Celebrating a legacy of teaching and service to - Prep

Transcription

Spring 2012
The Magazine of Villa Maria Academy
Why I Teach
Celebrating a legacy of teaching and service to
Villa Maria Academy.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
President
Villa Maria Academy
“Go teach all nations!” Those words spoken by Jesus himself in the
Gospel of Matthew as part of his great commissioning, give a special
purpose, dignity and responsibility to the teaching profession and
ministry. Jesus, just prior to his ascension into heaven, entrusted
to his disciples this important task of teaching others, knowing that
he would no longer be around in the same way that he had been
during his earthly ministry. After he ascended into heaven, who
would take over the mission of telling others about the Kingdom of
God? Who would instruct others about Jesus and his good news of
salvation?
2403 West Eighth Street
Erie, PA 16505
(814) 838-2061
www.villamaria.com
ADMINISTRATION
Bishop of Erie
Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L.
President
Rev. Scott W. Jabo, M.Div., S.T.B.
Principal
Sr. Mary Drexler, SSJ ’63
Assistant Principal
Kathy DiNicola
Director of Finance
Dawn Slokan
Director of Advancement
Chris Hagerty
Director of Athletics
Bill Flanagan
Director of Admissions
Tim Dougherty
Board Chair
Jerome Wegley
ADVANCEMENT OFFICE TEAM
Christopher J. Hagerty
[email protected]
Assistant Director of Advancement
Lauren Bailey ’03
[email protected]
Tim Dougherty
[email protected]
Admissions Coordinator
Amy Oldach ’07
[email protected]
Director of Communications
Christine R. Eddy
[email protected]
Director of Constituent Relations
Nancy Bird ’84
[email protected]
Director of Special Events
Kathy Grisier
[email protected]
Advancement Services Manager
Terri Hess ’79
[email protected]
This small band of disciples, initially uncertain about what life
without Jesus would be like and even frightened at the prospect of what the future held for them,
was later empowered by the Holy Spirit and sent out into the world. Thus, they carried on the
mission and became effective instruments of Jesus Christ by proclaiming his message to a world
that did not know Christ or his good news. Although not trained as teachers as we understand the
profession today, they nonetheless opened the minds and hearts of others to Jesus Christ and his
message. Their classrooms became the streets, synagogues, marketplaces and the homes of those
who welcomed them in. Their words, actions, lifestyle and, in many cases, even their martyrdom
taught others about the love of God and the promise of eternal life. In doing so, they made a
difference in the lives of others across generations, cultures and borders. We today are their legacy
and so are called to take up the same mission and teach others.
It goes without saying that the teachers make a huge difference in the lives of their students. All of
us can recall a certain special teacher who had an impact on our own personal lives and taught us
valuable life lessons. That teacher left an indelible mark on our lives and changed us in ways that
go far beyond learning the traditional 3 Rs. Because of that teacher, we have never been the same.
The teachers at Villa Maria have not only the opportunity, but also the privilege and responsibility
to help form our students into adults who will be the leaders of the future. By instilling in their
students the principles of our faith and a healthy moral system, the young women of Villa leave our
hallowed halls to become the change agents of the world. They will also become the teachers of
their own children and families and friends and coworkers.
Although I am no longer in the classroom, as an administrator and a priest I know that I can still
have an impact on a young woman’s life through the various opportunities that arise on a daily
basis, such as through a homily, an interaction in the hallway, a conversation at a sporting event
or by attending a concert. Thus, I have opportunities to teach – not always in a formal way, but
in ways that can nonetheless be effective. Knowing that I share in Christ’s mission of teaching all
nations and that I can indeed make a difference in the life of someone else, often in ways that I may
never realize, is both an energizing and humbling experience. Somehow, if I remain open to him,
Christ can work through my words and actions to teach someone about the Kingdom. That is an
awesome realization!
No doubt there are many answers to the question of why a teacher teaches. Many will say because
they want to make a difference in a student or that they enjoy the intellectual challenge and the
joy of an “aha” moment when their student finally understands a difficult concept. The teachers,
staff and administration at Villa also have another reason: like the early band of disciples, they have
been entrusted with the important mission to go teach all nations about the good news of salvation
and the love of God found in the person of Jesus Christ.
Villa Maria Academy is blessed to have competent and devoted teachers and staff members who
play an important role in educating and forming our students. These pages contain some of their
stories and reasons why they teach. Whatever the reason, they all share in the mission of Jesus
Christ and his great commissioning – “Go teach all nations!”
Sincerely yours in Christ,
©2012 Villa Maria Academy.
All rights reserved.
Fr. Scott W. Jabo
President
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The Magazine for Villa Maria Academy
spring 2012
Table of
A Message From the President
Cover Story
4
Why I Teach
Editor In Chief
Fr. Scott W. Jabo
Contents
Advancement News
8
The Campaign for Villa Maria Academy
9
The President’s Leadership Council Commemorates a Great Fiscal Year
Editor
Christine R. Eddy
Contributing Editors
Paul DeSante ’51 CP
Contributing Writers
Andrew Alesso
Music, Drama, Performing Arts
Carolyn Beck ’70
Nancy Bird ’84
Director of Constituent Relations
Timothy Dougherty ’98 CP
Dan Ek ‘81 CP
Assistant Athletic Director
Matthew Grisier ’12 CP
Christopher Hagerty ’75 CP
Terri Hess ’79
Advancement Services Manager
Maggie Hoag ’12
Ellen Innes ’84
Villa Spirit Store Manager
Fr. Scott Jabo
President
Cameron Kobielski ’12
Sr. Mary Ellen Plumb
Director of Campus Ministry
Anthony Squeglia ‘12 CP
Nathalie Rahner ‘12
Kelsey Szparaga ’12
Essence Magazine is published in the Fall & Spring by Villa Maria Academy, 2403
West Eighth Street, Erie, PA 16505 through the Advancement Office, to keep Villa’s
alumni, parents and friends informed and updated about the activities and
achievements happening at Villa Maria Academy. Address all correspondence
to Christine Eddy, 2403 West Eighth Street, Erie, PA 16505.
Spring 2012
The Magazine of Villa Maria Academy
Why I Teach
Celebrating a legacy of teaching and service to
Villa Maria Academy.
About the Cover
Why I Teach
The teachers on the front cover of the magazine represent
the dedicated and passionate faculty at Villa Maria
Academy. Many teachers decide to teach for a myriad of
reasons. Here at VMA those reasons revolve around our
students and their ability to touch the future as leaders.
Pictured are:
Principal Sr. Mary Drexler, SSJ ’63, Sr. Mary Ellen Plumb,
OSB, Sr. Marianne Stuckert, SSJ, Ms. Meghan Furhman
Dibble ’99, Ms. Kristen Harakal ’96, Ms. Jean Petersen ’88,
Mrs. Ruth Oligeri, Mrs. Lisa Chimenti-Foster,
Mrs. Kelli Beuchert, Mrs. Jessica Sessler-Alesso, Mrs. Gerlayn
Meleason, Mrs. Aniko Walker, Mr. Lance Strasser,
Mr. Joe Bell ’00, Mr. Dan Ek ’81 (CP), Miss Ashley Lasky ’06
and Fr. Shane Mathew.
technology
10
Prep & Villa Will Have iPads Next Year!
Admissions
11
Welcoming Students from Around the World
Alumni
12
Villa Grad Alicia Tavani ’05 Ranks 7th in the Nation in Tae Kwon Do
13
Villa Class of 1970 Adopts A Family Over Christmas
13
Alumni Getting Together
14
Reunion Weekend
16
Class Notes
17
Obituaries
Special events
18
Harvest Gala 2011
19
VMA Celebrates “Grandparents Day”
20
Legacy Gala 2012
Administration, Faculty & Staff
22
Rest in Peace Joann Maxwell Mullen ’57
MvP
23
24
25
26
26
27
28
28
Jekyll & Hyde
Fiddler on the Roof
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Celebrating the Arts @ Villa
Show Choir News
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
International Thespian Society Inducts New Members
Villa Students Have a Passion for Fashion
Students
29
Ugandan Advocate Visits VMA
29
Freshman Sara Waya Receives National Medal for Museum and Library Service
30
Catholic Schools Week at VMA
30
Prep and Villa Students March for Life
31
VMA Holds Annual Ring Ceremony
31
CPR Instruction Available at Prep & Villa
32
Villa Students Reach Out to Community with Graduation Projects
33
VMA National Honor Society Shows off Prom Couture
34
Amanda Smith ’14 Nominated as a “Good Kid”
34
Buddy Day at VMA
34
Christmas Card 2011 Winner
35
News & Notes
Athletics
36
Tennis Tournament Benefits Legacy Gala
36
Villa Winter Sports Athletes Garner Honors
36
Water Polo Team Reaches Championship
News & Notes
37
In Case You Were Wondering…
38
Where in the World?
39
Mark Your Calendar
39
With Sincere Appreciation
39
Villa Spirit Store
39
Bragging Writes
BC
Book Your Graduation Party at the CPEC!
Villa Maria Academy Mission Statement
Villa Maria Academy is a Catholic, coeducational, secondary school established to further the
mission of unity of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Through Villa Maria Academy’s leadership, gospelcentered environment and commitment to academic excellence, we empower young people to
recognize their God-given uniqueness and talents, to acquire knowledge and skills for success in a
global society and to be leaders in creating a future of optimism, generosity and confidence.
spring 2012
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Why I Teach
Cover Story
Why I Teach
By Christine Eddy
T
hey stand in their room with a litany of
tables facing them, a white board behind
them, and a crucifix on the wall. Every day
they carry the weight of their classes on their
shoulders. They are the ones responsible for
filling the minds of students with knowledge
to go out and impact the world. They are
the faculty of Villa Maria Academy.
faculty.” Lasky always knew that her alma
mater was the perfect fit for her to teach.
The faculty is a family, and they embrace and
provide exemplary support and dedication
to the students in everything they do,
whether it is mentoring or just encouraging
them. What keeps these teachers in the
classroom year after year, challenge after
challenge? The entire faculty is to be
commended for their undying efforts and
passion for teaching at VMA. Because
teaching is the heart of Villa, we asked a few
faculty members to tell us why they do it.
Their answers are inspiring, which teaches
us something about each of them and our
world — proving that they are masters of
their trade.
There are so many things that Lasky loves
about teaching. “I enjoy sharing my love
of science with the next generation. It is
very humbling to be able to teach such
bright young women. These girls honestly
teach me something new almost daily, they
challenge me and I love it. These women
are the future leaders of the community and
world; it is such an honor to be a part of
their journey.”
Ashley Lasky ’06 graduated from
Gannon University with a B.S in biology
and a concentration in secondary education.
She just started teaching at Villa this year.
Already, Villa’s sense of family has hit home
to her. “I wanted work at Villa because it is
more than a school. It is a family. Everyone
works so hard to make everyone else feel
welcome and a part of this family. I felt the
sense of family when I went to high school
here, and I feel it now as a member of the
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As a first-year teacher, she has a lot on
her plate and welcomes it. She teaches
Integrated Science (freshman) Honors,
Biology (sophomore) Academic, Anatomy
and Physiology I and II (junior/senior) and
Algebra I (freshman).
Lasky will tell you firsthand that Villa stands
out from all other schools. “I have been in
several schools during my student teaching
placements. None of the schools had the
same sense of community. There are two
things that make Villa special… a sense of
community and Catholic identity. It is very
special to be able to celebrate Mass as an
entire community and have things such as
campus ministry to be able to exercise our
faith.”
Sister Mary Drexler, SSJ ’63 is in her
6th year as principal at Villa. She worked
at Villa from 1981 through 1993 as a fulltime teacher in theology for two years and
then as an assistant administrator. She then
spring 2012
A common question that a lot of teachers
The faculty of Villa Maria Academy took so
what it means to them.
“As a child I loved to read to
discover new places and imagine
other ways to live through
the adventures and lives of
many people. I teach to impart
that understanding, so young
people may develop their views
and learn to express their valuable
ideas for others to learn from them,
through them and about them.”
Mrs. Sandra Hilliard
7 years at VMA
English “I teach because I love to work with
young people who are just on the
verge of discovering their creative
potential in adulthood. Something
special happens to us intellectually
and spiritually in that time
between childhood and adulthood,
and I hope in some small way that I
can help students find that creative
spark in themselves.”
Mrs. Jessica Sessler- Alesso
Art
7 years at VMA
“My love of the sciences drives
me to teach. I love sharing the
scientific process and way of
thinking with young minds! Also,
my students keep me on my toes
and constantly learning.”
Miss Ashley Lasky
Mathematics
1 year at VMA
“Being a teacher is a rewarding
occupation because I get to see
faces light up after a challenging
concept is understood. Giving back
a lot of positive feedback builds
confidence, which in turn helps a
student reach her full potential.”
Mrs. Sue Duda Wolf
Tutor
6 years at VMA
“I teach because Social Studies is
full of stories about who we are,
what we have accomplished and
what might occur in the future. Students should have a teacher
excited to share those stories with
them as they become a part of our
multicultural world.”
Ms. Kristy Martin
Social Studies
9 years at VMA
get asked is “Why do you teach?”
ome time to reflect on why they teach and
“‘Books educate us about art and
politics and people and ideas. This
happens in nonfiction and fiction. And in poetry, of course. So many
of us have been moved to a deeper
understanding of things -- or many
things -- by taking in a few dark
lines on the page.” –Elizabeth
Berg. Nowadays, by the glowing
lines on a screen, too. The amazing
magic that happens when someone
connects with the story, with the
information and ideas they need,
in any form, is why I love being a
librarian.”
Mrs. Sue Dobson Librarian
13 years at VMA
“A teacher affects eternity; he
can never tell where his influence
stops.”- Henry Adams
Mr. Stephen Nemenz
Science
1 year at VMA
“I teach because I enjoy being
challenged, and I enjoy challenging
my students to think ‘outside the
box’. Teaching senior English allows
me to do both.”
Mr. Brian Check English
6 years at VMA
“I teach specifically in a Catholic
school because I have a passion
for the Gospel and believe that
empowering young people to
shape and develop their God-given
gifts and talents is a way to honor
God’s call to be a compassionate
heart, a wise example and
someone who could recognize the
potential and believe in the best
in others.”
Sister Mary Ellen Plumb, OSB
Campus Ministry
24 years at VMA
“I teach to inspire and to pass on
the same type of confidence my
parents, mentors, teachers and
friends have continued to instill in
me. I teach to empower students
to have a sincere sense of self.”
Mrs. Lisa Chimenti- Foster
English
8 years at VMA
returned in 1994 through 1997 as a parttime teacher.
Drexler, whose heart pumps blue and
white, relishes her time at Villa. She said,
“Being principal at VMA is a ministry, not
a job. It has a different focus every day. I
love coming to work for that reason. I am
blessed to be among a student body that
is energetic, enthusiastic and alive. They
give me hope and courage as I look to
the future of our community, our country
and our world. The young people at Villa
have compassion and generosity that goes
beyond what one would normally expect
from a teenager.”
