The Torch
Vol. XXXII
St. Mary’s Dominican High School
2019-2020
2019 - 2020
From the President Dear St. Mary’s Dominican High School Community,
“My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19
As we ended the 2019-2020 school year and now begin the 2020-2021 school year, we remain assured that God provides. We, as members of the St. Mary’s Dominican High School Community, offer the gifts we have, God blesses them, and not only are needs met, we can have abundance. We lean on God and each other as we continue serving the Dominican Catholic formational and educational needs of our students. We are particularly proud of the Class of 2020 and congratulate them for their many accomplishments. Even though the graduates did not get to enjoy their last days on campus enjoying the long awaited senior activities, in faith we believe that God sees sacrifices, disappointments, fears, and weariness and, in His great providence, brings forth something greater than we could have ever imagined. Time will reveal it, and eyes of faith will see it. For this, we pray. Let us pray for the Dominican students, faculty, and staff who are beginning the 20202021 school year. As the school community forges ahead with confidence in the faithfulness of God, we pray for our school community through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, the Patroness of our school. Students will begin the year using a Hybrid School Setting. Eighth graders will attend classes on campus every day. All other class levels will be divided by alphabetical order into two groups and alternate days on campus. Dominican is also offering an “all virtual” option for students whose parents request it. Whether on campus or at home, all students will attend all their classes everyday synchronously. We are particularly grateful to our Principal, Mrs. Carolyn Favre, OPA, the school instructional administration, Mrs. Jennifer Drouant, OP, Mrs. Patricia Byrne, and Mrs. Katey Alexander, along with the academic department chairs and faculty members who planned and carried on Dominican education under extraordinary circumstances to finish last school year. In addition, they, along with Mr. Dennis Panepinto, Director of COVID-19: Compliance and Logistics, have spent countless hours planning for the 2020-2021 school year. A toast of praise to each administrator and faculty member for your generosity and your care for our students. We are also grateful for all our school personnel who, by their generous service and dedication to the school mission, free the instructional area to focus specifically on the Catholic college-preparatory program for our students. We hope everyone enjoys reading this edition of The Torch which covers Dominican in more normal circumstances and, also, in the “new normal” during the pandemic. Truly, the blessings of our school community remain apparent, and we thank God for them. Blessings and Peace, Cynthia A. Thomas, Ed.D President
MISSION STATEMENT St. Mary’s Dominican High School, sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Peace, is a Catholic college-preparatory program for young women rooted in the tradition of prayer, study, community, and service. With Jesus at the center, the Dominican community preaches the Word, radiates joy, advocates peace, promotes justice, seeks Truth, manifests Catholic values, and ministers to others.
In This Issue ON THE COVER
Terrance Osborne commissioned relief painting of St. Mary’s Dominican High School. The Osborne prints can be purchased via http://www.stmarysdominican. org/osborne-painting/
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Class of 2020........
10
Student Achievement
Personnel Achievement
22
18
.......Athletics
28
Community Involvement...
30
Classroom, Club & Student Activities
36
Special School Events
42
Virtual Home ......Learning
Alumnae......
55
50
Spreading .......Good Will
58
All About Alumnae......
Class of 2020
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Student Achievement
Class of 2020
The Valedictory Award, presented to the honor graduates who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average in their program of studies, was merited by seniors Lyndsey Jones and Tessa Paul.
Elise Bourg
Lyndsey will attend Xavier University of Louisiana that awarded her the Board of Trustees Scholarship. She plans to be a psychology pre-med major. Her senior year she was vice president of the National Honor Society. She received the Frederic Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award from the University of Rochester in recognition of an outstanding commitment to social justice. Tessa, an AP Scholar with Honor, plans to major in kinesiology pre-med at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that awarded her the Live Oak Scholarship. She was a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and Biotechnology Club. She also ran Cross Country and Track and Field.
Lyndsey Jones
Tessa Paul
The Salutatory Award, presented to the honor graduate who achieved the second highest cumulative grade point average in her program of studies, was merited by senior Elise Bourg. She plans to major in theatre management at the University of Oklahoma Norman Campus that offered her the Award of Excellence Scholarship. An AP Scholar with Honor, she was a Student Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, and a member of Choir, Drama Club, Liturgical Music, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, and Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Veritas 2 | The Torch - 2019-2020
Four graduates were selected by leadership, administration, and faculty to receive the Veritas Award, the most prestigious Dominican award, in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments in Dominican’s four pillars of prayer, study, community, and service. Award recipients were (from left) Mary Alexander, Madison Bertucci, Alyssa Helwig, and Gloria Thomas.
Class of 2020
The Mother Mary Magdalen O’Farrell, O.P. Service Award, was presented to Elise Bourg in recognition of her outstanding and dedicated service to St. Mary’s Dominican High School. Dominican life and growth are mirrored in the honoree’s reflection of the school’s philosophy by belief in God and respect for the dignity of all human beings.
Mary Alexander was presented the Sister Mary Ambrose Reggio, O.P. Alumnae Award. The honoree was selected by her classmates as most representative of Dominican spirit and ideals. Dominican’s motto, “To Praise, to Bless, to Preach” is an integral part of the honoree's life, as is her commitment to truth, Veritas.
Elise Bourg was presented the inaugural Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) Award because she exempli fied the motto of the AOH–friendship, unity, and Christian charity. The AOH is America’s oldest Irish Catholic Fraternal Organization started in May 1836. The members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians greeted the seven Dominican sisters from St. Mary’s Convent in Cabra, Ireland, when they arrived in New Orleans on November 5, 1860.
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Student Achievement
Scholarship Offers Seniors earn more than $11 million in scholarships
Members of the Class of 2020 earned more than $11 million in scholarships and awards as of May 2020.*
MARY LOUISE ALEXANDER Louisiana Tiger Legacy Superior Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University
SOFIA BARROS-CASANOVA Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, President's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans
ANNAMARIE NICOLE ALLEN General Academic Merit Scholarship to Belmont University, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University
ALLY ELIZABETH BAUDOUIN Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship to Mississippi State University Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Outstanding Student Scholarship to Louisiana Tech University
ARIANA MARIE ALLEN Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans EMMA CLAIRE BARNES Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Award to Louisiana State University, Catholic High school Award to Regis University, Presidential Scholarship to Regis University, Honors Scholarship Award to Regis University, Chancellor Scholar to University of Denver, Live Oak Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Presidential Scholarship to University of Alabama, Catholic High School Award to Saint Louis University, Vice President Tuition Scholarship to Saint Louis University, Trustee Scholarship to Gonzaga University, University Scholars to University of New England KYLIE HUNTER BARRÉ Chancellor Scholar Award to University of Denver
BLAKE ROSE BEAULIEU Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans MADISON MARIE BERTUCCI Academic Excellence Scholarship to Millsaps College, Presidential Scholarship to Millsaps College, Academic Excellent Full Tuition to University of Southern Mississippi, Academic Merit Non-Resident Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Academic Merit Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Citizenship Award to Spring Hill College, Presidential Scholar Award to Spring Hill College, Colvard Future Leadership Scholarship at Mississippi State University, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to Mississippi State University Dean's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Flagship Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Award to Louisiana State University, Founders Award to Tulane University
CATHERINE ANN BICKERTON Dean's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans Millsaps Presidential Scholarship to Millsaps College, Academic Excellence Scholarship to Millsaps College ATRAVIAN TRANICE BICKHAM Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans AMANDA ANN BOLDEN Arizona Recognition Award to University of Arizona, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University Maryland, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans VICTORIA DIANA BORDELON UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans OLIVIA ANN BOUDREAUX Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University
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*Does not include Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) awards.
Dominican has made us our generation's best problem solvers and intuitive thinkers. Tessa Paul ’20, Valedictorian
The Class of 2020 gained acceptance into 92 colleges and universities around the United States and internationally
American University (School of Public Affairs) • Auburn University • Baylor University • Belmont University • Beloit College • Birmingham Southern College • Boston University • Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo • Centenary College of Louisiana • City College of New York CUNY • Coastal Carolina University • Delgado Community College • Dillard University • Eckerd College • Florida State University • Fordham University • Furman University • Gonzaga University • Hampton University • Hawaii Pacific University • Howard University • Husson University • Illinois Wesleyan University • Johns Hopkins University • Langston University • Lipscomb University • Louisiana Scholar's College at Northwestern State University • Louisiana State University • Louisiana Tech University • Loyola University Chicago • Loyola University Maryland • Loyola University New Orleans • Lynn University • Michigan State University • Millsaps College • Mississippi State University • Montclair State University • New York University • Nicholls State University • Northwestern State University of Louisiana • Nova Southeastern University • Philander Smith College • Queens College of the CUNY • Regis University • Rhodes College • Rochester Institute of Technology • Saint Edward's University • Saint Leo University • Saint Louis University • Saint Michael's College • Samford University • Sewanee: The University of the South • Southeastern Louisiana University • Southern Methodist University • Spelman College • Spring Hill College • Stonehill College • Temple University • Texas A&M International University • Texas A&M University, Galveston • Texas Christian University • The University of Alabama • The University of Arizona • The University of Tampa • The University of Tennessee-Knoxville • Transylvania University • Tulane University of Louisiana • University of California-Santa Barbara • University of Central Florida • University of Dallas • University of Denver • University of Florida • University of Holy Cross • University of Kentucky • University of Louisiana at Lafayette • University of Louisiana at Monroe • University of Michigan-Flint • University of Mississippi • University of New England • University of New Orleans • University of North Carolina at Asheville • University of North Carolina at Charlotte • University of North Texas • University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus • University of Portland • University of San Diego • University of San Francisco • University of South Alabama • University of South Carolina-Columbia • University of Southern Mississippi • University of St Andrews • Xavier University of Louisiana
4 | The Torch - 2019-2020
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Student Achievement
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ELISE DOROTHY BOURG Academic Excellence Scholarship to Northwestern State University, NSU Award to Northwestern State University, Outstanding Student Scholarship to Northwestern State University, Presidential Honors to Northwestern State University, Presidential Scholarship to Northwestern State University, Academic Heritage Scholarship to Auburn University, Award of Excellence at the University of Oklahoma, Founder's Scholarship to Temple University, Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, President's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Montclair State's National Student Scholarship, Out-of-State Tuition Waiver Scholarship to Florida State University, Southeastern University District Rally 2019, Peter C. Bertucci Scholarship Award from Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union to the college of her choice ALEXANDRA LEE BROTHERS LA Tiger Legacy Superior Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University ABIGAIL MICHEL BROWN Academic Excellence Scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi JORDYN ALEXIS BROWN Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette LAUREN ELIZABETH CAGE Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana state University
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REESE MARIE CENTANNI Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University RILEIGH ROSE CENTANNI Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Trustee Scholarship to Centenary College of Louisiana, Campus Visit Award to Centenary College of Louisiana OLIVIA MAI-YE CHEUNG Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Merit Scholarship to Louisiana State University, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans
Scholarship Offers
Dominican, thank you for every lesson taught, both inside and outside the classroom, and giving us space and support to grow. Lyndsey Jones ’20, Valedictorian
LAILA ELIZABETH COOK UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans BAILEY MADISON DAUZAT Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana state University GRACE OLIVIA DIFRANCO Damen Scholarship to Loyola University Chicago, Dean's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, UNO Dean scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans NATALIE PHUONG-THAO DINH Dean's Scholarship to the University of New Orleans, Provost Scholarship to the University of New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Presidential Scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University ASHLEY ELIZABETH DUFOUR Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University TIONNE JAYNA DUNCAN Innovation Award to Louisiana State University MACI MILAN DUPLESSIS Academic Excellence Scholarship to Millsaps College, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Scholarship, Gautrelet Award to Spring Hill College, Millsaps Award to Millsaps College, The Pine Tree Scholarship to Husson University
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ANNA KAREN FAYARD Housing Scholarship to University Louisiana at Lafayette, Academic Scholarship to Baylor University, Davis Scholarship to Samford University, Ecce Quam Bonum Award to University of the South, General Academic Merit Scholarship to Belmont University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Magnolia Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Merit Scholarship to Lipscomb University, Presidential Scholar Award to Spring Hill College, Regional Catholic High School Scholarship to University of Dallas, University of Dallas Trustee Scholarship, Dominican Sisters, Congregation of St. Mary, and St. Mary’s Dominican College Scholarship to the Catholic college of her choice ALINE JANE FIRMIN Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University
MADELEINE ROSE FITZMORRIS Innovation Award to Louisiana State University MARIE THÉRÈSE LIN FRANCIONI Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette MACY DOLORES FREEMAN Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette EMILY MARIE GAUDIN Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Outstanding Student Scholarship to Louisiana Tech University
PELARR BREIONKA MEEKS EDWARDS Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans
HUNTER ALEXANDERIA GETTRIDGE Academic Excellence Scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, Merit Scholarship to Hampton University
RÉGAN ANDREE ELLIS Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University
MYRIEL SHABRELL GREEN Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University
ALEXIS SAYRE FAVALORA LA Tiger Legacy Superior Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Music Premiere Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University
MORGAN ELIZABETH GUNNELS Academic Excellence Scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans
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Scholarship Offers LUCY ANN HARPER Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, LA Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University EMILY ALLISON HEIM Louisiana Tiger Legacy Merit Scholarship to Louisiana State University, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans KATE ALEXANDRA HELLER President Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans, Tutwiler Scholarship to University of Alabama, UA Scholar Scholarship 2020 to University of Alabama ALYSSA GABRIELLE HELWIG UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans ADELE ELIZABETH HOTH Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University ZOEE NOELLE HUNTER Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Colvard Future Leadership Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to Mississippi State University MUOSEKALO LOIS ITUAH Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University KIRSTEN LYNN JONES Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Recognition Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans
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Student Achievement
LYNDSEY PAIGE JONES Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Board of Trustees Scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana REVA VALENCIA KELLER Merit Scholarship to Dillard University BRITNEY ALEXIS KELLY Louisiana Tiger Legacy Merit Scholarship to Louisiana State University OLIVIA EVY KELLY Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, President Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans ALEXANDRA GLYNN LANASA Academic Excellence Full Tuition to the University of Southern Mississippi, Elmira College Key Award, Founders Award to Tulane University, Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Dean's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans ELISE MARIE LANDRUM Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University BRYCE MARTZ LEONHARD Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University VIVIAN CELING LIU Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Presidential Scholarship Award to University of San Francisco, Presidential Scholarship to Loyola University Chicago, Southeastern University District Rally 2019
CHLOE ALYSSA MAHL Gautrelet Award to Spring Hill College, The 1830 Scholar Award to Spring Hill College GRACIE MAE MANTHEY Academic Merit 8 Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Academic Merit NR8 Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Flagship Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, UA Scholar Scholarship to University of Alabama EMMA CLAIRE MANTOOTH Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Lucille C. Little Drama Scholarship to Transylvania University, Pioneer Scholarship to Transylvania University, Achievement Award to Transylvania University HALLIE VICTORIA MATHERNE Academic Merit Non-Resident Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Academic Merit Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, STEM Major Non-Resident Scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Book Award Scholarship to Saint Michael's College, Collegiate Scholar Scholarship to University of Alabama, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Presidential Scholar Award to Spring Hill College, Provost Scholarship to the University of New Orleans SARA EMELINA MEDINA GARCIA Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University KENNEDI ELIZABETH MELANCON Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Catholic High School Award to Saint Louis University, Vice Presidents' Scholarship to Saint Louis University, UT Volunteer Scholarship
We have more dreams to accomplish and more changes to encounter(...) These will be hard. They will require effort, but Dominican has engrained in us how to succeed even when things do not turn out how we expect them to.
