spring 2010 - Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart

Transcription

SPRING 2010
Contents
LA PLUME • Spring 2010
Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ
Headmistress
Isabel Junco Singletary ’69
Director of Development
Michael Cole
Graphic Artist in Residence
Maria Cristina Garcia ’00
Alumnae Coordinator
Denise Ortega
Development Coordinator
Amy Repine
Annual Fund Coordinator
We thank the faculty, staff and
alumnae whose contributions
made this magazine possible.
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
3747 Main Highway
Miami, Florida 33133
(305) 446-5673
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
is a Catholic, all-girls Montessori-3 through Grade 12
college preparatory school. The school is part of
an international network of Sacred Heart schools
whose mission is to educate women leaders
in the Sacred Heart tradition that fosters growth in
an active faith in God, intellectual values and
a commitment to social awareness in
an environment of wise freedom and community.
Letter from the Chair of the Board...........................................2
Ruth Young: 34 Years of Service...............................................3
Carrollton Celebrates Grandparents .................................... 4-5
The Sacred Heart Network in Action........................................6
Network Connections..............................................................6
An Exchange Student Shares Her Experiences..........................7
Sprout Creek Farm Mini-Exchange Program............................8
Alumnae Share Their Gifts on Career Day ...............................9
An Outstanding Year for Debate Team............................. 10-11
AT&T Grant Helps Expand Robotics Program................ 12-13
Carrollton Dominates Robotics Competition................... 13-14
Robotics & Art: An Unlikely Couple.....................................15
Athletics Highlights.......................................................... 16-17
Montessori Caring For the Earth............................................18
The Importance of Stewardship........................................ 18-19
Junior High - Stewardship Preserves Legacy ......................... 19
High School in Transition......................................................20
Celebrating Sister Seitz ..........................................................20
Working Together As A Community......................................21
Carrollton Reponds to Crisis in Haiti............................... 22-23
Haiti’s Strength......................................................................24
A Report from the Field.........................................................25
Rebuilding Haiti: An Interview with Molly Nuell............ 26-27
Putting Goal III Into Action...................................................28
College Counseling Center Dedicated....................................29
Alumnae Remember Catherine Baxter, RSCJ.........................29
Celebrate 2010................................................................. 30-31
Reunion Celebration........................................................ 32-33
Alumnae Mother-Daughter Breakfast.....................................34
Carrollton Alumnae in New York City...................................35
Class of 2009 Then and Now.................................................36
Carrollton Alumnae Currently Attend....................................37
Camp Courage................................................................. 38-39
AASH Conference and Logo Contest.....................................40
Spotlight on Alumnae...................................................... 41-43
A Class Act....................................................................... 44-49
Inspiring A Passion for the Beautiful............................... 50-51
Art Gallery Dedicated to Jay Weiss.........................................52
Alumnae Art Show Inaugurates Art Gallery............................52
On the front cover: Close up of El Jardin tile depicting a gryphon, a legendary creature. This tile is
part of the northern wall of the original Moroccan Terrace. Today the room is the school’s chapel.
Inside front cover: Primary students enjoy a session of jump rope on the Duchesne Tennis Courts.
Inside back cover: Junior High students walk back to school, passing by the Montessori Cottages.
Back cover: Intermediate students run around the track on the Barat Campus.
La Plume Spring 2010
1
From the Chair of the Board
T
he magic of Carrollton
fidelity of both the students and the
lies in the fidelity of
alumnae to the vision of the Goals
our community memand Criteria inspires me daily. The
bers. Ruth Young is a
stories of current students captured
wonderful example
in this issue are amazing. From deof such faithfulness. She has served
bate to athletics, to the overwhelmas a vital member of the Carrollton
ing response to the tragic events in
Community for 34 years both as a
Haiti, we see our students emergclassroom teacher and as an admining as women of courage and conistrator. Her stunning example as a
fidence. The stories of alumnae in
Sacred Heart educator has inspired
this issue testify to the lasting values
so many. I know I speak on behalf
of Sacred Heart education.
of countless parents of alumnae
I have been privileged to serve
whose daughters’ lives were transas Chair of the Board at Carrollformed by Mrs. Young. Her comton during these past two years.
mitment to realizing St. Madeleine
The Provincial Team wrote to the
Sophie Barat’s vision of eduCarrollton Community on Feb.
cation has been a true gift to Tony and Conchy Argiz with Sr. Cooke at the
24, “We see in both the Self-Study
Carrollton. While we can under- Founders Reception.
and in the Visiting Committee’s
stand Mrs. Young’s decision to reReflection a daily commitment to
tire, we shall miss her.
the mission and to the Goals and
As Chair of the Board, I see the tremendous support of our Criteria. We applaud the integrated and courageous way you
parents. The pictures in this issue of La Plume attest to the live out these values in all that you do.”
generous, extraordinary commitment of parents to ensuring
In their words, I see the fruit of years of hard work on
excellence at Carrollton. So does the fact that more than 95 the part of so many students, parents, faculty, staff, trustees,
percent of current parents support the Annual Fund which alumnae, and Religious of the Sacred Heart. We do wholemakes need-based scholarships, professional development heartedly embrace the Goals and Criteria. We invest all our
and curriculum development possible. Carrollton enjoys full energy in the total formation of the young people entrusted
enrollment, including wait lists at all grades, because parents to our care. I thank you for the honor of having served as
are so committed to the values of Sacred Heart education. Board Chair of this wonderful, special Sacred Heart School. Be
These values are clearly expressed in the stories you will read assured that Carrollton, and all of our community, will conin La Plume. Thank you for entrusting Carrollton with your tinue to hold a special place in my heart.
daughters.
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat believed that through their very
lives, Women of the Sacred Heart would provide the world
Antonio L. Argiz
with an eloquent lesson in faithfulness and compassion. The
2009-2010 Administration
Sr. Suzanne Cooke, Headmistress; Sr. Margaret Seitz, Assistant Head for Curriculum Development;
Matthew Althage, Athletic Director, Reba Buckley, Chief of Staff; Alejandra Bunster, Director of After School & Spring/Summer Camps;
Tom Cheleotis, Director of Finance and Operations; Paola Consuegra ’87, Director of Montessori and Primary Schools;
Adolfo Danguillecourt, Director of High School, Heather Gillingham-Rivas ’94, Director of Intermediate School,
Paul Parker, Chair of Sacred Heart Spirituality; Ana Roye ’92, Director of Admissions and Marketing;
Isabel Singletary ’69, Director of Development, Lourdes Wood, Director of Junior High School
2009-2010 Board of Trustees
Patricia Sanchez Abril ’93; Sheldon Anderson; Antonio L. Argiz, Chair; Mary “Bunny” Bastian; Georgie Blaeser, RSCJ;
Margarita Codina; Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ; Luis A. de Armas; Maureen Glavin, RSCJ; Charles Herington; Elizabeth K. Hicks;
Marianne Kircher ’70; Mariana Martinez; Luisa Botifoll Murai ’66; Jorge Padron; Marilu Palacios ’74; Roberto Pesant;
P. Nelson Rodriguez; Frances Sevilla-Sacasa; Frank Vellaccio
2
Spring 2010 La Plume
Ruth Young: 34 Years of Service
“It is the Sacred Heart Educator who
has direct and daily influence on the children . . . In every subject, the Sacred Heart
Educator will find the opportunity of training the children, always on the condition
of mastering the subject and knowing how
to exact the educational essence and how to
pass it on. She possesses a trained mind and
an attitude of respect for the truth so that
she may know how to disengage the essential
from the accessory, to judge in the light of
objective principles, to formulate a graded
appreciation, to adapt a general principle
to general cases, and to work arduously to
grasp the truth. Her competence in teaching
supposes a knowledge of child psychology
informed by theory and supernatural intuition and maternal understanding. Finally,
the Sacred Heart Educator demonstrates a
knowledge of teaching as a science and as
an art which is learned by experience and who have made marvelous decisions
reflection” (Adapted from the Plan of Stud- for their lives and the mission. They
ies – Society of the Sacred Heart first writ- are thinkers. They are problem solvers,
ten in 1804)
but out-of-the-box type problem solvers.
These words inspired by St. Mad- Things are never just standard, which
eleine Sophie Barat and the first genera- I love. I have been their partner. It’s an
tions of Sacred Heart educators describe exciting way to grow spiritually and
Ruth Young perfectly. Ruth Young is a intellectually. I have grown in my unlife-long educator with a career span of derstanding of justice and community.
47 years, of which 34 have been
faithfully dedicated to Carrollton.
This is Mrs. Young’s final year at
Carrollton, but she will remain an
important part of Carrollton’s legacy and community long into our
future.
Mrs. Young came to Carrollton
in 1976. Hired by Sr. Baxter, she
has served as classroom teacher and
administrator. In each role, Mrs.
Young loved the opportunity to
grow in her knowledge and understanding of the essence of Sacred
Heart education.
Having visited most of the Sacred Heart schools in this country,
Mrs. Young commented, “I met
these magnificent RSCJ women,
Ruth and her class in their garden.
I have learned how to make good decisions with my life, of which retirement
is now one.”
In the end, Mrs. Young considers
her true passion to be teaching. “I have
taught Third Grade at Carrollton since
the year of Hurricane Andrew [1992].
It has been my favorite thing to do. The
kids are so thrilled with each day. They
learn everything I present. It’s an exciting
way to earn a living.”
Ruth will take many fond memories with her as she leaves Carrollton.
Two in particular stand out in her
mind. The first involves Sr. Cooke:
“One of my best memories is of
Suzanne Cooke coming into my class to
teach religion before she became a nun.
I was so impressed by her as an educator
because she used a child’s story, ‘Frederick
the Mouse’ to teach the important concept of faithfulness to eight year olds.”
The second involves Sr. Ann Jablonski. “Before she made her religious vows,
Ann asked me to explain why I thought
she was ready. I sent my submission describing her worries, concerns, and how
I had seen her grow and, in fact, yes I did
believe she was ready. That was one of the
most intimate experiences through
which I had ever been.”
Ruth sees the Goals and Criteria
as the foundation of her life. “All
the Goals, as Sr. Taylor says, are like
the fingers on one’s hand – each is
essential. You can’t do one without
the other. The Goals are essential to
our lives.”
We shall miss Mrs. Young, but
we know she will carry forth Madeleine Sophie’s vision in the work
she plans to do through her parish, feeding the hungry, and participating in different social justice
programs. Her special joy will be
spending time with her five grandchildren. “Being a grandma is just a
delight!”
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Carrollton Celebrates Grandparents
O
n February 26, Montessori, Primary and
Intermediate students
anxiously awaited the
arrival of their grandparents. The first to receive their special
guests were the Montessori students.
Grandparents and guests gathered at
the Duchesne Tennis Courts for coffee and treats. Once the bell rang,
visitors quickly took their seats and
watched with joy and pride the arrival
of the Montessori girls who sang their
hearts out for their special guests. Afterward, the girls proudly showed their
grandparents their classrooms.
By midmorning, it was the Primary
girls’ turn. They walked to the Barat
Campus to join their grandparents and
special guests on the Sacred Heart Green
where mass took place. It was lovely to
watch the excitement and love in the eyes
of both the children and the adults as everyone settled in their chairs for mass.
The Primary students enjoyed sharing
Fr. Kane with their grandparents. After
mass, grandparents were invited to enjoy
light snacks and refreshments. Primary
students escorted their grandparents to
the All School Art Show in the Performing Arts Center of the Barry Building. It
was apparent that the grandparents were
delighted to see their granddaughters’
masterpieces.
Finally, the Intermediate students
had their turn. Grandparents and special guests arrived in the courtyard of El
Jardin shortly before lunch. Many had
not visited El Jardin before and marveled
at the historic building’s beauty. At the
sound of the bell, the special guests participated in the usual morning assembly
including espacio. The big surprise was
the beautiful singing the students had
prepared. After the performance, grandparents and granddaughters enjoyed a
delicious luncheon. Everyone enjoyed
the roving violinists, tours of El Jardin
and the visit to the Student Art show.
Grandparents Day will be an an4
nual celebration, so if you have not already done so, please send grandparents’
names, addresses, e-mails and other contact information to the Development
Office so they will receive an invitation
to next year’s event, March 4, 2011.
Maia Mora, Grade 3
Cecilia Izquierdo, Grade 1
Sofia Tonarely, Grade 3
Madison Forrest, K
Grandparents and students enjoy the All School Art Show
Katerina Pernetti, K
Sophia Hernandez, Grade 4
At left, Intermediate students sang for the
grandparents. Grade 6 sang in the courtyard
on the risers and in the balconies above were
Grades 4 and 5.
Margarita Sitterson, Grade 4; Lillian Cullen, K; AnaSofia Amayo, Grade 3; Bianca Almeida, K; Elizabeth Diaz and Katharine
Duerr, Grade 5.
Grandparents watch the Montessori students sing; Maria Jovan, M4.
Emiliana De Castro, Grade 5; Alessandra Sanchez, M3; Diana Correa, Grade 6; Sofia Vila, Grade 3, Amanda Hernandez, Grade 2.
5
The Sacred Heart Network in Action
As part of the Network of Sacred Heart
Schools in the United States, Carrollton
shares the same vision and values of sister
schools and missions throughout 45 countries. The school offers its various communities the benefits of an international family,
a global view of cultures and an endless
source of opportunities, talents, experiences
and resources.
n January, Carrollton welcomed Nancy C. Kehoe, RSCJ,
Ph.D, for a retreat and lecture on the theme of journey.
Sr. Kehoe related the challenges found in the various stages of
human growth to the invitation of
God to keep growing in “courage and
confidence” throughout all the seasons of life. She offered an all-day
retreat for faculty and staff and an
evening seminar for parents and
I
alumnae. She visited students in
their Theory of Knowledge classes
and participated in their Senior class discussions.
Sr. Kehoe, a pioneer in the mental health field, is a licensed psychologist and clinical instructor of
psychology in the Department of
Psychiatry at The Cambridge Health
Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, a position she has held since
1980. Utilizing her religious and psychological background, she has facilitated
numerous meetings for religious groups
as well as seminars for third year medical students at Harvard Medical School.
Her book, “Wrestling With Our Inner
Angels” provides a compelling account
of her experience in working with groups
of the mentally ill and in helping professionals understand the role of religious
Sr. Nancy Kehoe, Ph.D at the book talk
held in Founders Library.
and spiritual beliefs in the lives of their
clients. – Paul Parker
Network Connections
God’s invitation to each of us to continue to grow within
our international family includes the chance of participating in
an array of activities and projects.
In February, Carrollton sponsored a retreat at Our Lady
of Florida Spiritual Center in North Palm Beach. Adult participants spent four days engaged in discussion, thought and
prayer on the “wholly contemplative; wholly apostolic” spirit
of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne – the wellspring of Sacred Heart education.
Seeking to grow in our understanding and experience of
the contemplative dimension of Sacred Heart spirituality, the
group joined with Contemplative Outreach, an international
organization founded by Thomas Keating, OCSO, whose major purpose is to foster and support a contemplative relationship with Christ.
Executive Director of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools
Madeleine Ortman, and representatives from 12 Network
schools participated in these days of learning and prayer along
with the Carrollton community of administrators, faculty,
staff, parents, and alumnae. While each person is in a unique
relationship with God, it was amazing how it was in the contemplative silence, sometimes more than in shared thoughts,
that the group discovered a deep sense of community rooted
6
in the love of Christ’s Heart. This feeling was taken back to the
Network and to colleagues and students in their communities.
– Paul Parker
Martin Raitzsch, a former teacher at Carrollton,
now teaches at the Sacred Heart school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Every year, during Easter
Break, students participate in a project week. Mr.
Raitzsch took students to the Dolphin Research
Center in the Keys. While in the area, he brought
them to visit Carrollton to emphasize the relationship of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools.
An Exchange Student Shares Her Experience
By Victoria Jimenez ’12
Ever since I was small, I have had a passion for languages
and cultures, especially German. I attended Sunset Elementary, a language magnet school, through Fourth Grade. In Fifth
Grade, I started at Carrollton. Last year, I began planning to
study in a Sacred Heart school in either Germany or Austria,
to immerse myself in the language and culture. In February, I
was able to achieve one of my life-long goals.
