From Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
As Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg celebrates its 10th anniversary year, the school has launched a Hall of Fame program.
Saint Joseph’s Hall of Fame recognizes graduates or special contributors who have helped define and advance the Saint Joseph’s mission and pillars of Faith, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service through their post-graduate achievements and/or contributions.
Jennifer Mallett, Head of School, views the Hall of Fame inductions as important because “they connect the past with the present. For a school that was opened 10 years ago, the Hall of Fame nominations and induction recognizes the best of the best while giving current students and families a blueprint for success.”
The school’s inaugural inductees are Garrett Bastardi and Carrie Shearer, both members of the Wolfpack Class of 2015.
Bastardi credits “the school and the community” for positively impacting his life and helping him to achieve this honor. He has taken the four pillars instilled to him at Saint Joe’s and used them as the foundation for his life. Specifically, Bastardi has lived out the pillar of leadership by giving back to the very community that helped shape him.
“I’ve lived out the pillar of leadership in my role as a coach and trying to do what I can to help young people not only reach their goals athletically, but also do so with gratitude and understanding that it’s our Heavenly Father that gives us the opportunity to compete and learn,” he said.
Coaching basketball and golf at Our Lady of Victory and Saint Joseph’s since 2018, Bastardi has had the opportunity to coach dozens of kids grades 6-12.
“This role as a coach has provided me with the opportunity to lead and be a positive influence on a younger generation whose shoes I was just in not too long ago,” Bastardi stated. “I believe that advancing these four pillars on the court and/or out on the field of play is just as important as advancing the pillars in the classroom.”
In addition to playing basketball and golf at Saint Joe’s, Bastardi was also a member of Saint Joe’s Student Council. Since high school graduation, he studied both Political Science and Meteorology at Penn State in addition to playing golf professionally for four years (2017-2021). In early 2021, Bastardi founded and began running a business in the golf and turfgrass management industry.
Shearer has also lived out Saint Joe’s pillars since graduation.
“Faith, scholarship, leadership, and service were not only guiding principles during my years in high school, but have also proven to align with my personal values as I continue life after graduation,” she noted.
Shearer graduated from Duquesne University Honors College (2019) and pursued a career in college sports and football operations.
“While in college at Duquesne, I became greatly involved in campus ministry and a local church in the Pittsburgh area as a young adult/college ministry group leader,” she added.
Her time as a ministry group leader has helped Shearer “to continue to put faith first in life, but also reinforced my passion for helping others to be intentional about living their faith every day.”
After graduating from Duquesne, Shearer became a full-time postgraduate intern at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis as well as at Women Leaders in College Sports in Kansas City.
“Those roles allowed me to work with the Big Ten Conference Office for two of their championships, and countless other opportunities that have shaped the leader I have become,” Shearer commented. “Currently, I am working with the Carolina Panthers as the Football Operations Training Camp Intern and am looking forward to returning to the NCAA in September.”
As Shearer moves into a professional career working in the NFL and professional sports, she notes that “those guiding pillars remain just as applicable to life and work.”
Shearer noted that “The significance and meaning of this award is not lost on me, because I know that I would not be currently working my dream job and proud of where I am today if it were not for the people at Saint Joe’s who invested their faith and time in me.” While at Saint Joe’s, Shearer was an active member of the community. She was involved in the following clubs and activities: Youth Group, Student Council, Yearbook, Football Team Manager, Basketball Team Manager, Prom Committee, and Accreditation Committee.
Both Bastardi and Shearer have left a lasting impact at Saint Joe’s and will continue to live out the school’s mission while having positively impacting their communities.
“There is no better way to recognize how our inductees exemplify our Four Pillars of Faith, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service in their daily lives,” Mallett said. “We are very proud to induct our inaugural class in 2021!”