Like Lasky, Drexler refers to the faculty
and staff as family and enjoys working with
and interacting with them on a daily basis.
“Over and over, I hear that working at Villa
or being a student here is like being a part
of a family…a place where everyone cares
about everyone else.”
Drexler is proud to lead a school that
has 119 years of academic success. “I
am also very grateful for the support and
encouragement from the Sisters of St.
Joseph. They are a great group of women
who believe in the education of young
adults, especially young women.”
The students at VMA consistently go above
and beyond what they are asked to do.
Drexler said, “There are so many things
that they do beyond their academic classes.
I am proud of their academic success but
I am also proud of their success in the
theater arts, in the athletic domain, and in
the visual arts. Our students give above
and beyond the 25 hours of required
service each year. In addition, they respond
to clothing collections, food drives and
the need for money for various nonprofit
organizations.”
Drexler credits the faculty and staff for their
hard work and dedication. She said, “Villa
teachers are often here early in the morning
or after school helping struggling students
be successful. And, we have a staff that
sees that things run smoothly from the
crack of dawn to the late hours in the
evening. Our needs are well taken care of
by a committed staff.”
Mr. Lance Strasser teaches Latin 1-4
at Villa and Prep. Strasser actually began
teaching at Prep as a substitute Latin
teacher in 1981. He then worked full-time
teaching Latin at Prep from 1983-1989. As
an undergraduate student at Gannon, he
never imagined he would be a teacher, let
spring 2012
alone a Latin teacher. Strasser knew early on
that teaching was the right fit for him. “The
rightness of what I was doing was apparent
to me from the moment I started teaching.”
In 1989, Strasser applied to graduate school
at SUNY Buffalo, where he worked as a
teaching assistant in the classics department
and earned a master of arts degree in
classics. When he returned to Erie in 1993,
the Prep Latin position was filled, but by
chance Villa needed a Latin teacher. He’s
been teaching Latin 1-4 at Villa ever since.
He also teaches Latin 1-4 at Prep.
Strasser talks passionately about his
students. “I deeply enjoy seeing students
become enthusiastic about learning and
making connections between disciplines,
a process that classics greatly facilitates. I
teach because I know that the students in
my class will one day make decisions that
ought to be informed by what happened
before them.”
Strasser believes that teachers have a duty
to pass as much as they can of the sum
of human endeavor and error to the next
generation, so that it may learn from the
experiences of the past and begin to live life
from an enlightened perspective. He said,
“The best advice I ever had about teaching
came from a book called The Art of Teaching
by Gilbert Highet, a classics professor at
Columbia University. He wrote three things
define the best teachers-mastery of their
subject, love of their subject and love of their
students. I have striven to attain these goals
as a teacher for almost thirty years.”
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Strasser’s colleague
Lisa ChimentiFoster has been
teaching at Villa for
eight years. She has
a B.A. in English
Literature from Penn
State Behrend and a
minor in Women’s
Studies. She received
her master’s degree from Gannon University.
Theology teacher
Kristen Harakal
is in her sixth
year of teaching
at Villa. She has
a B.A. in theology
from Franciscan
University of
Steubenville.
When it comes
to teaching, she
She knew she wanted to work for Villa when explains her educational philosophy. “I try
she finished graduate school. “While working to teach the entire person and not just the
on my master’s degree at Gannon University, subject. I think it is important to remember
I was thinking of schools where I might want that there is so much more we are teaching
to teach after I finish my degree. Villa was the than simply a particular subject in school.
first and the only school to which I applied.
The classroom is also an opportunity to learn
I knew that I wanted to teach in a Catholic
about life. In addition, I make sure that I
school, and Villa was the one. “
am constantly studying and learning. I don’t
think we should be fearful to learn from our
She teaches all the sophomore English
students as well.”
classes—Academic, Honors, and AP. She
also teaches Creative Writing and sometimes Harakal has enjoys teaching every step of the
Speech, SAT/ACT Prep, and Minority
way. “I have enjoyed meeting with students
Literature.
and guiding them in their spiritual walks.
Teaching truly comes with many blessings.
Chimenti-Foster, a Golden Apple Award
winner, said she loves teaching VMA students. In addition, it is such a great experience
when a student comes for tutoring and the
“I enjoy the ‘aha’ moments that they have. I
love to laugh with them, learn with them, and proverbial light bulb goes off. It is awesome
maybe even impart some of my C-F-isms on to be present at the time when a student
really understands something you have been
them.”
trying to teach him/her.”
Outside of teaching, Chimenti-Foster does
As a Villa graduate, Harakal knew Villa
some stand-up comedy on the side. Spend
would be the perfect fit for her. “It is
just a few minutes with her, and she will
tickle your funny bone. She enjoys being able interesting how sometimes life takes us in
directions that we did not anticipate. I have
to test out various stand-up routines on her
stayed in teaching because I have loved
students. She said, “Highschoolers are the
the teachers I have worked with as well as
toughest crowd, so if they laugh, that means
the students I have taught. It has been an
the joke is decent.”
enriching and life-changing experience, to
Villa is home for Chimenti-Foster. “Villa
say the least.”
offers a sense of community that I have rarely
For some teachers it’s the progress, the
felt in any other place. The family aspect of
little connections, a hug here and there, or
Villa isn’t just PR; it’s real. If we could help
the realization that they might be the only
potential students feel what Villa love is,
source of encouragement that a student is
then we would have every young woman
getting right now. Deep down a possibility
clamoring to come to this school. The Villa
that their excitement, or even their good
family is sincere, compassionate, strong,
captivating and supportive. It’s a relief and a intentions, somehow makes a dent, that
their caring and commitment allow them,
gift, even on my toughest days.”
inevitably, to touch the future. They give in
If she lived in Erie during her high school
the best of faith. They are tested again and
years, Chimenti-Foster said, “Villa would have again, and sometimes they just keep coming
been my school choice. I knew Villa had
back because they are called to teach. For
strong traditions, and it honestly reminded
the teachers at Villa, teaching is not just what
me of my alma mater, St. Agnes in Memphis, they do—it’s who they are.
TN. Villa seemed like it would be a home to
me, and I soon realized that it is/was.”
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spring 2012
“Since I was blessed with wonderful
teachers who taught me the good
news of Jesus Christ, I feel that I
must share this life-giving truth with
others.”
Mr. Joe Bell
Theology
7 years at VMA
“I became a teacher because I love
history. When you see that spark of
interest in a student when you talk
about something that happened long
ago and it catches their attention,
and they take it and either make
something creative with it or organize
it in an exceptional way—is why I
became a teacher.”
Mr. Dan Ek
Social Studies
26 years at VMA
“I feel the importance of a strong
foundation in technology impacts
not only the student’s future success
professionally but their ability to
function efficiently in our high-tech
world.”
Mrs. Ruth Oligeri
Technology
16 years at VMA
“When I was growing up in Paris,
my parents emphasized two aspects
of life that have been and are still
of absolute importance to me: education and the arts. I believe
that both teaching and the arts offer
similar results. They alter the way we
live to create a better world. Thus, it
is thrilling to be working at Cathedral
Preparatory School and Villa Maria
Academy, practicing the art of
teaching.” Mr. Jean-Marc Baier
French
1 year at VMA
They give in the best of faith.
They are tested again and
again, and sometimes they
just keep coming back because
they are called to teach.
We asked some students to tell us why
Villa’s faculty stands out from all others.
Here’s what they had to say.
“I teach because I believe there
is nothing as wonderful or
valuable as helping people see
the possibilities that education
provides and helping them take
the steps through education to
open up the world and their own
futures. It’s exciting and rewarding
to see all the things our students
accomplish. Teaching is like seeing
a preview reel of the future. It’s
exciting and uplifting.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Slaby
Theology
1 year at VMA
“I love solving problems and
helping students solve problems. It’s great when the light bulbs
go on!”
Mrs. Joanne Ricci
Mathematics
5 years at VMA
“I teach because I love the
elegance and order of math and
physics, and I feel that it is my
calling from God to share my joy
and the beauty of these disciplines
with others.”
Mr. Steve Siwiecki
Mathematics
7 years at VMA
“I accepted my assignment to Prep
and Villa because I thought I could
do some good for our students. I
stay because God’s grace has made
me right, often in spite of myself.”
Fr. Shane Matthew
Theology
1 year at VMA
“The teachers at Villa really make an effort to connect
with their students. They do what they can to make
sure that each student is receiving the education
she needs. I have personally had a great connection
with the teachers at Villa, and I know that they are
always there to help.”
–Anna Bloomstine ’15
“The teachers here at VMA are not just ordinary, they
are extraordinary. The faculty and staff are devoted in
going the extra mile for their students. Teachers go out
of their way to make sure everyone understands the
material, giving up their time after school. If it was not
for the faculty and staff of Villa, we would not have the
close-knit sisterhood.”
–Victoria Mayer ’14
“Villa teachers not only affect our knowledge, but also
our spirituality and character in a positive manner.
Whether it is staying after school for help, asking
about how we are doing, cheering us on in sporting
events or praying with us when we need it, Villa’s
faculty support us in every way possible. They put
everything into their job, and I am sincerely grateful
to them for helping me to be the person I can be.
–Sophie Mulard ’14
“I really appreciate the teachers at VMA and
everything they do for me. I have a really challenging
course load this year, and they have all been there to
help and support me! They constantly push me to work
hard and strive for success.”
–Zhane Brooks ’12
“All of the teachers at Villa are always there to help
you. They will go out of their way to make sure you
understand the concepts and information.”
–Payton Taylor ’15
“The teachers at Villa have helped me so much this
year, especially by going the distance and helping me
when I have needed it. All the teachers here care
about the success of their students and want to see
them go far. That’s what makes Villa’s faculty
so special and unique.”
–Marlena Harris ’13
For the teachers at Villa,
teaching is not just
what they do—
it’s who they are.
“The teachers at Villa are a class above the rest. They
are very understanding and are willing to stay after to
help with school work. They are always willing
to listen and help students with any problem they
have. They are not just teaching. They are molding
them into better people.”
–Antonia Flamini ’13
spring 2012
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Advancement News
Mission-Passion-Vision:
The Campaign for Villa Maria Academy
Chapel.
New Foyer.
Lockers.
Mission-Passion-Vision/The
Campaign for Villa Maria
Academy continues to fuel the makeover of VMA. To date, renovations
have been made to the basement
corridor with new lockers, the front
entrance, the first floor corridor,
first floor classrooms and offices,
the gymnasium and the auditorium.
Additionally, a new chapel and
conference room have been created
on the first floor, and a state-of-theart fitness center has been added to
the second floor. All of these exciting
initiatives have served to add new life
to a tired building and create a much
better learning environment for our
young women.
Well, this summer, we’re climbing
the staircase to the second floor!
Renovations will begin in early June
to transform the second floor. The
entire corridor will receive new
ceilings, lighting, flooring and a fresh
coat of paint. Every classroom will
be updated, including new lights,
carpeting, whiteboards, HVAC units,
paint and furniture. Also, the most
modern science lab possible will be
built on the second floor which will
house biology classes and labs. The
work will be completed for the start
of the 2012-13 school year, when
Villa welcomes the largest number of
girls in recent memory. All of these
renovations and additions are made
possible by the incredible generosity
of the Sisters of St. Joseph and a
host of others who’ve participated
in The Campaign for Villa Maria
Academy, which has now raised in
excess of $2 million.
Classroom.
Gymnasium.
Fitness Center.
Conference Room.
8
Front Entrance.
spring 2012
Advancement News
The President’s Leadership Council
Commemorates a Great Fiscal Year
Over 100 people gathered at the President’s Leadership Council Cocktail Party on October
20 to celebrate an ending to a great fiscal year! Everyone who attended the event had the
opportunity to visit with others who support the Prep and Villa community.
The President’s Leadership Council was established to honor the proud legacy of Cathedral
Prep and Villa Maria Academy. The council is composed of lead benefactors to the Annual
Fund, who through their generosity demonstrate a commitment to the mission of Cathedral
Prep. Membership in the council is open to all individuals who made a gift of $1,000 or more
to the Fund for Cathedral Prep or the Fund for Villa Maria Academy prior to June 30, 2011.
Class Prep senior class president Ben Jefferys spoke about his experience as a student. Villa
Maria Academy senior and Student Council President Elizabeth Nawrocki also spoke. They
thanked the council for their commitment to Prep and Villa. President Father Scott Jabo also Fr. Scott Jabo, President of Cathedral
spoke to the benefactors, thanking them for their continued support.
Preparatory School and Villa Maria
Academy, and Vern Toulon ’50 (CP).
Thanks to everyone for your support and commitment to both
schools. The Annual Giving in the 2010-2011 fiscal year totaled
$2,750,030 for Prep and $1,743,245 for Villa Maria.
Help transform the life of a student by making your commitment to the Fund
for Villa Maria Academy today. You can visit the website at www.villamaria.
com and click on the blue donate online button on the front page.
Kim, Ben ’12 (CP) and Mike Jefferys ’83 (CP).
Jim ’92 (CP) & Bridget Palas Gartner
’99.
Sister Mary Drexler SSJ ’63 (VMA),
Principal of Villa Maria Academy, and
Sister Joyce Lowrey SSJ.
Seniors Nathalie Rahner, Ben Slomski ’12 (CP), Nicholas Bird
’12 (CP), Michael Scutella ’12 (CP) and Rosa Fatica.
Anne ’76 and Mike Rahner ’76 (CP) and Board President
Atty. Jerry Wegley.
Elizabeth Nawrocki ’12, Bill Reinhold ’47 (CP) and Dan Nawrocki
’83 (CP).
spring 2012
9
Prep & Villa Will Have
iPads Next Year!
Cathedral Preparatory School and Villa Maria Academy have always been
the leaders of technology in the classroom. It began with launching the Tablet
PC program eight years ago. In February, that was made even more apparent with the
announcement that starting with the 2012-2013 school year, every student will have
their own Apple iPad.
President Fr. Scott Jabo as the late Steve Jobs
and Director of Technology Ryan Fasenmyer.
The iPad, a device that was made for the students of today, inspires creativity and
hands-on learning with features that other educational tools do not offer. President
Father Scott Jabo was eager to make the announcement to a large group of parents
and students in the H. David Bowes Auditorium at Cathedral Prep. He was dressed as
the late mastermind, Steve Jobs. Dressed in a black turtleneck, jeans and spectacles, Father Jabo gave a presentation on the Apple iPad. He said, “We believe
that this addition to our already renowned college preparatory curriculum will complement our newly renovated facilities and state-of-the-art classrooms.
Due to the fact that we have had the most aggressive and advanced high school technology program for years, we are very well positioned to make this a
seamless transition.”
Prep and Villa Maria students will be able to access their textbooks directly from their iPads, which will result in a lot less hassle of toting around backpacks
with loads of books in them every day. With education information right at their fingertips, Father Jabo showed attendees the limitless abilities that students
will now have. This includes reading texts books, zooming in on specific cell models, creating their own music and videotaping, just to name a few.
Following the presentation, many staff/ faculty members were available to answer questions. Students and parents were given the opportunity to have a
hands-on look at the iPad.