I stayed with a host family whose daughter attends SanktAdelheid-Gymnasium in Bonn. A “gymnasium” is similar to a
preparatory school in the United States. Sankt-Adelheid is an
all-girls Sacred Heart school from Fifth to Twelfth grade, with
approximately 1,200 students.
I began classes at Sankt-Adelheid-Gymnasium on Feb. 18.
The second I walked into the school, the first thing I encountered was a mural of Mater Admirabilis. I knew I was at home.
It was overwhelming at first, because my classmates were very
curious to know all about the girl from Miami.
From day one, I was completely immersed in the German
language and culture. My host family spoke little English. Basically, the only time I did not speak German was during English
class where English is taught by studying European history. I
did not realize how powerful language can really be. Once people begin to hear you speaking in their native tongues,
doors immediately open. People naturally feel more
comfortable and you see a smile come to their face.
I concluded from my studies in a Sacred Heart
school abroad that they are also educators of the future. They are educating the girls to be critical and
independent thinkers, allowing them to select and
lead class discussions. For example, as part of the curriculum, it is mandatory that students participate in
a work study program fostering Goal Five – “personal
growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom.” I found
this to be very interesting and also very challenging
and communicated to administration I wanted to participate in such a program.
I went to work for the Catholic newspaper,
“Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur (KNA).” I was exposed to many areas of journalism, from audio/video
to photography, to archives to conducting one-on-one
personal interviews. This, by far, was the most challenging aspect of my study abroad program. One
of my responsibilities was to conduct interviews, in
downtown Bonn, of the general public’s views on
Pope Benedict’s fifth anniversary as Pope.
The lead photographer at the newspaper taught me how to
take pictures using specific techniques. KNA, like many other
news agencies across the world, purchases pictures with brief
descriptions which need to be translated to German. Part of
my responsibilities was to translate these descriptions from
English and Spanish to German.
My most exciting experience at KNA occurred when I was
given the opportunity to attend a conference on human rights
violations in Iran and Egypt. As part of the newspaper team, I
was involved in a one-on-one interview, after the conference,
with the son of the ex-Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
I had briefly communicated to the chief editor, a few days prior
that I was very interested in issues concerning human rights.
He granted me the opportunity first-hand.
I have been able to not only fulfill several of my personal
goals, but also to explore a new world which I never imagined
would be possible to do during my high school years. I never
realized how much of the German language I actually knew
until I attended school, lived as a member of a German household, and interacted in the city. I thank all those who made
this possible.
Victoria Jimenez, left, and her host, Clara Strauch, in
front of the Mater mural at Sankt-Adelheid.
7
Sprout Creek Farm Mini-Exchange Program
I
n February,
two Carrollton students,
Sophomore
Cristina
Campo and Freshman Alessandra Luedeking, participated
in a Network Miniexchange Program at
Sprout Creek Farm,
in
Poughkeepsie,
New York. Directed
by the Religious of
the Sacred Heart,
Sprout Creek Farm
is a 200-acre working Photo by Georgie Blaeser, RSCJ
farm, which provides
educational and spiritual deof the coveted 10 available
velopment programs through spaces.
hands-on farming experiences.
Alessandra believed this
Students of the Sacred Heart would be an excellent opporaround the country were in- tunity to learn the value of devited to apply. Cristina and pending on and caring for our
Alessandra were granted two environment. She said, “The
“It was truly an
experience I will cherish
for the rest of my life.”
– Cristina Campo, Class of 2012
8
animals come before you on
the farm. When you wake up,
you must first take care of all
the chores, including feeding
the animals, often times before
you even have a chance to eat
breakfast. In the evenings, we
were responsible for making
rounds to ensure the animals
were safe.”
The program included lessons on bees and honey, organic cheese production and
caring for the animals of the
farm. The highlight of their
experience was when they
each were given the opportunity to deliver a baby goat. As
the Sprout Creek farm staff
coached them through the
process, the girls were taught
how to handle the doe and
care for the baby goat. Immediately after birth, they were
responsible for protecting the
baby from transmittable diseases by placing them in a special pen.
Alessandra described the
importance of this step for the
survival of the baby goat. She
“I wanted to
learn the value of
working for
what you need.”
– Alessandra
Luedeking,
Class of 2013
said, “You want to avoid contact with mother because of
the risk of disease.” They were
also responsible for bottlefeeding them and witnessed
as the baby goats struggled to
take their first steps shortly after birth.
The experience was invaluable for Cristina and Alessandra. In addition to hands on
farming lessons, it also provided them the opportunity
to bond with Sacred Heart
students from other Network
schools that participated in
the project.
From left: Brigid Prio ’84, film; Margot Fernandez Berros ’92, psychology; Carol Cabezas ’94, sales and marketing;
Dr. Lily Taboas ’91, physician; Christina Casado ’90, science; Kristy Nunez ’98, legal; Monica Rodriguez Quirch ’91,
architecture; Tara Kunkel ’02, fashion design; Rebecca O’Neill ’99, advertising; Liza Lamar ’02, fashion design; Lizzi Nuell ’02,
event planning; Michelle Marill Morcate ’00, education and special needs; Cristina Fernandez di Mauro ’97, banking.
Alumnae Share Their Gifts on Career Day
In late April, the Counseling and Alumnae Offices hosted
Career Day, with 13 alumnae representing 12 career fields
speaking to the High School student body about their respective professions. After the introductions in the PAC, each student attended two different sessions to hear speakers in areas
of personal interest to them.
The alumnae enjoyed seeing all the changes on campus and
visiting with former faculty members. The students and faculty were impressed with the achievements of the alumnae and
their ability to make their professions come alive for them.
9
An Outstanding Year for the Debate Team
Top, from left: Students at Colleyville Heritage Invitational; Carrollton’s First Place at the University of Georgia, from left, Senior Lauren Sisak, Junior Anna Dimitrijevic, Senior Helen Gomez.
Bottom: Yvanna Cancela ’06 visited winners from Glenbrooks Invitational; Sr. Cooke with semifinalists from Montgomery Bell Academy; Michigan Round Robin participants with their plaques;
Crestian Classic winners.
The Greenhill
Round Robin
at the Greenhill
School in
Addison, TX
Top 14 teams
invited to
participate.
Carrollton’s 3rd
trip in five years.
The Greenhill
The Georgetown
Invitational at the University Round
Greenhill School
Robin in
in Addison, TX. Washington DC.
First Tournament
2nd place:
of Champions Helen Gomez and
(TOC) bid of
Ana
the year for Ana
Dimitrijevic.
Dimitrijevic and
Helen Gomez.
September 2009
10
The Georgetown
Day School
Tournament in
Washington DC.
3rd place and the
second TOC bid
for Carrollton. The
earliest any
Carrollton team
has ever fully
qualified for the
TOC.
Helen Gomez
5th Speaker
Anna Dimitrijevic
2nd Speaker.
The Heart of Texas The St. Mark’s
Sophomore
Tournament at
Hoedown at the
St. Mark’s in
St. Mark’s School
Dallas, TX.
Quarterfinals and in Dallas, TX.
the 3rd TOC bid Fabiola Urdaneta
for Carrollton, tying and Valeria Villa
the record at
3rd place
Carrollton for most winning nine out of
bids in a year.
ten ballots.
October 2009
The Capital
The University of The Glenbrooks
Tournament in
Classic
Michigan
Chicago, IL.
Invitational
Tournament in
Octofinalists:
at Centennial
Ann Arbor, MI.
High School in
Octofinalists: Anna Dimitrijevic
and
Baltimore, MD. Anna Dimitrijevic
Helen Gomez,
Octofinalists:
and Helen
Kelly Keough and
winning their
Gomez.
Lauren Cue.
4th TOC bid of
Helena Buitrago
the year and
setting new
and
record for most
Sophia Oramas.
Carrollton bids
Quarterfinalists:
in year.
Valeria Villa and
Anna Dimitrijevic
Fabiola
9th Speaker.
Urdaneta,
Tessa
Danguillecourt,
and Victoria
Jimenez.
November 2009
The Southern Bell
Forum at
Montgomery
Bell Academy in
Nashville, TN.
The top 72 teams
in the country
are invited to
participate.
3rd place and the
5th TOC bid,
tying the
Carrollton record
for most TOC bids
in a team’s career.
Helen Gomez
15th Speaker.
Top, from left: At
NDCA National
Championship in
Washington, DC;
Junior Anna
Dimitrijevic and Senior
Helen Gomez at the
TOC in Lexington.
Bottom: Carrollton
Debate Team helped
park cars to raise
money for Haiti; Anna
and Helen with their
NDCA Quarterfinalist
trophy.
January 2010
The Barkley
Forum at Emory
University in
Atlanta, GA.
Octofinalists and
the 6th TOC bid
setting new
Carrollton record
for bids in a
team’s career.
The Colleyville
Harvard
Heritage
University Round
Tournament in Robin Invitation.
Dallas, TX. Carrollton’s second
Mary Grace invitation in three
Darmody and years to the most
Fran Swanson prestigious Round
1st place in
Robin in the
Novice Policy
nation.
Division.
Due to inclement
Mary Grace
weather, the
Darmody was the
team was
Top Speaker. unable to travel.
Students
donated their time
instead to park
vehicles during the
Coconut Grove
Arts Festival.
The Vestavia
The University of
Hills Tournament,
Georgia
Birmingham, AL.
Tournament
Lauren Sisak and
Athens, GA.
Camila
Lauren
Hernandez
Sisak and
advanced to the
Tessa
Quarterfinals.
Danguillecourt
advanced to
Quarterfinals.
Anna Dimitrijevic
and Helen
Gomez took first
place winning all
18 consecutive
ballots.
Anna Dimitrijevic
4th Speaker.
February 2010
March 2010
The National
Debate Coaches
Association at
Georgetown
University in
Washington, DC.
Helen Gomez
awarded 17th
speaker.
Anna Dimitrijevic
awarded
3rd speaker
overall. Best
performance
in Carrollton
Debate history at
the NDCA.
Fourth year in
the elimination
debates at the
NDCA.
The Tournament
of Champions
at the University
of Kentucky in
Lexington, KY.
Anna
Dimitrijevic
named top
speaker at
2010 TOC.
She is the first
female to win
top speaker in
32 years. Helen
Gomez named
6th speaker
and the team
took 3rd place
in the nation.
Carrollton’s best
performance
ever.
April 2010
May 2010
2009-2010 DEBATE TIMELINE
The Crestian Classic The Pace Academy
at the Pine Crest Round Robin in
Buckhead, GA.
School in
Boca Raton, FL. Only seven teams
invited nationally Meredith
Carrollton’s
Angueira and
Cara Vazquez, second invitation
Helena Buitrago and in five years.
Sophia Oramas, Anna Dimitrijevic
Carolina Cuello and 2nd Speaker.
Gabriela Maspons,
Kelly Keough and
Lauren Cue,
Tessa Danguillecourt
and Victoria Jimenez,
and Valeria Villa
and Fabiola
Urdaneta took sixth
through first place.
11
Front, from left: Sophomores Gabriela Granda and Lauren O’Brien, Junior Carolina Barreto, Bill Garcia, Sophmores Sofia Gomez
and Christine Nuñez, Nola Garcia, Junior Alejandra Rovirosa, Senior Danielle Cosio, Commissioner Frank Carollo, Junior Tiffany
Virgin, Sophomore Camilla Di Persia, Senior Elizabeth Masson, Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, Sr. Suzanne Cooke, Marshall Criser
III, Commissioner Wilfredo Gort, Seniors Andrea Rabassa, Jade Brown, Sophia Diaz, and Victoria Enjamio, Junior Michelle Robelo,
Senior Christiana Rosales, Sophomore Ilyssa Block.
AT&T Grant Helps Expand Robotics Program
Carrollton has enjoyed a top-ranked
all-girls robotics program since 2002.
Recognizing the impact on our own
students, Sr. Cooke sought a partner
who could help expand the Carrollton program by reaching both younger
Carrollton students and middle school
girls throughout our metropolitan community. AT&T responded immediately
and on February 22, current parent and
President of AT&T Florida Marshall
M. Criser III presented Sr. Cooke with
a check for $100,000 to support the robotics program expansion. Also at the
ceremony were Commissioners Bruno
A. Barreiro, Frank Carollo and Wilfredo
Gort. Not only will the grant help Carrollton establish robotics programs for
girls throughout Miami, it offers much
needed funds for need-based scholarships for current Carrollton high school
students who wish to pursue robotics.
The robotics program at Carrollton
is designed to engage students’ interests
in science, technology, and engineering.
Robotics students attend 20 hours of
classes after school at Starbots and spend
more than 100 hours building robots
that can weigh up to 120 pounds and are
“The integration of
technology into the learning
environment helps our students
to communicate more
effectively, expand their learning
beyond the walls of their
classrooms and make sense of
the immeasurable amount of
information accessible to them
in the world today in their
development as critical
thinkers and learners.”
– Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ
powered by 12-24 volt systems. Once
the students’ robots are complete, students
attend local and national competitions
putting their teamwork, engineering and
problem-solving skills to the test.
The AT&T Grant enables Carrollton to bring the robotics program to
our partnerships with three community based programs so important to
us: Coconut Grove Cares, sponsor of
the Barnyard, Honey Shines Mentoring
Program and Breakthrough Miami, an
educational program targeting talented
economically at-risk students. Carrollton
hosts the summer programs of all three
organizations and now the AT&T grant
will support the inclusion of robotics
programs in these summer programs.
More exciting is that the grant helps
Carrollton launch a program for both
our Sixth Grade and Junior High
students. In the coming year, the robotics
program will include several Saturdays
during which middle school aged students in the programs will work together.
Our hope is that girls from Carrollton,
the Barnyard, Honey Shine Mentoring
Program and Breakthrough Miami will
form lasting relationships and become
the talented, dedicated problem solvers
our city and country needs.
What makes the timing of the
AT&T grant particularly exciting is the
establishment of S.H.E. – Sacred Heart
Engineers. Established by nine members
of the Class of 2010 – Victoria Enjamio,
Jade Brown, Danielle Cosio, Elizabeth
Masson, Andrea Rabassa, Christiana
Rosales, Emily Parr, Emma Guerra and
Sophia Diaz – S.H.E. aims to spread
Alumnae continuously return to Carrollton to share their experiences, knowledge and talents. Those alumnae in careers relevant
to science, technology and engineering and interested in volunteering to inspire students to pursue these fields in their future careers
are asked to contact Alumnae Coordinator Maria Cristina Garcia ’00 at (305) 446-5673 or mcgarcia@carrollton.org.
12
the passion and knowledge one gains
from robotics, engineering, science and
math in order to solve the world’s problems. Members of S.H.E. serve as the
teachers and mentors to the middle
school aged students in the expanded
robotics program. AT&T’s enthusiasm
for Carrollton’s plans for robotics and
the expansion of the program has been
greatly strengthened by the leadership of
the charter members of S.H.E.
Two of these students, Seniors Victoria
Enjamio and Sophia Diaz invited three
Northwestern High School girls to join
the robotics team and help build a 120lb. spinner battle bot to compete at this
year’s National Battle Bots and Bots IQ
competition.
S.H.E. also hosted a Sixth-Grade
sleepover in early March where 65 Sixth
Graders learned how to construct 16
underwater remotely operated vehicles
(ROV). Each ROV was designed to
navigate through the water while capturing video and images with an underwater
web cam that sends the data directly to
the students’ laptops.
The students’ underwater robots
Sophomore Ilyssa Block, Junior Carolina Barreto, and Senior Sophia Diaz explain robotic
concepts to Intermediate students.
were then used to document the 2010
National Geographic-National Park
Service BioBlitz on May 1 in Florida’s
Biscayne National Park. BioBlitz is a
daylong event where teachers, students,
scientists and others collaborate to identify as many species as possible. The underwater robots were used to observe this
process via the attached web cams.
Carrollton Dominates Robotics Competition
By Alan Crockwell, High School Faculty
BotsIQ is the educational program created
by Miami native, Nola Garcia and the producers of the famous Battle Bots television program.
The national competition was held in Miami
this April with teams from all over the country
participating in its six concurrent tournaments
covering weight class, collegiate and high school
divisions, task oriented and tabletop robots.
From junior high to college, the student teams
design and build their own robots for remote
control head to head battle.
The following teams won trophies: 2nd Place
in the competition and 2nd Place in Robotics
Documentation - Trouble Cleft. 3rd Place and
the only team to successfully make the most challenging 10-point shot - Windup. 5th Place, Best
Engineered Robot and 3rd Place in Robotics
Documentation - Grease. Best Sportsmanship The Boss.
