Veritas Fall 2016 by St. Agnes Academy

FALL 2016

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VOICES OF VERITAS

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Dominican Trustees

Office of Advancement

Sr. Donna Pollard, O.P., Prioress Sr. Mary Jean Olsovksy, O.P., Vicaress Sr. Antoinette Carter, O.P. ‘57, Councilor

Bridget Hennessey ’90, Head of Advancement Lisa M. Chmiola, Dir. of Major Gifts and Planned Giving Reema Kasavich, Director of Annual Giving Lori Sebastian Pinter ’88, Director of Alumnae Relations Katie Coppedge, Donor Services Coordinator Emma Ebbs, Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator Allonna James, Advancement Associate

St. Agnes Academy 2016– 2017 Board of Directors Vivian B. Abobo, PharmD, MBA Arnie D. Azios, Jr. James P. Badum Cathy Beathard Patricia Biggio John J. Brennan, III Mimi Butler Dan F. Castaneda Julia Conlon, M.D., FAAP ‘98 Tim Day Susan Greteman, Chair Kelly Hackett ‘00 Gregory T. Hardin

Stephen P. Harding Robert L. Heston, Jr. Raquel Fuquen Janoe ‘94 Keli Luce Sr. Carol Mayes, O.P. ‘56 Gina DeBottis Metts ‘85 Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. Sr. Donna Pollard, O.P. Robert H. Sanders Alice B. Smith John Steffes, CPA Maria Isabel Torras Sean T. Wheeler

St. Agnes Academy Foundation Trustees Rosalie Montalbano Brandino ‘64 José Enriquez Kevin Holt Christopher A. Matlock, President Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. Gregory L. Phillips Sr. Donna Pollard, O.P.

Julie Plessala Samson ‘80 Gregory E. Schockling Stephen T. Schwarzbach Robert B. Smith Pat H. Swanson Shelley Savarino Ulm ‘84 Jeffrey J. Weiner Ana Maria Gonzalez Wood ‘82

St. Agnes Academy Head of School Team Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P., Head of School Deborah Whalen, Principal Stephanie Crowl, Director of Communications Ann Marie Gerard, Director of Human Relations Bridget Hennessey ’90, Head of Advancement H. Leon Howard, Head of Finance, Facilities and Technology

Principal’s Team Deborah Whalen, Principal Rebecca Brady ‘00, Academic Dean Elaine Henderson Eichelberger ‘79, Dean of Students Amy Mattes, Director of Athletics Brigid Schiro ‘81, Director of Admissions Kim Coffey Scoville ‘95, Dean of Faculty Anna Sklut, Director of Campus Ministry

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For change of address or other questions, contact the Office of Communications at 713.219.5406 or news@ st-agnes.org.

IN THIS ISSUE FALL 2016

Features

Departments

OVERCOMING AT SAA

10 CLASS NOTES

TABLE TENNIS TIGER

14 TIGERS’ DEN

A DREAM REALIZED: VOBY in Washington, D.C.

56 FROM THE ALUMNAE BOARDS

17 CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN: Ten years later

59 ALUMNAE UPDATES 69 IN MEMORIAM

18 ANNUAL REPORT 58 ALUMNAE AWARDS

On the cover; Ijeoma Chinedo ’17, Elena Linardi ’17, Abby Baty ’18, and Sara VanTuerenhout ’17 Above; Laura Ahn ’19, Shelby Echols ’19, and Angie Palacios ’19

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL SR. JANE MEYER, O.P. It is always exciting to begin a new school year, and this year is no exception! Our theme for the year is “Voices of Veritas” as we continue to celebrate our 800th anniversary of the Dominican Order. Being Voices of Veritas, truth, means to be fearless and daring—to speak up and speak out for what is right. Voices of Veritas means saying that we are sisters each, inspiring all. It means demanding the best from yourself and bringing out the best in others. It means seeking your own truth and finding wisdom beyond yourself. It means proving the power of a single voice, yet proclaiming the power of our shared Dominican values. Whenever I am with alums and hear their stories, I am inspired because they embody the Dominican Spirit. They are true Voices of Veritas. At St. Agnes, we work intentionally. We gather information, collaborate as a community, plan for the future, and commit to address the justice issues of the day. Two years ago, St. Agnes published our strategic plan, Voicing our Vision, a roadmap that will take us to 2020. Together, a group of board members, foundation trustees, administrators, and other stakeholders formed our overarching goals and the tactics that would help us achieve them. One of our four goals (see the full strategic plan online) is to provide enriching environments for our students—classrooms that will address the needs of our students and also continue our commitment to conservation, energy efficiency, and “green” campus initiatives. Little did we know that we were on the same page as Pope Francis when, a year later, he published his Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’. Pope Francis speaks of an integral ecology where we begin to understand the interconnectedness of our world and our role in it. “We have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach. It must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, #49). As we continue to grow our campus, while being conscious of our carbon footprint, we are Voices of Veritas. During both our physical and educational development, 4 | LETTERS

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we are committed to the common good. We know that this responsibility lies with everyone in our community—from our students to our board of directors. When we built the Clay Center for the Sciences and Student Services, we installed double pane windows and LED lighting to create an energy efficient building for our students. We set up filtered water stations to encourage our students to bring a refillable water bottle and help eliminate plastic bottles on campus. Our students founded a green club which holds electronics recycling semi-annually, helps manage recycling on campus, and maintains a garden in the front of the school. We are currently completing an audit of our recycling program to see how we can recycle better. With the addition of the East Campus Athletics Complex, our students, parents, faculty, and friends came together with Trees for Houston to plant numerous new trees at our new facility. In keeping with our Dominican pillar of study, our administrative team is reading and studying Laudato Si’ together this year, chapter by chapter to not only be informed but to be voices to move the encyclical forward. Our sophomore theology classes already reflect on the creation story and how Pope Francis calls us to reexamine our relationship to creation. Students develop a project addressing a humanitarian or ecological crisis and how society denigrates or heals creation. Our relationship with our world, and our commitment to justice

for the poor is important to each one of us. As we look forward to the future, we work in tandem with the Dominican Sisters of Houston, who have committed themselves to focus their efforts, energy, and resources for the next six years on Integral Ecology. Thanks, my friends, for your support in so many ways. St. Catherine of Siena says, “Speak as though you have 1,000 voices, it is the silence that kills.” Your voice can make a difference and together our many voices can change the world. Blessings,

FROM THE PRINCIPAL DEBOR AH WHALEN Over the years at St. Agnes, programming has evolved, diversified, and matured. Our students and teachers bring passion and creativity to the table when discussing new ideas. Their aspirations become our motivation for growth. Many times, we end up realizing so much more than we first expected. For example, when the Clay Center for Sciences and Academic Services building was built in 2007, we not only expanded our AP science offerings, but we also added classes in astronomy, human genetics and forensic science (see more on pg. 17). With the Student Life Center, we anticipate new courses in theatrical lighting, sound, and set design, all of which all popular and growing fields. It is exciting to speculate on what wonderful surprises lie beyond our plans.

New buildings always create the buzz of new curriculum, but the truth is we are continually evaluating and expanding our curriculum—especially electives—where our students can explore their interests beyond the borders of their academic core classes. Often a course is proposed by a faculty member who wants to share a particular passion. Rodney Miles was a lawyer for many years before he returned to the classroom to teach AP US History. His love for law has never waned, and as a result, his intro to law and mock trial classes are extremely popular. Students relish the opportunity to explore a potential career, and many compete with the St. Agnes teams in the regional Empire Mock Trial competitions. Others are inspired to attend Harvard Model Congress where they engage in a mock government simulation led by students from Harvard University. These electives and experiential opportunities enrich our educational program. Carleen Raymond proposed a human rights course so students could more fully delve into the social justice issues that drive the very mission of our school.

Students are also a catalyst for new course offerings. During the planning for the new athletics complex, we heard from student focus groups about a desire to do yoga on campus. We are now in our fourth year of offering yoga as a PE elective, and we began offering Zumba last year. When dance teacher Julie Chilton created a new tap and theatrical dance class, several boys from Strake Jesuit petitioned to join. We enthusiastically agreed to let them in, and the class is a big hit. I have no doubt that with a spirit of creativity and innovation, our teachers and students will continue to keep our curriculum dynamic.

Courses such as The 1960’s, America’s Women, World War II, and The Culture and History of Spain allow teachers and students to push beyond the required world and United States history survey courses. “I HAVE THE FREEDOM TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, TO TRY SOMETHING CREATIVE…” “THERE’S A SURPRISING AMOUNT OF ACADEMIC FREEDOM HERE ... WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION FOR WHAT WE DO, AND IT ENLIVENS US.” “EACH TEACHER HERE HAS A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OVER THIS SCHOOL AND OVER THEIR CAREER AND WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CLASSROOM.”

-SAA FACULTY MEMBERS

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Finding Strength in the Sisterhood MICHELLE COLLINS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;17 Before first semester of freshman year, I made the choice to leave my Catholic middle school and attend a performing arts high school to pursue dancing. Although I enjoyed the new environment, I realized early on that I missed the academic challenge and supportive community of Catholic school. I was dancing about six hours each day, and was just physically and mentally exhausted. I loved being able to dance pre-professionally, but I wanted to focus further on academics and have a more traditional high school experience. I made the decision to transfer to St. Agnes after winter break of my freshman year. Everyone in administration was so helpful in making the transition possible. On my first day, all my classes were so welcoming. It was exciting to be rejoined with my friends from middle school and to meet new ones. I knew I had made the right choice. After my first day, I came home with an extremely high fever and was taken to an emergency room. Doctors found that my blood cell counts were very low and ordered a bone marrow biopsy. This really scared me. I was told the next day that I had A.L.L leukemia. I started treatment for my cancer right away. Leukemia is a twoand-a-half-year treatment and I was devastated that right when I had gotten to go to my new school, I had to leave. All during my cancer treatment, I received so much love and support from my friends, family and community. I was told St. Agnes was praying for me, and this was really touching. I got lots of emails and letters from faculty and students at school to let me know I was in their prayers and I appreciate this greatly.

