PHOTO OPP – Media Only Media Contact: RSVP to Lisa Morales, news@acnd.net
“Called to Serve” – Graduates Inspire Students to Pursue Leadership Roles in Community Service 4th Annual Heritage Day at Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep Plus… th 60 Anniversary Time Capsule Dedication and Proclamation Honorary Guests: Dr. Paul S. George ’60 (Miami-Dade College), Dr. Joanne Hyppolite (HistoryMiami), and Frank Balzebre of Miami-Dade County Mayor Gimenez’ Office Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 9:30 a.m.
Miami, FL…January 27, 2014…As part of its 60th Anniversary events, Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep will hold its 4th Annual Heritage Day – “Called to Serve” on Wednesday, February 5, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Current students will connect with past graduates who have formed or held leadership roles in non-profit organizations, or have pursued careers dedicated to the betterment of society. Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep, 4949 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137 www.acnd.net, 305.751.8367. The day’s itinerary is as follows: 9:30 a.m. – Continental breakfast and information session for the alumni guest speakers in ACND Prep’s art gallery
10:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. – Classroom sessions where student organizers moderate a Q&A session with alumni guests who will speak about their careers and leadership in community service 11:20 a.m. – Assembly for students, alumni guests, and ACND faculty/administration
Dr. Paul S. George ’60, Historian and Professor of History at Miami-Dade College and Dr. Joanne Hyppolite, Chief Curator at HistoryMiami briefly speak about the school’s 60 year
School Principal, Douglas Romanik will dedicate a Time Capsule celebrating the school’s 6 decades
Frank Balzebre, Liaison to Mayor Gimenez for Business, Trade and Industry at Office of Mayor, Miami-Dade County, will deliver a Proclamation acknowledging Archbishop Curley Notre Dame Prep’s mission to encourage students to use their skills and education to do good in the community, and become leaders through service.
“We are honored to welcome a very special group of alums,” comments Douglas Romanik, ACND Principal. “By sharing their advice, experiences, and memories, they provide a living history lesson for our students. It is this personal connection that creates a lasting impression and a means to inspire our students to see community service as much more than a graduation requirement. They are our leaders of tomorrow.” Alumni Guests (to date): Nick Silverio ’61 – Founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns (Gloria M. Silverio Foundation) provides anonymous alternatives to abandonment through education, prevention, and community involvement. Representing the Classes of the early 1960’s (who attended ACND’s first Heritage Day in 2011) that celebrated the school’s history as the first integrated high schools in Florida are: Allan Blondell ’65, Ron Young ’65, Dr. Cornelius James ’63, and Paul Wyche ’64. WSVN covered the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T3sh5AVV6M Raymond Benkoczy ’73 – Practices law in Chicago and has served as board member for the Constitutional Rights Foundation Chicago; Junior Board of Governors for the Ravinia Festival of the Musical Arts; Vice Chairman, the Hearts Foundation; and board member/artistic director Around the Coyote Arts Festival. Carl Juste ’81 - Miami Herald Photojournalist since 1989; founder of the IPC Visual Lab (labs and classes that teach the art of visual storytelling); and co-founder of Iris PhotoCollective – 4 like-minded professional photographers make it their mission to explore and document the relationship of people of color to the world. Rick de la Guardia ’83 – Engineer and President of DLG Engineering, Inc.; Vice Chair, American Society of Civil Engineers – AEI Curtain Wall Committee; and immediate past president of the University of Miami College of Engineering Alumni Association – mentoring, guiding, advising, and helping students achieve their engineering goals and dreams. Cristina Quiroga ’99 – Board Vice President of The Key Clubhouse of South Florida - its mission is to afford people whose lives have been disrupted by mental illness the opportunity to recover meaningful and productive lives through reintegration in the workplace and the community. Quiroga was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 12 years ago. Although struggling with this serious mental illness, Quiroga found support through family, friends, and a devoted doctor who helped her find a group of women with adult children who also had serious mental illnesses. After almost 7 years meeting in living rooms, the organization opened its own location made possible through grants, private donation, and the support of Miami-Dade County Court Judge, Steven Leifman and the South Florida Behavioral Health Network. Quiroga looks forward to speaking at this year’s Heritage Day. “I think it’s a wonderful idea to connect students with graduates and I am honored to talk about what I do,” she comments. “Opening The Key Clubhouse has been my greatest accomplishment thus far, and I love sharing my experience with others.”
Photos: ACNDHeritageDay2011 – Notre Dame Academy and Archbishop Curley High School alums of the 60’s celebrated the 50th anniversary of their privileged role in the history of desegregation. This event was featured on the front page of the Miami Herald, Sunday, February 13, 2011. ACNDHeritageDay2012 - Associate Superintendent of Schools at the Archdiocese of Miami, Kristen Buffone Hughes ’70 sits beside Carlos Barquin ’67, Athletic Director at Belen Jesuit Preparatory during a presentation of a plaque commemorating ACND alumni educators. ACNDHeritageDay2013 – ACND Prep’s 3rd Heritage Day, “The Call to Heal” celebrated alumni who have become doctors, nurses, surgeons, paramedics, and technicians at all of levels of the healthcare field. ###