For Siobhan Winterhalt, being nominated for the Excellence in Catholic Education Award “reaffirms for myself that this is something God has put in my life and prepared me for.”
The Notre Dame High School (NDHS) teacher couldn’t put into words how excited she was that the Lakeland Catholic School District (LCSD) board of trustees named her as this year’s nominee.
Mary Anne Penner, LCSD board chair, said it’s the young educator’s advocacy for Catholic education that has made her shine.
“She has a great rapport with her students, and I think she is a great candidate,” Penner expressed. “I think Siobhan is very deserving of the award. She has been doing marvelous things with those students, and is a great ambassador for NDHS… She is very passionate, and very much wanting to ensure her students excel and I think all of that has an impact on the overall health of the school.”
For Winterhalt, the nomination is confirmation she is on the right path, not only in her and the board’s mind, but also in the eyes of God.
Winterhalt is responsible for the creation of multiple NDHS retreats, such as the all-girls retreat, acts as the school’s religious representative, and runs their band and choir.
“It’s really just all about focusing on the students. It’s neat to see that there has been some sort of an impact that people have noticed,” she emphasized. “I really appreciate that people have noticed that, and the main thing is that it has been reaching the kids and making a difference.”
What makes her nomination so special, is some of those who put her name forward, such as Pam Guibeault, were Winterhalt’s previous mentors and educators.
“Not only are they thinking of me, but they actually got to watch the process, which I think is really cool,” noted Winterhalt.
Winterhalt is described as passionate and bringing energy into everything she does.
But above all else, she is known for her dedication to Catholic education.
“One of my friends gave me a quote when I graduated that said ‘preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.’ I feel what kids need to see is that God’s love is real and they feel it most through actions and what we do, not just what we say,” Winterhalt said.
Outside of the classroom, Winterhalt works with students as the Youth Minister, and through the Youth Liturgical Leadership (YLL) team.
She has touched the lives of many students over the past five-years, but there is one that truly stands out.
Winterhalt had been relentless in encouraging a student to attend one of their weekend retreats. Reluctantly, she agreed.
Later, Winterhalt received a note from the student, claiming if it hadn’t been for her persistence, she never would have gone on the retreat and that she had originally planned to take her life that weekend.
“It’s one of those things where you never know what a kid is going through. Sometimes you can feel the signs and see the flickering, and I think our experiences help us recognize when others are struggling the way maybe we have or we have seen before in others,” described Winterhalt. “It was amazing to see that God made everything happen.”
Those retreats have often confirmed for students that they aren’t the only one.
“I feel like, especially in a small rural area, kids can start to feel like they’re alone in their faith, and they have questions. To bring them into a building of 17,000 people just like them is an eye-opener. There have been some really cool things that have happened there,” Winterhalt said.
Winning the award, would be “further affirmation that God has me on the right path, and that this is something that I feel like, from a very young age, He has been equipping me to do.”
But Winterhalt is nowhere near finished with her efforts.
She plans on continuing to build off of the momentum she has created, and hopes her nomination will open even more doors in her future.
“I feel there is a lot more I still want to do with it, and having an award like this gives me that confidence and potentially could start opening some of those opportunities and doors,” she expressed.
