Class of 2002

2002 Class Directory

Brad Berelsman

Toledo OH

In May of 2007, I graduated from the University of Toledo with a Masters in Science of Accountancy (MSA). Currently, I am working for Ernst & Young in their assurance division. Feel free to contact.

Mandy Unterbrink

Hilliard OH

[email protected]

I graduated from the University of Finday in the Spring of 2006. Currently, I am an internal and external auditor for Plante & Moran in Columbus. Anyone interested in a career in public accounting let me know!

Stephanie (Scherger) Gonya

Columbus OH

[email protected]

I graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus in June, 2006. I have worked for OSU since that time. I am currently pursuing my masters of science degree in nursing and family nurse practitioner from OSU. I married my husband, Aaron in September, 2007.

Spotlight on Stephanie Scherger

Delphos St. John’s Class of 2002

I graduated from St. John's in 2002 after eight years of being in band. I first fell in love with band the 1994 football season when I saw the percussion feature that year at homecoming. I was hooked on percussion ever since.

I graduated from Ohio State with a Bachelors degree in Nursing in 2006.

To tell you the honest truth, I never expected to pursue any music in college. I looked at colleges solely based on career and what majors the university offered. The band at OSU sends out letters to incoming freshman who put down they had an interest in band in high school. I received one of these letters and went down to Columbus and attended practices during the summer. The style of marching and playing was so much different than I was accustomed too and the competition was incredibly intimidating. After two or three weeks, I never came back to practice. Everyone tries out for the band every year, and it doesn't matter if you were in the band the year before or not. Every one of the 225 spots is open. Still, there were plenty of people from previous years returning and after watching them practice, I didn't think I was or would ever be good enough. What would you know, that was the 2002 championship season.

I believe once a band member, always a band member. I joined the Athletic Band my sophomore year. This band plays at the men's and women's basketball games as well as the men's hockey games. This was a band that we didn't have to audition for and it gave me the opportunity to learn the style of the band and how they played. I was member of this band every quarter from sophomore year through graduation.

I tried out again for the marching band my junior year and didn't make it past first cuts.

I tried out again my senior year and made it as one of five cymbalists. It is quite the accomplishment to make the band………..ever. I have met a lot of people who have tried out year after year and never made it once. My fiancé is one of those people. He tried out for five seasons and never made it. I guess you now know how we met.

There were several highlights of being in the marching band during the 2005 season. My first ramp was October 15, which was the Michigan State game as well as Homecoming. I was also able to obtain tickets for my parents and it was great they were able to see me march my first game in Ohio Stadium. The Michigan game was in Ann Arbor that year. The band stormed the field after the 25-21 victory against the team up north. My final game in uniform was at the 2006 Fiesta Bowl in Tempe against Notre Dame. What an awesome experience!

My advice to future graduates is always believe in yourself. I started out band, in the fifth grade, the only girl among 13 percussionists. My first year in marching band there were sixteen people in the percussion section and four of us were girls. My senior year, three out of the four snare drummers were girls and out of eleven members of the section that year, six were girls. My success in college I give to Ms. Hare and the band program at St. John's. I would have never made it in the collegiate band world without the instruction I received in grade school and high school. My brother is also a member of Athletic band at OSU and he also agrees he also wouldn't be playing in college if he hadn't had the instruction he did from Ms. Hare. If band is something you love, you have to put yourself out there. I entered solo and ensemble contest every year in high school and it truly prepared me to stand-alone and play. And playing for that judge is harder than playing for 105,000 people in Ohio Stadium or the 10,000+ people I played drum feature for three out of five years at the state football tournament. If you want to pursue a collegiate band career, find out as much as you can about your college's band program before you get there. As for OSU, if you want to be a member of the band, I would attend summer session practices from June to August. They are on Tuesdays and Thursday from 7-9.