Episode 7 -- Andrew Beck '25
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Release Date: 06/09/2025
Season 2, Episode 4: Sean Kirkland '86
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
We continue our "Quakers Teaching Quakers" theme as we speak with Sean Kirkland from the Class of 1986 in our fourth episode of the season. Sean serves as Superintendent in the Salem City School District. In our conversation, we learned about Sean's experience growing up on the west side of Salem, attending Prospect School, and experiencing the City of Salem back in the 1970s and '80s (playing outside and not coming home until the street lights turn on). Sean spoke about the tough times his family experienced, the wild turns his athletic career would take--both in high school and college, and...
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Season 2, Episode 3: Teresa Huzyak Sisson '02
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Our third episode of the season continues our "Quakers Teaching Quakers" theme, as we speak with Teresa Huzyak Sisson from the Class of 2002. Teresa is currently a third grade teacher at St. Paul School in Salem. In her free time, Teresa loves hanging out with her two sweet kids, reading too many books at once, and watching documentaries. In our conversation, Teresa recounts her experience growing up in a large family and describes her path to graduation from SHS, including her experience attending St. Paul School through sixth grade and transitioning to the junior high and high school. As we...
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Season 2, Episode 2: Dennis Niederhiser '71 & Jarrod Niederhiser '04
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
In the second episode of our second season titled "Quakers Teaching Quakers," we speak with a father and son duo: Dennis Niederhiser '71 and Jarrod Niederhiser '04. We spent time getting to know the stories of each Niederhiser. We talked with Denny about growing up in Salem in the 1950s and 1960s, his educational journey, and the importance of doing whatever it took to make sure students learned what they needed to learn. We spoke with Jarrod about his experience growing up in Salem in the 1990s and early 2000s (with a well-known principal as a father), his process of identifying education as...
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Season 2, Episode 1: George Spack '69
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
In the first episode of our new season titled "Quakers Teaching Quakers," we speak with George Spack '69--a proud Salem High School alum whose career and life journey have been marked by a passion for teaching, supporting students as they strengthen their character and discipline, and fostering community spirit. We spoke with George about what it was like growing up in Salem in the 1950s and '60s, his Quaker basketball career, his journey to and time spent at the College of William and Mary, and his path into coaching and education. George described challenges he navigated throughout his life...
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Quaker Success Shorts: Stories Among Friends -- Richard "Dick" Buta '57
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Quaker Success Shorts: Stories Among Friends is a bonus series under the Quaker Success umbrella, offering brief, scripted episodes that shine a light on the lives of Salem High School alumni and are told entirely by your hosts, Craig, Aaron, and Ed. In these narrative-driven stories, we bring alumni journeys to life in our own words, weaving together the details they've shared into a short-form experience. These episodes are snapshots—quieter, tighter, and a little different from our interviews, but rooted in the same spirit of community, curiosity, and Quaker pride. Our first episode in...
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Episode 7 -- Andrew Beck '25
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Andrew Beck '25 just graduated from Salem High School and was one of two members of his class voted "Most Likely to Succeed." We spoke with Andrew about the experience of attending St. Paul School from kindergarten through sixth grade and how he navigated the transition to Salem City Schools. Through our conversation we learned that Andrew is always looking to stay busy, which led him to play three sports during his high school career, serve the Salem community through Key Club, and work outdoors--both tending to his yard and holding a few landscaping jobs. Andrew will be attending The...
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Episode 6 -- Sally Kendall Wajahn '76
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Sally Kendall Wajahn '76 holds the position of Director, Member Engagement with the National Association of Cancer Center Development Offices (NACCDO) and lives with her husband in Aurora, Ohio. We spoke with Sally about the experience of growing up in Salem as the third of four kids with well-known parents who were deeply involved in the community. Sally shared her most influential high school experiences with us as well as named a few of the educators who shaped her life. We also heard how "Service above Status" was not only a lesson from her parents but became an ethos that guided Sally as...
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Episode 5 -- Bo Rottenborn '99
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Bo Rottenborn '99 is Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships for CBS Sports, and he lives in San Diego, California with his wife in a neighborhood that he describes as feeling very much like Salem. Our conversation with Bo explores his experience growing up in Salem in the 1980s and 1990s, and we highlight the significant (and we do mean significant) number of involvements Bo had while in high school while also touching on what challenges he may have been navigating throughout all the activities. We learn about Bo's experience at Notre Dame, his move out to California, and what he considers...
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Episode 4 -- Dr. Peter Apicella '82
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Dr. Peter Apicella '82 is the Chief Radiologist at Salem Regional Medical Center, continuing the long family legacy established in Salem by his father, Dr. Frank Apicella and his uncle, Dr. Salvatore Apicella--also both radiologists. Our conversation touches on Pete's experiences growing up in Salem, his time at Salem High School, where he not only was thinking about the intersection of medicine and technology even back then, but also where he collaborated with a classmate to publish a book on solving the Rubik's Cube. We hear about Pete's undergraduate experience at John Carroll University...
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Episode 3 -- Mariah Knepper Roj '03
Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed
Mariah Knepper Roj '03 is the founder and proprietor of S'il Vous Play, a children's toy shop located in Cleveland Heights. Mariah's a mom to three kids--"the greatest teachers in her life" as she describes them--and has earned multiple college degrees, including one in organizational communication and another in nursing; though she does not work in nursing, she does hold an active registered nurse license. Our conversation with Mariah touches on her experience growing up in Salem, and we also discuss the relationship between success and failure--not only in our professional experiences, but...
info_outlineAndrew Beck '25 just graduated from Salem High School and was one of two members of his class voted "Most Likely to Succeed." We spoke with Andrew about the experience of attending St. Paul School from kindergarten through sixth grade and how he navigated the transition to Salem City Schools. Through our conversation we learned that Andrew is always looking to stay busy, which led him to play three sports during his high school career, serve the Salem community through Key Club, and work outdoors--both tending to his yard and holding a few landscaping jobs. Andrew will be attending The Ohio State University in Fall 2025 to major in Sport Management, following in his parents' footsteps. We asked Andrew about the memories from Salem that he will take with him to Columbus and how he's feeling about life after Salem.
Be sure to check out the intro for information about the upcoming Salem High School Alumni Weekend in August as well as an announcement regarding Season 2 of Quaker Success.
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