Before enrolling at SUA, Beth (Piel) Black ’02 attended Christ the King. She participated in choir and took dance lessons outside of school, and she wanted to continue these activities at SUA. Beth took part in musicals, both backstage and onstage. In addition, she played broomball for the SUA Cyclones and Magic, was a member of the French Club, took part in the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS), and was a part of SUA’s Work-Study Program.
Beth has many wonderful memories of being a student at SUA, especially going to France with Madame Slykhuis, Madame Stanford, and the students in the French Club. Beth said, “One of the funniest times was in French class when Madame Slykhuis got so upset over something that she physically climbed up on top of the table at the front of the room and started stomping her feet and yelling at us in French! On the other hand, though, one of the worst times was Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Maas’ government classroom will forever be etched in my memory as all of us just watched in horror as the South Tower of the World Trade Center fell live on TV.”
Beth attended Valparaiso University, double majoring in music and theatre and minoring in French. After graduation, she moved back to Toledo, where she got involved with The Village Players Theatre and The Toledo Repertoire Theatre.
After meeting her husband, the couple moved to Georgia, where they spent seven years. She got involved with Peach State Summer Theatre, which is the largest summer stock musical theatre company in the state. She worked in the costume shop, which was a dream! Her husband was the co-director of the South Georgia Film Festival, which she helped run.
Beth recently moved to West Bend, Wisc. She thought it would be interesting to get involved with working the elections and became a Chief Inspector. She said, “It’s so nice to know local police officers, the mayor, and other employees of our local government. It gives the government a friendly face and makes it easier to feel like I can speak up if I have a question or concern. I see these people often at the theatre!” Along with working at PetSmart, she is a house lead for the Historic Bend Theatre.
“I am so blessed that my parents provided me with a Catholic education,” Beth said. “It probably sounds cliche, but SUA was a game-changer for me. I came out of my shell much more than I thought I would, had I gone somewhere else. I was empowered every day to ask questions, to give my opinion, and to strive for the best I could be. Truly, I feel that part of this confidence was the all-female environment, but it was also because of the teachers and staff! Once I moved on to college, some of my freshman-year classes were easier than my senior-year classes at SUA!”
- Making an Impact