15 lb. Fighting Robots -
Junior Camilla Di Persia
Sophomores and Seniors
at the robotics competition.
Task Robots - Freshmen
Best placed Carrollton robot making it to
This is probably the most difficult division
quarter finals was Choo Choo Bot. This robot
in terms of creative engineering. Students had to
was also in the top three in the “Robot Rumble”
construct a robot that could pick up golf size balls and then
where more than 10 robots entered the arena at one time
shoot them into a small basket 2 to 12 ft. away. All of the
and battled for five minutes. Those robots still moving at
teams had difficulty with this one and invariably the robot
the end are voted on by the crowd as to who is the winner.
would develop problems. But as the Freshmen soon learned,
1st Place in Robotics Documentation - Lucky Strike.
engineers are problem-solvers.
13
Carrollton Dominates Robotics Competition
(continued from previous page)
3rd Place in Robotics Documentation - Little Einsteins. Coolest robot - Queen
Bee. The Carrollton teams faced not only high school but college teams from the
University of Miami, which were defeated twice by Carrollton, and Florida State
University.
120 pound fighting Robots - Seniors
3rd Place in the competition and Second Place in Robotics Documentation Simon Bar Sinister. This was the highest placed robot in the 120 lb. class
from Carrollton since 2006. Best Sportsmanship and Best Engineered Robot Famous Last Words (from a Teenager).
Mr. Crockwell has been the anchor to Carrollton’s Robotics Program since its inception. His partnership with Nola and Bill Garcia has blossomed into a dynamic force
crucial to the success of robotics at Carrollton.
Trouble Cleft (Freshmen)
Christina Fernandez
Chelsea Blanco
Victoria Montero
Diana Carvel
Windup (Freshmen)
Taylor Borden
Caitlin Cullen
Megan Nardo
Hailey Russell
Kaitlyn Vidaurreta
Grease (Freshmen)
Victoria Cabrera
Claudia de Armas
Cristina Beauperthuy
Leticia Beeck
The Boss (Freshmen)
Catalina Ruiz
Gabrielle Thompson
Leila Chediak
Stephanie Pinon
Optimus Primer
(Freshmen)
Gabriela Hernandez
Isabella Calpakis
Francesca Luhn-Hernandez
Choo Choo Bot
(Sophomores)
Alessandra Mesa
Anamari Mesa
Ana Zelaya
Adrienne Castro
Sofia Arazoza
Queen Bee (Sophomores)
Gabriella Solares
Carolina Vento
Katrina Cabrera
Alexandra Alvarez
Victoria Sabater
Roli Poli Remix
(Sophomores)
Carolina Menendez
Ana Kurzan
Adriana de Armas
Little Kanye (Sophomores)
Camilla Di Persia
Gabriela Granda
Lauren Guilford
Helena Buitrago
Valentina Chamorro
Megan Rickborn
Tessa Danguillecourt
Ilyssa Block
T-plow (Sophomores)
Christine Nuñez
Sofia Gomez
Gabriella Campana
Cristina Campo
Lauren O’Brien
Simon Bar Sinister
(Seniors)
Sophia Diaz
Victoria Enjamio
Northwestern
High School students
Famous Last Words
(from a Teenager)
(Seniors)
Elizabeth Masson
Danielle Cosio
Lucky Strike (Seniors)
Jade Brown
Christiana Rosales
Emma Guerra
Emily Parr
Little Einsteins
(Seniors)
Andrea Barcia
Claudine Fernandez
First photo, above right: Senior Danielle Cosio, Senior Elizabeth Masson. Second photo: Freshman Diana Carvel, Freshman Victoria
Montero, Freshman Chelsea Blanco, Freshman Hailey Russell, Third photo: Sophomore Adrienne Castro, Freshmen Anamari and
Alessandra Mesa, Sophomore Sofia Arazoza. Fourth photo: Freshman Rosana Smith, Freshman Francesca Luhn, Freshman
Kaitlyn Vidaurreta.
14
Robotics and Art: An Unlikely Couple
By Sophia Diaz, Class of 2010
I always thought that I was a humanities-driven
person. I love English and writing. I sing in the
choir. I am on the dance team, and I am an International Baccalaureate High Level art student. I
never expected to join robotics or learn that building robots would change my life forever.
Engineers are problem-solvers – if you can
think it, you can build it! This engineers’ ethic (the
notion that every problem has a solution and anything is possible) has been applied to many other
facets of my life, including my art. I am proud
to say that I am presently the only student at
Carrollton en route to receiving a MIG (metal
inert gas) welding certification. The welding and
metal working skills I have gained have helped
me grow as an artist by expanding my media in
creating sculptures.
Through robotics, I have developed the building
skills and in-depth understanding and knowledge
“It is a
harmonious
combination
of the two.”
– Sophia Diaz,
Class of 2010
Sophia will be
attending
Brown University
this fall.
of the laws of physics, how things work, through
the application of those laws. It has taught and
inspired me to devise all sorts of new ideas for
my artwork. I am currently welding a stand for a
door that I am using in an IB installation piece.
Robotics does not just open the doors of
opportunity for careers in science and technology,
it also opens an array of opportunities for me
to grow as an artist. Even singing in the choir
or dancing on the stage have shown me these
activities are an art and a science.
Physics and art have become increasingly
synonymous in my mind: the process of dreaming something up in one’s mind, any idea, and
making it a reality with one’s own two hands is
truly remarkable, and it is not singly an artist’s
or an engineer’s area of expertise. It is a harmonious combination of the two.
Senior Sophia Diaz, above left, works on a robotics project and above right, shows off her art.
15
Clockwise, from upper left: Junior Alexandra Perez, golf; Senior Danielle Cosio, volleyball; JH/6th Cross Country Team; Varsity Basketball Team; Freshman Mary Grace Darmody, cross country; Eighth Graders Zelmira Rizo-Patron and Alexandra Cimo, JH/6th Soccer;
Sophomore Morgan Matson, diving.
“Carrollton’s Athletic Program has a very strong commitment from the students, an enthusiastic
fan base and most welcome support from parents, teachers and administrators. The teams are
increasingly competitive in our district with skill levels that have raised the bar.”
16
– Matthew Althage, Athletic Director
Athletics Highlights
Carrollton athletes demonstrate
dedication, discipline and perseverance
both on and off the field.
Varsity Golf
• 5th consecutive Miami-Dade
County Youth Fair champions;
Alexandra Perez won the individual
championship
• 6th consecutive title at District
Tournament; Alexandra Perez won
individual district championship; Julie
Steinbauer finished runner-up; Michelle
Robelo finished 6th;
Marie McGrath finished 9th and Ryley
Gregorie finished 10th
JV and Varsity Volleyball
• Co-hosted “Dig for the Cure,” a
breast cancer awareness charity volleyball event benefitting the Side-Out
Foundation
• Junior High/6th Grade Volleyball
Blue Team South Florida Middle School
Conference Champions; Alexandra
Hasner awarded the All-Tournament
Team Most Valuable Player and Patricia
Nicolas-Nader named to the All-Tournament Team
Varsity Swimming and Diving
• FHSAA State Swimming and
Diving Championships: 9th
Grader Kristine Reyno-Marcano
finished 18th in the 100M backstroke,
and 10th Grader Morgan Matson
finished 8th in diving
Varsity Soccer
• Qualified for District 16 Class 3A
Tournament
JH/6th Grade Soccer
• 2nd place at South Florida Middle
School Conference Championships
• 7th Grader Nicola Haubold and 6th
Grader Adriana Rizo-Patron named to
All-Tournament Team
Junior High/6th Grade
Basketball
• Qualified for South Florida Middle
School Conference Tournament
Varsity Basketball
• Qualified for District 16 Class 3A
Tournament
Carrollton’s All-Dade Athletes
Junior High/6th Cross Country
• South Florida Middle School
Conference Championships, 2nd place
trophy; 6th Grader Sofia Sosa came in
eighth overall
Varsity Cross Country
• Team runner-up honors at districts,
individual honors to 9th Grader
Maria Balcazar who placed 3rd overall
and 6th Grader Maria Victoria Madiedo
who placed 7th
• 2009 FHSAA Class 2 A Region 4
Cross Country Championships: 4th
place overall; Maria Balcazar finished in
5th and Maria Madiedo finished in 7th
place for individual honors
• Qualified for the FHSAA state
finals
From left: Sophomore Daniela Cosio, Freshman Ryley Gregorie, Freshman Julie
Steinbauer, Freshman Mary Grace Darmody, Sixth Grader Maria Madiedo,
Freshman Gabriela Gonzalez, Junior Michelle Robelo, Senior Marie McGrath,
Junior Alexandra Perez, Junior Jennifer Wilde, Freshman Maria Balcazar, Junior
Danielle Coloma, Senior Elizabeth Masson, Junior Alejandra Rovirosa, Junior
Nastassja Schmiedt, Sophomore Morgan Matson. Not Pictured: Freshman
Kristine Reyno-Marcano
17
Montessori – Caring For and
Learning From the Earth
Last semester, the three Montessori
classes planted an organic garden and the
garden project has been filled with lessons
for these students. By tending the garden
each day and understanding their role
in the life of it, the students have a firm
grasp on the importance of environmental stewardship. Through observation,
the girls have documented in their journals a detailed history of their garden’s
evolution, from the first seeds planted to
the sprouts that followed weeks later, to
the garden now returning to seed.
“Would you like a drink?” is a frequent question asked by the girls when
watering the plants. Observations and
daily interaction with the garden have
provided hands-on learning experiences.
One student said, “I like to see the
garden grow,” and yet another commented, “I like tasting the carrots.”
Because of the fruitful harvests, the
Montessori teachers and girls have a newly-found appreciation in exploring new
tastes. The first spring harvest included
a pizza and salsa tasting, in which the
students participated in preparations.
The garden has also allowed the girls
to learn about conservation by use of
composting and the utilization of the
water barrel. Each harvest proved to be
an invigorating experience, allowing for
further exploration in their knowledge
about gardening.
The students have taken pleasure in
washing, smelling, touching, and tasting
the produce. Some of their favorites include tomatoes, carrots, basil, and cilantro. Many of them expressed that their
favorite tasting was the edible nasturtium flower.
They have not only seen their garden
grow but as a result of their outstanding
efforts and multiple harvests of plump,
delicious, brightly colored, organic crops,
the Montessori students have thoroughly
enjoyed the lessons of the garden and the
tangible “fruits of their labors.”
The Importance
As part of a history and language
arts cross-curriculum unit on the
Renaissance, Intermediate students
took a design and architecture tour of
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Afterward, they continued their lessons on
aesthetic beauty at a special lecture on
El Jardin by University of Miami Architecture Professor and Former Board of
Trustees Chair Joanna Lombard. Using
a map of the mansion and the surrounding grounds, Prof. Lombard discussed
the monetary, historical and sentimental
value of the estate. She also spoke of the
duty Carrollton students have to care for
El Jardin and help maintain its historic
place as part of Carrollton’s and Florida’s
history.
18
Junior High –
Stewardship Preserves Legacy
of Stewardship
History has been passed down to us
through ancient scrolls, legends, personal
letters, oral traditions and documentation. Historians, anthropologists and
archeologists sift figuratively or literally
through the history that has endured to
gain a better understanding of how people lived in an era long gone.
With this approach in mind, Eighth
Grade students went on a series of field
trips this year with different goals set for
each. The trip to St. Augustine was a
hands-on learning experience allowing
the students to experience the city as anthropologists and archeologists. The exploration took them to a 17th Century
fort, an 18th Century military hospital,
and a 19th Century hotel now transformed into a college. Each site visited
represented various eras in Florida’s history.
The preservation and restoration of
historical sites is essential to the maintenance of these rare structures and they
in turn make up the identity of a community. Lessons elaborated and focused
on preservation and restoration. Some of
these historical jewels found in our own
community are accessible today because
they have been bequeathed, abandoned,
or sold, thus passing from one owner to
the next.
By participating in tours at Vizcaya
and the Barnacle, students are becoming
more aware of the historical contribution
found in our own local community. Although very different architecturally, the
two properties are similar in that both
were donated to the city of Miami, under
the agreement that they would be maintained as museums and be accessible to
future generations.
We are connected to the past – it is
our history, it is our responsibility to
protect, preserve, and restore. Our own
historical campuses close the series on
historical jewels in our community. As
students walked through the ornate
rooms of Vizcaya, making connections
to the architectural similarities and details of El Jardin, I could not help but
point out that unlike Vizcaya, which is
under the stewardship of Miami-Dade,
Carrollton students are the stewards of
El Jardin and the Matheson Estate, home
to the Junior High.
– Derise Figueroa
Students were surprised to learn that
the stone table in the rear courtyard of
El Jardin, an artifact like many at the
school, is made of a rare, imported Egyptian marble.
To complete their studies, Sixth
Grade students held their annual Renaissance Fair, bringing prominent figures of
the time and their work to life. Students,
dressed in period pieces, portrayed a variety of artists, writers, philosophers, musicians, politicians and other important
figures of the era. The Renaissance Fair is
a testament to the many influences and
legacies given to us by the time period
and its people and gave us all an opportunity to be a part of the past while we
work to safeguard the future.
– Lourdes Aguiar
19
High School in Transition
Mr. Adolfo Danguillecourt steps
down as director of the High School at
the end of the 2009-2010 school year.
During his sevenyear tenure, we have
seen the development of exceptional
high school programs within both
the curricular and
extracurricular areas.
From the InternaDanguillecourt
tional Baccalaureate
program to debate to athletics to robotics to the arts, the High School has
flourished and excelled. Mr. Danguillecourt’s expertise during the renovation
of the Barry Building and the construction of the Science-Technology Hall and
Founders Library was invaluable.
Our students have benefited from
Mr. Danguillecourt’s commitment to
academic excellence and his vision of
Sacred Heart education. Faculty, staff
and administrators have enjoyed a strong
partnership with Mr. Danguillecourt on
behalf of our students. His support and
leadership have been greatly appreciated.
His perspective was unique – having
been a Carrollton parent, faculty member, and trustee. As the father of Anna
’00, Laura ’08 and Tessa ’12, Mr. Danguillecourt will remain a member of our
community. As he moves forward, may
he know how grateful we are for all he
has done for Carrollton.
Carrollton will welcome Susan
Dempf Ph.D as the new director of the
High School beginning in the 20102011 school year. Having graduated from
Doane Stuart in Albany, Dr. Dempf is a
Sacred Heart alumna and the former national program director of the Network
of Sacred Heart Schools. Prior to coming
to Carrollton, she was associate professor
in the School of Education at the Sage
Colleges in Troy, NY.
She holds a B.A.
in Economics from
Hobart and William
Smith, an M.P.E. in
Administration from
Springfield College
and a Ph.D in Teaching and Curriculum from Syracuse
Dempf
University. Her other
professional experience includes serving
as Assistant Dean in the Division of
Graduate and Professional Studies
at Franklin Pierce College, Graduate
Program Director and Associate
Professor in the School of Education at
Canisius College and Assistant Professor
in Education at Wesley College.
Celebrating Sister Seitz
On March 17, members of the
Carrollton community gathered to honor Sr.
Margaret Seitz in celebrating her 50th anniversary of First Vows as a Religious of the Sacred
Heart. This significant moment is called a
jubilee. The ultimate derivation of the word
jubilee is disputed, but it is most probable that
the Hebrew jobel, to which it is traced, meant “a
ram’s horn,” and that from this instrument, used
in proclaiming the celebration, a certain idea of
rejoicing was derived. Sr. Seitz’s celebration was
indeed a moment of joy.
The sense of jubilation was most strongly
felt while listening to her sister, Helen Seitz
Robinette, and Debbie Consuegra sing “God Be
in My Head,” an original composition written
by Dr. Harry Seitz, Sr. Seitz’s father. The song
is based on the “Sarum Primer,” a collection of prayers and
worship resources developed in Salisbury, England, during the
13th Century. It captures the essence of Sr. Seitz’s complete
20
commitment to Christ as a Religious of the Sacred Heart.
The jubilee celebrates fidelity – God’s and Sr.
