ONE HOPE-ONE DREAM

Henry "Hank" Richard Jr., Class of 1957, is a member of Hoban’s first graduating class. Living in Akron his entire life, Hank lived a life of simple service that made a profound impact. Hank passed away on March 11, 2018, and his legacy continues to have a ripple effect in the lives of those he served.

While a student at Hoban, Hank discovered a passion and a true talent for mechanics. Following graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the 101^st Airborne Division. In 1970, Hank bought his first gas station and service center in Akron. Although owning a growing business took much of Hank’s time and energy, his focus and true calling in life became sharing his faith with others through prayer, service and fellowship. In 1981, Hank’s wife Judy assumed management of the businesses to allow him time to serve God through serving others.

Hank lived out his calling through many ministries. His contributions to the Akron community are many and varied. Hank founded Kingdom Builders, a nonprofit religious organization that helped men grow in faith through a speaker’s series and weekend retreats at various churches of all denominations.

Hank organized a group of volunteers at his parish called the Skills Bank that helped perform small jobs for people in the community. Through the Skills Bank, volunteers completed more than 2,000 projects in one year, but more importantly, it connected people in meaningful ways.

Hank worked to help incarcerated men transition back into the community. One of his favorite places was Hope Café, a local soup kitchen, where he met and helped countless people. Even in his businesses, Hank and his employees began each day with prayer, building an atmosphere of community, love and service.

Hank’s legacy and impact are still at work through Second Street Ministries for which he and his wife donated a building to house critical community programs and service work. Many Hoban students have served the community at Second Street Ministries during JAM.

Hank’s motto was, “be Christ with skin on,” meaning actually, physically be there for others. Hank lived a life of service. He exemplified the Holy Cross values, most specifically option for the poor. He created genuine relationships with people and did all he could to ease their burden.

Pratik Shah, Class of 1994, is head of the renowned Supreme Court and Appellate practice at the international law firm Akin Gump in Washington D.C. In his role, Pratik briefs and argues cases in federal and state appellate courts across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court, where he has argued 15 cases (and won all but three).

As a student at Hoban, Pratik was influenced profoundly by teachers like Brother Ed Libbers and Rose Zaucha, stating, “They both made a huge impact on my life, opening doors of opportunity and instilling confidence in me to tackle new challenges.”  He attributes his later interest in attending law school to his experience on Hoban’s mock trial team, which he led to its first state championship.

Following high school graduation, Pratik attended Princeton University where he earned a chemical engineering degree, graduating summa cum laude. Throughout college, Pratik invested much of his time in serving others – tutoring underprivileged students in Trenton and volunteering weekly at a soup kitchen in Philadelphia. These experiences further shaped his commitment to service, which he has carried throughout his career.

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Pratik clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Stephen Breyer, taught constitutional law, and served several years as Assistant to the Solicitor General in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he helped represent the Obama Administration in its successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act.  Now, working in the private sector, Pratik continues to serve through his pro bono litigation work on several social justice issues, including LGBT equality, Native American treaty rights, and immigration rights. Most recently, Pratik supported the defense of the Affordable Care Act in the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve healthcare coverage for millions of Americans.

Among a lengthy list of awards and recognition, Pratik has been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Litigation Trailblazer, named to Washingtonian magazine’s list of top Supreme Court lawyers, and received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award.  Throughout his career, Pratik has been active in high-profile and formative work to help protect the rights of marginalized groups of people, exemplifying the Holy Cross core values of integrity, hope and inclusiveness. 

Tenishia Benson, Class of 2007, embraces the Holy Cross value of divine providence. She knows and has benefited from unexpected circumstances that materialize after seemingly unfortunate setbacks. With each experience, Tenishia finds the opportunity. And, in each role God has placed her, she has made it her mission to help create opportunities for others.

While at Hoban, Tenishia was a multi-sport student-athlete, honors student and class president all four years. A standout student-athlete on the girls basketball team – setting new school records and achieving numerous state and national awards – Tenishia’s love of basketball has been a consistent thread in her life. She received a full scholarship to play women’s basketball at the University of Cincinnati, and finished her college and athletic career in 2012 at Ohio University, leading the Mid-American Conference in scoring and earning a degree in speech pathology.

Tenishia’s plans to play professionally were interrupted after she suffered a sports injury, leading her to yet another opportunity to coach at the collegiate level at Alabama A&M and Cincinnati Christian University. Since 2015, Tenishia has served as owner and executive director for Ohio Girls Basketball Report, a scouting service and event company that serves girls basketball players in Ohio. Tenishia and her team coach and mentor young girls to play at the next level and develop as student-athletes.

In 2018, Tenishia founded Buzzer Beater, a basketball program for women in prison. She serves Ohio’s two largest women’s correctional institutions, providing mentorship for incarcerated women to learn, grow and heal by playing basketball. Also, since 2018, Tenishia has served as president of Perpetual Motion Basketball, a non-profit organization specializing in serving underprivileged young women and teaching them how to advance in life and basketball.

Two years ago, Tenishia assumed a position with Franklinton Preparatory High School on the westside of Columbus. In her role on the leadership team, she works to bridge the gap for her students. She has created numerous school programs to help students develop career skills, prepare for college, complete community service and obtain internships. And, of course, she also coaches the high school’s girls basketball team.

In her daily life, Tenishia asks and prays to be an opportunist for other people. In her career and her volunteerism, she has worked to find the gaps between those she serves and the opportunities that are possible. In teaching the game of basketball, she is also teaching the game of life – the skills, attitudes and determination necessary to play at the next level.