John W. Burnside, M.D. - Class of 1958
John received his Doctor of Medicine, with very high honors, from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1966 and completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and a Fellow, American College of Physicians.
His career has been focused on being a medical educator with academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, and Southwestern Medical School, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. “Having been challenged by teachers there (at Fenton) was in no small part the reason I have been an educator all of my professional career,” wrote John.
In addition to his academic appointments, John has held a variety of administrative appointments and has served on numerous college and hospital committees and medical and scientific societies. He has authored 10 books, 19 journal articles and 17 letters and miscellany and is listed in the Marquis Who’s Who in America.
Frank W. Reifsnyder, Jr. - Class of 1965
Mr. Frank Reifsnyder won a competitive appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, making him the first Fenton graduate to win an appointment to a Service Academy. He graduated with honors and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. As a result of his high academic standing as an undergraduate, Frank was sent to Naval Postgraduate School. He completed a M.S. degree in Operations Research in 1971.
Frank was selected for the Nuclear Propulsion Program and participated in the initial successful submerged launching and test flights of the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. During his highly decorated naval career, Frank was deployed on six submarines holding key positions which included Executive Officer and Commander. He also held various shore duty assignments including Chief of Staff for the NATO Submarine staff in the United Kingdom. His decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals and two Legion of Merit Medals.
After an outstanding and distinguished career, Frank retired from active duty in 1994 and continues his service to the U.S. Navy as a government civilian employee. He and his wife reside in London, England where he is the senior civilian with the Naval Security Group.
Colleen F. Sheehan - Class of 1979
Upon graduation from Fenton, Colleen Sheehan attended Arizona State University where she graduated with a B.S. in Journalism. She then attended John Marshall Law School in Chicago where she received her Juris Doctor in 1987. Colleen began her professional career as an Assistant Public Defender for the Cook County Public Defenders Office.
In 1991, Ms. Sheehan began Sheehan & Norton, P.C. representing clients in criminal and civil matters. Her judicial career was initiated in 1996 when she became a Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Judge. She was elected as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge in 2000. Her activities include serving on the faculty of the Young Lawyers Training Program, presiding over the Annual Mock Trial Competitions for high school students, participating in the “Smart Choices” traffic safety program, and serving on the faculty of the New Judge Seminar.
Colleen cites being elected Cook County Circuit Court Judge as her most significant professional accomplishment. “I am convinced that my involvement in student council and speech team while I attended Fenton was instrumental in helping me navigate through the election process and become a Cook County Circuit Court Judge,” wrote Colleen. “While I am proud of this accomplishment,” she continued, “I remain most proud that I have provided pro bono legal services to those individuals who could least afford quality legal representation. I remain dedicated to providing access to the judicial system to all those in need.”