Seitz’s. We, at Carrollton, are blessed to count
Sr. Seitz among us. Her sheer joy and fierce
commitment to excellence encourage and inspire each of us to do all that we can to ensure
the integrity of Madeleine Sophie Barat’s vision
in Miami. On a daily basis, students and adults
experience the impact of Sr. Seitz in the most
ordinary conversations. It is in these chats with
her that each person experiences being taken
completely seriously and totally respected.
In the words of Sr. Cooke, “We know that
we matter to Sr. Seitz; she makes each of us feel
respected. She inspires us through these simple
encounters to be our very best. Through them,
Sr. Seitz communicates God’s love. Through ordinary day to
day encounters, Sr. Seitz helps ensure the extraordinary work
of education.”
Working Together as a Community
A message from the Headmistress
Dear Readers,
La Plume offers a window into the life
of the Sacred Heart School Community
in Miami. The stories ideally demonstrate how we, at Carrollton, are realizing
St. Madeleine Sophie Barat’s vision of
education. We learn of programs and
projects sponsored by educators who
inspire today’s students to become the
strong, courageous women of the Sacred Heart that Madeleine Sophie envisioned.
Together, educators and students
pursue excellence. The nurturing of
a personal relationship with God, the
training in leadership, the forming as
critical thinkers, the engendering of deep
appreciation for beauty and the insisting
on being compassionate global citizens
can be seen in these pages. The fruit of
this education is evidenced in the lives
of the alumnae, some of whose stories
have also been told. As a community, we
experience both a sense of pride as we
read these stories and a genuine challenge
to demonstrate these values through our
very lives.
On Jan. 12, 2010, our lives as citizens of Miami, of the Caribbean and
of the world were changed because our
neighbor, Haiti, was hit by a catastrophic
earthquake which affected an estimated
three million people. As the School of
Christ’s Heart, we are called as a community to respond, not simply to the
immediate devastation, but to the desire
of our Haitian sisters and brothers to rebuild. In the pages that follow, you will
read about how some within Carrollton’s
family have begun this work.
What is significant in their stories is
the consistency in insight that our role
is to work as partners with Haitians in
rebuilding their home. That we are accompanying Haitian citizens in this
work of reimagining and rebuilding their
homeland is a response rooted in faith.
As Christians we believe that through
the Resurrection, Christ has overcome
death. This conviction is the root of our
hope. The stories that follow serve as a
testimony to the reality of Christ. One
senses the power of God’s grace.
Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ
Photo by Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ
21
Carrollton Responds to the Crisis in Haiti
By Denise Ortega, Development Coordinator
Every student at Carrollton took an
active role in response to Haiti’s crisis.
Across the five Carrollton schools, one
witnessed the flood of compassion from
the students’ hearts for the victims of
the earthquake and the conviction in
their eyes that by reaching out to Haiti
and working with its people, it will one
day overcome the devastation they face
today.
Natalia Echeverri Sabagh ’03 worked
with all five schools to coordinate a fullfledged aid drive, collecting supplies for
the earthquake victims.
Relief Efforts in the
Montessori and Primary Schools
The Montessori and Primary students
were leaders in Haiti’s relief efforts. They
were assigned to bring supplies that addressed baby needs and the outpour from
these young hearts was reflected in the
generous efforts made by all students and
their families. The 100th day of school,
celebrated every year in the Montessori
and Primary schools, was dedicated to
Haiti. Each class collected $100 to donate to the relief efforts. Ideas for ways
to help sprung from every direction.
Students held lemonade drives, organized bake sales, and participated in the
school-wide fundraiser. During Catholic Schools Week, students sent illustrations to the Religious of the Sacred Heart
in Haiti, with support and well wishes
for the situation they faced. The Montessori and Primary schools will continue
to demonstrate their support through
upcoming and ongoing relief efforts.
As part of an art project, Third Grade students created one of the national symbols of
Haiti – a palm tree (part of the coat of arms), using block printing. Each student wrote
a prayer for Haiti to accompany her artwork. Back, from left: Caroline Flynn, Virginia
Moscetti, Ivelyn Harris, Mila McClure, Lucia Pineiro, Isabella Diaz, Ruth Young.
Front: Mikoto Furuya, Adda Gudjonsdottir, Gabriela Lorenzo, Isabel Rodriguez, Valeria
Peralta, Mariana Carta, Serena Collarte, Hannah Souza.
22
Intermediate School Fundraising
When it comes to service, the Intermediate School is all heart. Immediately
following the news of the earthquake
disaster in Haiti, students were all abuzz
in search of ways to help. Proposals for
Haiti service projects, fund drives, and
collections from class representatives and
other students flooded Mrs. GillinghamRivas’ office.
The Intermediate School has helped
Haiti in many ways. The idea for a relief
drive originated from a student who had
written a proposal to Mrs. GillinghamRivas ’94, which in turn coordinated
the Intermediate efforts. These students
were responsible for collecting first-aid
supplies. Additionally, 75 percent of the
collections from February’s Spirit Days
were allocated to Haiti. Intermediate
students followed those projects with a
jewelry sale where all items were handmade by the girls and 100% of the proceeds went to Haiti relief.
Along with these activities, numerous efforts have been made to create an
awareness of the needs in Haiti. Sherman
Humphrey of Friends of the Orphans, a
non-profit organization working with orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged
children, spoke to the students two weeks
after the earthquake. He spoke of their
needs and told how the children under
their care survived the catastrophe, and
explained that some of the volunteers of
the organization were not as fortunate
and were lost. After hearing about the orphans, Intermediate students spearheaded fundraising efforts to help Friends of
the Orphans with their mission in Haiti.
To continue awareness efforts, they also
received a visit from Monica Santos-Lauzurique, representative of Amor en Acción, who periodically speaks to the girls.
Santos-Lauzurique spoke about the experiences of Amor en Acción members
since the earthquake and the efforts they
were leading to help the victims. At the
From left: Intermediate students created jewelry to sell as a fundraiser for Haiti; Junior High student Elizabeth Perez with one of her
backpacks; Junior High students Michelle Haubold, Macki Alvarez-Mena and Brittany Hewitt hold the t-shirts worn by students at the
Earth Day Mass. Below, the invitation to the High School art show fundraiser.
end of the presentation, students presented Amor en Acción with donation
funds they had collected.
Future relief effort plans include more
fundraisers, a potable water drive, and a
series of food and aid supply drives.
Junior High Students Help
Days after the disaster, Eighth Grade
students Brittany Hewitt and Michelle
Haubold approached Junior High Director Lourdes Wood about initiating a
fund drive to help with Haiti’s relief efforts. The drive consisted of a t-shirt sale
where the proceeds were donated to the
relief fund. Brittany and Michelle collaborated with fellow classmate Macki
Alvarez-Mena to design the t-shirt. After
receiving approval for their
idea, the students presented
their project to each of the
five schools seeking their involvement in the drive. What
resulted was an all-school
fundraiser, including Haiti
wristbands, being sold by Senior Chloe Burke.
The Junior High participated in the relief efforts by
collecting medicine. Seventh
and Eighth graders donated
many types of over-the-counter medicines. The students
also collected monetary do-
nations to give to the Carrollton Haiti
Fund and participated in bake sales and
various fundraisers.
Junior High student Elizabeth Perez,
who was featured in the Miami Herald in
September 2009 for her commitment to
service, has been aware of Haiti’s plights
long before the earthquake. Elizabeth
started the organization Backpack Buddies in 2006 and continues to run it to
this day. Backpack Buddies collects and
sends school supplies to the students at
Haiti’s L’école Père Boniface School.
High School Efforts
Students, joined by High School faculty, led a series of fundraisers and aid
collections in response to the widespread
devastation.
As part of the collection efforts, the
High School was responsible for clothing
donations. Students set up bins around
the Barry Building and brought a wealth
of items to support the cause. Additionally, High School students have had
dress down days, bake sales, t-shirt and
bracelet sales, to raise money for Haiti. A
High School pledge drive was launched
in which each grade participated in a
friendly competition to determine who
can raise the most funds.
The Human Rights Club, facilitated
by Beth Lindeman, High School Science
faculty member, coordinated a “Park on
Campus” fundraiser during the Coconut
Grove Arts Festival in February. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Haiti Club.
The All-School Art Show
included an “Art for Haiti”
fundraising exhibit to benefit
the Haiti Club. High School
Art Teacher Patty Wiesen,
explained how a group of art
pieces was created to represent the underlying theme of
Haiti. The entire Carrollton
community was invited to the
Saturday afternoon fundraiser.
Funds were raised through
donations and proceeds from
t-shirt and note card sales.
23
Haiti’s Strength
By Christen E. Parker ’99
Haiti challenges me and changes me. nity, to be able to direct our own lives More than one 12-year-old went into
Haiti undoes my ego, just when I think it and support our own families. Haitians surgery with a strength I hope to claim
had already come undone. Haiti’s women are strong despite our weaknesses.
myself one day.
show me the strength of everyday superI interpreted stories that shouldn’t
After the earthquake, we worked in
women. Her children sing me the uni- two medical tents set up by the Uni- ever happen, not like that – not to anyversal song of childhood – and then carry versity of Miami Project Medishare. one. I helped a father look in vain for his
jugs of water, weight my childhood never That week would shake me in ways that son among the cots.
knew. Haiti levels me then props me up, changed me profoundly. Life there felt
When not interpreting, I fetched
and always changes me. Haiti dares me accelerated, expanded, and as real as I water, snacks, health care providers,
to be more real, more human.
and delivered jokes. Again and again,
can ever recall.
My husband, Rodney, a physician,
One early evening, a young girl ar- the strength of a people broken in body
and I, a medical interpreter, have been rived in the back of a pickup truck. Her and somehow glued together in spirit
in a relationship with people in Haiti for foot wound had been festering for days brought me to my knees, sometimes litmore than five years. We spent time in without treatment. Within 10 minutes, I erally. Mostly I could wait to cry until
2005, learning and doing what we could had greeted her and her cousin, explained I was behind the tents, but not always.
in a community outside of Les Cayes, the diagnosis, and then explained why we Sometimes the patients comforted me,
in the south of Haiti. We worked with would need consent to amputate below offering wisdom and hope.
Maisson de Naissance, a birthing center. the knee so she could survive. I refined
Of course there was pain, loss, denial,
I taught English, and we both learned my ability to hold my own emotions un- fear, moments of heart-wrenching weepHaitian Kreyol through conversations. til tears could flow freely down my face ing. But, noticeably, there was also paWe made friends who became our col- or words from my pen.
tience, gratitude, and faith. I saw a lot of
leagues in the small organization we
The day before that young lady’s arriv- lip-biting during what had to be searing
founded upon returning home that year al, I counseled approximately 20 others pain. Thankfully, by the time we arrived,
which we named “Moun Pou Moun about similar operations – amputations there was some anesthesia available. I
Haiti” which means “Person by Person” that would save and irrevocably change walked among the aisles of cots and marand also “People for People” in Haitian their lives. I taught a lot of deep breath- veled at these patients and their families.
Kreyol (www.mpmhaiti.org). Through ing, looked into frightened eyes, and Family members sat in metal chairs or
this organization, we provide empower- held many hands until sedation kicked lay on the floor next to their loved ones
ing opportunities, connecting sponsors in, surgery already begun by necessity. for days, not visibly complaining about
to students whose families
comfort, but rather empcan’t afford their schooltying bed pans, spoon
ing and support families
feeding meals, and acthrough housing and micepting
ever-changing
crocredit lending. Since
prognoses.
the earthquake, we have
Between these two
been grateful for the infratents, I felt engulfed by
structure of our organizahumanity. I felt more
tion to provide both direct
than once that I’d just
relief and to begin to realsat next to God. The
ize plans of rehabilitation
strength was contagious.
for injured and displaced
I joked upon my return
persons. In Haiti, we have
that the major infectious
found a beloved place of
diseases I caught in Haiti
constant struggle and conwere hope and courage. I
stant inspiration.
told a few individuals in
Too often, we forget
those tents that if I ever
to empower. We forget
needed courage, I would
that we all want personal Christen, her goddaughters Dini and Dina with their mother, Inesse in think of their faces – the
agency and economic dig- Nov. 2009.
faces of God.
24
A Report From the Field
By Natalia Echeverri Sabagh ’03
As of Feb. 19, it was estimated
didn’t shower for five days and ate
three million people were affected
very little while we were there, but
by the earthquake; approximately
drank a lot of water. Water was
one million were homeless. From
like gold. Often, children from
the look of things, 98 percent of
the streets pleaded for water and
residences and commercial buildfood, shouting “Hey, you” in Engings had collapsed or were severely
lish and then rubbing their bellies
damaged. In the nights followto indicate their hunger. It was
ing the earthquake, many people
heartbreaking.
in Haiti established makeshift
Our group was assigned to reshanty towns either because their
move rubble from a local school
houses had been destroyed, or
that provided education to more
they feared remaining structures
than 600 children although many
would not withstand aftershocks.
were still missing. The roof had
We were not permitted to rebuild
collapsed. We removed debris
any structures while we were there.
hoping that the school could start
Our volunteer group of 120 peoanew. The principal remained
ple established our own tent city
hopeful. This was the main emoat a local orphanage in Port-aution I encountered while in Haiti
Prince. We slept in the middle of Natalia spends a moment with an earthquake victim.
– hopefulness. It was amazing to
the soccer field and were guarded
observe these people. They have
by men with shotguns and manot let their circumstances bring
chetes knives.
them down; their faith is unbreakable.
The orphanage provided our group a aged by the earthquake, which hindered
Our group brought more than $1
safe haven which was its own microcosm aid efforts. Confusion over who was in million in medical supplies, $200,000 in
and civilization. The children at this or- charge, traffic congestion, and problems food and clothes. We flew in 18,000 lbs.
phanage were given their daily chores, with prioritization of flights complicated in aid to Haiti. We worked hard to get
provided schooling and taught English relief work. Graves have been opened; these much-needed medicines and supin hopes they would be adopted. They thousands of bodies have been buried in plies distributed. Everything went first to
attend Catholic mass every Sunday un- these mass graves, and many still need our orphanage where it was sorted and
der the mango tree.
to be dug out from underneath the rub- divided, then we traveled by truck across
The orphanage is self-sustainable. ble and properly buried. As the rescues the city to take aid to other orphanages
There is a garden, a rabbit and fish farm, have trailed off, supplies, medical care and tent cities.
and hens lay eggs. The food feeds the and sanitation are now priorities. Flies
A 20-minute ride could easily take
children and workers of the orphanage. swarm over the patches of grass stink- two hours due to the debris on the
The children were fortunate to be shel- ing of urine and decaying human waste. streets. It looked as if the entire city had
tered from the rest of the city, which re- Nearby, mounds of trash pile up around been bombed. We had to wear masks to
mained in filth, disease, and decay. The the shelters made of sticks and sheets. protect ourselves from the unsettled dust
orphanage’s church was transformed into There are nowhere near enough toilets and the stench of rotting flesh.
a post-op clinic to care for the children or latrines for those living in the camps
My part in the relief effort was a lifebeing released from Project Medishare.
in and around the city. We constructed changing experience. Every day I think
Many notable landmark buildings several showers and bathrooms, running about the people I met. I pray for the
that we saw were significantly damaged 100 feet of piping at one of the tent cit- kids I cared for. All I can do is continue
or destroyed, including the Presidential ies. It was estimated that 100,000 people to remind people that Haiti is not all
Palace, the National Assembly building, would be living in that tent city.
right – they still need our help.
and the Port-au-Prince Catholic CatheMy heart stayed in Haiti. I will be
Within the five days we were there,
dral. Communication systems, air, land, there were four to five aftershocks. We going back in less than two weeks to
and sea transport facilities, hospitals, slept very little because of the sun, heat, distribute supplies, offer my hands, and
and electrical networks were all dam- and anxiety of wanting to help. We spread all my love.
25
Rebuilding Haiti:
An Interview with Molly Nuell
Her enthusiasm is simply contagious.
Sophomore Molly Nuell has embarked
on a long and difficult journey when
she decided to help build a school for
the children of the small rural village, La
Colline, in Haiti. Molly is no stranger to
service, coming from a dedicated family
with a long history of giving back to the
community.
Throughout her years at Carrollton,
Molly has participated in various outreach activities to help many disadvantaged communities. Her efforts are now
focused on helping the Haitian children
she met in December 2009 on a visit to
La Colline. “Five or six years ago my
mom, [Laurie Weiss Nuell ’75], became
involved with Zanmi Lasante, a Sociomedical Complex in Haiti which includes
a full-service hospital, blood bank, labora-
26
tory, clinics, centers and several schools.