Afterwards, guests proceeded to the Prep cafeteria for apple pie.
Bianchi Honda Partners with
Villa Maria Academy
Villa Maria Academy received $20,000 for the
EITC scholarship fund (PA Tax Credit Program)
from Bianchi Honda in September. L-R:
President of Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria
Academy Fr. Scott Jabo, General Sales Manager
of Bianchi Honda Jason Porreco, Principal of
Villa Maria Academy, Sr. Mary Drexler, SSJ ‘63
and Sr. Margaret Ann Hardner, SSJ ‘49.
10 The Magazine for Villa Maria Academy
spring 2012
Welcoming Students From Around The World
T
By Timothy Dougherty ‘98
here has been a notable change at Cathedral Preparatory
School and Villa Maria Academy for the second semester of
the 2011 – 2012 school year, and no, it’s not further renovations,
a new facility or more technology, but a change to the diversity
of the student body. In early January, 16 new students from
China, eight boys and eight girls, arrived in Erie, PA to realize
their dreams of studying in the United States.
Cathedral Preparatory School and Villa Maria Academy
have begun a global marketing program in order to attract
students from around the world. Right now the focus has
been in China and other parts of Asia; however, there are plans
to begin marketing in Europe and South America as early as
this fall.
The current international marketing has been immensely
successful, and we have had an overwhelming demand for
our international program. The fact that we are the leaders
of technology in the classroom, are single-sex schools, have
several globally known alumni, provide superior academics,
offer the opportunity to earn college credits, and offer the most
thrilling social experience is the reason that Prep and Villa are
being recognized around the globe.
The fact that there have been several families that have
visited the United States from China for the sole purpose of
Front row: Nick Zou ’14, Terry Jia ’14, Jay Miao ’15 and
Andy Qiu ’15.
Back row: Philip Ouyang ’14, David Cao ’15,
Russell Lin ’15 and Kennedy Xiong ’14.
touring our facilities proves that our schools are one of the
most attractive educational options in the world. Most families
had reviewed dozens of top-tiered schools around the country
before enrolling their children at Prep and Villa.
All of the Chinese students are exceptionally bright and have
been through an interview process to ensure their English ability
is at a level at which they can be successful in our classrooms.
The students are very excited to be studying at our schools and
to have an opportunity to share their culture with our current
students and teachers. In addition, each international student
has special talents to share with the student body, whether it is
drawing, painting, calligraphy, playing instruments or dancing.
The 16 Chinese students are living with host families
that also have children at Prep and Villa. So far it has been a
very positive experience for the families and the international
students. Living with families from our school community
allows them to become fully immersed in the traditions of Prep
and Villa and provides a truly authentic American experience.
Eight additional Chinese students have enrolled for the
2012–2013 school year for a total of 24. In order to provide
an optimal experience for the international students and
our local students, the program will cap itself at about 30
international students.
Row 1: Sandy Cheung ’14, Winnie Zhang’14 and Lu Lu Ye ’14.
Row 2: Wen Shan ’15 and Mirah Xu ’14.
Row 3: Blair Dai ’15, Leshi Zheng ’14 and Grace Wang ’13.
11
Villa Grad Alicia Tavani ’05
Ranks 7th in the
Nation in
Tae Kwon Do
Alicia Tavani ’05.
M
ove over, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and
Jean-Claude Van Damme. There’s a Villa Victor who has
got her kicks together, and she just happens to rank seventh in
the nation in Tae kwon do. From the time she was five years
old Alicia Tavani ’05 was interested in Tae kwon do. She began
taking private lessons. After a month,
she fell in love with the sport.
Alicia in
action.
She started competing in the boys and
girls white, orange and yellow belt, 5-7
year old division for the “Eriesistible”
regional tournament. She took home
not one, but two first place trophies.
Tavani has been taking Tae kwon do for
the past 19 years. At age 16 she became
an instructor at Senior Master Eric
Stitt’s school while attending Villa.
Tavani is currently an elementary
education major at Point Park
University in Pittsburgh. She is a 4th
degree black belt, certified instructor and is head of the Karate
for Kids program in Pittsburgh.
Alicia age 5 in 1993 on
her first day of
tae kwon do.
In January of 2010, Tavani decided to get back into
competition rather than just teaching and managing the kids
program at Kaminski’s ATA Black Belt Academy in Pittsburgh.
So, when the 2010 new tournament year started, Tavani set
a goal to become ranked in the top 10 in the nation, a goal
which she achieved in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Tavani has traveled all around the United States competing.
She said, “It was an amazing first year getting back into
competition. It was also very special because I had so much
support from my family and friends. I also had the ongoing
support of my boyfriend, Derek Candela ’04 (CP), who
attended every regional tournament and both fall nationals, in
addition to the support of my boyfriend and three of my best
friends and Villa classmates: Laura Fetzner, Allison Henry and
Brittany Mehl, who came to cheer me on at spring nationals in
Las Vegas.
Tavani is proud of her accomplishments. “Achieving my goal
to be ranked in the top 10 in the nation is a huge personal
accomplishment. The hours of commitment, discipline, and
practice are no match for the satisfaction of reaching your
goals. When you are ranked in the top 10 in the nation,
spring 2012
Standing: Laura Fetzner and Alicia Tavani at the spring nationals
in Las Vegas with classmates Brittany Mehl and Allison Henry.
you have the opportunity to compete for World Champion.
Currently I am ranked 7th in the nation and look forward to
this year’s World Championship Competition in June!”
Last fall, Tavani competed in the Songham Fall Nationals,
hosted by ESPN. At the ESPN Wide World of Sports in
Orlando, she tied for first place. She finished out the year by
ranking in the Top Ten in the nation, placing 8th for weapons
and 9th for forms.
Tavani said her Villa education has helped her achieve her
goals. “Villa prepared me with a strong work ethic and taught
me to always set goals for the future. The key developmental
skills and friendships which I acquired at Villa continue to
shine through in my daily life. Villa not only provided a good
education, but also taught me leadership skills.”
Tavani is finishing up her student teaching at Liberty
Elementary in Pittsburgh. Following graduation, she will
pursue a teaching career. Or she will pursue her dream of
opening her own Tae kwon do school and start looking for
the perfect location to open Tavani’s ATA Black Belt Academy.
“I feel blessed to be passionate about both careers and look
forward to the future!”
ALUMNI GETTING TOGETHER
Villa Class of 1970 Adopts
a Family Over Christmas
By Carolyn Beck ’70
Members of the Class of 1963 put their best foot forward at VMA
grad Nina Ferarre’s ’00 “A Cut Above” at 3441 Peach Street for an
evening of pampering. Alana Mastrian Handmen ’63 organized the
evening for classmates. Nina’s mother, Linda Barzano ’63 suggested
the ladies treat themselves at her daughter’s business. The ladies
indulged in pedicures, manicures and facials. The Class of ’63 gets
together once a month.
Members of the Class of 1970: Front Row, L- R: Carolyn Beck and
LaVaughn Alo Buchanan.
Back Row, L-R: Carol Snell Horner, Jan Manucci, Kathie Ruhl
Rothrock, Barb Trocki Cullen, MaryLou Vanchieri Reichard, Cindy
Mereghetti Taraszki and Nancy Gemelli Griffey.
Not pictured but took part: Denise Crotty Kirby, Patty Bielinski,
Jane Kofod Rastetter, Mary Kay McBride Szoszorek, Margo
Fuhrman Kuhn and Meg Taft Mackey.
L-R: Front Row-Jeanne Kern Kloecker ’63, Linda Barzano Ferrare
’63, Nina Ferrare ’00, Maryanne Fronzaglia Zimmerman ’63, Virginia
Hooks Bello ’63 and, Carol Vanchieri Wieczorek ’63. Back Row: Loretta
Cargioli Patton ’63, Letitia Tonty Szezesney ’63, Alana Mastrian
Handmen ’63 and Marylynn Sedelmyer Herrmann ’63.
A few members from the
Class of 1979 have been
getting together since 1984
for a traditional annual
Christmas dinner hosted by
Denise Daugherty Simon.
L-R: Kathy Sontagg Masek,
Sandra DeDad Luthringer,
Denise Daugherty Simon,
Carolyn VonKaenel Dunn
and Julie Finn Arthurs.
M
embers of the Class of 1970 have been getting together
monthly for the past five years. Aside from the monthly
get-togethers, the women decided that they wanted to do more
than just get together. They wanted to help make a difference in
the lives of others.
Over Christmas, Barbara Trocki Cullen proposed that the group
join in Pfeiffer-Burleigh/Erie Insurance Adopt-a-Family for
Christmas. Cullen, a former faculty member at Pfeiffer-Burleigh,
recently retired. She approached the school’s organizers, who
assigned the children from one half of a very large family to the
Villa group. The goal was to purchase and wrap toys, clothing,
school supplies and family necessities for the children and deliver
the gifts to the school on December 19.
Each child was assigned to smaller groups of willing participants.
Purchasing was coordinated so that all of the children received
ample and relatively equal numbers of clothing items, shoes,
a backpack with school supplies and toys. Food and cleaning
supplies were purchased. Cullen also received donated money
and gift cards which she used to supplement where needed.
Cullen said, “I was so involved in all the workings at PfeifferBurleigh for so many years that I knew there were many more
needy families than what Erie Insurance and the Pfeiffer-Burleigh
staff could handle. I knew that our group is very generous and
will rise to any occasion whether it be providing monetary or
people support. They didn’t disappoint. We have already agreed
to take on another family next Christmas. “
The success of the efforts of the Class of 1970 benefited a single
mom and her ten children. Sixteen women from the group
contributed over $1,000 in presents and monetary donations.
Pfeiffer Burleigh organizers told Cullen that the children’s mother
was overwhelmed and thrilled with the generosity and efforts put
forth on their behalf.
Victors from the Class of 2002
gathered over the holidays for their
10th annual Christmas party.
Front Row: Annette Trnavsky,
Erin Rose and Nicole Carmosino
Delsandro. Back Row: Brighid
O’Brien, Maggie Hersch Swanson
and Megan Schmidt Hersch.
The Class of 2009 got together over
Thanksgiving break to reminisce about
their times at VMA. Top to bottom
is Megan Carrig, who is studying
Education at John Carroll University;
Kristin Lorei, who is studying education
at Mercyhurst College; Julie Matson,
who is studying occupational therapy
at the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford; Cassie Radack, who is
studying broadcast journalism at Point
Park University; Erica Deimel, who is
studying accountancy at John Carroll
University; Erin Chludzinski, who is
studying chemical engineering at The
Pennsylvania State University; and
Ashley Siggia, who is studying biology
at the University of Pittsburgh.
spring 2012
The Magazine for Villa Maria Academy 13
Remember, Reminisce, Reconnect at
Reunion Weekend 2012!
D
id you graduate from Villa in a year ending in 2 or 7? If so, mark
your calendar, and make your travel plans! Villa Maria Academy
is hosting REUNION WEEKEND 2012 this summer, July 20-22.
Alumni are invited to a “Party on the Patio” on Friday night, July 20 at
Villa Maria Academy. A picnic dinner and beverages will be available
throughout the evening. Tables will be reserved for specific classes
to make finding your classmates easy. If you haven’t seen all of the
updates on the VMA campus, you’ll want to take a tour. No matter
what, you’ll enjoy reconnecting with your classmates and catching up
with other Victors!
Class of ‘46
Class of ‘66
A Mass will be celebrated in the renovated Villa Maria Academy
auditorium on Sunday, July 22. Brunch will be served following
Mass in the Villa Cafeteria. The entire school will be open to tour after
brunch. The Villa Victor Spirit Store will also be open for those of you
who are interested in taking home a VMA souvenir. Guests are more
than welcome at both the “Party on the Patio” on Friday and the Mass
and Brunch on Sunday. Last summer, many alumni commented
that the Mass was a perfect way to wrap up the Reunion Weekend –
celebrating Villa’s tradition of community and faith with family and
friends.
The rest of the weekend has been reserved for your individual class
to gather. Many classes have long-standing traditions of reunion
luncheons or dinner dances. In the past, individual classes have
hosted everything from dinner cruises on the lake to picnics at a
classmate’s house. As the details roll in from individual classes, all
information will be posted on the Villa Maria Academy website. Visit
www.villamaria.com, ALUMNI, Reunion Weekend 2012. For additional
information, contact Nancy Bird, Director of Constituent Relations, at
(814) 838-2061 x2293.
Class of ‘71
Class of ‘86
Note: There are a
few classes that have
decided to host their
“official” reunion on a
weekend other than
REUNION WEEKEND
2012. Those classes
and the dates of their
reunions are posting
on the Villa website.
Reunion Weekend
2012 Hotel Accommodations
Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel and Conference Center
Class of ‘81
Class of ‘91
spring 2012
2800 West 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505
814-833-1116
Single or Double
$145
Reference “VILLA MARIA ACADEMY REUNION WEEKEND”
Reservations must be made by: June 20, 2012
Villa Maria Academy
REUNION WEEKEND 2012
July 20 - 22
Honoring the classes of:
1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972,
1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2012
Party on the Patio
Villa Maria Academy Patio/Lawn
Saturday, July 21, 2012
INDIVIDUAL CLASS ACTIVITIES
Planned by individual class representatives.
See www.villamaria.com for more info.
TIME: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
COST: $15 per person
 Party is Outdoors (weather permitting)
 Casual Attire
 Registration is in the VMA Conference Room
 Cost includes Picnic Food, Wine, Pop, Water
 BYOB for Additional Beverages
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Family Mass & Breakfast
VMA Auditorium and Cafeteria
TIME: 10:00 a.m. Mass
11:00 a.m. Breakfast
COST: $10 per person
 Family Mass in the Villa Auditorium
 Breakfast in the Villa Cafeteria
 Self-guided School Tours
Villa Maria Academy Reunion Weekend 2012 Reservation Form
ALUMNI INFORMATION
Name:
EVENT
(include Maiden Name)
Class Year:
Spouse / Guest Name:
Email:
$15
Mass/Breakfast
$10
TOTAL
Check Enclosed (payable to Villa Maria Academy)
State:
Home Phone:
Party on the Patio
# attending
TOTAL
Address:
City:
cost/person
Cell Phone:
ZIP:
Please charge:  MasterCard  Visa  Discover
Credit Card #:
Exp. Date:
Signature:
Please register online (www.villamaria.com) or return registration form by July 1, 2012 to:
Villa Maria Academy, Advancement Office, 2403 West 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505
Class Notes
1998, Angela Albertson and her fiancé, Ryan
Field ‘98 (CP), were one of five finalists in the
“LIVE! with Kelly” Hawaiian Dream Wedding
Giveaway! Their story was featured on the
show in January. Although they did not win,
their story is remarkable and inspirational. To
view Ryan and Angela’s story, please visit http://www.dadt.com/live/contest/
hawaiiwedding/.
