Read Our 2022-2023 Impact Report
When I assumed the role of Board Chair three years ago, Access Academies was embarking on an exciting new chapter. The ink was drying on its partnership with Saint Louis University, Shelly Williams was taking the helm as Executive Director, and our promising College and Career Success Initiative was still getting off the ground. Today, I am happy to report that with your generous support and the incredible dedication of our students and families, Access continues to provide transformative opportunities that inspire our region’s youth to think, dream, and achieve big!
This year, we have much to celebrate. We expanded our College & Career program by adding a third counselor and doubling the amount of our college scholarship. We grew our enrichment program with inspiring new courses, advanced our comprehensive multi-year program evaluation through SLU’s School of Education, and raised over $650,000 at the Celebration Dinner. Further still, we added five new talented members to the board and witnessed more of our high school seniors accepted to Saint Louis University than ever before. To say that I am proud of what our students, families, and staff have accomplished over the last 12 months is an understatement.
Our success would not have been possible, however, without the enduring vision of our founder, John Vatterott, and the relentless dedication of board member and former Graduate Support Director Terry Mehan. This fall, both John and Terry passed away. And while we miss them dearly, we have found comfort in knowing that their legacies will continue to impact the lives of our students across the region.
As we look ahead, I turn the reins over to incoming Board Chair, Tom Wheeland. Tom joined the Access Board in 2021 and has since served as a member of the Finance Committee. In his professional life, Tom is the National Practice Leader at FORVIS, and he earned his J.D. from St. Louis University and his B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. A good friend of John Vatterott, Tom is enthusiastic about the opportunity to further his mission and is especially excited to help Access accomplish new milestones as we approach our 20th anniversary in 2025.
In closing, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Access family — our dedicated students, families, supporters, donors, and partners — for entrusting me to lead this organization. It has been an honor and a joy to know that together we are shaping a brighter future for the next generation and are giving every student, every chance, every day.
Sincerely,
Brian Day
Chair, Board of Directors
Click here to read the full 2022-2023 Impact Report.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2022-2023 DONORS!
Steven & Patty Ackerman
Chris Adelman-Adler
Emily & John Vatterott, Jr.
Anonymous (3)
Anonymous (5)
Archdiocese of St. Louis
Artos Foundation
Tom & Dale Ann Auffenberg
Frank Baer & Bernadette Danna-Bear
Debbie Baird
Dave Baldwin & Summer Hutcheson
Margaret Barber
Joan Barrett
Bert & Liz Barry
James & Mary Baxendale
Bayer Fund
Sarah Beams
Linda & Arthur Behrens
Tim & Joanna Besmer
Forv/s – BKD Foundation
Deanne Blume
Boniface Foundation
Justin & Roma Bordewick
Sandra Bowe
Matt Braunel
David Bremer
Richard Breslin
Melissa Brickey & David Kirtley
Nyan Brummer
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, LLP
LaDawn Burnett
California Manufacturing Co.
Ann Callis
Cardinal Ritter College Prep
Doc Carpenter
Angie Carr
Julian and Eileen Carr Family Foundation
Marie A. Casey & Kenn Entringer
Cass Commercial Bank
Joe & Linda Cavato
Cedar Creek Conference Center
Pete Cerone & Jennifer Grillion-Cerone
Gwendolyn Chambers
Christian Brothers College High School
Joe & Janet Ciapciak
Virginia Collier
Commerce Bancshares Foundation
George & Mary Lou Convy
Cor Jesu Academy
Genevieve Coughlin
Keith & Lindsey Creech
James & Peggy Crowe
Christopher & Darcy Dalton
Cathie Danna
Gene & Sandy Danna
Janice DaPrato
Hank & Vicki Darabcsek
Tad & Tricia Davies
Kim & Carol Day
Brian & Rachael Day
Bob & Liz Deaver
Nils & Beth Desilva