When I heard of their plans to build
this school I was really interested,” said
Molly. Heart of Haiti, more commonly
known as the Haiti Club in the High
School, led by Molly, consists of about a
dozen other members all working toward
helping build La Colline School. La
Colline has been aided by the University
of Miami’s School of Architecture, where
some of the students have been helping
with the plans and drawings.
Visiting Haiti had a lasting impact on
Molly and was the force that fueled her
desire to help:
“I was in Haiti in December and met
some of the kids in La Colline. At first, I
was scared and very nervous, not knowing what to expect. When we arrived at
La Colline, I saw their school, which is
basically a shack. We were told that approximately 250 children attend there.
But it definitely did not look like it fit
250 kids. Maybe it fit a total of 30 students at a time. The children at La Colline were absolutely adorable. They were
between the ages of 6 and 10. It was
so enriching to be able to see them and
interact with them. Through a translator, I communicated with them our purpose for being there, explaining that we
wanted to help build a school and they
expressed how happy and grateful they
felt, understanding what we wanted
to accomplish. When we were leaving
they chased after the car as we drove off,
which was very touching. They were so
excited that we were there and did not
want to see us go.”
Through planned efforts, the Haiti
Club has worked toward raising awareness and funds to help finance the building of La Colline School. The club has
established two goals: raise awareness
about what educational improvements
are needed in Haiti and raise money for
La Colline School.
“Trying to raise awareness about the
poverty problems in Haiti has been going on for a long time,” Molly pointed
out, “but since the earthquake, the needs
have increased so much.” Since La Colline is located in a rural mountainous region of Haiti, it escaped the devastation
caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake. However, “When the earthquake hit, many
families started to move into that region
because it was not affected. We are getting a lot of displaced families from Portau-Prince and we are going to be getting
a lot more people moving in, which is a
greater challenge but one that I’m also excited about because it means that we can
help more people,” she says. “To raise
awareness and funds, the Haiti Club has
held several fundraisers this year. From a
‘Movie Night’ to an art exhibit, to parking cars for the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, all very successful.”
By the fall semester, more details
about future plans for La Colline School
will be available to the Haiti Club. “We
should have a better idea of the number
of classrooms planned for the school and
the number of children each will hold,”
she explains, “I want to be able to share
that with the Carrollton student body.
Raising awareness is what is most important for this stage. Once everyone fully
understands what is going on, it will be
easier for them to support the cause.”
Carrollton has played an important
role in Molly’s understanding of service
to one’s community and helping those in
need. “I think the combination of what
I have learned at Carrollton and what I
have learned from my family has influenced me a lot. I have realized that service should not be forced upon. I think
“When we were
leaving, they chased
after the car as we
drove off, which was
very touching. They
were so excited that
we were there and did
not want to see us go.”
it should be something you want to do.
It should be impelled not compelled. I
am pleased that at this point in my life I
am able to say I want to participate in a
project or I want to go help in something
and I am happy doing it,” she explains.
“When La Colline project started, I
thought if a school is going to be built:
you need money, you need to plan with
the local community, you need people
to help, but I am starting to realize how
much work is truly involved. This has
definitely been a huge learning experi-
ence for me and one I have had the opportunity to experience at such a young
age.”
Along with the challenges, Molly
is already reaping the rewards of participating in La Colline School building
project. Ultimately, her biggest reward
will be to see the school completed and
visit the children attending class there.
Until then though, Molly has already
experienced much delight from her involvement. She explains, “It was a big
reward to be able to travel to Haiti with
Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician and medical anthropologist who is working in
partnership with the United Nations in
Haiti. The trip in itself was so rewarding
and I learned so much about the history
of Haiti and education. I visited hospitals and met the most amazing people.
It was such a worthwhile time. When I
got the chance to see Haiti, and research
and see the land, the village and surrounding area, it just made me want to
help so much more.”
Even in the early phases of the project, the Carrollton community has
shown their support for the Haiti Club’s
mission. “I’m just happy that people are
supporting me and this project. My close
friends support me so much and without
that I think you can’t go anywhere and
that’s with anything you do,” Molly expresses.
The significance and quality of Molly
Nuell’s work was honored at the Miami
Children’s Hospital Foundation’s 11th
Annual Hugs & Kissses Fashion Show
with an “I Make a Difference” Award.
The award is meant to recognize “marvelous students raising funds and awareness
for important missions and causes in our
community.”
Make your contribution today! If
you would like to make a donation to the
Heart of Haiti Club, please make check
payable to Carrollton School of the
Sacred Heart. Please note in the memo,
“Haiti Club or Haiti School.”
27
Putting Goal III Into Action
By Chloe Burke, Class of 2010
President of Student Congress
Almost three and a half years ago my sister Nyshel (Shelly)
year, one of our sponsored students was teaching other chilBurke ’02 and I, along with some of her friends in law school,
dren from the slum, whom we have not yet raised enough
started a non-profit organization, Konbit Pou Edikasyon
funds to be able to sponsor. She was teaching others the les(Kids for Education). My sister had visited Haiti and came
sons she was learning in school. The reciprocal nature of givback with heart-wrenching stories, most of which were about
ing is astounding and maybe it can change the world.
poverty and lack of education. Shelly told me that the kids she
Our organization has about 50 members and I have
met were not asking for food, despite their yellow eyes and
reached out to other Carrollton students. I have given predistended bellies, but instead repeatedly asked for a chance to
sentations at school and before we started this organization,
attend school. As a result, we started our fundrasing efforts.
Carrollton students helped sponsor one child. With the help
We launched with an email campaign. Initially, our misof the National Black Law Students Association, we learned
sion was to send kids to school, specifically children from Cite
a lot about starting a non-profit. It is with their help we were
du Soleil, the poorest slum, where most people live under garable to network with people in Haiti who could help us with
bage bags. Soon, we were able to send 35 children to school.
our organization.
When we visited again, we realized some students could
There are a lot of different roles in our non-profit organizanot get to school early enough because they had to walk
tion. My role is to give presentations, recruit members, and
for miles or were not performing well because they were so
raise funds – especially among young people. Many of my
hungry. To address these problems, our mission evolved into
sister’s law school friends have worked with legal matters, like
getting children some medical attention, money for transporthe 501(c)3 status. Some people work solely on translating,
tation and food so they could concentrate on their educawhile others work on financing. Others focus on the chiltion. We also provide them with everything they need to go
drens’ performance in school and help identify ways we can
to school – supplies, uniforms, and school fees.
help them improve. There are a lot of roles and each of them
We researched how to start a non-profit organization.
are equally important.
Education was our focus, because not only was it what the
Our goal has been to get as many children going to school
children requested – we also knew that giving the children a
so that they can make a life for themselves, but also to inspire
chance to go to school would provide them with the opporothers in their community to do the same. After the earthtunity to become productive citizens. The e-mail campaign
quake, our emphasis is now to help stabilize things again in
went very well. Soon, we had thousands of dollars in donaHaiti.
tions. I talked to people in churches, gave presentations and
St. Madeleine Sophie said, “For the sake of one child I
received more donations. We sent in our application to bewould have founded the Society.” That was part of the simple
come a 501(c)3 so we could ultimately apply for grants.
spirit of reaching out to another. Shelly and I are just two
During the summer, this project consumes most of my
people who recognized a need and sought a solution. As La
time. There are board meetings twice a month. This is a cause
Plume readers learn our story, maybe they will feel impelled to
that is really close to our hearts and we love Haiti and feel like
act or will simply be touched, which is the first step in feeling
its noble citizens deserve so much more.
empathy. What people can do, and what I think Haiti and
The major challenge we
many developing counhave faced is the earthquake
tries need most, is to be
that took place in January.
remembered. Often times,
Some of the children we
after the media is gone
were working with still had
and the stories are not renot been found and that
ported, we forget. Howevhas been difficult. We have
er, being a good neighbor
provided tents for students
means remembering and
we have been able to locate
listening even to the quiand helped them find some
etest of calls.
of their family members.
If you would like to
Along with challenges
help, please go to the website
have also come surprises.
to make a donation: www.
When I visited Haiti last Chloe, Class of 2010, and Nyshel Burke ’02.
konbitpe.org.
28
College Counseling Center Dedicated
Carrollton’s 48th Anniversary
weekend culminated with a beautiful liturgy held under the Barat Oak.
Alumnae, students, parents, faculty,
staff and friends of Carrollton attended the mass offered in memory of
Sr. Catherine Baxter, headmistress of
Carrollton from 1969-1978.
The College Counseling Center in
the Trinita building was dedicated to
Sr. Baxter with a special tribute made
during the liturgy in which Fr. Vallee,
former Carrollton Headmistress Sr.
Taylor and current Headmistress, Sr.
Cooke each blessed the site.
After the mass, attendees visited the
Alumnae Art Exhibit showcased in the
Jay Weiss Art Gallery, toured El Jardin,
and enjoyed the South Florida winter
weather as their young children played
on the Intermediate playground.
Alumnae Remember Catherine Baxter, rscj
“She was an inspiration to the Carrollton community and I remain ever grateful to her. She facilitated my and my sister Arlette’s
admission to Carrollton. This was at a moment in my family’s
life when there was no reason, other than my father’s impassioned
promises, to believe that we could ever afford to pay for such an
education. Somehow my father, through great sacrifice, delivered
on his promises. Her faith and trust in God’s providence is an example for all of us. I know she is rejoicing with the angels today.”
– Yvette Gonzalez Quinson ’88
“I still remember a kindness that Sr. Baxter paid me as an
adolescent and sometimes wonder if it made all the difference.”
– Jane Fisher Khoury ’75
“When my mother brought me to Sr. Baxter for admission, I
was ready to go to Palmetto with the public school kids! Sr. Baxter
told my mother at the time that ‘the difficult students are always
the most interesting.’ I cannot say that I was the best behaved student while at Carrollton, but certainly know that it was a turning
point in my life, largely due to Sr. Baxter and Marsha Whelan. I
will be forever grateful to Sr. Baxter for her guidance and support
during those adolescent years.”
– Colleen W. Butterick ’72
“I remember Sr. Baxter well. She was formidable (and a tad
scary). But she also had a sense of humor and, loved the Red Sox,
which in those days took real strength of character with their
heartbreak record. I learned many things at Carrollton, from Sr.
Baxter and the faculty, including to be intellectually honest, selfassured and caring – and to love the Red Sox. She will be in my
prayers and thoughts always.”
– Tessie SanMartin ’76
“I never let her know just how deeply she influenced my life
and who I have become....I credit Sacred Heart with most of my
maturity, compassion and integrity.”
– Josie De Goytisolo ’77
“I really loved Sr. Baxter. She was a very tolerant person and
headmistress – always with a twinkle in her knowing eyes. Her love
and persistence with me certainly made me a better person. She
announced at our 30th reunion that she would have walked from
her place of residence to see how the Class of 1973 turned out. I
sure hope she was not disappointed.”
– Leslie Jones ’73
“She was my headmistress for a few years….a beautiful smile
that I can still remember.”
– Alexa Garrido ’89
During her tenure as Headmistress, Sr. Baxter oversaw the opening
of what we now call the Barry Building
which first served the Middle and High
Schools. She forged the relationship
between Carrollton and the Barnyard
when Carrollton hosted the Barnyard’s
first summer camp in 1970. Sr. Baxter’s
commitment to St. Madeleine Sophie
Barat’s vision was demonstrated in her
support of the programs with migrants, the development of a
strong retreat program, the expansion of curricular programs
and the strengthening of financial-need-based scholarships.
Sr. Baxter helped start Carrollton’s yearbook. The number of
alumnae who have written to us about Sr. Baxter points to
the fact that her lasting contribution to our community rests
in the quality of relationships with students, faculty, staff and
parents.
As the first Chair of the Sacred Heart Commission on the
Goals, Sr. Baxter held a key role in the process of evaluation
that holds the Sacred Heart Schools in the U.S. accountable
for living and growing according to the Goals and Criteria.
She was also a member of the Society’s Provincial team.
29
Celebrate 2010
Carrollton celebrated its 48th Anniversary on the weekend of January 22-24, 2010. The weekend kicked off with
a live performance by Carrollton parent and Latin Grammy
Award winner Carlos Vives. Guests enjoyed freshly made
paella and sangria under a star-studded sky. With a sea of
friends and family on the Barat playing field, and El Jardin
illuminated in the distance, the backdrop was set for the
popular Latin beats presented by Mr. Vives and an incredible group of talented musicians that accompanied him. A
few songs into the performance, the crowd rose from their
seats, dancing and singing along to the familiar tunes.
Sponsors, underwriters, advertisers, guests, and friends
of Carrollton demonstrated enthusiastic support and significantly contributed to the success of the evening. Co-chairs
Jeanie and Gus Vidaurreta, Daniel Graeff and Renee Frigo
Graeff and Rafael Sosa along with parents, faculty and staff
volunteers were instrumental in ensuring the success of the
evening through their contagious zest and hard work.
Proceeds from Celebrate 2010 will be used for needbased scholarships as well as the General Building Fund.
This year, Carrollton donated 10% of the proceeds to a
fund to help Haiti after the devastating earthquake which
occurred less than two weeks prior to Carrollton’s Anniversary Weekend.
Photos: Alexander Alexandrakis, Brian Seguin, Carlos Ortega,
Kari Snyer, Alex Viera
Tony and Conchy Argiz, Carolina Sucar, Sr. Suzanne
Cooke, Carolina Argiz ’98, Maria Batista ’82, David
Worland
Tera Menendez Kodsi ’87, Isaac Kodsi; Nacira and
Orlando Gomez; Bill and Patricia Cruz
Ali Codina ’96 and Andrew Frey; Ellen Downey and Luis de
Armas, Annette and Miguel Maspons
Beatriz and Alberto Peñalver; Herlinda Vives Gomez, Frances Sevilla Sacasa; Beatriz and Michael Robelo; Carolina Rodriguez
Azqueta ’93, Nelson and Chelly Rodriguez; Javier and Dulce Perez Abreu, Gilda and Roberto Espin
30
Sr. Georgie Blaeser, Sr. Maureen Glavin, Sr. Margo Morris;
Elena Garcia Montes ’83, Carolina Fernandez-Cubero ’87;
Alfredo Rabassa, Beatriz Pola-Rabassa ’87
Guests enjoyed the sounds of Carlos Vives and his band, “La Provincia”
Nate and Ana Brand; Angel and Maggie Souto, Marilu Suarez Palacios ’74 and Rosendo Palacios; Mary Lou Rodon and Peter
Dolara; Willie and Daysi Bermello; Adriana and Manuel Albarran; Conchita Espinosa Chediak ’71 and Nat Chediak
Guilaine Lamar Sosa ’87 and Rafael Sosa; John Hofmann and Ivette Berisiartu-Hofmann; Jeanie and Gus Vidaurreta; Sandra and
Randall Fiorenza; Daniel Graeff and Renée Frigo; Steve and Daisy Hayworth
Charlie and Joy Intriago; Sofia Lacayo ’91, Fabiola Lacayo-Recio ’89, Cristina Casado ’90; Emilce and Carlos Collarte; Felipe
Isaza, Ines Ulloa Isaza ’85, Maria and Jorge Padron; Veronica and Ernesto Peralta
Albert and Yvonne Johnson; Philippe Touret and Saskia Galliano Touret; Ivette and Alberto Gonzalez; Mariana Martinez, Rene
Sanchez, Nani Martinez Sanchez ’91; Russ and Isa Borden; Javier and Gigi Polit
31
Alumnae Update
Reunion Celebration
On January 23, Carrollton welcomed back alumnae and guests from the classes of
1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 as they celebrated their
reunion at a reception in El Jardin. Alumnae reconnected with former classmates
and teachers. Each reunion class was honored with a class banner that hung from El
Jardin’s courtyard arches. Alumnae also participated in a live webcast where they were
able to communicate to those classmates not present.
This year, the reunion festivities included a special element – the official opening
of the Jay Weiss Art Gallery in the Barry Building, featuring the first annual Alumnae
Art Exhibition. Throughout the evening and to the beautiful music of a harp, alumnae were able to stroll through the gallery and Founders Library where additional
alumnae art of all media was displayed, including PowerPoint presentations showcasing all the submissions.
