Dear Notre Dame Community,
It is with a heart filled with gratitude that I write this final letter to you. Gratitude for this place, Notre Dame San Jose; gratitude for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who in 1985 took a chance on a young mother and hired her to teach French here; gratitude for the thousands of Notre Dame students who have enlivened my life; gratitude for the Notre Dame mission that has taught me about God’s goodness, social justice and women's leadership. My heart is bursting with gratitude!
And what better way to end my final letter than to celebrate the Class of 2023? They, like classes before them, are high-spirited, engaging, challenging people who are ready to make their mark on the world. I am sure you will agree with me as you read about them in this issue.
Adding to my joy is a warm welcome to the new Head of School, Ashley Rae Mathis. I know the Notre Dame community will revel in her warm embrace, and that she will bring this community forward to new vistas and a mission-inspired future. I cannot wait to read about it along with you. Welcome, Ashley Rae!
One more gratitude I must share, and that is for you, the Notre Dame community. Thank you for your love and friendship over these many years.
I treasure many St. Julie quotes, and I close with this one: Ah, qu'il est bon, le bon Dieu! How good is the good God!
In Notre Dame,
MARY BETH RILEY
IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT OR POLARIZING TO CAUSE A COURAGE PANDEMIC.
IF EACH ONE OF US COMPOSES OUR FUTURES
WE CAN BEGIN TO CURE OUR WORLD OF ITS INFIRMITIES. THIS IS WHY OUR BELOVED SAINT JULIE ONCE SAID, "WE MUST HAVE COURAGE IN THE CENTURY WE LIVE IN."
• Nimi Nair • CLASS OF 2023 VALEDICTORIAN
This year's graduation ceremony included poignant and wise words for the Purple & Mint Green Jaguars — from the welcome given by Julie Billiart Award recipient Brooklyn Morales '23, to the valedictory address by Nimi Nair '23, to the spoken and sung words from the graduate address delivered by Shelene Huey-Booker '99. It was a truly memorable celebration of 160 graduates who launched themselves into the world as lifelong learners, justice advocates, spiritual seekers and community leaders.
Ashley Rae Mathis has a quick answer for the question on everyone’s mind: How will she replace Mary Beth Riley as Notre Dame’s Head of School?
Answer: She won't.
"Mary Beth has left such an imprint on every level, not just at Notre Dame but in the entire community," Ashley Rae said. "Anybody coming in with a plan to replace her, that would not be a strategic way to do it. What I plan to do is add to what she does well."
As the school says goodbye to Mary Beth – who retired in June after 38 years, including 12 as head of school – here's the new leader we will get to know:
• A veteran in educational administration from primary school to universities.
• A former kindergarten teacher who since 2019 has helped to develop college-prep curriculum for girls as a senior administrator and director of admissions and enrollment at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, a Catholic school with an enrollment slightly larger than Notre Dame's.
• A professional with two communications degrees who worked for international consulting firm Bain & Company, using data and processes to recruit, train and retain the best talent.
• And, above all else, the child of Dr. Beverly and Raymond Mathis, who raised their two daughters and lifted their Las Vegas community around the guiding lights of family, faith and education.
"She has all the promise of the future in front of her," Mary Beth said. "Whatever it is that people like me or people who have been here for numerous years can’t imagine, she can."
"I feel completely blessed," Dr. Beverly Mathis said about her daughter’s new role. "Now, I’m always feeling blessed, but I especially, especially feel happy and proud of who Ashley Rae is."
Beverly is the youngest of Daisy and Tydus Green's six children. As a high school junior, she was part of the first year of integration in the late 1960's at Peabody High in Trenton, Tenn. After she and Raymond graduated from the University of Tennessee, Beverly found work in Bradford and was the school's first Black teacher. Her first day teaching, she said, "was the best day of my life."
Beverly spent 38 years in education, including 16 as principal of Booker Elementary, where she led dramatic improvements in student performance and teacher retention. In 2000, she
received the prestigious Milken Family Foundation Award; upon being instructed by the governor of Nevada to use the $25,000 prize on herself – and not her school – she went back to college for her doctorate.
"They modeled kindness and working hard and giving more than you expect in return," Ashley Rae said of her parents.
Beverly carries the lessons from her own parents, who had third- and fifth-grade educations. Daisy and Tydus taught their kids to be honest, love everybody, say thank you, be respectful and "be the best citizens of the United States of America that we could be."