6 | The Torch - 2019-2020
Tessa Paul ’20, Valedictorian
Student Achievement COURTNEY SADE MERCADEL Innovation Award to Louisiana State University ISABELLA ELIZABETH MOREL Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University MATTIE CAMILLE MOREL Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University MEAGAN ELIZABETH MORICI Academic Excellence Scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, Colvard Future Leadership Scholarship at Mississippi State University, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Dean's Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Presidential Scholar Award to Spring Hill College, Ralph C. Hon Scholarship to Rhodes College, Spencer Fellowship to Rhodes College SHELBY ELIZABETH MORRIS Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, True Blue Scholarship to Auburn University MORGAN CLARE MUSCARELLO Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette ZOE CHERICE NELSON Entergy Community Power Scholarship to the college of her choice, Hettie M. Fincher Scholarship - NSU Foundation Scholarship, Presidential Leadership to Northwestern State University JADE MARIE NGUYEN Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Recognition Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans MIA HUONG NGUYEN Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Xavier Academic Scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana ISABELLA GRACEN OCKMAN Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Provost Scholarship to the University of New Orleans
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Scholarship Offers
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for creating a community that not only encourages people academically, but also artistically. Elise Bourg ’20, Salutatorian
ONYINYECHI CRYSTAL OKEKE Dean's Scholarship to the University of New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University ALYSSA MICHELE ORDOYNE Athletic Scholar Award to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Recognition Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Chitimatcha Tribe of Louisiana Scholarship AUDREY MARIE OWEN Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans IYIAN MYKIEL PAIGE Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans CELESTE AIMÉE PATRON Alumni Global Leaders Award to Louisiana State University, Flagship Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, National Merit Finalist Scholarship to University of Alabama, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Presidential Scholarship to University of Alabama, Presidential Scholarship to Tulane University, Tulane University National Merit Scholarship Corporation Scholarship, Southeastern University District Rally 2019, National Merit Scholarship Corporation Finalist TESSA LOUISE PAUL Archbishop Christie Scholarship to University of Portland, Distinguished Scholars Award to Tulane University, Flagship Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Live Oak Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, TAMUG Academic Freshman Scholarship
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KENNEDY RENÉ PAYNE Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Tulane Alumni Donors Award JAELYN BREANNE PAYTON Innovation Award to Louisiana State University REAGAN JANE PERRY Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Academic Scholarship to Baylor University, Rit Presidential Scholarship OLIVIA MARIA PEYTON LA Tiger Legacy Merit Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Athletic Scholarship for Volleyball to Spring Hill College JULIA DELANEY PITTMAN Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University ABIGAIL LEE PRATT Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans NATALIE ANNE QUEYROUZE Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Capstone Scholarship to University of Alabama, Tutwiler Scholarship to University to Alabama ELEXIS KATHRYN RAYMOND Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University JOY CHRISTIANE RICHARDSON Xavier Academic Scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana GABRIELA ELENA RIVERA UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans
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Scholarship Offers
Student Achievement
LAINE MARIE ROBERTS Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University
ERIN ELISE SEQUEIRA Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University
SARAH ROSE ROGERS Academic Excellence Fee Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Student Excellence Fee Increase Hardship Exemption Scholarship to Louisiana State University, UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans
JULIA ANN SLATTERY Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Innovation Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University
MIRIAM ELIZABETH ROMERO Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette ELLE JANE SALOMON Innovation Award to Louisiana State University RACHEL CATHERINE SCHLOSSER Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Tutwiler Scholarship to University of Alabama, UA Scholar Scholarship to University of Alabama MARGARET MARY SCHMIDT Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University CELESTE LYNN SCHONBERG Academic Heritage Scholarship to Auburn University, Academic Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University, Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Colvard Future Leadership Scholarship at Mississippi State University, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship to Mississippi State University, Non-Resident Competitive Scholarship Tuition Waiver to Texas A&M Galveston, TAMUG Academic Freshman Scholarship, NSU Dean's Scholarship to Nova Southeastern University, Shark Legacy Scholarship to Nova Southeastern University, Eckerd College Founders Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship to Coastal Carolina University, University Scholar AwardWaiver to Coastal Carolina University, UT Merit Scholarship
ABIGAIL CLAIRE SIRE UNO Dean Scholarship Award to the University of New Orleans
EMMA VIRGINIA SPRAGUE Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University TAI ALEJANDRA SUTHERLAND Founders Award to Tulane University MIA ELLEN TAYLOR Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans DASIA KAYLIN THOMAS Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans GLORIA ELIZABETH THOMAS Dean's Award to Beloit College, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Recognition Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans NAYAH REQUELL THOMAS Merit Scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana, Academic Excellence Scholarship to Millsaps College, Millsaps Award to Millsaps College CHLOE GERALD TOWNSEND Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University KELLIE LYNN TUCKER Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University
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ISABELLA DENALI WAGNER Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Recognition Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans EMILIE CATHERINE WENSEL Provost Scholarship to the University of New Orleans, Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University AUDREY VIRGINIA WILSON Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University AMAYA MICHELLE WILTZ Tiger Excellence Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Hampton University Leadership Scholarship, Hampton University Need Leadership Scholarship, Merit Scholarship to Hampton University GRACE CLAUDIA WOOD Academic Scholar Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tiger Legacy Excellence Scholarship to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University JENNIFER ANN YRLE UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans IRENE YU Deans' Honor Scholarship to Tulane University Flagship Scholars Resident Award to Louisiana State University, LSU Alumni Association Global Leaders Award to Louisiana State University, President's Student Aid Job to Louisiana State University CATHERINE MARIE ZIMMERMANN Academic Excellence Scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, Cypress Scholarship to University of Louisiana Lafayette, Gordon Faithful Leadership Book Award to Gordon College, LA Tiger Legacy Superior Scholarship to Louisiana State University, Transformation Merit Resident Award to Louisiana State University, Legacy Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana Resident Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola Scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, Portier Leader Award at Spring Hill College, The 1830 Scholar Award to Spring Hill College, UNO Institutional Award to the University of New Orleans, USA Freshman Admission Scholarship to University of South Alabama
Quarantine: Despite the uncertainty with the work that needed to be finished, Dominican altered our perception to show us what truly matters most — each other. No one ever let us forget that we were at the heart of all of their decisions no matter how far we all were. (...) They showed us that hard work matters, but love and relationships are key.
8 | The Torch - 2019-2020
Lyndsey Jones ’20, Valedictorian
Profile of a Dominican Graduate A Dominican graduate is encouraged to be a woman of integrity who seeks Truth, Veritas. Embracing the Dominican program and aspiring to its ideals, she:
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National Merit
Student Achievement
NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FINALIST
N
ational Merit® Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) has recognized St. Mary’s Dominican High School senior Celeste Patron as National Merit Finalist.
She is among approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit® Scholarship Program who met academic and other requirements to advance to the Finalist standing. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million collectively.
Celeste Patron
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 430 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NSMC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
AP Scholars
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n September 2019, one junior, and twenty-eight seniors and Class of 2019 alumnae of St. Mary’s Dominican High School earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the collegelevel Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams. AP tests are scored on a scale of 1-5. The AP Scholar designation recognizes students who earned scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. The AP Scholar with Honor designation recognizes students who earned an average of 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more AP exams. The AP Scholar with Distinction designation recognizes students who earned an average score of 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scored 3 or higher on five or more AP exams.
Elise Bourg ’20 AP Scholar with Honor
Brooke Boyd ’20 AP Scholar with Distinction
Colette Carriere ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
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Marion Boyd ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Julia Cazabon ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Student Achievement
AP Scholars
Saheba Cuccia ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Anne D’Armond ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Madelyn DeRamus ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Rose Doskey ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Gabrielle Duhe ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Patricia Kelly Jackson ’19 AP Scholar with Honor
Margaret Latham ’19 AP Scholar with Honor
Madison Lewis ’19 AP Scholar
Katherine Mazzanti ’19 AP Scholar with Honor
Isabelle Mermilliod ’19 AP Scholar
Sara Miller ’20 AP Scholar
Ashley Patron ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
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Student Achievement
AP Scholars
Celeste Patron ’20 AP Scholar with Honor
Tessa Paul ’20 AP Scholar with Honor
Sydney Raymond ’21 AP Scholar
Eugenie Rodrigue ’19 AP Scholar
Camille Scandurro ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Celeste Schonberg ’20 AP Scholar with Distinction
Olivia Singleton ’19 AP Scholar with Distinction
Isabela Tablan ’19 AP Scholar
Chloe Whitcomb ’19 AP Scholar
Haley Williams ’19 AP Scholar
Irene Yu ’20 AP Scholar
Anjah Yunusah ’19 AP Scholar
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Every year, Dominican honors the achievements students have earned during the school year at Academic Honor Day. This year, we were not able to honor the students at Academic Honor Day because of home distance learning. Below are the students who earned recognition in District Rally, National Latin Exam, and National Greek Exam. Students are also recognized for the service they performed throughout their years at Dominican. National Greek Exam Merit: Meagan Morici, Brooke Boyd, and Irene Yu National Latin Exam LATIN I Gold Summa Cum Laude – Kathryn Fine Silver Maxima Cum Laude – Camille "C.C." Truxillo and Sydney Raymond Magna Cum Laude – Catherine Redmann, Margaret Redmann, and Samantha Wild LATIN II Silver Maxima Cum Laude – Katherine Harper and Taylor Hemelt Cum Laude – Katherine Ellis, Katherine Gomez, Lily Martory, and Margaret Miller LATIN III Gold Summa Cum Laude – Jane Bickerton, Jasmine Ferrier, and Jenna Thomas Silver Maxima Cum Laude – Elizabeth Mobley, Kaylie Nguyen, and Kate Weiss Magna Cum Laude – Ada Holmes Cum Laude – Maeve Storm LATIN IV POETRY Silver Maxima Cum Laude – Shelby Jackson Magna Cum Laude – Emily Dominique and Jenna Pertuit Cum Laude – Lucy Hansen and Audrey Wild Knights of Columbus Irene Yu received the Knights of Columbus Award, given to the senior who has displayed the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism, and in doing so has displayed the highest degree of citizenship by helping others, especially those less fortunate. Outstanding Parish Youth awards Four St. Mary’s Dominican High School students were among the honorees recognized for their commitment to their parishes in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Among the Outstanding Youth Award honorees were Ellie Dalton '22 – Immaculate Conception (Marrero), Kelci Lewis '23 – St. Raymond-St. Leo (New Orleans), Morgan Muscarello '20 – St. Christopher (Metairie), and Erin Sequeira '20 – St. Dominic (New Orleans). The award recognizes the honorees’ leadership and service in their Church parish. Service Hour awards In their years at Dominican, the Class of 2020 completed 28,845 hours of service. Thirty-one students earned the St. Mary’s Dominican Service Award by performing more than 200 hours. Eight students completed more than 500 hours of service: Aline Firmin, Hunter Gettridge, Lyndsey Jones, Hallie Matherne, Abigail Pratt, Celeste Schonberg, Kellie Tucker, and Anita Whitner. Class of 2021 - Twenty-one students earned the St. Mary’s Dominican Service Award by performing more than 200 hours. Two students completed more than 500 hours of service: Caroline Alleman and Elana Perriott.
Academic Honors District Rally ALGEBRA I Kathryn Fine - District Qualifier, State Qualifier ALGEBRA II Elizabeth Mobley - District Qualifier, State Qualifier, Southeastern Scholarship Winner BIOLOGY Abi Scanlan - District Qualifier, State Qualifier BIOLOGY II Elise Bourg - District Qualifier Sara Fath - District Qualifier, State Qualifier, Southeastern Scholarship Winner CALCULUS Tessa Paul - District Qualifier, State Qualifier CHEMISTRY Lucy Perschall - District Qualifier, State Qualifier CIVICS Grace Wood - District Qualifier, State Qualifier ENGLISH I Camille "C.C." Truxillo - District Qualifier, State Qualifier ENGLISH II Amelia Haab - District Qualifier, State Qualifier ENGLISH IV Audrey Wild - District Qualifier, State Qualifier FINE ARTS SURVEY Lizette Gowland - District Qualifier, State Qualifier, Southeastern Scholarship Winner
FRENCH I Violet Miles - District Qualifier, State Qualifier FRENCH II Kayla Prevost - District Qualifier, State Qualifier FRENCH III Sara Landry - District Qualifier, State Qualifier GEOMETRY Charlotte Raymond - District Qualifier, State Qualifier HEALTH Annie Carr - District Qualifier Allie Koenig - District Qualifier, State Qualifier, Southeastern Scholarship Winner JOURNALISM Morgan Muscarello - District Qualifier, State Qualifier PHYSICAL SCIENCE Sahithi Koneru - District Qualifier Meredith Konochek District Qualifier, State Qualifier, Southeastern Scholarship Winner SPANISH I Gia Karter - District Qualifier, State Qualifier SPANISH III Betsy Cao - District Qualifier, State Qualifier SPANISH IV Sophia Forest - District Qualifier, State Qualifier
Book Awards Book Awards are presented in recognition of academic excellence, strong character, and commitment to community service. Washington & Lee: Sydney Raymond; Tulane: Daja’h Saul Brandeis: Rebekah Haase; and George Washington: Audrey Wild.
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Academic Honors
Student Achievement
THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST
Dominican sophomore Samantha White was awarded second place in The Historic New Orleans Collection’s (THNOC) inaugural student essay contest that asked students in grades 6-12 to reflect on experiences that have inspired them to create change. THNOC received nearly 200 submissions for the contest. Emerging essay themes included environmental awareness, racism, bullying and the need for kindness, and questioning the system of thought and power in the world. In her essay, “My Voice Will Be Heard,” White gave a detailed account of the inspiration she found visiting sites related to the civil rights movement. “We were so impressed with the submissions,” said Ms. Jenny Schwartzberg, THNOC’s curator of education. “We did not expect the level of engagement or the quality that we saw demonstrated in so many of the essays that we received.” Most of the respondents were from across Louisiana, but several essayists hailed from Illinois and Montana. Student essay contest winners are on the THNOC website. “Instead of us bringing our stories to students,” Schwartzberg said, “we wanted them to bring their stories and their voices to us.” She noted that in the environment of the coronavirus pandemic, these students’ examinations of history and visions for the future “were so hopeful to read. These are the kids who will be tackling the problems of the world in the years to come.” In her congratulations email to White, Schwartzberg shared that the judges’ panel was impressed by White’s essay’s ability “to link historical change-makers with your own experiences. Your voice as a writer is strong and clear, and led your essay to stand out among the almost 200 submissions we received.”
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St. Mary’s Dominican High School art students (Front Row, from left): Emily Heim, Bryce Leonhard, Celeste Patron, Sara Sciortino, Bailey Sudderth, and Anita Whitner. Back Row: Faith Bass, Victoria Chan, Grace Davila, Madeleine Fitzmorris, and Emily Gaudin. Not Pictured: Grace Beard and Onyinyechi Okeke.
SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS Dominican students were recognized at the regional level for the 2020 Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards for the Southwest Art Region-At-Large. Students who received Gold Key awards will continue to the national competition. The Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, whose mission is to identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards. Through the awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. For the first time, a Dominican student was nominated for American Voices and Visions. Five works of writing and five works of art from each region are selected by local judges as American Voices & Visions nominees, who are then celebrated in local exhibitions and ceremonies. The recognized students who are in Art II Honors and Art III AP classes taught by Ms. Angelle Caffery are: Faith Bass, Honorable Mention, Drawing & Illustration, Stomping on Fears; Grace Beard, Honorable Mention, Mixed Media, The Harm in Heartbreak; Victoria Chan, Honorable Mention, Sculpture, Pimple Problem: A Nuisance to Society; Silver Key, Photography, Metatarsal Obsession; Gold Key, Mixed Media, Screw Beauty; and Honorable Mention, Digital Art, Sun Kissed Bubble Pop; Grace Davila, Honorable Mention, Drawing & Illustration, Overgrown and Spooky; Madeleine Fitzmorris, Silver Key, Drawing & Illustration, Welcome to Chili’s; Emily Gaudin, Silver Key, Drawing & Illustration, Security Blanket; Emily Heim, Honorable Mention, Drawing & Illustration, Legacy; Bryce Leonhard, Silver Key, Drawing & Illustration, The Stigmata; and Gold Key, Mixed Media, My Eyes Are Up Here; Onyinyechi Okeke, Honorable Mention, Photography, Stitches and Afterimage; Celeste Patron, American Voices and Vision Nominee, Gold Key, Drawing & Illustration, Reflections Abstracted; Silver Key, Mixed Media, Birthday Reflections; and Honorable Mention, Mixed Media, Sister Matrix; Sara Sciortino, Gold Key, Digital Art, Radio City; Bailey Sudderth, Honorable Mention, Drawing & Illustration, Faith; Anita Whitner, Honorable Mention, Drawing & Illustration, Steak Shake.
Study
Student Achievement
National Council of Teachers of English Awards
Academic Honors NCTE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS IN WRITING St. Mary’s Dominican High School juniors Emily Hemelt and Sydney Raymond have been selected for a 2020 Achievement Award in Writing, given by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Both students submitted works in the genres of poetry, fiction, and personal narrative. This school term, they were in Ms. Casey Lefante’s English IV AP class.
Emily Hemelt
Sydney Raymond
The NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing is a school-based writing program established in 1957 to encourage high school students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation. Only students who are juniors may participate. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, American schools abroad, and the Virgin Islands are eligible to nominate students for the writing program.
This year, schools nominated 370 students. Of that number, 137 received Certificates of Superior Writing and 233 received Certificates of Nomination. Each student submitted two pieces of writing. Two independent judges scored each submission on expression of ideas, language use, and unique perspective and voice. PROMISING YOUNG WRITERS St. Mary’s Dominican High School 8th graders Camille “C.C.” Truxillo and Samantha Wild have been recognized as Promising Young Writers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). They are the only two recipients from Louisiana this year. This school term, they were students in Ms. Casey Lefante’s English I Honors class. The Promising Young Writers Program represents NCTE’s commitment to early and continuing work in the development of writing. The school-based writing program was established in 1985 to stimulate and recognize writing talents and to emphasize the importance of writing skills among eighth-grade students. Schools in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, American schools abroad, and the Virgin Islands are eligible to nominate students.
C.C. Truxillo
Samantha Wild
This year, schools nominated 131 students. Of that number, 52 received the highest award, Certificates of Recognition, and 79 received Certificates of Participation. Each student submitted two pieces of writing. Two independent judges evaluated each submission holistically on content, purpose, audience, tone, word choice, organization, development, and style. NATIONAL 'CELEBRATING ART' CONTEST Artwork by Dominican sophomore Catherine Mansfield is among the top 25% entries selected for publication by CelebratingArt.com, devoted to the promotion and appreciation of student art. Mansfield is a student in Ms. Rosalie Abadie’s Art I class. The CelebratingArt.com contests, sponsored by Blick Art Materials, are for students in grade levels K-12. The intent of the student art contests is to motivate student artists. The top entries are published in its semiannual art anthology book that will record the creative works of today’s student artists. “For my Art I first quarter project, I wanted to create a piece that was detailed but could still be viewed easily as a whole, coherent picture. Since the project was a pencil shading project, I had to pick a picture with strong dark and light values to use the pencil to its full extent,” said Mansfield. “The tall arches, columns, and windows of this church ceiling seemed to fit these criteria perfectly. Several weeks and three stubby pencils later, I had created a piece that I hope pays adequate homage to the intricate architecture of gothic churches.” Mansfield said that having her art included in Celebrating Art’s anthology book, “is an honor that I am very grateful for. In the future, I hope that I can continue to improve my art and use it to give recognition to the beauty of God’s work.”