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I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t describe how united and strong the community here at St. Agnes is. It truly is one, big family.

able to catch up on my school work and rejoin my class at school during the second semester of my sophomore year. A couple friends and I decided to form a club here at St. Agnes, Club TLC, to give back to children in the Houston area who are battling cancer. Club TLC focuses on helping teenagers with cancer, who are often excluded from fundraising and donations. Childhood cancer receives such a small percentage of funding for research, and TLC hopes to raise awareness of this. I was so blessed to work with an amazing jewelry company, Kendra Scott, this year to raise awareness for their campaign on National Give Back Day that donated twenty percent of all their proceeds to childhood cancer research at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I was asked to be an ambassador for this campaign and share my story with their employees and customers. It was such a blessing to see a huge company, like Kendra Scott, doing so much good for children battling cancer. I was honored to be a part of this fundraising. Childhood cancer is often an overlooked type of cancer, but it so important to receive funding to research ways in which pediatric cancer can be treated and children can be helped.

Early on during my treatment, I had a complication with the chemo I was receiving and had to have an emergency surgery. I was in the ICU for a while and always had friends and family keeping me company. I remember when a few people from SAA administration came to visit me. I was so appreciative for the reminder of support. With the amazing help of St. Agnes, I was

With the support of St. Agnes, my family, and friends I was able to battle my cancer and get to a point where I can now give back to children, like me, who are still fighting.

Table Tennis Tiger ANUSHKA OAK ‘18

My name is Anushka Oak and I am a junior here at St. Agnes. Along with studying the rigorous curriculum at St. Agnes, I participate in table tennis and Bollywood dance outside of school. Table tennis has always been an active part of my life since I was a baby because my whole family plays the sport. My dad was ranked as the number one junior in India and has been on the US Men’s National Team. My mom has also played for her state team numerous times. Ever since I was little, I would always tag along with the them to the table tennis club. I began to play for fun when I was about six or seven years old, but it wasn’t until I was nine that I became serious about it. At that time, I started playing with my current coach, Huijing Wang. However, I started dancing much earlier, at the age of four, when I began my training in a traditional classical Indian dance form called “Kathak.” At the same age, I began learning a modern dance style that is seen in Indian cinema, Bollywood, which incorporates elements of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Latin dance forms. I am a part of the core senior company, and I substitute as an instructor for the Rhythm India Bollywood Dance Company. The table tennis season is year round and is based on a rating system. Although

I play several times a week during the school year, it is very difficult to travel for tournaments as well, so I make the most of it in the summer. During the summer, I play two sessions a day, along with physical training after. This summer I played in two major tournaments. First, I played the 2016 US Nationals in July in Las Vegas. Unlike previous years, I did not make it to the top 12 in the Junior Girls’ team trials event. I was very disappointed with my performance, but was also determined to do well in my next tournament – The AAU Junior Olympics held in Houston. This tournament is always exciting and this year was no exception. Here I won two gold medals – one for my division and another for the U-18 Girls Team event, and two silver medals – one for U-18 Girls singles and one for U-18 Girls doubles. My next big tournament is the US Open in December. My long term goal and dream is to represent USA at the World Championships and/or the Olympics. My summer with dance was equally as thrilling and exciting. My studio hosted some of the best choreographers from India for workshops, and it was a wonderful experience learning from them. Also, the Rhythm India Dance Studio was featured on the Houston episode for Dance

Network’s new show, The Traveling Dancer. We also performed at multiple community events throughout the summer. One of these events was covered on Anthony Bourdain’s show, Parts Unknown, in October on CNN. Our most enjoyable performance this summer would be the presentation at the Brookdale Senior Living Community. It was the most gratifying performance out of all, and the smiles on the resident’s faces were priceless. I am very fortunate to be a part of the St. Agnes community. The very first time I visited St. Agnes as a 7th grader, I instantly sensed a welcoming feeling. I related to the strong legacy here as many generations of my family in India have gone to the same school. It is getting harder to balance extracurricular activities and academics, especially as college gets closer. I try to manage my time wisely and plan ahead to continue participating in everything with full focus. Although table tennis is not a school sport, I am so blessed with the support I receive from my teachers. They are always so accommodating for any classes or tests I have missed for tournaments. I hope to represent St. Agnes in everything I do and be a proud Academy woman.

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A DREAM REALIZED: VOBY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ASHLEY BENNETT This fall marked my fourth year at St. Agnes. When I began my college counseling career at the Academy, I had no idea that I would get to do the job that I love, teach Zumba, and sponsor a club that means so much to me. One thing I love about St. Agnes is that there are so many opportunities to get involved in the community. Every day on my commute, I think about all of the wonderful things that are in store for me that day. JOB LOVE DOESN’T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE FEELING. The Voices of Black Youth (VOBY) at St. Agnes was founded in 2009 in an effort to empower African American students. Since its inception, VOBY has grown into a safe space on campus for not only African American students, but anyone who wants to show solidarity for raising black voices. Members are willing to engage in difficult conversations meant to address and heal issues that young women face in the world.

Pete Olson’s office. I stood back and watched the girls’ eyes light up as our tour guide educated us on the history of the building and the importance of our government. Friday night, Mia Simon ’16 joined us for dinner; and the girls were able to hear about her first few weeks as a freshman at American University.

As a VOBY co-sponsor, I was excited to find out about the opening ceremony for the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. I immediately thought of offering this opportunity to the VOBY students.

In true St. Agnes fashion, the administration was incredibly supportive and excited for our girls to have the opportunity to witness history. Once the trip was approved, I knew that the girls were in for a lifechanging experience. A group of 18 students and 12 chaperones traveled to Washington, D.C. September 22 - 25. The chaperone group included St. Agnes parents, alumna and St. Edwards University freshman Amani Henry ’16, and alumna Christine Henry ’90. From the time we entered the airport in Houston, the students were in for a treat. While getting settled in the airport before take-off, the students ran into Lauren Anderson, one of the first African American ballerinas to become principal for a major dance company, the Houston Ballet. She was traveling to the museum since her shoes were being exhibited. Lauren remembered 8 | FEATURE

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St. Agnes as she visited in 2014 and spoke with VOBY about her life experience. The girls were excited to share a few moments with her. The following day, we braved the Metro. Imagine the chaperones as we wrangled students in the busy DC train station. I’m sure we provided much entertainment for onlookers. We visited Howard University, a prestigious historically black university. While touring campus, our students were able to get a feel for a college community, eat lunch on campus, and visit with Joi Walls ’14. Though many of the girls are sophomores and didn’t know Joi while she was at St. Agnes, they were happy to see someone from home doing so well in college. From Howard, we traveled to the United States Capitol for a tour arranged by alum parent Congressman

Saturday, September 24, was the big day. The chaperones had to wake the girls up at 5:30 a.m. to get on the move as we knew the crowd would be massive. When we arrived to the museum site, the line was more than a mile long. Once we entered the opening ceremony area, I watched the students take it all in. We were in the most beautiful area in Washington, D.C. We were seated in an area nestled between the museum, the National Monument, and the Capitol building. The program began with Howard University’s marching band, and we were able to hear from celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Patti LaBelle, Robert De Niro, and Angela Bassett. We were blessed to hear Laura Bush, President George W. Bush, and President Barack Obama speak to the magnitude of the occasion. After the opening ceremony, we anxiously waited for the chance to enter the museum. The energy of the crowd was so positive and hopeful. We met people from across the country, all sharing their individual stories. We were able to watch President and Mrs. Obama tour the museum with other dignitaries on the large monitors outside. We heard the joyous buzz in the air as onlookers all around cheered in anticipation. We felt the welcome cool breeze as we waited for our chance to be a part of history. Finally, it happened. We heard the President’s motorcade start down the road as he and his guests finished their

tour. The doors opened for our group and we entered the museum, a museum that has been in the works for more than 90 years. Once inside, the girls were allowed to explore in small groups as there was so much to take in. A highlight for many was the opportunity to see a slave house as well as a slave ship. Students and parents alike were humbled and thoughtful about those who gave so much and received so little recognition. While in the museum, a few VOBY students were interviewed by Channel 13’s Melanie Lawson. Students captured pictures with the likes of Rev. Jesse Jackson, Lupita Nyong’o, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, etc.

My absolute favorite God moment was when Channing Smith ’18, bumped into her idol, Ava DuVernay. DuVernay is an African American director and screenwriter who happened to be looking at her own exhibit at the same time we were. Channing saw her and immediately burst into tears as she stood in the presence of a woman who looked like her working in her dream field. DuVernay took a moment with Channing and encouraged her to keep moving toward her goals. As we walked away,

*Above: And they’re off! Our group at Hobby airport

Ms. DuVernay told Channing “Welcome to the tribe.” While our group toured the museum, three members of the Class of 2016 toured the White House; Camryn Odom, Hampton University student, Kathryn Grant, Hampton University student, and Tobi Okopie, Georgetown University student. After a long and exhilarating day, we had dinner and recounted all of the wonderful things we experienced. Anna McGuffee ’16, American University student, and Kendall Hollingsworth ’16, Howard University student, joined us for dinner and shared their experiences as new college students. When we arrived back at Hobby Airport

after an exciting few days in our nation’s capital, we bumped into alum parent Toni Johnson, one of the first VOBY sponsors. I was happy to see her, but I can only imagine how she felt seeing a student club that she helped form become such a force on campus and beyond. As a college counselor and VOBY cosponsor, my heart is full. It was such a blessing to be able to share these moments with students. It is my sincere hope that as they continue to learn and grow, the significance of this trip remains. I hope that they can one day visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture with their own children and say with pride “I was there.”