She added, "People say education is hard. Yes, it is hard work. But the part that you have to have first –and the part Ashley Rae Mathis has – is a heart. She has the heart for this work."
Around the nation, most heads of school come from careers rooted entirely in academics. Ashley Rae charted a different path in pursuit of her goal to lead a faith-based institution. She taught, she worked in university recruiting, she took a detour to Bain, she worked at the Milken Community School in Los Angeles and in 2019 she joined Ursuline Academy.
At Bain, she collected and reviewed data and created processes to identify job candidates. Much like admissions and academics, the challenge is to meld large-scale data with decision-making for individuals.
"Sometimes what schools are doing is working well, and sometimes it could be a timing thing. We don't always have 12-15 years to change something," Ashley Rae said.
In 2019 she developed and launched Ursuline's Community & Inclusion course, required for 9 th and 11th graders. She and other faculty collected data through surveys and informal discussions to shape the curriculum. As society faces more and different questions every year, the goal is to be responsive to what students from all walks of life feel right now.
"When we think about how we change things here to better serve our families of diverse populations, all of those decisions were made with data," she said.
Mark Fernandes, chair of Notre Dame's Board of Directors, describes Ashley Rae with two words: "thoughtful" and "engaging." Not only is she already working to absorb Notre Dame's Vision 2025 strategic plan – she's thinking about what 2030 will look like.
Mark said, "Engaging is about being a public speaker, but it’s beyond that. Little things like conversational pulse checks, talking to people in carpool lines, parent groups."
Mark views Ashley Rae's experience outside the educational setting as a plus. "The corporate experience really gives her the experience of the why, not just the what and the how. We can all say mission, which with a school like Notre Dame is very strong. But mission ties into why."
Beverly recalls being nervous telling the girls about a long-ago career move. Tya and Ashley Rae had always been students in the school where Beverly taught. But now, with Ray teaching high school and Tya making the jump to middle school, Beverly announced she was taking an assistant principal's job at a different school –which meant for the first time, Ashley Rae would go to her neighborhood elementary school.
"Ashley just interrupted me – 'Hooray! Now we’ll each be in our own school!'" Beverly recalled.
It's safe to say Ashley Rae will embrace this new setting, too. She has begun to scout the area for museums and hikes. Through multiple interviews and hours of research, she identified Notre Dame's appeal in tangible terms –such as smaller school size and urban campus – and has already made emotional connections.
"I'm so comforted and comfortable thinking that we are mission-aligned," she said of the Notre Dame community. "When the match is there, you feel all the feels."
As Ashley Rae Mathis officially transitions into the role as head of school, she hopes to foster a connection with students and learn what they value most about Notre Dame. "What do they love?" she said. "What values do they connect with most? What teacher inspires them?"
Mathis gave an insight into her own personality, saying that she is "a joyful reader, a music enthusiast and an avid traveler." Her affinity for traveling is evidenced through her time living abroad in Spain and South Africa. Mathis also enjoys "spending time with family, gardening, photography and working out. I unapologetically love God, kindness and great FOOD!"
Mathis has many causes she is passionate about, including "developing culturally mindful, mentally/physically healthy communities of color, empowering students with unique abilities, fostering equity in schools, promoting womenowned businesses and supporting initiatives about gun violence, racial inequities and women’s rights." These causes align with Notre Dame’s mission to educate lifelong learners, spiritual seekers, justice advocates and community leaders.
This next year will be exciting as we transition to new school leadership. Mathis, in the words of Mary Beth Riley, "will be a passionate, dedicated next leader for our school, and I could not be happier."
Welcome, Ms. Mathis, to Notre Dame!
Excerpted from Crown and Shield, published May 2023
1She was the Nevada high school triple-jump champion and a four-year Division I student-athlete at the University of Nevada-Reno.
2Her degrees are from Nevada (Bachelor of Journalism and Communication) and USC (Master of Communication Management), and she completed a Harvard course on early childhood development.
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A self-described foodie, she has written restaurant reviews as a hobby.
Public service runs in the family; in addition to her parents’ long careers in education, her sister Tya is deputy treasurer for the State of Nevada.
Ashley Rae has lived abroad twice — once in Spain for a study program during college, and later as a consultant on assignment in South Africa.
