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School News
Meet the New Members of the Magnificat Leadership Team
Katie Higgins ’99, Vice President of Mission
As a child, Katie Higgins ’99 knew she wanted to become a teacher, and she credits the deepening of that desire to Magnificat teachers like Betty McMahon who inspired her to pursue history and political science studies at the University of Notre Dame. Having discovered a love for theology during her sophomore year of college, Katie eventually graduated summa cum laude with degrees in both history and theology.
Katie’s early career pursuits took her to the outskirts of Philadelphia where she taught theology and served as the first campus minister at Villa Joseph Marie High School, an all-girls Catholic school. She returned to the Cleveland area and Magnificat in 2006, and has served as campus minister, Director of Campus Ministry, Theology faculty member, Senior Writer & Editor, and most recently as the Assistant Vice President of Mission during the 2019-2020 school year. In 2012, Katie received her Masters of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Loyola University of Chicago, where she attended classes online and over the summers during her time as the Director of Campus Ministry. Katie is grateful for the wisdom, expertise, and example of Sr. Helen Jean Novy, HM, with whom she has worked closely for many years. In looking to the future, Katie reflects on the collective and collaborative nature of her new role: “Together, we hold the Mission of Magnificat in our hands. Mission touches every aspect of our school community, and we each play a vital role in living out and carrying forward the Mission. I am humbled and honored to be a part of this work in partnership with so many.”
Julie Reines, Dean of Student Life & Formation
Julie Reines brings 14 years of experience in education to her role as Magnificat’s new Dean of Student Life & Formation. Julie takes the place of Mary Therese Dwyer-Kueller who retired in June after 27 years of teaching Theology and three years in the role of Dean of Student Life & Formation. Having earned her B.A. in Adolescent to Young Adult Education from the University of Dayton and a Masters of Educational Administration from John Carroll University, Julie has spent the majority of her career at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls where she taught Economics and Global Studies and served as the Dean of Students for the last five school years. While teaching and during her role as Dean, Julie also served as the Associate Director of Admissions, the Varsity LaCrosse Coach, a leader for the school’s retreat and immersion programs, and moderator of student government, all experiences that have prepared her to oversee Magnificat’s Counseling, Athletic, Performing Arts, and Summer Programming departments as well as the Humility of Mary Center. “Magnificat is educating and forming young women for the future, and I knew this community was something I wanted to be a part of,” Reines said. “I am excited for the new opportunities and challenges that lie ahead!”
Congratulations Retirees!
Many thanks to the following retirees who have contributed a combined total of 259 years of service to our students and to shaping the life and Mission of Magnificat. We hope you enjoy your well-deserved retirement!
Welcome to Magnificat!
NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Bridget Barrett ’86
Colleen Mountcastle ’91
Kathleen Casey Proctor ’89
Sr. Helen Jean Novy, HM - 45 years Vice President of Mission Previous Roles: Interim President; Director of Faculty Development & Mission; Director of Curriculum; English, Mathematics, Latin, Computer, and Theology Faculty
Rick Phillips - 43 years Social Studies Faculty
Gail Schneider (Not Pictured) - 37 years Physical Education Faculty
Mary Therese Dwyer-Kueller - 30 years Dean of Student Life & Formation Previous Roles: Theology Faculty, Theology Department Chair
Josie O’Hara - 25 years World Languages and Cultures
Joanne Young '73 - 23 years Bookstore Manager
Carol Fedor - 19 years Mathematics Faculty
Cindy Hyland - 19 years Executive Assistant to the Dean of Student Life & Formation
Linda Bis Evans '72 - 18 years English Faculty
NEW EMPLOYEES
Rita Beckstrom
World Languages and Cultures
Emily Clark , Ph.D. '92
English Faculty
Adrienne Cooper
Intervention Specialist
Krista House Math Faculty
Monica Ference Orlando '01
English Faculty
Margaret Reidel English Faculty
Claire Simcox
World Languages and Culture Faculty
Kourtney Steffen
Social Studies Faculty
Elizabeth Urban
Math &Social Studies Faculty
Agape Experiments Adapt to Virtual Learning
Each year, junior theologians have an opportunity to pursue a passion project that has the potential to help make the world more loving and just through the Agape Experiment. Since 2018, juniors spend their second semester in inquiry, examining social justice issues and exploring ways in which they could make an impact. The Agape Experiment allows students to “take chances, learn from success and failure, act with integrity, and embrace their mission to learn, lead, and serve in the spirit of Mary’s Magnificat,” said Theology Department Chair Ms. Caitlin Lynch-Huggins ’01. The number of social justice issues examined by students is vast, but all are rooted in the themes of Catholic Social Teaching: Care for Creation; Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Preferential Option for People Experiencing Poverty and Vulnerability; Rights and Responsibilities; Dignity of Work and Workers’ Rights; Family, Community, and Participation; and Solidarity. Intentionally designed to be a challenge for students, the Agape Experiment during the COVID-19 pandemic brought its own set of challenges. According to Ms. Lynch-Huggins, students had to be much more self-motivated and selfdirected than in previous years due to the cancellation of on-campus classes. “We had set times we met with each student specifically about her Experiment, and additional times when we were available for drop-in meetings; but students had to be organized, tenacious, and committed to ongoing communication with their teachers and about their work,” she said. The Class of 2021 rose to the challenge of completing their Agape Experiments remotely. Reeda El-Hayek, for example, was inspired to educate people about the wildfires in the Amazon and wrote and performed a song (lyrics in sidebar) via YouTube. “I was nervous about posting it because I didn’t know how other people would react,” El-Hayek said. “But once I started getting good feedback and comments on my video, I was really happy with what I [had] done.” Lucy Kilbane used her Agape Experiment to design a system through which patients could, without being detected by their perpetrators, alert medical professionals that they are a victim of human trafficking. She partnered with the Cleveland Clinic to develop a discreet pull-tab system that would be posted in restrooms (one of few places victims are alone). “My
A protoype of the signage Lucy Kilbane ’21 developed in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic to help victims of human trafficking.