*Below: Our students at the opening ceremony

SPECIAL THANKS TO • Dr. Yolanda Adams, who helped us gain access to the opening ceremony • Congressman Pete Olson, who obtained a tour of the Capitol for our students • All of our fantastic chaperones

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CL ASS NOTES OUR NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS Semifinalists Rebecca Carlson Mary Condron Annamaria Costantini Betsy Felix Kelly Heilman Zehra Javed Simal Mian

Commended Students Ellen Alley Angelina Anderson Rylie Braza Carolina Cruces Celeste Debnam Caitlyn Gaddy Catherine Gassiot Giselle Gisser Emily Gonsoulin Miriam Gonzalez Sarah Grant Lauren Henrichsen

Katherine Juden Anna Lang Lauren Lobue Victoria Lutz Cameron McMenemy Sara Mendiola Isabel Orozco Margaret Ryan Hannah Tate Anna Wei Sarah Wicks

National Hispanic Scholars Angela Anderson Juliana Barcenas Veronica Castillo Alexis Couch Carolina Cruces Cara Day Celeste Del Pilar Caitlyn Gaddy Giselle Gisser Miriam Gonzalez Grace Kaplow Angela Lancaster Victoria Lutz

Sara Mendiola Margaret Okhuysen Isabel Orozco Chloe Ramos Sophia Reinoso Victoria Reyes Daniela Sierra Erin Smith Jilia Tremont Madeline Van Brundt Sara Van Tuerenhout Amanda Vasquez Delila Walsh

Above, our seven National Merit SemifinalistsTop row: Annamaria Costantini, Simal Mian Middle row: Mary Condron, Rebecca Carlson Bottom row: Betsy Felix, Zehra Javed, and Kelly Heilman Congratulations to our National Merit Scholarship Program participants this year! From approximately 1.5 million program entrants, each of these students is among the 50,000 highest-scoring participants. From the 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 16,000 have been named National Merit Program Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 others will be commended for their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. From approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to Finalist level. They will be notified in February. St. Agnes is pleased to announce seven Semifinalists, 23 Commended Students, and 26 National Hispanic Scholars. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of the U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

COVER GIRL

HUMANS OF SA A

In our spring issue, we shared the news of

Elena Linardi ’17 wanted to bring the SAA community together this year through social media. Modeled off of Humans of New York, Elena, with the help of our administration, started Humans of St. Agnes. She is telling the stories of our students, our faculty members, and administration. Through Elena, many students have come forward to tell their stories, both humorous and heartfelt. Stay tuned this year as Elena shares the voices of many in our community! Follow us on Instagram @HumansofStAgnes.

Triona Swanson’s acceptance to the U.S. Naval Academy. This Academy woman is taking the term to the next level and has already made the cover of her collegiate magazine. The U.S. Naval Academy celebrates 40 years of women at the Naval Academy this year. We are proud that our alum was chosen to help mark this moment for them on their cover. 10 | CLASS NOTES

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THE CL ASS OF 2016 Valedictorian JAMIE SMITH Texas A&M University

Salutatorian ELEANOR DAVIS Trinity University

Veritas Award CHIOMA ONUOHA Harvard University The recipient of this award is receommended by the faculty. Based on the academic achievement, service, courage and leadership, this award honors a woman who has truly lived her calling to be Christ for others.

St. Agnes Award ANALISA RUIZ University of Texas, Austin Selected by the faculty, this award celebrates a young woman who has made an unmistakable difference in the lives of others. She truly lives the Dominican values that embody the St. Agnes tradition.

St. Catherine of Siena Award MAGGIE LENNON University of Colorado Boulder This award honors a student selected for her graciousness, hospitality, respectfulness, and service to others. We are pleased to recognize this young woman who leads with integrity and joyful enthusiasm. *Top, Eleanor Davis â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 and Jamie Smith â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 *Left, Student Body President Evangeline Carson, Student Body Vice President Emma Hansen, Class President Sarah Boatwright, and Class Vice President Aubrey Calaway The Class of 2016 matriculated to 83 different colleges. Of 229 graduating Academy women, 97% went on to 4-year colleges/universities. Visit www.st-agnes.org/matriculation to see the entire list of where our newest alumnae landed!

Summa Cum Laude Graduates

Magna Cum Laude Graduates

$35 million 10 value of scholarships offered to Class of 2016

Number of college athletic signings

Cum Laude Graduates

Number of different colleges the Class of 2016 is now attending

61 59

Percentage of 2016 graduates who are members of National Honor Society Percentage of 2016 graduates attending in-state colleges

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INSIDE WELCOME WEEK BY SARAH BERNO ‘17 AND ELLEN ALLEY ‘17 Student Body President and Vice President Welcome Week is a fun orientation week for the freshmen class. It’s one of the first weeks in September, after the freshmen have gotten a chance to settle in. It’s a time for the St. Agnes community to welcome the 9th grade class to their new home for the next four years. It starts with both the freshmen and senior classes filling out a survey with their likes, dislikes, and a few fun facts about themselves. From there, the senior leadership spends a weekend sorting through all of the surveys and matching each freshman to a senior with similar interests. The seniors are then told who their little sis is and are asked to keep it a secret until they meet at the end of the week. The first day of Welcome Week is “Beach Day”, when the big sis’s bring their little sis fun beach themed items to dress up in and all of their favorite candy. Most seniors give their freshmen fun tasks to complete around the school, such as talking with their math teacher or dancing with their friends in PE. The second day is “Baby Day”. All of the freshmen are given pacifiers, baby bottles full of candy, and other baby accessories from their seniors. Sometimes a group of freshmen are asked by their senior group to sing songs for them in the cafeteria at lunch that go along with the baby theme. Sophomore, junior, and senior classes plan a fun orientation assembly for the freshmen. At the assembly, each grade performs a choreographed dance that they plan themselves. The upperclassmen write and perform a skit of a freshman’s first day of school while impersonating all of their favorite teachers. The assembly allows the freshmen to really feel like they are a part of the student body. On the third day, the seniors and freshmen meet for the first time. All of the seniors and freshmen then go to a prayer service before having lunch, catered by the Mothers’ Club, and revealing their identities. The final day of Welcome Week, the seniors get to dress up their freshmen in funny costumes and all of the freshmen groups parade around school in their costumes. On the Saturday after Welcome Week, there is a St. Agnes Orientation Dance. All of the seniors pick up their little sisters and take them to the dance, usually followed by big sleepovers with all of the 9th grade group. Welcome Week is a week that is planned just for the freshmen, full of dress up days and fun activities that help them become more acclimated to the school and meet other freshmen and seniors. 12 | CLASS NOTES

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NATIONAL ACCOLADES FOR TOMMY CALAIS Director of Student Activities and Theology teacher Tommy Calais has been nominated for the Earl Reum Award. This award, presented by the National Association of Workshop Directors, was designed to recognize individuals for their work with adults. Leadership education for students is important, but this award recognizes those who train the trainers of those students. The nominee should also be someone who... • • • • •

Encourages and inspires others in the field of student leadership Enthusiastically shares their experience and expertise through presentations to adults Promotes, facilitates, or creates opportunities for adults to receive information to share with their students Is instrumental in student leadership training Promotes student leadership within their state and/or at the national level

Mr. Calais is one of only six nominated for this award this year. Texas Association of Student Councils Director, Terry Hamm says of Tommy: As a multi-year TASC Board member, he is invaluable. His insight, understanding of finance and programming, and ability to problem solve help TASC more than I can say. He speaks to the heart of any issue, weighs carefully what he has to say, and is respected by everyone on the board. He is my sounding board on complex issues. He is the most prepared person I have ever worked with. He does his homework, completes any duties assigned, and goes above and beyond to meet association needs. In addition to this nomination, Mr. Calais has been invited to sit on the National Association of State Student Council Executive Directors board. NASSCED is an association of individuals from across the United States who work with their respective state student council associations to further leadership development among middle and high school students.

ST. AGNES LENDS A HAND Early in the school year, St. Agnes English teacher, and St. Joseph’s Academy (Baton Rouge) alumna, Stephanie Faucette Gremillion spoke up to administration about needs of her community in Louisiana after catastrophic flooding. Gremillion spoke of schools in desperate need of cleaning supplies. With this request, St. Agnes soon began a list of known schools with needs and began a collection. Several student organizations, homeroom classes, athletic teams, and other clubs banned together to assist in collecting for St. Aloysius Church Parish, St. Alphonsus Parish, Our Lady of Mercy Church and School, Most Blessed Sacrament Church and School, and more than 11 families in our community. Our Voices of Black Youth organization, Student Council, Pink Club (Breast Cancer Awareness) and our Dominican Preaching Team students led an incredible effort to raise more than $5,000 in gift cards and dedicated funds towards the purchase of cleaning supplies, box fans, and transportation needs.

Coordinating efforts with Stephanie Clouatre Davis of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, and St. Ascension Parish and St. Amant Parish, we shipped supplies Friday, August 19 for Our Lady of Mercy and Most Blessed Sacrament, with another round of collections following on August 26. Our students, faculty, and staff have once again felt a call to give back to those in need in their community. Our Director of Student Activities, Tommy Calais, says of the students’ efforts:

MOCK TRIAL

Our Academy women excelled in the Empire Mock Trial competition in San Francisco this fall. Over the course of the two-day event, the girls won five ballots out of a possible twelv--e, landing us just outside the top 10. Makenna Fitzsimmons received an award for being one of the top 10 attorneys in the competition. Makenna, pictured below, was awarded the 6th place attorney trophy. This accomplishment was all the more impressive when you consider that approximately 100 young men and women competed as attorneys in this competition.

We were very moved by the great need of those in Louisiana after the flood. With Campus Ministry coordinating the efforts for our school, our Student Council responded so generously by bringing gift cards. I am always moved by the generosity of the students when they are asked to respond to a real need in the community.

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TIGERS’ DEN A RECORD BREAKING TRACK AND FIELD SEASON: Capped off with a State Championship! The St. Agnes Academy Track and Field team has been improving year by year. The Tigers climbed from 9th place in 2013, to 7th in 2014, to 2nd in 2015, and finally brought home the 2016 State Championship after a 24 year hiatus! RUNNING EVENTS 400 M Relay 100 M Hurdles 800 Meter Relay 300 Meter Hurdles 1600 Meter Relay Shot Put High Jump Triple Jump 1500 Meter Run 3200 Meter Relay Distance Medley Relay Shuttle Hurdle Relay

ATHLETE Catherine Schell, Jade Pinnock, Venessa Anwuri, Maysen Odom Kirby Matocha Catherine Schell, Jade Pinnock, Cristen Harrison, Lauren Curran Kirby Matocha Cristen Harrison, Lauren Curran, Lauren Lowe, Maysen Odom Tolu Onabanjo Kirby Matocha Ijeoma Chinedo Maryella Cohn Amber Boettiger, Kylee Smith, Emelia Bartusiak, Maryella Cohn Amber Boettiger, Cristen Harrison, Emelia Bartusiak, Maryella Cohn Kirby Matocha, Lauren Lowe, Grace Tagtow, Ann Vispo

RECORD 49.22 15.48 01:43.92 45.88 03:56.15 35’ 6 1/2” 5’7 37’ 10 1/4” 4:51.85 9:37.73 12:38.04 01:08.34

YEAR 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016

Below, our state champion track and field team

COACH OF THE YEAR Congratulations to Kristi Robbins, awarded the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 5A Female Coach of the Year! These coaches have displayed an outstanding amount of dedication this year, and this is a huge testament to the amount of hard work they have put into competing with honor.