Meg Garner Wright ’80, Ana Maria
Moreno Santos ’80, Pilar Vazquez ’80,
Liane Sabina-Morejon ’80, Susan Rogers
Kurre ’80
Marcos Alvarez, Samantha Paz ’05, Mary
Pearl O’Neil Herman ’70, Ellen O’Neil
Helman ’69, Kathleen O’Neil ’75
Lyly Villanueva ’05, Cristina Mas ’05, Terry Ann Vazquez ’05, Teresa Chamorro ’05, Laura Teran Zapata ’85, Alexandra Arriandiaga ’85,
Brigid Chovel Prio ’84, Cristina Pelleya Toledo ’95, Annie Martinez Lopez ’90, Alina de la Fuente St. Louis ’74, Annemarie Harris Block
’76, Leslie Jones ’73, Natalie Zamora ’05, Antonio Flores
Daniela Rosette ’00, Michelle Marill Morcate ’00, Diana Caridad ’00, Anna
De Leon Navarro ’95, Michelle Mazzei ’95, Olivia Mattson Campos ’95,
Tiffany Ramirez ’95
Members of the class of 1985 view their
banner, reunion class yearbooks on display
Members of the Class of 1985 with Sr. Cooke in Founders Library
32
Alina Antonetti ’66, Lucia McTague Giraudy ’66, Laura
Mendoza-Grabiel ’66, Luisa Botifoll Murai ’66, Lourdes
Leon Mena ’66
Courtyard balcony view of reunion
Members of the Class of 2000
Cristina Garcia-Rivera Wilkins ’90, Ana Beatriz Gonzalez ’90,
Annie Martinez Lopez ’90, Alicia Corral Chang ’90, Marilupe
Ortiz Travieso ’90, Josette Salazar Weibel ’90, Catalina Hernandez
’90, Allie Garcia-Serra ’90, Maricarmen Roca-Cuello ’90,
Kristina Torre-Verdejo ’90, AnaCarla Castrillo-Baquero ’90,
Tara Quevedo Cevallos ’90
Frances Fisher ’70, Maria Combaluzier ’70, Paula Weintraub
’70, Leslie Kenhart ’70, Gretchen Roosevelt ’70, Joy Maxwell
Carr ’70, Carmen Lamar ’70, Anne Nielsen Sardiña 70, Sofia
Lorie ’70, Susan Schrader Daughtrey ’70, Marianne La’O
Kircher ’70, Suzanne Merhige ’70, Kathryn Bradley ’70
Inelis Garcia-Pena ’05, Karina Salgado ’05, Noor Daghistani ’05, Isabelle Castillo ’05, Laurie Weiss Nuell ’75, Ana Maria
Viamonte-Ros ’75, Kathleen O’Neil ’75, Ana Maria Lamas ’75, Adela Paradelo Aiguesvives ’75, Laura Russo ’75, Sara
Rionda Arazoza ’85, Linda Larrea ’85, Anamarie Gari Moreiras ’85, Eloisa de la Cierva ’85
Desiree Diaz ’05, Dolores Luna ’05, Monica Defortuna ’05, Gabriela McBride ’05, Joey Butler ’05, Elizabeth Delgado ’00,
Sofia Mendoza ’65, Lalin Garcia-Pedroso ’00, Ana Fuentes Varona ’95, Isa Velez ’95, Melissa Gronlier-Moya ’95
Olivia Mattson Campos ’95, Regina Coello Canto ’95, Maria Jose Carvalho ’95, Caridad Centeno-Gueits ’95, Emily McKenzie ’05,
Luisa Munera ’05, Ana Carolina Varela ’05, Noor Daghistani ’05, Isabelle Castillo ’05, Joey Butler ’05, Members of the Class of
1995 during the live webcast
33
Alumnae Mother-Daughter Breakfast
On Sunday morning
of Carrollton’s Anniversary Weekend, the school
hosted its Second Annual
Mother-Daughter Alumnae Breakfast in honor of
the reunion classes. Taking place in El Jardin, the
breakfast was an opportu- Natalie Silver ’16, Annika Miranda ’00, Ana Silver; Maria Emilia Borron, Anamarie Gari
nity for alumnae to share Moreiras ’85, Mariana Moreiras ’14; Zeida Edwards, Frances Pando Alemany ’95, Julia Alemany
the special morning with
their mothers, daughters
and in some cases both.
This breakfast is not only a
true celebration of generations of Carrollton alumnae, but an opportunity for
alumnae to return and enjoy the Carrollton of today Eva Merian Spahn ’02, Suzanne Merhige ’70; Alexandra Figueras, Maria Combaluzier ’70, Adriana
with their loved ones.
Figueras, Marissa Figueras; Liane Alexis Morejon, Liane Sabina Morejon, Liana Florez Sabina
Gabriela McBride ’05, Ofelia McBride; Gianna Gonzalez, Sylvia Viyella Gonzalez ’90; Isabella Prio
’14, Brigid Prio ’84; Suzette Finlayson ’85, Sheila Finlayson
Natalia Zapata, Laura
Teran Zapata ’85, Andrea
Zapata
Muriel Rogers, Susan
Rogers Kurre ’80
34
Alumnae Mother-Daughter Breakfast in the Benoist Room of El Jardin
Front, from left: Bea Blanco Wolcott ’97, Elena de Blank ’98, Rosario Vadia ’99,
Nina Wallin ’99, Laura Maderal ’05, Melissa Meruelo ’05, Lalin Garcia-Pedroso ’00
Second row: Johanna Heinert-Kennedy ’93, Holly Devine ’84, Maria Garffer Lannamann ’89,
Kim Perrins ’99, Ana Maria Rodriguez ’01, Veronica Mendiola ’01
Back: Susan Bauman-Glenn Crowley ’65, Carolina Blanco ’99, Lisa Maldonado ’82,
Nena Otalvaro ’90, Katrina Hazlett ’02, Isabel Junco Singletary ’69
Carrollton Alumnae in New York City
On March 13, alumnae from the New
York and New Jersey region met for a
Carrollton brunch. The women gathered
at a New York City restaurant for the
event hosted by Veronica Mendiola ’01,
Elena deBlank ’98 and Kim Perrins ’99.
The event was created to strengthen and
grow the alumnae community outside of
the South Florida area. Alumnae noted
the importance of Carrollton women in
their lives and sought an opportunity to
expand and build that network.
The afternoon’s program included
an introduction and prayer by the cohosts and a recap of life at Carrollton
by Carrollton’s Director of Development Isabel Singletary ’69. The event
included an ice breaker in which each
attendee shared one of their favorite
moments at Carrollton. Many stories were shared, including Rosario
Vadia ’99 reminiscing about her
days playing in the Rock Garden and
Susan Bauman-Glenn Crowley ’65
Alumnae noted the
importance of
Carrollton women
in their lives and
sought an opportunity
to expand and
build that network.
visiting the Carrollton campus before it
was even a school. The women shared
stories about their favorite classes,
sports and teachers and reveled in the
diversity of their experiences over the
years. In true Carrollton spirit, the
alumnae even found themselves singing
“Cœur de Jésus” in unison.
The women also discussed the importance of the Carrollton network in
the context of their professional careers.
Bea Blanco Wolcott ’97 noted the wellroundedness of a Carrollton alumna and
her unique ability to exhibit qualities
that are often perceived to be mutually
exclusive, such as professionalism and
strength, complemented by humor and
grace. All the women related to her statement and appreciated the unique opportunity to be surrounded by others who
value those same qualities.
The event concluded with exchanging contact information and planning the next event. Co-host Veronica
Mendiola ’01 noted that she plans for
this to be one event in a series of more
to come, and looks forward to growing the network in the area. Katrina
Hazlett ’02 said that she had fallen out
of touch with the Carrollton community
and was thrilled to have this opportunity
to reconnect. She looks forward to becoming more actively involved with the
Carrollton community, in Miami and
New York City.
35
Class of 2009
Class of 2009 Then and Now
The 46th graduating class will be remembered for many
accomplishments. Over 15 percent were National Merit
Scholars or finalists or received recognition awards. Perfect
SAT scores were reached and first places were won in competitions. They debated their way to the top ranks, created
art worthy of installations and constructed machinery to
withstand assault. Merit scholarships awarded to this class
amount to more than $4 million dollars and were granted
to 86 percent of the class. All of this was achieved while
maintaining demanding athletic and community service
schedules.
Besides the numbers which reflect such excellence, the
Class of 2009 will be remembered for their closeness, cooperative spirit and sisterhood. This is a class of 71 very
individual women who found common bonds, goals and
laughter. Theirs are the wittiest and most endearing yearbook
comments. They were promptly missed when they left and
were welcomed back with eagerness upon their return for the
Young Alumnae Reunion. When nearly 40 percent of the
class returned to speak to the Seniors and faculty about their
first semester college experiences, we found that they still finish each others’ sentences, laugh at inside jokes and thrive in
each others’ company.
These young women have joined fellow Carrollton alumnae in colleges and universities throughout the country and
Europe. They are the face of the Sacred Heart mission embodied in the Goals and Criteria lived as children of the Sacred Heart.
The Class of 2009 returned to Carrollton in December 2009 for the Young Alum Reunion.
36
STECKLEY PHOTO
Carrollton Alumnae
Currently Attend These Colleges and Universities
Amherst College
Auburn University
Babson College
Barnard College
Barry University
Bentley College
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Carnegie Mellon University
Catholic University of America
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of William and Mary
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Emerson College
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida International University Honors College
Florida State University
Fordham University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Harvey Mudd College
Laboratory Institute of
Merchandising
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Los Angeles
Lynn University
Manhattanville College
Marymount Manhattan College
Miami Dade College
Miami International
University of Art & Design
New York University
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Oglethorpe University
Parsons School of Design
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute
Princeton University
Rhode Island School of Design
Rice University
Richmond University:
American University of London
St. John’s College
St. Joseph’s University
Santa Fe Community College
Savannah College of Art & Design
Sewanee - University of the South
Southern Methodist University
Suffolk University
Tufts University
Tulane University
Universidad de Navarra
University of Alabama
University of California - Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Illinois
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of South Florida/
7 yr Medical Program
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
Utah Valley State College
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Wake Forest University
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington University
in Saint Louis
Wellesley College
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
Sr. Catherine Baxter College Counseling Center is
located in the Trinita Building (see story on page 29)
37
Camp Courage
Two Carrollton alumnae from the class of 1998 have joined
forces to create Camp Courage. Below, they tell how they reached
this point in their journey.
Ana Ojeda, Psy.D. – I began in Carrollton in the middle
of my 8th grade year. My time
at Carrollton was life-changing.
It was at Carrollton that I met
my best friends, grew both personally and academically, and
found the courage to step outside of my comfort zone. One
of the most valuable lessons I’ve
ever learned, I learned at Carrollton… ‘Women can do anything they set their minds to
do!’ My Carrollton journey did
not end at graduation, it continues today, in my work as a clinical psychologist and service.
Kristy Nunez, Esq. – I
began at Carrollton in Sixth
Grade. I was a timid girl,
hesitant to voice my opinion and state my objections.
Yet, Carrollton allowed me
the opportunity to develop
the necessary skills and
confidence to realize that
no dream was too big, and
no goal was unattainable as
long as you put your heart,
mind, and faith into it.
I remember setting my
first goal when I started
Carrollton at the age of 11
– to become student body president - after listening to that
year’s school president give a speech. I was inspired by her
poise, presence, and ability to communicate with an audience.
Carrollton provided me with many opportunities to grow and
38
mature, and ultimately helped me carry out that goal of becoming student body president for the year of 1997-1998, as
well as many other goals throughout my life.
During my time at Carrollton, I ran for a number of leadership positions, participated in sports and committees, and
most importantly developed my life-long friends. My experiences challenged me to step out with confidence, leave the
timid girl behind, and use the tools I had acquired not only
to speak up for myself, but in due time, on behalf of others as
well. I currently work as an Assistant State Attorney who specializes in prosecuting sexual battery and child abuse of minor
victims, as well as serial rapist.
How did service play an important role during your time
at Carrollton?
It was at Carrollton that we became aware of our communities needs and the critical importance of service in transforming them. More importantly, we learned that we are responsible for our community both as citizens of this country and as
Christians and members of the body of Christ.
Participating in service at Carrollton holds a special place in
our hearts as it was through service that we became best friends.
We started volunteering at Miami Children’s Hospital, then at
the Barnyard. Our volunteer experiences were life-changing,
simply because when you give of yourself and your time for
another person, you experience God’s presence. We believe our
vision for Camp Courage Miami started at Carrollton!
How did Camp Courage Miami, in affiliation with
UrbanPromise International, come about?
The simple answer is … God. We were both 100 percent
invested in service and in our respective fields, and both of us
always dreamed of starting a non-profit organization or
program that would serve the people we came in contact
with every day. However, we never thought it would come to
fruition so early in our lives, and never imagined it would be so
magically inspired and guided by the hand of God.
We began to develop a community outreach program.
As we finalized the program, we spontaneously came in
contact with UrbanPromise International. We realized
UrbanPromise was exactly like the program we were developing. We contacted the president and founder, Dr. Bruce Main,
and before we knew it, we were at their headquarters in Camden,
New Jersey.
We fell in love
with the UrbanPromise
model and programs,
and felt it was truly in
sync with our vision.
Dr. Main accepted
our proposal to pilot
a program in Miami
with the ultimate
goal of expanding as
UrbanPromise Miami, which will make
Miami’s program the
third branch in the
U.S. UrbanPromise
also has additional
programs internationally: two in Canada,
one in Malawi, and
another in Honduras.
Camp
Courage
(Changing
Others
Using Respect And
God’s Embrace) Miami, in affiliation
with UrbanPromise
International, is a pilot summer program
committed to provide
Miami’s urban youth
with a safe and loving
environment.
Disproportionate high
school dropout rates,
increase in crime
among youth, drug
use, poverty, family
separation, and spiri-
tual emptiness are some of the issues that place Miami’s urban
youth at-risk. Camp Courage Miami will aim to help Miami’s
youth grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
This is our heartbeat!
Our
short-term
goal is to run a 6-week
summer program. Yet,
our long term goal is
to expand to UrbanPromise Miami and
develop yearlong afterschool programs within
our most vulnerable
and
underprivileged
communities.
These
programs will provide
youth with professional follow-up and
continuous
support
throughout their academic years, in order
to ensure that they will
have a safe and caring
environment, stay away
from at-risk behaviors,
and complete their academic goals. We believe
these programs and
follow-up with support over time will provide opportunities that
these students otherwise would not have.
Camp Courage Miami and UrbanPromise
International are both
privately funded.
Ana and Kristy
can be contacted at
UPMiamiPilotProgram
@gmail.com.
Participating in service at Carrollton
holds a special place in our hearts
as it was through service that we became best friends.
39
AASH Conference Logo Contest
Last September, Carrollton students,
along with Seventh through Twelfth
Grade students from five Southern Region Sacred Heart schools (Academy of
the Sacred Heart in St. Charles, Villa
Duchesne in St. Louis, Academy of the
Sacred Heart - The Rosary in New Orleans, Schools of the Sacred Heart in
Grand Coteau and Duchesne Academy
in Houston), participated in the Art from
the Heart Logo Contest. The Associated
Alumnae and Alumni
of the Sacred Heart
(AASH) is a nonprofit organization
of more than 51,000
alumnae and alumni
of present and former
schools and colleges
directly
associated
Claire McCullen with the Religious of
the Sacred Heart in
the United States and parts of Canada.
Congratulations to Claire McCullen,
a Sophomore at Grand Couteau. Her
logo wowed the judges and encompasses
elements of the conference theme. We
also congratulate and thank all the students from the southern region schools
for their participation in this first-time
contest. It is our hope that it was an
enjoyable journey in which they learned
more about AASH, the national Sacred
Heart family they will soon enter.
The motivation behind this contest
was to generate momentum at the school
level by having students play an active
role in the conference planning process.
Under the guidance of Logo Design
Chair Lilli Solis-Silva ’92, the contest
provided the opportunity for schools in
the Southern Region to participate in
the task of designing the 2011 conference logo.
