Best of the Week 2019-2020: Holy Cross Values

CLASS OF 2020 MAN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES EMBODY HOLY CROSS VALUES & PILLARS

Congratulations to this year's Class of 2020 Man of the Year nominees: Gabriel Beaver '20, Connor Fairfield '20, Coleman Isner '20, Michael Manning '20 and Brennan Rains '20. Chosen by their fellow classmates for their leadership and embodiment of an Edsman, these five Man of the Year nominees exemplify St. Ed's Holy Cross values and display the competence to see and the courage to act as men of hope for the transformation of the world.

Gabriel (Gabe) Beaver has been a member of St. Ed's National Honor Society, Cross and Anchor Society, IB Diploma Programme and Thinking Men (the unofficial group of seniors who meet every Friday morning with Theology teacher Mr. Owen Williams '13). He has served as a Student Ambassador, Student Minister, CAS Project Leader, Freshman Retreat leader and Kairos retreat leader and is the co-founder and producer of "The Bridge" podcast. "Being an Edsman, all the Holy Cross pillars have truly resonated with me, but at the end of the day, our relationships are the only things that matter," says Gabe. "Relationships have shaped me into the Edsman I am today and I've learned to value each and every single relationship in my life. St. Ed's has taught me to not only value my relationships with my classmates, but also with my teachers, coaches, family and anyone else I interact with throughout the day. I've learned that nothing is ever achieved alone. We are all tied to each other in some way and the St. Ed's community treats everyone like family." This fall, Gabe will be attending Bowling Green State University, majoring in Communications with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Gabe was also accepted into Bowling Green's Presidential Leadership Academy. "As an Edsman, I've tried to embody the Holy Cross Mission of educating not only my mind, but also my heart," says Gabe. "My Man of the Year nomination reminds me of a Bible verse that has always spoken to me, 'As iron sharpens iron, so does one man to another.' To me, no one person can be Man of the Year because we, the St. Edward community, collectively make each other better men. This community has guided, pushed, redirected and shaped me into the young man I am today, and for that, I am forever grateful."

Connor Fairfield has served as a Student Ambassador, Student Minister, Eucharistic Minister, Student Council Officer, and has been a member of the National Honor Society (Executive Council), Cross and Anchors Society, Mock Trial and Thinking Men. In addition to being a student athlete for St. Ed's Football, Rugby and Basketball teams, Connor has also led the Freshman Retreat and Kairos Retreat and served as a director for the IB Film short documentary, "Forest City Blues." Connor will be attending The Ohio State University this fall as an International Studies major and a member of the OSU Rugby team. "When I first came to St. Edward High School as a freshman four years ago, one of the goals that I had set for myself was to simply become a guy that everyone knew that they could come to talk to. In short, I wanted to be friends with everyone so that no one felt that they didn't belong here at St. Ed's," says Connor. "For my classmates to nominate me for Man of the Year, it's a feeling that can only be described as both grateful and humbling. Here at St. Ed's, we constantly refer to the brotherhood that's created once you become an Edsmen. For me, I took this mission to heart to become a person that my classmates could call their brother at the end of our four years here. Going to St. Edward High School has been one of the best experiences of my life as it has taught me so many lessons that will be with me for the rest of my life. St. Ed's has taught me to not only be a man of integrity but to be a man with hope to bring for others."

Coleman Isner has been a member of St. Ed's Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Programming Club and the IB Diploma Programme. He has shown his leadership qualities as President of Model UN, Secretary-General of the Cleveland International MUN Conference, Captain of the Robotics Team, President of National Honor Society, and Student Organizer for CAMVETS Make-a-thon and SEHS Innovation Challenge. Coleman has also participated in the Blockland Cleveland Blockchain Hackathon, the Cleveland Medical Hackathon and the International COVID-19 Hack from Home Challenge. "I am proud and honored to stand in good company with the other Man of the Year nominees this year and those who came before us. 2020 is a particularly impressive class, and I'm glad to be recognized and respected by my peers. We've all grown greatly over the past four years, and reflecting on our transformation as brothers brings back a lot of good memories," says Coleman. This fall, Coleman will be attending Carnegie Mellon University and intends to major in Business Administration with concentrations in Global Economics and Economics, Markets, and Strategy. "When I graduate from St. Ed's, I hope I've left the impression of someone who got the most out of what St. Ed's has to offer," says Coleman. "We're all extremely lucky to receive an incredible education and high school experience at St. Ed's, and my ultimate goal has been to become a man with hope to bring within this incredible St. Ed's community. Servant leadership asks us to be servants first, serving the needs of those around us through action. Acting as a servant deepens our faith, builds stronger relationships, and ultimately frees us to be excellent. With that newly found freedom and peace, I've learned how to make intentional, conscious choices about who I want to be and how I want to lead."

Michael Manning has served as a Student Ambassador, Student Minister and Kairos Retreat leader in addition to being a member of the National Honor Society (Executive Council), Leadership Committee for Spanish National Honor Society, and Cross and Anchor Society. "It's an absolute honor to be nominated for this great award. I love this group of Edsmen, my fellow nominees, and I'm humbled and blessed to be a part of this with them," says Michael. Michael has also been a St. Ed's Football and Track athlete and has helped serve at his parish's Fish Fries and Camp Cheerful with the St. Ed's Football team. "The thing I most admire about past Man of the Year nominees is their humility and selflessness. They earned their nominations by being true men for others and they didn't look for any recognition in return. They are genuine Edsmen who emulate the primary qualities of this award. To now be in their shoes and to know that others see those qualities in me is so humbling." Michael will be attending The Ohio State University this fall, majoring in Civil Engineering.

Brennan Rains is the Class of 2020 Student Body President and St. Ed's 2019-2020 Basketball Team Captain. He has been a member of the National Honor Society, Student Government and Cross and Anchor Society and has worked in the Middleburg Heights Service Department and the Middleburg Heights Animal Control Center. "Coming to St. Ed's, a lot of people told me that I would be a 'little fish in a big pond,' but I've worked every day for four years straight to prove those people wrong, not just for them, but because I wanted to rise up to the challenge for myself," says Brennan. "When people think back on Brennan Rains, I want them to think of my spirit. One of the main things we as a student government wanted to do this year was raise overall school spirit, whether through rallies, student sections or showing up for our classmates. I wanted to lead by example in that regard, making sure every Edsman felt appreciated. I wanted everyone to feel like they belonged and that their craft, no matter what it was, was as significant as the next person's. Even though our year got cut short, I am proud of the work everyone within our school has done to create a more spirited culture for St. Ed's." Brennan will be attending Otterbein University this fall, majoring in either Mechanical Engineering or Business Analytics. "My favorite thing about being an Edsman is the brotherhood," says Brennan. "As cliche as that sounds, I've truly never experienced anything like it. So many Edsmen have been there for me when I needed them, and I promise to always be there for anyone else who needs me. The amount of love within our community is contagious and I love being part of a brotherhood that is like a second family."