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Academic Honors
SENIOR ATTENDS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHY CAMP Senior Isabella Wagner shares her perspective and photography from a National Geographic Photo Camp she attended at the Lowlander Center. Located in Gray, Louisiana, the center supports lowland communities and places, both inland and coastal, for the benefit of both people and environment. To date, National Geographic has sponsored 85 photo camps with thousands of students in more than 20 countries. The photo camps are aimed at students who wish to tell their stories through photography. National Geographic provides them with an immersive learning experience, inspiring the next generation of photojournalists. The photographs from the camps are used for presentations in their own communities and public exhibition that reach viewers from around the world. As a New Orleanian, I have grown up in a melting pot of diverse cultures and traditions. I, like many others living here, thought I knew everything I needed to know about the Big Easy. However, there is a problem that is growing worse each passing day that most are unaware of. The preservation of the land and continuous coastal erosion is one of the most imminent threats Louisiana faces. I learned about these issues in school, but I really saw the severity in person through a photo camp with National Geographic. The photo camp, in partnership with Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCOM), was a weeklong experience with locals and scientists to document the path Louisiana is headed on. Spoiler alert: it’s not a good one. Many people are unaware of the issues and either don’t know how to help or just think, “If it’s not affecting me directly, it doesn’t matter.” Just because New Orleans or other parts of central Louisiana are not being hugely impacted does not prove the problem doesn’t exist. Land loss due to saltwater erosion and sea level rise is causing an epic problem to millions. The people of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian tribe are not officially recognized by the state of Louisiana. Their culture, already diminished greatly over the course of history, will disappear if something is not done. Every minute, they lose more of the land they not only grew up on, but make a livelihood out of. I spent days photographing their Reservation, sacred Burial Ground, and the local towns and marsh of Chauvin, Louisiana. The nights were spent on fishing vessels and experiencing long-held community tradi-
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Student Achievement
JUNIOR ACHIEVES TWO PERFECT SCORES St. Mary’s Dominican High School junior Sydney Raymond has earned the highest possible composite score of 36 on the ACT. Fewer than half of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2019, only 4,879 out of nearly 1.8 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36. The ACT is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. It is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States as well as more than 225 universities outside of the U.S. The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Each area is scored on a scale of 1-36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. Sydney Raymond also earned a perfect score of 1520 on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). A perfect score is equivalent to a 1600 on the SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test. Students who take the PSAT receive a score ranging from 160 to 760 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math. Their overall PSAT score will range from 320 to 1520 and is calculated by adding their two area scores together. Sydney is an AP Scholar recognized by the College Board for her exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) exam. AP Scholar recognition is given to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. tions, only still practiced by a few. Much of what these people had growing up is now under water. It has slowly been lost to the bottom of the bayou or eaten away at by invasive species like nutria. Foreign competitors also contribute to the problem. Countries like China sell seafood for much cheaper, affecting prices and buyers for local markets. Not only does this hurt our fishermen, but other vendors’ products are often genetically modified. This takes away from those who have made a living out of this, decreases our own profits, and even affects our health. Lack of awareness, coastal erosion, and ignorance will continue to serve as a catalyst until the issue becomes too severe to reverse as Louisiana is literally worn away. I want to bring awareness to these rapid changes in Louisiana’s coast to not only preserve the environment, but to preserve our way of life.
Student Achievement
Scholarships
St. Mary’s Dominican High School Scholarship recipients, (Front Row, seated from left): Isabelle Bailey, Abigail Callhover, Layah Cavett, Emma Clesi, Olivia Corley, Elizabeth Cuevas, Leilani Drake, Maria Garcia, Eryn Goines, Jeanne Holmes, and Kayla Little. Back row: Catherine Mansfield, Alyssa McDuffie, Jayla Montgomery, Kaitlyn Rapp, Catherine Redmann, Margaret Redmann, Mariam Reimonenq, Rylee Richard, Dasia Thomas, Lucy Tullier, Allison Tullier, and Kyilie Washington.
In May, Dominican awarded academic scholarships to 17 incoming students based on the students’ academic records and their performance on the High School Placement Test.
Twenty-three St. Mary’s Dominican High School students received financial aid scholarships to Dominican during the St. Martin de Porres Scholarship Awards Ceremony in November, which honored recipients and benefactors. Recipients and scholarships awarded:
Rachel Zamjahn, Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies, Alumnae Association Endowed Scholarship and The Joan Frischhertz Mascaro Scholarship
Isabelle Bailey Sr. Angeline Magro, O.P. Scholarship Abigail Callhover Julie Waltzer Flick ’69 Endowed Scholarship and Dorothy D. Porter II Endowed Scholarship Layah Cavett Marianna “Tootie” Bertucci Scholarship and Von Wolff II Endowed Scholarship Emma Clesi Grandparents Tuition Assistance Fund Olivia Corley The Kitchen Family Endowed Scholarship Elizabeth Cuevas Joy Nesanovich Hillebrand and Laurene Nesanovich Kinberger Endowed Scholarship
Alyssa McDuffie Joyce Saia Palermo Martin de Porres Scholarship Jayla Montgomery Reuther Family Endowed Scholarship Kaitlyn Rapp Shirley “Sherps” Wiemers Endowed Scholarship and Sr. Delia McDonald, O.P. Endowed Scholarship Catherine Redmann James P. Raymond, Jr. Foundation Scholarship
Audrey Brown, St. Catherine of Siena School, The Vivian Agnes Chasez Coney Memorial Scholarship Josephine Melerine, St. Andrew the Apostle School, The Kathleen Lier Endowed Scholarship Sophie Naquin, St. Matthew the Apostle School, Carol Lohfink Drawe Scholarship Carly Cambre, Christian Brothers School, The Sr. Waldia Warden, O.P. Scholarship Julia Davis, St. Pius X School, The Lolita Fernandez de la Reguera Pittman Scholarship
Mariam Reimonenq Alice W. Perelli Girls Hope Endowed Scholarship
Harper Griffin, St. Catherine of Siena School, Drs. Jewell (Lozes) and Richard Wunderlich Endowed Scholarship
Rylee Richard Blanchard-Kevlin Endowed Tuition Grant Scholarship
Maria Garcia Maria (Maruja) Fernandez Leon Tuition Grant Sophomore Scholarship
Dasia Thomas Carolyn Wood Kinabrew Endowed Scholarship
Eryn Goines The Chiappetta Family Scholarship, Dorinda ’83, Shelly ’85, Dawn ’89
Lucy Tullier Elaine Prager Ridgley ’53 Endowed Scholarship
Jeanne Holmes Ruth U. Fertel Endowed Scholarship
Allison Tullier Elaine Bernaissant Conlan Scholarship Endowment Fund
Catherine Mansfield Irish Blessing Scholarship
Kavya Paramesh, Kehoe-France School, The Ruth U. Fertel Scholarship
Margaret Redmann Sr. M. Veronica Miceli, O.P. Scholarship
Leilani Drake Endowed Agape Scholarship in Memory of Mary Truxillo Boudreaux ’51
Kayla Little Margaret Allen and Elmo C. Waltzer Endowed Scholarship
Ella Jones, St. Catherine of Siena School, Sid and Harry Kammer Endowed Scholarship
Kyilie Washington Joseph G. and Marguerite Ayala ’35 Lier Endowed Scholarship and Sr. M. Veronica Miceli, O.P. Scholarship
Lindsey Phillips, Christian Brothers School, The Veritas Endowed Scholarship Emma Nguyen, St. Rosalie School, The Siena Endowed Scholarship Kayleigh Jollands, St. Edward the Confessor School, The Gauthier Endowed Scholarship Alivia Christiansen, St. Paul Catholic School, The Karen Graffagnini Favret ’62 Endowed Scholarship Kennedy Duggan, St. Catherine of Siena School, The Class of 1957 Endowed Scholarship Eliza Jones, Louise S. McGehee School, Dorothy D. Porter I Endowed Scholarship Grace Mandella, St. Angela Merici School, Von Wollf I Endowed Scholarship Emma Scholl, Ursuline Academy, Denise Galatoire Schoen Endowed Scholarship
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Faculty & Staff Achievement PERSONNEL SERVICE AWARDS 2019-2020 5 Years: Katey Alexander Monica Haag Madeline Maldonado June Rabalais Sr. Pam Weathersby, MSC 10 Years: Angelle Caffery Susan Loisel 15 Years: Denise Boyce Anne Comiskey Charlene Ford 20 Years: Erin Baker Ann Fitzmorris Matt Foss 25 Years: Rosalie Abadie Jamie Lassere Marcia Peyton Ashley Reso
DR. WAYNE RUPP VISITS HIGH SCHOOL ALMA MATER AS GUEST LECTURER Photo Provided by Brother Martin High School
Dr. Wayne Rupp, Dominican's Foreign Language Department Chair, was a guest lecturer at his high school alma mater, Brother Martin, to speak to their AP Art History students and Advanced Art students on the sculptural forms of the Etruscans and Romans. During his presentation, Dr. Rupp incorporated his passion for the classical world and his expertise in Etruscan and Roman Art into an excellent presentation for our Brother Martin students.
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CASEY LEFANTE RECEIVES UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD Ms. Casey Lefante, English teacher at St. Mary’s Dominican High School, has been selected for the University of Chicago’s Outstanding Educator Award. The distinguished award has existed for more than three decades. The award salutes outstanding educators who go beyond everyday teaching and leave an impression that is carried over a lifetime. Each year, the university invites entering first-year students to nominate an educator who has influenced them, challenged them, or helped them along the path toward intellectual growth. James G. Nondorf, University of Chicago Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, noted that letters are received from hundreds of students, inspired by teachers who have changed the course of their lives, taught them to re-imagine texts, delve deeper into problemsolving, and to think beyond the borders of the classroom in the pursuit of their own education. Lefante was nominated by Ahjah Yunusah, a 2019 Dominican graduate and freshman at the university. In her nomination letter, Yunusah thanked her teacher for her hard work and dedication to the classroom…“you allowed us to voice our opinions on world views, you shaped us into better writers, and you gave me hope. You are the most outstanding teacher I’ve ever had, and I thank you for being you!” A 2000 Dominican graduate, Lefante holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Tulane University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the University of New Orleans (UNO). For two years, she taught freshman composition and English as a Second Language at UNO. She has been on the faculty at Dominican for 11 years. Lefante’s mother is a retired math teacher and her father is a professor at Tulane. She said she grew up valuing teachers, “but didn’t always know that I wanted to teach. I initially thought teaching would be something I did until I found my ‘real’ calling. My plan to teach for one year extended to two, to three, to five, until I realized the obvious: teaching wasn’t just a job, but, rather, it was the very calling I’d been waiting to discover. The key to this realization was, as I’m sure most teachers would agree, the students. Truth be told, I need them more than they need me, and I learn lessons from them every day. I can’t imagine what my life would be if I didn’t teach at Dominican.” She feels fortunate that her teaching schedule allows her to teach some students twice in their Dominican careers, as was the case with Ahjah. “I teach them in English I Honors, then I see them again as juniors or seniors in Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. One of the most rewarding aspects is watching these students grow as writers, learners, and thinkers. The most rewarding, though, is when they apply the lessons they learned within our walls into their lives as Dominican alumnae. I love being part of their journeys into becoming the adults they are meant to be.”
Faculty & Staff Achievement SINA BALDWIN IS AN ACT CERTIFIED EDUCATOR Testing and Measurements Coordinator Mrs. Sina Baldwin is an ACT® Certified Educator. Summer 2019 she attended courses and training in New York and Nashville. A member of Dominican’s faculty for 25 years, Baldwin is certified in Basics, Reading, Math, and Science. Currently, she is one of more than 300 educators globally that has the certification. “Obtaining this ACT certification has given me additional skills to assist our students in improving their ACT scores,” said Baldwin. “The exciting part is learning from the people who make the test. I can use the strategies that I learned and pass that on to our students. I am grateful to be part of this educational process for our students at Dominican.” ACT launched the training and certification program in September 2018. Focusing on effective teaching strategies, the program is designed for those seeking credentials form a trusted source to show they have the content knowledge and teaching skills necessary to improve students’ learning and readiness for success after high school. Through ACT Certified Educator, individuals can take training and earn a certificate in six different areas: ACT Basics, English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing. The ACT Basics and ACT Writing courses each consist of one day of training, while the other subject-specific courses each consist of two days of training. Certification exams are administered at the end of each subject area training course. Individuals who take the training and pass its end-of-course exam will receive a certificate that verifies them as an ACT Certified Educator. Certified educators will be listed on the ACT Recommends web page, so parents can easily find an educator for their child. There are many educators and tutors offering and promoting their services, and it’s not always easy for parents to know which ones are well prepared to help and which ones aren’t,” said ACT Chief Commercial Officer Suzana Delanghe. “Now parents won’t have to base their decision merely on the educator’s ACT score. ACT Certified Educator will help them identify the individuals who are trained in the most effective teaching strategies to help students learn.”
BRENDA CASTILLO INDUCTED INTO INTERNATIONAL BANDMASTERS’ FRATERNITY
St. Mary’s Dominican High School Fine Arts Department Chairperson and Director of Band and Choir Brenda Castillo (center), with Guy Wood, Karl Hymel, and Nicholas Compagno at Castillo’s induction into Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters’ Fraternity – Epsilon Chapter.
Ms. Brenda Castillo, Fine Arts Department Chairperson and Director of Band and Choir at Dominican, has been inducted into the Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters’ Fraternity – Epsilon Chapter. The honorary fraternity for band directors is designed to honor outstanding band directors at the state level. Castillo was nominated by Guy Wood, Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA) District 6 Director (Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard Parishes) and Archbishop Shaw High School Band Director. She was sponsored by Wood, retired band director Karl Hymel and Dr. Nicholas Compagno, band director at Archbishop Chapelle High School who wrote a letter of recommendation for membership. Phi Beta Mu was founded in 1939 in appreciation of founder Colonel Earl D. Irons’ respect and appreciation for his professional associates, school band directors. Irons was Bandmaster and Chairman of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Arlington, then known as North Texas Agricultural College. He envisioned an organization that would honor outstanding band directors whose dedication and devotion to the profession was paramount, but whose admirable traits and services were not necessarily known nationally. For the past 28 years, Castillo has shared her talent, experience, and love of music with students at Dominican. At age five, Castillo began piano lessons, later adding clarinet and percussion to her repertoire. Mastering percussion was a challenge she welcomed and excelled at in performance halls and marching bands. In the classroom and at rehearsals, Castillo challenges her students, asking them if they are reaching their best performance. “I tell my students, if they can’t lead, then I am not teaching them correctly,” said Castillo. She celebrates accomplishments of her students in band and choir, as well as the young ones in the school’s Summer Camp band program. Dominican’s band and choir have taken numerous district and state honors. Among these are District VI Senior High Honor Band, Junior High Honor Band, Senior High Honor Jazz Band, and Junior High Honor Jazz Band; LMEA All-State Senior High Honor Orchestra, Senior High Honor Symphonic Band, Senior High Honor Concert Band; LMEA Instrumental Solo and Small Ensemble Assessment Festival, District Instrumental Large Ensemble Assessment Festival, and State Instrumental Large Ensemble Assessment Festival.
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FOLLOWING THE LORD'S DIRECTION A Reflection by Claire Gallagher, Campus Minister
Along with Bolivian locals, participants of the Bridge Builders Trip, organized through the Pontifical Mission Societies' New Orleans Archdiocese office, are (from left): Denise Theriot, Catherine Tonry, Fr. Jimmy Jeanfreau, Claire Gallagher (Dominican's Campus Minister), Kristie Vollentine, Laura Arand, and Jackie Mayo, OPA.
“If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” A quote often attributed to Woody Allen, though admittedly a little cliché, is certainly relatable for most of us at some point in our lives. I did a little research and found that this quote was most likely inspired by an old Yiddish proverb: “We plan, God laughs,” which made me think that certainly the Book of Proverbs must have something to say about it. What I found was Proverbs 16:9, “The human heart plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps.” At 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 7, 2019 as I waited to checkin at the New Orleans airport, Proverbs 16:9 and Woody Allen’s infamous quote were nowhere near my mind and heart. As I clutched my flight itinerary, passport, yellow fever card, and the handle of my suitcase, I was undoubtedly also clutching my own expectations for this trip – the plans of my human heart. In reading the Aparecida (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s letter to the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean) in preparation for this trip, I felt I knew what it meant to be a missionary disciple. As Pope Benedict so eloquently wrote, “The disciple’s joy serves as remedy for a world fearful of the future and overwhelmed by violence and hatred.” (1.2.29).
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I wanted to bring that joy. I wanted to be that remedy. I was ready to embrace the people and culture, to encounter Christ, and ultimately, to love Bolivia. Embrace, encounter, love. That was my plan. My bags were packed, I had been practicing my Spanish, and I was ready to bring the joy. We were flying from New Orleans to Miami, and from Miami to Bolivia. We would be in Santa Cruz by 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. I was ready. Fast forward to 3:00 a.m. on Monday, June 10. After an unbelievable series of canceled, delayed, and re-routed flights, and a missed connection which resulted in a 24hour stay in Lima, Peru, we had finally landed in Santa Cruz, three days after we had left New Orleans. At this point I was clutching nothing but my carry-on bag and my complete exhaustion. If Woody Allen’s quote is true, God must have been crying tears of laughter at this point. It was certainly clear to me now that the plans of my human heart were certainly left up to the Lord’s direction, or should I say re-direction, of my steps. But I was still ready. The plans of my human heart remained the same, but I had a renewed awareness and openness to allow the Lord to direct my steps. Embrace, encounter, love.
On our first day in Bolivia, we visited the Missionaries of Charity’s Hogar de la Paz, an orphanage and hospice for children who have special needs and the elderly. When we encountered the sisters, I immediately felt like I was in the presence of St. Teresa of Calcutta. It was in that moment that I realized the truth of encountering Christ in everyone we meet, but especially in the poor. If I could feel St. Teresa’s presence in these beautiful sisters, surely, I could experience Christ in the poor. As we visited the elderly in their beds, the sister took the time to introduce us to each one of them. I locked my eyes with a frail, tiny woman in her bed. I thought to myself, “I wish there was something I could do to help.” One of the sisters, as if she had read my mind, turned to me and said, “They’re just so happy that you all are here.” What a humbling moment for me. The Lord didn’t bring me there to fix anything or “do” anything. They didn’t need that from me. All they wanted was my presence. They just wanted someone to be with them in their suffering, to be present. Wasn’t this what Jesus wanted in his suffering in Gethsemane? He only asked his disciples to do one thing – stay and keep watch with Him in that moment. Isn’t that what we all desire when we are in the midst of our own suffering? We just want someone to be with us, to accompany us, and to love us. It is this truth and universal desire, – the desire to love and to be loved, that connects us all as the Body of Christ.
