Alumni

Exeter Inducts 3 into its Athletic Hall of Fame

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From left to right: John D’Augustine, Jessica Lesagonicz and Terry Pearson (representing David Becker)

The Exeter Township School District inducted John D’Augustine, Jessica Lesagonicz and David Becker into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 1, 2025. The inductees were honored during a ceremony at halftime of the Exeter Boys Basketball game against Manheim Township at Exeter Township Senior High school. 

John D’Augustine had a standout career on the football field and on the track as a three-year letter winner in each sport. The 1972 graduate helped lead the 1970 football team to a 9-0 record and Inter-County League title. D’Augustine averaged 10 yards a carry and scored 13 touchdowns. He set school records with 831 yards rushing and nine interceptions as a defensive back. His season highlight was a 217-yard rushing, four-touchdown, three-interception game in a 32-18 win over Daniel Boone. D’Augustine was named 1st team All-Inter-County team as an offensive back and defensive back and was All-Berks 1st team offensive back and 2nd team defensive back. As a senior, he earned All-I-C 2nd team honors as a running back and 1st team honors as a defensive back. D’Augustine’s teams went 22-4, finishing second in the I-C his sophomore and senior seasons.

Jessica Lesagonicz, a 2001 graduate, helped bring the Eagles to the forefront of girls bowling in Berks County. A four-year letter winner, she completed her high school career on a high note, capturing the Berks girls tournament title her junior and senior seasons. She claimed All-Berks and All-State honors while leading the Eagles to Berks and state team titles in 2000, and Berks and state runners-up finishes in 2001. She finished first in all events at states both seasons. The Eagles were Berks and state runners-up her freshman season and Berks champs her sophomore year. Her scholastic prominence catapulted her to a successful college, amateur and pro career. She led her Lindenwood University team to an ITC National title in 2006 as a senior, earning a spot on the all-tourney team and All-American honorable mention. Lesagonicz bowled in three U.S. Women’s Opens. She competed at 15 events in two years on the PWBA Tour–11in her first season in 2016, finishing 64th in points.

David Becker was an outstanding athlete and all-around student in the early days of Exeter Township Senior High School. Becker, a member of the school’s graduating class in 1959, lettered in baseball and basketball each for three seasons during a scholastic sports era in Berks County which did not yet recognize all-league or all-county teams in many sports. Becker helped make school history when he became the quarterback on the school’s first football team, which joined the Inter-County League in 1958, his senior year. The Eagles went 2-7 that season. An engineering major at Lafayette College, he was a two-year letterman as a pitcher on the Leopards’ baseball team. Becker went on to become a college football official in the prestigious Pacific-10 Conference (PAC-10) for 26 years on the field and three in the booth on instant replay. During that time, he was honored to have officiated a remarkable 22 bowl games. He was inducted posthumously and was represented by his high school friend and nominator, Terry Pearson. 

The Exeter Township School District has inducted athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame since 1990, honoring athletes and teams who achieve significant and memorable athletic accomplishments during their time at Exeter Township Senior High school, collegiately, and/or professionally. During the 2023-24 school year, the district inducted 13 members of the 1981 Girls’ Cross Country team along with their coach, Donald Bickel.

Exeter Graduate Opens Motorsports and eSports Company and backs College eSports iRacing Team

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Joshua D. Young (at left), coordinator of esports, and Penn College alumnus Dylan C. Godinez swap mementos. Young gifted Godinez a Penn College esports jersey, and the alumnus presented Young with a sign to be showcased in the Wildcat Den, the esports team’s competition area, located on the second floor of The Madigan Library.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s esports program welcomed an addition to its Wildcat Den over winter break, thanks to an alumnus. Dylan C. Godinez, a 2022 engineering design technology graduate and a 2018 Exeter graduate, donated a sign to the team’s competition area, located on the second floor of The Madigan Library.

The aluminum sign, consisting of the letters “D” and “G,” represent Godinez’s company, DG Motorsports, and his backing of the Penn College team. Based in North Carolina, DG Motorsports offers CAD services, track pit crew support and sim racing coaching.

“This is another milestone in the growth of the Penn College program,” said Joshua D. Young, coordinator of esports. “Dylan is going to work specifically with our iRacing drivers. He will help coach by practicing with them, creating car setups, analyzing telemetry from practice and spotting during races.”

