The Ring Returns
November 9, 2022
The Ring of Honor is a monument that originated from various faculty and community members’ desire to recognize and/or memorialize individuals who have contributed greatly to Fallston High School. With the inaugural class of inductees occurring in 2007, it has been a long 15-year wait to induct the second class.
Worthy inductees are nominated and then inducted in a ceremony that “brings the entire Fallston community together to celebrate our school, give thanks, and recognize people who have made an impact on Fallston,” said Ms. Carrie Cummings, who initiated the Ring of Honor’s return and spearheaded the entire process, culminating in a beautiful and well-attended ceremony.
The first class of inductees included former principal, Frank A. Stultz; community contributor, “Sonny” Lauer; Fallston alum and volunteer, David Wren; and “fallen Cougars,” Patrick Adle, William “Skip” Wilson, and Jennifer M. Parcell.
This year’s induction ceremony occurred on October 14, a day that will go down as one of the most memorable in recent history, with the auditorium packed full of current students and a veritable VIP section in a symbolic joining of Fallston’s past and present. Read on to find out more about the Ring of Honor Class of 2022.
Mr. Vernon Brown: The Ultimate FHS Fan
Introduced by Colleague, Former English Teacher, Ms. Tricia Centofante
Vernon Brown was a beloved teacher, coach, and the ultimate Fallston High School supporter up until his last day. “From his initial diagnosis in the beginning of his career, Vern knew he had limited time on this Earth, and he chose to spend it here,” Ms. Tricia Centofante said.
Mr. Brown was the coach of the women’s soccer and basketball teams; however, that is not the only way he supported FHS. “He spent countless weekends chaperoning dances, supporting drama productions, and attending sports events,” Centofante adds.
Mr. Brown loved FHS and all the people it came with so much that as his brain cancer progressed, forcing him to use a wheelchair, he continued to show up for his student-athletes, in the classroom and on the court. He did that up until the day he physically could not be at FHS anymore.
In 2009, Vernon Brown passed, but the memories he gave FHS will last forever. He truly was the definition of “A Proud Tradition of Excellence,” making every student feel Seen, Heard, and Valued way before that saying was brought to Fallston.
So, in short, we thank you, “Vern” for all that you did. “Dedicated and open-minded, hardworking and reliable, fun-loving and intelligent, Vern Brown is truly a Fallston High School V.I.P,” Ms. Centofante concluded.
Kurt Chenowith: Fallston’s Funny Man
Introduced by his Best Friend, Tonya Bare, FHS Class of 2003
The Class of 2003’s class clown, Kurt Chenowith, was “one of the [funniest], most kind, and genuine individuals to walk the halls of FHS,” as described by his fellow classmate, best friend, and coworker, Tonya Bare. She says he was a popular and well-liked guy, and “everyone in school knew him and to know him was to love him.” When not on the football field, Chenowith spent his free time volunteering at the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, which later led him to a career at the Baltimore Fire Department.
Chenowith had a passion for helping people and was described as a “natural leader.” He became a Fire Specialist, which is a senior firefighter position. He was also an emergency vehicle driver as well as a paramedic, the highest pre-hospital medical license one can have.
Fallston High School was the foundation for Kurt Chenowith. Unfortunately, Kurt Chenowith passed away in 2011, “too soon,” as his best friend would put it.
His memory still lives on, though, in the Kurt Chenowith Memorial Foundation. This foundation was made to better the community. It donates playground equipment, builds teen rooms, and provides over $66,000 in scholarships to Baltimore and Harford County High School seniors with the “same drive and dedication for helping that Kurt had.”
Chenowith loved kids. “I know he’s smiling down from up above watching kids laughing and playing together on a playground that’s donated in his name,” concludes Bare.
Chase Kalisz: World Champion and Olympic Swimmer
Introduced by Teacher and Athletic Director Mr. Christopher Hoover
Chase Kalisz “achieved greatness that only some of us would be able to strive for,” said Mr. Christopher Hoover, Fallston’s Athletic Director. Chase is a decorated athlete who graduated from Fallston High School in 2012 and then attended the University of Georgia, graduating in 2017 with a degree in business.
He has competed in two Olympics and worked tirelessly to grasp a silver medal in the 2016 Rio games and a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo games in the 400-meter individual medley. Kalisz has also competed for four years in the World Championships, earning 2 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze.
It’s “not easy being an athlete” as Mr. Hoover says. Kalisz learned to manage his time while putting forth energy into his academics, social life, and athletics. He graduated from high school, attended college, balanced his social and family life, and did that all while training for his next world event or Olympics. “Chase has exemplified the proud tradition of excellence we all strive to uphold,” said Mr. Hoover.
Mr. Hoover finished his speech by thanking Kalisz “for motivating us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be through dedication and perseverance.”
