December - Elizabeth (Irish) Marshall
c/o 2008 - "FOUNDATIONAL"
October - Nicole Buckingham
c/o 2015 - "COMPETITIVE"
September - Matthew Kelly
c/o 2000 - "OPPORTUNITY"
August - Erica Decker
c/o 2011 - "WELL-ROUNDED"
April - Megan Sullivan
c/o 2011 - "EMBRACING"
March - Michelle (Fulsher) Mitchell
c/o 1994 - "MEMORABLE"
January - Michael Bujold
c/o 2005 - "VALUES"

December - Ben Schuller
c/o 2009 - "INSPIRING"
October - Danielle (Kamm) Carter
c/o 2003 - "ENRICHING'
September - Jay Mohan
c/o 2005 - "REWARDING"
August - Jen (Thieme) Kehres
c/o 2003

Nouvel is continually proud of the impact our alumni make after they graduate. It is our honor to spotlight those alumni who truly represent our Nouvel Strong culture of Learning. Loving. Leading. Our Alumni Spotlights feature outstanding alumni succeeding in their careers, proud of their Panther heritage.

Nominate your fellow Panthers for the Alumni Spotlight. Email kbreasbois@nouvelcatholic.org or fill out an Alumni Spotlight Nomination form.

Matthew graduated from Nouvel Catholic Central High School in 2001. Matthew earned his Bachelors of Professional Accountancy from Saginaw Valley State University and his Masters of Divinity from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL.
 
Matthew has made a full circle since leaving Nouvel and has returned, this year, as the High School Campus Chaplain. He also serves as Parochial Vicar at Christ the Good Shepherd and St. John Paul II parishes in Saginaw.

Matthew describes his Nouvel experience as “REWARDING” stating “the Catholic education that I received at both St Stephen’s and Nouvel laid a foundation for the successes in my life.” Matthew expressed his excitement with returning to Nouvel to serve as Chaplain. “I would never have imagined, when I was a student, that I would one day be a priest, serving the Diocese, let alone serving as Chaplain at my alma mater.” We’re blessed to have you, Fr. Matt!
 

Peter Bartels graduated from Nouvel Catholic Central in 1987. He went on to graduate with his Bachelors in Internal Relations from Michigan State University in 1991, obtained his teaching certificate from Saginaw Valley State University in 1993 and later received his Masters from Ashland University in 2012. Pete was also a recipient of the James Madison Fellowship in 2011, which provides support to graduate study that focuses on our Constitution and the relevance to practices & policies of democratic government.

Pete is extremely involved in the Nouvel and his local community. He coaches Varsity Cross Country and the NCCHS Quiz Bowl Team, as well as advises Law Day and NCCHS Honor Guard. He is a member of the Freeland-Saginaw Area Runners Club, Saint Gerard Society and participates in the annual March for Life gathering in Washington D.C.

Pete and his wife, Kathy, along with their four children, Matthew (NCC ’17), Joseph (NCC ’19), Samuel (Gr. 10) and Grace (Gr. 3) are members of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Freeland.

Pete chose “COMPETITIVE” to describe his Nouvel experience. "At Nouvel, we have an expectation that we go into everything, whether it be a game in class or a game on the field, with a competitive demeanor," explains Pete. "Kids enjoy playing, competing and winning, but the difference here at Nouvel is that our kids maintain good sportsmanship from beginning to end. Whether it be our coaches, teachers or parents, they all teach not only a winning attitude but a positive one and expect it in everything we do."

Robi Stuart graduated from Nouvel Catholic Central in 2017. He is currently a junior neuroscience major at Central Michigan University. In addition to carrying a 3.88 grade point average, Robi serves as a defensive tackle on the CMU football team.

While attending CMU, Robi has already achieved several academic awards including being named to the Dean’s List and President’s List. He recently earned the “All MAC Football Third Team” and “MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete” awards. When he is not in the classroom or on the football field, he enjoys spending time with his teammates, serving the community at events like CMU Football Family Fest and Kid’s Clinic.

Robi chose the word “PREPARED” to describe his experience at Nouvel. “Nouvel Catholic Central definitely prepares their students academically and mentally, to not only take on the challenge of college, life and their future, but to thrive and succeed at achieving their dreams.”