As an alumnus, Godinez has competed for Penn College in the Collegiate iRacing League. He has also recruited current Penn College student Zachary A. Tallman, of Lewisburg, and recent graduates Austin M. DeLong and Michael A. Sydor III to join his DG Motorsports iRacing truck team.

In addition to operating DG Motorsports, Godinez is a design/metrology engineer for Front Row Motorsports, a NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series team.

“Dylan took the knowledge gained at Penn College to enter a very competitive industry, NASCAR,” Young said. “His love for the sport and Penn College shows through his willingness to dedicate his time and knowledge to make our sim racing team excel. I’m truly grateful to have his support and skill to grow the iRacing part of the esports program.”

Formed five years ago with 14 students, the college’s esports team now has over 40 competitors in six titles: iRacing, League of Legends, Rocket League, Valorant, Overwatch 2 and Counter Strike 2.

The sign, representing the company DG Motorsports, will stand out in the Wildcat Den.

Exeter Inducts 3 into Academic Hall of Fame and 84 into National Honor Society

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The inductees of the 2024 Academic Hall of Fame are (left to right): Lauren Unger Fisher '00 (award accepted on her behalf by her parents); Daniel Hemberger '03, and Nicholas Corbo.

students light candles for national honor society

The Exeter Township School District celebrated the achievements of students as 84 juniors and seniors were inducted into the Claude W. Dundore chapter of the National Honor Society and three notable alumni, educators or community members were inducted into the Exeter Alumni Association’s Academic Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 22, 2024 at 2PM in the Exeter Township Senior High’s auditorium. Inducted into the Academic Hall of Fame were Daniel A. Hemberger, Nicholas J. Corbo and Lauren C. Unger Fisher. Inductees are chosen for their contributions to society and their impact and credit they've brought to the Exeter Township School District through their achievements, volunteerism and/or work.

Hemberger graduated from Exeter Township Senior School in 2003, subsequently earning a B.A. in physics from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Cornell University. While attending Exeter, Hemberger discovered his lifelong passion for physics as a senior. In his research, Hemberger studied Einstein's theory of general relativity, black holes and pulsars. While a postdoctoral scholar at California Institute of Technology, his supercomputer simulations of black hole collisions aided the first detection of gravitational waves by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015. Hemberger is currently employed as technologist by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he has worked since 2018.

Corbo professionally worked in education for 40 years, last serving as the superintendent of the Exeter Township School District. He began his career as a chemistry teacher in York County, where he held various administrative positions, including superintendent of the South Eastern School District, until he moved to Exeter’s superintendency in 1998. While at Exeter, Corbo oversaw the expansion of the high school and the construction of Reiffton School. Near his retirement in 2007, Corbo helped establish the Exeter Community Education Foundation (ECEF) to help support students, teachers and educational initiatives that the district’s budget is unable to fund. He serves as an emeritus trustee as he continues to support the Foundation.

Unger Fisher graduated from Exeter Township Senior High School in 2000 and went on to graduate with honors from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Political Science and Government. Following her graduation from Pitt, she worked as an NBC Page for the “Nightly News with Brian Williams” and as an award-winning reporter/anchor in televised news in Michigan, Louisiana, New Jersey and Germany. Since 2011, she has worked in executive communications for the international humanitarian organization World Vision USA to raise the public's attention to the plight of children in crises around the world.

The Academic Hall of Fame began in 2005 as a project of the Exeter Community Education Foundation and typically selects four to six inductees each year. This year's class brings the number of honorees to 81, who are presented with a plaque that is displayed in the Senior High's main office.

During the second part of the ceremony, the current members of the National Honor Society presented and inducted 84 new members from the Class of 2025 and 2026 into its chapter through its candle-lighting ceremony that represents the Society's four pillars: character, leadership, scholarship and service. To be considered for membership, students must be sophomores or juniors with a weighted cumulative GPA of at least 92.000, involvement in at least one school activity or club and completion of at least five community service hours. This year’s inductees are:

  • Samantha Baer
  • Ryan Claudfelter
  • Rian Coulter
  • Meredith Fylypowycz
  • Abigail Hasselbach
  • Marli Herner
  • Madelyn Holbrook
  • Dylan Holland
  • Gabriana Holmes
  • Neema Kamau
  • Riley Mazur
  • Ridleigh Moyer
  • Katelyn Nichols
  • Engel Perez
  • Katelyn Rears
  • Amelia Sahaida
  • Chloe Scherer
  • Olivia Schofield
  • Benjamin Seeberger
  • Corina Shevick
  • Sean Smith
  • Sophie Sowers
  • Luke Zawilla
  • Sheylin Aparicio Sanchez
  • Meredith Batz
  • Harrison Brumbaugh
  • Adreanna Butcher
  • Victoria Caccese
  • Chase Choudhry
  • Ryleigh Clouser
  • Olivia Conley
  • Adam Cooke
  • Aidan Dauble
  • Chase Detweiler
  • Alena Dinnini
  • Liana Dinnini
  • Rachel Donnachie
  • Kendall Druzba
  • Brenton Feathers
  • Chayse Flood
  • Nathan Gehris
  • Molly Giering
  • Audrey Gierlich
  • Morgan Gilbert
  • Avery Grider
  • Faith Hartman
  • Evan Harvey
  • Angelina Hernandez
  • Madyson Hirneisen
  • Ryland Hollinger
  • Jada Hood
  • Josephine Hunter
  • Morgan Juck
  • Kayla Karasek
  • Samantha Kerber
  • Lillie Keperling
  • Payton Klein
  • Nathan Kleinfelter
  • Ella Lynch
  • Ella Mackey
  • Hannah Martin
  • Myah Marturano
  • Maira McCartin
  • Zachary McCormick
  • Mackenzie Mentzer
  • Haley Meyers
  • Marissa Millar
  • Juliana Nerney
  • Chase Noel
  • Tithi Patel
  • Joven Patton
  • Payton Raifsnider
  • Shaun Rathman
  • Katelyn Reynolds
  • Aubrey Ridge
  • Madelyn Rismiller
  • Evan Smith
  • Abigail Starnes
  • Monica Stratton
  • Augustus Stuhlman
  • Dylan Taffel
  • Ethan Tibetts
  • Jayden Weidner
  • Daniel Wright

Congratulations to all!

Exeter Alums Return to Share Grandparents’ Stories as Holocaust Survivors

grown grandchildren stand around grandmother in wheelchair

From left to right: Aaron Wernick, Brian Wernick, Stacy Seltzer and Michele Leisawitz stand with their grandmother, Esther Bratt.

Six weeks ago, Sidney Bratt died at the age of 96. But his legacy lived on today in Exeter Township Senior High School where his grandchildren, Aaron Wernick, Brian Wernick, Michele Leisawitz and Stacy Seltzer, recounted the horrors that Sidney and his wife, Esther, went through as Jewish children growing up in Germany and Poland during the Holocaust. “It’s a miracle I’m standing here to tell you this story,” said Brian to the assembled group of 10th graders, most of whom are–or soon will be–learning about the Holocaust in English or Social Studies. “My grandmother only had a 1.5% chance of living past the age of 15–which is right around your age, I believe,” he said as he looked at the crowd of teenagers with his 94-year-old grandmother sitting in a wheelchair among them. “When you hear what she’s been through, it is incomprehensible that she survived,” he said.

The four grandchildren of Sidney and Esther Bratt recounted the separate stories of their grandparents’ childhoods as they navigated the terror of living as Jewish children in Nazi Germany. Both endured ostracism by childhood friends and neighbors as their freedom and dignity were stripped away and replaced by fear as they lived under Hitler. As anti-Semitism grew, people they knew and were once friendly with began to spit and throw rocks at them as nearby homes and synagogues where they worshipped were burned by Nazis. Their family members, friends and neighbors disappeared or were openly murdered. Aaron paused in the middle of recounting the terror his grandparents endured as children and said his grandfather asked, “How could one man spew so much hatred? These activities were not only condoned by Hitler… they were legalized.”

Sidney and Esther’s grandchildren–two of whom are Exeter alums (Brian graduated in ‘05 and Aaron graduated in ‘01)--now speak to school groups and other organizations as part of 3G Philly, which stands for “third generation.” Their mission as grandchildren of Holocaust survivors is to make sure that their grandparents’ stories–as horribly vivid and tragic as they are–live on as that generation passes away.

