Angela Manekas ’ 01 Named a 2016 Big Apple Award Winner
Excellence in the classroom continues for another former women ’ s basketball player . Angela Manekas ’ 01 , a fourth-grade teacher at PS 232 ( The Walter Ward School ) in Lindenwood , was one of 17 teachers to win a 2016 Big Apple Award .
Manekas , who also worked for the St . Francis Athletic Department , was selected from more than 4,600 nominees .
Both of Manekas ’ parents were physical education teachers ; her father taught at a school for the deaf . That inspired her to have her students say the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language every morning .
Manekas has taught at PS 232 for 11 years . Her principal says she ’ s an expert guided reading teacher . Manekas ’ students also do well in math . In the 2014 – 15 school year , 91 percent of her students demonstrated proficiency on the New York State math exam , and 69
Angela Manekas ' 01 , second from left , hearing the news about her award .
percent performed at an advanced level . ●
Tennis Teams Raise Awareness For Kidney Disease
The St . Francis Terriers ’ tennis teams are fighting a battle far bigger than their matches on court . The two squads are raising awareness about kidney disease , inspired by SFC Men ’ s Tennis Head Coach Chad Davis ’ 02 .
Davis was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease , also known as chronic kidney disease , in May 2015 just after the completion of the men ’ s 2014 – 15 campaign .
“ We want people to know that it is important that they take care of themselves and go to the doctor on a regular basis ,” Coach Davis said .
“ We try our best to follow the Franciscan way and help those in need by identifying a cause each year to support and build awareness ,” said Terriers ’ Head Women ’ s Coach Alicia Browne ’ 05 . “ Each year , we participate in the breast cancer walk and this year , because it hit home for us with Chad being diagnosed with kidney failure , we did a project for kidney disease awareness .”
“ Having end-stage renal disease is certainly a life changer . I kind of relate it to sports where at any given time the game plan switches up on and you have to make in-game adjustments ,” said Davis who is still coaching at St . Francis between dialysis appointments but had to stop working at his public school job .
“ It ’ s also something that you can ’ t really tackle alone so I ’ m glad I have the support system of my mom , Marilyn Davis , my girlfriend , Tina , and my sister , Jackie , as well as a host of other family members and close friends . Without those three women I think it would have been an even tougher road ; they have put up with a lot ,” he continued . “ What I try and do is stay positive and take it one day at a time . ●
Coach Chad Davis ’ 02 hopes to inspire the team with his off-court battle .
A Heroic Return
A year ago , St . Francis tennis stand-out Francesc Terns-Campius ’ 15 was supposed to be celebrating graduation with his fellow seniors in the class of 2015 .
But Terns never walked across the stage to get his diploma . Instead , on the day of the year-end Athletics Banquet , Terns was diagnosed with cancer and began making plans for returning to his home in Barcelona . It was the start of a months-long struggle against Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma .
“ I thought it could not happen to me because I was healthy , I was playing sports ,”
Francesc Terns-Campius ’ 15 receiving his diploma at the 2016 Athletic Awards Banquet .
said Terns . “ I ’ m fit . I never smoked in my life . I barely drink , like why ?”
After coming to grips with the diagnosis , Terns began chemotherapy and radiation , writing about his fight on his Spanish language blog : whatsuppaquito . wordpress . com . Eight months later , doctors told Terns that he was cancer free . “ Right now I ’ m perfect ; I ’ m feeling better than ever ,” he said with a grin from ear-to-ear . Building on the support of friends and family that helped him through his treatments , Terns is now helping others battling cancer .
“ When I was on the fourth or fifth chemo … I saw on TV a show with kids that were going through cancer and I said , for me it ’ s hard . I can ’ t imagine for a kid ,” added Terns .
He was inspired to start the Pinky Smiles Foundation to provide toys and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for children with cancer .
“ When I left last year , if you ’ d tell me that I was going to be here like I am right now , I would say there is no way ,” he said . “ I didn ’ t know what I was going to go through , but I knew the worst . You know it exists but if you don ’ t have cancer ever in your life then it ’ s like a separate world ; you don ’ t understand what it is . In one year , I learned more than all my life .”
A year after the initial diagnosis , Terns returned to Brooklyn for the 2016 Athletics Banquet . He was honored at the ceremony , and finally got to walk across the stage to receive his diploma . ●
Entire SFC Athletic Department to Volunteer at the New York City Marathon for Fourth Straight Year
When runners from the 2016 NYC Marathon run through Williamsburg this November , for the fourth year in a row , St . Francis College student -athletes, coaches , and staff will support them by handing out water and sports drinks .
The volunteers get to the 11-mile mark of the race early in the morning , set-up , then clean up the trash after the more than 50,000 runners have passed .
SFC student athletes braved wet and windy weather to help out at the 2015 marathon .
“ We love being able to help out the city and the thousands of runners that compete in this event ,” said Terriers ’ Director of Athletics Irma Garcia ’ 80 . “ It ’ s in our nature as Franciscans to give back to our community and I ’ m proud of our group for giving their time .”
More volunteers are always welcome . Contact Director of Marketing Maggie Martini at 718.455.5411 or mmartini @ sfc . edu . ●
12 | ST . FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | FALL 2016