Richard & Nancy Desloge
Mike Diehl & Alice Benga
Dave & Karen Dille
Dale & Angie Doerr
Christina Donahoe
Dennis Donnelly & Rebecca McDermott
Michael & Claudia Dooley
Fr. Mitch Doyen
John & Marie Doyle
Joe & Donna Drozda
Carolyn Dubuque
John & Mary Ann Durnien
ELCO Chevrolet
Kathryn Ellerbrake
Emerson Charitable Trust
Stan & Pat Erb
Charlie & Patty Erker
Thomas & Cheryl Erman
Ruth Ezell
Jamie & Mary Fann
Jim & Nette Fann
Monica Fanning
Mark & Marilyn Feldman
Bruce Fernandez
Matthew & Renee Finke
Max & Cynthia Fisher
Robert & Ann Fitter
Margaret Flavin-Brown
Fr. Timothy Foley
John & Peggy Fonke
Food Service Consultants
Bob & Mary Fox
Maura Fox
Chad & Chrissy Frazier
Brent & Andrea Gallagher
Margaret & Michael Gallagher
James & Angela Ganninger
Marie Ganninger
Bill Gantz
Gus & Kelly Gast
Dan George & Cassie Strom
Philip & Penny George
Sharon Gerken
Brian & Dianne Gill
Josh & Sarah Goldman
Greg & Ann Goltermann
Alexandra Graham
Stephen Greathouse
Winni Greathouse
Tom Griesedieck & Julie Wiegand
Leo & Nancy Haas
John & Teresa Hanichak
Elizabeth Harris
Julie Harris
Mary Harris
Maura Harris
Paul & Kelly Harris
Tom & Vicki Hartnett
Tom & Mary Hastings
Abraham & Rita Hawatmeh
Bob & Sue Hayashi
Phil Heagney & Barb Prosser
James P. Tobin & Virginia E. Heagney
Jessie Hebrank
Jerry & Susan Herber
John & Cathy Hoehn
Jim Holloran
Michael & Nancy Holloran
Sid & Julie Holthaus
Tom & Suzanne Hough
Richard & Pareppia Howard-Willms
Claire Hundelt
Kirk & Mary Hunsaker
Michael &d Lisa Iannazzone
J.W. & Mildred A. Kisling Charitable Foundation
Jean & Mark Jackson
Joe & Melissa Jedlicka
Shloe & Joseph Jeffery
Joan & John Vatterott Family Foundation
Nicole Jobe
Michael & Kelly Johnson
Joyce Jones
The Mary Ranken Jordan and Ettie A. Jordan Charitable Foundation
Michael Jordan
Margaret Kathalynas
Christine Keefe
Joe Kelley
Julia Kelly
Katrice Kendle
Marie Kenyon
Jimmy & Beth Kerley
Bernard & Kathy Keusenkothen
Jim & Anita Kiehne
Jim & Peg Kiley
Annamary King
Philip & Kellan Kirkpatrick
Ron & Christine Kuper
Mark & Mary Labarge
Carrie Lane
Patrick & Susan Lawlor
Le Coeur Design, LLC
Tim & Mary Leahy
Stephanie Leffeler
Lawrence & Dorothy LeGrand
Lewis Rice, L.L.C.
Paul & Betsy Liberatore
Brad Liebman
James & Lynn Linden
Andy & Sheryl Lock
Laura Lock
John & Peg Lord
Mark Lynch
Reggie & Carol MacDonald
Tom & Amy Mackowiak
Frank Magiera
Tom & Kelly Malon
John & Clare Marino
Steve & Sandra Marsh
Arturo Martinez
Christian Marzo
John & Angie Mather
Bob & Chris Mathias
John & Emily Matson
Edward McCarthy
Mary McGeathy
Kim & Lisa McMullin
Ann Mehan
Terry & Bo Mehan
Theresa Menke
Paul & Mary Mercurio
Mercy
Madalyn Messer-Brooks
Robert Meyer
Bret Middeke
Myron Minner
Marcus & Amy Mitchell
Mike & Judy Molloy
Moneta Group Charitable Foundation
Lynda Morrison & Steve Morrison
Mick Mullen
Michael & Terry Mulligan
Birch & Cathie Mullins
Michael & Anna Mullins
William & Maria Mura
Jim & Mimi Murphy
John & Susan Murphy
Mark & Susie Murray
Walt Nathan & Pam Cleval
Network For Good
Brian & Johanna Neuman
Tom & Chandra Niemann
Philip Nikolai
Tom & Maureen Nolan
Oman & Patrice Norman
Pat & Linda Notestine
Notre Dame High School
Jason & Dara O’Bryan
Bridget O’Flynn
Steve & Jorie O’Malley
Edward & Betty O’Neal
Jack & Mary Ann O’Neill
Joe & Stacy Parmelee
Jim Patton
Tiffany Patton
Pepsi-Cola, New Haven MO
Stephen & Patricia Peterson
Joel & Cheryl Pettus
Chuck & Cathy Phillips
Jane & Michael Pisoni
Tim & Ann Plunkett
Jeff & Kathleen Pottinger
Gregory & Elizabeth Pratt
Jenny Pratt
Bud Purcell
Thomas & Ginger Purcell
Mike & Rebecca Rathmann
Michael Rea
Joe & Pat Rebman
Pete Reife
Chad & Constance Reis
Bill & Shari Reller
Barbara Richter
Charles Riley
Gary Ritter
William Roberts
Joe Holloran
John & Nancy Rohlfing
Rosati-Kain Academy
Emily Roth
Lance & Stephanie Rowley
Jim & Charlotte Rubush
Dennis & Joyce Saffa
Saint Louis University
Brent & Prity Salsbury
Tom & Mary Pat Cadice-Santel
Cathleen Schaeffler
Christina Schellhardt
Philip & Mary Schenkenberg
Mary Schillinger
Catherine Schlick
Jay & Anja Schmelter
Chris Schmidt & Silvia Ledesma Ortiz
Edward & Mary Dee Schmidt, Sr.
