March 2023

George Ayoub

Class of 1968
Alumni Liaison

Volume 8 | Number 2

Welcome to Rise, the voice of Grand Island Senior High alumni and friends. We show up every other month in over 9,000 in-boxes bringing you news, views, and memories of GISH. Rise is a publication of the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation.

Welcome to our eighth year of publishing the only consistent connection for alumni and friends of Grand Island Senior High. That makes this iteration 44 of Rise. We are happy you’re a subscriber and hope you continue to read the comings and goings of Islander alums across the globe. 

Here’s some of what you will find inside this issue: “At the Top'' introduces you to our newest columnist, Sarah Kuta and bids a fond farewell to Abbey Kutlas-Prickett. Sarah uses her column, “The Wandering Writer's World” to introduce herself to Rise readers. Jackie Ruiz-Rodriguez’s “On the Island” sets the stage for Senior High’s spring musical, “Big Fish.” Grand Island Public Schools Foundation Executive Director, Kari Hooker-Leep, writes about scholarships and legacy in her “Making Your Mark” piece. Annual Giving Coordinator, Maggie McDermott, has a run down on the Foundation’s Staff Campaign and Go Big Give, both of which she does with some really fascinating numbers.

As usual, we’ll remember alumni who have passed in the last couple months and keep up on the lives and times of Islanders everywhere in Class Notes. An (e)Mailbag correspondent writes in praise of Mike Monk’s writing. Speaking of which, Mike’s “Distant Mirror” column this issue wonders why college students are avoiding the humanities and what they lose in doing so. Bianca Ayala takes us to the world of girls wrestling at Barr Middle School and GISH. Yours truly draws the distinction between legendary GISH English teacher Mr. Elmer Kral and new artificial intelligence software that can write an essay for you.

Keep in touch, Islanders. And remember: Keep pushing on.