The plans of my human heart remained the same, but I had a renewed awareness and openness to allow the Lord to direct my steps. Embrace, encounter, love.
In that moment, I was struck by his complete and total surrender of self to the Lord. In that moment, he was truly offering all he had – his voice, his daughter, his love to the Lord. I realized this is exactly what the Lord was asking of me: to give myself completely to Him. I was called to encounter, embrace, and love Bolivia. But more importantly, to encounter Christ, to embrace Him, and to give Him all my love. Not just in Bolivia, but every day. Reflecting on this moment, I was drawn again to Benedict’s striking words in the Aparecida: “We want the joy that we have received in the encounter with Jesus Christ… to reach all men and women wounded by adversities; we want the good news of the Kingdom of God, of Jesus Christ victorious over sin and death, to reach all who lie along the roadside, asking for alms and compassion… Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered Him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.” I witnessed the joy of this humble musician and father in his encounter with Christ, and it called out of me my own renewed desire and need to encounter Christ.
This truth was echoed over and over again during this trip, but especially one evening towards the end. We attended Mass in a tiny church with nothing more than a simple crucifix and a humble mural painted on the wall of the sanctuary, and plastic lawn chairs for the altar servers to sit in. Yet, it was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen. I sat in misty-eyed awe of the beauty of the spirit of the people in this place of worship, all enthusiastically responding to the prayers and singing songs. I glanced to my left at the choir. I watched the guitar player strum the chords and sing his heart out to the communion reflection song, all while his toddler daughter climbed across his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
This trip to Bolivia was nothing like what my human heart had planned it to be. But in allowing the Lord to re-direct my steps, it was so much more than I ever could have imagined. I was able to let go of the plans that I clutched so tightly, and to receive and embrace the love that the Lord has for me, through every experience in Bolivia. My challenge, now that I am back in New Orleans, is to adopt that mindset every day. In my ministry, in my relationships, and in my prayer and relationship with God – embrace, encounter, and love others, yes – but first and foremost, to let the Lord direct the steps to complete the plans of my human heart, so that I can more fully embrace, encounter, and love Him.
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2019-2020 Athletics
∙ Basketball ∙
∙ Cross Country ∙
∙ Soccer ∙
∙ Swim ∙ Spring Sports 2020 Season ended Golf Softball ∙ Tennis Track & Field
∙ Volleyball ∙
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Fall Sports
Athletics
Cross Country Team STATE 5th Place DISTRICT & REGIONALS RUNNER UP
Dominican’s Cross Country Team on the way to State! Front Row (from left): Mary Cate Garvey, Erin Sequeira, Colleen Corcoran. 2nd Row: Catherine Kernion, Kelsey Major, Sophie Dauterive. 3rd Row: Izzy Dischner, Roma McAlear, Bryce Couvillon, Jasmine Ferrier. 4th Row: Tessa Paul, Madison Trauth, Morgan Trauth
Kelsey Major - STATE RUNNER UP in the Allstate SugarBowl/LHSAA Cross Country State Meet (Class 5a). She also placed 2nd in Regional and 2nd in District. Izzy Dischner placed 3rd in Regionals. Coached by Ms. Ashlyn Ciolino.
Swim Team STATE 5th Place DISTRICT RUNNER UP
Dominican’s Swim Team on the way to State! Front Row (from left): Audrey Wild, Catherine Kernion, Brooke DiMaggio, Brianna Leathem. 2nd Row: Cecilia Hanemann, Kaylee Caro, Emma Sullivan, Riley Crespo, Olivia Cassreino, Allyson Johnson. 3rd Row: Rileigh Centanni, Morgan Gunnels, Reese Centanni.
Rileigh Centanni - STATE RUNNER UP in the 100 Breast at the LHSAA Division I State Swim Meet. Coached by Mr. Bret Hanemann.
Volleyball Team STATE RUNNER UP DISTRICT CHAMPIONS OVERALL RECORD of 35-12 Advanced to the final round of state playoffs at the Pontchartrain Center.
Accepting their award at the metro meet are (from left) Caroline Hensley, Elizabeth Bourg, Erin Sequeira, Doyle, Lavie, and O'Neil Haddad, Varsity Volleyball Team STATE RUNNERCaroline UP - FrontRedfearn, row (fromEmily left): Caroline Samantha Messonnier. Olivia Peyton, Ally Firmin, Sara Watermeier, and Elizabeth Hardouin. Standing: Vivian Ely, Anne Hardouin, Zoe Smith, Brooke Couret, Kate Baker, Olivia Prout, and Coach Jessica Chatellier.
Coached by Mrs. Jessica Chatellier.
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Athletics
Winter Sports
Basketball Team STATE SEMIFINALIST OVERALL RECORD of 22-9 Advanced to the Semi-Final round of State playoffs. Coached by Mr. Ryan Reuter. Reuter has been a member of the Science and Athletic Departments for the last 22 years. In his 17th season as head basketball coach at Dominican, He ends the 2019-2020 season with 375 wins. He was honored as a member of the 300 wins club and the countdown begins to 400.
Dominican’s Basketball Team with Coach Ryan Reuter - Front row (from left): Katherine Ellis, Rachel Fath, Bailey Johnson, Kylie Barré, Ryan Reuter, Emily Adams, Shelby Morris, Sophia Martin, and Cameron Chatellier. Back row: Grace Hamblin, Sydney Sherman, Allison Tullier, Anaya Yunusah, Tamia Faith, and Vivian Liu
Soccer Team STATE SEMFINALIST OVERALL RECORD OF 19-2-8 Advanced to the Semi-Final round of State playoffs. Coached by Mr. Al Silvas who marked his 300th win on January 4th against St. Louis Catholic by a score of 4-1. He joined Dominican as head soccer coach during the 2008-09 school year.
Dominican Soccer Team members celebrate after defeating St. Joseph's in the quarterfinal round of playoffs (from left): Molly Walter, Kate Thomson, Kelsey Major, Marisol Torres, Stella Martin, Jasmine Ferrier, Morgan Rotolo, Kendall Guidroz, Kate Nolan, Olivia Icamina, and Madison Trauth.
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Silvas attributes Dominican’s consistent wins to players who understand their roles and embrace the team’s philosophy. “Over the years, we have created a winning culture. Our team trains hard and plays hard. We respect our opponents and bring our very best to every game. In the end, for me, the 300 wins are a byproduct,” said Silvas, who values the bonds made over the years with players and their families.
Road to the Final Four
Basketball, Soccer & Volleyball
Athletics
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Volleyball Pink Games
Athletics
St. Mary’s Dominican High School and Mount Carmel Academy Team Up in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
PINK GAMES BREAK RECORD Marking its 11th year of Pink Games, Dominican’s “Paint The Pitt” Pink volleyball games against Mount Carmel last October raised $13,816.87 from tickets and t-shirts sales, plus game day fare of Plum Street Snoballs, Parade of Prizes, raffle, bake sale, and Dominican Dad’s Club concessions. Café du Monde also participated, donating 100 percent of their sales of beignets and coffee toward game proceeds. Dominican, Archbishop Chapelle, St. Scholastica Academy, Archbishop Shaw, Cabrini and Mount Carmel Academy broke the all-time record with the 2019 Pink Games raising $43,679. 100 percent of the proceeds was donated to the Tulane Cancer Center Patient Relief Fund that provides assistance for cancer patients facing financial burdens that could become barriers to their care. Over the past five years, more than $160,000 has been raised by the Pink Games. At the Pink Games check presentation (from left), Athletic Trainer Mrs. Renee Boudreaux, Assistant Coach Mrs. Ashlee Juhas, Aline Firmin, Kate Baker, Gracie Ely, Zoe Smith, Caroline Lavie, Anne Marie Hardouin, Brooke Couret, Olivia Peyton, Elizabeth Hardouin, O’Neil Haddad, and Head Coach Mrs. Jessica Chatellier.
End of the Year Award Recipients The Dominicanite Award recognizes the senior athlete who participated in the most athletic teams during her years at Dominican. This honor was awarded to Aline Firmin. The Scholastic Award, presented to the senior who has participated in at least 2 varsity sports each year and has the highest cumulative GPA, was merited by Erin Sequeira.
Aline Firmin
Erin Sequeira
Kylie Barre
The Lee Fernandez de la Reguera Pittman ’51 Award, voted by the Dominican coaching staff recognizing the overall varsity athlete who exhibits great athletic ability, strong character and a positive attitude, was merited by Kylie Barre. The Army Reserve National Scholar Athlete Award, presented to the outstanding senior in athletics, leadership, and academic excellence, was awarded to Aline Firmin.
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Congratulations!
Award Recipients
Athletics
LOU REILLY AWARD
T
he Lou Reilly Award is presented in memory of a wonderful Dominican graduate. For many years she served the community as an educator with a special love for athletics and student athletes. She saw athletic competition and sportsmanship as an important part of the Dominican High School spirit. The award recognizes the athlete who continually tries to improve her skills and listens to her coaches and teammates. This athlete encourages her teammates and gives her full effort at each moment. The student athletes themselves have a nominating vote in the selection of award recipients. The final decision is left to the discretion of the coaches.
FALL
TEAM WORK
WINTER
8TH Grade: Katherine Patron (Cross Country) and Tamia Williams (Volleyball)
Grace Koenig 8th Grade Soccer
Olivia Perry JV Soccer
Erin Sequeira (Varsity Cross Country), Rileigh Centanni (Varsity Swimming), Noelie Haddad (JV Volleyball), Vivian Ely (Varsity Volleyball). Not pictured: Isabelle Fitzmorris (JV Cross Country)
Kate Thomson V Soccer
LHSAA ALL ACADEMIC TEAM Presented for outstanding academic achievement by maintaining a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.50 or higher during their academic career while participating in varsity high school athletics. • Annamarie Allen (Tennis) • Emma Barnes (Cross Country / Track Field) • Kylie Barre (Basketball / Softball) • Anna Fayard (Cross Country) • Aline Firmin (Volleyball / Softball) • Lucy Harper (Tennis) • Vivian Liu (Basketball) • Shelby Morris (Basketball / Track & Field) • Rachel Schlosser (Tennis / Track & Field) • Erin Sequeira (Cross Country / Track & Field)
Tamia Williams JV Basketball
Kylie Barre V Basketball
College Signing OLIVIA PEYTON Spring Hill, Volleyball
LHSAA ALL ACADEMIC HONOR TEAM A student-athlete’s six-semester GPA must have an un-weighted 4.00. The award is presented for exemplary academic achievement by maintaining the highest Grade Point Average among all athletes during their academic career while participating in varsity high school athletics. • Tessa Paul (Cross Country / Track & Field)
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Community Involvement Thanksgiving Baskets
St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive collected donations from homerooms, clubs, athletic teams, and alumnae that provided for 100 Thanksgiving baskets. The collection included 20 baskets from St. Rita Catholic Church and Elementary School. Dominican alumnae donated 12 Thanksgiving baskets and contributed to the purchase of $25 Walmart gift cards. The basket drive provided 1,000 meals for families in the Gert Town community, Dominican’s neighbors. Leidenheimer Baking Company donated more than 100 bags of fresh rolls and breadcrumbs. St. Rita and Mary Queen of Peace Church in Mandeville donated turkeys to complete the Thanksgiving baskets. Dominican’s Campus Ministry club officers and members organized the baskets and assisted with pick-up by Dominican Dads Club members. The baskets were delivered to Xavier University Community Outreach Center where Campus Ministry officers assisted with the distribution.
Service Class Retreats
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Reflection, prayers, and community service were the focus of the annual 8th grade and freshmen retreats on campus. 8th graders made Blessing Bags that were filled with water, socks, crackers, granola bars, tissue, and other personal items. At the closing of the retreat, each student took Blessing Bags to share with persons in need that they encountered in the community. Freshmen made sandwiches for clients of Lantern Light Ministry. Lantern Light collaborates with St. Joseph Church, the Fr. Harry Tompson Center, and DePaul USA to serve the homeless population of New Orleans.
Community Involvement Adopt-A-Family
Dominican brought the spirit of Christmas to 185 individuals when students and personnel adopted 50 families from various agencies for the annual Adopt-a-Family schoolwide service project. Gifts were delivered to Metropolitan Center for Women and Children, St. Augustine Church, St. Rita Church in New Orleans, the Dominican Peace Center, and several Catholic Charities agencies, including Immigration/ Refugee Services, Incarnate Word Head Start, Project SAVE, Bethlehem Housing, and Vincent Maternity Clinic. Families were adopted by religion classes and personnel members. Campus Ministry club members helped with the gifts’ coordination and organization. Members of the 8th grade soccer team helped transport the packages to Alumnae Hall where Dad's Club members picked up the gifts and packed their vehicles to make deliveries to the agencies.
Second Harvest Canned Food Drive
Community
St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s annual canned food drive surpassed its goal and collected 29,961 cans of food during its annual one-week food drive. The total equates to 22,455 pounds of food which Second Harvest Food Bank says will provide 18,748 meals for families in need across south Louisiana. Second Harvest’s network of agencies spans 23 parishes. Inspired by the movie, Frozen, this year’s competition theme was, “Do You Want to Build a Snow Can?” Teams were named after characters in the movie Frozen: Team Ana (8th Graders), Sven (Freshmen), Elsa (Sophomores), Kristoff (Juniors), and Olaf (Seniors). The 8th Grade class collected 10,051 cans of food. Seniors came in second with their collection totaling 9,203 cans. This marks the 21st year for Dominican’s annual food drive, the largest school food drive in the Greater New Orleans area. Since 2011, Dominican has donated 180,414 pounds of food to Second Harvest.
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Classroom, Club, and Student Activities
During Spirit Week, students posed for photo booth pictures celebrating the new school year theme - Dominican Safari. ENGINEERING TEAM TAKES 2ND PLACE AT COLLEGIATE COMPETITION Dominican’s engineering team came in 2nd Place at the Louisiana Collegiate Design Competition (LCDC), held February 14-15 at Louisiana State University. The state competition drew seven high school teams and 20 college teams from around the state. For the competition, each team had six hours to design a Rube Goldberg machine to pop a balloon. A Rube Goldberg machine is a machine intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overcomplicated fashion. Often, these machines consist of a series of simple devices that are linked together to produce a domino effect, in which each device triggers the next one, and the original goal is achieved only after many steps. Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor.
STUDENTS STEP INTO THE WORLD OF ARTIST TERRANCE OSBORNE Artist Terrance Osborne welcomed members of Students for Human Dignity and Diversity in Action organization during a private visit to his art gallery where the internationally acclaimed artist shared the evolution of his art, his use of vibrant colors, and talked with the students about their interests and future aspirations. Mr. Osborne grew up in the heart of New Orleans and its diverse and colorful social surroundings have been the inspiration for his art. In March of 2012, his commissioned threedimensional relief painting of St. Mary’s Dominican High School was unveiled. The work, in honor of the school’s 150th anniversary, is displayed in the Siena Center foyer. The artist incorporated details into the painting that illustrates the school’s values of truth and faith. STUDENTS EXPERIENCE FRENCH IMMERSION French club members Alex Amato (10th), Myriel Green (12th), and Emile Wensel (12th) attended the Association Louisianaise des Clubs Francais des Ecoles Secondaires (ALCFS) convention February 14-16 in Lafayette, LA, where they spoke French and completed various activities with teachers and students from across the state. They also visited historic Vermilionville and the Vermilionville Living History Museum that is dedicated to preserve and represent the Acadian, Creole, and Native American cultures in the Attakapas region in the 1765 to 1890 time period. Students also learned the Cajun two-step and waltz. Student Emile Wensel earned a scholarship to spend 10 days in Saint Laurent deCerdans, France this summer. Alex Amato was elected regional representative of the New Orleans area for ALCFS. Mrs. Joan Rupp is moderator of Dominican’s French Club.
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At the Cable/Tech Expo 2019 in New Orleans, Dominican’s Robotics team members and coaches met businessman and inventor Dean Kamen who is founder of FIRST® Robotics, the teams’ robotics platform. They also did a demonstration and talked with Kamen who asked each student their goals for college. Dominican was the only all-girls school among the five high schools and three grammar schools attending the Cable/Tech Expo that draws attendees from more than 60 countries.
Classroom, Club, and Student Activities SCHOOL VISIT AN EDUCATION FOR SISTERS
During a Biotechnology Club activity, Dominican students Lucy Perschall (center) and A’Nya Wheatley discuss an experiment with Sr. Florence Kapongolo, O.P.
Zimbabwe and Zambia are two neighboring states in South Africa. Despite the distance of more than 400 miles between them, two Dominican sisters are connected through their work in education. In January, Sr. Hilda Chanyau, O.P. became principal at Emerald School for the Deaf in Harare, Zimbabwe. In that role she will be responsible for supervising staff, building relationships with students, monitoring the school, enforcing disciplinary codes, and performing administrative duties. Sister Florence Kapongolo, O.P. has similar responsibilities as principal at Trinity Girls’ Secondary School, formerly Kabunda Girls. The school is located in a district called Mansa, one of the rural provinces of Zambia. The two sisters are on leave from their positions to study at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus where they are working on their Master of Education degrees. As part of their practicum research, they visited St. Mary’s Dominican High School to learn about the school’s climate, culture, and strategies to create a positive learning environment. During their visit they observed classes, met students and faculty, and the school leadership team. They also had interview meetings with President Dr. Cynthia A. Thomas, Principal Carolyn Favre, Vice President of Dominican Catholic Identity Jill Cabes, Campus Minister Claire Gallagher, Assistant Principal/Academics Jennifer Drouant, and Dean of Student Services Katey Alexander.
