Our latest episode features Shelley Miller Wilson from the Class of 1997, whose personal and professional journey reflects a deep commitment to education, community, and service. Shelley currently serves as a K–12 Literacy Specialist at Salem City Schools, after beginning her career as a kindergarten teacher and spending many years in the classroom. Outside of work, Shelley is a proud mom of three and continues to balance family life with a career centered on helping students and teachers thrive.

In our conversation, Shelley reflects on growing up in Salem, describing a childhood filled with bike rides around town, Booster Club sticker duty at Quaker sporting events, and strong family ties to Salem City Schools that stretch back multiple generations. She walks us through her unique path through nearly every Salem school building, her deep involvement in high school activities including cheerleading, athletic training, Key Club, yearbook, Spanish Club, and choir, and how early signs of her passion for teaching were present long before she realized education was her calling.

Shelley shares her college journey to Bowling Green State University, where she studied elementary education, joined a sorority, and found her leadership voice through Dance Marathon. She discusses the challenges and growth that came with leaving home, earning two master's degrees, navigating early career setbacks, and ultimately returning to Salem in a role that allows her to support both teachers and students. Shelley closes by reflecting on the rewards and challenges of being a literacy specialist, her enduring love for the classroom, and her belief that at the heart of both the Salem and West Branch communities is a shared commitment to putting kids first. We hope you enjoy!

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We continue our "Quakers Teaching Quakers" theme as we speak with Sean Kirkland from the Class of 1986 in our fourth episode of the season. Sean serves as Superintendent in the Salem City School District.

In our conversation, we learned about Sean's experience growing up on the west side of Salem, attending Prospect School, and experiencing the City of Salem back in the 1970s and '80s (playing outside and not coming home until the street lights turn on). Sean spoke about the tough times his family experienced, the wild turns his athletic career would take--both in high school and college, and the influence a few great teachers had on him that led him to realize education was the career path for him.

We also learn about Sean's rough first day of his first full-time teaching role, how he was ten minutes away from becoming a West Branch Warrior, and his experience moving from teaching Industrial Tech to sitting at the Superintendent's desk. We hope you enjoy!

Be sure to tune into the intro for a few reports regarding the Salem High School Alumni Association's classroom grant program and the Career Day program for Salem sophomores.

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Our third episode of the season continues our "Quakers Teaching Quakers" theme, as we speak with Teresa Huzyak Sisson from the Class of 2002. Teresa is currently a third grade teacher at St. Paul School in Salem. In her free time, Teresa loves hanging out with her two sweet kids, reading too many books at once, and watching documentaries.

In our conversation, Teresa recounts her experience growing up in a large family and describes her path to graduation from SHS, including her experience attending St. Paul School through sixth grade and transitioning to the junior high and high school. As we learn, Teresa's professional journey started with a plan to major in Integrated Literature Education at the beginning of her college experience, continued through her earning a bachelor and master degree in Sociology at area universities, and then shifted after becoming involved in administering a research project that persuaded her to become an educator. Teresa then reflects on her greatest success, the lessons from her teaching life that spill into life outside of school, and the advice she has for current SHS students. We hope you enjoy!

We want to once again thank our partner the Salem High School Alumni Association for their support of this podcast.

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In the second episode of our second season titled "Quakers Teaching Quakers," we speak with a father and son duo: Dennis Niederhiser '71 and Jarrod Niederhiser '04. We spent time getting to know the stories of each Niederhiser. We talked with Denny about growing up in Salem in the 1950s and 1960s, his educational journey, and the importance of doing whatever it took to make sure students learned what they needed to learn. We spoke with Jarrod about his experience growing up in Salem in the 1990s and early 2000s (with a well-known principal as a father), his process of identifying education as the career for him, and the importance of meeting students where they are to get them excited about learning. We also got into favorite Salem restaurants--past and present, favorite Salem memories, and what it was like to work alongside their former teachers as colleagues.

