QHS Alumni Spotlight: Sara (Mitchell) Semenick ’98

By: Katie Rodemich ’02
Sara (Mitchell) Semenick ’98 has returned to Quincy after twenty-years, eager to provide her children with fine arts experiences similar to those that shaped her high school years at Quincy Senior High School. She attributes the unique charm of Quincy to its distinctive character. Sara credits much of her personal growth to several influential educators in the Quincy Public School system, especially educators from the QHS Music Department. She is thrilled to provide her sons with similar opportunities through QPS’s school and music events. She highly values her educational experience from her time as a QPS student and is enthusiastic about sharing it with her children. Additionally, Sara and her husband, Max, recently co-founded Deeper Roots Counseling, a health and wellness business in Quincy. They are passionate about guiding individuals toward self-improvement and personal development.


“During my time in high school, the QHS marching band played a pivotal role in shaping my experiences. I was an A Building person, but I just kind of blended in with all different groups. Apart from my involvement in the marching band, I also participated in volleyball. However, the marching band remained my whole world. I sought to maintain a balanced lifestyle, cultivate meaningful friendships, and prioritize academic achievement. I wanted to stay focused on grades because I really wanted to attend a good college. Otherwise, it was a typical high school experience. Getting in trouble here and there, but mainly just kind of staying under the radar and enjoying life.
“During my senior year I bounced around and explored various options. Initially, I considered pursuing sports medicine, which led me to think about Southern Illinois University. However, I soon realized that dealing with blood and broken bones was not my thing. I liked the idea of helping people. I began to think of alternative ways to make a positive impact. This led me to shift my focus to counseling, which was largely influenced by my school counselor, Diane Rash. I had the opportunity to work in her office during my free periods and was impressed by her guidance. I loved helping people. My friends often complimented my listening skills and advice, which further solidified my desire to pursue a counseling degree by the time I graduated high school. However, I did not enter the counseling profession until about seven years ago. Upon completing college, I felt burned out and was not ready to pursue a master’s degree, which is essential for a career in counseling. As a result, I shifted my focus and entered the ministry, working with children at churches and things like that for a while.”
Following her high school and college, Sara relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, to take on a role in children’s ministry at a large church. During her nearly 20-year tenure, Sara met her husband, Max. They started their family and collaborated on various ministry endeavors. Their lives in Kentucky were marked by a deep commitment to community outreach and supporting individuals in need.