SPANISH CLASSES DANCE TO THEIR ASSIGNMENT In early March, students taking Mrs. Claudia Vallejo’s and Mrs. Hannah Pope’s Spanish classes added dance to a class assignment on command and positive phrases. Wanting to make the final part of the assignment fun and different, Mrs. Vallejo instructed her students to design their own fitness t-shirt and write on the shirt their positive phrase in Spanish. In the dance studio on the second floor of Siena Center, music filled the room as Mrs. Vallejo led each of the classes in Latin dance steps for the Salsa, Rumba, and Cha-cha-cha.
“As part of a world-wide Dominican Order, the St. Mary’s Dominican High School community experiences the blessings of multiple expressions of the Dominican charism,” said Dr. Thomas. “Visiting with our Dominican Sisters from Africa, Sister Hilda and Sister Florence provided opportunities for us to learn from each other and to discuss effective methods and organizational structures of Dominican Catholic education in contemporary settings.”
8TH GRADERS CELEBRATE 8th graders enjoyed a Frozen-themed party because, as a class, they brought in the most cans for the - Do You Want to Build a Snow Can? food drive.
Dominican Pro-Life Officers (from left) Kennedi Melancon, Celeste Schonberg, Morgan Muscarello, Isabelle Fitzmorris, Catherine Zimmermann, and Miriam Romero at the Rachel Mourning statue in the Holy Innocents Prayer Garden.
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE UNBORN Dominican Pro-Life Club officers joined the January 15 noon prayer service and laid red roses at the Memorial Service for the Unborn, held at the Holy Innocents Prayer Garden at St. Patrick #1 Cemetery. Archbishop Gregory Aymond presided over the service to pray for all unborn babies lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion, and those who mourn them. The garden, dedicated on January 22, 2018, is a collaboration between New Orleans Catholic Cemeteries and the Archdiocese of New Orleans Respect Life offices.
VERITAS
DISCIPLES VISIT SEMINARY Students in Dominican’s Discipleship group attended Lauds (Morning Prayer) at the Notre Dame Seminary and toured the campus. “At the seminary, we joined the seminarians in morning prayer. It was a powerful experience to pray with people who believe strongly in their faith. It was also interesting to learn about the daily life of the seminarians.” – Kathryn ’24
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Classroom, Club, & Student Activities
WILDLIFE WEDNESDAY The Ecology and Stewardship Club hosted a Wildlife Wednesday Bake Sale as a way to help The Audubon Institute raise money for the Bushfire Emergency Relief Fund in Australia.
DOMINICAN STUDENTS CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY AFTER SCHOOL Members of Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action at St. Mary’s Dominican High School welcomed the Peace Center After School Program’s young students to their school for an annual Christmas Party. It was a first-time visit for all but two of the students. They were delighted and surprised when they entered the party room, transformed into a winter wonderland, with food, sweets, and goodie bags. Silver Christmas bells were the most popular memento for the young guests who are five to 12 years old. This fall, the student organization began their outreach component at the Peace Center, located near Dominican, where they mentor students in the After School program. The Dominican Sisters of Peace opened the Peace Center in September 2014, as a neighborhood outreach organization for people of all ages. “Tutorials and activities that focus on diversity, self-esteem, preparation for high school and beyond are the important building blocks for the partnership,” said Ms. Vallerie Maurice, who is Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action moderator with adviser Dr. Maureen Wright. “The goal is to assist each student to realize their self-worth and reach their full potential.”
STUDENTS STUDY DISEASE TRANSMISSION IN SIMULATED LAB In the March 11th Human Anatomy class taught by Ms. Anjel Guitroz, students participated in a simulated disease transmission lab. Students simulated the transmission of disease, identified the original disease carrier in the class population, and traced the route of transmission. “In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, this lab activity was a way to demonstrate how easily communicable diseases like hepatitis and influenza can be passed from one person to another,” said Ms. Guitroz.
Several Dominican Band members performed with the Kehoe-France School Band as a part of the Veterans Day Ceremony at Kehoe-France School.
DOMINICAN DEBS SPOTLIGHT The Dominican Debs were featured on WGNO - Friday Night Football's salute to dance teams.
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Four Dominican preachers, along with Campus Minister Ms. Claire Gallagher, attended the annual Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference in Michigan.
Classroom Spotlight In St. Mary’s Dominican High School teacher Mrs. Claudia Vallejo’s Spanish III class, pairs of students gather around laptops to view artwork by women and men in concentration camps, ghettos, or while in hiding. The class is connected via Skype with Ms. Laurie Garcia, Associate Director of Education – Outreach at Holocaust Museum Houston.
Senior participants pose for a picture before their lunchtime performance in Student Council's Spooky Fest Lip Sync contest.
Dominican students sported LSU attire to cheer on the Tigers in the National Championship Game.
Holocaust art and the perspective of the artists have a very important historical role. In their study of the Art of the Holocaust, students view and discuss various works of art and write their reflections about the art. One is Portrait of a Woman, Lodz Ghetto, 1941. The oil on canvas was by Sara Gliksman-Fajtlowicz who was born in Lodz, Poland in 1910. “As a part of our educational programming, we wanted to offer students the opportunity to participate in a program that integrates the fine arts with Holocaust history,” explained Ms. Garcia. “Artwork plays a vital role in history, especially during periods of injustice, as it illuminates the stories of individuals and the societies in which they live. Artwork leaves behind an important historical record; deepens our understanding of historical events by exploring the personal experiences and messages of those impacted by violence; and highlights the transformative power of art to initiate change in our world today. We hope students will use the fine arts to discover the power of their voices and utilize this knowledge to become empowered Upstanders in their schools and in their community.” The museum’s Art of the Holocaust program began in the fall of 2016 with the launch of Educator in Motion, a program that Vallejo’s classes have participated in for the past three years. To date, the museum has delivered 110 sessions to five elementary schools, 10 middle schools, and nine high schools. More than 3,200 students in 24 schools across the Greater Houston region and the Gulf Coast have participated in the Art of the Holocaust program, while more than 94,500 students have been reached by the Educator in Motion programs in total. Mrs. Vallejo, who approaches teaching with a global perspective, noted, “My purpose is to take my class beyond the physical space of a classroom. I try to put my students in touch with different professionals and topics from our classroom to anywhere. As a Spanish teacher, I want my students to learn the language’s structure, but we also go deeper than that. I want my students to be globally aware. I want them to realize that learning a language is to learn culture, social, political, and many other issues. When you learn a language, you are opening your mind to knowledge, different views, and other realities of the world. It is a unique opportunity for the students to be able to connect with Holocaust Museum Houston, learn in Spanish about a topic such as this one that makes them think and connect this subject with a relevant issue that affects them today.”
ENGINEERING A PERFECT EGG DROP Eighth graders in Mrs. Crissy Giacona’s Science Class competed in the Egg Drop contest. The students were instructed they had been hired to design a container to transport a radioactive element, represented by a whole raw egg. They were tasked to address the challenges of accidents, leaks and ease of transportation, Their assignment: create the lightest device that can hold a raw egg and protect it from breaking when dropped from 25 feet.
For this class, each student created artwork about an issue that resonated with her. They presented their work to Mrs. Vallejo and Ms. Garcia. Many of the artworks dealt with deterioration of the earth due to human actions, pollution, and climate change. Student artwork inspired current issues that resonated with the students. Ms. Garcia called the interaction with Dominican students “an absolute pleasure. I always enjoy my time with the students and am so moved by their poignant response toward the material. It is incredible to have such engaging conversations with the students, to see the powerful connections they build between the past and the present, to hear their excellent ideas on ways they will be empowered Upstanders in their community and the world today.” Virtual learning experiences increase the museum’s accessibility in schools and promote the creation of inclusive learning spaces for all students. “Holocaust Museum Houston uses the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides to teach about the dangers of prejudice, discrimination, hatred, and apathy and works to build a more humane society by promoting responsible individual behavior, cultivating civility, and pursuing social justice,” she said.
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Club Awards & Recognitions Robotics
Academic Games
ROBOTICS TEAMS POST WINS AT FTC QUALIFIER Dominican’s two robotics teams took wins at the February 1st FTC qualifier competition. It marked the first time both teams were selected to be part of the same alliance going into the final rounds of robot play. They won the overall robot game play. The Valkyries ranked 7th and Team Ultraviolet ranked 15th out of 23 teams at the end of robot game play. Both teams were chosen to play in the finals and their Alliance Team won 1st place in robot game play. The Valkyries earned 1st place for Design Award and 2nd place for Think Award. The Ultraviolets took 2nd place for Design Award and 3rd place Think Award. The teams advance to the February 29th regional championship event at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
NEW ORLEANS ACADEMIC GAMES LEAGUE RECOGNITIONS Despite cancellation of its spring awards ceremony due to the pandemic, the following St. Mary’s Dominican High School Students were recognized for their achievements in several events of the New Orleans Academic Games League. Dominican’s Academic Games club moderators are Mrs. Janis Dabney and Mrs. Monica Haag.
FTC ®REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Dominican’s two robotics teams took awards at the February 29th FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) regional championship held at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. The event drew 19 teams from the region. The Dominican Valkyries won 1st Place Motivate Award and 3rd place Control Award. They also were selected as an Alliance Partner by Shaw Robotics in the Semi-Final Round. These are the top teams competing for the robot game play win. Dominican was one of the top 8 teams to play in the semi-finals round.
On-Sets: Junior Division (35 participants) – Elizabeth Mobley, 2nd Place.
The Dominican Ultraviolet team won 1st Place Design Award. Junior Sydney Raymond was named a Finalist for the Dean’s List Award. FIRST Dean’s Finalists include students who are selected at each state or region’s championship and are examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness of FIRST and its mission. These students have also achieved personal technical experience and accomplishment. Dominican robotics moderators are Mr. Matthew Foss, Mrs. Crissy Giacona, Mr. Kenneth Lannes, and Mrs. Madeline Maldonado.
Presidents: Middle Division (with 38 participants) – CC Truxillo, 1st place; Isabelle Anderson, 2nd Place. Junior Division (41 participants) – Elizabeth Mobley, 2nd Place; Alexandra Amato, 4th Place; Bakhit Cuccia, 9th Place. Senior Division (21 participants) – Kellie Tucker, 5th Place.
Sweepstakes: Total points for all games played throughout the school year in Propaganda, Equations, Presidents, and On-Sets. Middle Division – CC Truxillo, 1st Place; Isabelle Anderson, 2nd Place. Junior Division – Elizabeth Mobley, 1st Place. Team Competition: CC Truxillo and Isabelle Anderson, with three Holy Cross students, placed first in Presidents and On-Sets in the Middle Division. The Dominican Junior Division team, comprised of Alexandra Amato, Ashley Barron, Bakhit Cuccia, Lizbeth Lacassagne, and Elizabeth Mobley, won 2nd place in both Presidents and On-Sets. Kellie Tucker, Senior Division, with two home school students, won first place in the team competition for Presidents. National Qualifiers: Alexandra Amato, Isabelle Anderson, Ashley Barron, Bakhit Cuccia, Elizabeth Mobley, CC Truxillo, and Kellie Tucker. The National Tournament that was scheduled for April in Atlanta also was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Band and Choir Congratulations to the following BAND students for making the District Senior High or Junior High Honor Band. SENIOR HIGH: Isabella Brockway - 7th Chair - Flute, Katie Favalora - 1st Chair - Oboe, Olivia Higgins - 1st Chair - Baritone Saxophone, Alexis Favalora - 4th Chair Trumpet, Kate Heller - 3rd Chair French Horn. JUNIOR HIGH: Molly Glas - 1st Chair - Flute, Krystal Fernandes - 2nd Chair - Flute, Kathryn Fine - 2nd Chair - Trumpet. Congratulations to the following CHOIR students for their successful audition into the District Youth Honor Chorus: Kathryn Fine and Lauren Giardina. Congratulations to the following music students for their recent outstanding performances: Elise Bourg - Louisiana ACDA All-State Senior High Honor Women's Chorale; Alexis Favalora and Kate Heller - Loyola University - Colonel John Bourgeois Senior High Honor Band; Mia DiGiovanni - LMEA All-State Senior High Honor Women's Chorale; Kate Heller - LMEA All-State Senior High Honor Concert Band.
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Club Awards & Recognitions DEBS
National English Honor Society St. Mary’s Dominican High School Junior MADISON FERGUSON has been named one of the National English Honor Society (NEHS) Poets of the Year. Ferguson was one of eight Student Poets of the Year. Honorees, selected by members of the NEHS Advisory Council, will have their poems published.
Nationally ranked Dominican Debs, Front Row (from left): Corinne Ferry, Madelyn Waguespack, Paige Wilson, Virginia Babin, Eliza Miller, Kaitlyn Dawson, and Claire Oster. Row 2: Brooke Babin, Carrington Williams, Katelin Obletz, Hannah Chaddock, Adelaide Rodrigue, Abby Mandella, Clare Gagnard, and Trinity Harvey. Row 3: Molly Moran, Reiley Macicek, Carlie Bujol, Hannah Jacquet, Olivia Kelly, Madison Robichaux, and Claire Adams. Not Pictured: Maggie Miller and Madeline Kerber.
DEBS COMPETE IN STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS The Dominican Debs are Division III State Champions in team Jazz, Pom, Game Day, and Hip Hop; Jazz routine - 1st place - Division 3, 2nd place - overall State; Pom routine - 1st place - Division 3, 2nd place - overall State; Game Day routine - 1st place - Division 3, 1st place - overall State; Hip Hop routine - 1st place - Division 3, 4th place - overall State. The Debs won technique awards for Hip Hop and Game Day. In the Universal Dance Association (UDA) Regional Competition, the Debs received 2nd place in jazz, 2nd place in hip hop and 3rd place in Game Day. The Dominican Debs competed at the UDA National Dance Team Championship in Orlando in Jazz and Hip Hop in medium division and Game Day in large division. They qualified for semifinals in Jazz and Hip Hop this year.
Winter Guard Team
Last fall, members of the NEHS Advisory Council crafted a Poetry Challenge writing contest, encouraging members and advisors to submit poems centered on monthly themes from October through April of the current school year. Each month, 40-45 poets submitted written pieces that NEHS said “reflect the best traits of writing and creativity.”
DOMINICAN STUDENTS RECOGNIZED DAJA’H SAUL was among the winners of the November Poetry Challenge based on the theme of “Courage and Heroism.” GRACIE BOTT was among the winners of the December Poetry Challenge based on the theme of “Friendship.” SYDNEY RAYMOND was among the winners of the February Poetry Challenge based on the theme, “Dreamer.” MADISON FERGUSON was among the winners of the March Poetry Challenge based on the theme, “Coming of Age.” ........................................................................................................... Founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, NEHS is the only international organization exclusively for high school students and faculty who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments. Members of Dominican’s Veritas Chapter of the NEHS must have a 3.75 average in English and a 3.5 GPA. Dominican’s moderators are Ms. Charlene Ford and Ms. Kristin Thomas.
Winter Guard members are: Row 1: Captains Grace Beard and Catherine Mansfield. Row 2: Lee-ah Heurtin, Elizabeth Plauche, and Landry Gremillion. Row 3: Katey Aranda, Chloe Tufts, Allison Lefante, Emma Nichols, and Josie Sanders. Row 4: Courtney Matthews, Emily Zeringue, Lena Williams, Janie Bickerton, and Camille D’Arensbourg.
WINTER GUARD AMONG FINALISTS AT REGIONALS Dominican’s Winter Guard was a 4th place finalist, with the top score in their class across the nation, at the Winter Guard International (WGI) Regionals held in Gulfport, MS the first weekend in March. Dominican was among 20 groups competing in their class at the regional. Winter Guard moderator is Mrs. Amy Ferguson. Coaching staff includes: Lillian Lestelle, Kassidy Meredith (’19), and Mrs. Ferguson. “I am so proud of our team’s commitment to excellence in our competitive artform. Many of our members begin in our activity with no prior experience,” said Mrs. Ferguson. “The strides they make individually and as a team to become nationally competitive is just awe inspiring. Our girls overcome obstacles every day and set goals that surpass even my own. Even though their competition season was cut short, they have had an incredible season.”
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Ring Day
Seniors admire their new rings and get a head start on turning their friends' rings.
A Dominican tradition - Seniors "run through of the halls" to have their rings turned by friends and faculty.
New Student Induction Neat-N-Sweet Court
Passing the torch!
Band and Choir Christmas Concert
Deb & Cheer Mini-Camp From left: Miriam Romero, Bryce Leonhard, Queen Muosekalo Ituah, Madison Ferguson, Olivia Perry, and Ramsey Buraimoh.
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Special School Events
The Living Rosary & Grandparents Day Seventh Grade Social
Heritage Club Dinner Open House
Tennis Tournament Golf Tournament
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Domini-Science Saturday
DominiDesign Day
Senior ● Faculty Flag Football Game
Lenten Concert with Lorraine Hess ʼ86
Justice Awareness Mass with St. Rita Elementary School Students
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prayer
Special School Events Senior Blood Drive
In the Fall, seniors donated blood in the Ochsner Blood Drive.
Band & Choir Christmas Concert
Carrollton Clash
At the annual Carrollton Clash, Dominican juniors and seniors competed against Jesuit students in relay races.
Catholic Schools Week
Students displayed what they value about their Catholic education in Alumnae Hall during Catholic Schools Week.
Instant Theatre
Dad-Daughter Event at Rock 'N' Bowl
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Walkin' on Walmsley St. Mary's Dominican High School welcomed incoming students to campus for Walkin’ on Walmsley. The program was divided into two sessions to reduce the number of students on campus. New students learned about Dominican, met new friends, and crafted while social distancing. We know the students were smiling behind those masks! Incoming students also enjoyed a Q&A panel with older students, played DHS trivia, and began setting up their devices for the school year ahead.
