouse

Favorite Movie:

Captain America: Civil War

Place you'd love to travel:

Venice, Italy

Who would you play in a movie?

The Flash or a smart detective

What activities do you participate in?

I am an active member of Chess Club and Youth in Government. I just finished my first season of Carroll soccer, and I look forward to trying out for Carroll volleyball in the spring.

What's your favorite part about being a student at Carroll?

I love being a Carroll student but my favorite part would have to be the sporting events. I really enjoy being able to go to any Carroll sporting event and seeing other students supporting our school. I know that if I show up to the game that others will be there and will talk to me and help cheer us on.

How should school help you succeed?

I think school should help me succeed by pushing me to be my best. I think the school does a great job of making sure students are not slacking off and urging them to do better if they fall behind. 

What's your biggest dream in life?

My biggest dream in life is to find a job that I love doing, build a family with someone that I love, and build a lifelong relationship with God.

What's a lesson you learned when overcoming a difficult obstacle?

A lesson I learned while overcoming a difficult obstacle was that hard work will always help you in the long run, so don't cut the corners and see it through to the finish line.

How do you like spending your free time?

I  spend my free time reading books, playing video games with friends, but I don't really like to play by myself. I also like challenging my best friend in chess.

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Reflections.  Click here to read the entire magazine.

Learning. Doing. Giving.

Those three words have stuck with Beth Savage throughout her career, and they serve as her roadmap of leadership for life. Savage’s journey in leadership has landed her in boardrooms of corporations and communities, but her philosophy has helped both thrive.

DOING THE WORK

Earning an official leadership title in any setting is the beginning of the journey, not the peak, according to Savage. She became the president and CEO of PQ Systems, a company that designs manufacturing software solutions, after serving as its Marketing Director for ten years. After transforming the company’s marketing strategy, Savage sought to transform the organization’s culture for continued growth.

Replacing large, yearly employee surveys with more personable weekly check-ins and keeping up with the mindset of her team enabled Savage to receive constant feedback about their insights and concerns. “Once you get to a position of leadership, it doesn’t mean that you know everything. It just means you have a lot more to learn from your team. Being curious and always asking questions and continuing to learn is super important.”

Savage credits this approach to employment engagement as a key factor in PQ’s growth. The challenge of balancing the customers’ need for low prices with her teams’ need for high salaries while competing with other groups in the market was always at or near the top of Savage’s lists of critical tasks as the head of the company. “My focus as the leader of the organization was keeping the employees happy and helping them be the best version of themselves,” Savage said. “I didn’t have to worry about the customers, because the employees would take care of the customers.”

GIVING BACK

When the time came to retire and transfer leadership of PQ Systems in 2023, Savage made the difficult decision to sell the company after evaluating a wide array of options. More than a year later, Savage is pleased to see many of her former employees thriving and advancing their careers with PQ’s new leadership team or other organizations. Even in retirement, Savage continues to lead.

Savage shares her time and knowledge with today’s business owners through the Small Business Administration’s SCORE Program. SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and educational workshops. Its mentors offer area specific advice at no cost to small businesses on topics like finance, human resources, and business planning.

“I had a ton of mentors. When you’re the top dog of an organization, it can be a little bit lonely. You don’t have peers in your department to bounce ideas off of. I reached out to any resources that I could. There were many, many other mentors that I had through the years who were very giving of their time. Now I’m at the point where I want to give.”

The business leaders Savage mentors through SCORE are some of the brightest minds in a diverse field of industries like artificial intelligence, hair care, and behavioral science. She says helping her mentees realize they already know what’s best for their business is how she makes the biggest impact. “What I try to do is ask questions because they know the answer already, but they want the confidence that it’s the right answer. Sometimes the next steps [to grow a business] are hard. It might be hard to go get that business loan or say no to a customer who isn’t a good match for you.”

Providing guidance to private sector businesses is not the only way Savage gives back. She currently serves as a board member of the W. Edward Deming Institute, a North Carolina based organization that trains business leaders, and Wright State University’s Raj Soin College of Business. Additionally, she served on the board of Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley for six years and is a regular volunteer at Carroll’s St. Pat’s Fest and the St. Helen Parish Summer Festival.

LEARNING TO LEAD

Marching as part of the Color Guard during her time as a Carroll student is one of Savage’s earliest memories of seeing how leadership and teamwork are crucial to achieving the highest levels of success. “We won competitions and got to perform in the Orange Bowl, and that was an amazing experience,” Savage said. “[The directors] emphasized that you’re only as strong as your weakest member, and we have to work as a team. We had a lot of members, and getting that many people to be in unison was not easy. It was a foundation for me in learning about teams and working together.”

Away from the competition field, Savage also recognizes the difference Catholic education at Carroll made in her life.“Carroll is super important to me because that was the foundation of my education. When I went on to college and on to work, I felt very well-prepared, much more so than some of my fellow students or colleagues who didn’t have the privilege of a Carroll education.”

Matthew Petty '26, Charity House member and St. Helen School alumnus, with Mrs. Acacia Morrell

Matthew is a conscientious and kind student.  Even when facing setbacks and hard work, Matt always gives 100%.  I saw this as the swim team coach last year and in AP Language this year. Matt is kind, intelligent, helpful, funny, and an all-around great kid.

-Mrs. Acacia Morrell

Favorite Restaurant:

What Da Pho

Favorite Movie:

Avengers: Endgame

Place you'd love to travel:

Japan, China, South Korea, Germany, and Poland

What activities do you participate in?

I’m a member of the swim team! I also participate in Youth and Government, Model UN, Academic Team, and a few other clubs.

What's your favorite part about being a student at Carroll?

I think my favorite part of being a student at Carroll is the friends you make along the way!

How should school help you succeed?

School should give you knowledge and support to do what you want to do in the future.

What's your biggest dream in life?

My biggest dream in life is to leave a positive mark on the world. I want to do something that people will look back on hundreds of years later and be happy that I did that.

What's a lesson you learned when overcoming a difficult obstacle?

The choices you make have nothing to do with good or bad, but about what you’re willing to give up.

How do you like spending your free time?

I love reading books, mostly historical or war fiction novels. I also love drawing and writing short stories!