"I am proud to have grown the enrollment at Ursuline from 840 to 900 during a pandemic; I am more proud of the makeup of those students. Changing the composition of that student body was imperative to me. My work in Community & Inclusion at Ursuline was paramount. I helped create our C&I vision statement, hired and mentored our first C&I Director, and developed our first diversity and equity curriculum. Having studied DEIJ work for years, I learned early on that those who chose to 'opt in' usually weren't the ones that needed to do so. Creating this course gave our entire school –teachers and students – common language and tools in which to approach the work. It became a schoolwide priority that allowed us to focus and grow together. That’s what's most important to me about my work: Growth. Stretching hearts and minds to create more equipped, empathetic people. I am a strong believer that if we each have a growth mindset, we can grow our unruly, unsettled world into a healthy, loving place."
"The first time I traveled abroad, I went to Spain for a study program in 2006. I was a strong student and a vigorous athlete at the University of Nevada. No one thought this was a great idea – not my parents, my teachers or my coaches! I was captain of the track team, I had just broken the university’s triple jump record, I was nationally ranked, and everyone felt like I'd lose momentum if I went. But I researched the program, applied, crafted an individual workout plan, and hopped on the plane for a 10-week adventure! I had an incredible time studying at the Universidad del Pais Vasco in San Sebastián, Spain. I was so grateful for the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture."
“I also lived abroad in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013 while working at Bain & Company. I was hired to help a newer office build a team of consultants, so for work I visited universities and businesses. But I also traveled to unique cities and nearby countries to meet people and infuse myself in their culture. It was a fascinating time to live in "Joburg" as locals affectionately call it. Nelson Mandela was still living, remnants of Apartheid could still be felt, and yet, in the midst of big transition and change, there were beautiful people striving to preserve their great nation. I intended to stay for 3-4 months, but I extended my stay primarily to spend additional time volunteering at a local organization I had come to love – TLC Children’s Home, which helps abandoned babies find forever homes. I returned to the United States seven months later, a transformed human."
"I love music and food! I see both as a unique love language that brings people of all backgrounds together. Country music, motown, jazz and Christian worship are my go-tos. Being physically healthy is imperative to me, and dancing to these genres is a beloved pastime that helps me stay in shape. I enjoy western partner dancing, the classic two-step, bachata and salsa. In regard to food, I indulge in it all: Asian, Southern, Italian, fruit, veggies, dessert – you name it. Enjoying a good meal during a busy day forces you to slow down and connect with those around you. I enjoy learning about restaurants as much as I enjoy the food! I love to support family businesses, women-managed and minority-owned restaurants. When I travel I seek those places, then I share their stories with others."
• Employees launched the school year with a professional development focus on equity mindsets.
• Students were introduced to Community Circles, a new restorative practice designed to allow space and time in the weekly schedule for students to make connections with peers and have a safe place to share both their struggles and their wins.
• 560 students – including guests from over 30 local high schools – attend the "Neon Nights" Spring Mixer.
• More than 40 students begin fall internships on and off campus through the Career & Life Success program.
• Regent Harmonies and Fleur de Soliel participated in the Santa Clara University Choral Festival at the Santa Clara Mission.
• Students from 11 cultural clubs presented the 2023 Diversity Showcase, a celebration of the rich diversity of the student body. The event featured songs, dancing, beautiful traditional costumes and delicious food.
• 167 sophomores and chaperones traveled to the de Young Museum in San Francisco for their grade-level, interdisciplinary field trip through the Education for Justice and Leadership program.
• Catholic Schools Week included a celebration with the schools of the Diocese of San Jose and honoring St. Julie Billiart on Foundress Day.
• The Crab Fest makes a triumphant return to an in-person format.
• The varsity basketball team hangs a banner in the gym after winning the West Bay Athletic League championship in an undefeated season.
• During Black History Month, Notre Dame celebrated voices and stories from Black communities locally and nationally. A highlight was welcoming civil rights leaders Katherine Campbell and Gayle Dickson to campus for an all-school assembly where they shared their experiences with the original Black Panther Party.
• Olympian Sophie Hitchon shared her personal and professional journey with students to kick off Women's History Month.
• During Women's Leadership Week at Notre Dame, 185 freshmen displayed their Woman’s Place Projects in a gallery in JB Hall, and in the Young Women’s Advocacy Summit 170 seniors engaged in dialogue with community leaders about social justice issues and challenges in today's world.
• The Democracy Matters in-house field trip for seniors focused on civic engagement and related careers, with a keynote address from Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and small group sessions with nine community partners.