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Rally Day
DominiOlympics • Fueled Freshmen • Surf's Up Sophomores • Juniors of the Caribbean • Seniorella
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Home Learning A Virtual Flow of Creativity and Innovation Despite the world-wide pandemic, creativity and innovation flowed from the virtual Dominican community’s home distance learning experience. Challenges became opportunities for classes and community. Students celebrated Spirit Week at Home, held elections for next year’s Executive Board, Class Representatives and Class Coordinators. Selecting “A Night to Remember” from Walt Disney’s High School Musical as their favorite song, the Class of 2021 voted for Queen and Court of their Junior Prom, while celebrating at their homes with family. Seniors kept their “Top Dog” lunch, picked up graduation announcements at Josten’s drive-thru, and were showered with virtual hugs.
Daily Prayer During Dominican’s home learning experience, the Student Preachers continued to lead our school community in daily prayers. The community was able to stay spiritually connected by viewing their videos each day.
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From the Ecology and Stewardship Club embracing Earth Day to Speech and Debate Club sharpening their skills for competition, club activities continued. The Yearbook Class captured the essence of the virtual learning experience as they documented the final quarter of the 2019-2020 school term. Students were inspired, from their virtual tours of Hispano-American Museum, to recreate art during quarantine and also original art inspired by life during COVID-19.
2020-2021 STUDENT COUNCIL EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTED
Candidates campaigning for election to the 2020-2021 Student Council Executive Board connected with fellow students via technology. On a dedicated website, students learned more about the candidates’ platforms, viewed their digital poster, and listened to their recorded speeches. Voting links were posted on class Teams pages during the two-days of voting. Although they were not on campus due to the home distance learning program, outgoing officers kept tradition and recorded congratulatory video announcements of their successors. Elected officers are President Allie Koenig, Vice President Kate Nolan, Secretary Grace Hamblin, and Treasurer Carrie Madden.
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Virtual Classroom LIFE IMITATING ART - DOMINICAN’S SPANISH CLASS RECREATES ART
As the school year’s fourth quarter approached its final weeks, St. Mary’s Dominican High School students in Mrs. Claudia Vallejo’s Spanish III Honors class were assigned a project that has been embraced globally. The creative ways people were recreating paintings during quarantine for the Coronavirus was the subject of an April 10, 2020 Time Magazine article, “How People Imitating Masterful Paintings Launched a Sweeping Trend from Italy to Iceland.” The article inspired Vallejo to give an assignment to her students where they could apply their knowledge of Spanish language and culture to art. She shared the article with them, noting a modified approach with virtual visits to museums from a list Vallejo compiled of ten Hispano-American museums. The museums were in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Perú. For the assignment, the students answered in Spanish questions about the artist they selected, location of the museum, title of the painting, and its description. In addition, each student gave a title to her own recreation of a painting. “I loved how the students involved their families in this project and the titles they gave to their recreated paintings,” said Vallejo. “I also loved their exchange of messages on our Teams page – For abstract art as your original, your picture is so incredible and so creative. You should be very proud; OMG I love this; For such a detailed painting, your picture is practically identical. It’s amazing.” she pointed to the therapeutic element of art, whether the form is a painting, sculpture, drawing, or music. Artist Frida Kahlo considered one of Mexico’s greatest artists, contracted polio at age six which caused her to be bedridden for nine months. She recovered from the disease, but it damaged her right leg and foot, causing her to limp when she walked. “Frida Kahlo created the most amazing paintings when she found herself in physical and emotional pain,” said Vallejo. “Art helps people to heal and find spiritual peace. This is especially true during these difficult times. There are numerous exhibits, performances, concerts, books, and so much more –and they are free and available online.”
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Virtual Club and Classroom Activities
DOMINICAN’S ECOLOGY AND STEWARDSHIP CLUB EMBRACES EARTH DAY
Members of the Ecology and Stewardship Club at St. Mary’s Dominican High School found several ways to embrace the international observance of Earth Day. An annual event, Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. On the Microsoft Teams club page, senior Dasia Thomas wore her club hat and started the posts with, “Happy Earth Day wonderful stewards.” “Happiest of all Earth Days, God's wonderful stewards! I am going for a bike-ride today (fun-fact: I repaired my bike using all recycled materials from an old bike my grandma had!) and I am, of course, hugging some trees,” posted sophomore Jenna Thomas who shared a photo of herself hugging a tree. “I also have a Purple Martin house in my backyard, and one bird laid some eggs! I’ll be doing some bird watching, too. Say a prayer to St. Francis today and thank the Lord for the beautiful gift of creation.”
Sophomore Nhu Thao (Betsy) Cao posted photos of a street in New Delhi taken October 28, 2019 and one taken April 20, 2020 that showed a striking contrast of India’s air quality, On her post, she observed, “We should never assume that it's too late for the environment to improve. Even though Earth still has problems that are difficult to resolve like global warming, we can still significantly impact the rate and magnitude of these major global problems. These changes occurred just in a very short amount of time. Thank God for the resilience of our Earth!” Those street photos reminded club moderator Mrs. Joann Haydel of a drive she took with her family across Lake Pontchartrain for a hike on the Northshore. “We could see the whole Northshore from only two miles into our drive! said Haydel. “I have never seen it that clear. It was the same way on our drive back to the city. It was gorgeous!”
Tilling the soil on Earth Day were 8th grader Julia Jones who started a garden and junior Sophia Forest who planted tomatoes.
“I Was Here” Redefined
DOMINICAN YEARBOOK CLASS RISES TO CHALLENGES DURING PANDEMIC Hauler has high praise for the class that quickly stepped up to the task of documenting the final months of school that are filled with events that include the annual musical and fine arts festival, election of Student Council officers and class representatives for next year’s school term, countdown days for seniors, and graduation.
A screenshot of a yearbook class Microsoft Teams message.
Welcome to the yearbook class at Dominican where students connect with each other and their teacher via Microsoft Teams. It is part of the school’s home distance learning experience that began on March 20 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Across the country, schools transitioned from the classroom setting to homes where students and faculty engaged online in this new environment. The yearbook’s theme, “I Was Here,” has brought new meaning and challenges to the class that includes seniors and juniors. Last August, by the second day of the 2019-2020 school term, the book’s design and theme was selected. “I Was Here” would chronicle the school year in classes, clubs, Mass, community service, and athletic events. The recent school campus closure meant no opportunity to photograph a school day’s moment in the classroom or lunchroom, at a club meeting or a sports event in Siena Gym. Spring term activities and events have been cancelled or postponed indefinitely. “The pressing challenges were how do you capture the fourth quarter of the school term when school transitioned to home learning,” notes Ms. Shannon Hauler, who is in her 11th year as the yearbook lead moderator. In addition to teaching the yearbook class, she also teaches English to 8th Graders. Yearbook club co-moderator is colleague Ms. Casey Lefante who teaches 8th Grade English and Advanced Placement English. Due to home distance learning, work by the Yearbook Club was shifted to the yearbook class.
“They have done a phenomenal job of stepping up. Immediately they were reaching out to students and teachers, asking them to send photos from their homes,” she says. “What has changed is our approach in completing the book and making sure we have an accurate representation of as many students as possible. We are still Dominican. That part is our identity and has not changed. I am proud of all the work they have done. They have come together and understand the importance of completing the yearbook,” notes Hauler. Pages are being adapted to reflect the current means of communications: photos from digital Spirit Week will become a spread. Seniors’ countdown will feature photos sent by members of the Class of 2020. The yearbook students send photos to Hauler who edits them in Photoshop and posts to the yearbook wall. During the week, the class online discussion ebbs and flows as editorial content and layout evolve.“Each yearbook tells its own story,” observes Hauler. “I believe this yearbook will be much like the ones at schools impacted the year of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The stories those yearbooks told were ones that have lasting impact. Our yearbook will be one of those.” In the yearbook class at St. Mary’s Dominican High School, seniors Chloe Candies and Mia Nguyen collaborate with junior Aria Dody via Microsoft Teams on page layouts for the school’s 2019-2020 yearbook.
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Virtual Classroom and Student Activities ARCHDIOCESAN STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTED TO DOMINICAN 8TH GRADER DURING SOCIAL DISTANCING Dr. RaeNell Houston, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in New Orleans, presented Dominican 8th grader Camille "C.C." Truxillo with the 8th grade Archdiocesan Student of the Year Award & Louisiana Non-Public Student of the Year District Winner 2020. Dominican's Principal Mrs. Favre and President Dr. Thomas were there to congratulate her, with her mom Theresa Bertucci Truxillo '97, and her brothers. C.C.’s dad, Ryan Truxillo, joined the presentation on FaceTime from his hospital work.
DOMINICAN STUDENTS’ ART INSPIRED BY LIFE DURING COVID-19 Isolation during novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has become inspiration to artists around the world. Through art, Dominican students in Ms. Angelle Caffery’s Art I, Art III, and Art II Honors classes, expressed their personal experiences of living in a pandemic.“I think it is important for the students to reflect and creatively deal with the feelings and frustrations they may be feeling at this time,” said Caffery. For this project assignment, the students incorporated a range of media, including watercolors, sketches, collages, and photography. Many of them wrote reflections about their work. The following is a sampling of some of their artwork.
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Virtual
Personnel and Student Activities
JUNIOR PROM A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Juniors celebrated prom from home, posting photos on their class forum. Members of the Prom Court, nominated by members of Student Council based on their love/spirit for Dominican and kindness to others in their class, were Reilly Spitzfaden, Queen; Delaney Faust, Niani Gibson, Rylie McCluskey, Layton Perkins, and Jordyn Taylor.
A Forever Prom
Since the beginning of her junior year at St. Mary’s Dominican High School, Reilly Spitzfaden has been looking forward to her Junior Prom. Then came the Coronavirus pandemic and schools across the country cancelled proms due to social distancing guidelines. However, Reilly was not deterred. “I was not going to let COVID-19 stop me from having one,” she said. “I asked my dad if we could do an at-home prom, and he said yes!”
Reilly oversaw the food, decorations, and music for her prom. She invited her grandparents, Uncle Bryan and Aunt Josie, and Aunt Marie who practiced social distancing. “It was probably the most fun I have had since quarantine,” said Reilly, who enjoyed putting together a music playlist that featured everything 80’s rock hits and show tunes. Her dad made a prom poster. Light shows were the main decorations. Food was ordered from Reilly’s favorite Mexican restaurant, Santa Fe. There were many photo opportunities for Reilly and family. Wearing a floor length mauve colored gown, Reilly posed with her father, Paul Spitzfaden, who wore a white tuxedo jacket, yellow cummerbund, and ruffled blue shirt. They accessorized with chic face masks. Her favorite prom moments were sharing the celebration with family and giving a one-woman show of Hamilton. Since she was in the 8th grade, Reilly has participated in the stage crew for the school’s annual musical, something she looks forward to every year. Until she can see her friends in person, the seventeen-year-old keeps in touch with them.
To her peers who are experiencing home distance learning, she offered this advice: use the extra free time to your advantage, read the book you always wanted to read, pick up a new hobby, reconnect with friends and family, learn a new skill. When school does reopen, she most looks forward to seeing her favorite teachers in person, and her junior class as seniors, adding, “Ever since Rally Day, the Class of 2021 has never been closer. I deeply miss every single one of my classmates and I cannot wait to see them.” Her dad sees his daughter’s prom experience through the lens of both a parent and part of the school community as he is Dominican’s Athletic Director and has been a faculty member. “Dancing, eating, laughing as a family will be a wonderful memory associated with the corona craziness,” he shared. “As a dad, my favorite part of the night was seeing Reilly’s smile throughout the whole evening and her saying it was a prom that will live with her forever.”
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Virtual Senior Activities
WGNO-TV FEATURED SENIORS RECEIVING THEIR GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING VIRTUAL LEARNING
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SENIOR SPIRIT WEEK • COLLEGE SWEATHIRT DAY • WEAR BLUE DAY • THROWBACK THURSDAY • TOP DOG DAY • GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS • SEND A SENIOR A VIRTUAL HUG • VIRTUAL BACCALAUREATE MASS & COMMENCEMENT Throwback Thursday: When I Grow Up
Nola.com article featured photo
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alumnae
Alumnae Association Dues for 2020 - 2021 Annual alumnae dues are vital to the operational expenses of the Alumnae Office and are used to produce The Torch. Dues also help to offset costs of the many events coordinated by the Alumnae Office, including Lenten Evening of Reflection, Breakfast with Baby Jesus, Easter Egg Roll, Cocktails in the Courtyard, Homecoming Weekend, and so much more! Class of 1930 - 1959...........Dues $15 Class of 1960 - 2014...........Dues $35 Class of 2015 - 2020...........Dues $15 Please make checks payable to DHS or visit our website, www.stmarysdominican.org, and click on the Give to Dominican tab - Donate Online - Alumnae Giving. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to submit news for The Torch, email Alumnae Director Celeste Shelsey Anding ’82 at canding@stmdhs.org.
How to Stay Connected Please update your contact information on our website WWW.STMARYSDOMINICAN.ORG
Social Media
We are on FACEBOOK! Follow DHS by “LIKING” The school page: ST. MARY’S DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL The alumnae page: ST. MARY’S DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNAE We are on INSTAGRAM too! Follow DHS at stmarysdominicanhighschool.
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Community
alumnae calendar of events
Please be aware that calendar dates are subject to change due to evolving COVID-19 related restrictions. Check the school website for updates of changes and cancellations.
JANUARY 2021 7
Class of 2020 Pizza Party
MARCH 2021 20
Easter Egg Roll 22
St. Joseph Altar 29
Lenten Evening of Reflection
APRIL 2021 1
Homecoming Mass, Awards Ceremony, and Luncheon
MAY 2021 8
Mother Daughter Senior Tea Honoring Class of 2021 10
11
12
13
14
Alumnae Appreciation Week for Dominican Personnel
Dominican Alumna Shop: Monogram Junkie http://stores.inksoft.com/dominicanalumna/shop/home
Stock up on your favorite Dominican alumna gear! You’ll find yard flags, beach towels, baby blankets, totes, and so much more! The Torch - 2019-2020 | 51
Alumnae Reunions 2021 is right around the corner and many of you will be celebrating milestone anniversaries. We invite all of you to come back to Dominican for your Anniversary year reunion. Class of
1946
75 year reunion Class of
Class of
1996
Class of
25 year reunion 1971
50 year reunion
2016
5 year reunion
Class of
2011
10 year reunion
We look forward to seeing you at St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s alumnae events. For more information on how to make your class reunion easy and fun, please email Celeste Anding ’82, Alumnae Director, at alumnae@stmdhs.org or call 504.865.7823.
UPCOMING REUNIONS Class of 1970 – 50th reunion events have been postponed. For more information, please email Janice Cory Scott at janicecoryscott@gmail.com.
RECENT REUNIONS
’74
Class of 1971 is planning their 50th reunion. For questions, please email Kathleen Swiler LaGrange at qtpi52@gmail.com. Class of 1972 get ready for your 50th reunion in 2022. Please contact Lynne Gravois Coughlin ’72 to update your contact info. She can be reached at lagc76@cox.net or cell phone 504-722-1852. Class of 1990 30th year reunion has been postponed until next summer. For questions, please email Jenn.foss@me.com.
Class of 1974 - 45 year Reunion at Southern Yacht Club - Fall 2019
’84
Class of 1995 has decided to celebrate their 25th reunion in 2021. For questions, please email Darrea Spears at moochspears@yahoo.com. Class of 2000 is planning their 20th reunion for the end of 2020. For questions, please email Amy Chan at amychan0405@gmail.com.
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Class of 1984 - 35 year Reunion at Rock 'n' Bowl - Fall 2019
Alumnae Happenings Class of 2019 Reunion Pizza Party
Coffee at LSU
Mother/Daughter Generations at Ring Mass
3rd Generations at Ring Mass
Cocktails in the Courtyard
Makers' Market
National Catholic Sisters Week Dinner
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Alumnae Happenings Breakfast with Baby Jesus
Shadow My Saddles
Children of all ages celebrated the Christmas season with family and friends at Dominican’s annual Breakfast with Baby Jesus. Nearly 400 attended the December 9th event, hosted by the Alumnae Association. A Living Nativity, presented by the Dominican High School Drama Club, took center stage in the Sr. Ambrose Reggio, O.P. Gymnasium.
Alumnae Appreciate Dominican Personnel
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Alumnae Serve At Covenant House
Spreading Good Will In these extraordinary times of social distancing, good will has no boundaries. Time, talent, and treasure from the Dominican community, near and far, are shared daily. Good will takes many forms – grocery runs for neighbors, making meals for health care workers, repurposing donated materials of bags and clothing into protective masks, thank you signs on mailboxes, colorful chalk murals on sidewalks– these and countless other acts of kindness touch many lives.
A
PRAYING THE ROSARY (A) During the school term, the Adoration Chapel on the first floor of the Gayle and Tome Benson Science and Technology Complex has been a place where alumnae, and moms of Dominican students and alumnae, gather every Thursday to pray the Rosary. This spring, with the pandemic impact leading to social distancing, the group learned to pray the Rosary via Zoom. In the group are Dina Soulant Zelden ’86, Nancy Miller Glueck ’84, Kathy Ciaccio Giler ’71, Lynn Woods Schonnberg ’83, Janet Wetzka Perez ’82, Gabriella Perez Granger ’13, Petrea Latham Rhode ’83, Salva Failla Ledet ’73, parents Jill Stoner, Yvette Hale, and Sandra Krizan.
NEIGHBORHOOD STATIONS OF THE CROSS (B) A group of friends, that includes Dominican families, organized Stations of the Cross in their River Ridge neighborhood. Photos of the Stations of the Cross have been shared on social media, with church websites, and local media. Organizers included Emily Stricker, Natasha Forest, Christine Bertucci, Stacie Richardson (’96), and Stephanie Centanni who have daughters at Dominican. “I am so proud to call these prayerful ladies friends,” said Christine Bertucci. “We witnessed an overwhelming response and were blessed by the amount of prayer that took place in our community by young and old alike.”