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In the first episode of our new season titled "Quakers Teaching Quakers," we speak with George Spack '69--a proud Salem High School alum whose career and life journey have been marked by a passion for teaching, supporting students as they strengthen their character and discipline, and fostering community spirit. We spoke with George about what it was like growing up in Salem in the 1950s and '60s, his Quaker basketball career, his journey to and time spent at the College of William and Mary, and his path into coaching and education. George described challenges he navigated throughout his life experience and also reflected on what it was like to return to Salem as a teacher. George also offered insights into what success has meant to him.

Be sure to check out the intro for information about the Salem High School Alumni Association Classroom Grants that are available for Salem City Schools educators!

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Quaker Success Shorts: Stories Among Friends is a bonus series under the Quaker Success umbrella, offering brief, scripted episodes that shine a light on the lives of Salem High School alumni and are told entirely by your hosts, Craig, Aaron, and Ed. In these narrative-driven stories, we bring alumni journeys to life in our own words, weaving together the details they've shared into a short-form experience. These episodes are snapshots—quieter, tighter, and a little different from our interviews, but rooted in the same spirit of community, curiosity, and Quaker pride.

Our first episode in this new series profiles Richard "Dick" Buta '57.

We'll "see" you in September when we'll release the first episode of our second season, "Quakers Teaching Quakers."

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Andrew Beck '25 just graduated from Salem High School and was one of two members of his class voted "Most Likely to Succeed." We spoke with Andrew about the experience of attending St. Paul School from kindergarten through sixth grade and how he navigated the transition to Salem City Schools. Through our conversation we learned that Andrew is always looking to stay busy, which led him to play three sports during his high school career, serve the Salem community through Key Club, and work outdoors--both tending to his yard and holding a few landscaping jobs. Andrew will be attending The Ohio State University in Fall 2025 to major in Sport Management, following in his parents' footsteps. We asked Andrew about the memories from Salem that he will take with him to Columbus and how he's feeling about life after Salem.

Be sure to check out the intro for information about the upcoming Salem High School Alumni Weekend in August as well as an announcement regarding Season 2 of Quaker Success.

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Sally Kendall Wajahn '76 holds the position of Director, Member Engagement with the National Association of Cancer Center Development Offices (NACCDO) and lives with her husband in Aurora, Ohio. We spoke with Sally about the experience of growing up in Salem as the third of four kids with well-known parents who were deeply involved in the community. Sally shared her most influential high school experiences with us as well as named a few of the educators who shaped her life. We also heard how "Service above Status" was not only a lesson from her parents but became an ethos that guided Sally as she built her family and career.

Be sure to check out the intro for information about the Salem High School Alumni Association Scholarship Award program and Open House, as well as this year's Honored Alumnus.

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Bo Rottenborn '99 is Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships for CBS Sports, and he lives in San Diego, California with his wife in a neighborhood that he describes as feeling very much like Salem. Our conversation with Bo explores his experience growing up in Salem in the 1980s and 1990s, and we highlight the significant (and we do mean significant) number of involvements Bo had while in high school while also touching on what challenges he may have been navigating throughout all the activities. We learn about Bo's experience at Notre Dame, his move out to California, and what he considers to be his greatest success.

Be sure to check out the intro for information about the Salem High School Alumni Association scholarship process and April's SHSAA Scholarship Award program and Open House.

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Dr. Peter Apicella '82 is the Chief Radiologist at Salem Regional Medical Center, continuing the long family legacy established in Salem by his father, Dr. Frank Apicella and his uncle, Dr. Salvatore Apicella--also both radiologists. Our conversation touches on Pete's experiences growing up in Salem, his time at Salem High School, where he not only was thinking about the intersection of medicine and technology even back then, but also where he collaborated with a classmate to publish a book on solving the Rubik's Cube. We hear about Pete's undergraduate experience at John Carroll University and his time at Washington University in St. Louis for medical school. We also learn about Pete's decision to return to Salem and his 30+ years spent contributing to our community through his involvement with Salem Rotary, the Alumni Association, the Kent State Salem Advisory Board, the Salem Community Center, and other organizations. As Aaron asked at one point in the interview, "How do you find the time...?" We hope you enjoy our conversation with Pete as much as we did!

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