Senior Spotlights on SJO's Paige DeMay, Nick Copeland & Isabelle Vliet

Paige DeMay

Clubs & Activities

Track and Field (3 years)
Soccer (1 year)
Maroon Platoon, Band, FFA

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Older brother

Hobbies:
Running, being around pets, and working at Red Lobster

Favorite SJO memories:
She really appreciates the tight knit community and the overall positive classroom setting at SJO. She has enjoyed all of the fun times with her friends.

Favorite classes:
Any class with Mrs. Kelly Steffen, Mr. Don Beckett, and Mr. Marshall Schacht.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. James at St. Joseph Grade School, Mrs. Stone at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mr. Beckett at SJO.

College:
Illinois State University, majoring in Veterinary Medicine

Advice to future SJO students:
Keep parents in the loop all four years of high school, learn time management skills, and to be involved in as many activities as possible.

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Nick Copeland

Clubs & Activities

Maroon Platoon

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother and younger sister

Hobbies:
Bowling and hanging out with his friends

Favorite SJO memories:
He enjoyed being in the Maroon Platoon, especially during all of the IHSA State games and rivalry games as well as all of the Homecoming dances each year at SJO.

Favorite classes:
Ag Construction with Mr. William Billman, American History with Mr. Marshall Schacht, and Chemistry with Mr. Kevin Simondsen.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Steele and Mrs. Stierwalt at St. Joseph Grade School; Mr. Risley, Mr. Steele, and Mrs. Becky Ford at St. Joseph Middle School; and Mr. Billman, Mr. Richard Vetter, Mr. Simondsen, Mr. Schacht, Mr. Jeff Kieffer, Mr. Kiel Duval, and Ms. Susan Pensinger at SJO.

College:
Parkland College, majoring in Construction Management. After Parkland, his plan includes a transfer to a four-year Architecture program.

Advice to future SJO students:
Do all of your homework and to enjoy high school while you can because it will be over before you know it.

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Isabelle Vliet

Clubs & Activities

Student Council, SADA, Maroon Platoon, Maroon Platoon Leader, Spanish-Hacky Sack Club, Food Pantry Helper

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Four sisters: one older sister and three younger sisters.

Hobbies:
Hanging out with her sisters, hanging out with her friends, working on arts and crafts, and practicing photography.

Favorite SJO memories:
She enjoyed going to prom as a freshman, and she has really enjoyed being a part of the Maroon Platoon. As a big time Spartan fan, she enjoyed being a part of the IHSA State Volleyball Championship Game during her freshman year, the IHSA State Girls’ Basketball Third Place Game her junior year, and the IHSA Volleyball Super-Sectional Game at Palos Heights when the Spartans won in three sets.

Favorite classes:
All of her Spanish classes with Senor Zak Sutton; U.S. History, Economics, and Civics with Mr. Marshall Schacht; and art with Mr. Jake Beccue.

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Camp at St. Joseph Grade School; Mrs. Becky Ford and Mrs. Jeffers at St. Joseph Middle School; and Mr. Schacht, Mr. Beccue, Senor Sutton, and Senora Nelson at SJO.

College:
Parkland College, majoring in Nursing. Inspired by her mother, she plans to attend a four-year university and eventually earn a Master’s Degree.

Advice to future SJO students:
Get involved in the Maroon Platoon and to go to Homecoming, prom, and post prom.

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Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Chilton lands model job at Boeing Company

Brian Chilton, a 2009 graduate from St. Joseph-Ogden High School, has joined Boeing Company in St. Louis as a Database Content Developer.

"I'll be 3D modeling airports for military simulators," he said.

Chilton, who was a VDC Virtualization Technician with Clayco, was furloughed due to the economic downturn created by the Coronavirus pandemic and quickly landed on his feet three weeks later.

"I was the primary visualization artist there. They called it a technician," he said about his position that lasted just eight months. "I just loved the challenges that making animated videos, between editing and compositing everything together to make the final product."

With over $3.2+ billion in revenue for 2019 and more than 2,400 employees across the country, Clayco is one of the nation’s largest privately-owned real estate, architecture, engineering, design-build and construction firms that has set new standards for collaborative design, construction quality and craftsmanship, efficient project management, cost containment and jobsite safety.

Despite his short tenure with Clayco, he expanded his knowledge base on the building construction industry.

"I had to learn how buildings were constructed and go off of build schedule plans. What's crazy is not all buildings are constructed the same."

After leaving SJO, Chilton attended Parkland College where graduated in 2013. From there he went on to the Savannah College of Art & Design where he earned a bachelors degree in animation. Below is an animated short film he created that can be found on his website at BrianChilton3D.

Boeing is recognized as the largest aerospace company in the world. The company builds commercial jetliners and security systems as well as provides aftermarket support for their products which are used worldwide by the United States and allied government customers in more than 150 countries.

Chilton resides in Hazelwood, MO., with his wife, Sara, and their daughter.