1998, Laina Hamilton Aquiline and her husband, Matthew,
were blessed with the arrival of a daughter, Hiatt Laina, on
October 10, 2011. They reside in Washington, D.C. with their
2 1/2-year-old twin sons Michael and Mason. Laina is the
Director of Advocacy for the Int’l Council of Employers of
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers and a locally elected public
representative.
1940, Dolores Krepcho Downing Cottrell celebrated her 90th birthday in
September. Many family members were in attendance. All five of her children
and their spouses attended the milestone event, as well as 19 grandchildren
with spouses and 18 great grandchildren. All of her children and three of
the spouses attended either VMA or Cathedral Prep: Kathy Downing Sebald
’61 married to Tony Sebald ’61 (CP), Patrick ’65 (CP) married to Judy Jonsson
Downing ’66, Gerri Downing Laird ’67 married to Robert Laird ’66 (CP), Joseph
’69 (CP) and Timothy ’72 (CP).
1977, Pam Mozdy Allen lives in Florida with her
husband, Tony, and was a middle school science
teacher from 1981 until 2009, when she was
diagnosed with dementia. She put together an
awareness video 2011 for the Neuro Film Festival
regarding her story. You can view her video at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne6S5gAqez0.
2002, Allison Roberts married Matthew Hodas ’03 (CP) on December 30,
2011. Many Villa Victors were in attendance and posed for this group shot.
L-R: Elizabeth Van Parys ’02, Lisa Lynch Roberts ’78, Ann Richardson, Margaret
Hersch Swanson ’02, Kerry Hersch ’07, Kathleen Hersch ’04, Sarah Grab ’03,
Melissa Cross Zinna ’03, Allison Roberts Hodas ’03, Karen Lynch Ross ’80,
Julianne Cross ’01, Nicole Carmosino Delsandro ’02, Kathleen Lynch ’77,
Elizabeth McCormick ’03, Kimberly DiPlacido Lynch ’87, Brighid O’Brien ’02,
Colleen Behringer Selleny ’02, Megan Moore ’06, Jennifer Scully Bond ’02,
Rebecca Roberts Moore ’82, Melanie Moore ’08, Carey Roberts Beckley ’87,
In attendance but not pictured: Joan Lynch ’53, Andrea Hodas Mirth ’98 and
Megan Schmidt Hersch ’02.
2002, Tiel Murnock Wilczynski married Joshua
Wilczynski on June 25, 2011 at Our Lady of Mercy Church
in Harborcreek. They honeymooned in the Dominican
Republic.
1989, Kim Kuntz Wassong is the
owner of Stages Consignment in
Fairview. Stages specializes in infant,
toddler, boys and girls clothing up to size
10/12 as well as maternity. In addition to
clothes, Stages carries furniture, equipment items (cribs, strollers, highchairs,
etc) , toys, books and videos. For more information or to contact Kim, view her
website at www.stagesconsignment.com.
1991, Amy Danielski Hogan and her
husband, Brian, welcomed their son Luke
Francis on September 16, 2011. Luke joins
brothers, Jack 8, and Alec, 4 at home in Oak
Hill, Virginia. Amy is Senior Director, Project
Office & IT Strategy at Exostar.
2003, Jonathan Bell was named Air
Force Special Operations Command
(AFSOC) Vehicle Management NonCommissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year.
2004, Abby Sorensen was class valedictorian while at Villa.
She will graduate this month from Allegheny College and will
be valedictorian. During her college career she has been on
the golf team and served as a resident assistant.
2008, Kristen Weibel worked as a counselor over the
summer educating and caring for eight campers as they travelled abroad
with Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in the Theatre Study Group. They traveled
to Stratford-upon-Avon, London, England and Paris, France. They studied
Shakespeare’s plays and saw two performances in
the Globe Theatre.
2009, Charlie Greulich is currently serving with
the U.S. Coast Guard on the search and rescue ship
“Alex Haley” that docks at Kodiak Island, Alaska.
16
spring 2012
Obituaries
1926 Mary C. Quirk, October 6, 2011, graduated from Edinboro University
in 1930. She was employed by Fisher Brothers Department Store for 40
years, both in Erie and New York City.
1933Rita Berchtold Heinlein, October 11, 2011, was employed for many
years as assistant traffic manager for Louis Marx & Company. In 1979,
she retired as the business manager of the Erie County Crippled
Children’ Society, now the Achievement Center.
1936 Jeanne M. Riblet Moore, January 20, 2012, attended Villa Maria
College. She was the personnel director of Trumbull Memorial Hospital
and retired after 23 years of service.
1938 Mary C. Weyand Eisert, February 10, 2012, graduated from Villa Maria
College in 1942 and began teaching at Rocky Grove High School. She
also taught at Erie Veterans School and Academy. She was the first
director of the Barber Center Adult Basic Education Program.
1939Ruth V. Dwyer Baldwin, March 7, 2012, attended Mercyhurst College,
and, during the war years, worked as a buyer of women’s clothing for
Halle’s Dept. Store.
1941 Leona Janczewski Justka, September 29, 2011.
1943 Irene T. Chojnaki Byler, March 4, 2012, worked for many years at the
former Masons Dept. Store and also worked for Fergie’s Catering after
her retirement.
1943 Sr. Christine Quirk, March 28, 2012, entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on
March 19, 1949 and professed her final vows in 1954. She celebrated her
60th anniversary of religious life in 2008. She earned a bachelor’s degree
in Education from Villa Maria College and a master’s degree in English
from Marquette University. She also studied English at the University
of Michigan. She attended a Japanese Cultural Exchange Program in
Omiya, Japan, an American Studies program at Eastern Baptist College,
and studied journalism at the University of Minnesota on a “Wall Street
Journal” fellowship. She was a longtime teacher and faculty member
throughout the Erie diocese, teaching at St. Ann and St. Peter grade
schools and at Villa Maria Academy. She taught at St. Francis High
School in Clearfield, PA. She was an assistant professor at Villa Maria
College and taught at Bradford Central Christian High School. She was
the publication consultant for St. Mary’s Home, manager of Sycamore
Gallery, auditor in the Erie Diocese Marriage Tribunal and director of
communications for the Sisters of St. Joseph. She taught English as
a Second Language through the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood
Network. She retired in 2009.
1943 Anna M. Izzi Sopp, November 20, 2011, worked at Marine Bank (now
PNC Bank) for more than 20 years.
1945Ruth Walker Say, January 28, 2012, was a licensed private pilot.
1947 Jean M. Gloekler Gray, October 14, 2011.
1948 Helen Fiscus Luteran, December 31, 2011, graduated from Saint
Vincent School of Nursing and worked at St. Vincent Health Center. She
was a private duty nurse and retired from Pleasant Ridge Manor-East as
a night supervisor after 30 years of service.
1948 Audrey L. Olson Steimer, February 8, 2012, was a former employee of
Marx Toys.
1951 Marcia C. Szczesny Causgrove, February 13, 2012, was the church
secretary at St. James R.C. Church for 31 ½ years, most notably the
administrative secretary for Msgr. Cohan.
1951Rayme Hadlow Dee, January 23, 2012.
1951Elaine M. Ranus McCarty, November 9, 2011, graduated summa cum
laude from Villa Maria College and completed her M.Ed. in Education
from Fairfield University. She taught in the elementary grades for 30
years in Erie, Indianapolis, IN, and Wilton, CT.
1952 Joanne Bailey Cooper, October 29, 2011, was a cake decorating
teacher at J.C. Penney and for the Wilton Cake Decorating Course and
the Erie School District Night School Program. She retired in 1999.
1952 Sr. Mary Karen Crawford, SSJ, November 22, 2011, earned a
bachelor’s degree in education from Villa Maria College. She entered
the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1952 and professed her final vows in 1958.
She celebrated her 50th anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph in 2002.
Sister Mary Karen taught at St. Andrew, St. Ann, Blessed Sacrament, St.
John the Baptist, St. Joseph and St. Patrick elementary schools. She was
an intergenerational coordinator between St. Mary’s Home of Erie and
the Mercyhurst Child Learning Center prior to her retirement.
1953 Alice A. Rutkowski Cieslikowski, January 27, 2012,
attended Villa Maria College. Prior to her retirement,
she was an outpatient registration clerk at St. Vincent
Health Center.
1954Elizabeth Gorton Reid, December 30, 2011,
worked at WSEE and retired from the American
Sterilizer Co. in 1989.
1954 Joann Metz Smith, January 19, 2012, was
employed at St. Vincent Health Center and in the office of Dr. Charles
Leone and Dr. Henry Karpinski until 1969. She attended Cuyahoga
Community College where she received an Associate Degree in Health
Information Management Technology. In 1985, Joann was employed
at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center as a registered health
information technician until her retirement in 1999.
1956 Geraldine M. Slivinski Fagan, January 16, 2012, worked as a nurse’s
aide at St. Vincent Health Center and later worked at Dr. Cohen’s office.
1956 Angela Hoderny Feeney, February 29, 2012, retired from the
Gertrude Barber Center in 2000 and was previously employed at ECCA,
The Service Bureau and American Sterilizer.
1956 Barbara Gidos Preston, April 1, 2012, was a secretary for the Erie
Housing Authority for over 15 years.
1957 Joann Maxwell Mullen, February 6, 2012, taught in diocesan
elementary schools from 1957 until 1962. She became an auto
underwriter at Erie Insurance from 1962-1967. She returned to school
and graduated from Gannon College with a B.S. in math, the University
of New York, Fredonia with a master’s in math and Edinboro University
with a master’s in secondary administration. She was an adjunct
member of the Gannon Math Dept. She then became the first female
lay-member of the Cathedral Preparatory School teaching staff where
she taught math from 1967 until the present. She also taught AP
Calculus at Villa Maria Academy for the last three years.
1960 Janan Hammar Weber, November 11, 2011, graduated from
Dunbarton College in Washington, D.C. She worked at AT&T in various
capacities culminating in assignments as a marketing manager
responsible for 800 service and international business service. She
retired in 2000.
1962 Martha Kramer Yeager, February 26, 2012, was employed by Ball
Glass in the accounting deptartment for 7 years until its closing and
retried from Precision-Marshall Steel in 2009 after 21 years of service as
a production internal consultant.
1964 Linda Bebko-Jones, November 20, 2011, was a graduate of Erie
Business Center. She became active in the political system as a
legislative aide to several senators. Linda was elected as a member
of the PA House of Representatives from 1994 until her retirement in
2006. She served as a delegate to the 2000 Democratic Convention.
1965Rose Marie Spak, January 6, 2012, graduated from St. Mary’s College.
1966 Joan Johnston Trojanowski, September 23, 2011, graduated from
Villa Maria College. She worked as a fourth grade teacher at Tracy
Elementary School before leaving to raise a family. She returned to
teaching at Our Lady of Peach School, where she was known as “Mrs. T.”
for 18 years by countless preschoolers. She was a Golden Apple Award
winner.
1972 Patricia Olszewski Kitza, September 20, 2011, worked as a secretary
at the Cascade United Methodist Church. Prior to working at Cascade
Methodist, she worked at Catholic Charities.
1974 Ann Verdecchia Moore, November 14, 2011, earned a B.S. at Purdue
University and an M.S. at Vanderbilt University. She was employed
by the Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County as a development
associate.
1974 Nancy Sharkey Paterson, December 24, 2011, received an M.S. in
education from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. She taught high
school mathematics for many years in Dickinson, Texas City, Livingston
and Big Sandy Independent School Districts.
2004 Paul J. McCaleb, December 6, 2011, received an associate degree
from Edinboro University where he was active in ROTC. He was
attending Erie Institute of Technology.
spring 2012
S P E C I A L
EVE N T S
2011
There are many traditions at Cathedral Prep, but one that
brings women out in droves year after year is Harvest
Gala. The event was held on October 5 at the Bayfront
Convention Center. Women came together to celebrate
the camaraderie of women who support two exceptional
Catholic educational institutions – Cathedral Prep and
Villa Maria Academy. Many mothers, grandmothers,
faculty, staff, alumni and friends gathered to represent
both schools. This was the 18th year for the event.
Villa Maria English teacher Lisa Chimenti-Foster served
as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and kept
everyone laughing with her hilarious jokes and exuberant
personality.
Harvest Gala Chairs Margaret Kruszewski ’85, Meg Britton and Debbie Constable
’89.
Eighty-five elaborately decorated, themed baskets lined
the Convention Center for the ever-popular basket
auction. There was something for everyone to pick from.
During dinner, women sat on the edge of their chairs
waiting eagerly for their name to be called. The attendees
were spoiled with a full-course sit-down dinner, dessert
and coffee.
There were several other chances to win something. Three
raffles were held this year. One raffle featured a beautiful
Chamilia drop chain charm necklace from Dahlkemper’s
Jewelry Connection. Women could also take their chance
at a five-piece Vera Bradley travel set. If that wasn’t
enough, women also had the chance to win beautiful
accent furniture from Traditions.
Baskets lined the Bayfront
Convention Center.
Ladies who did not win a basket or one of the three
raffles could not resist the temptation of the gourmet bake
sale which included scrumptious cakes, cookies, pies,
cupcakes, breads and candies.
Matthew Grisier ’12 (CP) and Adrienne Kloecker ’12
spoke to the audience about their experiences at both
schools over the years and thanked the women for their
support.
Allburn Florist turned the Convention Center into a fall
escapade with pumpkins and vibrant flowers.
Women enjoyed a classy evening out, while helping to
raise money for Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy.
Special thanks to everyone who played a part in making
Harvest Gala a tremendous success. Harvest Gala raised
$22,000!
18
spring 2012
Special thanks to the following:
Harvest Gala Title Sponsor:
OB/GYN Associates of Erie
Platinum
Perry Construction
Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Adrienne ’12 and Rosemary
Kloecker ’85.
CoChairsSon/s
Meg Britton
Andrew ’14 (CP)
Debbie Constable ’89 James ’14 (CP)
Margaret Kruszewski ’85 Grant ’14 (CP)
Committee Chairs
Baskets
Kathy Grisier
Matt ’12 (CP)
Gold
Kevin
’14 (CP)
Dr. M. Peter ’51 (CP) and Mrs. Ellie Scibetta
Jeffrey ’12 (CP)
Celli-Flynn Brennan Architects & Planners Chrissie Simmons
Gourmet Bake Sale
Silver
Patty Merski
Luke ’13 (CP)
HBK Sorce-Joe Kloecker ’70 (CP)
Janet Zegarelli
Martin ’12 (CP)
Erie Sport Store
Ian ’15 (CP)
Contemporary Motorcar
Hogan ’13 (CP)
Raffles
Partners
Kelly Titus
Coltin ’14 (CP)
Allburn Florist
Reservations
Printing Concepts
Linda Spinelli
Adam ’12 (CP)
Traditions
Male Volunteers
Dahlkemper Jewelry Connection
Joe Kloecker ’70 (CP)
Andy ’13 (CP)
S P E C I A L
EVE N T S
Matt Grisier ’12 (CP) and Adrienne Kloecker ’12.
Becky Marnella Wilczynski ’97, Patty Marnella, Jean
Marnella Berarducci and Mary Beth Marnella Fiorelli.
