The halls of the Clubs at Cordillera Ranch were lined with dozens of family members, friends and Boerne Independent School District staff, board members and alumni to honor the 2022 Boerne’s Distinguished Alumni Class of 2022 Friday afternoon.
First up on the list of honors was Carol Mathews, who was the recipient of this year’s benefactor award. While Mathews didn’t graduate from BISD, as the other award recipients that afternoon had, she was awarded for her dedicated service to the district.
“My brother and sister and I were very blessed to be born to two very amazing people,” the master of ceremonies for the luncheon, Tommy Mathews, said while introducing the first award recipient, his mother. “Tommy and Carol Mathews were hardworking, generous, caring and very giving.”
Mathews’ support of the school district first cropped up in 1967 when she became room mother and treasurer of the Boerne Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization back when the school district was still known as the Boerne County Line ISD. Later, in 1976, Mathews was elected to the BISD board of trustees – a seat she would hold for nearly two decades.
“When my family moved here in 1967, we didn’t’ know anyone, and the best way to meet people was to become involved,” Carol Mathews said. “One March or June we were visited by someone at St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, who invited us to the church, and we made friends there. … Then, a work employee from my husband’s business had relatives up here, so he contacted them, and they came to visit us. So, we became involved. (We) joined the Boerne Turn Verein – the bowling alley – which we became very involved in.
“So, we were accepted, and it’s been our business to accept the people who move to Boerne. We knew we found a place we wanted to raise our family and spend the rest of our lives. It seemed natural we would do what we could to keep our school and community the same wonderful place we had moved to.”
The first alumnus to be honored Friday was Joseph Bergmann, who graduated from Boerne High School in 1963. Bergmann was a scientist who dedicated his time to studying the field of Malacology, where he researched terrestrial snails and freshwater mussels. In his 40 years in the profession, he is noted for identifying several previously unreported species in Texas and even had a species named after him.
However, Bergmann’s journey to his master’s degree took a significant amount of perseverance as he was drafted into the military shortly before finishing his graduate program.
After negotiating his way through the military branches, Bergmann found the Navy was most willing to play ball and let him continue his higher education pursuits.
Throughout his military career, Bergmann served as a personnel research scientist at Kelly Air Force Base, Industrial-Organizational psychologist and occupational analyst for the Air Force’s human resource department and the Academy of Health Sciences for the Army. Bergmann traveled throughout the United States in his official duties with the military, and his work included several specialties and personnel levels.
“During his free time back in San Diego, Joseph (Bergmann) became extremely interested in beach combing,” Becky Vogt Minster said in introducing Bergmann. “A friend and fellow sailor with a biology degree deepened his interest and knowledge in clams. But once back in the Hill Country in 1973, he found the beach was too far to regularly trek. So, he channeled his focus to snails and mussels in the nearby creeks, rivers and lakes. As an aside, I have to tell you, Joey married my cousin, so I’ve known him since I was 12 years old, and I always thought it was pretty dorky to be collecting snails and mussels. …
“However, little did I know that there’s really much more to it than that. So, as they were doing this collecting, they found in professional information that documentation had not published any new or important information on mussels since 1932. So, he and his friend began detailed records of their findings and published several articles in the Texas Journal of Science and became top experts in the field in Texas and beyond.”
While Bergmann had a difficult time giving any speeches that afternoon, he was met with overwhelming applause and a standing ovation from the rows of tables throughout the dining hall.
Dr. Rob Bradley was next to have his moment in the sun, but he was unable to attend the event. Chris Taylor, a 20-year friend and bandmate of Bradley, accepted the award on Bradley’s behalf and read a text he received from the absent award recipient.
“He (Bradley) said thanks for accepting my award,” Taylor read from a text message from Bradley. “They will think you are me anyway. … It is such an honor to be included in this group of outstanding women and men Thank you all for who made this day possible.”
Bradley graduated from Boerne High School in 1980 and has lived in Boerne for 37 years, where he has practiced his orthodontic work, correcting smiles on countless children across the county.
Next up to bat was BISD alumna Rachel Seewald, who graduated from Boerne High School in 1988. Seewald currently serves as the director of the NCAA – where she has worked for the past 12 years – and worked for the University Interscholastic League in Austin for 16 years before her time with the NCAA.
Legendary Boerne coach Stan Leech introduced Seewald, noting her perseverance and continued willingness to show up and fight against injustices.
“I’m going to stress athletics with you,” Leech said, “because what happened is you had a love for it. And one thing you always did, you always showed up. You showed up in the classroom. You showed up on the gym floor whether it was volleyball or basketball. Whatever we had you do. Then you went to UT and you continued to show up. …
“It was tough for women to find a spot, and you know what, you continued to find a spot. You continued to persevere. And even when there were injustices, you know what, Rachel Seewald showed up, showed off and took the message out. And you continue to do that today with the NCAA.”
Michelle Beadle, a 1994 Boerne High School graduate, was the last alum eternally enlisted into the Boerne’s Best Class of 2022. Beadle’s continued effort to speak up and fight against wrongs was a strong message driven home by both Leech and Beadle herself during her award presentation.
Beadle was a sports broadcaster on ESPN and NBC, among other networks, for several years, working with ESPN for nearly 10 years. Currently, Beadle works as a special correspondent on the San Antonio Spurs Broadcast Team.
In her exceptional career in sports broadcasting, Beadle also has worked on several radio and television shows, which includes covering the 2012 Olympics, serving as a correspondent for Access Hollywood, hosting various events on NBC’s Sports Network and hosting shows on The Travel Channel, Animal Planet, People Magazine and reporting from the red carpets of the Golden Globes, Grammy Awards, SAG Awards and Tony Awards.
“I want to say, ‘Thank you very much,’” Beadle said to Leech, who noted her continuous efforts to fight for what she believed in. “Because in full disclosure – and I’m glad you mentioned it – I was a bit of a pain in the butt in Boerne. And you were right. When I saw injustices, I decided to fight them all, and I have learned since then to choose your battles wisely.
“But, unfortunately, that’s still a lot of battles, and you still have to fight them all. But it was because of that. And I was allowed to fight them no matter how annoying I must’ve been to so many people. I was still allowed to do it. … I appreciate you because that’s seriously how I managed to live the rest of my life, and it all started here.”
This is the school district’s third year honoring graduates of BISD and benefactors to the district. The alumni awards are reserved for individuals who graduated from the school district 10 or more years ago, “have achievements that set them above and beyond the standard in their profession and have achievements that seem them above and beyond the standard in the community service.”
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