Alumni Spotlight: Young Alums Make a Difference

Sharpen your irons! De La Salle alumni golf, featuring both a Monday and Tuesday night offering, kicks off for the seventh straight year on Monday, May 13. And just as was the case in the inaugural year of the two leagues in 2018, The Orchards Golf Club – located in Washington, Mich. – will serve as the home course. 

The two leagues are an extension of the school’s vibrant alumni base and professional networking groups run by Alumni Relations Director Dennis Koch, ‘94. Koch was integral in the founding of the leagues but is far from the only one to credit for their present success. 

There are numerous others to credit, including alumni Greg Aliotta, ‘15, and Jacob Burghardt, ‘14. The two of them have stepped up the past few years to run the Monday league, and have done a commendable job in keeping the atmosphere on the course loose and fun for all.  

“Being a part of the DLS league is exciting,” Aliotta said. “It is an effective way to keep in touch with fellow alumni, let loose, and go have fun on the golf course once a week.” 

Aliotta, a former DLS hockey player and an active member of the student body during his time as a Pilot, is appreciative of what the school has done for him. And to this day, he remains a big proponent of the De La Salle “difference.” 

“I think it all starts with the motto: ‘Builders of Boys. Makers of Men.’ That is not just a saying, it is a fact,” Aliotta expressed. “The faculty really works hard to make us the best men that we can be. It is not just getting you ready for college, but your professional life following college. Going to De La Salle really made me mature at a younger age, and I feel that helped tremendously in my personal and professional life today.” 

Kevin Mitzel, ‘11, like Aliotta and Burghardt, has also become a core member of the De La Salle Alumni Association. He and the Mitzel Agency, his family’s Macomb-based insurance agency, have shown their steadfast support of the all-boys, college preparatory school for a number of years now. Most recently, the insurance company sponsored the Christian Brothers’ Dinner.  

Mitzel, along with his brother, Brandon Mitzel, ‘14, are going on their third year in the Monday alumni golf league. Kevin, for one, has enjoyed every single second of it. 

“Playing in the DLS golf league brings back memories of my high school days, whether it's recalling the rivalries on the sports field or the camaraderie forged in the hallways,” Mitzel said. “There's a unique sense of connection among alumni, bonded by shared experiences and a common love for the game.” 

Mitzel has fond memories of his days as a Pilot student, a time in his life that has profoundly impacted the man he is today. 

Now a father, he readily sees the immense value in sending one’s child to De La Salle. 

“People in life always say, ‘You get what you pay for.’ I think that is partially true for De La Salle,” Mitzel expressed. “The quality education, passionate staff, secure and updated facilities, and challenging curriculum are all a part of the package. However, the relationships forged with your classmates, their families, the alumni base of De La Salle, and the general preparation for your next step in life, that is all a bonus. That is priceless.”

Koch is more than proud of the men that Aliotta, Burghardt, and Mitzel have become, and can’t wait to see them on the links May 13. 

“I’m so proud of the exemplary leaders that these three men have become,” Koch said. “Alumni golf, with 40 golfers in the two leagues combined, truly couldn’t be any more successful than it is right now. And, that’s a huge credit to Greg, Jacob, and Kevin. They, to me, are the very definition of Lasallian men.”   

For more info on the Monday and Tuesday alumni golf leagues, please contact Dennis Koch at dkoch@delasallehs.com.
 

Alumni Spotlight: Young Alums Make a Difference