B
KARING KREWE BRINGS MEALS TO NURSES (C) Responding to the call for food donations as part of community support for East Jefferson General Hospital’s health care workers during the pandemic, Class of ’79 alumnae Mitzi Alario and Karen Andressen Copeland joined the Karing Krewe. The Karing Krewe, that also includes Dominican alumnae Janice Scott (’70), Laurie Beard (’82), and Debra Davis Hymel (’79), raises funds to provide lunch and dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 20 nurses on a unit caring for patients with COVID-19. Karing Krewe raised more than $11,000 and delivered 1,156 meals from 23 restaurants over a 12-week period. Twice they provided 100 dozen donuts to all hospital employees. Dominican alumnae collected more than 60% of the funds. The health care workers greatly appreciated all of the generous contributions, support, and prayers.
C
SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE (D) Tiffany Assaf Tandecki (’90) and husband Leo Tandecki are owners of Vintage Garden Kitchen. Leo is the Executive Chef of Vintage Garden Kitchen that has two locations: one in the CBD and the other Uptown. Vintage Garden Kitchen serves healthy, made-from-scratch gourmet soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches and daily specials, providing vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free and meat options. During the pandemic, the Tandeckis have donated food three times to feed the front lines: customers and neighbors at Touro Infirmary/LCMC Health via the LCMC Foundation; Ochsner Baptist Hospital, and the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, feeding musicians and those who work in the service industry. “It is a privilege and an honor to make these donations to people who make up the fabric of our city and are our heroes,” said Tiffany. “We live by our tagline, Eat Good. Feel Good. DO GOOD. We have more on the books to continue feeding the front lines.”
D
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Spreading Good Will SERVING OTHERS
E
(E) Dawn Harris Jeffries (’87), started a nonprofit organization, Girls Light Our Way, and transformed her home into a warehouse, factory, and office. Since March 16th, Dawn and her assistant – husband James M. Jeffries, III, MD FACS – have provided girls and their families with nearly 250 grocery totes filled with snacks, frozen and dry foods. “They also look forward to receiving hot meals delivered to their doors just before one of our online mental, physical, and nutritional wellness, self-efficacy and financial literacy sessions every Thursday. To God be the glory,” shared Dawn. Mary Anne Frey Schindler (’72), Matthew 25:35 Ministries’ Food Pantry President, organized a prayer chain that anyone praying for the World in these challenging times can add their name as a link. She also shared that each week, the Matthew 25:35 Ministries’ Food Pantry in Destrehan is serving families in St. Charles Parish. For more information visit https://matthew2535ministries.com.
F
(F) Shelly Bacharach Raynal (’81) of Gris Graphix has been creating one of a kind cards for any occasion to send to a special someone, free of charge. “All that is required is an email from the sender with occasion, what they want the card to say, how to sign the card, name and address of recipient and return address or can use my return address,” said Shelly. You can reach Shelly at her email address: grisgrisgraphix@gmail.com. (G) Dawn Deffner Tupper (’87) and Fr. David Caron, Vicar of Evangelization for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank. (H) “We certainly are living in different times right now,” shared Alexa Schexnaildre (’04). “I saw the video of the Dominican faculty in March, and it really warmed my heart! The Dominican community is so special. I’m still in the thick of things with my health situation, so I would appreciate some extra prayers.” Recently, Alexa started a blog, “For the Greater Purpose” to share spiritual lessons that she is learning in the midst of health challenges she has been enduring for many years. “My spiritual director and many other people have been encouraging me to write for years now. I have always felt called to write, but I did not feel like God was telling me it was the right time until a few weeks before everything unfolded with coronavirus,” she said. “Now I understand God’s timing better, as I hope much of what I share will be comforting to people dealing with all of the uncertainties during this time. The focus of my blog is that God is the only steadfast presence in our lives, as everything of this world is fleeting. I’m sharing the ways in which I’ve had to grow in my faith during my health challenges, and I hope that this blog will offer encouragement to all during these challenging times.” Visit https:// forthegreaterpurpose.blog. Alexa plans to post a few times each month. (I) Kathryn Wild and her daughters, Audrey (junior) and Sammie (8th grader) at Dominican, found ways to keep busy while helping others during the current stay at home order. After seeing a national story about Giving Hope NOLA, they have been volunteering at the food bank located in New Orleans East. The food bank feeds 700+ families each day with a week’s worth of groceries. Cars enter a driveway and pass by different stations as volunteers load their vehicles with dairy, produce, meat, and miscellaneous groceries. “It has been an amazing experience,” said Kathryn. She and her daughters also helped a family whose loved one was recovering from a critical illness. In two days, the three of them made, packaged, and delivered bath bombs for Easter gifts. Their efforts raised $1,035 for the family.
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SEWING FOR OTHERS (J) Gabrielle Abadie Champagne (’87) has been busy making masks for health care workers who are on the front lines. She has made and handed out 580 masks and has about 300 that are still being made. In a shout out to Gabrielle, alumna Jennifer Collins (’87) said several alumnae have reached out to Gabrielle who, is not only inspiring her friends to help gather supplies, she is inspiring and garnering help from all of her friends and beyond. It’s quite the amazing effort and a bit of feel good Christian outreach amidst this chaos. (K) Using materials donated from her classmates, Karen Kloesel Katz (’82) is making protective masks. So far, she has made 50 masks, and is sewing more for family friends and neighbors.
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Thank you for all that you do!
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(L) Jan Gustafson (’59) delivered her homemade masks to 40 of her Orchard neighbors on the Northshore. “I thought it would be a small gesture of care and concern, and following the directive of wearing masks when going out,” said Jan. “They were fun to make and appreciated by those who got them. I pray for the safety of everyone, young and old.” (M) Karen Schowalter Cooper (’82), who enjoyed a career singing around the world, now spends her time teaching music in the Memphis area. During her studies at LSU where she earned a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in vocal performance, Karen worked at the fabric boutique, Classic Fabrics, where she learned to sew and enjoy the beauty of various textiles – from simple cottons to luxurious silks. Of course, she first learned to operate a sewing machine in Home Economics class at Dominican! Recently, Karen joined the 4M/Mid-South Medical Mask Makers. The need for masks during the COVID-19 crisis is clear and Karen wanted to do what she could to help. The 4M group distributes masks to hospitals, retirement communities, and frontline essential workers. Karen will continue to sew masks until the need subsides.
SPREADING CHEER
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(N) Brooklyn Ellzey, who will be a Dominican 8th grader in the fall, used her artistic talents to spread cheer to her neighbors. Brooklyn is the daughter of Michelle Menes Ellzey (’97). Jewelry designer Cathy Capritto Gotzkowsky (’86) of CC Gotz Designs offered a discount to ‘Thank Our Heroes’ on her website – ccgotz.com through May 16!
Photo by Chris Granger
DR. JENNIFER LUCY AVEGNO ’89
Leading on the Front Lines
Since March 9, when the first confirmed coronavirus case in the New Orleans area was reported, Dr. Jennifer Avegno has been on the front lines of the pandemic. Appointed head of the New Orleans Health Department in 2018 by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Dr. Avegno’s leadership has guided city leaders, the medical community, businesses, and residents from early March, through the city’s March 17 orders for closure of most public spaces, and to phases of reopening. From providing updates at the mayor’s news conferences to overseeing logistics for drive-thru coronavirus testing and coordinating meetings with hospitals, the 1989 Dominican graduate brings to her work extensive experience as an emergency room physician and academician. She holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame, MA in Sociology from Tulane University, and MD from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. At the former Charity Hospital in New Orleans, she completed her residency in Emergency Medicine. Shortly after graduation she joined the faculty at LSU and Tulane and served as Associate Residency Director and Director of Undergraduate Emergency Medicine Education for both medical schools. Her clinical, program, and research interests include the role of social determinants of health, particularly access and barriers to care; health equity; violence intervention/prevention; sexual assault and human trafficking; and homelessness. In 2017, Dr. Avegno established the Division of Community Health Relations and Engagement in the LSU Section of Emergency Medicine. As the director, she worked with institutional, governmental, and other community organizations to facilitate innovative programming, interdisciplinary partnerships, and improved population health outcomes. She spearheaded “Stop The Bleed” – a community outreach initiative that teaches youth and adults techniques to stop bleeding caused by trauma until emergency medical services arrive. In 2019, Dominican honored Dr. Avegno as Alumna of the Year, recognized by her peers as a woman who instills Catholic values while urging the practice of ethical behaviors as demonstrated through her dedication to family, public service, or career. Accepting the award, she shared, “My own Dominican experience – though I did not realize it at the time – forged a deep commitment to critical thinking, questioning easy answers, desire for service, and love of community. My search for Veritas is grounded in my Dominican education and the women in my family who shaped me, and it is a continual journey. In my work in the Emergency Department and at the city, I am confronted with individuals often on their worst day or in their most desperate state, and must struggle to find the dignity and humanity – the face of Jesus – in everyone. Without my legacy of women and grounding in God’s truth, I cannot do it, and there are many times I fall short. But what a blessing to have these Dominican values to fall back on.”
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All About Alumnae
Students Meet Alumnae
Loyola University Campus Tour Includes a Dominican Connection
A campus tour of Loyola University New Orleans included a visit to two psychology labs where a group of our students met Kate Autin Yurgil, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences and a 2001 Dominican graduate. Dr. Yurgil discussed with the students her work and participation in a research study. Dr. Yurgil does multi-disciplinary research that integrates measures of human behavior, cognition, and neurophysiology. She has papers published on neural activity associated with auditory speech perception, working memory capacity, and selective attention, with a current focus on age-related changes in cognitive function. Her interests in the area of behavioral health include examining risk and resiliency factors for post-traumatic stress disorder, and the effects of traumatic brain injury on mental health and neuropsychological function. Dr. Yurgil presents her work at annual meetings for Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Society for Neuroscience, and International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
Dr. Yurgil with Dominican student Josephine Toso who wears an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap that contains electrodes to measure the brain’s electrical activity. Observing are fellow students Emma Hoth and Mary Parker Whisnant. Photo by Hallie Cao ’21.
She holds a BA in psychology from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri and MS in psychological science from Tulane University. In 2010 she completed her PhD from Tulane, with an emphasis in cognitive neuroscience. Her doctoral research focused on using electroencephalography (EEG) to examine individual and age differences in attention and memory processes. Most recently, Dr. Yurgil completed postdoctoral research training in applied behavioral health at the VA Healthcare System in San Diego, CA, where she examined the effects of combat deployment on mental health outcomes in active-duty military personnel. She is a recipient of Loyola’s College of Arts & Sciences 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award.
Renee Gros ’14 Not Letting the Parade Pass Her By
For Dominican alumna Renee Gros ’14, she is at home on the stage – whether performing before audiences on a cruise line or as guest speaker addressing the Drama Club during a return visit to her alma mater. During her senior year, Renee played matchmaker Dolly Levi in the school production of the musical, Hello, Dolly! After graduating from Dominican, Renee attended Emerson College in Boston where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Renee’s career includes Theatre Specialist with the Jefferson Performing Arts Society; Producer with Good Coffee, Independent Film; Intern at DDO
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Artists Agency where she assisted the LA and NY voice-over departments; and House Supervisor with ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage. In her talk to the Drama Club, she gave advice and insights about audition preparation, and shared her theatre experiences. Toward the end of her talk and taking questions, she entertained her audience breaking out in song with, “When The Parade Passes By!”
All About Alumnae
Club officers met their collaborators when Chef Guevara and Mrs. Cesulka came to campus to harvest herbs. Officers are Elise Landrum and Dasia Thomas (co-presidents), Kaylie Nguyen (vice president), Jenna Thomas (secretary), and Rhea Bawa (historian).
FROM CAMPUS HERB GARDEN TO COLLEGE INN Dominican’s bountiful collaboration with the Ecology and Stewardship Club, moderator Mrs. Joann Schwartz Haydel (’91), two Dominican alumnae, and Chef Baker Guevara at Ye Olde College Inn, reaped a lush herb garden on campus. Spearheading the effort was Mrs. Shelley Mateu Cesulka (’92), who applied her experience from growing up visiting a family farm. She prepared and landscaped the garden site with rocks, ground cover, soil, mulch, organic materials, and organic plants that she donated. Mrs. Patrice Keller Kononcheck (’98) and husband Chris, built and installed the raised garden boxes that are made of untreated cedar. Club members planted the herbs under the coordination of Mrs. Haydel. Club members were responsible for the watering, weeding, and maintenance of the organic environment. “I was thrilled to see the students dive right in and get their hands dirty on the day we planted our herbs,” said Mrs. Haydel. “For many, this was their first time planting a garden. They are very proud of how well the garden has grown.” She said club members are interested in adding plants that will naturally deter pests and will also decorate signs to indicate the types of herbs in the garden. The bounty of fresh rosemary, dill, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, and chives, will be used in dishes prepared by SAGE Dining Services on campus and at Ye Olde College Inn.
PREACHING THE TRUTH IN LOVE Accepting an invitation from Dominican Vice President of Catholic Identity Mrs. Jill Cabes (’87) to be a guest speaker, attorney Dorinda Chiappetta Bordlee (’83) returned to her alma mater where she addressed Ms. Anne Comiskey’s Civics and Government AP classes. Mrs. Bordlee is Vice President, Co-Founder, and Chief Counsel of the Bioethics Defense Fund, a nonprofit legal organization whose mission is to put law in the service of life. She spoke to the classes about difficult topics facing Catholics in a world growing increasingly more and more secular. The topics included life issues of abortion and its negative impact on women, human cloning, and embryonic stem cell research. Mrs. Bordlee stressed the importance for the students to educate themselves and form their consciences early in life. The class was also informed of individual rights according to the Constitution and were given a practical lesson in federalism, the division of local, state, and federal governments. Ms. Comiskey said when her students turned in their Current Events assignments, she found a lack of understanding of news stories covering religious liberty. “One of my ultimate goals as a Civics teacher at Dominican is for my students to illuminate God’s love. Our goal in Catholic education is to ‘speak the truth, Veritas, in love,’ as Dorinda told them many times,” shared Ms. Comiskey. Mrs. Bordlee emphasized that all humans are “made to love and to be loved … We have to ask ourselves are we truly loving the other person when it comes to decision-making in certain issues.”
THE DEBS TURN 50 Memories came rushing back when Deb alumnae returned to celebrate the Dominican Debs 50 year anniversary. It was so much fun to have Deb alumnae perform stand routines along side the current Debs at the Brother Martin football game Friday, November 1.
SENIORS MEET ALUMNAE IN D.C. DURING CLOSE UP Five seniors participated in the Close Up Foundation’s High School Program in Washington, DC during the Mardi Gras break. The students were able to meet with elected officials, visit historic sites, engage with students from across the country, and learn more about the importance of civic engagement. During their trip, the students also met with Dominican Alumnae in the DC area who shared their experiences working and living in the nation’s capital.
Latin music filled the Dance Studio when alumna Bianca San Martin (’08) led students in dance as part of the National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, presented by the Students for Human Dignity & Diversity in Action. San Martin taught the basic steps for Salsa, Merengue, and Cha-Cha. The event was sponsored by San Martin and the New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation (NOHHF). Joining in the celebration were Luz Caputto and Dominican alumna María León Vallejo with the NOHHF Board of Directors.
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All About Alumnae 1961 For the past 30 years, the Class of 1961 has been meeting regularly for lunch. Sue Frosch Rihner, Carolyn Grevemberg Enterante, Lynn Higgins Lizarraga, Linda “Linny’’ Reuther Rabalais, Wanda Garcia LaNasa, Meryl Lehder Rooney, Jackie Steele Daniels, Laverne “Penny” Paine Mason, and Karen Booth Occhipinti.
1962 Kathleen Louapre Howell was honored as one of ten Volunteer Activists in the Baton Rouge area. Kathleen has devoted much of her time to various charitable organizations.
1964 Sylvia Verdun Metzinger remains active in her home owners association, including a six-year stint as editor of its newsletter. She is now the Nextdoor. com Leader for her neighborhood and a founding member of the Lakehills Community Action Committee. She and a group of her neighbors are working to increase awareness of the need for the county government to bring an ambulance and full Emergency Medical Operations team to their community of more than 5,000 residents. It is the largest polulated area in the primarily rural Bandera County, Texas.
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1968 Life is great in Colma, California for Maureen J. O’Connor. During the past 12 years of retirement, Maureen enjoys her cats and birds, plus traveling to Budapest and Prague. One of her favorite places in Budapest is St. Matthias Church with its jewel like tile roof and Hungarian décor. When home, Maureen is a volunteer at the Colma Historical Association and a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Agnes Parish. 1970 Dawn A. DeDeaux will have a new art installation opening at New Orleans Museum of Art on September 17, 2021, entitled: “The Space Between Worlds.” This is the first comprehensive museum exhibition for the pioneering multimedia artist. Since 1970, Dawn’s practice has spanned video, performance, photography, and installation to create art that exists at the edge of the Anthropocene. Anticipating a future imperiled by the runaway population growth, breakneck industrial development, and looming threat of climate change, Dawn has long worked between the worlds of the present and the future. 1972 Laurie Gillio Combe has been serving as President of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) since June 2019 and will serve through June 2021. NASN's vision and mission is that all students will be healthy, safe and ready to learn via advancement of school nursing practice. 1979 Kendra Barrier, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE was named President of the New Orleans District Nurses Association. She earned her BSN and MSN in Nursing Education from LSU School of Nursing (SON); and a PhD in Nursing Education and Administration from William Carey University. She has held positions as Assistant Dean for Student Services at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing where she is Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing. She is active in several councils and committees, and served as the chairper-
son for several SON taskforces. Memberships include NODNA, LSNA, the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), and the National League for Nursing (NLN). She served as a delegate for the last three LSNA Membership Assemblies, and is an active member of the LSNA Membership Committee. She is an appointed member of the AACN Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Group (DEIG), the Planning Committee for the AACN Organizational Leadership Network (OLN), and the Communication Committee of the AACN Planning Committee. Dr. Barrier is also the designated administrative representative for the Dean’s Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Committee. Her experience with local, state, and national organizations, and certifications in Emotional Intelligence, Emergenetics, and SafeZone aids her ability to create an inclusive environment for underrepresented students in academia and professional nurses in health care. Dr. Barrier leads New Orleans District Nurses and works to build consensus against all forms of racism, health disparities, police brutality, and other causes of inequities with the motto, Change Starts with Me! #changestartswithme 1980 Andree Bonnaffons Tullis has officially retired from the St. Bernard Parish School System. Her most recent position was Principal of C. F. Rowley Alternative School. Andree has worked for over 20 years in the public school system and 14 years in Catholic and private schools. This fall, Andree will continue to work in education as the Director of Guidance and a member of administrative team at St. Stanislaus High School in Bay St. Louis, MS.