• Spring service and justice partnerships included the Center for Farmworker Families, Sacred Heart Community Service (Sister Project), Martha’s Kitchen (Food Fight), and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
• 40 students put on five uproarious performances of "Clue" at City Lights Theater.
• Notre Dame’s signature fundraiser, the Women of Impact luncheon, returns to an in-person format with more than 400 guests gathered at the Signia hotel in downtown San Jose to celebrate women's leadership.
• Notre Dame’s Board of Directors approved new Statements of Catholic Identity and Educational Equity.
• The Funding the Future student fundraising campaign raised over $15,000 for tuition assistance during Homecoming Week.
• The school hosted author and non-profit executive director Gail Tsukiyama in the 16th annual ND Reads assembly and community event.
• Overnight retreats return after a threeyear hiatus, with Junior Retreat hosting 49 students led by five senior leaders.
• 250 guests gather for the annual Las Posadas celebration that included mariachis and food.
• Jessica Pierce '02 returns to campus to facilitate a diversity and equity training for all freshmen and new employees.
• Parents of the Gay Straight Alliance Club were invited for a meet-and-greet and panel discussion led by GSA seniors who shared what their own parents did really well to support them when they came out, as well as offer advice on what they wished their parents had done. Parents also learned about resources in San Jose that can support them as well as their students.
• Regent Harmonies joined the choir from Woodside Priory for a spring break tour in Southern California.
• 134 students including actors, theater technicians and a pit orchestra participated in sold-out performances of "Matilda: The Musical" in JB Hall.
• 46 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in a school liturgy with Bishop Oscar Cantú and Deacon Steve Herrera presiding.
• Juniors and chaperones took the light rail to Japantown for an interdisciplinary field trip studying the local experience of Japanese internment through the lens of identity with a focus on cultural stewardship.
• 185 freshmen experienced their first Notre Dame retreat as well as their first grade-level experiential field trip to Guadalupe River Park and Conservancy.
• Speech & Debate students qualified and participated in the California High School Speech Association state meet, as well as the Tournament of Champions in Kentucky. Three students made it to the Elite Eight of the International Public Policy Forum and were treated to an all-expenses-paid trip to New York for the final rounds.
• The Robotics Team participated in the San Francisco Regional, finished in the top 20 and won the Sustainability Award. In the Silicon Valley Regional, the team was selected for the playoffs – the first time since 2013.
• 362 students took 853 advanced placement exams.
• The varsity track and field team closed out the season as West Bay Athletic League champion.
• 120 classes/student groups ventured off campus for experiential learning this year.
• 175 members of the Class of 2027 were celebrated at Freshman Family Welcome Day.
• Over 200 guests attend "Conversations," the Spring Dance Showcase in JB Hall.
• 350 students and guests danced the night away at the "Masquerade" Junior Senior Prom at San Jose's Corinthian Grand Ballroom.
• The Baccalaureate Mass and commencement ceremony for the Class of 2023 celebrates Notre Dame’s 172 years of educating young women in San Jose.
• More than 600 alums, friends, colleagues and family members gathered in Pardini Park to bid a heartfelt thank you to outgoing head of school Mary Beth Riley, who was honored with commendations from the City of San Jose and the County of Santa Clara, and awarded a California State Senate Resolution.
01 Taylor Wiley ’19 graduated with a double major in social work and criminal justice and a minor in theatre at Creighton University. In the fall, she will attend the University of Michigan for a master's degree in social work, specializing in child and family welfare.
02 Raelynn Mae Caligan ’17 graduated from San Jose State University in May 2022 with a Master of Science in mass communications.
03 Julia Johnson ’13 Vu Julia and her husband, Alex, welcomed a baby girl, Vivian Thao Vu, last summer. For the past six years, Julia has worked as a resource specialist at an elementary school in Dublin. She lives in Oakland and still is connected with many of her ND friends.
04 Emily Foley ’12 Kallas married Patrick Kallas in September. Emily also recently completed her Master of Public Administration at the University of San Francisco.
05 Chelsey Beck ’12 earned a second Bachelor of Science degree, Summa Cum Laude, in computer science from Oregon State University. Chelsey said, "as a Notre Dame graduate I absolutely consider myself a lifelong learner. My coursework for this degree has been a deeply fulfilling opportunity to not only continue to learn, but to learn for the benefit of my students. As a Notre Dame teacher, I have been so honored to share my experience and knowledge with students in the computer science classroom."
