FAMILY SPOTLIGHT – THE KOEHLES
Large, strong Catholic families are the very backbone of Bishop Carroll. One such family is the Joe and Sue Koehle family from Ashville.
All six of the Koehle children have or will graduate from Bishop Carroll: Allece (2006), Joe (2008), Mike (2010), Mason (2012), Erin (2014), and Jude (2023). In addition, three have also married Bishop Carroll graduates. Allece is married to Luke Jensen (2006), Mike to the former Emily Waksmunski (2010), and Mason is married to the former Megan Schall (2012). Joe and Sue are also proud grandparents of 10 grandchildren!
Joe and Sue feel very strongly about Catholic education. They met at a Catholic High School (Bishop Guilfoyle), and their parents made sure they had a Catholic education. Sue's grandfather was Lutheran, but wanted to make sure that his children went to Catholic schools. They said, “A Catholic education is one of the most important decisions that we have made for our children! We made that choice because of our faith and the quality of education that Bishop Carroll provides to them. There have been many changes over the years and we had to make some difficult choices, but I think that our children have adjusted well. We will continue to support Catholic education through Bishop Carroll even when all of our children have graduated! A Catholic education is wonderful!”
All of the Koehle children have found great benefits from their time at BCCHS. Mike said, “I feel that Bishop Carroll held us to a high standard in all aspects – class, sports, extracurriculars – and promoted being a well-rounded individual, making it an easy transition to college and career.” Allece was very grateful for the small class sizes and individual attention. She remarked, “It meant so much to be surrounded by like-minded individuals with similar morals.” Erin explained how much the faith was important to her. She said, “I am thankful for the hard work and dedication of the teachers and the sense of community that Bishop Carroll provided. The emphasis on incorporating faith in all aspects of learning was another benefit of attending BC.” Finally, Mason commented on the foundation that BC helped create helped prepare him in many ways. “I enjoyed the faith-focused atmosphere, the faculty and staff that truly cared about the students, and the encouragement to challenge myself to become a better person.”
The family feels very strongly in the importance of raising families in the faith. Mason said, “The world today is often scary. Raising families in the faith is very important as it gives us hope, clarity, and a purpose that is greater than ourselves. As Fr. Jude says, ‘A strong faith helps us to become more happy, wholesome, and holy people to help the world become a better place.”
While the family reflects on the past, they are also focused on the future. “I am looking forward to my children growing in their faith and becoming their own individual person. I am curious and excited to see what they will accomplish. It will be fun to see if they will have similar great experiences that I had while at Bishop Carroll.”
The entire family would recommend BCCHS to any and all who are looking for a school to make a major difference in their lives. They said, “Bishop Carroll is more than just a school. Bishop Carroll is a community. Not only does Bishop Carroll offer a quality education, BC also encourages students to live out their faith and strive for excellence every day.”
Thank you to the Koehles, all of our other great families, for putting your faith in the future with Bishop Carroll!