Alicemarie (Smialek) Geoffrion '89
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Alicemarie (Smialek) Geoffrion ‘89 has been named DHL Supply Chain’s President of Packaging in North America. In addition, Alice has been appointed to DHL’s North American Board. Alice joined DHL nine years ago in their Strategy and M&A group and held several global roles before heading up their Packaging Business Unit.
Alice is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) where she works with global executives across industries to help attract and retain manufacturing talent of the future. Alice was also recently honored by Supply & Demand magazine as a top 2021 Woman in Supply Chain executive leader.
Alice currently resides in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and four children. Although she is a Buckeyes fan (mandatory if you live in Columbus), she is still a huge Packers fan!
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Paul Urbanski '16 is one of the few people to roam Patriots Hall as both student and teacher. Having graduated from BA in 2016, Paul attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison where he received a B.A. in Mathematics and a Certificate in Integrated Liberal Studies.
After studying at Madison, Paul’s father, an alum himself and longtime Latin teacher in Freedom Hall, David Urbanski '89, made Paul aware of an opportunity to teach at BA. The original opportunity was not a good fit for Paul, but it allowed both him and BA to explore other opportunities. A new position opened up, and Paul soon became an Upper School mathematics and computer science teacher.
Returning to his alma mater was an added benefit for Paul, but teaching at BA was not always a foregone conclusion. As many of you know, Paul comes from a family of teachers. As mentioned, Paul's father currently teaches at BA. Paul's mother, Grace Urbanski, was a Upper School English teacher at BA. With so many of his family members and family friends teaching, Paul once thought that every adult worked to become a teacher.
Although Paul does not have a degree in teaching, he knows that his background is well-suited for the profession. Both Paul’s father and mother have given him advice to help him throughout his teaching journey.
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Paul Urbanski '16 (middle) returns to BA as a mathematics and computer science teacher. Father David Urbanski '89 (left) and mother Grace Urbanski (right)
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Paul acknowledges that some things are different at BA since his graduation in 2016. These differences include the addition and subtraction of certain clubs, different teachers in the building, and the obvious COVID-19 impact. Even with those changes, Paul has noticed that Brookfield Academy has maintained the same culture since his time at BA.
One challenge Paul has put on himself is to eliminate general statements such as, “I’m just not a math person,” or “I just don’t get computers.” With the attempt to show how mathematics and computers relate to philosophy, science, English, and history, Paul hopes he can use his current position to help every student care about these technical subject matters as part of the integrated web of knowledge.
When asking Paul what from BA has helped him most, he had this to say,
I will turn back to my strong appreciation of the liberal arts, whose origins I trace to BA, as well as an appreciation of the Trivium. The primary goal of the Trivium, at the core of BA's curriculum, is training students how to learn, rather than learning any one particular subject. Memorization, syntax, and rhetoric lead one to comprehension of any subject, and hence to care about its impact. This is why the Trivium and the liberal arts pair so well together; their combined goal is to impart understanding of concepts as part of an interconnected web of knowledge, leaving the student as a more reliable and interesting person.
This understanding of the world that I received from BA has trained me to approach any unattained skill, not just with a proper respect for its importance, but also with a belief that I could learn it if I applied the time and effort. It is a very enabling attitude.
BA is thrilled to have Paul return to his alma mater as a teacher. We look forward to him accomplishing his goal of getting students passionate about technical subject matters, such as mathematics and computer science.
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BA Teacher Receives Outstanding Educator Award
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Greg Rackovan, an AP chemistry and AP physics teacher in the Upper School at BA, has been awarded the University of Chicago's Outstanding Educator Award. Mr. Rackovan, who has taught so many of us BA graduates, was nominated by BA alum Ali Warraich '21. Ali is a freshman at the University of Chicago and had this to say about Mr. Rackovan:
Amidst the stress of AP classes and the general chaos of high school, Mr. Rackovan never failed to bring joy to my day. I still can't quite put my finger around what made him so inspiring. Whether it was his self-deprecating humor, enthusiastic approach to teaching, or sunny disposition, I always felt more like I was being taught by a friend than a teacher. - Ali Warraich '21
Mr. Rackovan will receive a commemorative award, certificate, and letter from the University of Chicago.
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Class of 2021 Care Packages
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Items are beginning to roll in as we prepare to send the graduating class of 2021 their BA care packages! You can contribute to the long-standing tradition by ordering from our Amazon Wish List by clicking here! You can also bring items to Founders Hall from now until Monday, November 1, from 9 am-2:30 pm. The packages are being sent out the first week in November!
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BA's Open House will be held Sunday, October 31, from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Interested families can schedule an Open House Tour through the website. Please share this opportunity to discover the difference at Brookfield Academy with your friends and family! More information is available on our website.
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On Wednesday, October 13, BA hosted our Final Four event for current Level 8 parents and students. During this annual event, students and parents alike learned about all of the wonderful academic and extracurricular opportunities available in our Upper School. Students and parents also had the opportunity to connect with Upper School faculty and student ambassadors. The event concluded with a dance party and open gym. Upper School students acted as DJ's and were great at getting all of the Level 8 students moving and grooving!
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The Class of 2016 strikes again with another BA proposal! Angela Schreiner '16 and Arhum Malik '16 first met one another at BA in high school. After years together, Arhum decided to pop the question after a planned night in downtown Milwaukee. Congrats you two!
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Arhum and Angela at a BA prom!
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Brookfield Academy Alumni LinkedIn Page
Join our "Brookfield Academy Alumni" LinkedIn group by clicking here, by searching "Brookfield Academy Alumni" in the LinkedIn search bar, or by clicking on the LinkedIn icon below. Once you are on the group page, click "request to join." Post what you have been up to as we attempt to connect all BA alumni!
We Want to Hear From You!
If you have any stories you want featured or have any suggestions for the newsletter, please email Michael Rajchel '16. Thanks!
Update Your Information
As we continue to update our alumni database, with goals to connect the BA alumni community, we need your help to provide us with your most current information. If you have recently moved, changed jobs, or received a new phone number, please click on the button below to fill out your current information.
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Please consider giving to the Annual Fund this year. Donations from alumni ensure our classrooms, cafeterias, fine arts, and athletic facilities are some of the best in the State of Wisconsin. Click here to make a donation.
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