“My husband’s academic and professional pursuits led him to earn a master’s degree in divinity from Indiana University, after which he became a pastor and served as a chaplain in the National Guard. That was our life for a while, just working with people, working in the communities, and really helping people get connected with their needs and working with churches in Kentucky. In recent years, I returned to graduate school to earn my master’s degree, driven after doing a lot of counseling as a pastor. It was that desire that came back to me and so I went back at age 37 to get my master’s in marriage and family therapy. It was a renewed sense of purpose that I felt such as ‘hey… there’s that awakening again that I haven’t felt since high school!’ This marked the beginning of an 8-year journey, which I was introduced to some holistic modalities as far as helping the body heal from trauma and incorporating that with the work that I do now. The last few years I spent working through my own healing journey, getting my license, and going through that whole process, which can take a long time.”
For Sara, Quincy Public Schools played a pivotal role in preparing her for excellence by making it an integral part of the school’s culture. Quincy Public Schools unwavering commitment to excellence had a profound impact on her personal development as a student, instilling a strong work ethic and a desire to excel in all aspects of life. She credits the school’s approach of encouraging students to push beyond their limits was instrumental in her growth as a young individual.
“I think one of the biggest ways that QPS helped prepared me in life was because of anytime you hear about Quincy Public Schools, the word excellence comes to mind. It’s attached to everything we do or everything we did! I think we were able to really grow as young people by being pushed. I was taught to always do things the best possible way but not necessarily to the point of perfectionism.”
Upon her return to Quincy, Sara had the opportunity to reconnect with esteemed music and theater department instructors who had significantly impacted her educational journey and now her sons have the privilege of learning from them as well.
“Debbie Johnson, QHS’s Director of Music Education, served as my student teacher during my time in Junior High. It’s been fun reconnecting with her and her dedication to education remains unwavering – she’s amazing! Also, Jeff Duffy, QHS’s Band Director. Jeff and I grew up together through church. He still is the same smiley, bubbly and encouraging person I knew back in the day. I’m really so excited to have these people involved my children’s education. That’s what I love about coming back to Quincy. We’re at the age where we’re reconnecting with everyone but being able to come back as a grown-up version, into a town where we just get to dive in and be a part of something. I also like the significance of being Quincy and the beauty of this community.
“We have our three boys in the QPS school system and it is great! I’m very excited for them. I think I’m more excited than they are just because I know what lies ahead for them with everything that QPS offers for students here. There are even more opportunities now than when I went to school. This was a big reason we moved back to Quincy because we knew the school system was so fantastic and we know a lot of the administration, teachers and leaders that are all quality people. My eldest son attends Quincy Senior High as a freshman, my middle child is a 7th grader at Quincy Junior High School and my youngest is a 5th grader at Iles Elementary School. I’m particularly excited for my oldest because he’s in the marching band and he was able to make the frontline percussion ensemble. That’s what I did in marching band. It’s really cool to be able to experience it and fun to have that parallel with him. The first thing my son said when he joined the QHS marching band camp was, ‘Mom, they want me to be excellent here, and to challenge me and push me’. He lit up and was so excited!”
Looking back from her high school experience Sara recalls several fond memories.
“Many of my memories revolve around friendships. I recall football games, band trips, and New Faces. It was the fun and mundane experiences that added up. I don’t have one big memory, but rather numerous small ones. I remember practicing marching and walking up and down Maine Street during school hours. Those were enjoyable times.”
Sara was fortunate to have numerous mentors and teachers who significantly impacted her educational journey. “I had a few influential teachers but there were just some really fantastic people along the way of learning, including Diane Rash, my high school counselor and Greg Altmix, my 9th-grade English teacher. Les Fonza was amazing to learn from and the fun that we had watching him dance! Harold Walt and Kathy Dooley, our music director, encouraged me and helped me grow, just by initiating the idea of ‘I believe in you, you can do great things’.”
Sara and her husband founded their counseling practice in Kentucky, with a shared commitment to provide compassionate and supportive services to individuals navigating life’s challenges. Their mission is to create a safe and non-judgmental space where individuals can explore their experiences, develop coping strategies, and cultivate resilience.
“From my background in sports medicine, the idea is that I want to help people who are hurt in the game to get them back into the game as quickly as possible. I use that metaphor today in counseling. When you come into my office, I’m going to help you navigate what’s going on, what’s broken or where did you get hurt and then we’re going to help heal that. Our mission is to help heal the mind, body, and spirit. Then, we’re getting you back in the game of life so that you can keep living and being the best version of yourself. We see a wide range of people who feel that they’ve lost their step. They’ve lost themselves; they don’t know who they are, or they’re struggling with anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, or someone needing healing. We have people from all walks of life.


“Our practice is called Deeper Roots Counseling. The roots meaning to the name, as we were dreaming and planning, represent the process as trees grow and flourish.
“We need to have our root system, which is all the foundational pieces and the messages we believe. The process of uprooting unhealthy stuff and planting new roots that can grow deep and develop who I really am. We all have those messages that need to be rewired so that we can flourish and grow. We are licensed in both Kentucky and Illinois. We have established an office in Quincy, offering in-person therapy services to support the local community. We opened our practice first in Kentucky and then moved it to Illinois. Quincy is our first brick and mortar office. We’re excited and looking forward to what lies ahead!”
As Deeper Roots Counseling is a new establishment for Quincy, Max and Sara are currently handling all inquiries. Potential clients can call to specifically request a practitioner and can schedule their appointment accordingly. Deeper Roots Counseling also offers 15-minute phone consultations for those who wish to discuss their needs. To learn more about Deeper Roots Counseling please visit their Facebook page or website.


What advice do you have for current high school students?
“I would say have fun, be a kid. Enjoy the high school years and don’t get too caught up in what you’re going to do next. People are always focusing so much on test scores and on what’s next and we miss being a part of the present. Kids want to grow up so fast and they want to have all this stuff figured out. I would say just discover who you are. Enjoy this moment now figuring out who you are, not who everyone else wants you to be. This is a key time for young people to be figuring out who they are. I would just encourage them to stay focused as much as they can instead of trying to please everyone and fit in. There’s too much overthinking about what your future could hold. You don’t always follow that path. As you get to know yourself, you are going to discover your gifts.”
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