Bill & Kate Schoenhard
Don & Kathy Schreiber
Kimberly Scott-French
Gregory Sharp
Johnny and Virginia Shields
Steve & Amy Slapshak
Steve & Martha Smith
Andrea Sokolich
St. John Vianney High School
St. Joseph’s Academy
St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School
John Stiles
William & Margaret Stude
Bradley Sugg
Ryan & Jessie Sugg
Tim & Mary Sullivan
Dan & Lisa Sullivan
Bill & Mary Suntrup
Michael and Katie Swift
The Simon Law Firm
Jerome & Margaret Thomasson
Madeleine Thompson
Rich & Jenna Thompson
Kevin & Julia Thorpe
Arburn & Judy Tindall
Brianna Tobias
Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation
Valerie Todd
Simon & Mary Tonkin
Brent & Lindsey Trame
Aaron Tucker
Ursuline Academy
Ray & Laurie Van De Riet
Vatterott Foundation
Andrew & Molly Vatterott
Bart & Beth Vatterott
Betty Vatterott
Bill & Kelly Vatterott
Catherine Vatterott
Glenn & Cathy Vatterott
Chris & Nancy Vatterott
Dan & Rachel Vatterott
Frank Vatterott
Joan & John Vatterott
Paul & Maggie Vatterott
Kathleen Vatterott
Melissa Vatterott
Bob & Martha Vatterott
Stephen Vatterott
Bill Vatterott
Chris & Stephanie Vogt
Jack & Marianna Wahl
Therese Waldschmidt
Timothy Walsh
Doug & Sue Warden
John & Cara Weber
Dawn Weinhardt
Ronnie & Thaedra Weiss
Libby Welkener
Alexandra Welsko
John & Priscilla Welter
Keith Wesselschmidt
Tom & Chris Wheeland
Jessica Whiat
Mark & Deborah Wilhelm
Shelly Williams
Bill & Carol Wittenberg
Jim & Nancy Wolfe
John Wright & Bridget George
Steve & Loretta Wuller
Jordan Marshall
Timothy & Kiley Yeaglin
Your Cause, LLC Trustee for Monsanto/Bayer Employee Gift
Jeff & Michele Zimmerman
John & Debbie Zipfel
In Honor Of
Brian Day
Carolyn Dubuque
Eastern Mo Dark Sky Observers
Mike and Mary Harris
Incarnate Word Academy
Marie Kenyon
Connie Linden
Peg Lord
Tom Mackowiak
Birch Mullins
Matthew Nikolai
John O’Neill
Marco Sharp
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School
Carmelita Spencer
Students of St. Mary’s South Side Catholic HS and Vivian Garcia
Andrew and Molly Vatterott
Bob Vatterott
Chris Vatterott
Joan and John Vatterott
Madison Washington and Sasha Redding
Tom Wheeland
In Memory Of
Cathy Coughlin
Frances Dolan
David B. Flavan, II
Vicki Ganninger
Sue Geldmacher
Charles Harris
Charlie Harris and Mike Harris
Edward Michael (Mike) Harris III
S.R. Jones
Terry Mehan
LaChai Minner
Michael Noetzel
Mike Richter
Lori Schroeder
Tearra Terry
John Vatterott
R. David Volk
Jane Walsh
Minerva Williams
James H. Wuller
*Bold designates donors who contributed $1,000 or more.
Click here to download the full list of 2022-2023 donors.