Ursuline High awards 2 Distinguished Alumni

Staff report

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The Feast of St. Ursula Liturgy was celebrated last week in the Ursuline High School gymnasium.

The 23rd annual Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented at the liturgy. Each year, this award is given to graduates of Ursuline High School who have distinguished themselves by dedicated service to the school and to the community at large. This year’s recipients are Kathy Cunningham Conlan (1978) and Dr. Edward J. Novosel (1965).

Conlan represents a multigeneration Ursuline High School family. Her grandmother, Mary Rita Chizmar Cunningham, graduated in 1930. Conlan is the daughter of Bernice Hodnicky Cunningham and the late Jack Cunningham (1955). She has two brothers, Jack Jr. (1980) and Tim (1983).

Conlan grew up on the North Side of Youngstown and attended St. Edward School and Ursuline High School. She graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor of science degree in education. Kathy and her husband, Mike, have three children. She is a member of St. Patrick Parish in Hubbard.

Dr. Novosel is the son of Nick and Zita Novosel. He has four siblings, three of whom are Ursuline alumni: Barbara (1958), Rosemary (1963) and Tom (1973); brother Nick is a Hubbard High School alumnus. Dr. Novosel went to St. Patrick School in Hubbard, Ursuline High School and the University of Detroit, from which he graduated in 1969.

While an Ursuline student, he earned All-City Honors in football and basketball. After graduation, he taught at Cardinal Mooney High School for one year. He then enrolled in medical school in Kansas City, Mo., and graduated in 1974.

He completed a one-year residency in Family Practice at Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital. Dr. Novosel joined a medical practice in Hubbard in 1975, then relocated to Niles at the Family Medical Clinic. He retired from family practice in 2009. Dr. Novosel is the Associate Medical Director at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren.

He married the former Colleen Reardon in April 1973. They live in Liberty Township and are active as parishioners at St. Rose in Girard and at Ursuline. Their three children also went to Ursuline.

A reception for honorees and their guests took place in the Library-Learning Center after the liturgy.