Brescia University honored 10 alumni with the University’s highest honors at its inaugural Laurel Awards on Saturday, April 26. The awards were bestowed by
the Brescia University Alumni Association, Athletics Department, and the President’s Office as a part of Brescia’s Centennial Celebration.
The Laurel Awards program was created to bring together the presentation of these distinguished honors into a full evening of celebration during the institution’s 100th anniversary year. The name was inspired by the laurel tree that is an icon in the crest of both the Sisters of Mount St. Joseph and Brescia University. In ancient Rome, laurel leaves were used to crown champions, representing their triumphs and resilience in overcoming challenges. Beyond its associations with victory, the laurel tree also signifies growth and strength, rooted in the Theological Virtues of faith, hope, and love. This deep connection highlights the commitment to excellence that the Laurel Awards aim to celebrate and honor within our community.
During the event, honorees were recognized for their lifetime achievements and given the opportunity to speak on their time at the University to share perspectives on what they learned and took with them from the Ursuline education they received.
Bearcat of the Year was presented for the first time to honor an individual in the Brescia community who exemplifies the Brescia Difference and spirit.
The Father Charles Saffer Alumni Hall of Fame Award is presented by the Brescia University Alumni Association to an alum who, in their lifetime of personal achievement, has personified the ideals of Brescia University.
The Outstanding Alumnus Award is presented to an alum who has given outstanding service to the association and/or the university.
The Brescia University Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding athletes who have contributed to the promotion and development of Brescia University athletics.
Graduates of the Last Decade – GOLD recognizes an outstanding graduate within the last 10 years whose achievements have been significant to Brescia University, to the general welfare of their community, and to their profession.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest and most prestigious awards for alumni of Brescia University. It honors the breadth and scope of their life’s work, the magnitude of their impact on the regional, national and often international scene, and their embodiment of service and leadership.
Honorees included: Bearcat of the Year: Jason Cox ‘97, Father Charles Saffer Alumni Hall of Fame Award Androniki (Andrea) Michaelidou ’85, Outstanding Alumna Award: Sister Judith Nell Riney ’71, Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees: Will McKenzie ’16 (men’s golf and voice of the Bearcats) and Natalie
Jones Schweinzger ’20 (women’s volleyball), Outstanding Graduate of the Last Decade – GOLD Honoree: Mazvita Ngorosha ’22, and Distinguished Alumni Honorees: Monsignor Patrick Bishop ’71, Joan Hayden ’75, Janet Istre Howard ’81, and Chris Reid ’81.
Jason Cox was born and raised in Louisville, KY where he attended Catholic schools his whole life. Cox graduated from DeSales High School in 1992 and graduated in 1997 from Brescia with a degree in social work. During his time at Brescia, he could most often be found on the golf course as a member of the golf team, starring in one of the Little Theatre productions, or cheering on the Bearcats. After graduation, he put his social work degree to work for the Cabinet for Family Services until he returned to Brescia as an admissions counselor in 2000. While in that role, he established the first women’s golf team and served as head coach throughout the early 2000’s. In the early 2000s, he began his retail golf career and opened Legend’s Golf and Soccer. In 2010, he returned to
Brescia as the Director of Alumni Relations. In 2015, the pull to serve as a head golf professional drew him to the Pearl Club of Owensboro. However, when the opportunity arose, he could not say “no” to returning to serve for eight seasons as the head coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams. Cox, along with his wife Tracy, currently owns and operates The Golf Emporium, located in Owensboro, KY.
Androniki (Andrea) Michaelidou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus. In 1979, she began her studies in Medicine at the University of Bordeaux, France. However, she had to discontinue her studies and return to Cyprus in 1981. Her dream was to study in the United States, and she learned through a close friend that Brescia College offered a distinguished Speech Language Pathology program, along with one of the finest Speech and Hearing Clinics in Kentucky. After successfully passing entry exams, she transferred to Brescia where she not only earned a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology but also pursued a Minor in French Literature. She was an active member of the Student Government Association, the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association,
the International Students Association, and the University’s soccer team as its manager. After graduation, she returned to Cyprus where there were only three speech-language pathologists in the entire country. Inspired by the excellence of the Brescia clinic, she established her own practice in Nicosia. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Healthcare Management from the Open University of Cyprus before moving into a position at Makarios Hospital, where she has dedicated her career for the past 36 years.
Sister Judith Nell Riney was born in Owensboro and attended the Mount St. Jospeh Academy. In 1966, she entered the Ursuline community and in 1971 she graduated from Brescia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Riney would go on to earn a Master of Arts in Library Science from Spalding University in 1979 and later a Post Master’s Certificate in Library & Information Science from Catholic University of America. After graduating from Brescia, she taught social studies at St James School in Saint Louis, taught five years of math St. Angela Merici School in Florissant Missouri, taught math for one year at St. Ann School in Normandy, Missouri. Sr. Riney then taught history and part-time library science at Trinity High School in Whitesville for a year. She began working at Brescia as the library’s public services manager in 1980 and was named library director in 1985, where she has remained since. She will retire from Brescia in May. Over the course of her career at Brescia, she has overseen numerous technological and educational advances – she helped develop and implement the first online class at Brescia and was instrumental in the transition from a card catalog system to the modern digital library system. She has been a fixture in the library
community of Kentucky and beyond, serving on numerous boards and committees, including – the executive committee of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities. She is also a member of the American Library Association, the Catholic Library Association, and Kentucky Library Association.