TRACK FLASH BACK

To the right is pictured our last State Champion Track and Field Team from 1992. Two members of the team have returned to work at St. Agnes today, Dean of Faculty and biology teacher, Kim Coffey Scoville ’95 and history teacher, Marcy Aguilar Hill ’92. Marcy remembers, “If it was raining, you still ran, just had to put your yucky shoes on. We ran in school if it was lightning. second floor down to first floor back up to the second— repeat! The best thing is, I’m still buddies with my long distance pals today! Kim brags, “That’s right! Varsity track, my freshman year!” We’re happy to have both of these women, and this trophy, back at St. Agnes Academy! Find Kim, middle row, third from left. Find Marcy, middle row, second from right. 14 | TIGERS’ DEN

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Coach Robbins led her teams to a State Runner-Up finish in Cross Country and a State Championship in Track & Field! We are so proud. Coach Robbins is pictured at left, on the right.

CHECKING IN WITH ANNA UNGER ‘18 As a member of the St. Agnes field hockey team and the United States Field Hockey Futures program, Anna Unger was a regional all-star selection to the Futures National team. After her success in the national tournament, she was chosen to compete this past August on the Junior Olympic team. Here’s what Anna had to say when asked a few questions about field hockey:

Left - Anna’s Academy teammates cheer her on for the big game! Top row: Sarah Berno, Ellen Alley, Anna Unger, Tess Peterson, Sydney Baldridge, Caitlin Boeker Bottom row: Christina Broeckelmann, and Meredith Dickson What drew you to play field hockey? I suppose a couple things drew me to field hockey. I initially was drawn to it because it looked fun. At the time I had just quit gymnastics after sticking with it for around ten years and I really was just looking for something new to do. Coach Deinzer asked my seventh grade team who was interested in playing goalie and my hand immediately shot up. Ever since my West U soccer coach told me he thought I would make a good keeper I had played goalie in a wide variety of sports, and it turned out I was pretty decent. I thought it was worth a shot to try it and see what would happen. Turns out I made the right choice. Have you ever played any other position than keeper? I have played on the field once. It was in middle school and one of my coaches forgot to bring the goalie gear. I was left with no other option but to play field. It did not go very well. My stick was too small, and all I really wanted to do was kick the ball. That was the first and last time I ever played field.

Are you looking to play in college…Olympics? I am currently looking to play field hockey in college. Unfortunately, field hockey is not very big in the South. It is a huge sport in the North East, especially along the coast. It’s a bit of a disadvantage, mainly due to my lack of experience compared to other players, but it’s not the end of the world. It just gives me that much more reason to work as hard I can to get where I want to go. The Olympics are not a burning desire for me at the moment. I know there truly is no traditional route to the Olympics though, so you never know. It might be a possibility one day. I leave that up for future me to decide. Anna added: The reason I have made it so far is because of the people who support me, especially Coach Tiffany Deinzer. She is the one who first introduced me to field hockey, the reason why I started to play club, and the reason I have learned to love the sport. She has encouraged me from day one and has truly never left my side. She’s a fantastic coach and a good friend. Without her I would never be where I am today.

TIGERS GO INTERNATIONAL Coach Kaitlin Kelley just made her fifth straight trip to the Dominican Republic for an SAA service trip this past summer. This year, Coach Mattes, Director of Athletics, joined her along with nine students from the Class of 2017. Students and coaches took part in building new homes and latrines for families living in the bateys, villages established within the sugar cane fields. Isabella Rathgeb ’17 and Shaelyn Stacy ’17 put their basketball skills to good use on the courts. Through the camaraderie of pick-up basketball games and working side by side with community members to build safe and secure houses, our St. Agnes students developed fast and meaningful relationships with the people living in the bateys. Left: Isabella Rathgeb ‘17 on the court in the Dominican Republic

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TIGER FIT – WORKOUTS RELOADED

This fall, St. Agnes has developed a new workout program for our students. Tiger FIT replaces our three-year partnership with Crossfit West Houston, but continues on with the same type of workouts and with the same set of goals. Amy Mattes, Director of Athletics says: Crossfit West Houston provided us a great start into helping our Athletics Department determine what would work for us. Because we do not have an athletic period built into the day like many schools, we needed to create something that worked for our students’ busy schedules and keeps us competitive with other schools at the same time. The biggest change and advantage to Tiger FIT is that is 100% taught by our coaches, which enhances accountability and creates a whole new level of camaraderie between our athletes and coaches. Our primary goal of Tiger FIT at St. Agnes Academy is to improve cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. Providing this strength and condition program also prepares our potential college student-athletes for the rigor of advanced competition and fitness expectations.

Spring Sports Update Water Polo made it to the State Final Four for the third time in six years. The Tigers graduated three seniors and will return 11 to the pool this spring. Softball made it back to the State tournament for the first time since 2013. They fell to San Antonio Incarnate Word, defending state champs. The Tigers graduated three seniors and will return seven starters for the 2017 season.

BOOSTER CLUB Welcome to the beginning of what we already know will be another outstanding year for St. Agnes Athletics! For the 2nd year in a row, we were named the TAPPS 5A – Outstanding Female Sports Program in the State of Texas! Are you a parent of a current athlete at St. Agnes? We couldn’t earn that honor without the hard work and dedication of each athlete in every sport and the support of YOU—our parents! That support begins right here on our campus with each family volunteering for a shift or two (or more) in our concession stands. Through the Athletic Booster Club’s fundraising efforts via the two concessions stands, the Athletic Department is able to purchase many non-budget items to benefit our girls and their teams. We have a variety of positions available on our Booster Club, and we hope you consider joining us! We cannot do this alone, so we hope that you will consider taking on one of these necessary positions. Contact Athletic Booster Club President Cookie Boeker at boekerhome@yahoo.com for ways to get involved! 16 | TIGERS’ DEN

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Above, starting varsity pitcher, Shelby Echols ‘19

A CAMPAIGN - 10 YEARS LATER As we mark 10 years since the Centennial Campaign, members of our faculty and administration reflect on the unexpected impact of this incredible gift to our school. Programs always drive campaigns at St. Agnes. Our art program, student services, and especially our science courses needed new facilities to match the needs and the passion of the students. But, we are always surprised by the unanticipated doors that open with new opporunity. Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. says, “Never did we realize the unexpected benefits that would unfold when we planned our Centennial Campaign. From 3-D printing in the art labs to Christmas carolling in the rotunda each year, this campaign brought so many welcome surprises.” Since our inception, St. Agnes has been committed to educating the whole student. However, we were concerned that our girls could not explore their science course interests on our campus. With the completion of the Clay Center for the Sciences and Student Services, we are able to offer all of our core science courses and increased elective offerings on our own turf. We’ve been able to grow beyond our expectations, offering unique courses such as forensic science and astronomy. Today, you can visit a classroom and witness AP Biology students working on bacterial transformation—where they insert a jellyfish gene into bacteria to make them glow, watch Honors AP Chemistry students synthesize aspirin, or even see forensice science students detect and analyze fingerprints. With these labs, our teachers have so many more opportunities to help our students fall in love with science. Forensics teacher Robin Licato remarks, “I worked with the science department and the architect team to design the classrooms and lab space knowing my husband had been transferred. I left before they broke ground. I returned to SAA nine years later and am teaching in the very room I helped to design.” The entrance to the Clay Center has had its own impact. The focal point of the building is the Jean and Mike Phillips Rotunda. Dean of Students Elaine Henderson Eichelberger ’79 says,

I knew that the new science labs would take our programs clearly to the next level - and I knew that consolidation of student services would allow for colleagues to collaborate and provide for our students in a more effective manner.

What I never dreamed was that one day I would implement a yoga class into our PE curriculum and that the beautiful space on the third floor of the rotunda would become a place where students and faculty/staff, meet twice a week to practice yoga and meditation. It has become “sacred” space for us and demonstrates that there is potential for things to blossom with new facilities that you never even imagine. In the past couple years, more than 200 Academy women have taken yoga twice a week.

The Centennial Campaign also created the Fleming Rooms, meeting rooms that are used often three to four times a day. The Fleming Rooms host a variety of events— from our Board meetings to college visits, from Campus Ministry Team to the VOBY Ice Cream Social. The Director of Campus Ministry, Anna Sklut, says of this pivotal meeting place, “Having a space as our ‘home base’ allows our group to gather monthly and explore different topics essential to peer mentoring and faith leadership. These meetings, and the time the Preaching Team spends together, form our students to be leaders in faith, designing and facilitating retreats for our school community. The same space that is used for Board meetings in the morning is often transformed by silly songs and dancing by the afternoon. It’s pretty awesome to feel the energy of 80 young women discussing faith and growing as individuals through conversation, activities, and guest speakers.” Beyond the classrooms and meeting rooms, the Centennial Campaign also created office spaces for administrators, college counselors, and many others including Principal Deborah Whalen. She says of her office, “Betsy and Hunter Nelson dedicated my office and I love them! I worked with Hunter on many school initiatives while he served on our board. Every morning when I unlock the door to my office I see the dedication plate and it makes me so happy.” We would not have this space without the generosity of those who invested in our future. Sr. Jane Meyer says, “We are so grateful to those who dared to dream with us. Each school year brings new students who benefit from our audacity. Thank you for allowing these women to realize their potential.”