Elizabeth (Irish) Marshall is a Nouvel Catholic Central Class of 2008 graduate. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 2012 from the University of Michigan where she graduated with high distinction. She then attended the University of Michigan Medical School where she received her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2016, as well as completed a family medicine residency in 2019. During her residency, Elizabeth received multiple research awards and was elected Chief Resident during her last year of residency. Elizabeth is a Family Medicine Physician at Ascension St. Mary’s in Frankenmuth and is a member of the Saginaw County Medical Society.

Elizabeth and her husband, Eric, have an eight-month old son, Thaddeus and live in Saginaw. Their move back to Saginaw was very intentional as they both wanted to see the growth in Saginaw and in the Catholic community for years to come. The Marshall’s are parishioners at Holy Spirit.

“FOUNDATIONAL” is the word that Elizabeth used to describe her experience at Nouvel. "Nouvel truly laid a foundation for me in all aspects of my life during exceptionally formative years. I grew in my faith and spirituality significantly during my high school years and truly find joy and wholeness in our Catholic faith. A strong foundation was laid for my future academic pursuits - the rigor and expectations I was poised to face at Nouvel was truly unparalleled. Nouvel also laid a foundation for what it means to be part of a community and part of something bigger than yourself. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices my parents made to send me to Nouvel. I've been blessed beyond belief from the foundation my years at Nouvel set for me."
 

Nicole Buckingham is a Nouvel Catholic Central Class of 2015 graduate. She went on to study at Lawrence Technological University and graduated this past spring with summa cum laude (3.98) honors and a major in bio-medical engineering. Additionally, Nicole received the 2019 bio-medical engineering department’s academic excellence award.
 
While pursuing her undergrad, Nicole was a part of the women’s basketball team, reciving first-team, All-American honors. Her jersey (#34) was selected nationally among 89 other 2018-2019 standout players and will be displayed at the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as part of their annual ring of honor.
 
Nicole is currently working as a project engineer with Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield. She chose the word "COMPETITIVE" to represent her experience at Nouvel. "I often describe my Nouvel experience as competitive, in both academics and athletics. I remember my coaches scheduling games against bigger schools on purpose, ensuring the most competitive schedule possible to prepare us for the tournament games. I also remember the school-wide standard for excellence in the classroom that pushed me to keep up with my studies and not let myself fall behind. Being in this competitive atmosphere really prepared me for life in college and beyond. As an alumna, I am happy to see this competitive spirit is still a part of the Nouvel experience today."

Matthew Kelly is a Nouvel Catholic Central Class of 2000 graduate. He received his bachelor's degree in accounting and his master's degree in accountancy from Western Michigan University. He is employed as a Certified Public Accountant at Plante Moran, the 11th largest CPA firm in the country. Matthew was recently elected partner at their firm.

In addition to his role at Plante Moran, Matthew is a finance committee member for St. Thomas More Catholic Church and a member of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Matthew and his wife, Kristi, have two daughters, Lyla and Taylor. The Kelly's live in Kalamazoo.

Matthew chose the word "OPPORTUNITY" to describe his experience at Nouvel. "Nouvel provided me the tools to help me daily throughout my life. It helped me start to develop social and intellectual skills including critical analysis and problem solving skills, which has helped me immensely throughout my career and personal life. I would not have had the opportunities that I have been presented with today, without the foundation that Nouvel Catholic Schools provided to me throughout my early life," shared Matthew.

Erica Decker graduated from Nouvel in 2011 and completed her undergrad with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of Michigan in 2014.  Erica finished with Cum Laude honors and was a P.E.O Program for Continuing Education grant recipient. She continued her studies at Michigan and received her Master of Arts in Educational Studies in 2018.
Erica currently works as a 4^th grade teacher in the Novi Community School District, and specializes in teaching English as a second language.  Outside of school, she makes a difference in her community as an advocate for immigrant students and their families, as well as volunteers at the Oakland County Animal Shelter.

Erica chose the word “WELL-ROUNDED” to describe her experience at Nouvel. “I transferred to Nouvel at the beginning of my sophomore year because I was searching for a small, but well-endowed, high school experience,” said Erica.  “At NCC, I loved that I was challenged academically by taking multiple AP classes and could participate in extracurricular activities such as NHS, sports and theatre productions.”
 
Erica added that she is so thankful for her Nouvel experience as it not only fostered her love of education, but also introduced her to individuals she has built meaningful and life-long relationships with. “I was warmly embraced by the tight-knit community. Nouvel will always hold a special place in my heart.”