Mary Jo Steiner ’64 (center)
stands with her daughters Jessica
Steiner Frailey ’05 and Jill Steiner
Brugger ’97.
Suzanne Chimenti, Lisa Chimenti-Foster and Aniko Walker.
A small sampling of the hundreds of goodies from the
gourmet bake sale.
VMA Celebrates “Grandparents Day”
For every shoulder they have given
to lean on, every cookie baked with
love, every hug surrendered and all
of the patience in the world, Villa
students honored their grandparents
on November 9, during VMA’s
“Grandparents Day.” Over 200
grandparents attended the event.
Natalie ’15 and Ellie Prischak.
Grandparents gathered with their
grandchild/ren in the auditorium for a Dr. M. Peter Scibetta’51 (CP), Emily Allen ’14, Ellie
brief MVP presentation. Maggie Hoag Scibetta.
’12 and Christina Cacchione ’13, under
the direction of Mr. Andrew Alesso, gave
a performance showcasing their talents.
Following the presentation,
grandparents were treated to a gourmet
luncheon put on by Frank and Kathy
Cirillo and their VMA cafeteria staff.
James Walker, Marlena Harris ’13 and Audrey
Walker ’55.
Students had a great time celebrating
and honoring their grandparents and
reminding them of just how special
they are.
spring 2012
John Walsh, Melissa Mischler ’13, Katherine
Mischler ’14, Mary Kirik ’15 and Marjorie Walsh.
S P e C I A L
e v e N t S
Jim Walker with his wife and
inductee, Aniko Solymosi Walker.
The Moscos – Homer with wife and inductee
Marlene ’64 and daughter, Emily.
2012
“Amazing Journey” – A Record Breaker!
Guy and Heidi Fustine.
Dana and Pete Zaphiris.
Barb and Bill Kelly ’83 (CP).
Ellen ’84 and JB Innes.
Cathedral Prep Student Ambassadors: L-R: Matthew Grisier ’12, Joe West ’11,
Ben Slomski ’12, Anthony Squeglia ’12, Michael Scutella ’12, Joe Bloomstine
’12, Nicholas Bird ’12, Will Bloomstine ’12 and Adam Spinelli ’12.
Silent auction.
20
This year’s Legacy Gala, themed “Amazing Journey” drew the largest
crowd ever! At nearly 500 guests, the event was a resounding success. The
Gala, which is the premier fundraising event for Cathedral Prep and Villa
Maria Academy, was held on April 21 at The Bayfront Convention Center.
The Gala raised over $325,000, making it an all-time record breaker!
Two distinguished individuals from each school were honored at the
event. Cathedral Prep Distinguished Alumnus Dave Slomski ’72 along with
Cathedral Prep Distinguished Alumnus and Faculty Member Fr. Raymond
Hahn ’66 were inducted into the President’s Hall of Fame. Villa Maria
Academy Distinguished Alumna Marlene Mosco ’64 and Distinguished
Faculty Member Aniko Solymosi Walker were also inducted into the
President’s Hall of Fame. All inductees were recognized for their personal
accomplishments and their dedication to the mission of Cathedral Prep
and Villa Maria Academy.
The night was a first-class affair. Cathedral Prep students were dressed
to the nines in tuxedos and greeted the guests. Several Villa students
in cocktail dresses helped out with the jewelry raffle and silent auction
areas. They had a great time interacting with the auction attendees who
believe in the mission of Prep and Villa.
Guests enjoyed different food stations and delectable desserts while
bidding on over 200 items in the silent auction. The live auction boasted
15 items and featured a Crosley iJuke Jukebox, badges for two to the 2012
Sunday Round at the Masters including overnight accommodations, a
Florida vacation home getaway, Madonna “World Tour” Concert package,
and a signed Hines Ward Steelers jersey. The Cathedral Prep Jazz Band,
under the direction of Mr. Jake Malec, donated their time to the Gala and
entertained guests for most of the evening.
spring 2012
Inductee Fr. Raymond Hahn ’66 (CP) with his siblings,
Rich, Joe and Marilyn.
President Fr. Scott Jabo with
inductee Marlene Mosco ’64.
Ben Slomski ’12 (CP) with
his uncle and inductee Dave
Slomski ’72 (CP).
Dahlkemper Jewelry Connection (Ed ’73 & Christine Dahlkemper)
graciously donated a 14K gold garnet necklace and earring set valued
at $1,500. Raffle tickets were available for $20 for a chance to win this
breathtaking necklace.
Allburn Florist did an amazing job in decorating in Prep and Villa
colors. Gorgeous orchids, orange roses and carnations and white
chrysanthemums, gerber daisies and gladiolas filled the room to
make for a breathtaking view.
There were several highlights to the evening. The four honorees
humbly accepted their awards. During the live auction, guests were
given the opportunity to bid to “Fund the Vision” and sponsor a
student in memory of Mrs. Joann Maxwell Mullen ’57 (VMA), who
passed away in February. Mullen began her teaching career at Prep
in 1967 as part of the math department and later became Prep’s first
female assistant principal and later principal. She also taught at Villa
Maria Academy upon the collaboration of Villa and Prep forming a coinstitutional school. “Fund the Vision” resulted in $75,000 raised for
tuition assistance.
The proceeds from the auction are used to keep Prep and Villa’s tuition
within reach of Erie area families. The evening brought many Prep
and Villa supporters together to celebrate and to continue to support
the mission of Prep and Villa, all while having fun, raising funds and
enjoying each other’s company. Many thanks to Kathy Grisier, Director
of Special Events, and the countless people who made the 2012 Legacy
Gala such a tremendous success. Mark your calendars for next year’s
event. Legacy Gala 2013 will take place at the Bayfront Convention
Center on April 27, 2013.
Villa Maria Student Ambassadors: L-R: Natalie Khouri ’13, Kaitlyn Kissell
’12, Adrienne Kloecker ’12, Nathalie Rahner ’12, Jillian Blaszczyk ’12,
Rosa Fatica ’12, Lisa Mifsud ’12, Ellise Chase ’12, Hannah Thayer ’12,
Kimberly Maasz ’12 and Elizabeth Nawrocki ‘12.
Legacy Gala 2012 at the Bayfront Convention Center.
John ’82 (CP) and Nancy
(Scalzitti) Hilbert ’87.
Joe’12 (CP), Colleen ’81, William ’12 (CP)
and John Bloomstine ’78 (CP).
Phil ’95 (CP) and Christina Katen with Abby ’98 and
Matt Lechner ’91 (CP).
spring 2012
Rest in Peace
Joann Maxwell Mullen ’57
Joann Maxwell 1957.
Cathedral Prep legend, Mrs. Joann Maxwell Mullen, passed away
February 6 after battling several health issues. Mrs. Mullen began her
teaching career at Prep in 1967 as part of the Math Department, and
later became Prep’s first female assistant principal and later principal.
Mrs. Mullen also taught at Villa Maria Academy upon the collaboration
of Villa and Prep forming a co-institutional school. Mrs. Mullen’s career
spanned a remarkable 45 years, but ironically she never intended to
stay at Prep very long. Her own words explain it so well. “Once you get
to Prep, it gets into your blood, and it is very difficult to leave. There is
something magical about this school.”
Joann Mullen’s reputation as one of the finest mathematics teacher
in the area was well known and respected. She was past President of
the Mathematics Council of Western PA, the Pennsylvania Council of
Supervisors of Math, and the Pennsylvania Council of Math Teachers.
Additionally, she has received numerous mathematic recognitions and
awards over the years. What may be even more remarkable were the
relationships that she forged with hundreds of students throughout the
years. Her “tough love” style of teaching provided countless students
with the tools they needed to succeed in college and in their careers.
Many came back after graduation to thank Mrs. Mullen for the gifts she
shared with them.
Joann and her husband, Bill, were married in the Villa Chapel and
the reception was held in the Prep cafeteria. She was most assuredly
always loyal and true.
The Class of 2003, in a letter to Mrs. Mullen at graduation, said it best:
“To a teacher that taught us not only Trig and Calculus, but courage,
determination and a sense of brotherhood. You have been a backbone
of Prep for years and will never be forgotten. Thanks for everything,
Mrs. Mullen…Love, Your Senior Class of 2003.”
Joann Mullen will live forever in the hallways of Cathedral Prep and
Villa Maria Academy. We love you and will miss you. May God hold you
in his loving arms for all eternity.
The Joann Mullen Scholarship Fund
In honor of Mrs. Mullen, donations can be made to the Joann
Mullen Scholarship Fund. To make a contribution, please visit
www.villamaria.com and click on the blue “donate online”
button on the left. Other memorial contributions may be mailed
to the Advancement Office at 2403 West 8th Street, Erie, PA 16505.
Mrs. Joann Mullen.
22
spring 2012
Matthew Grisier ’12 (CP)
C
athedral Prep and
Villa Maria Academy
opened their 2011-2012
MVP season with the
production of Jekyll &
Hyde. This hit Broadway
musical is based on the
classic Robert Louis
Stevenson short story
about a passionate young
research scientist, Dr.
Henry Jekyll, and his split
personality, Mr. Edward
Hyde. Jekyll unleashes
Hyde by using himself
as the subject for an
experiment designed to
eradicate evil from the
mind of mankind. Rapidly,
the experiment goes out
of control, and Jekyll is
forced to face his inner
demons as Hyde gradually
The cast of Jekyll & Hyde.
overwhelms him. The
musical deepens the original story by adding several new characters to the plot, including Jekyll’s fiancée, Emma Carew, and a poor
young girl whom Hyde is obsessed with, Lucy Harris.
Working on the show Jekyll & Hyde while playing the roles of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a true honor for me. Never before
have I had the privilege of playing so demanding and rewarding a character. The show was a memorable experience both on- and
offstage. The cast of Jekyll & Hyde was one of the best that I have ever worked with; they made coming to rehearsal every day a
true pleasure for me. Their performances onstage showed their dedication to all. As Lucy, Maggie Hoag stole the audience’s hearts
with her touching performance. Christina Cacchione, as Emma, turned in a lovely portrayal of Jekyll’s wealthy fiancée; Nick Unger
was likewise refined and gentle as her father, Sir Danvers Carew. Nick Burch brought a highly appropriate sense of gravitas to the
role of Jekyll’s best friend, John Utterson. Joe Weibel successfully proved that there are no small parts as he made many memorable
moments out of Jekyll’s nemesis, Simon Stride.
The entire cast is worthy of praise; fortunately, audiences recognized the hard work we put into the show as they came to Villa’s
beautiful new auditorium in droves over the weekend. Audiences exploded in applause after each number, creating a show full of
showstoppers. All aspects of the production were highly praised. As always, Prep and Villa proved that their MVP Program stands
head and shoulders above those of other schools; many people were overheard exclaiming “Their shows definitely aren’t like the
average high school’s shows!” as they left the theater each night.
spring 2012
The cast of Fiddler on the Roof.
Nathalie Rahner ’12
When Villa and Prep joined as one entity, one aspect
of the collaboration was combining the theatre
departments. Throughout the past two years, we have
had the opportunity to put on many wonderful shows.
Everyone involved in the productions bonded, and
one could say we have become a family.
This past January, we had the opportunity to perform
Fiddler on the Roof, which tells the story of the
Jewish community of Anatevka through the eyes of a
milkman named Tevye. He and his wife, Golde, have
five daughters, who are all set on finding their perfect
matches. The show produced laughter and tears as
the threat of revolution draws nearer to the defenseless
Anatevka.
This production was the first of its kind and brought
together the alumni of Prep and Villa. The alumni
of both schools were called to the auditions. Many
took advantage of this opportunity including theatre
veterans and first-time thespians. This was a unique
experience for everyone! The students had the
opportunity to become close with even more Villa
Victors and Prep Ramblers, regardless of their years of
graduation. Some of the alumni had the opportunity
to get back on the stage which started their theatre
careers, while others had the opportunity to get on
stage for the first time.
This was a special experience for everyone involved. Students
learned many things from the alumni, and I think we taught them
a thing or two as well! Throughout this experience, there were
many great memories made, and there were also a few tears when
all was said and done. While this show focused much on tradition,
it is clear that Villa and Prep have passed down the most important
traditions which have been instilled in each of its students to this
very day.
L-R: Jerry Karle ’64 (CP), Meredith Cesare ’06, Michael Cortes ’86 (CP), Joe Greulich
’72 (CP), Ellen Schaaf Innes ’84, Almitra Clemente Clerkin ’81, Larry Kisielewski ’69
(CP), Sean Halupczynski ’06 (CP) and Kevin Cooney ’76 (CP).
spring 2012
Anthony Squeglia ’12 (CP)
Villa Maria Academy and Cathedral Prep presented William Shakespeare’s classic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream
as the third show of their 2011-2012 MVP Season. Shakespeare’s play is set in Athens, and concerns a group of four young
lovers. These lovers meet in a forest, where they are unknowingly spied on by Oberon, king of the fairies, and Puck,
his lieutenant. Mayhem and hilarity ensues when Puck interferes with the lovers and a bumbling group of workingmen
rehearsing a play in the secrecy of the woods. The show was presented in Prep’s H. David Bowes Auditorium over the first
weekend in March. Audiences at the show grew over the weekend as positive word-of-mouth spread, resulting in whole
new generations of viewers being introduced to Shakespeare. Director Fr. Mike DeMartinis was extremely successful in
translating Shakespeare’s comedy to a new age, crafting a beautifully designed production that was easily accessible for all
audiences. The highly talented cast received well-deserved accolades for their hard work and determination in interpreting
Shakespeare so well. This unique and comical show will be long remembered by all those involved in it.
The cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
spring 2012
Jessie Beeler ’13
(right) and Liam
Brereton ’12
(below) work on
their art projects.
Villa Maria students participated in an Art-a-thon in
February which showcased their artistic abilities. The
event lasted for nine hours, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the
Mead Art Studio at Villa Maria Academy. Students worked
continuously on projects for the duration of the event. They had opportunities to work with drawing, painting
and ceramic media, as well as printmaking, beading,
macramé, collage and many other types of materials. The
funds raised were donated to the Joann Mullen Memorial
Scholarship Fund.
The Villa chapter of NAHS fundraises for the club and
local charities/community organizations. Students in
NAHS collected pledges for every hour they attend the
event. The students raised over $500 for the Joann Mullen
Scholarship Fund.
The Youth Leadership Institute MLK Jr. Art
Competition was held in January at the Erie Art
Museum. Villa made quite a showing with four entries
out of the total 15 that were selected for the show. Several other schools from the Erie School District
entered the competition, but Villa was the only Millcreek
or parochial school to enter.
Junior Ellie Bloomstine, Sophomore Abby Quinn,
Freshmen Emma Knight and Mary Moss all submitted
work. Knight earned 2nd place in her grade level
category; only two prizes per category were awarded. 26 The Magazine for Villa Maria Academy
spring 2012
Four VMA Show Choir students were given the honor to
participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association
District 2 Choir Festival in January 2012. They were chosen
among 200 other school choir students from all of the high
schools in Northwest Pennsylvania that comprise District 2.
