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Mike Siegert, Brian Sekinger '07, and Maryanne Siegert enjoyed the opportunity to visit with each other at the St. Mary's Scholarship Luncheon held in April 2007.
A Love of Life and Learning
As a student at St. Mary's, Josh Siegert '04 lived for the days when he traveled to the local elementary schools to teach. The educational studies major adored children and delighted in helping them learn.
These twin loves were apparent long before Josh came to St. Mary's in 2000. His parents, Mike and Maryanne Siegert, compare him to the Pied Piper: his natural exuberance and laid-back ways guaranteed that there was always a gaggle of kids trailing after him. Boys, who didn't run into many male teachers in elementary school, revered him, while more than a few girls had a crush on their adored "Mr. Siegert," his father remembers. When the little schoolgirls would ask for his phone number, Josh would jokingly reply "555-1234." The next day, they would ask him why the number didn't work.
When Josh was killed in a car accident in 2003, the entire St. Mary's community was devastated by the loss of this fun-loving young man who regularly sported gelled hair and sunglasses. For his parents, the loss cut most deeply of all. The good this beloved son would bring to the world, the gifts of awakening and understanding he would share with his future students- all were cut short.
It would have been understandable if, in their grief, Mike and Maryanne Siegert avoided the place where Josh lost his life. Instead, they embraced it. Their son, Mike remembers, was drawn to St. Mary's from the first moment he stepped foot on campus. That love only grew over the years. "When Josh died, he was at the happiest part of his life. He loved where he was and what he was doing," says Mike. "As a parent, that's what you hope for."
In the face of their loss, the Siegerts were determined to carry their son's legacy forward. Most of all, they wanted to advance Josh's deepest ambition: to help kids learn. In 2003, they established the Joshua L. Siegert Memorial Scholarship for Future Educators. Since then, several St. Mary's education students have been able to pursue their love of teaching-the very same love Josh nurtured-thanks, in great part, to the funds made available through the scholarship.
Brian Sekinger '07 is one such student. Although he only met his benefactors a short time ago, a personal bond has been quick to flower between them. Mike and Maryanne recently drove to St. Mary's from their home in Columbia, Maryland, to attend a performance of Proof, Brian's St. Mary's Project. Their pride in Brian and his accomplishments is apparent to all who see them together. Beginning this year, the Siegert scholarship will be awarded annually to a student or students who plan to continue in the College's MAT (master of arts in teaching) program.
"I love my life," Josh said shortly before his death. It is a testament to his parents' love and strength that Josh's great appetite for living and the difference he longed to make in the lives of young students is being fulfilled. Together, they have picked up Josh's dreams and are carrying them forward.