Pictured, the Jean and Mike Phillips Rotunda

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LETTER FROM THE ALUMNAE BOARD PRESIDENT KRISTEN HANSHAW ’07 Freshman fish week? We all remember it! The better question is do you remember your senior big sister or your freshman little sis? In true Tiger spirit, our St. Agnes journey began with community. Through quirky costumes, accessories, and lots and lots of sweets, it was the start of dear friendships that we hold onto still today. In the last five years of volunteering with the St. Agnes alumnae program, I have witnessed many classmates rekindle friendships, build career networking solutions together, and share in the Dominican spirit of giving. It is through the St. Agnes Alumnae Board that we are able to find each other again and be reminded of how impressionable our alma mater was and can still be! I hope to see many faces at one or several of our events including the Alumnae Networking Event, Reunion, Spring Musical, Gala, Career Day, and Fannin Street Luncheon. VERITAS! The St. Agnes Academy Alumnae Board is committed to advancing relationships among alumnae and involving them in the mission and community of the school through participation in the traditions, strengths, growth and future of St. Agnes Academy. Right, 2016-2017 ALUMNAE BOARD Top row: Kellye Adamo Wright ’03, Liz Tanner ’00 Third row: Yvette Arguello Wiatrek ’80, Amy McKenna Greely ‘80 Second row: Carol Ellis Sebastian ’78, Samantha Scruggs ’00, Beatriz Trillos Ballerini ’87, Margarita Olivero Golden ‘95 Front row: Conchi Diaz-Arrastia Green ‘78, Nathalie Sessions Fye ’88, Amanda Sitomer Smith ‘03, Nicole Sitz Hix ’92 Not pictured: Kristen Hanshaw ‘07 (Chair), Brittany Taggart ‘05 (Vice-chair), Jessica Sanders ’05, Natalie Kurz ’99

NEW YORK VISIT On Wednesday, September 14, close to 50 New York area alumni from St. Agnes and St. Thomas came to our Manhattan happy hour with Head of School Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P.; Lori Sebastian Pinter ’88, Director of Alumnae Relations; and Mark deTranaltes, St. Thomas Vice President for Advancement. Held at Bread & Tulips Lounge in Chelsea, everyone was able to network and have a good time. On the Same visit, Sr. Jane and Lori Pinter were invited to see the Late Show, with Stephen Colbert, courtesy of Amy Cole ’89! Below: Left, Lori and Sr. Jane on the set. Right, Nneka Anozie ’15, Sydney Fucci ‘14, Sakinah Ali

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LETTER FROM THE SAYPO BOARD PRESIDENT JENN SMITH ‘08 I am so excited to be serving as this year’s SAYPO Board President. It is truly an honor to be involved with reconnecting the incredible alumnae of St. Agnes Academy. In early October, at the All School Reunion, the Alumnae and SAYPO Boards presented the Veritas Award and SAYPO Award to two truly inspiring Academy Women, Katie Upton Daily ’96 and Sara Brandino Elias ’99. Both Katie and Sara not only overcame tremendous personal loss, but they also set out to help those facing similar challenges and their efforts have touched the lives of many. These women exemplify the spirit of St. Agnes Academy and are truly carrying on the mission to make a difference in the world. I encourage all alumnae and friends of St. Agnes to read our Alumnae spotlights which highlight many more of our awe-inspiring graduates, and to let us know if you know of someone who should be recognized. In addition, I hope you will join us at an alumnae event this year, such as our annual Networking Event in April. SAYPO events are great opportunities to connect with classmates and fellow alumnae and to share stories, advice, and accomplishments. We can’t wait to see you! The St. Agnes Young Professionals Organization (SAYPO) is a networking group open to any St. Agnes alumnae 4 - 22 years from graduation. SAYPO strives to cultivate personal and professional growth and to create opportunities for alumnae to become successful leaders. Above, 2016-2017 SAYPO BOARD Back Row: Claire Groff ‘11, Natalie Harms ‘10 Row 4: Elizabeth Delozier DeFranco ‘08, Ellen Stuchly ‘07, Katie Bobo ‘12 Row 3: Jessi Grealish ‘09, Cathleen Gready Fishel ’04, Regina Vatterott ‘12 Row 2: Andrea Ivey Phillips ‘04, Celina Guerrero ’04 (Vice-president), Jenn Smith ’08 (President) Front Row: Alejandra Narvaez ‘07, Sarah-Margaret Hamman ‘11 Not Pictured: Amy Brown ‘10, Erica Sepulveda Cole ’04, Bianca Ferrer ’04, Laura Gant Glueck ’05, Karolena Serratos ’07, Allison Squire ‘05

GENERATIONS BREAKFAST On Tuesday, September 27, close to 100 alumnae moms, aunts, grandmothers and their current students met for breakfast on campus. They enjoyed a talk by Cris Torreno Farrell ’87 and her daughters, Natalie ’17 and Maddie ’19, about what it means to be a St. Agnes legacy. Students also got to play “Are you my mother?” by finding their moms’ senior picture posted in the room. Left, three generations of Academy women! Back row: Caroline Henderson, Tessa Gusemano Henderson ’80, Madison Henderson, Rosalie Sedita Gusemano ’56, Gina Gusemano Leck ’84, Lauren Leck First row: Mary Ann Sedita Mitchell ’64, Taylor Mitchell, Patricia Brooks Mitchell ’87

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REUNION 2016 On Saturday, October 1, more than 400 alumnae, family and friends attended the all-school reunion and open house on campus. They enjoyed complimentary beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres from Mandola’s Catering, and a custom s’mores bar by Samantha Wright ’10, owner of Sweet & Mellow. Meredith Flaherty ’04 was our official photographer, and there was also a photobooth. National Honor Society and Student Council members directed campus tours, and Triple Trio performed in the courtyard. Prior to reunion, the Alumnae Board and SAYPO Board presented the 2016 Veritas and SAYPO Awards. Alumnae Board President Kristen Hanshaw ’07 introduced Lori Redd Huffman ’96 who presented the 2016 Veritas Award to her lifelong friend and classmate, Katie Upton Daily ’96. The St. Agnes Academy Alumnae Veritas Award is given each year to an alumna who exhibits outstanding dedication to, support for, and love of St. Agnes. SAYPO Board President Jenn Smith ’08 introduced Rosalie Montalbano Brandino ’64 who presented the SAYPO Award to her daughter, Sara

Brandino Elias ’99. This is the second year for the SAYPO Award, which is now given annually to a young alumna who is pursuing excellence in her career, and is an outstanding representative of St. Agnes through her professionalism, ingenuity, creativity and success. See more on these honorees below. The 2016 Class Challenge Awards were also awarded! Reema Kasavich, Director of Annual Giving, presented a plaque to the class agent for the Class of 1975, Cindy Stowell ’75, who for the fourth year in a row has led her class to having the highest percentage of class giving, at 64.22 percent. Lynn Marie Fahey ’07 and the Class of 2007 were awarded a plaque for having the most classmates participate in SAA365—our recurring giving program. The Class of 1980 was honored for their outstanding job of raising the most money out of any class - $19,290! Below, the Class of 1966 celebrates their 50th reunion!

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Alumnae Awards VERITAS AWARD KATIE UPTON DAILY ’96 raised over $241,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and was honored as the LLS Gulf Coast Chapter’s Woman of the Year 2016. This was the most money ever raised by a Houston candidate. Her efforts were in honor of her mother’s memory, whom she lost to Lymphoma over a year ago. LLS describes ideal candidates for this award as community based leaders who are philanthropic, ambitious, socially active, resourceful, goal oriented, and passionate about making a difference in the lives of people suffering from blood cancers. SAYPO AWARD SARA BRANDINO ELIAS ’99. In 2013, Sara’s husband, a healthy 40 year-old non-smoker, was diagnosed with stage IV Lung Cancer and was told that a person with his diagnosis has 18 months to live. Their hearts dropped and their minds raced. Wanting to do something for the cause, Sara began searching for an event to participate in for Lung Cancer. She soon realized that there was not a walk, a luncheon, a golf tournament - nothing - to support it. She took action and contacted the Lung Care Alliance, recruited two other volunteers, and founded Houston’s first Lung Love Walk. In last year’s inaugural event and they recruited close to 700 participants and raised $85,000. Sara is a true Academy woman. She saw a need and filled it, and her efforts will help many. 20 | ALUMNAE AWARDS

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ALUMNAE UPDATES Cindy Roup Harp ’68 completed 33 years in special education, raised 4 children, and developed Harp Property. She has retired to help start Urban Angles, in Touch with Peru, an organization that supports impoverished villages in the Colca Valley in Southern Peru. They are developing after school programs to support children’s educational and health needs, and breakfast and lunch programs. facebook.com/UrbanAngelsHouston Patti Poling Hopson ’68 organized a lunch for some of her classmates (from left) Patti, Cindy Roup Harp ’68, Elizabeth Mondshine St. Aubin ’68, Carolyn Glenney Galfione ’68, Risa Taub McDonald ’68, and Shelley Whitty Haden ’68. (1)

Maribeth Albrecht Anderson ’73 started a non-profit organization called Women InSpirit, Inc. to educate young girls in several areas of Ghana. The idea started in 2012, when Maribeth attended a Theresians International Conference in Accra, where she met young teen mothers who longed for an education. The organization is sending two girls to nursing school in Bolgatanga, a girl from Kumasi through college, and they have started a sewing school in Accra. Women InSpirit’s board of directors includes SAA alumnae Nancy Roessler Coselli ’73, Stephanie Ross Avioli ’80, and Claire Mueller ’80. womeninspiritinc.com

and studied abroad in Rome this summer. Daughter, Sophie, is a junior in high school and participates in tennis and orchestra. Son, Paul, is in seventh grade and participates in basketball and orchestra. In May, the DiSorbo family remembered, with love, the eighth memorial of the loss of their oldest child, Kate. (2) Nancy Dockerty ’86 was nominated as a Bethesda Hospital Foundation 2016 Women of Grace. Nancy was nominated by the Delray Beach Public Library, where Nancy is President. Teresa Hill Flannery ’86 has moved home to Texas. Her husband’s position with the D.E.A. brought them back to Ft. Worth after 16 years in the Pacific Northwest and Southern California. Teresa is enjoying being amongst family again and her fourth, and youngest, child will graduate from high school this year. Jennifer Nesser Ciavarra ’87, husband, Kevin, and sons, John and Ryan, have moved from New York City to Studio City, California. Cynthia Nichols Murray ’88 and husband, Dylan, welcomed Aiden Pierce, born March 17 and adopted March 20.