06 Kathryn McGill ’12 successfully defended her dissertation and will graduate this summer with her Ph.D. in combined-integrated clinical and counseling psychology from the University of South Alabama. After graduation, Dr. McGill will start a job as a staff psychologist at the federal medical center in Lexington, KY, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
07 Laurin LaRocca ’10 received the Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT) STEAM Teacher of the Year Award for supplying her 5th-grade students with realworld STEAM applications and giving them agency in the classroom. She was also recognized as a key resource for fellow teachers in computer science and coding.
08 Neda Lahidji ’09 after receiving her certification as a Vocal Health First Aider from the UK, she has been a voice and vocal health teacher with Actor Therapy NYC. She also teaches in her own private voice studio, NL VOCAL STUDIO.
09 Tucker Ricchio ’08 appeared on the Fox series "Next Level Chef" and took home the $250,000 grand prize. The San Francisco-based chef also earned a year-long mentorship with Chef Gordon Ramsay, Chef Nyesha Arrington and Chef Richard Blais.
10 Andrea Justo ’04 earned her J.D. from Santa Clara University in 2015 and graduated valedictorian. She was recently promoted to Senior Associate at Hoover Krepelka, LLP. Since beginning her tenure at HK in March 2020, she has litigated more than 100 family law matters involving child custody and property division. She serves as secretary of the Santa Clara County Bar Foundation, treasurer of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and president of the Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association.
11 Mariel Clemente ’03 is a student pilot pursuing a career as a commercial pilot. She recently became a member of the Professional Asian Pilots Association (PAPA)'s Volunteer Outreach Committee and is working to encourage more women and BIPOC in aviation. She credits her time at ND for instilling confidence, grit and bravery in order to forge her own unique path.
12 JoLynn Cunningham ’90 Darden as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, JoLynn works for the San Jose Unified School District in the special education department at Lincoln High School. She earned a B.F.A. and M.F.A. in theater and taught Theater/Drama in the Chicago Public Schools. She also earned a second master's degree in social work from the University of Chicago with a focus on school social work. She said, "Life sure has been a gloriously laborious journey of discovery since my days at Notre Dame!"
Alexandra Gruber ’14 Low started the Master of Science in nursing program at Georgetown to become a nurse midwife and women's health nurse practitioner. She also works as a labor and delivery and postpartum nurse as well as a sexual assault nurse examiner conducting forensic exams.
Kaitlyn van der Zweep ’11 graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in animation. After graduating, she focused on stopmotion animation and has held roles in production and puppetry rigging. She worked on two feature films that were released in 2021: Netflix's "Wendell & Wild" where she was a rigger, and the Oscar-nominated "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" where she worked as both a rigger and a third assistant director. She is currently a rigger on LAIKA's latest feature film "Wildwood."
35 classmates gathered at Aldo's Ristorante & Bar last fall to celebrate their 60th class reunion with lunch, conversation and songs with lyrics rewritten for the occasion by Mary Ann Santone '62 Dazel. They also viewed their reconstituted class composite, a framed collection of their senior year portraits.
The Class of 1967 held two reunions last summer to accommodate many members of their class.
• Sheila O'Connell '67 Kennedy hosted a reunion at her home in August. According to Marge Finke '67 Goossens who organized the event, there was "lots of talk and lots of food." They were joined by former teachers Monica May and Sr. Dorothy Cecilia.
• A second gathering was held in September at San Pedro Square Market.
22 members of the Class of 1972 had an informal 50 th reunion in September. This group has plans to continue their meetups on a regular basis.
Alums from Washington, Iowa, Nevada and California came to campus on May 14, 2023 to celebrate their 50 th reunion: Led by Darlene Smith '73 Ferrara and Sue Colacicco '73 D'Errico, the event featured '70’s trivia, '70's music, ND memorabilia and lots of conversation.
The Class of 2002 made it a weekend of celebrations in San Jose last Fall. They gathered for Notre Dame's Women of Impact event and the next day celebrated their 20-year reunion at Jack's Bar in Japantown in San Jose. Jack's Bar is owned by alum Rina Santoro '02. Mary Beth Riley joined them as the group of 25 alums reconnected and shared memories of their time at ND.
It had only been five years since they graduated, but to this class, it was like time hadn't even passed. The alums gathered at Hapa's Brewing Company, enjoyed each other, reminisced with former teachers and took part in the alum tradition of opening up their time capsule.
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