Connie Freudenberg is in her 14th year at Pius X High School. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Chadron State College. (Although some students are hesitant to believe this, Chadron is in the state of Nebraska.) Her first teaching position was on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at a Jesuit-Catholic school ~ Red Cloud Indian School. The environment at Red Cloud Indian School is unique as it combines Catholic traditions with Lakota culture. Not everyone has attended Mass and gone to a sweat lodge in the same day. Connie loves to spend time outside. Reading, baking, attempting to grow flowers, and keeping up with family are a few interests she has. Connie has five children, three grandchildren and will meet the fourth grandchild in December. (The gender is a secret until the day of birth.) Connie’s family adopted a dog, Maisie, when Maisie was 2 ½ years old. Maisie is a certified therapy dog and comes to school two days a week.
Caycee Hays is in Education, her 8th year at Pius, and her 1st year serving as a School Counselor. Mrs. Hays received her undergraduate degree from Graceland University in 2011, her first master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2015 and will finish her second master’s degree from Creighton University in May of 2025. She has coached for the Px Cheer Program for 7 years, and helped bring home their first State Title in Class A Traditional Routine in 2023. A fun fact about Mrs. Hays is that, prior to WWII, her great-grandfather drove cars and served as a mechanic for the Norwegian Royal Family.
Sandy Hartman: “This is my 24th year at Pius X High School and can say without Pius, I’m not sure where my Catholic faith would be. I’m inspired daily by our administration, faculty and students who live their Catholic faith. I assure those outside of Pius the Holy Spirit is alive in our school. For 15 years, I worked as the Attendance Secretary and enjoyed getting to know the majority of students by name. I’ve been a secretary in the Counseling Center the last eight years and my main duty is helping seniors with everything “college”. The best part of my job is when a senior says, “I got in” or “I received a scholarship”. And to the student who doesn’t get in, “Awesome. God must have something greater planned for you. I can’t wait to see what it is.” I work 7:30-12:30 daily which allows me time to help with my ailing mother-in-law and my grandchildren. Fun Fact! My husband, son and son-in-law all work for State Farm Insurance. My daughter, daughter-in-law and I are all in education…though my daughter-in-law recently gave up teaching for staying home with her son and photography.”
Carla Kruml: “This is my 10th school year at Pius in the Counseling Center. I graduated from UNL with a Business Administration degree. I am married to Ron and have a son James. They are both Pius alumni. James will be getting married in October of 2025. We are looking forward to our family growing. In my free time I enjoy reading, especially mysteries. I have a deep faith that God has a plan for the each of us. Sometimes it is hard to see, but it is always there if you look hard enough. Fun Fact: I have seen Billy Joel four times in concert, enjoying each one thoroughly.”
Shelly Pick: “This is my 12th year at Pius X. I graduated with a degree in Radio Broadcasting from Iowa Central Community College. I worked in radio in Carroll, Iowa for 10 years; during which time I graduated from Buena Vista College with my Elementary Education degree. I received my Master’s degree in Elementary Counseling and an endorsement in K-6 Administration from Iowa State University. After arriving in Nebraska, I finished my 7-12 Counseling and Administration endorsements from UNL. My husband and I are the proud parents of two Pius X graduates. My fun fact is that, while in radio, I met and got to hang out with, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Bolton, Bruce Hornsby and Def Leppard.”
Jess Psota: “This is my 18th year at Pius X High School. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education – English at UNL and took a job at Pius X right out of college. For the first eleven years, I taught a variety of English courses and also coached cheerleading. After earning my master’s degree from Doane University, I transitioned into school counseling. Pius X is really special to me for a number of reasons, but the sweetest is because this is where I met my husband. God was looking out for both of us by placing us here just down the hall from one another. I am thankful for my career, friendships and community Pius X has given me and look forward to many more years serving the students and families.”
Emma Stewart is a licensed mental health practitioner working with Lincoln Pius X High School to provide services to our students.Stewart graduated from Doane University with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2021, is DBT-informed (dialectical behavior therapy) and practices from a person-centered orientation. She also holds additional graduate credits from Northern Seminary, having spent eight years as a protestant before returning to Catholicism, knowing that the integration of spiritual and clinical care can be crucial in finding our ways forward. Her previous clinical work includes a variety of sites, including Mourning Hope Grief Center, Lincoln High School, and Southeast Community College, and Doane University Counseling Centers. Stewart is passionate about companioning the bereaved of all ages through unique and complex grief. Her focus of practice are grief and loss, teenage and adolescent, anxiety, depression, relationships, and life transitions.”
Maisie: Hello, my name is Maisie and I’m 7 years old. I enjoy coming to Pius X High School because the students scratch behind my ears and I love greeting all of them. On the really good days, I get belly rubs! When I’m not working at school, my favorite thing to do is go for long walks. Neighborhood squirrels, rabbits, and foxes are quite annoying, but when I don’t bark at them, my human gives me treats. (It’s super hard to not bark at them.)
