The memory and legacy of Kathleen Cochrane DePiero will live on with every morning broadcast at Saint Albert the Great School.

Family, friends and colleagues from Fox 8 gathered Sept. 7 at the Wallings Road school to dedicate a new broadcast studio in honor of Cochrane DePiero, an Emmy-award winning reporter and Fox 8 anchor who died last December from influenza. She was 38 years old.

Husband Dean, and the couple’s young children, Blake, 8, and Hadley, 5, who attend Saint Albert the Great School, participated in an emotional ceremony that included a morning Mass, ribbon cutting, unveiling of a memorial plaque, intercessions, a prayer of blessing and a demonstration of the new broadcast studio. The studio is being used to live-stream the morning announcements – the Mustang AM Morning Show, said Moderator and Saint Albert the Great School Teacher Jeff Stanowick. Students prepare scripts, graphics, video segments and other features.

“For our students’ experience with media, I think it will give them a new appreciation for exactly what goes into putting together a live or recorded TV broadcast,” Stanowick said. “Our teams of nine students spend about 45 minutes each morning, as well as other time later in the day and after school, preparing for what amounts to about five minutes of show time.”

The new studio resides in a remodeled section of the school’s library, which is now known as the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons also houses a technology “Maker Space” and 3-D printer, along with the traditional library.

“I have always said that special places are made by special people,” said School Principal Edward Vittardi, in his welcome address and introduction. “Today we recognize a special place made possible by special people. By Dean DePiero, Kathleen DePiero, Fox 8 and those who contributed to honor her in a special way.”

Months before her passing, Kathleen had actually reached out to Saint Albert the Great School expressing interest in volunteering her time and giving back, specifically to students who demonstrated passion for communications and broadcasting.

“When Dean shared with Father Estok and I, the love Kathleen and he had for the parish and the special feelings about Saint Albert the Great School, the staff, families and the students, he shared his desire to do something for the school. It did not take long for the right idea, the best legacy to develop,” Vittardi said.

Fox 8 provided labor and pieces of equipment to help make the vision a reality. Funds to create the space came from the DePiero family and memorial donations, Stanowick said. The value of the studio and equipment is more than $20,000.

“We worked closely with representatives from Fox 8 to help plan out and build the space, research and purchase equipment, and to train our staff and students on how to use the equipment,” Stanowick said.

Following the dedication ceremony, attendees had the chance to see a demonstration. Students reenacted that morning’s announcements, the Mustang AM Morning Show, discussing everything from Cleveland sports news to local weather to special school happenings and deadlines.

“The technology that we have has allowed us to live-stream the show to each room in the building,” Stanowick said. “We are able to utilize multiple cameras, microphones, computers and other devices to put together a high-quality broadcast each day.”

Anchor Julia Olle, 13, remarked how truly special the new broadcast studio is and what it does to enhance everyone’s learning experience.

“It’s really great to be a part of something so new and different and to be learning so much about what goes into live TV,” Olle said.

Stanowick notes that the real-world experience is unparalleled.

“The students who are a part of the Mustang AM team have been most greatly affected by the change, getting to see and get hands-on experience with some real TV studio equipment,” he said. “The cameras, the sound board, the switcher, the microphones and everything else involved have gotten the kids really excited.”

In a sense, it’s another schoolroom and a very special one at that.

“This studio has and will become a classroom for the future Kathleen Cochrane DePiero’s who walk these halls of Saint Albert the Great School,” Vittardi said. “Those in front of the camera and those behind the camera will help her vision to become a reality in so many ways.”

By SARA MACHO HILL

Contributing  Writer