In the Spotlight: The Lenzi Family

 

Patrick and Mary Beth Lenzi have lived on Sachem Way for 21 years where they raised their children Ryan age 31 a Mechanical Engineer, and Allison age 24 an Electrical Engineer and a US Naval Officer serving aboard the USS New York.

Patrick is a Regional Sales Rep. for Masco Corporation and Mary Beth works for WICSD as an Academic Intervention Services teacher. Every summer you will find students floating in the Lenzi pool reading as part of Mary Beth’s Summer Book Club where she helps students with their Summer Reading requirements before they get to Dake.

They both felt it was very important to be involved in their children’s education and extracurricular activities by volunteering for things like the PTSA, sports boosters, crew club, and Odyssey of the Mind.

Their daughter Allison joined OOTM in 4th grade at Rogers Middle School. Patrick and two other dad’s, Phil Wightman and Ray Kieliszak, coached the team and the Lenzi household was never the same!

Odyssey of the Mind is an international, competitive program that utilizes divergent thinking skills, creativity, and close teamwork. Each team works on a solution to one of the year’s five problems. Teams present their solutions at the regional level; winners then progress to the State level and then on to The World Finals where they compete with hundreds of teams from all over the world.

This team and coaches quickly found their groove and by year 4 became World Champions! The first West Irondequoit team to reach this status! This team was also honored with the OOTM Ranatra Fusca Award in 8th grade for their solution on the topic of racism, all portrayed nonverbally. In year 7 they were crowned World Champs again! Over the course of nine years they were State Champions 6 times and advanced to World’s 4 times.

Every team member used all that they learned during the nine years of OOTM to further their education. Today they have careers in engineering, teaching, fire fighting, construction technology, hair and makeup design, AmeriCorps, and the US military.

When Allison graduated high school in 2009 and went off to Louisiana for college and Navy ROTC, Patrick and Mary Beth did not want OOTM to end. “We saw what amazing opportunities OOTM offered these kids, not to mention the skills they learned which prepared them for the real world,” Patrick said. “We wanted to give back to this phenomenal program because we saw how it impacted the lives of these 7 kids. “I also like that Odyssey can be for any type of student and helps kids build confidence, think fast on their feel, and learn how to work as a team, skills we all need,” said Mary Beth.

Mary Beth and Patrick have since become very active on the Regional Board. Mary Beth is the secretary to the board and heads two of their fundraisers. Patrick is a Co-Problem Captain for the Region in the Spontaneous category and helps train new coaches. Mary Beth also helps organize OOTM for the district and coordinates all the teams at Rogers Middle School. Both Lenzi’s also judge at the State level.

For the past three years the Lenzi’s have coached a team from Rogers who finished 11th out of 68 teams at World Finals last May. This is an all-girls technical team who compete against mostly all-male teams. “There is some amazing technology happening with these girls, I see future engineers in the making,” said Patrick.

So if you see Patrick and Mary Beth Lenzi and an entourage of kids searching through your trash they are most likely on a quest for items they need for Odyssey of the Mind!