Pictured: Emily McGovern, Drevell Showers, Katie Michaels
and Christina Cacchione. They spent four days at the host
school, Warren Area School District, along with Music Director
Andrew Alesso, rehearsing together, which ended with a
beautiful concert at the end of the final day.
Villa’s Version of the
“Cheetah Girls”
VMA freshmen show a little bit of their wild side in these
cheetah smocks donated by Angela Fatica ’79. She is owner
of Angelo’s Beauty Supply store at 1205 State Street and
mother to Anna ’10, Rosa ’12 & Lia ’15. Fatica donated some
fun and fashionable smocks to the Art program.
Front Row: Allison Onslow ‘15 and Claire Jeffreys ‘15.
Back Row: Alicia Ester 15, Stephanie Chido ‘15,
Jessica Damico ‘15 and Libby Deiner ‘15.
A Picture is Worth a
Thousand Words
Kelsey Szpara ’13
March 21, 2012 was a
very proud day for Villa
Maria Academy. On
this day, the District 10
Biannual Art Competition
was held at Edinboro
Nichol Sauers ’15 University, and four Villa
students had their work
submitted, one of them winning the “Best of Show” title. The
show featured 75 different pieces, ranging from mediums
such as ceramics, drawing, painting, woodwork, mixed
media, video, and photography, submitted by the District
10 schools and judged by two of the Edinboro University’s
professors. It was an honor for Villa to have four submissions.
Senior Shelby Kelly submitted her mixed media painting
titled “Behind These Eyes,” junior Grace Lewis submitted her
oil pastel drawing “Explosion,” junior Helen Tullio submitted
her graphite pencil drawing of a German shepherd called
“Untitled;” and finally, freshman Nichol Sauers submitted her
photograph “Reflection,” which was judged “Best of Show” –
an even greater honor for Villa.
Visual Arts teacher Mr. Bill Pohl said about Nichol Sauers,
“She shows great potential in the field of photography. It’s
very hard to break students of bad habits when it comes to
photography. Having them understand aperture, shutter
speed, perspective and the rule of thirds are just a few.
Nichol has the eye for photography, and as a freshman she
understands the rules and pushes herself to capture the best
images she can. The more time she spends taking pictures
the better she will become.”
When asked to describe her feelings about winning this
award, she said she was surprised because this was only
the second art show she had ever entered – her first time
being in Villa’s art show. She further explained that she was
excited and proud to win as well, because she gets a lot of
enjoyment from photography. She says that photography
is her favorite form of art, and she is definitely considering
a career centered on it. Furthermore, she and her parents
both agree that coming to Villa has done a lot for her
photography skills. Nichol said that being in Mr. Pohl’s
photography class has influenced her photography quite
a bit. Nichol’s parents agree that Villa was the best choice
in high schools for her, because Villa has done so much for
her already, and the other teachers she has are great as well.
Nichol goes on to say that because
she now knows she has talent, she
intends to enter more of her work
into art shows. Her parents were
amazingly proud of her as well – they
said it was a huge honor to have her
in the show, and that Villa has a lot
of talented students besides Nichol who are going places
with their art work. Overall, it was a huge honor to have four
students in the art show representing Villa Maria Academy,
especially with one of them winning “Best of Show.” There
is a lot of talent and potential in these students, and it is
certainly something everyone should be proud of.
Congratulations to our District 10
Biannual Art Show competitors and
winners!
Artwork was displayed at Edinboro University’s Bruce
Gallery in Doucette Hall. There were over 75 entries in the
show from all over District 10. Congratulations to these
talented young women:
Best of Show
Nichol Sauers ’15
“Reflection”
Photography
spring 2012
Other competitors
Shelby Kelly ’12
Grace Lewis ’13
Helen Tullio ’13
T
members inducted into
The International Thespian Society (ITS)
he International Thespian Society (ITS) inducted 16 new
members from Prep and Villa in February. The International
Thespian Society is the student honorary division of the
Educational Theatre Association recognizing excellence in high
school theatre. The ITS is named for Thespis, the Greek who,
according to legend, was the first actor; their guiding principle
is a dedication to excellence in theatre arts in secondary schools.
It strives to give students a place for outstanding theatre where
the standards of excellence in theatre arts will be advanced and
to honor those students who do theatre well. Students in grades
9-12 who attend schools with active high school Thespian troupes
earn lifetime membership as Thespians in the honor society.
Student achievement and eligibility using a point system based
on the quality and quantity of each student’s work in theatre and
related arts is tracked to determine eligibility. The organization
has 4,600 professional members and close to 100,000 active
Thespians in more than 3,900 affiliated schools. This is the second
year of this chapter’s existence at our school. Sixteen students
were presented with membership cards and pins, honoring their
commitment and performance in the theatre program: Katherine
Cooney, Jessica Beeler, Christina Cacchione, McKenzie Jay, Hannah
Thayer, Victoria Murawski, Kaja Hansen, Corey Mulvin, Amy
Estes, Matthew Grisier, Nick Burch, Maggie Hoag, Mary Katherine
Hoag, Bridget Hoag, Nathan Kapsar and Kacey Mulvin. At the
Induction Ceremony, two adults who perform outstanding service
in the theatre program were honored by making them Honorary
Thespians. The Troupe’s other Thespians include Emily McGovern,
Hannah Kirschner, Allison Gens, Natalie Khouri, Ellise Chase,
Katie Michaels, Katherine Wegley, Antonia Flamini, Rosa Fatica,
Nathalie Rahner and Kelly Fries. Alumni Thespians include: Tyler
Bentze, Amy Boxer, Victoria Martin, Rachel Passauer and Stephan
Sanders. Director of Theatre Arts Father Mike DeMartinis and
choreographer Carolyn McIntyre were presented with medals,
honoring their commitment and performance in the theatre
program. Also pictured is Troupe Director and Thespian Andrew
P. Alesso, Music and Drama Teacher at VMA.
Villa Students Have a Passion for Fashion
E
veryone knows that nothing can come between and girl and
her shoes. Students at Villa Maria Academy proved this by
putting their best fashion foot forward. They unleashed their inner
diva while designing their own shoes during their textile design
class in December.
Back row, L-R: Mrs. Jessica Sessler Alesso, Alli Kaveney ’13, Taylor Jones
’14, Sally Basheer ’12, Jennifer Torrance ’12, Julia Lucas ’12, Lisa Mifsud
’12, Rebecca Sweny ’12, Katie Kissel ’12, and Bridget Kleinhanz ’12.
Front row, L-R: Brittany DiPlacido ’13, Rosa Fatica ’12, Alexa Gromacki
’14, Erin McCall ’14, Ann Neville ’12, Emily Allen ’14, and Abby Kenski ’14.
spring 2012
The finished shoes were displayed at the school. The class worked
with different fibers and fabric arts. They also studied the history
of fibers and how they are used in fashion and textile products. The assignment was a reaction to a presentation in class discussing
how “haute couture” influenced everyday fashion. They also
learned that each designer’s collection is like an artist’s gallery
show. The “work” the designer creates is original art. Students were challenged to take a plain shoe, of any size and
style, and turn it into a piece of couture. From “comic” covered
shoes to ones with feathers, sparkles and glitter, the styles showed
off each student’s fashion sense.
T h e w o m e n o f v illa
Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR),
and southern Sudan.
In response to the new strategy by Kony and the LRA,
Invisible Children is actively working in these central
African countries to provide radio towers (improving
communication in villages where communication is nonexistent), rescue (search teams finding former child soldiers
deserted by the LRA), and rehabilitation (for child soldiers
when they return home).
Ugandan advocate
Grace Nimaro shares
her story with VMA.
Ugandan Advocate Visits VMA
Villa Maria Academy welcomed Invisible Children in
November. Invisible Children is a social justice organization
working to end the longest-running war in Africa where
children are abducted by a rebel army and forced to fight
as child soldiers. The organization has a great partnership
with the Catholic Diocese of Dungu-Doruma (in Northeast
Congo) that they work with to rehabilitate former child
soldiers and protect civilians at risk of being attacked by the
rebel army.
To raise awareness of the conflict in central Africa, Invisible
Children travel the country presenting at schools and
churches. In addition to saving lives in war-torn regions
of central Africa, they aim to reach the youth in our
own country and awaken them to the potential within
themselves to make a difference on a grand scale. Villa students had the opportunity to hear from a Ugandan
advocate named Grace Nimaro, who shared her story of
how she was directly affected by the rebel army. Students
also saw Invisible Children’s most recent film, “Tony” which
followed the life of another Ugandan friend who has been
deeply affected by the rebel army. Three freshmen were so inspired by the presentation,
they immediately raised money for the Invisible Children
Fund. Alicia Ester, Tyla McFarland and Alexa Pianta were the
leaders for “Minute to Win It.” They gave every homeroom
teacher an envelope and went on morning announcements
asking for donations to the cause. Everyone was allotted
one minute to get money and put it into envelopes. The
students raised over $300 for the fund.
The Numbers:
Since 1986 (the beginning of the war), in northern Uganda:
• Over 100,000 innocent civilians have been killed.
• Over 30,000 children have been abducted.
• At the height of displacement, 1.8 million were
displaced.
In 2006, Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
left Uganda to continue their terror across the Democratic
Sara Waya ’15 accepts
National Medal Award
on behalf of the Erie Art
Museum.
Freshman Sara Waya Receives National
Medal for Museum and Library Service
Sara Waya ’15 went to the U.S. Capitol in December to attend
a very important ceremony. The Institute of Museum and
Library Services selected the Erie Art Museum to receive the
2011 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the
nation’s highest honor for extraordinary civic, educational,
economic, environmental and social contributions. Museum
Director John Vanco and Victoria Angelo accepted the award
on behalf of the museum.
Waya is humbled by this award. “I feel very honored to
receive the award on behalf of the Erie Art Museum. We
have been working with the Erie Art Museum for eight years,
performing and sharing our traditional dances and songs at
many events in Erie.”
Victoria Angelo and Marta Sam (Sara’s mother) worked with
the Erie Art Museum for the past eight years. The Museum
assisted them in keeping their African traditions alive in
their new American home. Both Ms. Sam and Ms. Angelo
work at St. Martin’s Early Learning Center (where they use
their traditional African songs and dances on a daily basis
with the children), have taught African dance classes at the
Erie Art Museum, have been honored by the PA Council on
the Arts for artistic excellence, and are featured in Making
it Better: Folk Arts in Pennsylvania Today, an exhibit that
has spent almost two years touring museums across the
Commonwealth. Waya has learned traditional African Acholi
language, songs and dances from Ms. Sam and Ms. Angelo
and has performed for countless community festivals
and events that the Erie Art Museum has done in the
community.
spring 2012
C
atholic Schools Week 2012 at Villa Maria Academy
featured celebrations of all those elements that make
a Catholic education both a privilege and a blessing: our
students, our faculty, our fine academic and moral standards
and our sense of community as we gather together for
worship and for fun. The theme this year, Catholic Schools:
Faith, Academics and Service, underlined the impact that
Catholic schools have on the overall development of
the young people who walk our halls and populate our
classrooms. We strive to empower our students’ God-given
gifts: spiritually, intellectually and morally, in living for
others in service and witnessing to values that are decent
and wholesome and true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At
Villa Maria Academy, we are proud to claim that this is our
mission and our vision for our students every day.
Each day that week, January 30 through February 3, we
celebrated a different group of individuals who make up the
Villa family. On Monday, the freshman class had a jeans day,
Prep and Villa Students March for Life
and the day began with a special prayer and blessing for the
class of 2015, giving thanks for their unique contribution
to our school community and wishing them the best as a
class. In similar fashion, we celebrated the sophomores on
Tuesday, the juniors on Wednesday, the seniors on Thursday
and our faculty and staff on Friday. On Tuesday, the
Parent Association treated the faculty and staff to a special
luncheon of soups and sandwiches, and on Thursday, the
Campus Ministry students sponsored a Subway sandwich
lunch for our faculty and staff. The student body enjoyed
ice cream sundaes at lunch as well that week. All in all, we
found a number of ways to say, “Recognize the gifts in one
another and uphold them each day.”
We also gathered as a community to celebrate the best of
who we are. Fr. Scott Jabo presided at a Eucharistic liturgy
on Tuesday morning, reminding each of us of the privilege
and the responsibility of witnessing to the values of faith,
intellectual challenges and service to others. In doing so,
we are witnesses to the gospel, to the value of a Catholic
education and to a world that rarely holds such values
anymore. In contrast to his very meaningful and serious
message to us, we ended the week, on Friday afternoon,
with some loud, friendly competition between the classes
at our annual CSW fun assembly! If nothing else, we ended
the week sure and confident that Villa Maria Academy is
definitely the place to be!!!
By Maggie Hoag ’12
Ever since I was eleven I wanted to go on the March for Life trip in Washington, D.C. My grandpa went many years before, and
I waited for the time that I was old enough to go myself. I am so grateful and happy that I was finally able to attend the March
for Life with both Villa and Prep students this past January. Excited did not even begin to cover it. I was enthralled!
The bus trip down on Sunday was long, but going to all the museums made up for it. We went to all the museums that
represented a “celebrate life” and “honor life” attitude, such as the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum.
We went back to the church we were staying at, and President Fr. Scott Jabo celebrated Mass with an inspiring and compelling
homily about life.
In the morning, we went to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and that was the first time I truly saw how
immense this march was. There were so many people milling around, participating at Mass, and almost all of them sported
something that represented their pro-life view.
When we got to the march, I saw how massive it was. It was amazing. We marched in an endless sea of people marching
peacefully to give rights to those who cannot speak. It was a truly beautiful and amazing experience, and I am eternally
thankful I was able to attend.
spring 2012
Kathryn Hoffman ’13 stands
with her mother Patty and
shows off three generations
of rings. She wore hers, her
mother’s (Patty Felix Hoffman
’82) and her grandmother’s
(Kathleen O’Hara Felix
’43) rings. Kathleen’s ring
belonged to her sister, Marie
O’Hara ’33. She died at age 19,
and Kathleen was given her
ring when she was at Villa.
Juniors Meghan Simon, Lucy Wiesner, Alexis Monocello, Kayla
Murphy and Melissa Mischler.
VMA Holds Annual Ring Ceremony
Whether it’s old and has been passed down for many
generations or is shiny and new, class rings are symbolic of
one’s high school memories and serve as a reminder to the
wearer of their roots later on in life. Juniors at VMA reached
that milestone and received their rings during the ring
ceremony held in the auditorium in December. As their
junior year winds down, they paused and reflected on their
past, with the anticipation of becoming a senior.
The theme of this year’s ceremony was “Sisterhood”. The
ceremony began with the lights out in the auditorium.
The junior class walked in carrying lit candles. Each
student carried her candle on stage and placed it in a giant
candelabra to signify oneness.
Principal Sister Mary Drexler ’63 gave the opening prayer.
In her prayer, she reminded the attendees of what the
ceremony means. “We gather this morning to celebrate
the long-standing tradition of ring ceremony…a ceremony
that binds together in unity and friendship this junior class.
