Serra announces Vocations Creativity Contest results 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners receive recognition

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 29, 2004

The Serra Club along with the Diocese of Sioux City's Office of Vocations organized the annual Vocations Creativity Contest for students of the diocese during National Vocations Awareness Week, which was Jan. 11-17. The winners have been announced.

"The purpose of the Serra Club is to support vocations," said Nancy Miller, a Serra Club member. "I think this is a good way to start it. We need to support children when they are young if they have any idea. I think this is a very important part of Serra."

This year's theme for the creativity contest was "You Are My Beloved." All students who participated in the project were given an assignment that correlated with the theme.

"Every year they pick a different theme to focus on vocations and why the children should think about vocations as a possibility for the future," said Sharri Fitzpatrick, a Serra Club member.

The contest was for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Information about the contest including a unique assignment for each grade level was sent to Catholic schools and parish religious education programs.

This year there were 306 total entries including entries from 21 out of the 23 Catholic grade schools and from 25 of the religious education programs in the diocese. According to Miller, the contest reaches out to all the children, makes them think and stirs imagination and thinking power in this area.

"It seems like everyone is always enthusiastic about it," said Fitzpatrick. "We always get a lot of good feedback from the students."

At the school or religious education program, someone picked the best of each class and sent it into the Serra Club. The Serra Club hosts this contest in hopes of inspiring children to enter into a vocation.

"We were very pleased," said Miller. "We had some wonderful entries. They are always very good, but we are always amazed at how well the children do."

This year the judging of the entries was a little different. A few members of the Serra Club did the first part of the judging process. They chose five students from each grade. Then a panel of three or four judges consisting of Serra Club members, priests and sisters chose the best three in each grade level out of the five.

"They are always wonderful," said Fitzpatrick. "It was really difficult to pick. There were just tons of really good entries."

The students receive prizes for first, second and third place. The first place winners received $30 and in past years have had dinner with the bishop. Due to not having a bishop, it was decided that the students would receive money to go to dinner with their family to celebrate. The second place winners received $20, and third place received $10.

"It encourages an appreciation for the choice of service to the church," said Fitzpatrick. "There are a lot of children who write really nice things about priests, nuns and religious people that they have contact with now. It gives them a chance to think about how much they appreciate what they do. The future leaders of the diocese are in the school now, and we hope this encourages vocations."

The kindergarten winners include first place Bobby McCabe son of John and Barbara McCabe, Sacred Heart School, Spencer; second place Benni Greene, daughter of Lois and Matt Greene, Emmetsburg Catholic, Emmetsburg; and third place Will Karrer, son of Nick and Katy Karrer, Holy Cross School - Blessed Sacrament Center, Sioux City.

The first grade winners include first place Allie Jo Hartman, daughter of Dan and Gina Hartman, St. Mary's School, Storm Lake; second place Rachel Kellen, daughter of Randy and Peggy Kellen, Gehlen Catholic School, Le Mars; and third place Matthew Holzman, son of Kevin and Mary Holzman, Spalding Catholic School, Hospers.

The second grade winners include first place Cassie Stumpf, daughter of Kevin and Sheila Stumpf, St. Edmond Elementary, Fort Dodge; second place Emily Chisholm, daughter of Jason Chisholm, St. Martin's Parish Religious Education Program, Odebolt; and third place Karina Magana, daughter of Humberto and Irma Magana, Holy Family School, Sioux City.

The third grade winners include first place Jacob Roeder, son of Dan and Fina Roeder, St. Martin's Parish Religious Education Program, Odebolt; second place Carter Ludwig, son of Randy and Jodi Ludwig, Kuemper Catholic School, Carroll; and third place Maria Lohr, daughter of Richard and Kathleen Lohr, Holy Cross School - Blessed Sacrament Center, Sioux City.

The fourth grade winners include first place Christopher Beck, son of Patrick and Janet Beck, Holy Family Cluster Religious Education Program, Sioux City; second place Kimberly Eich, daughter of Tom and Julie Eich, Kuemper Catholic School, Carroll; and third place Katelyn Keating, daughter of Mike and Eloyce Keating, Blessed Sacrament Religious Education Program, Sioux City.

The fifth grade winners include first place Beth Wittry, daughter of David and Mary Wittry, Kuemper Catholic School, Carroll; second place Caitlin Beck, daughter of Patrick and Janet Beck, Holy Family Cluster Religious Education Program, Sioux City; and third place Josh Kibbie, son of Pat and Deb Kibbie, Emmetsburg Catholic School, Emmetsburg.

The sixth grade winners include first place Natalie Swanson, daughter of Mike and Barb Swanson, Sacred Heart School, Sioux City; second place Kelsey Sterk, daughter of Barry and Karen Sterk, St. Patrick's School, Sheldon; and third place Gabriella Bedore, daughter of Mark and Oxana Bedore, Sacred Heart School, Spencer.

The seventh grade winners include first place Michael Henrich, son of Tom and Cecilia Henrich, Gehlen Catholic School, Le Mars; second place Jeanie Mullen, Daughter of Jim and Candy Mullen, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Fonda; and third place Travis Sitzmann, son of Annette and Mitch Sitzmann, Gehlen Catholic School, Le Mars.

The eighth grade winners include first place Scott Smith, son of Glen and Diane Smith, Emmetsburg Catholic School, Emmetsburg; second place Michael Alcaraz, son of Ramon and Stephanie Alcaraz, Sacred Heart School, Le Mars; and third place Krissy Kohlhaas, daughter Michael Kohlhaas, Seton Grade School, Algona.