1 Beverley Crispin Heffernan ’70 retired after 30 years of service to the Federal government. She is an active volunteer on the boards of Les Amis du Vin Utah, Back Country Horsemen of Utah, the Alpine Mounted Archery Club and Sweet Briar College. Her husband, Jim, is an administrative law judge for the Department of the Interior. Beverley visited Houston for both the St. Agnes reunion and the St. Anne’s class of ’66 reunion, and enjoyed seeing everyone. She is still riding her two horses, playing golf, skiing occasionally, and hiking when the opportunity arises. She and Jim went to Scotland in July and are looking forward to a trip to India.

Sabrina Dompier Lamberson ’90 was promoted to Senior Director at WineShop at Home and earned an all-inclusive trip for her and her husband to go to Puerto Los Cabos in 2017. She lives in San Diego, CA, and manages a wine team across the country through her website, uncorkthebottle.com.

Lori Rhea DiSorbo ’86 graduated from the University of Houston in May with a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology. She will pursue further training and work with the homeless in Houston. Lori and her husband, Shanon, celebrated their twenty fifth wedding anniversary December, 2014, and they opened their engineering consulting firm, DiSorbo Consulting, in December, 2013. Their son, Jack, is a senior at The University of Texas at Austin, with a dual major in Plan II and Mechanical Engineering. Jack plays for the UT club soccer team

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group’s Rising Star award. The Women on the Move annual recognition has been part of TEW since 1985. texasexecutivewomen. org/local-women-named-recipients-ofprestigious-awards/ (5) Rita Abdallah Joubran ’94 was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009. Since then, she and her husband, Nabil, ride the BP MS 150, a two-day fundraising bike ride organized by the National MS Society, every year. In 2016 Joubran raised more than $52,000 that will go toward finding a cure for multiple sclerosis. She ranks third among event participants.

3 Sharon Sauer MBA, CPRC ’90 started a position as Clinical Outreach Coordinator at Briarwood Detox in Austin, Texas. As a woman in long-term recovery, and a Certified Recovery Coach, Sharon is thrilled to combine her passion for recovery with her business development and marketing skills in this new role. If you know anyone who needs help, please don’t hesitate to reach out at 713.397.8474.

Emily Pappas Burke ’95 and husband, Trey (STH ’94), welcomed Harris Patrick on May 2. He joins big brothers Luke, Ryan, and Matthew.

Ann Schroeder Lee ’95 and husband, Christopher, welcomed Frances Rose. Jessica Mouser Luster ’95 and husband, Matt, welcomed twin boys Samuel August and Julien Pierce on October 3. They join big brother Grant. Thais Conway Hanson ’96 and husband, David, welcomed Anne Abigail on May 18, weighing 8.5 lbs. and measuring 21.5 in. She is named for her maternal grandmother Anne. Abigail is the Hebrew word meaning “my father rejoices.” Katherine Wingfield ’97 and husband, Eric Bjork, welcomed Annika September 22, 2015. Annika joins big

Hella Caldera Scheuerman ’90 and Veronica Cardenal-Vogel ’90 reunited in Nicaragua. (3)

ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Congratulations to Shannon Beirne Wiesedeppe ’90, who is serving as the 93rd president of The Junior League of Houston, Inc., an organization of over 5,000 women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. This year, Junior League volunteers will provide more than 130,000 hours of service in the community and in the Junior League of Houston Tea Room. (4) ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Laura Meyer Robertson ’91 was named one of ten successful women in Houston in the Class of 2016 for the Texas Executive Women (TEW)/Women on the Move award. She was recognized at a November luncheon, along with the 2016 winner of the

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brother Kristopher. Pictured are Elizabeth Wingfield ’99, Katherine Wingfield ’97, Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. (holding Annika) Margaret Wingfield Cronin ’06 (holding Olive Cronin) and Victoria Wingfield Faulkner ’01. (6) Theresa Dang ’98, husband Jason Simmons (STH ’97), and their children Sophia and Luke, recently moved to Sugar Land, where Theresa practices anesthesiology. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Jackie Minar Drew ’98 and husband, Rick, created Surrender™ Crosses through their company, RAD JOY. They “have a heart for spreading God’s word and helping people in their personal walks with Christ. Surrender™ Crosses are a way to release our burdens to God and rely on Him more.” rad-joy.com Kathlyn “Kat” Coulter Curtis ’99 will be serving on the Shared Decision Making Committee at Travis Elementary in the Heights, where she spearheads a community mentoring program. Christy Hawkins ’99 moved to Colorado to open a Denver office for her law firm, The Chad T. Wilson Law Firm, which specializes in insurance litigation. Tracy Toews Mouton ’99 and husband, Kenneth, welcomed Elaine Marie in March, weighing 7 lbs., 4 ozs., and 20.5 in. She joins big sister Avery. Elaine Jimenez ’00 has joined Kathlyn “Kat” Coulter Curtis ’99 at her residential real estate sales company, Why I Love Houston Properties, as team manager. Elaine and Kat sang together in Triple Trio and are excited to be working together again. Lindsey Brooks Niebruegge ’00 and husband, Alex, welcomed Brooks this summer. He joins big brother Max. They recently moved to Timbergrove. Diana Jamail Schwarzlose ’00 is a holistic health coach who helps others create and achieve their health goals. She is passionate about helping women figure out how to eat for their body, so they can lose bloat or excess weight, increase energy, and feel confident and happy. DianaHealthCoach.com

Meaghan Derrick Fine ’04 married Nathan Fine on July 2 in Playa Carrillo, Costa Rica. A reception in Houston followed. The couple resides in Decatur, Georgia.

7 Amy Zdobylak Potts ’01 and husband, Doug (SJ ’01), welcomed Jackson William on October 19, weighing 6 lbs., 15 ozs., and measuring 19.5 in. He joins big sister Amaryllis (2). (7) Stacey Wark Santoll ’01 and husband, Justin, welcomed Elizabeth Marie on August 16. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Christina Garza ’02 presented at Latin Wave: New Films from Latin America, in April at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Cristina is the Vice President of MUNDIAL, a Mexico City-based international film sales joint venture between prolific Hollywood production financing and distribution company IM GLOBAL and CANANA. Before her work at MUNDIAL, Cristina served as Head of Distribution at CANANA, the production and distribution outlet helmed by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, and Pablo Cruz. Before arriving in Mexico, Cristina lived in New York for 10 years and served as Manager of International Sales at FiGa Films, an international sales and microdistribution company. She also co-founded FilmCatcher.com, an online video magazine for independent film. She was the U.S. Delegate for the International Critics Week of the Cannes Film Festival for three years, and produces, with CANANA and filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, Mercado Fantástico at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas— the first coproduction market for genre films from Latin America. mfah.org/films/series/16 (8)

ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Meredith Flaherty ’04 was honored as one of Casa de Esperanza Young Professional Volunteers of the Year at their Annual dinner on April 28. Meredith is pictured with the founders of Casa, Bill Jones and Kathy Foster. Meredith is a professional photographer and has worked with St. Agnes on numerous occasions, including the 2016 all-school reunion. meredithflaherty.com (9) Mary Tocco ’04 began her second year as an emergency room physician at Memorial Hermann Memorial City. After graduating from the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in 2012, she completed her residency at Baylor College of Medicine, Ben Taub Hospital in 2015. Michelle Perrin Blair ’05 has joined the artistic staff as conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Youth Orchestra (DSYO). She is responsible for conducting weekly rehearsals and concerts, recruiting and auditioning young musicians from area schools, and setting the artistic course for the DSYO.

Colleen Lucey ’02 successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in Slavic Languages and Literature at the University of WisconsinMadison. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in Russian and Slavic Studies at the University of Arizona, where she teaches classes on Russian language, literature, and culture.

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11 Marissa Wilkins Wyrick ’05 and husband, Phillip, welcomed Stellan Gabriel on September 11, weighing 6 lbs., 2 ozs.

10 Lorin Leatherwood Crater ’05 and husband, Jonathan, welcomed Theodore Leatherwood on August 9. (10) Carrie Antolik ’05 married Joshua Mueller in Dover, New Hampshire on September 3. Maid of Honor was Kate Wolfe ’05. Carrie

Courtney O’Donnell Orsak ’06 and husband, Brent, welcomed Aubrey Anne on October 3, weighing 6 lbs., 9 ozs., and

Katrina Steffensen ’07 is currently working

measuring 19 in.

International. She recently got engaged and

in Kansas City, Missouri, for Garmin

Rachel Hoelker Webking ’06 and husband, Nicholas, celebrated their twin boys’, Andrew and David, first birthday on October 2. Rachel has retired from teaching world history to be home with the boys. (13)

is excited for sister Karen Steffensen ’11, and friends Rachel Bazan ’07, Lizzie Layne ’07, Kelly Brophy Fischer ’07, Lizzy Smith Fernandez ’07, Sara Patton ’07, Kathrine Brody ’07, and Becca Williams ’07 to

is a graduate of Eckerd College and the

participate in her wedding with fellow Triple Trio alumnae, Claire Morris ’07,

University of Otago, New Zealand. She

singing. Katrina, Rachel Bazan ’07, and

works in the genetics lab at Massachusetts

Lizzie Layne ’07 traveled to the Grand

General Hospital. Josh is a graduate of

Canyon and explored Oregon together.

the Naval Academy and Oxford, and is a

Katrina and Rachel were both on the

PhD candidate at MIT. The couple resides

SAA Cross Country team and convinced

in Boston, Massachusetts. (11)

Lizzie to run a half marathon with them. They hiked on the south rim of the Grand

Brittanie Hoster Duncan ’05 and

Canyon, on the red rocks of Sedona, and

husband, Cameron (SJ ’05), welcomed

throughout Bend, Oregon. On every

Harris Clay on March 30. The family

trip they go on, they make sure to take a

resides in Austin. (12)

photo for St. Agnes, showing off the “V” for Veritas. (14 &15)

Beth Bange Karches ’05 and husband, Kyle, welcomed Sophia Ann on

Brittany Derrick Noska ’08 married

September 17.

