50 Years Later - Still Proudly Andrean
Class of '75 Gifts $6,500 to Honor the Past, Protect the Future
Merrillville, Indiana – Nearly 200 former students and their family members of the Andrean High School Class of 1975 returned to the region in 2025 for their 50th reunion — and they brought with them a powerful expression of gratitude.
In the months leading up to the celebration, the class launched a Legacy Fund initiative, inviting classmates, family members, and local businesses to contribute to a lasting gift for their alma mater. The response was outstanding. By the time of the reunion banquet, the class had already raised more than three times its original goal and a check for nearly $4,200 was proudly presented to longtime Andrean representative Dave Pishkur at the formal banquet.
Donations continued to arrive in the following weeks, bringing the final total to $6,500.
The Class of 1975 directed its gift to areas especially meaningful to the graduates:
-
Arts and Theater Department — sustaining programs that foster creativity and confidence
-
Athletic Department — supporting the proud Fighting 59ers tradition of competition and teamwork
-
Maintenance and repair of the Grotto — preserving the beloved religious sanctuary that has served as a place of prayer, reflection, and peace for generations
-
Basilian Fathers and the Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius — honoring the religious orders that formed the spiritual foundation of Andrean High School
The centerpiece of the Legacy Fund is the establishment of the Class of 1975 Legacy Scholarship — a $4,000 endowed fund that will award two $500 scholarships annually, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. This permanent scholarship will provide meaningful support to deserving Andrean students for decades to come.
“This gift is about more than money,” said one reunion committee member. “It’s about giving back to the school that gave us so much. We wanted to leave something behind that would help future students experience the same Andrean spirit, faith, and opportunities that shaped our lives.”
The Class of 1975 extends its deepest thanks to every classmate, family member, and business partner who contributed. Your generosity transformed a milestone reunion into a lasting investment in the future of Andrean High School.
Andrean High School Class of 1975