“Many years ago, we used to have Holocaust survivors visit and speak about their experiences, but, unfortunately, many of those survivors are no longer with us,” said Mrs. Heather Mills, an English teacher at the Senior High who helped organize the visit. Emphasizing how important storytelling is as a means of sharing and preserving history, Mrs. Mills said that stories like Sidney and Esther's can also provide a different perspective than what students learn in traditional media, such as books or movies. "The stories (the students heard today) specifically were about life in the ghettos and the kindertransport, which are topics sometimes overshadowed by those traditionally told about concentration and death camps."

In addition to offering new perspectives and educating students about what it was like for their grandparents to grow up as children of the Holocaust, Brian, Aaron, Michele and Stacy hope that their stories will help keep their legacy of their grandmother and late grandfather alive. But, more importantly, they hope to help prevent another atrocity like the Holocaust from ever happening again.

Rachel Schwenk ’20 Earns President’s Award from Rider University

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Rachel Schwenk '20 is one of the recipients of this year’s top three awards for graduating students at Rider University. Awards were presented to the awardees at a luncheon held in their honor on April 26.

“The accomplishments of these hardworking and talented students have distinguished them among their peers and their honors are well deserved,” says Rider President Gregory G. Dell'Omo, Ph.D. “These individuals truly embody Rider’s commitment to excellence. Given the extent of their accomplishments, I have no doubt that they will continue to excel in their future endeavors. Each is an inspiration to other students, and collectively, they have contributed so much to our campus community.”

The President’s Award recognizes graduating seniors who demonstrate exemplary leadership skills, academic achievement, service to the University and extracurricular involvement. This year’s President’s Award recipients are Rachel Schwenk and another Rider student, Zachary Fernandez.

Schwenk is a marketing major with a minor in business analytics. A member of the track and field team, Schwenk serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of Morgan’s Message, an organization that works to support and strengthen student-athlete mental health.

“My journey at Rider began during the pandemic,” notes Schwenk, “but I found solace in my teammates, classmates and professors. It is so rewarding to look back on myself as a freshman and see how far I’ve come. I’m beyond thankful for every opportunity and challenge that I’ve been presented and for those who have cheered me on along the way. Rider University will forever be a place that I call home.”

Schwenk assists freshmen business majors as a senior mentor for the Business Living and Learning Community, is a member of the Norm Brodsky College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and participated in the American Marketing Association Case Study competition. Her service reached beyond campus through her work with the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County and the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry. During her time at Rider she earned a 3.98 GPA.

Exeter to Induct 1981 Girls Cross Country Team into its Athletic Hall of Fame

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The Exeter Township School District will induct 13 members and the coach of the 1981 Girls’ Cross Country team into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, January 26, 2024. The induction will take place at approximately 6:30PM in the main gymnasium of Exeter Township School District during the Exeter Boys’ Basketball game against Wilson. Prior to the game, a reception will be held in the high school cafeteria at 5:30PM to honor the members, who will be joined by their coach, Donald Bickel. 

During their 1981 season, the team was the PIAA state runner-up following their first place District III and Berks County championships. During their dual meets that season, they had a 10-0 record and placed in local, regional and state invitationals, including Twin Valley (1st place); Conrad Weiser (2nd place); Steel City (3rd place); and State College (5th place). Rebecca Lucey was named a District III champion. At the time, Bickel said that the season was a “dream come true” following the cross country league’s creation just four years prior to the 1981 season when Exeter only won one meet and lost the remaining nine. Today, Bickel remembers fondly his time coaching the team: “They were a pleasure to coach and I enjoyed coaching them; they were great girls,” When asked what led his team to achieve success, he said, “You need two things to make it a successful team, you need to have fun and every runner has to give 100 percent; all the girls on this team definitely did this.” 

The team members to be inducted are: Rose (Kane) Cooley, Rochelle (Graffius) Frebel, Michelle (Barron) Gaul, Kathy (Barron) Evans, Stephanie (Klonis) Sarge, Rebecca Lucey, Sue (Enoch) Yatron, Gloria (Garber) Anyan, Selena (Hand) Ehert, Audrey Faber, Rhonda (Johnson) Berry, Steph Butcher and Denise DeRenzo.

The Exeter Township School District has inducted athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame since 1990, honoring athletes and teams who achieve significant and memorable athletic accomplishments during their time at Exeter Township Senior High school, collegiately, and/or professionally. During the 2022-23 school year, the district inducted the 1971-72 Men’s Basketball team, as well as Michal Menet, a 2016 graduate; Michael Troutman, a 2002 graduate; and Kyle Yocum, a 2013 graduate.