Students were given specific guidelines in designing their logo and connecting it to the chosen conference
theme “Celebrate Cor Unum – Living
Sophie and Philippine’s Vision Into Tomorrow.” They were also encouraged to
draw inspiration from the relationship of
Sophie and Philippine, the shared heart
or even South Florida and Carrollton elements. Several Carrollton alumnae in
the art field or with an art background
served as contest judges. Although the
decision process was a difficult one, they
enjoyed being able to get involved and
assist in this vital planning stage.
AASH Conference At a Glance
Conference Hotel:
Westin Colonnade Coral Gables
Conference Theme:
“Celebrate Cor Unum - Living Sophie
and Philippine’s Vision into Tomorrow”
Website: .................www.aashnet.org
Save these Dates:
April 7-10, 2011
Call for Volunteers:
Maria Cristina Garcia ’00
mcgarcia@carrollton.org
40
Conference Committee:
Laurie Weiss Nuell ’75................................................................Conference Chair
Suzanne Cooke, RSCJ..................................................... Carrollton’s Headmistress
Margaret Seitz, RSCJ................................................................Conference Advisor
Maria Cristina Garcia ’00......................................Alumnae Relations Coordinator
...................................................... AASH 2009-2011 Southern Regional Director
Pilar Cendoya Alvarez Mena ’77...................................................... Program Chair
Carolla Calderin,Vista Alegre, Cuba...................................Underwriting Co-Chair
Christina Casado ’90............................................................................Hotel Chair
Amanda Codina ’02............................................... Dinner at Carrollton Co-Chair
Debbie Consuegra...................................................................Conference Liturgist
Paola Arechabala Consuegra ’87...................................... Home Dinners Co-Chair
Elena Suarez Garcia-Montes ’83...................Pre- and Post-Conference Tours Chair
Heather Gillingham-Rivas ’94.......................................... Carrollton Liaison Chair
Sofia Mendoza ’65..................................................... Sacred Heart Boutique Chair
Alicia Moreyra, SH El Country, Cuba......... Cuban Alumnae Association President
Lizzi Nuell ’02........................................................ Dinner at Carrollton Co-Chair
Cristina Poo, SH 91st Street...............................................Underwriting Co-Chair
Beatriz Pola Rabassa ’87...................................................Transportation Co-Chair
Ana Luna Roye ’92.......................................................... Home Dinners Co-Chair
Mariana Martinez Sanchez ’91.........................................Transportation Co-Chair
Hortensia Sampedro ’68............................................................... Marketing Chair
Isabel Junco Singletary ’69........................... Carrollton’s Director of Development
Lilli Solis Silva ’92.....................................................................Logo Design Chair
Carolina Toledo ’02................................................ Dinner at Carrollton Co-Chair
Diana Acosta Torres de Navarra ’86....................................................Budget Chair
Spotlight on Alumnae
Corinne Bensabat Young ’74 - Professor of Management and International Business
I am actively involved in developing responsible global
citizens and leaders who will take action for the greater good
even when it is not popular to do so. I am a professor of Management and International Business at Saint Leo University
25 miles north of Tampa. I am also very active in the Tampa
community especially in women’s leadership organizations
such as The Athena Society, Organization of Women in
International Trade, and The International Alliance for
Women. I also chair a university committee charged with
creating a new major for the 21st Century. Recently, I submitted
a Title VI B grant to internationalize the business school to the
U.S. Department of Education. With the university match,
the total that will be going to internationalization will be close
to $500,000.
My field also has me working with the Universidad para la
Paz in Costa Rica in the area of responsible management and
sustainable development, as well as teaching in a French MBA
Program in Paris every December and May. I recently had a
paper accepted for presentation in Barcelona, Spain entitled
“The Making
of a Global
Citizen:
Foundations,
Meaning, and
Approaches.”
I
have
two amazing children
who are both
e n g i n e e r s . Corinne, Stephen, and Caroline
My daughter, Caroline, graduated from Stanford University in 2007 and
my son, Stephen, graduated from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 2009.
I never forget my Carrollton roots and I’m always grateful
that I was educated by the RSCJs and I was blessed to have
Catherine Baxter as headmistress when I was at Carrollton.
Connie McCullough ’81- Director of the Counseling Center at the University of Tampa
At Carrollton,
I served as student government
president as a Senior. I very much
enjoyed meeting
with Sister Cooke
for hours about
student government issues and
personal issues.
She was an anchor for me from 1979 to
1981.
I graduated magna cum laude from
Vanderbilt University and worked for
the NBC station in Tampa for almost
five years.
Afterward, as the public relations
manager for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, I spent much time with
many different celebrities. Continuing
my career with various public relations
and advertising companies, I continued
to move up the corporate ladder.
Eventually, I worked as an executive
director for the Gateways Transportation Initiative, a governmental agency.
Serving on one of the committees instrumental in promoting the light-rail train
connecting Tampa with Orlando gave
me great satisfaction. Today, the federal
government supports the light rail.
At this point, I began working toward
receiving an advanced degree in mental
health counseling. I knew that I wanted
to be a counselor since my best friend
from Carrollton committed suicide after
struggling with a severe eating disorder.
I, too, had struggled with an eating
disorder which became much worse.
Once I survived my own struggle, I knew
I wanted to be a counselor. I wanted to
give meaning to our struggles and help
to make years of pain a lesson for others.
I began a career in mental health working in hospital psychiatric units while attending classes and working on a Master’s Degree. After receiving a Master’s, I
began working in private practice.
While at the University of Tampa
(UT), I was still a mental health counselor intern. I have been at UT for 10 years.
Shortly after the birth of my daughter,
Hope, in 2006, I closed my private practice and have transitioned from a mental
health counselor intern specializing in
eating disorders at UT to the Director
of the Counseling Center. One of my
main roles is to manage high-risk cases.
I see students who suffer from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, psychosis,
bipolar, and relationship issues. This
year has been rough as I lost a patient to
homicide.
Much of my foundation as a leader
started at Carrollton as student government president and my long hours spent
with Sister Cooke. Now, I lead a counseling center with the mission of helping
students. I believe it is a part of my calling from God that goes back to my days
at Carrollton and the strong bond with
my best friend. I am blessed to be in this
position and even more blessed to be a
parent.
41
Spotlight on Alumnae
Lily Fernandez Milton ’89 – A Service Reflection
When I graduated from Carrollton, I didn’t realize what a the foundation for my successes. The hours of service while at
lasting effect my experience there would have on me. I received Carrollton made me realize how one person can make an ima B.A. in Psychology and an M.S. in Counselor
pact on the world.
While in Sumpango, I realized that being
Education.
What I appreciate and value the most about
there was the only real thing that I had on my
my Carrollton education was learning the imvery own “bucket list” – to serve others.
I thank my mom and dad for all the sacriportance of balancing faith, critical thinking
and the importance of service to others. Last
fices they made in sending me to Carrollton
for a great education. I thank Ms. Ruth Young
November, my husband and I visited Sumpango, Guatemala on a medical mission. There,
for giving me a chance to succeed in the Seventh Grade; I still remember Sister Copeland
we were the ones who were blessed; we served
so many and those same people gave us more
pointing her finger at me and demanding only
the best and I know that Sister McGowan is
than I could ever imagine.
watching from above and I thank her for lisWhen asked what inspired me to go on this
mission, I answer, “Carrollton did!” The ideals Lily is pictured with one of tening to me. Sister Blaeser taught me to deof valuing social awareness and responsibility, to the children at the clinic in fend God and others, and Mrs. Mercy Gonzabuild community and to uphold one’s faith laid Guatemala.
lez inspired me to serve others.
Heather Rothenberg ’95Management analyst in the NHTSA office of governmental affairs, policy and strategic planning
I think if you surveyed my Carrollton teachers, most of them would tell you I talked too
much in class. I hope that they’d be happy to
know I’ve finally managed to figure out how to
put the inclination to be outspoken and opinionated to good work. Last summer, I moved
to Washington, D.C. to accept a position as a
management analyst in the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office
of Governmental Affairs, Policy, and Strategic
Planning.
NHTSA, one of the agencies that comprise
the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, has as its mission to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through
education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity. NHTSA is responsible for overseeing vehicle safety design regulations, conducting
vehicle safety research, implementing behavioral
safety programs, conducting behavioral safety research, and
communicating information to the public. We are the agency
behind 5-star crash test ratings, Click It or Ticket, and research
designed to figure out how to keep you safest when you’re on
the road (whether you’re in a car or not).
Last summer, I completed a Ph.D in transportation en42
gineering at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst where I had also been working for the
UMass Traffic Safety Research Program. After so
many years in an academic environment, I was
excited to use all that I had learned in my new position. Although my degree was a technical one,
my undergraduate work at Smith College was in
sociology and public policy.
Additionally, throughout the course of my
engineering studies, I had maintained a strong
interest in and focus on the relationship between
science and policy. I was sure that I included
policy and public administration coursework and
research as part of my graduate school experience.
I also ensured that I was involved in a variety of
extra-curricular and professional development activities including leadership positions with the local and regional chapters of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and Women’s Transportation
Seminar. I was also involved with the National Academies
Transportation Research Board (TRB) and currently serve as
co-chair of the TRB Committee on Women’s Issues in Transportation.
My current position with NHTSA has proven to be the
perfect culmination of experience, areas of interest, and op-
portunities for continued growth. Given the broad scope of
responsibilities associated with my office, I have the chance to
be involved in a wide range of projects. Currently, I am part
of the team working to develop the NHSTA Strategic Plan
for 2010-2015 which will serve to identify priority areas for
the agency for the next five years. I have also become very
involved with NHTSA’s efforts related to Open Government.
In Dec. 2009, President Obama signed a memorandum to
all government departments requiring them to become more
transparent, participatory, and collaborative. This includes the
adoption of new media tools for dialogue with the public and
innovative approaches to engaging non-government organizations and the public to identify and solve problems. These
government-wide Open Government efforts represent a major
shift in the way the government works. It’s an exciting time;
we have the chance to work on department and agency policy
that will encourage the public to become more active in their
government. Not only will we be developing policy, we are
looking to create a cultural shift amongst government agencies
and employees. It is certainly no easy feat but it’s a fascinating
process. I have been involved in NHTSA-level support of the
Secretary of Transportation’s campaign to reduce the impact of
distracted driving, assisting in the preparation of materials for
Congressional testimony, the review of agency documents and
reports prior to publication, and department and agency level
performance management.
My Carrollton experience definitely played a role in bringing me to the place I am now. There are characteristics that
were developed during my time at Carrollton that have been
critical. During my 12 years there, I learned to be outspoken,
confident in my abilities, and willing to explore new ideas and
opportunities. The importance of taking on leadership positions – as president of congress, charter president of the Key
Club, or captain of the softball team – is a lesson I have carried
with me. The importance of investment in the community was
a seed also planted during my time at Carrollton. In addition
to my work in our nation’s capital, I also volunteer at the Whitman Walker Clinic. While at Carrollton, I learned that if there
was something I wanted to do, I should assume it was possible
and then figure out how to make it happen.
Vanessa Bolano Gonzalez ’00- WGNO reporter in New Orleans
This year, I returned to Carrollton
to attend my 10-year reunion. It was at
Carrollton that I learned the importance
of friendship, hard work, responsibility and commitment. These three things
have shaped me into the woman I have
become in both my private and professional life.
I attended Boston College where I
was a communications major. I knew I
wanted to be a journalist since I was a
young girl. Four years later, I graduated
with a B.A. in Communications, and a
year and a half later, I graduated from
the University of Miami with an M.A. in
Broadcast Journalism.
While my friends dreamed of becoming astronauts and teachers, I told
everyone I wanted to be the next Barbara
Walters. My parents thought it was cute,
but reality set in while we were watching
the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was then
that I truly grasped the power of the
media. I was in Berlin witnessing history,
but thanks to technology and journalists, the rest of the world could witness
history at home.
I first broke into the media industry
in Miami. I worked the morning shift
as an associate producer at WFOR-CBS.
Even though I began my day at 1 a.m.,
the upside was that I was done with my
work by 9 a.m., which gave me time for
my other jobs. During
the afternoon, I worked
as a reporter and co-host
for a sports podcast, and
hosted an environmental program for “City of
Miami TV.”
A year after working
in Miami, my husband
and I decided to move
to Texas, where I took
a job reporting for the
NBC affiliate, KTEN.
We covered news in
both North Texas and
Southeast Oklahoma.
Two years after
exploring North Texas,
we moved again, this time
to New Orleans. Who knew I would be
blocks away from another Sacred Heart
School and living on a street named
Carrollton Avenue? From time to time, I
run into a group of girls in Sacred Heart
uniforms and I feel a special connection.
New Orleans is an amazing city
where I currently work as a reporter at
the ABC affiliate, WGNO. So far I have
covered everything
from the Saints winning the Super Bowl
for the first time, and
Mardi Gras, to horror
stories still coming to
light five years after
Hurricane Katrina.
I have even had the
opportunity to interview Oscar winning
actor Tom Hanks.
My Sacred Heart
upbringing has shaped
me into the woman
I am today. It has
given me the faith
and strength to give
everything I do 100
percent on my way to achieving my
childhood dreams. I look forward to
raising a family and instilling these same
values in the next generation.
43
A Class Act!
1960s
Georgina Cruz Huskey ’65 is living in Los Angeles with
her husband Lyndal. They have two children, Trey and Suzy,
and four grandchildren ages two to 12. Georgina works for the
state agency that adjudicates Social Security disability claims.
She manages 20 employees, including doctors, examiners and
support staff. She recently completed two years as president of
the National Association of Disability Examiners and recently
returned to Carrollton to celebrate her 45th high school reunion.
1970s
of life with grown children and society’s vast changes.
In Lisille’s words, “Our great joy was Harper’s wedding
last fall. It was very romantic – a week filled with friendship
and heart-felt emotion and the recognition that we are so very
lucky. And, more recently, our Class of 1970’s 40th reunion at
Carrollton brought us all to the realization that we are so much
the same and still care about each other.”
Mary O’Neil Herman ’70 has been married to John Herman from Wisconsin for 22 years. She has been in healthcare
management for 20 years and loves her career. Mary and John
have three kids, Hannah 21, Gracie 18 and David 16.
Lisille Bell Matheson ’70 served as admissions director at
Carrollton for three years after graduating from Southern Methodist University in 1974. She worked with both Sr. Cooke and
Sister Baxter. Lisille has been married to Henry Matheson for
over 30 years; they have two children, Harper, 28, and Hank,
25, both Sacred Heart graduates. The family moved to Napa,
California in 1982 to run a small winery, Mount Veeder Winery. She has been involved in the charter school movement in
California, starting Gateway High School. Gateway is a California Distinguished School and has won the attention of the
U.S Department of Education as an exemplary school in the
country.
Lisille and her family visit Miami often, still enjoying the
weather and the many friends they have here. She spends a lot
of time cooking for friends and sharing the joys and challenges
Tori Adams ’75 has been living in Fort Worth, Texas with
her husband Jim DuBose since 1983. Although she misses
patient care daily and contemplates a return to the health care
environment in some way in the future, she was grateful for
the opportunity to retire from Pediatric Critical Care Nursing
Lisille, second from left, at Harper’s wedding
Jim DuBose, Tori Adams, Anna and Jamie DuBose
44
in the mid 1990’s to raise their two daughters. Anna, 20, is a
junior at Vanderbilt University and Jamie, 18, is a freshman at
Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. Tori was unable to attend
her 35 year reunion in January however, remembers her classmates and faculty fondly.
Maridee Drury Miceli ’75 is living in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband John and their beloved pets. Her pet
sitting business just celebrated 15 years. Her husband has been
helping her with the business since 2005. In Maridee’s words,
“Pets give us unconditional love and are not prejudice.”
Annie Sanchez de Molleda ’80 is currently the Director of
Religious Education for St. Paul Church in Connecticut. She
supervises Pre-K through 10th grade (approx. 930 students).
She returned to school for a Master’s in Religious Education at
Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, the same institution where she received a B.A. in Religious
Studies. Annie also belongs to a Mother Circle in her parish
where mothers get together once a month for prayer, discussion
on topics and service for their church. She and her husband
will celebrate their 25th anniversary in October. He is currently the CFO for the public library of Hartford. They have
a daughter finishing her first year at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Although Annie was not able to attend her
reunion, she thoroughly enjoyed seeing her classmates through
the webcast.