Bless these students who will receive their rings today. Bless
their success as students, challenge them to live their faith
in you, and support and strengthen them as they serve their
neighbor with compassion and generosity.”
A special slide show was put together by the students. The
“sisterhood” theme was quite evident. Villa students have
an underlying bond of sisterhood that begins at VMA and
continues for life.
Mrs. Lisa Chimenti-Foster
and Ms. Meghan Dibble ‘99
distributed the rings to
the girls.
President Father Jabo
blessed the rings that
symbolize the students are
advancing and are on their
ways to becoming adults.
Following the ceremony, a Class rings are a reminder of the memories
reception was held in the
created while at VMA.
cafeteria for the girls and
their families. Although most girls were wearing new rings,
a few had on their grandmother’s ring or even their mother’s
ring which was passed down
to them.
VMA rings are much more than a status symbol. When the
girls look down at them, they will always remember their
time at VMA and the many memories that go along with it.
CPR Instruction Available at Prep & Villa
Cathedral Preparatory School has recently added CPR
instruction to all senior health classes. Under the guidance
of their teacher, Nancy Schaaf, RN, M.Ed., all students will
be able to practice and perfect the life-saving skills taught
using the CPR mannequins and AED trainer. As a followon effort to an earlier project conducted by the AF JROTC
program which provided automated external defibrillators
to veterans’ organizations in the Erie area, the cadet corps
provided the funding to purchase this equipment to be used
in the classroom.
L-R: Lt. Col. Brian McGrain, Ms. Nancy Schaaf, Cadet Lt. Col. CJ Braun
’12 (CP), Mr. Chris Grychowski ’87 (CP), and President Father Scott
Jabo.
The Health and Physical Education departments at both
Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy hope to provide this
training and use the provided equipment for more than 250
students and more than 100 staff members each year.
spring 2012
Hayley Geronimo ’13, Victoria Mayer ’14 and Public
Relations Coordinator of Second Harvest Food
Bank of NWPA Heather Musacchio.
Villa Students
Reach Out to
Community
with
Graduation
Projects
E
very year, VMA’s talented students decide to embark on a
journey, through the Graduation Project program, which
explores and showcases their talents and sense of community. As
an independent study, the Graduation Project allows students to
work by themselves or with another person to create and execute
an interdisciplinary project. This can be a project that betters
Villa, aids other schools, raises awareness and funds for charitable
organizations, or displays the specific talents of the student.
The Graduation Project expands the knowledge or pride in the
individual student(s) while also creating a sense of community.
The project can be completed during the sophomore, junior or
senior year.
Several students chose to raise money for causes that are near
and dear to them. From the Children’s Miracle Network to
organizing festivals to benefit the community, these students put
their heart and soul into their projects by making a difference in
the community.
Seniors Sally Shaba and Sally Basheer raised money for the
Children’s Miracle Network by hosting an Iraqi Festival at Villa with
native dancing and food. They also worked with the children at
Shriners Hospital over the summer. The girls arranged an Iraqi
party, where they dressed in their traditional Iraqi costume and
danced “chobe,” the Iraqi traditional dance for the audience. They
also encouraged the audience to be part of the dance, and learn
it. The dance was followed by an assortment of Iraqi sweet treats
for the audience. As a result, the students raised $200 for the
Children’s Miracle Network. Basheer said, “We chose the project
because we wanted to be active members in our community. We
also wanted to help children with complicated diseases to be able
to receive good treatment even if money is an issue.”
Fellow senior classmates Natalie Osiecki and Jillian Jensen decided
to hold a benefit concert for their project for local animal shelters.
“The Barkboozle” was held in August at the Villa Center Gym. The
students were thrilled to take on the responsibility of organizing
this event. They said, “We realized how much the local animal
shelters struggle, and we thought a graduation project benefiting
them would be a great help. Incorporating our love for music and
animals by holding a concert to raise money for Orphan Angels,
the Anna Shelter, Because You Care and the Humane Society
was a fun way to raise money. We are so glad we could spread
awareness.”
Haley Geronimo ’13 and Victoria Mayer ’14 organized a Tennis
Tournament to raise money for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
spring 2012
Seniors Rosa Fatica and Nathalie Rahner.
The students planned a tournament for the Second Harvest Food
Bank. They love to play tennis and wanted to get area players
involved in a fun tournament, but have the money to stay here in
Erie to help the homeless. Victoria Mayer said, “Each year in the
United States the number of Americans needing food is growing.
My Graduation Project, ‘Ace Hunger’ Tennis Tournament benefitted
the Second Harvest Food Bank. Hayley and I raised over $3,000
for the Second Harvest Food Bank. The money will stay here
in |the Erie area. By completing the project, I have learned to
appreciate what I have, and that people are willing to help others
less fortunate.”
Nathalie Rahner’12 and Rosa Fatica’12 raised funds for “She’s the
First”, a nonprofit organization that raises money to send girls
to school in South Sudan. They baked cupcakes and sold them
at various locations and events to raise the money. The icing on
the cake is the fact that three young women will benefit from
all of their hard work. They will be the first in their families to go
to school. Fatica said, “Nathalie and I are very passionate about
women’s education; we feel driven to help make a difference
in young women’s lives and give them the opportunities they
deserve.” The girls have taken several orders at school, at the
Harvest Gala, and at Villa Parent Night.
Kelsey Szparaga ’12, Hannah Thayer ’12 and Alex Copley ’12
worked on a philanthropy project with the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Working with Villa Maria Elementary students, they sent requests
to various companies to request donations. These items will be
given to local people who need them. VME students were also
taught how to thank people for gifts or refuse the gift if they
don’t need it. The girls said, “The name says it all. The ‘Help Your
Neighbor Project’ was our effort to give back to our community
by creating “winterization kits’ to pass out to local nonprofit
organizations. We learned the value of planning, organization
and service.”
Shelby Kelly ’12 has raised money to buy material to make
blankets to donate to local people. She donated blankets to the
refugees and members of St. Mary/Immaculate Conception parish.
Shelby said, “ I wanted to do Blankets of Hope to help refugees
in the Erie community. I wanted to let them know that the Villa
Community cared. I learned that giving feels better
than receiving.”
All in all, the projects that these students undertake require a lot of
work and dedication. In the end they learn many things and walk
away with a happy memory that they will never lose.
VMA National Honor Society Shows off Prom Couture
Villa’s National Honor Society glammed things up at their annual prom fashion show in March. Girls modeled prom dresses
(courtesy of Bridal Elegance) and jewelry (All That Glitters). Allburn Florist provided each girl with a beautiful corsage and
boutonnieres for their escorts who were dressed to the nines in tuxedos by Cuffs Formal Wear. The girls brought celebritystyle glamour to the “runway” in the high school auditorium modeling the latest in prom couture. The girls also had their
hair and makeup done for the event.
In order to be a model, senior members must chair an NHS event during their senior year. The students had an amazing
time modeling the latest prom fashions and looking their very best! Special thanks to Le Royal Flowers who provided the
decorations.
Senior Models:
Bridget Kleinhanz
Escorted by her father, John ’79 (CP).
Aimee Maciak
Escorted by her brother, Josh ’15 (CP).
Natalie Osiecki
Escorted by her father, Lawrence ’78 (CP).
Kimberly Maasz
Escorted by her father, Mark.
Jennifer Torrance
Escorted by her father, Herb.
Jillian Jensen
Escorted by her uncle, Guy.
Adrienne Kloecker
Escorted by her father, Mark’ 84 (CP).
Nathalie Rahner
Escorted by her father, Mike ’76 (CP).
Lisa Mifsud
Escorted by her father, Fran ’77 (CP).
Sally Shaba
Escorted by her father, Sameer.
Elizabeth Nawrocki
Escorted by her father, Daniel ’83 (CP).
Rebecca Sweny
Escorted by her father, Timothy ’82 (CP).
spring 2012
Freshmen
Elizabeth Deiner,
Anna Lacy, and
Jacklyn Hull.
Buddy Day at VMA
Traci Teudhope of WJET-TV 24 interviews Amanda Smith ’14 who was
nominated to be a “Good Kid”.
Amanda Smith ’14 Nominated as a
“Good Kid”
Congratulations to Amanda Smith who was nominated as a
WJET-TV “Good Kid.” The nomination came from Patty Fritz, a
Sacred Heart Church friend who thought Amanda should be
recognized for all of the work she does as a cantor at Sacred
Heart Church and St. Andrew’s. Fritz said, “Amanda helps at
Sacred Heart Church as altar server and cantor. She is very
mature for her age and accepts challenges put before her,
an admirable quality.”
Smith was surprised and humbled to find out that she was
selected as a “Good Kid”. “I feel appreciated that someone
thought of me, and it was a great honor to be recognized.
I wasn’t expecting it, so when I found out that I won this
award I was amazed.”
Rooted in the richness of tradition, Villa Maria Academy
honors several to their students. From “Sports Day” to “Mary’s
Day” to “Buddy Day”, students can participate in a litany of
customs. The histories of these traditions are handed down
from class to class. They teach respect for the past, and at the
same time, link the past to the present.
Various activity periods are carved out during the year where
they get together and have breakfast, exchange Christmas
gifts and get to know each other.
The senior class welcomed the freshman class during the
traditional “Buddy Day” on October 26. This started the first
of many get-togethers during the school year. During “Buddy
Day”, the freshmen are paired with a senior “buddy” who acts
as a mentor throughout the year. Seniors met with their
freshman buddy in the cafeteria and did some icebreakers.
Freshmen and seniors met again with their “buddies” in
December for another activity. The students worked on
a Christmas project together. They made marshmallow
snowmen.
Freshmen Natalie Prischak
and Stephanie Chido.
Freshmen Maggie Rutkowski, Chelsei
Valimont and Mary Moss.
VMA Christmas Card 2011 Winner
L-R: Principal Sr. Mary Drexler, Allison Gens’13, Judge Stephanie
Domitrovich and Haley Geronimo ’13.
Two VMA students were recognized by the Zonta Club of
Erie for their leadership, scholarship and service that they
have done in the Erie Community. Two juniors from each
school are selected to receive the Amelia Earhart Award.
spring 2012
Sarah Boyle ’15 had her
remarkable artwork featured on the
2011 Villa Maria Christmas card.
Boyle was the winner of this year’s
Christmas card contest. In between
school work and other activities, Boyle created
a joyous angel. The contest was open to all
students. Thank you to all who participated and
submitted artwork. Congratulations, Sarah!
News&Notes
In November Villa students had a dress down to
support the Sisters of St. Joseph Thanksgiving fund.
As a result, $750 was raised for the fund.
She wasn’t shaken or stirred when she
was belting out her solos for the Erie
Philharmonic performance, James Bond:
From Russia with Love. VMA senior, Ellise
Chase was chosen as a “Bond Girl” and
sang three solos in March. She sang “For
Your Eyes Only”, “Tomorrow Never Dies”,
and “Another Way to Die” to a crowd of
2,300 that evening.
The Environmental Club
collected 700 pounds
of old phone books and
recycled them for the
Second Harvest Food
Bank. As a result, the
food bank was able to
give out $250 of food to
those in need.
In January, Villa’s Academic Sports League team competed
in the last local competition of the year. Seniors
Liam Brereton, Katie Lichtenwalter, and Cameron
Kobielski competed in their last ASL competition for Villa. Sophomore Sophie Mulard came in fourth place in the
Honors Interview segment. She missed the third place
medal by just .5 of a point. The team celebrated the last
competition with a dinner at Quaker Steak and Lube.
The competition is very difficult with an assigned topic every
year. The students compete in essay, written tests, Super
Quiz, interview and prepared and written speeches. The first
competition includes Art, Music and Literature related to
the topic. The second includes Science and Math, followed
by the third, Economics and the Super Quiz section. The
amount of material is enormous, and the competition is very
intense.
Attention Ramblers and Victors
2nd Annual
Alumni 5K
at Frontier Park
Saturday,
September 22
8 a.m.
L-R: Natalia Costa ’14, Alexa Haverly
’14, Kelly Pelinsky ’15 and Nichol
Sauers ’15. Congratulations to Emma Lewis
’15 who won the Northwestern
Pennsylvania Cinderella Teen
Pageant in February at the
Ambassador Hotel. She will go on
to compete at the state level over
Memorial Day weekend at Seven
Springs Resort. Winners of the
state pageant will advance to the
2012 International Finals to be held
in Las Vegas in July.
The Cinderella Scholarship Program promotes higher
education and strives to help children follow their dreams
and reach their highest potential. The program awards more
than $100,000 in college scholarships and prizes annually. Kyleigh Suesser ’14 was selected to
be the lead in Alice in Wonderland.
The play will take place on June
2 at McDowell Intermediate at 5
p.m. This summer Kyleigh is heading
to New York City to participate in
the Rockettes’ summer intensive
program and then on to Point Park
in Pittsburgh for a summer intensive
program there.
Further details will be available in June and will be updated
though the following: Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria
Academy websites and Facebook pages, Erie Runners Club
and www.bigwhitetrailer.com.
Last year’s results are available at www.bigwhitetrailer.com
under the results section. Questions?
Steve Curcio 814-547-0091
Chet Moffett 814-440-0252
[email protected]
[email protected]
Inquiring Minds
Want
to Know!
Please send us your personal and professional news along
with photos for inclusion in Essence.
Email: [email protected]
Mail: Villa Maria Academy
Christine Eddy
Director of Communications
2403 W. 8th Street
Erie, PA 16505
spring 2012
villa
athletics
Villa Winter Sport Athletes Garner Honors
• Several swimmers earned All-Region honors during the
2011-12 season.
Senior Alice Tullio, Juniors Christine Uht and Marielle Trucilla,
and sophomore Abbey Quinn swam to 2nd Team All-Region
standing in the 200 Medley Relay. This group broke the school
record at the D-10 Championships.
Uht, Trucilla, fellow Junior Helen Tullio and Sophomore Abbey
Fessler made 2nd Team All-Region in the 200 Free Relay.
Junior Meghan Simon also represented VMA at the PIAA
Championships at Bucknell University, in a school recordsetting 400 Free Relay along with Uht, Quinn and Helen Tullio.
For the fourth year in a row the Villa basketball team advanced to
the Western Finals. Despite losing to eventual state champ Seton
LaSalle, the Victors had an incredible run, coming within one win of
defending their state crown which they had won three years in a row.
Congratulations on another outstanding campaign.
Tennis Tournament Benefits Legacy Gala
In March, the Villa/Prep tennis teams came out swinging and
followed through to organize a fundraiser for this year’s Legacy
Gala. The teams played a mixed doubles tournament. Alums
from both schools got a grip on things and took place in the fun.
Thanks to the footwork of Villa/Prep parents Katie McGovern
and Sharon Prenovitz, as well as coach Kent Peightal, the event
was a big success! Nearly 30 participants and many parents
were also in attendance socializing and supporting the players.
The finals went right down to a three-team tie-breaker playoff.
Abbey Hallman ’15 and assistant coach, Pat Grab ’05 (CP)
narrowly won over Laurie Balkovic Bretz ’81 and Mario Nicolia
’12 (CP).
