Honors Alumni

Honors Program graduates have gone on to pursue a wealth of opportunities, including challenging graduate school programs, prestigious fellowships, and fulfilling careers.

Joseph Hrenchir '21, History

Joseph Hrenchir

Joseph graduated with a degree in history and a minor in philosophy, with a focus on historical memory and the challenges faced by historians in the digital age. During his time at Benedictine, he worked at the college as an audiovisual specialist and later a network support technician, which led to him to accept a position as an IT Technician at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. He plans to one day pursue a graduate degree in military history or Saxon conversion efforts in the early Church, while also furthering his technical education in networking and cybersecurity.

Olivia Obritsch '20, Mechanical Engineering

Olivia Orbitsch

After graduating in December of 2020 with her degree in mechanical engineering, Olivia joined Relco, a Koch Separations Solutions company, as a project engineer. During these early years of her career, Olivia intends to earn her professional engineering (PE) license and become an expert in the dairy processing industry. The educational formation Olivia received within the Honors Program is something she draws upon everyday, both as she makes decisions and formulates questions in the workplace, and as she navigates life as a faithful young adult in the world today.

Garrett Kapelski '19, Philosophy and Political Science

Garret Kapelski

Garrett Kapelski celebrated his two-year anniversary at Shamrock Trading Corp in Overland Park, Kansas in February of 2021. Garrett works in Shamrock's Financial division as a Sales Coordinator and handles initial risk screenings for potential clients while supporting a team of sales representatives. He also recently celebrated his two-year wedding anniversary to Carley (Ayers) Kapelski (Class of 2019). Garrett & Carley live in Kansas City, Missouri, and still make frequent trips up to Atchison to visit professors and former classmates.

Noah Sattler '18, Economics and English

Noah Sattler

Noah graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in the Spring of 2021 and is currently an associate at Winthrop & Weinstine P.A. in Minneapolis. In 2019, he became a Blackstone Fellow through Alliance Defending Freedom and spent the summer working for the Napa Legal Institute. In December of 2020, he married Lindsay Baker (also a Benedictine alumni), and they are expecting their first child in November of 2021. 

Tia Westhoff '16, Philosophy and Theology

Tia Westhoff

After graduating with the charter class of Honors Scholars, Tia Westhoff was accepted into the prestigious John Jay Fellows Program. With this rare opportunity, she spent a semester in historic Philadelphia furthering her studies and professional development at the John Jay Institute. From there, following her strong commitment to pro-life principles, Tia managed a home for mothers and children in crisis in Phoenix, Arizona. She gained experience in nonprofit development and now works for the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership in Madison, Wisconsin. Tia recently graduated with a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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