Maridee with her black cat, Bart, and fawn pug, Buffy
Hampty Walker Smith ’75
is living in Atlanta with her
husband, Dave, their 8-yearold daughter, Emmy, and their
pug, Mabel. She taught middle
school algebra for 17 years and
is now a stay at home mom.
Her parents still reside in
Miami and she comes down
several times a year.
The Smith Family
1980s
mingham working with the City of Birmingham. She is an advocate for the City of Birmingham
employees, treating on the job
injuries, teaching prevention and
safety, conducting health screens
and managing those employees
who need continued follow-up
care. She shares her life with her
husband, Dustin Kurre and three
very independent, creative, strong
and intelligent daughters, Collin,
Ashlen and Rileigh. She wished to
share the following message, “to Susan Rogers Kurre
my fellow and future sisters of Carrollton… appreciate and
enjoy your years at Carrollton. I wish I could do it all over
again, with the enthusiasm and appreciation I have now for our
amazing school. Thank your parents, thank your teachers and
always give thanks to God, for you ladies are so very blessed to
be at Carrollton.”
Susan Rogers Kurre ’80 had a blast returning to Carrollton for her 30th High School reunion. She states, “Being a part
of Carrollton was truly a blessing for me growing up. I learned
the value of setting goals, hard work and accomplishment.”
She is a graduate from the University of Texas School of Nursing and is employed with the University of Alabama at Bir-
Maureen McQuillan Winger ’82 resides with her husband
of 22 years in Orlando. They have three boys, Alexander, 19,
Harrison, 16, and Maxwell, 12. She is the President of Home
From Rome, Inc. The Wrought Iron & Decorative Metal Specialists. Her business creates and designs beautiful custom staircases, balconies, gates, chandeliers; anything made from iron
and aluminum. One of her major projects is the new Harry Potter theme park set to open in the summer. The company is making miles of railings, bollards, signs, and entry gates to the park.
Home From
Rome
is
certified as
a
Minority Woman
O w n e d
Business.
Maureen McQuillan Winger
45
Laura Teran Zapata ’85 returned to Carrollton for her
25-year reunion. Laura attended Boston College and graduated in 1989 from Babson College with a B.A. in Finance and
Investment. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. and has
been married to her husband, Benito, for almost 15 years. Together they have four children Andrea, 13, Natalia, 10, Benito
Antonio, 8, and Lucas, 3. Her daughters attend Stone Ridge
School of the Sacred Heart and are both looking forward to being “lifers” of Stone Ridge. After their visit to Carrollton during reunion weekend, they both fell in love with the school, its
faculty and students. Andrea and Natalia had fun finding all
the differences and similarities between the schools, and kept
saying that the only reason they would leave Stone Ridge and
give up their “lifer” privilege would be for Carrollton.
Lourdes Diego ’87 has spent over a
decade involved in real estate development
and marketing, both in South Florida and
in her native country of Spain. Throughout her career, she’s used her background
in art and design often. Last year, it inspired her to launch a commercial photography business; her fine art prints hang
in homes throughout South Florida and
Spain. Since graduating, Lourdes has
remained active in humanitarian efforts.
Her current work is with Mary’s Meals
– an international movement to set up
school feeding projects in communities
where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education.
Lourdes Diego
1990s
The Zapata Family
Cristina “Tina” Garcia-Rivera Wilkins ’90 graduated
with a B.A. from University of Miami and worked at Baptist
Health for 10 years. She left her job there as web coordinator
when she and her husband, Aaron, moved to Berkeley, California. For four years, Tina focused on raising their three children, Emily, Justin and Allison. Even though they absolutely
loved living in Northern California, her husband got a job in
Orlando last year, bringing the family back to Florida. Tina
and Aaron are expecting their fourth child in August.
Christine Sanchez-Galliano ’86 and husband, Victor
Enrique Galliano welcomed to their family Victor Galliano,
born last December.
The Wilkins Family
Victor Galliano
46
On June 19, feast
day of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, Arturo Rodriguez and Ame Travieso ’92 were married at Saint Patrick’s
Catholic Church in
Miami Beach. Their
honeymoon started in
Rome and ended with
a 10-day eastern Mediterranean cruise. Ame
continues to teach at
Redondo Elementary
School in Homestead.
She loves her job in
which she teaches in
the Pre-K SPED LEAP
Arturo and Ame Rodriguez
program. It is a halfday inclusion program
for children within the Autism spectrum. The focus of this
program is teaching social skills through play. Art is a pilot for
Spirit Airlines. Ame stated, “It is a blessing to be able to share
our love of traveling together. Right now, I could not be happier. All my dreams have come true and I thank God everyday
for all the gifts he has given me, including the gift of being a
Carrollton alumna. It is something I truly treasure!”
are the proud owners of a Border Collie mix named Handsome
Baxter. Recently she attended her 15-year reunion and was
able to catch up with many of her classmates. She feels truly
blessed and is surely living the sweet life.
A.J. Fuentes-Twombly ’96, back row second from left, returned to Carrollton to speak to High School students about
her foreign relations experiences.
A.J. Fuentes-Twombly in the Catherine Baxter College Counseling
Center.
Renee Soto ’97 is an immigration attorney in Miami. She married
Gustavo Minguez on October 17
at St. Hugh Catholic Church. The
celebrant of their wedding was Fr.
Robert Vallee. Bridal party included her sister Jeannette Soto ’99,
Carolina
Alvarez
Menendez
’97 and Genevieve Rosenthal
Chamorro ’97.
Joaquin Domingo Alemany was born Oct. 21, 2009
to parents Joaquin J. Alemany and Frances Pando
Alemany ’95 and sister Julia, 2.
Renee and Gustavo
Joaquin Domingo Alemany
Since graduating from Carrollton, Lisa Gonzalez-Alpizar ’95
earned a doctorate degree in psychology. Currently, she is a
licensed psychologist with a private firm. Soon, she will work at
Mount Sinai in the area she is most passionate about – psychosocial
oncology. Lisa has been married for three years; her husband
Orlando owns one of the largest confectionary distributors in
South Florida. Although they do not have any children, they
Nicole Garcia ’99 is living
in Los Angeles, having moved
there in August to pursue her
acting career in television and
film. Last month, she was the
lead actress in an independent
short film called “Elevator.” She
now works at Knockout Productions, a company launched
by a fellow actor. Although her
dream is to be in film, she will
always love being on stage, and Nicole Garcia
continues to do so with her sister Vanessa Garcia ’97, who is the creator and founder of The
Krane Theatre and Arts Company, in which Nicole serves as
assistant artistic director. Vanessa writes most of the plays the
company performs throughout the world. Both alums traveled
47
to Amsterdam two years ago to participate in the American
Theatre Festival. Currently, Vanessa is writing a play that both
will perform in August in the largest theatre festival in the
world, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nicole also sings and writes
songs. One song she wrote and recorded, called “Baby It’s You”,
was recently placed on the second episode of an NBC prime
time show called “Mercy.”
Jennifer and her family
Lizzi Nuell ’02 and her husband, Ryan, celebrated
their first wedding anniversary this year. She is the talent
relations manager for the Food Network South Beach Wine
& Food Festival and Food Network New York City Wine &
Food Festival.
Jennifer Busto
Ruz ’99 graduated in 2007 from
Georgetown
Law
School, and has been
working as an international tax consultant at Deloitte. She
was married in 2008,
and welcomed her
daughter Genevieve Molly Nuell ’12 with Lizzi and Ryan
Carlienne Ruz in
Michelle Branchini ’03, Silvia Larrieu ’03, Alexandra
February 2009. JenPlasencia ’03, and Katie Branchini ’98 ran in the ING half
nifer and her husmarathon in January. In Silvia Larrieu’s words, “All I could
band are expecting
think about was crossing that finish line on Sunday and being
their second child
able to say, ‘I did it’ and having that personal sense of accomthis August.
plishment and knowing how much fun I had along the way.”
2000s
After graduating from
Carrollton,
Marjorie
“Jorie” Carr ’01 majored in political science
and double minored in
philosophy and business
law graduating Magna
Cum Laude in 2005 from
the University of Miami.
Jorie was accepted into
the U.M.’s Graduate Business Program and worked
there for two years as a
graduate assistant. She received an MBA in Finance
Jorie Carr and her mother,
and Management in 2007.
Joy Carr ’70
That summer, she worked
as an assistant horse trainer in Lexington, Kentucky before starting law school that fall.
Jorie is currently working at the Guardianship program of
Legal Aid. She plans to graduate from U.M. Law School this
spring and is taking the bar exam this summer. Jorie is still very
actively involved with show horses and spends much of her free
time competing at horse shows across the country.
48
Michelle, Silvia, Alexandra and Katie at the ING marathon.
Veronica de Zayas ’04 is in her second year at Notre Dame
Law School studying abroad in London.
Christine Valdes-Lora ’04 and Norman Ruiz-Castañeda were married on December 26 in a Christmas ceremony
with family and friends. Christine, being an event planner,
designed, planned and coordinated the entire event. Christine and Norman have been together since their high school
years and both attended the University of Florida. Christine is
currently pursuing a
Master’s in Hospitality
Management at FIU
and Norman graduated from UF College
of Pharmacy in April.
They plan to move to
Naples, Florida in the
near future.
Adrianna Diaz ’05
graduated from nursing
school and began working
at Baptist Hospital. She is
also engaged and is set to
marry in October 2010.
Adrianna and her
fiance
Christine and
Norman
An active member
in the community, Monica Defortuna’s ’05 philanthropic
experience includes serving on the Executive Committee of
Fashionably Conscious, Miami’s Leading Fashion Fundraiser
benefitting Coconut Grove Cares. Monica also serves on the
executive committee of MOCA Shakers, Museum of Contemporary Art’s Young Professional Group, building awareness for
the museum and the arts at large.
She participated in Zakarin/
Bernstein Summer 2009 Live
and Give Program, volunteering for various causes including
Empowered Youth, Camp Honey
Shine, Lotus House Shelter and
Overtown Youth Center. Defortuna has over two years of work
experience interning with Zakarin
Public Relations and Fortune
International’s marketing department. She received her B.S.
in Public Relations and Psychology from the University of
Miami in December 2009 and
is currently working as a junior
account executive at Zakarin
Public Relations.
Monica Defortuna
This past year Romina Espinosa ’06
was in two indie films and on
“Jonas” on the Disney Channel with
the Jonas Brothers. She also worked
on the TV show “90210.” Romina
is currently working on two projects
that are scheduled to be released this
fall or winter. She is also writing a
book, and plans on releasing it this
winter.
Ana Linares ’07 is currently a
third-year visual art studies major at the
Romina Espinosa
University of Florida. As
part of her curriculum,
she spent the summer
of 2009 studying Italian and studio art in
Florence, Italy. She
has spent the last three
years in Gainesville participating in several art
and art history organizations and performing
as a vocalist with UF’s
Fundamento Rumbero
Afro-Cuban ensemble. Ana Linares
She will graduate this
summer and is currently preparing for the LSAT exam.
Keep in touch!
We want to hear from you. Send your news and photos to
mcgarcia@carrollton.org
49
“We must know how to inspire in our pupils
a passion for the beautiful.”
– St. Madeleine Sophie Barat
With those simple words
Madeleine Sophie Barat
exhorted early Sacred Heart
educators to foster in students
an appreciation for the glory of
the world, a glory that is
reflected in all that surrounds
us and one that ultimately
reveals the glory of God.
As we open our senses to the
beauty found in all creation,
its mysteries become more
familiar and there is greater
comprehension of our roles in
the world and our relationship
to the Creator.
On these two pages, we offer
some of the students’ visual
representations of their passion
for the beautiful.
Introduction to Visual Arts students paint Miami landscapes.
50
Left: Third Grader Claudia Rodriguez-Weill with Mondrian inspired art
and clothing. Above left: Lion by Second Grader Gabriela Garity. Above
right: Butterfly study by Seventh Grader Nicola Haubold. Upper left corner:
Sixth Grader Victoria Lopez-Trujillo
Senior Ferila Sausi
Senior Claudine Fernandez
Junior Danielle Coloma
Seventh Grader Kaitlyn Wells
Eighth Grader Andrea Gonzalez-Mora
Third Grader Emma Rivas-Vazquez
Sixth Grader Cristina Amore
Eighth Grader Laura Rabassa
Second Grader Juliana Carrasco
51
Art Gallery Dedicated to Jay Weiss
Jay W. Weiss was father and grandfather to Carrollton alumnae, a former
member of the Board of Trustees and
the main force behind the construction
of the Barry Building. In his honor, the
school has dedicated
the newly installed
Jay Weiss Art Gallery
encompassing two
stories and staircase
display. This space
with its new wall
coverings and special lighting regularly
showcases the work
of the Junior High and High School art
students.
As a young man, Mr. Weiss moved
to Florida with his wife, Mary Beth, and
began working with his uncle and father
in the liquor industry. In the late 1960s,
he went on his own, partnering with a
business associate and purchasing what
would become Southern Wine & Spirits, the country’s largest liquor distributor. After Mary Beth died of leukemia
in 1977, Mr. Weiss established the Mary
Beth Weiss Research Center at Jackson
Memorial Hospital and later was responsible for securing millions of dollars to
make the Ryder Trauma Center a reality.
Carrollton has also been the beneficiary of Mr. Weiss’ extraordinary generosity and influence. His daughters,
Rayanne ’71 and Laurie ’75 are Carrollton alumnae; his daughters Jennie and
Laurie are former members of the Board
and his granddaughters, Lizzie ’02 and
Molly, Class of 2012 have continued his
legacy of service. His major gift was one
of the first, allowing Carrollton to purchase the Duchesne Campus.
His long standing and deeply spiritual relationship with former Carrollton
faculty member, Harriot Benoist, RSCJ,
led Mr. Weiss to underwrite the Living
Room of El Jardin which has since been
designated as the Benoist Room. His
compassion, sense of justice and love for
his fellow men transcended established
religions, politics and nationalities. He
was an extraordinary man and we have
been blessed by his actions, his legacy
and his family.
Alumnae Art Exhibit Inaugurates Art Gallery
T
he first annual Alumnae been created over the years. The
Art Exhibit debuted on Alumnae Office, with the expertise
Saturday, Jan. 23 dur- of the Art Department, collaborated
ing the Alumnae Reunion
in collecting the different works and
Reception. Thirty works of art of various displaying them seamlessly throughmedia from 21 alumnae were on display out the gallery area and library. The
throughout the Jay Weiss Art Gallery art teachers were delighted and proud
in the Barry Building. To the majestic to once again display the work of their
music of a harp, alumnae and guests former students on the High School
browsed through the gallery and enjoyed walls and in Founders Library. The
viewing the different art works. The art was exhibit was open for viewing to all
also electronically showcased in Founders Carrollton constituencies until early
Library
through
the
library February. We look forward to welcoming
kiosks and the Smart Board.
alumnae art once again next year!
Alumnae
responded
with
great enthusiasm
and embraced the
opportunity
to
showcase
their
work. Many created special pieces
specifically
for
the exhibit; others
submitted
work that had Sister Cooke and Laurie Weiss Nuell ’75 tour the Jay Weiss Art
Gallery during the Alumae Reunion Reception.
52
52
pring2010
2010LLaaPPlume
lume
SSpring
Alumnae Exhibitors
Terry Loeffler Abramson ’76
Christina Algeciras ’94
Claire Brown ’92
Cynthia Thiry Camayd ’99
Carolina de Armas ’08
Lourdes Diego ’87
Jayne Elder ’76
Sarah Ettman-Sterner ’76
Vanessa Garcia ’97
Vanessa Bolano Gonzalez ’00
Ana Haydee Linares ’07
Natalia Macias ’09
Marissa Mignone ’07
Cecilia Hernandez Nichols ’84
Alejandra Prieto-Valle ’01
Monica Bolano Proud ’95
Melissa Daniello Regina ’97
Guilaine Lamar Sosa ’87
Maria Teresa Tupini ’09
Stephanie Vara ’09
Maureen McQuillan Winger ’82
53
Carrollton
School of the Sacred Heart
3747 Main Highway • Miami, Florida 33133
54
FOR PARENTS OF ALUMNAE ONLY: If this magazine is addressed to your daughter
maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office of the
correct mailing address by calling (305) 446-5673, ext. 1250.
Spring 2010who
La Plume
no longer

spring 2010 - Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart

Transcription

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