A huge shout-out to Stephanie Stecz and her husband Ryan, whose support for Leo continues to go above and beyond.
A mother of four, a professor at Loyola University and girls track and cross country coach at DePaul Prep, Stephanie still finds time to serve as Leo’s grant writer. In recent years, grants she prepared helped fund the renovation of Alumni Field, the expansion of the science labs and a total remake of the cafeteria.
Aware of the budget gap Leo is facing with the demise of the tax-credit scholarship program, Stephanie and Ryan hosted a fundraiser, “Sips for Scholarships,” in the back yard of their North Side home on Thursday, August 22.
The world-renowned Leo Choir entertained more than 70 guests with a five-song set, including “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” which Dr. Rawls regards as an anthem not just for the Choir but for Leo High School as a whole. Dr. Rawls and Leo President Dan McGrath took part in a “state of the school” Q&A with Matt Katzfey from the Big Shoulders Fund. More than $10,000 had been pledged by the end of a delightful evening.
Six years ago, the addition of Calculus to the Leo curriculum created a need for high-priced, high-end calculators that the students would need for the course. Once again Stephanie and Ryan stepped up, hosting “Cocktails for Calculators” and raising enough money to purchase two dozen devices that are still in use.
“We are forever grateful to Stephanie and Ryan for their amazing generosity – they are among the best friends Leo has,” McGrath said. “To do all they do for us with no real ties to the school … it reaffirms our belief in the Leo Mission.”
Stephanie and Ryan are Akron, Ohio, natives. They are graduates of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School, alma mater of LeBron James, and the University of Notre Dame.
And they’re great people.