experiment would have been more hands-on if I had been able to continue with in-person classes,” Kilbane said. “I would have had the opportunity to present my idea to a panel of executives at the Cleveland Clinic, while also being more involved in the final production of the poster. However, I was able to accomplish many of these meetings over Zoom and stay involved in the process as much as I could!” For Ellen Weist, the Agape Experiment was an education in the complicated world of criminal justice, as she explored capital punishment. When her first idea, to bring Bryan Stevenson, the author of Just Mercy, to campus did not work out, Weist, inspired by the work of Sr. Helen Prejean, CSJ, wrote to an inmate on death row in Ohio. For her, the pandemic allowed more time to research the criminal justice system and capital punishment as well as learn more about the inmate with whom she was corresponding. “Because of COVID-19, I had much more time on my hands to do all of the research I truly desired,” she said. “There was so much to learn, so I was happy that I got to spend as much time as I did delving into this injustice and my role in eliminating it.”
For Nour Lashin, what began as an exploration of youth mental health became a refined look at one aspect of it— youth depression — when she realized how vast the field is. “Children and teens in their developmental stages need to feel as though their mental health is valid and worthy of being examined and discussed. When pursuing this experiment, I was extremely disheartened by how little knowledge many people have on the topic of depression, and I decided it was time to share my research and my voice with the Magnificat community,” Lashin said. “I want to make sure people know just how crucial it is to recognize when a loved one is suffering.” Inspired by her love of animals and her experience volunteering in an animal shelter, Evelyn Uhlir explored how she can help protect endangered species. When plans for her Agape Experiment were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, she changed direction and wrote a first-person article about the impact humans have on animals and the potential positive outcomes the pandemic might have on endangered species as a result of decreased traffic, for example. These are just a handful of examples of the breadth and depth of the work done by the class of 2021. The beauty of the Agape Experiment is that it is a personal passion project. The work done during the second semester of their junior year could inspire their work in those areas — through future careers, volunteer opportunities, research, etc.— for years to come.
A portion of a letter from Ellen Weist ’21 to the inmate with whom she was corresponding as part of her Agape Experiment examining capital punishment. Fire Is Coming, by Reeda El-Hayek '21 Oh Lord, I see burning everywhere I see fires in the air Oh help me God
The birds are all sad Their homes have gone bad We got to stop this Oh we got to stop that
I said fire is coming our way We got a lot to clean up to fix our world today Burning is all I see We got to stand up and help the trees in need
My God, I can tell you are outraged We hurt the thing that you just made I want a change
The trees have burned down The air has gone brown I can’t stand this I can’t breathe
I said fire is coming our way We got a lot to clean up to fix our world today Burning is all I see We got to stand up and help the trees in need
Help, is all I’m asking for My lungs have gone all sore I need to breathe
There’s people everywhere Crying… Upset.. And hurt
Cuz I said fire is coming our way We got a lot to clean up to fix our world today Burning is all I see We got to stand up and help the trees in need
A member of the Class of 2024 learns the art of jewelry making in the Beginning Metals class.
Summer School Reimagined: Magnificat Summer Workshops We were disappointed that COVID-19 necessitated the cancelation of our annual summer camps, which bring together girls in grades 1-9 to discover art, science, culinary arts, computer science, and more. But in taking a step back, we saw an opportunity to bring back small groups of Magnificat students who had not physically been on campus in 115 days and to give the incoming Class of 2024 a chance to meet some new classmates and acclimate to the school in a fun, engaging way. Some students chose to learn cooking and baking from Chef Brant Meredith from AVI Foodsystems—Magnificat’s food-service provider—while others chose to try their hand at making jewelry in a Beginning Metals class with Ms. Julie Belfiore. Other offerings explored art and gardening, the sustainable art practice of upscaling, TV production, and what happens behind the scenes in a theatrical production. In a hands-on way, they learned or enhanced skills they can continue to develop either at home or as they return to school. Faculty and staff were thrilled to have students back in the building, and the smiles on students' faces showed us they were happy to be back. “My daughter, Adriana '21 took the cooking class and absolutely adored it. It was so nice to see her head off to ‘school’ with a smile on her face in the morning," said Magnificat parent, Debbie Schermaier.