Joseph Noska on February 13, 2016, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in

Kelly Kleczynski Tijerina ’05 graduated

Fayetteville, Texas. A reception at La Bahia

from the University of St. Thomas in 2009

Hall in Burton, Texas followed. The couple

with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She

resides in Houston.

married Andy Tijerina in 2012 and they reside in Rosenberg, Texas with their

Lisa Tocco ’08 graduated from the

two children, Wyatt (2) and Annabelle

University of Texas Health Science Center

(born in May). Kelly and Andy own their

in 2015 with a Master of Public Health

own business called Veritas Strength &

in Epidemiology, and is working in her

Conditioning, a gym in Rosenberg.

second year for Infection Prevention and

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12 13

Management Associates.

Hannah Dyer-Holzhauer ’09 began the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme this summer. She works at two high schools in a small town north of Tokyo. She practices English skills and plays games with students or writes at the computer. The Japanese diet is difficult, as is the language—especially when she speaks English all day at work but she is beginning to settle in. She found a nice coffee shop in her town, and became friends with the two young owners. (16)

13 language, trained and supervised staff in questionnaire administration and infant behavioral assessment, conducted interviews with parents to understand more about their experiences, and made home visits to assess newborn behavior. She is currently working on analyzing the data collected and writing about it, and is back home with her husband, David, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (17)

Kate Kanaby Pattillo ’09 married Trevor Pattillo in May in Houston. Kate is currently working at Noble Energy as a GIS Analyst making maps.

Lindsay Lombard Buchanan ’10 is an associate at Weiner Brodsky Kider PC, a law firm in Washington, D.C. She is a litigator defending clients in the financial services industry. Lindsay graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in May.

Christine Bartram Torrance ’09 spent 18 months traveling back and forth from Gambia, West Africa, doing research through the University of Warwick. She translated mental health questionnaires into the local

Gina Buckner ’10 graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, and is currently living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is an intern in music therapy at Pelham Academy for Girls in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Caroline Duble ’10 is a Community Organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Samantha Kherkher Ernst ’10 is the co-executive producer of

the documentary, Apparition Hill, which

follows seven strangers as they investigate Medjugorje, where it has reported that an alleged apparition of Mary, the Mother of

Jesus, has appeared regularly for the last 35 years. youtu.be/QUolJjr8wCo Julia Fenelon ’10 began a year-long fellowship with Global Health Corps in July as a Health Financing Analyst for the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Rwanda. She is spending the year living in Kigali and working with the Ministry of Health to help further build out health capacities across Rwanda.

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ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Natalie Harms ’10 and Anastasia Hansen ’10 have a Houston lifestyle blog that focuses on exercise, food, drink beauty, and travel. They’re blogging to share their experience and expertise about Houston (and the world) to inspire readers who are new to the city, or want to explore more in their hometown. Their goal is to be the voice of young professionals either discovering, or rediscovering, their city. itsnothouitsme.com and @itsnothouitsme (18) In September, Kathleen Kwasniak ’10 organized and a group of classmates to travel to Chicago for their annual tradition of “Veritas Vacation Weekend.” On the trip were (top row) Emily Sharp ’10, Tori Mercer ’10, Margaret Johnson ’10, Stephanie Lawrence ’10, Anjelaka Stolte ’10, (bottom row) Katy Leven ’10, Kathleen Kwasniak ’10, and Lauren Cox ’10. (19) Gaby Nazario ’10 married Matthew Hanratty (SJ ’09) on September 10 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Houston. A reception followed at River Oaks Country Club. The couple honeymooned in Greece. Haley Boyd ’11 is currently working towards a Master’s

Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Houston, with a concentration in Neurogenic Communication Disorders. She is also a teaching assistant for undergraduate classes, and sees patients at the University of Houston Speech Language and Hearing Clinic.

CONTACT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNAE RELATIONS, LORI SEBASTIAN PINTER ‘88 WITH YOUR ALUMNAE UPDATES AT 713.219.5493 OR ALUMNAE@ST-AGNES.ORG.

CL ASS AGENTS

19 26 | ALUMNAE UPDATES

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Class agents are liaisons between alumnae and St. Agnes. They encourage classmates to be a part of the St. Agnes community, whether it is attending a reunion, a happy hour, a school event, or giving to St. Agnes Academy through time, treasure or talent. If your class does not have a class agent, and you would like to serve in that role, contact Lori Sebastian Pinter ’88, Director of Alumnae Relations at lori.pinter@st-agnes.org.

OUR MOST RECENT GRADUATES! Emily Flynn ’11 graduated from Fordham

Meredith Bolen ’12 graduated from

Raquel Carvajal ’12 graduated from The

University, Rose Hill Campus in May, 2011

Westminister College with degrees in

University of Alabama with a degree in

with a Bachelor of Arts in political science,

elementary education, middle school

hospitality. Raquel interned at Walt Disney

and a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

education, secondary education, and

World, and will be pursuing a master’s

She currently attends law school at Notre

history, with an independent study in

degree in human and environmental

Dame.

geoscience research.

sciences.

Jill Koenighain ’11 graduated from The

Jessica Bolen ’12 graduated from The

Sarah Coppedge ’12 graduated from

University of Delaware in May, 2015 with

University of Texas at Austin with a

Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of

a Bachelor of Science in marketing and

Bachelor of Science in human biology.

Arts in English, with a minor in psychology.

management.

She is currently in medical school at

She is teaching high school English in

The University of Oklahoma College of

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, and is working on

Medicine.

a master’s in curriculum and instruction.

exam, and started a new job at Deloitte

Alexa Borromeo ’12 graduated from

Katie Crites ’12 graduated from Texas

Tax Houston.

University of Michigan with a Bachelor of

A&M University with a Bachelor of Science

Fine Arts in art and design, with a minor

in animal science. Katie attends veterinary

Chelsea Thompson ’11 recently passed her CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

Emma Thompson ’11 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, with a degree in social work, in May, 2015. In May, 2016 she graduated from The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, with a master’s degree in social work. Emma currently works as a school counselor at Incarnate Word Academy. Olivia Adams ’12 graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a

in community action and social change. Alexa is an independent artist and activist in Detroit. She recently started her first job through the Public Allies Metro Detroit program, working with youth and the arts. alexaborromeo.com

school at Texas A&M University. Xiomara Cuadra ’12 graduated cum laude from St. Mary’s University with a degree in mathematics and with a teacher certification concentration. Xiomara was awarded the presidential award at St.

Lauren Bostick ’12 graduated from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor of Arts in visual arts, with a classics minor.

Mary’s, and was accepted in Notre Dame’s ACE program, where she will be working on her Master of Education. As part of the program, she will be living in Dallas

Bachelor of Science in health science, with

Ayla Brown ’12 graduated from Texas

to teach middle school math and religion

a minor in Human Health Perspectives.

Tech and currently attends veterinary

at St. Mary’s of Carmel Catholic school

Olivia is interning at the Children’s

school at Oklahoma State University

during the school year. In the summers,

Assessment Center in Houston and then

School of Veterinary Medicine.

she will be at Notre Dame, taking classes

moving onto get a master’s degree in social work.

Lauren Buchanan ’12 graduated summa cum laude from Howard University with

towards her master’s degree over the next two years.

Nikky Andersen ’12 graduated from

a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, with a

Alexandra de La Mora ’12 graduated

Stephen F. Austin State University and

concentration in public relations, and a

summa cum laude from St. Edward’s

attends graduate school at Houston

minor in art history.

University, with a Bachelor of Arts

Baptist University.

Alexis Cardenas ’12 graduated from

in history, with a minor in political science. Alexandria is starting a teacher

Audrey Beathard ’12 graduated from

Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts

certification program and plans to teach

Clemson University with a degree in

in communication sciences and disorders,

for a few years in Austin until she decides

education.

with a concentration in speech pathology.

between law school or graduate school.

Kristi Belcher ’12 graduated from Texas

Alexis will be pursuing nursing school.

Jenn Depinet ’12 graduated from The

State University with a degree in parallel

Megan Carty ’12 graduated from The

University of Texas at Austin with a

computing.

University of Texas Health Science Center

Bachelor of Science in advertising. Jenn is

at Houston School of Nursing with a

an Assistant Media Planner at GSD&M.

Danielle Benn ’12 graduated from Berry College with a Bachelor of Science in animal science. Danielle was on the Dean’s list.

Bachelor of Science in nursing. Megan currently works at Houston Methodist Hospital on their Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

Andie deTranaltes ’12 graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in cognitive studies.

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Melanie Diaz ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in business honors and science and technology management. Melanie is an associate with Boston Consulting Group.

Teresa Groff ’12 graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in marketing, with a minor in management from the Honors College. Teresa works for Aon-Hewitt as a business delivery specialist.

Helen Dougherty ’12 graduated from Grinnell College with a Bachelor of Science in computer science. Helen attends Indiana University, working on her master’s degree in security informatics.

Jesse Harper-Tarantolo ’12 graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Jesse is in the Nurse Residency Program at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, and is a registered nurse on the Pulmonary Stepdown Unit.

Leah Douglas ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics. Leah attends medical school at Baylor College of Medicine.

Clare Harvey ‘12 graduated from The University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in teaching and learning. Clare is a fourth grade reading, writing, and social studies teacher at Clemente Martinez in Houston ISD.

Jessie Edwards ’12 graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. Jessie is currently a designer at KH Studio, LLC. Katie Eichelberger ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. Gabbi Feldman ’12 graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in political science and government. Gabbi attends law school at The University of Virginia. Lauren Fontenot ’12 graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in accounting. Lauren attends Louisiana State University, working on a master’s degree in accounting. Mary Kathryn Gauci ’12 graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in child and family studies. Next year, Mary will be joining the Timothy Team, a year-long discipleship program at T Bar M Camps. Amy Gilligan ’12 graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in business economics. Amy is a Marketing Analyst at Epsilon in Dallas. Marissa Greteman ’12 graduated from University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in hospitality management. 28 | ALUMNAE UPDATES

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Catherine Hazen ’12 graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Science in biology, and a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry. Catherine attends medical school at UTMB School of Medicine in Galveston. Rachel Heim ’12 graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in medicine, health, and society, with a minor in corporate strategy. She interned at Memorial Hermann in the Strategic Planning department this summer. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Beatrice Herrmann ’12 graduated from Rice University with a degree in biochemistry and cell biology. She was awarded a Fulbright grant to study fundamental microbiology with a focus on molecular and cellular bacteriology to earn a master’s degree in research at the École Normale Supérieure de Cachanto in Paris, France. “I hope to perform research at the Pasteur Institute or Institute Marie Curie within the domain of infectious diseases and immunology,” Beatrice said. “My research project will involve the exploration of modes of bacterial cell invasion, metabolism and evolution. The results will be focused on the development of novel and accessible therapeutic and preventive agents to infections and inflammation.” Afterwards, she hopes to complete a Ph.D. in immunology, with a focus on infectious diseases.