Will McKenzie is a native of Russellville, KY and a graduate of Logan County High School. He attended Brescia from 2011 to 2016 and was a member of the Men’s Golf Team. He was also the “Voice of the Bearcats” from 2012 to 2017, announcing primarily for Men’s and Women’s Basketball home games, but also covering Volleyball, Soccer, Baseball, and Softball. During his successful golf career, he won multiple events and was named the Individual Medalist of the 2015 KIAC Conference Tournament, earning Conference Player of the Year honors and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Daytona Beach, FL. Will was also a member of the 2012- and 2016-Men’s Golf Teams that captured Conference Titles. He was named All-Conference in 2013 and 2016.
Natalie Jones Schweinzger was born in College Station, Texas but grew up in Owensboro, attending Owensboro Catholic and then, Brescia University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2020 and then continued her education at the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Science focusing on Dental Hygiene in 2022. She now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. During her athletic career at Brescia, she was recognized as a 1st team all-conference player from 2016-2020, Newcomer of the Year in 2016, Player of the Year in 2020, and was an Honorable Mention All American.
Mazvita Ngorosha was born in Murewa, Zimbabwe, and moved to the United States with her family when she was 11. She graduate from high school in Oxford, Ohio before starting her academic career at Brescia University. During her time at Brescia, Ngorosha was a student-athlete on the Women’s Tennis Team, a Resident Assistant, a Black Student Union President, an Orientation Leader, a Student Ambassador in the Admissions office, a cellist in the Music Club, a tutor at the Ursuline Center for Teaching and Learning, a musical and art presenter at the Celebration of Excellence, a member of the Origami Club, a Phonathon Caller, and was the Recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Computer Science Award and the 2022 Spirit of Angela Award. After graduating from Brescia in 2022 with her bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in Political Science, Mazvita began her career as a Software Engineer at Abbott in Los Angeles, Calif. where she continues to work on life-saving medical device software and develops her knowledge and experience in the Cardiac Rhythm Management field.
Monsignor Patrick Bishop was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in nearby Marietta where he attended and graduate from Marrietta High School in 1964. After one year at the University of Georgia, he entered the seminary at St. Meinrad, Indiana. During senior year, both parents fell critically ill, and he left school to be with them. Brescia assisted him in completing his required college studies and graduate in May of 1971. Bishop then continued seminary training at St. Mary’s
Seminary, Baltimore, MD, and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1973. He later earned a Master of Education degree at Georgia State University in 1981. He was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest in 1974 and served in several local parishes until he took a four-year assignment as Spiritual Director of the diocesan high school in 1979. He moved to an assignment as pastor to a small rural Georgia parish where he become very involved in the civic community – serving as President of Ministerial Association, was co-founder with the Baptist Pastor of a community food bank, wrote a column for the local newspaper, hosted a weekly tv show about happenings in the area, served as chair of both the Cancer and Heart funds, was founder of the Community Relations Commission and chaplain to
the local police departments. In 1989, he was assigned as pastor to a suburban Atlanta parish back in his hometown of Marietta. He retired in 2014. He was given the title “Monsignor” in the year 2000 during the Pontificate of St. John Paul II at the recommendation of the then-archbishop of Atlanta, John Donahue.
Joan Hayden was born in Owensboro and graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School before entering Brescia College where she earned a Bachelor of Music Education in 1975. She then taught for eight years in the Catholic school system. She married husband, Martin, in 1983 and started working in the family business, Hayden Electric. Hayden has held many community leadership roles over the years – from scout leader, 4H leader, and FFA aide to sitting on the Kentucky State Extension Council and serving on boards of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, and Owensboro Community and Technical College. She was the first woman president of both the Davies County Lions Club and the Daviess County Farm Bureau.
Janet Istre Howard graduated from Owensboro Senior High School and started at Brescia College in 1975 as a Medical Technology major. While at Brescia, Howard worked as a cytology assistant at a private lab in Owensboro. As a busy working mother and wife, she said she appreciated the Brescia staff, particularly in the science department, who were supportive of her schedules. She graduated from Brescia and began working at Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center as a part time Medical Technologist in 1981 and became Laboratory supervisor in 1983. She earned designation as a Specialist in Blood Bank in 1993. In 1988, she was named CEO and Administrator of the Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center. She plans to retire in late 2025. Janet is a member of Blessed Mother Parrish and is active with church picnics and the bereavement committee.
Born in Owensboro, Chris Reid graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School. Like his father Charles A. Reid, Chris attended Brescia University and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He worked full-time while attending Brescia, married Janet Searcy Reid and they started their family during his senior. He also attended a ABA banking school and graduated from ABA CEO Graduate School of Banking in 1985 at University of Wisconsin, where he set and still holds the highest performance marks in BankSim Exams. In 1979, Chris began working full time with his father at the family-owned bank, later named Independence Bank. As a team, they grew the bank to $250 million in total assets, and after his father’s death, continued to lead and grow the bank into the largest, privately-owned bank in Kentucky.
To view photos from the event, click here.