SV inducts 2023 Wall of Fame class
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Dr. Wade Brosius, second from left, is inducted into the Shenandoah Valley Wall of Fame. With him, from L-R, is Andy Ulicny, Wall of Fame chairman, Superintendent Brian Waite, and School Board President Dan Salvadore.
SHENANDOAH – Three accomplished graduates of Shenandoah Valley High School were inducted into the school’s Wall of Fame at Friday’s graduation ceremonies.
Andy Ulicny, chairman of the Wall of Fame committee spoke about the history of commencement ceremonies in the Shenandoah Valley School District, and its predecessor Shenandoah Borough School District.
He noted that, at one time, the school had two graduations a year due to the town’s population, and that in 1975, the venue moved to Memorial Stadium for the first time.
“In 1999, we note a significant change in commencement exercises: the elimination of the guest speaker,” Ulicny said. “Instead, we choose to hear from our own, to hear from the very best of Shenandoah graduates.”
He said that 1999 was the year the Wall of Fame began, and this year represents the 25th year of inductions. Those inductions and the speakers, he said, are intended to inspire graduates to strive to set higher goals in life.
Three graduates a year have been inducted every year since, and Ulicny was one of the 2000 inductees.
Wall of Fame inductees are aptly recognized via a plaque on the wall in the high school lobby, near the hallway leading to the gym.
This year’s inductees are:
- Dr. Thomas J. Killian, class of 1996;
- Dr. Wade Brosius, Class of 1984;
- and Karen Bickelmen Becker, Class of 1980.
Becker spoke to the graduates first, offering congratulations.
“Tonight is your night,” Becker said. “It is the night you’ve worked hard for. Just think of how fast it really came.”
“Tonight is the beginning of a new journey for you,” Becker added.
Becker spoke of her experience and her takeaways from Shenandoah Valley.
“In my travels, I discovered that being a Shenandoah Valley Blue Devil runs deep in my veins,” Becker said. “It taught me to work hard, to persevere, and to never give up.”
Following her time at Shenandoah Valley, Becker, who now lives in Douglassville, Berks County, attended Penn State Capitol Campus for her bachelor’s degree, and earned a master’s at Kutztown University. She became a guidance counselor shortly after and, in 2007, attended Drexel University’s Behavioral Medical College and received a certification in co-occurring disorders.
Becker is the director of a community-based behavioral health center and oversees an organization serving 3,500 mental health and substance abuse clients, served by 75 therapists and 8 doctors.
She’s overseen the expansion of the company via $7 Million in grants, expanding from six to 18 outpatient offices.
Brosius spoke to the class about his experiences as well as sharing stories from his family. One of those pertained to the Boston Marathon, which he said served as a metaphor for life. He encouraged the class to do whatever they can to help others and make the world a better place.
Brosius attended La Salle University, graduating in 1988 with a major in biology, and continued on to medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He is currently medical director for Pottstown Medical Specialists, Inc., and serves on the executive committee. He is also medical director for Tandigm Health and is school physician for five school districts.
Killian called back to his interactions with Dr. William Krash, the late former Shenandoah Valley High School principal. He said Krash was the first person he’d met with a Ph.D.
“He taught me that I could achieve whatever it was that I wanted and that I just needed to continue to fight for my dreams,” Killian said. “Coming from a small town is one thing that gave us an advantage. We know how to fight.”
Killian also spoke of his interactions with Coach Babe Conroy, former SV baseball coach and Shenandoah Evening Herald sports editor.
He recalled a season in which the team didn’t have the same depth as other teams and would likely struggle.
“But we didn’t need depth, all we needed was our spirit,” Killian said of the lessons learned from Conroy.
Killian also recalled the 1996 state playoff run for the football team and the quarterfinal matchup against Riverside, where Killian watched from the sideline. Shenandoah Valley dressed roughly 20 players, Killian said, versus nearly 60 for Riverside. The depth difference, Killian said, drew a reaction from Riverside fans.
“You hear that? They don’t believe you can beat them. They do not know the courage or tribulations you all have faced to be here,” Killian recalled Joe Ruth, then-head football coach, saying. “Defying the odds is what a small community has always faced, but it is your time to not worry and go out and show others what you were destined for.”
That team made the deepest state playoff run of any team sport in school history, defeating Riverside 13-6 and reaching the eastern final, where the Devils fell to Southern Columbia.
Killian also spoke of the impact and inspiration of his teachers.
Killian was a three sport athlete at SV and moved on to Lebanon Valley College, earning a degree in biology in 2001. He set out for a second bachelor’s degree, in psychology, which he attained in 2003. He worked as a member of therapeutic support staff assisting children with autism and, in 2011, decided to pursue his master’s, earning a master’s in psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2013.
Killian earned his doctorate in psychology from Northcentral University in 2021, and that same year, he was appointed to serve as director of the Delaware Department of Health’s Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
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