Entrepreneurship Thrives at Magnificat, Thanks to Veale Foundation For each of the past nine years, Magnificat has received funding from the Veale Foundation to support students’ exposure to entrepreneurship through the Business Club and the Entrepreneurship class, taught by Mrs. Krista Slife. The funding supplies course materials for the Entrepreneurship class, funds the Lemonade Day Camp for sixth - eighth graders each summer, and provides seed money for students in the Business Club and/or the Entrepreneurship class to develop a business idea and participate in the thinkBIG Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and Summit. Magnificat entrepreneurs have performed well at the thinkBIG competition in recent years, and this year was no different, with Keara Kelly ’21 placing second for her idea, The Daily Dose. “The Daily Dose is Keara Kelly ’21 pitches her concept, the Daily Dose, at the thinkBIG competition a fast and efficient premeasured frozen smoothie kit that allows you to quickly blend a great tasting smoothie wherever you have a blender,” Kelly said. “I created The Daily Dose after realizing how much waste, time, and effort was required to make a healthy smoothie at home.” When faced with challenges related to food safety regulations that required permitting and food liability insurance, Kelly did her research and persevered by working with the Ohio Department of Agriculture to secure permits and to partner with third-party packagers who were already licensed and insured. Developing her concept at Magnificat allowed her to conduct market research among her peers on product taste and pricing. With her product ready to go, Kelly presented to local alumnae and business leaders at the Magnificat Business Plan competition. Her performance there qualified her to compete at thinkBIG, and she took the feedback she received to refine her plan as she prepared to present her Daily Dose concept to over 400 students at the event. Her hard work paid off, and Kelly’s Daily Dose came in second place in the competition. “The competitions taught me how challenging it is for entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas in front of large crowds and judges,” she said. “After the competitions, I felt a sense of accomplishment and success. I also enjoyed hearing from judges and other successful entrepreneurs regarding how I could improve and expand my business."
Mary’s Magnificat calls upon the entire Magnificat High School Community to work for justice, and an important part of our work for justice is to educate ourselves about the role we must play to dismantle racism in its many forms in order to build a more equitable and inclusive community, nation, and world. For many years, Magnificat has been working to become an increasingly diverse community, one committed to racial justice, equity, and inclusion. For over twenty years, we have partnered with Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) to train faculty and students to critically examine history and the positive choices we can make to respond to hatred and bigotry, and, in 2016, we became a Partner Network School. We have integrated professional development with faculty and staff on issues of equity and inclusion, and last summer, hired our first Director of Equity and Inclusion. Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, faculty and staff engaged in important and challenging conversations on systemic racism, privilege, and bias. During the first semester, we read and reflected on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ most recent pastoral letter against racism, Open Wide Our Hearts, discerning how it challenged and inspired us to carry forward its call for racial justice in our many domains. In January, FHAO facilitated a professional development program in understanding implicit bias, centered upon the question: How do we acknowledge and confront our biases so that all students have equitable access to education at Magnificat High School? In the midst of this work, our community faced a racial bias incident which was made public on social media in the early summer. As our community, country, and world hear renewed cries for racial justice, we renew our commitment to live our Mission ever more fully. In responding to this incident, we are catalyzed to continue this important work so that the reflections and conversations, particularly those made possible in the Racial Justice Listening Sessions, will bolster our dedication to racial justice, equity, and inclusion. We see this as a learning experience from which we hope
Love compels each of us to resist racism courageously. (18)
We call on everyone, especially all Christians and those of other faith traditions, to help repair the breach caused by racism, which damages the human family. (28)
“Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2018
to become a stronger, more respectful and compassionate community. We are grateful to the alumnae, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends who participated in the Listening Sessions and who shared about their experiences at Magnificat as well as their hopes for the future of racial equity initiatives at Magnificat. A comprehensive report of themes and recommendations from the Listening Sessions will be presented to school leadership in September. The report will inform our work for the 2020-2021 school year including the formation of an Anti-Racism Task Force, a Community Summit, and continued listening and engagement with students, parents/guardians, faculty, and staff around issues of race and racism. Our goal is to move our conversations into action steps this coming school year. As a Magnificat community, we are called to be an ever-more inclusive and welcoming community for all. We are committed to the ongoing work of educating ourselves about how systemic and structural racism function, so that we can more fully participate in effective efforts to dismantle them.
For more about Magnificat’s racial justice, equity, and inclusion efforts, please visit our website www.magnificaths.org/racialjustice.
