Class of ‘71 Alumnus and GZO Supporter Tim Wainscott reflects on his faith-filled time at St. Mary Catholic Schools

By Abriela Thiel (’19)

Tim Wainscott (‘71) said it was when he was in grade school that he found that “a golf ball will go a lot farther than a baseball when you hit it with a club.” And that is what led Wainscott to his decision to join the SMCHS golf team back in 1967.

As St. Mary Catholic High School’s class of 1971 will celebrate their 50^th class reunion later this summer, Wainscott reflected on what his time at SMCS meant to him, taught him and what he hopes current students will take away from their time at SMCS.

Wainscott and his two siblings attended St. Mary Catholic Schools their whole lives, attending St. Margaret Mary grade school before going into high school. It was while Wainscott was in grade school that his dad took him to the golf driving range for the first time. It was then that Wainscott learned to love the sport and, in the meantime, found he was pretty good at it.

In high school, Wainscott joined both the basketball and golf teams at SMCS, where he learned the importance of discipline and working hard over the course of his four years. These lessons served Wainscott well in his athletic career at SMC, as he earned multiple awards and held records in both the conference and state.

After high school, Wainscott went to St. Norbert College for a year and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with degrees in anthropology and business. As Wainscott applied for his first jobs after college, he used his involvement in athletics at SMCS to distinguish himself as someone who works hard and takes great pride in his work. Wainscott stressed that in his first job and throughout the rest of his professional career, he realized that the competition that was sparked in him during his time at SMCS made him work to not compete against other people but compete to be the best version of himself.

Wainscott used his competitive edge to his advantage later in his career when he and a partner started their own small business, which they operated for about 20 years. During this time, Wainscott was able to travel around the world for business where he was able to utilize his knowledge about people and other cultures in his work, which made for highly rewarding experiences.

While Wainscott didn’t know it while he was in high school, upon reflecting on his life and his time at SMCS, he came to know and appreciate all the values that were instilled in him during his time at the school.

“St. Mary’s was foundational in providing, not only an education, but an education that you just didn’t slide through,” Wainscott recalled.

He explained that while most students won’t fully understand or appreciate the gift of their Catholic school education at the time, it is a privilege that not all students have the opportunity to take advantage of. The combination of quality education in a faith-based setting results in well-rounded individuals who have a strong sense of discipline, ethics and hard work.

“The lessons I learned during my time at SMCS along with the strong guidance in faith led me to be who I am today,” Tim said.

Tim continues to support St. Mary Catholic High School by participating in the annual Greater Zephyrs Open event, which he has golfed in for the past few years. At the event, team “Class of 1971” includes SMC alum Wainscott, Chuck Johnson, Rick Grieser and Randy Swanson.

To register, sponsor or support the 2021 Greater Zephyrs Open, click here.