Toast of Praise
All About Alumnae 1981 Anne Achary Kramer became the new Principal of Hynes Academy in the 2019-2020 school year. From left: Hynes Charter School CEO Michelle Douglas, Dominican Alumnae Director Celeste Shelsey Anding ’82, Anne Achary Kramer ’81, Patrice Keller Kononcheck ’98, Laura Murphy Jonau ’84, and Jennifer DeBlieux ’01.
1990 Jennifer Curry Foss will be the Assistant Principal of Hahnville High School in St. Charles Parish. Jennifer has been teaching in the parish for more than 16 years. Dionne Laborde is a published author of the book, Inspirations from the Creator: Knowing God. Maria Mateu Ward joined St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Metairie as the school’s principal in the fall of 2020.
1985 Kelly McNeil Legier (pictured below) was appointed Administrative Law Judge with the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA). Created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 to simplify the appeals process and make it more efficient, the OMHA is responsible for Level 3 of the Medicare claims appeal process, certain Medicare entitlement appeals, and Part B and Part D premium appeals.
Tonya Manix Begeron is owner and founder of NOLA Driving Institute. Tonya started the driving school because her children had a terrible experience learning to drive. NOLA Driving Institute has three locations – Metairie, Norco, and Lutcher. This year, Tonya celebrates 10 years in the business. 1992 Shelley Mateu Cesulka is a Pilot with Southwest Airlines.
1987 Kathryn Gsell is the Community Relations Manager for Second Harvest in New Orleans where she manages several major annual events and fundraising initiatives, including Harvest at Home and Duck Derby. Kathryn earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of New Orleans.
1993 Alison Cernich is the Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health. As Deputy Director, Dr. Cernich assists the director in supporting the Institute’s mission to lead research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. She was the Director of the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research at NICHD. In that role she was responsible for the oversight of a $72 million research portfolio aimed at improving the health and well-being of people with disabilities. She also played a major role in developing the congressionally mandated NIH Rehabilitation Research Plan in 2018. She served on multiple interagency strategic planning and government oversight committees for research initiatives in the federal government relevant to disability and rehabilitation research. Over the last two years, Dr. Cernich was instrumental in the planning and development of NICHD’s Strategic Plan. She represented NICHD on several large trans-NIH programs, including All of Us and the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM) Initiative. Prior to joining NICHD, she served as Deputy Director of the VA’s Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, where she coordinated prevention, education, research, and clinical care efforts for service members and veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. During her prior 10 years of service in the Department of Veterans Affairs, she served as the Traumatic Brain Injury Liaison to the Department of Defense, the Chief of Neuropsychology and the Polytrauma Support Clinic at the VA Maryland Health Care System, and as a funded investigator through the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. She received a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University and completed post-doctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC. A board-certified neuropsychologist by training, she is the lead or contributing author on multiple peer-reviewed articles and conference presentations.
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All About Alumnae 1996 Kelly Theard Reggio, head of the construction department at New Orleans based law firm Deutsch Kerrigan LLC, has been elected as the law firm’s most recent Managing Partner. She is the first female elected managing partner in the firm’s 94-year history.
1999 Kristin Behlar LaGraize returns this fall to Dominican as a new Math teacher. Kristin has been teaching math at St. Scholastica High School and St. Paul High School for the past 12 years. Welcome back, Kristin! 2000 and 2001 July 6th was opening day for Sprout Pediatrics, LLC. Owners are Kendall Jakob Connick, NP (’01), Gabrielle Lambert Glasgow, MD (‘00), Lauren Hernandez, MD, and Suzy Gallien Kingston, MD. The office address is 1041 Veterans Blvd, Suite 300 in Metairie, LA 70005. Phone number: 504.267. 9336. For more information on services and office hours, visit www.sproutpediatricsnola.com. 2001 Megan Lucy Mouton is owner of Clue Carré that was been nominated for a USA Today 10 Best Travel Award in 2019! 2003 Daughter of Margaret Peters Ludwig, Mathilde Frances Ludwig modeling “Swirl and Twirl, I'm a DOMINICAN girl” shirt!
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2010 Andrea Rye will join Dominican’s Counseling Department this Fall. A 2013 Graduate of LSU, she earned her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Loyola University New Orleans in 2017. Andrea comes to us after working at Academy of Our Lady on the Westbank. Welcome back to campus! Amanda Thibodeaux was saluted as a WGNO-TV Health Care Hero of the Day. She is a pediatric nurse at LCMC’s Children’s Hospital in the Uptown area of the city. Early in the coronavirus pandemic, Children’s Hospital did not see the huge spike in cases due to children being less susceptible to the disease. Other LCMC hospitals were dealing with maximum numbers of patients in their ICUs and Thibodeaux volunteered to help at New Orleans East Hospital which had reached max capacity for ICU beds. 2011 Kassidy Herring will join Dominican this fall as a Social Studies teacher. Emily Maureen Martinez, RN is a recent graduate of Delgado Charity School of Nursing. She is currently employed by East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie. Michelle Rosamond is Community Outreach Coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank. Michelle’s main responsibility involves recruiting and scheduling volunteers to work in Second Harvest’s warehouse in New Orleans. Over the past few months, volunteers at Second Harvest have helped to prepare hot meals in its Community Kitchen for children and seniors across south Louisiana. Volunteers have also worked in the warehouse to sort and repackage donated shelf-stable food and produce. During this time, Michelle has worked to ensure enough volunteers are on hand to manage the increased workload and taken on additional responsibilities to maintain the building as a safe and sanitary place to volunteer. 2013 Kansas Guidry graduated second in the Tulane University Law School Class of 2020 and was honored during end-of-year celebrations as a recipient of the 34 Awards, the highest honor given to those students who have provided exceptional leadership and
service during their time at Tulane. Kansas, who has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and History from Fordham University, led some 50 student writers as the top editor of the prestigious Tulane Law Review which publishes five issues during the academic year. “I have been very fortunate to have worked with Kansas over the last year as she has served as Editor-in-Chief,” wrote Law Review faculty advisor Prof. Ronald Scalise in his nomination. “At every turn, Kansas has exhibited the kind of careful and thoughtful judgment that is a model for other Journal students that she so ably leads. Kansas has consistently put the best interests of the Journal at the forefront of every decision she has made. Her commitment to academic quality has kept the Tulane Law Review in the high position of prestige that it deserves.” In addition to her work as editor, Kansas demonstrated an impressive academic record, winning eight CALI Excellence for the Future Awards, given to students with the highest grade in each course. She also competed on the Moot Court International Appellate Team and worked in the community, both through the Tulane Legal Assistance Program (TULAP) and through several legal aid organizations in New Orleans serving the needs of the most vulnerable. After graduation, she will begin clerking for the Honorable Barry W. Ashe of the Eastern District of Louisiana, and after that, with the Honorable Judge Jacques L. Weiner, Jr. of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Following her clerkships, she will join the firm of Barrasso, Usdin, Kupperman Freeman and Sarver LLC as an associate. 2014 Margaret Ledet started The Young Catholic Podcast last fall. The show aims to help young adults (18-28 years old) who have questions or encounter questions about the Catholic faith, whether it be in college or their workplace. “Once young adults finish high school, they experience a huge change, they begin a chapter of their lives with more freedom and different
All About Alumnae responsibilities,” explained Margaret. “It is an exciting time of self-discovery and discerning one’s passions for a future career.” Like many people, Margaret had questions about her faith and started creating a notebook with answers from different resources to help understand her faith better. Between the notebook and knowing that there had to be other like-minded individuals who were also on the journey to find the truth, she got the idea to start the podcast. Margaret takes topics and questions from her listeners and interviews individuals for different perspectives. “Recording multiple perspectives per topic was crucial to me because it was something I also desired. Two individuals may be Catholic, but will have different approaches when it comes to an understanding of the said topic. It is important to listen to what others have to say and, from that information, form oneʼs opinion on the matter,” she said. Check out her show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, or follow the show on Instagram @theyoungcatholic_podcast. Questions can be submitted on the showʼs website, tycpodcast.com. 2015 K. Noto, Loyola University New Orleans '19, Tulane School of Medicine 2024 MD/ MS (Bioethics and Medical Humanities Program), received the Sally Knight Scholarship in Bioethics and Medical Humanities. At Loyola University, she earned a BS in Biological Sciences, with university and department honors, and membership in Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society. Her undergraduate thesis was, “Fentanyl Toxicity Deaths Surge as Opioid Epidemic Reaches Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.” At the Louisiana State University Undergraduate Research Conference she took first place in Oral Presentation: Science and Mathematics. At Loyola she was a four-year Varsity Member of the Women’s Basketball Team that was SSAC Conference Champions from 2015-2019, and NAIA National Tournament wins from 2015-2019. Other honors include Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete 20172018, 2018-2019; SSAC All-Academic Team 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 20182019; Loyola University Scholar-Athlete Award Fall 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; and Inaugural Women’s Basketball Spirit Award Recipient 2015-2016.
2015 Mia Bordlee is Director of Youth Programs for Louisiana Right to Life. Weeks after graduating with honors from LSU where she majored in political science and philosophy, Mia was hired to lead the Washington, D.C. programming for the 2019 and 2020 National March for Life. In addition to giving talks at New Orleans areas elementary and high schools about the dignity of human life, she organizes and leads the Pulse Leadership retreats for high school and college students. Mia loves her faith, and continues to educate herself in the wisdom of the Catholic Church. She is committed to living Veritas in her personal and professional life. Rachel Nguyen, a 2019 Kenyon College graduate, is among the researchers at Kenyon College who illuminated how necessary conditions were reached in order for the universe to evolve. Rachel, a physics major, and Associate Professor of Physics John T. Giblin, Jr., teamed with physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Netherlands’ Leiden University on a study that illuminates how the universe reached the thermal state necessary for the Big Bang to occur. Their findings were published Oct. 25, 2019, in Physical Review Letters, a top physics journal (and a prestigious placement for an undergraduate researcher). Using software developed at Kenyon, Nguyen, Giblin and their co-authors carefully constructed and tested a model that illustrates how this reheating might have occurred. Using a lattice model, they mapped how the energy of multiple forms of matter might change and interact with gravity in the period after cosmic inflation. Their tested and proven model provides a more complete story of how cosmic inflation occurred — and, crucially, how it ended. 2016 Kristen Williams, Loyola University, New Orleans '19, a member of LSU New Orleans School of Medicine Class of 2024, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola with a B.S. in Biological Sciences with university and department honors. Her undergraduate thesis was,"The Synergistic Effect of Drugs on Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.” She received the Alumni Association Graduation Award, NAIA Com
petitive Cheer All-Academic Team 2019, NAIA Scholar-Athlete Gold Award 2019, and NAIA Champions of Character Team 2019. Sage Ducoing, graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana State University with a BS in physics. She graduated with Sigma Pi Sigma honors for the Society of Physics Students, received LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy 2020 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award and the 2019 R. Greg Hussey Scholarship. This fall, she will start graduate school at LSU to pursue a PhD in physics. Ducoing conducted research on particle identification, advancing her knowledge on machine learning techniques under Professor Thomas Kutter. Megan Guidry, an LSU Ogden Honors College and Louisiana Service and Leadership (LASAL) senior , was selected as a 2020 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. There were approximately 13,000 applicants for this year’s GRFP competition, and 2,076 applicants were elected as NSF Graduate Research Fellows. 2017 L'Oreal Alicia Williams was elected Student Body President of Southeastern Louisiana University for the 20202021 academic year. She was awarded Southeastern Division for Student Affairs (DSA) Vice President’s Award of Excellence. The award recognizes student leaders who have impacted the DSA through their hard work and dedication. The recipients of this award will always be considered the best of Southeastern Louisiana University. 2018 Tia Peck received the Community Impact Award in recognition by Louisiana State University Office of Multicultural Affairs for outstanding efforts to promote social and cultural awareness and their dynamic impact on the community beyond the confines of LSU.
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Congratulations
All About Alumnae Information provided as of July 21, 2020
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Special Delivery WELCOMING A GIRL (A) Melissa Pretus Hudson ’99 (B) Ashley Wolfe O’Shields ’99 (C) Marissa Folger Rabalais ’00 (D) Beth Wilde Wilson ’00 Meghan McGlone Brashear ’02 (E) Natalie Tzerefos Campo ’02 (F) Marie Manning Harper ’02 (G) Amy Nunez Williams ’03 (H) Kelley Cox Goodrich ’04 (I) Nicole LeBlanc ’05 (J) Molly France Fernandes ’06 Katherine Gaumond LeJeune ’06 (K) Aimee Cutrer Homra ’07 (L) Rachelle Bordlee Nguyen ’09
WELCOMING A BOY (M) Crystal Bolner Forte ’99 (N) Margaret “Meg” Alsfeld Kaul ’02 (O) Robin Hotard Roche ’04 (P) Julie Brinks Midkiff ’06 (Q) Sophie Madach Garrett ’07 (R) Kelsey Schexnayder Conravey ’10 (S) Gabriella Perez Granger ’13
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Submit news and photos for the All About Alumnae section to Alumnae Director Celeste Anding, alumnae@stmarysdominican.org.
64 | The Torch - 2019-2020
Wedding Bells (T) Allison Anne Lattie ’02 Daniel Isaac Paris
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W
As of July 21, 2020
1933 Florence Grush Ward
1954 Elizabeth Mendow Caserta
(U) Katie Marie Mire ’06 Zachary Cohen
1939 Elizabeth Crane Deimel
1954 Martha Ann Amiss Claret
1940 Dorothy Salathe Crosbie
1954 Leah Durkes Esteve
1940 Charlotte Cassidy Montgomery
1954 Antoinette Giordano Falgout
1940 Charlotte Bernhard Pearce
1954 Kathleen Regan Hanner
1943 Ursula Cazale
1954 Laura Mendoza McGinnis
1943 Teresa Johnson Dowty
1954 Dorothy Guderian Meyers
1944 Erinee Hoffman Floyd
1954 Phyllis Guarisco Robicheaux
1945 Joyce Weber
1955 Gail Conley Nebel
1945 Marion Gumina Riche
1955 Betty Vazquez Panzeca
1945 Audrey Fontenot
1955 Rose Spizale
1946 Antoinette Puleo Farlow
1955 Mary Ellen Koberg Thompson
1946 Gloria Bomar Martinson
1956 Janet Dwyer Trotter
1946 Patricia Heaney Occhipinti
1956 JoAnne LaRocca Leaumont
1946 Marion St. Germain McKeough
1956 Joyce Crespino Palermo
1946 Margaret Mire Stall
1957 Nikki Oddo Sanchez
1947 Joycelynn Jodie Von Ehren Crites
1957 Barbara Bowman Brothers
1947 Lorraine Mary Lecler
1957 Camille DePaoli Glazer
1948 Geraldine Spell Blanchard
1960 Cathey Cambre Brunett
1949 Jeanne Belou Fant
1961 Carrel Muller
1949 Mary Louise Eugene Perkins
1963 Carolyn Chalona Loftin
1949 Joan Stoltz Preston
1964 Maria Giardina Glynn
1950 Carolyn Wattigny Starita
1965 Carole Youmans
1951 Jean Masson Arseneaux
1967 Jonel Casteix Carleton
1951 Rose Marie Giarraputo Gaudet
1967 Georgia Reine
1951 Beverly Fabregas Cangelosi
1969 Maureen McMahon Sickinger
1952 Marguerite Dubos Ford
1970 Mary Margaret Waguespack
1952 Ines Augrain Thomas
1973 Mary Beth Moran Bowers
1952 Patricia Patsy Ford Watts
1974 Carol Meunier McEntee
1952 Barbara Centanni Borgstede
1974 Janice Labarre Mizelle
1952 Cynthia Adolph Doskey
1974 Jurodell Brown Banks
1952 Phyllis Warden Retif
1975 Susan Roth Hardeman
1953 Carol Jackson Kleindienst
1977 Lucille Baudouin Brady
1953 Patricia Pat Austin Newberg
1978 Leslie Bourgeois Ecuyer
1953 Shirley Hill McCune
1982 Simone Cooper Sclafani
1953 Mary Ann Hoffmann Rodriguez
1989 Lisa Belsom
1953 Gayle Fontana Gelpi
1992 Ann Marie Negrotto Eady, MD
(W) Courtney Elizabeth Dauzat ’14 Evan Pelas
U
Our Dearly Departed Sisters
Katherine Gaumond ’06 Matthew LeJeune
(V) Danica Nguyen ’06 Brian Goad
T
IN MEMORIAM
Our prayers and condolences to all members of our Dominican community and their families who have experienced losses this year. The Torch - 2019-2020 | 65
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The Torch is a publication of St. Mary’s Dominican High School for alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and friends.