Kimmie Meissner: World Champion and Former Olympian
Introduced by her best friend, Brittany Mull, FHS Class of 2007
The Ring of Honor is just one more award to add to the list of already impressive accomplishments that Kimberly “Kimmie” Meissner has achieved. If you didn’t see her designated banner hanging on the gym wall with the Olympic rings etched over top of the words “Figure Skater,” then you wouldn’t know that Kimmie is a world-renowned figure skater holding many titles to this day.
She began skating in 1996; little did she know she would become the World Champion a decade later.
In 2005, Kimmie became the 2nd American woman in history to land a triple axel in competition. Along with being the 2006 World Champion, she is also the 2007 Four Continents Champion and the 2007 U.S. National Champion. She is the first American and woman to simultaneously hold the World, Four Continents, and National titles.
She was introduced by her childhood best friend whom she met at seven years old, Brittany Mull. The two grew up together and Mull describes her as “one of the greatest people [she’s] known.”
Kimmie graduated from Fallston High School in 2007, meaning that most of her recognizable achievements were done while still in high school. She retired from the competitive figure skating world in 2010 but continued with the sport by starring in shows like Stars on Ice and has also begun coaching the next generation of figure skaters.
Aside from figure skating, Kimmie graduated with her undergrad and masters from Towson University and is now working as a labor and delivery physician’s assistant at GBMC.
Kimmie is an avid supporter of charities and has worked closely with the Cool Kids Campaign. She married Josh Heyne and has an Australian Shephard named Keats who she trained to be a therapy dog while still in PA school.
If Brittany were to use one word to describe Kimmie it would be “humble.” She uses Kimmie as her own role model in her life. Her determination and dedication to her sport and community has led her to become a role model for all of Fallston’s athletes.
Mrs. Susan Mull: A Fallston Super-Mom
Introduced by her son, Current FHS Social Studies teacher, Mr. Patrick Mull
Susan Mull “is the most unselfish, giving, caring, and humble person in my life,” says her son, Mr. Patrick Mull, a teacher and coach at Fallston.
Mrs. Mull has given so much to the Fallston community in her 35 years of being a resident. She has been recognized as a member of the Cougar family who has positively impacted the Fallston community. Some of the staff members at FHS even refer to her as a Super-Mom.
She had played an instrumental role in organizing and founding the Ring of Honor in 2007. She was also an extremely active member of the PTSA during her sons’ tenure at Fallston. She even served two different stints as the PTSA President – one from 2002-2004 and the other from 2007-2009.
Outside of school, at St. Mark’s Catholic church, she taught CCD classes for over twenty years and helped with their VBS where she would make homemade pretzels and teach the kids the arms of the cross.
But what she is most well-known for is being a part of the administrative team at Youth’s Benefit Elementary School from 1998 to 2018. Throughout her twenty years there, she oversaw the organization of countless events and gatherings for the school’s staff, students, and greater community. Her son Patrick says, “I personally have seen the time and effort that she has dedicated to this community and the families in this area.”
To this day, even though she has been retired for a couple years now and has taken on another role as a Super-Grandma to her seven grandchildren, she still gets stopped by many families and formers students who are always excited to see and talk with her. “To me that is a signal of the impact my mom has made on this community and that will be her lasting legacy,” Mr. Mull continued.
Mr. Robert Pfau: Fallston Principal 1990-2004
Introduced by Former Colleague, Current FHS Science Teacher Ms. Carrie Cummings
For the first 26 years of Fallston High School’s existence, only two men served as Principal. The first, Mr. Frank Stultz, was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2007. Now, the second, Mr. Robert Pfau, has joined him.
Ms. Carrie Cummings, a teacher at FHS, nominated Mr. Pfau. “For the first 8 years of my career, I found Mr. Pfau led our school with a calmness yet leadership that everyone in the career admired and respected,” she said in her introduction speech.
In 2000, Mr. Pfau won Harford County’s Principal of the Year award. Four years later, he announced his retirement. Former HCRASC member Ian Hull told the 2002 Yearbook Staff that Mr. Pfau is “involved with his students in all aspects and never before had [he] dealt with an administrator as dedicated to the students of his school.”
FHS was saddened by the announcement, but everyone knew that after 35 years of serving different roles in many different HCPS schools, it was indeed a retirement well earned.
For many, change is a hard thing to adapt to, especially when you are accommodating more than 1600 students and staff members – yes, this school once had about 1600 students. But despite the great challenge it was, Mr. Pfau approached change with enthusiasm and made it a “powerful thing.” One of the biggest changes he helped our school adapt to was the split from a joint middle and high school to separate schools.
Additionally, he navigated all the challenges thrown at him with ease, from state mandates to safety regulations. Mr. Pfau was always one step ahead.
“What Mr. Pfau doesn’t realize is that his leadership encouraged all of us within the Fallston community to continue that ‘proud tradition of excellence’ and call this cougar nation our home,” Ms. Cummings said.