As a result of the event, the teams made a donation to the
Legacy Gala. All told, Coach Sonya Whitman’s charges broke 6 school
records during the 2011-12 season.
• Sophomore Jackie Colish earned her second selection to the
All-Metro Bowling 1st Team. Sophomore Megan Kovacs and
freshman made 2nd team All-Metro.
• Senior basketball standouts Abby Steudler, Adrienne Kloecker,
Zhane Brooks and Lisa Mifsud (along with Junior Karlee
McBride) earned places on all-star teams
Steudler, Kloecker and Brooks were named 2nd Team AllRegion. Mifsud and McBride were named 1st Team All-Region,
All-District Ten and 1st and 3rd Team All-State (respectively).
Front L-R: Sara Latzo ’11 and
Emily Rodriguez ’11.
Back L-R: Christine Uht ’11
and Katie Batten ’12.
Villa Water Polo
Team Reaches
Championships
The Villa Water Polo team turned in a great 2011 season.
Head Coach Bob Fischer’s Lady Victors earned a slot in
the PIAA Championships by defeating Muhlenberg High
School in the Western Regional Water Polo Tournament.
That Victory propelled VMA into the Championship
tournament in Landsdale, PA.
The Victors finished 8th in the state at the Championships,
and had 6 team members earn postseason honors:
L-R: Front row: Jonathan Prichard, Emily McGovern ’13, Danielle Winkler
’15, Abbey Hallman ’15, Katy Taylor ’13, Elena Prenovitz, Sammy Taylor
’14, Kate McGovern, and Laurie Balkovic Bretz ’81.
Back Row: Stephan Prichard ’09 (CP), Pat Grab ’05 (CP), Mario Nicolia ’12
(CP), Alex Brzozowski ’12 (CP), Andrew Dinger ’13 (CP), Nicholas Ward ’13
(CP), Andrew Kloecker ’13 (CP), Michael Clark ’15 (CP), Michael Prenovitz
’13 (CP), Gerry Clark ’78 (CP), Nate Estes ’13 (CP) and Kent Peightal.
spring 2012
All-State Teams:
2nd Team: Sarah Latzo
3rd Team: Christine Uht
Honorable Mention: Katie Batten, Emily Rodriguez
All-Freshman Team: Claire Jefferys and Payton Taylor
Congratulations to the team on their season.
In Case You Were Wondering…
In the last issue of Essence, we asked you to tell us the name of your May
Queen. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Special thanks to Julie Yochim Ferraro ’98 who has been researching
VMA’s May Queens and provided the list below. If your May Queen is
not listed, please take a moment and email Christine Eddy at ceddy@
villamaria.com her name so we can finish compiling this special list.
1949 May Queen Mary Tann (Sister Mary
Arnold Tann).
Attendants: L-R: Margaret Ann Hardner
(Sister Margaret Ann Hardner),
Rita Becht (Rita Becht Kane) and Margaret
Kroto (Margaret Kroto Barr).
1972 Janice Pistone.
1935 Irene Dart
1936 Jeanne Riblet
1937 Mary Kane
1938 Mary Weschler
1939 Mary Louise Beyer Kuehnling
1943 Marianne Quirk (Sr. Christine Quirk)
1944 Mary Tobin
1945 Grace Knoll
1946 Lillian Krepcho
1947 Mary Katherine McNelis (Sr. Mary Kay McNelis)
1948 Sally Krahe
1953 Marilynn Burdick Stadtmiller
1955 Mary Miller Maxwell
1957 Gail Rollinger Hahn
1968 Kathleen Jackson Holland
1970 Paticia Bielinski
1972 Janice Pistone
1974 Janette Davis
1975 Kathy Kreidinger Dougherty
1976 Mary Ann Moryc
1977 Patricia Uhrmacher Terpin
1978 Mary Hansen Buckoski
1979 Diane Grode Burnell
1980 Paula Weber Van Tassel
1981 Alicia Cieslikowski Costello
1983 Kathleen Fitzpatrick
1985 Valerie Filipowski
1986 Laurie Silvaggi
1987 Peggy Brim Landers
1989 Anne Gill
1990 Amy Barickman
1991 Jeanne Klawon
1994 Julie Krumpe
1995 Cara Constantine
1996 Andrea Sertz
1997 Dorothy Pawlowski
1998 Julie Yochim Ferraro
1999 Katie Hudson
2001 Emily DeMers
2002 Emily Colt
2003 Mary Pawlowski
2004 Symphony Wayne
2011 Amy Boxer
1975 Kathy Kriedinger Dougherty.
Villa Notes—April 4, 1947
Only girls who attended Villa for four years could be nominated for May Queen.
The three seniors receiving the highest votes in the balloting for May Queen serve
as maid of honor and attendants. Announcement of the winners of this election
will be made exclusively in the next issue of the Villa Notes. Since the honor of May
Queen is the greatest any senior can hope to obtain, it would be well for us all to
start thinking seriously of our choice. Some of the qualifications that must be met
by the candidate are: integrity, scholarship, leadership, and loyalty.
spring 2012
Correction: The May Court in the fall Essence
was listed as the 1955 May Court. It was
actually the May Court of 1954.
L-R: Helen Miller Moore, flower girl Barbara
Agnello Kolarik (niece to the queen), Queen
Antonina Yapello Siggia, Marlene Walach
Scully and Jane Carney Rogers.
Where in the World?
Essence is read all over. With sightings everywhere, we want to know where you have taken your Magazine.
Please email your picture and caption information to Christine Eddy, Director of Communications and Annual
Fund, at [email protected], and you could be next to grace the pages of the Magazine that is read by over
8,000 constituents!
Former Villa faculty member Adrianna Hagerty
posed with her Essence in the middle of
Beth (Vahey) Seibert ’85 along with her family
paradise while visiting Turks Islands in the
very much enjoyed their trip to the beautiful state
Caribbean.
of Oregon. She included in her backpack a copy
of Essence!
Patricia McCormick Loubeau
’68 visited Bangkok with her
Essence.
The Squeglia and Montefiori families
vacationed in the Outer Banks this summer.
Front: Santino Montefiori ’23 (CP) and Dominic
Montefiori ’19 (CP). Back: Marco Montefiori ’13
(CP), Mark Squeglia ’74 (CP), Anthony Squeglia
’12 (CP) Marialana Montefiori ’14, Christopher
Squeglia ’09 (CP) and Paul Squeglia ’06 (CP).
Eric Meyer ‘09 (CP) and his mom, Gayle Fogle
Meyer ‘84, travelled to Heinz Field for the Steelers
vs. Titans game to celebrate their birthdays.
Susan McLaughlin Dipre
’74, Patricia Hiller Quirk ’51,
Elizabeth Quirk Cullum ’84,
and Janet Geiger Nawrocki
’59 visited Austria. They are
standing at the fountain
where the Sound of Music
cast sang Do Re Mi.
Mary Payton Jarvie
’84 travelled with
her Essence to the
Coliseum in Rome.
Adam Esser ’02 (CP) married
Crystal Lusiak on March 5 on board
the Carnival Cruise ship Paradise.
In attendance were L-R: Janet Esser
’71, Adam Esser ’02 (CP), Bill Esser
’72 (CP), Eric Esser ’00 (CP) and Cara
Esser ’06.
The Moore family
travelled to Punta
Cana in the Dominican
Republic with their
Cathedral Prep and
Essence Magazines.
Mike ’81 (CP) stands with
his family, Michael ’10
(CP), Melanie ’08, Megan
’06 and Becky ’82.
VMA freshmen Morgan Putnam and Emily
Schwabenbauer played in Orlando at the Disney ESPN
Complex for the National 3 v 3 Elite Soccer Tournament.
Their division is the highest division in the nation. The
girls play for Erie United/LESC and are coached by
Marikae Cerami. The team made it to the Championship round and lost to the
four-time champions. The girls came away with 2nd in the nation. This team has
been together since they were five years old and have represented Erie well in
the Kick It 3v3 Live World Championships.
Villa grads Brad
Frey ‘98 and
Katie Steadman
‘97 visited the
Hoover Dam
with their
Essence.
Marietta Stalsky ‘62 is
pictured on volcanic
14,000-foot Mount
Rainer in Washington.
Kathy Mickol Kaufmann ‘75
and Kathy (Allen) Foy ‘75 stand
with their magazines before
participating in the run for organ
donor awareness in Philadelphia.
Kristen Weibel ‘08 stands
L-R: Kayla Murphy ‘13, Rachel Newell ‘13, Alexis Monocello
in front of the Basilique du
‘13, Katie Kissell ‘12, Mrs. Erika Linan, Mrs. Lisa ChimentiFoster, Amelia Werner ‘13, Kaitlyn Taylor ‘13, Rebecca Easly ‘13, Sacré-Cœur in Paris France.
Samantha Taylor ‘14, and Amanda Mason ‘13 at Volcán Arenal
National Park in Costa Rica.
spring 2012
Kathleen Consla Levis ‘55
and her daughter Marianne
Levis Mulfinger ‘80 traveled
to Glacier National Park,
Montana this past summer.
WITH SINCERE APPRECIATION
This “Letter to the Editor” was posted in the Erie Times-News in September.
Prep and Villa Students Deserve Praise
I was driving home from work going west on West Ninth Street on
Aug. 29 at about 4 p.m., when a driver went through the stop sign
on the corner of West Ninth and Myrtle streets and hit my car. Thank
God no one was injured, but my car was hit so hard that it literally
got turned all the way around.
Luckily for me, several Cathedral Preparatory students, one Villa
Maria Academy student, a nice young woman pushing a stroller and
another very nice woman working at the Erie County Bar Association
all come to my aid to let me know they witnessed the accident and
offered to help as needed.
My car ended up being towed to the collision shop, and this is all
behind me now. What I will never forget, however, is the kindness of
all of my fellow Erieites who stopped to help me. I want to especially
commend the fine young Prep students for staying with me for so
long. Your parents and teachers at Prep must be so proud of you.
Carol Luczynski | Erie
Three teachers from Villa Maria Academy
will be honored for their years of service
and dedication to teaching. The 2012
Teacher Appreciation Dinner will be held on
Friday, May 11 at the Zem Zem Shrine Club.
Congratulations to the following teachers
who were recognized.
Mrs. Geralyn Meleason
25 years
Mr. Andrew Alesso
11 years
Mrs. Kelli Buchert
10 years
The villa spirit store
go victors
Villa MariA Academy
2403 West 8th Street
Erie, Pa 16505
Spring Hours Tuesday
and Thursday 12-3
*************************
Call for summer
hours
20%
off
Don’t forget Reunion
weekend
July 20,21 and 22
Classes ending in 2 and 7
Tel: 814-838-2061
Expiration
Date:
12/31/2012
T shirts, Sweatshirts,
Jackets ,Nike, Outerwear
novelty items
www.villammaria .com
spring 2012
Mark Your Calendar
May 15
Spring Concert
May 18
Sports Day
May 29
Baccalaureate
May 30 Mary’s Day
May 31
Graduation
July 20-22 Reunion Weekend
Nonprofit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Erie, PA
Permit No. 358
Villa Maria Academy
2403 W. 8th Street • Erie, PA 16505
www.VillaMaria.com
Villa Essence, Vol. 29, No.9,Spring 2012
©
2011 Villa Maria Academy
___________________________
Essence is published by Villa Maria Academy,
2403 West Eighth St., Erie, PA 16505, to provide
up-to-date
information for Villa’s alumni and friends.
____________________________
Please remember to notify VMA with any change of address
or phone number by calling 814-453-7737, ext. 2243. Send
additional comments or questions regarding the Essence to:
VMA, Director of Communications, 2403 W. 8th St., Erie, PA 16505
or call 814-453-7737, ext. 2243.
____________________________
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, yet still deliver a
quality publication filled with great information about Villa Maria
Academy, we are sending one magazine for Villa Maria Academy
per household. We have many constituent’s that reside at the
same address, and it’s our hope that the magazine can be shared
by all. Should you like more than one copy of the magazine
delivered to your home, please contact Christine Eddy at
814-453-7737 x2243 or [email protected].
FAITH
•
FAMILY
•
EXCELLENCE
•
TRADITION
•
TRADITION
The clock hits zero. The game is over. The athletes walk off
the field, and the fans head for the Cherry Street bridge
to the parking lot. Even as the lights over the field go out,
there is still a lot of activity going on inside the Cathedral
Prep Events Center in the Rambler Cafe. The kitchen is going
strong, getting the food prepared for the graduation party
the next day. Most people just see a concession stand in the
Cathedral Prep Events Center and assume it all stops at hot
dogs, popcorn & pretzels – but there is so much more!
Outfitted with a full banquet kitchen, the Cathedral Prep
Events Center boasts the ability to put on luncheons,
dinners, banquets, birthday parties, fundraisers and
graduation parties. Offering a full menu from the basics to
Chicken Parmesan or Fettuccini Alfredo, the kitchen provides
everything you need to have a successful event. Your event
will be set up with your needs in mind including linens
Book Your Graduation Party at the CPEC
ranging in black/orange to royal blue/white. Along with wide
menu availability and seating for up to 150, the Cathedral
The clock hits zero. The game is over. The athletes walk off the field and the fans head
Prep
Center
for the Cherry Street bridge to the parking lot. Even as the lights over the
fieldEvents
go out, there
is can tailor the event to your desires.
still a lot of activity going on inside the Cathedral Prep Events Center inThe
the Rambler
Cafe.
The
graduation season is about to take off, and a fantastic
kitchen is going strong, getting the food prepared for the graduation partyvenue
the next
Most
forday.
your
graduation party is the Cathedral Prep Events
people just see a concession stand in the Cathedral Prep Events Center and assume it all stops at
Center. With parking for 160 and the athletic field, as well as
hot dogs, popcorn & pretzels – but there is so much more!
the climate-controlled banquet area, you should consider
Outfitted with a full banquet kitchen, the Cathedral Prep Events Center
boasts the ability
the possibility
of holding your graduation party here. With
to put on luncheons, dinners, banquets, birthday parties, fundraisers and no
graduation
parties.
Of- landscape and/or decorate your home,
need to
rebuild,
fering a full menu from the basics to Chicken Parmesan or Fettuccini Alfredo,
the
kitchen
prolet the staff of the Cathedral Prep Events Center handle the
vides everything you need to have a successful event. Your event will be setup with your needs
setup,
food,
service and cleanup! Rain or shine, your
in mind including linens ranging in black/orange linens to royal blue/white.
Along
withalcohol
wide
party
will
be
a
success.
Call 814-453-7737 ext. 2290 to hold
menu availability and seating for up to 150, the Cathedral Prep Events Center can tailor the
your date.
event to your desires.
Book your Graduation
Party at the CPeC
FAITH
•
FAMILY
•
EXCELLENCE
The graduation season is about to take off and a fantastic venue for your graduation
party is the Cathedral Prep Events Center. With parking for 160 and the athletic field, as well
as the climate controlled banquet area, you should consider the possibility of holding your

Celebrating a legacy of teaching and service to - Prep

Transcription

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