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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Mariah Knepper Roj '03 is the founder and proprietor of S'il Vous Play, a children's toy shop located in Cleveland Heights. Mariah's a mom to three kids--"the greatest teachers in her life" as she describes them--and has earned multiple college degrees, including one in organizational communication and another in nursing; though she does not work in nursing, she does hold an active registered nurse license. Our conversation with Mariah touches on her experience growing up in Salem, and we also discuss the relationship between success and failure--not only in our professional experiences, but also in our personal relationships. We conclude with some advice Mariah offers to current SHS students, including not being afraid to step outside the box or change their own plans for themselves.

Be sure to check out the introduction for some updates from the Salem High School Alumni Association, including information on how to make a contribution to its scholarship fund--either on Giving Tuesday (Tues., Dec. 3rd!) or afterward.

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Dr. Michael Bigham '93 is the chief quality officer and pediatric intensive care physician with Akron Children's Hospital. As with all of our guests in this first season, Mike's classmates voted him most likely to succeed his senior year. We spend some time reflecting with Mike on his favorite SHS classes and teachers, how the community of Salem prepared him for his career, his personal and professional journey following graduation from high school, and what he considers to be his largest successes at this point in his life.

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Join Craig, Aaron, and Ed for the first episode of Quaker Success in which the hosts introduce themselves, describe their journeys since graduating from SHS, share the idea behind the podcast, and preview upcoming episodes.