Alice Puckett: A Legendary Coach
Introduced by Current FHS Social Studies Teacher, Ms. Maddie Palko
Mrs. Alice Puckett is an icon to the Fallston community and a legend in the field hockey world. She taught P.E. and Health at Fallston and had turns coaching not only field hockey but also tennis and women’s basketball from 1983 until she retired from HCPS in 2016. She put just as much effort and heart into a P.E. lesson as she did prepping her hockey girls for a state championship – of which she famously brought home 11 to the Cougars.
As a coach, she had an “unparalleled ability” to manage balancing fun with her players while also demanding a “standard of excellence.”
Aside from her exemplary career, she is a wife to her husband Mark, a mother, sister, friend, “and an overall fantastic human being,” says Ms. Maddie Palko.
She took on a plethora of roles during her tenure at Fallston. She has been a coach, a co-worker, a boss, a mentor, and even a mother-figure.
She made a memorable impression on all she interacted with. Ms. Palko continued, “For those of us who have been taught or coached by her, we remember a woman who inspired us to be our best selves… As co-workers, we remember a teacher who loved her students and this community. And for those of us who are lucky enough to be called Puckett’s Family, we just call ourselves blessed.”
She was an active member in her students’ and players’ lives. She created a safe atmosphere for kids to just be who they were. Ms. Palko even jokes that she and her teammates would have “rather faced our parents than disappoint Puckett.”
She engrained in her players that the person they were off the field mattered far more than any skills they could bring to the field. She also taught them that their individual desires should never be placed above what is best for the whole team.
Alice Puckett’s impact on the Fallston community as a coach has become a big reason that many of her former players become coaches themselves. At Fallston alone, Ms. Palko, Ms. J. Cummings, Ms. Price, and Ms. Ryan are all ‘Puckett girls’ who have done varying amounts of coaching throughout their time as teachers.
“As coaches, we know that if we are half the coach that she was, we’re doing just fine,” Ms. Palko adds.
Kelsey Sadler: A Fallen Cougar
Introduced by Current FHS Spanish Teacher, Ms. Jessica Williams, and Captain Prince Kipea
Kelsey Sadler was a firefighter at Fallston Volunteer, Joppa Volunteer, and ultimately Baltimore City Fire Department, Station 14 for 15 years.
In 2005, after graduating from Fallston, she went next door and joined the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company. She put her life on the line every day, selflessly protecting and serving her community for the duration of her career.
In 2022, Kelsey made the ultimate sacrifice and lost her life putting out a fire with the Baltimore City Fire Department. On the day of the fire, Sadler was the acting lieutenant.
Her captain, Prince Kipea, says, “Everything in life has a foundation and Kelsey had a strong foundation with her family who always supported her in all that she did. She also had a foundation here, at Fallston High School, with the many faculty members that helped and supported her along the way.”
She was known as the queen of her station. Her Captain adds, “There weren’t many things that went on at the Station, that didn’t get her approval first.”
She was a pillar of both the Fallston community and her Fire Company. Every single day, she was always willing to do whatever it took to ensure the citizens of Baltimore City were safe.
The extent of her impact on people’s lives did not end with Baltimore City. Sadler was friendly, welcoming, and always the first to smile and the last to judge in her personal life, which is why she made such a good firefighter.
Kelsey Sadler made Fallston proud in all that she did and exemplified our motto of “a proud tradition of excellence.”
“She was always giving, always hardworking, and there is not a day that goes by that we don’t think about her. We miss her a whole lot,” says Captain Kipea on behalf of his station.
Ms. Eileen Turowski: The Most Spirited Vice Principal
Introduced by Former Colleague, Former FHS Assistant Principal Val Cooper
Ms. Eileen Turowski was Fallston’s longest running assistant principal, serving 23 years at Fallston. However, her contributions to Fallston go far beyond the time she put in. It was all about her character.
“Using her head is what she did, but using her heart is who she was,” Ms. Val Cooper said. Ms. Turowski was always participating in school activities in one way or another. Whether that was spirit days with the seniors or supporting FHS at sporting events, she was always there.
After growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973 and then furthered her education at Johns Hopkins University, coming out with two master’s degrees in mathematical education.
She served in HCPS schools for 40 years, 16 of them being as a math teacher at Harve de Grace High School, one as an intern at FHS, and the final 23 years of her career as Fallston’s now-iconic assistant principal.
Ms. Turowski was known for her tough love – emphasis on love. She always put up a stern front but had so much love in her heart for the students and faculty. “[She] was always there using the right combination of respect, professionalism, and kindness,” Ms. Cooper stated.
According to the 2002 Yearbook Staff, she was “a constant in an assistant principal team that was continuously changing.” Her commitment, love of students, and utter devotion to the field of education is what sets her apart from all other assistant principals, past, present, or future.
In 2013 Ms. Turowski retired from FHS, but the impact she made will never be forgotten. “Ms. Turowski is a pillar of our school community,” Ms. Cooper concluded.