Annie Hohlt ‘12 graduated from Rhodes with degrees in music and psychology. She is working on her master’s in music, with a concentration in wind conducting, at the University of Memphis. Katie Holtman ’12 graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in public health science, with a minor in Spanish language. Alyson Hudec ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas. Alyson plans to pursue occupational therapy. Katelan Janik ’12 graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, with a minor in social work. Katelan attends The University of Houston, working on her master’s degree in social work. Brittney Jimenez ’12 graduated from University of Houston with a degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry. Brittney was one of 16 students accepted into a summer program at the University of Houston College of Optometry— an intensive course on what first-year optometry students experience. Caroline Johnson ’12 graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on marketing, visual communications, and advertising, with a minor in psychology. Nicole Jones ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in public relations, with a minor in international marketing. She lives in New York and is a digital strategist working for OMD, an advertising agency specializing in media planning. Taryn Kurtanich ’12 graduated magna cum laude from University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science in global health. Lesley Le ’12 graduated from Houston Baptist University and Rice University with degrees in biology and international business. Lesley attends medical school at The University of California San Francisco.

Michelle Lee ’12 graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and cell biology, with a business minor. Michelle attends medical school at Baylor College of Medicine. Sylvia Liaw ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in business honors and finance. Sylvia works at Evercore as a first-year analyst on their Houston Energy team. Madeline Magee ’12 graduated from University of Missouri’s Sinclair School of Nursing with a degree in nursing. Madeline works as a labor and delivery nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital. Grace Mahood ’12 graduated from Rhodes College with a degree in economics and commerce/business. She works for JP Morgan in Dallas. Hannah McAughan ’12 graduated from Purdue University with a degree in environmental and ecological engineering. Hannah was a Senator representing the College of Engineering for Purdue Student Government. She conducted, with a team, a research project which received a $10,000 grant, served as a teacher’s assistant, and taught an engineering class, for two semesters. She also mentors young women interested in engineering. Chelsea Mendonca ’12 graduated from University of St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. Chelsea attends medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. MacKenzie Mercurio ’12 graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography. Veronica Molina ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in international relations, with minors in European studies and Spanish. Veronica interned this summer in Washington, D.C. with s strategic communications firm, Burson-Marsteller, doing public affairs and worldwide communications.

Erica Moriarty ’12 graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Arts in documentary studies and production, with a minor in anthropology. Diana Nadira ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in advertising, with a business foundations certificate. Diana is currently at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in San Antonio, working on her associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts. My Nguyen ’12 graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in fashion design, with a minor in entrepreneurship. Nora Oaks ’12 graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. Nora held an internship with local public works agency EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) in Eugene, Oregon. She and her fiancé plan on joining the Peace Corps in January. Rio O’Neill ’12 graduated from Texas A&M University and now attends the University of Houston, working on a master’s degree in counseling. Margaret Overbeck ’12 graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a Bachelor of Arts in theology and catechetics, with a concentration in youth ministry. Margaret recently accepted a position as the Assistant Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary Catholic Church in Huntley, Illinois.

Austin musicians and bands, and On Vinyl Music (atxonrecord.com). Nathalie recently won the Austin area Global Student Entrepreneur Award, where she competed against fellow alumna Regina Vatterott ’12 of EllieGrid (elliegrid.com), and represented Austin’s Entrepreneurs’ Organization chapter in the national finals in Miami. (1) Ivonne Perez ’12 graduated from The C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Business Administration in management, with a concentration in human resources. She works at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and is participating in an HR rotational program at the Houston office. Gabby Phi ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, with a minor in chemistry, and a business foundations certificate. Gabby is a marketing and PR assistant at ELM Restaurant Group. Robin Preslar ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a degree in management, with an international business concentration. Sarah Rohrman ’12 graduated cum laude from University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Science in biology, with a minor in anthropology. Sarah attends medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Claire Panebianco ’12 graduated from Purdue University with a degree in elementary education. Claire attends Purdue, working on her Master of Education in curriculum and supervision. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Nathalie Phan ’12 founded, On Vinyl Media in Austin, a business which is developing a web app that allows local businesses to play licensed local music in their retail spaces, and is the parent company of her other endeavors: ATX On Record, an online magazine that features exclusively local

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Leila Ruiz ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in economics and Middle Eastern languages and cultures. Leila is currently part of the Presidential Internship Program at the American University in Cairo, working in the Office of the Vice President of Administration and Finance. Kimberley Schouest ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in marketing. Kimberley works for the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Caroline Seger ’12 graduated from Schreiner University with a degree in child and family studies. Ashlyn Simon ’12 graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in public relations.

2 Sarah Steffes ’16 is currently in Mays Business school at Texas A&M. One of her programs in her business class was to attend an etiquette dinner, hosted by Camden. One of the Camden representatives was SAA alumna, Mitra O’Connell ’07. They were at the same table and were able to connect about St. Agnes. (2) Anna Stuchly ’12 graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. Rachel Sugrue ’12 graduated from University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration and management, with pre-nursing and painting concentrations. Rachel spent the summer traveling around Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia, Thailand, and 30 | ALUMNAE UPDATES

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Singapore. She is currently a labeling specialist at Alcon Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company in Fort Worth.

logistics, materials, and supply chain management. Melissa recently completed a summer internship at Lockheed Martin.

Annie Tolliver ’12 graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting. Annie attends Baylor University and is working on her master’s degree in taxation. ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT: Regina Vatterott ’12 was featured in the St. Edwards University magazine as “a woman to watch” for her work with the startup she co-founded, EllieGrid. EllieGrid is a smart pill container that notifies users when it is time to take their medication. It takes seconds to organize—no matter how many medications are being used. The product was inspired by her business partner’s grandfather, who had stopped taking his medication because it took him so long to organize his pills. Regina and her team were finalists in the CVS Retail and Health Innovation Challenge at Wake Forest University, and they won first place at the IBM Cultivate Health Hackathon in Austin. In January, they were announced as finalists at the IOT/M2M Innovation World Cup in Barcelona. In May, EllieGrid was the inaugural first place winner of @PitchAKid and featured in an NPR article. In September, EllieGrid won $35,000 in Takeda Pharmaceutical Company’s Innovation in Depression Care Challenge, at Health 2.0, in Silicon Valley. Regina graduated in May from St. Edwards University with a degree in business entrepreneurship and is currently a member of the SAYPO board. elliegrid.com (3) Sophie Vennix ’12 graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in design, with a minor in humancomputer interaction. Sophie works at Microsoft as a User Experience Designer for Microsoft Office. Diana Walsh ’12 graduated from Loyola University New Orleans, and Belmont University, with a Bachelor of Science in music industry studies. Melissa Wright ’12 graduated from Auburn University with a degree in

3 Save the Date NOVEMBER 17, 2016 SAYPO Enrichment Event SAYPOelaineturner.eventbrite.com

JANUARY 4, 2017: Class of 2016 Yearbook Signing Social JANUARY 25, 2017 Bi-Annual Class Agent Dinner MARCH 3, 2017: Spring Musical Pre-ception APRIL 4, 2017: Alumnae Networking Happy Hour FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2017: Fannin Street Luncheon

SINCERE SYMPATHY IS EXTENDED TO THE LOVED ONES OF: Mary Ann DeLisle Abell ’48 Pauline Arguello; grandmother of Katherine Wiatrek ’13 and mother of Yvette Arguello Wiatrek ’80 Garnett Aydam; husband of Muriel Simoneaux Aydam ’47 (dec.) and grandfather of Kelsey

Margaret Harrington Eikenberg; step-mother of Liz Eikenberg ’71 (dec.), sister of Helen Harrington Eikenberg ’39 (dec.) and Anna Harrington McAuliffe ’32 (dec.) Victor Elias; husband of Sara Brandino Elias ’99 and son-in-law of Rosalie Montalbano Brandino ’64

Gray ‘10

Tony Estill; father of Yvonne Estill Gooldy ’68

Malcolm Baker; husband of Vickie McLain Baker ’67 (dec.)

Renetta Etter; grandmother of Marissa Elena Etter ’13

David Barra; father of Amy Barra Johnson ’89,

Peggy Ellis Everts ’40

Emily Barra Leffler ’94 and Susan Barra Lemmon ‘98

Ramsey Farley; father of Kendall Farley ’89 and Kris Farley Linzza ’87

Mary Bartniski; Grandmother of Charly Bartniski Nyhart ’96

Anne Favo; grandmother of Anna McGrath ‘18

Emil Bednar; Father of Bridget Bednar Kelley ‘79

Don Glaeser; father of Patricia Glaeser Butler ’84 and Diana Glaeser ’76 (dec.), grandfather of Peyton Butler ‘20

Lucille Biondolillo Bonno ’60 Gloria Grunwald Boyle ’50; mother of Nancy Boyle Carley ’76, sister of Carole Grunwald Hoffpauir ‘55, sister-in-law of Star Boyle O’Conner ’56 and Alice Boyle Shepard ’54 (dec.) and great aunt of Maddie Cramer ’16 Charles Burton; father of Mary Theresa Burton ’81, Rosemary Burton ’79 and Laurie Burton Farris ‘74 Margaret Burkart Carter ’44; mother of Carol Carter ‘78 Eileen Chipperfield; mother of Susan Chipperfield Giddens ‘90 Susan Trefny Clark ’75; sister of Kristy Trefny Beins ’83 and Kerry Trefny Drabek ‘78 Mary Vossler Cooksey ‘39 Patricia Cramer; grandmother of Maddie Cramer ‘16, aunt of Nancy Boyle Carley ’76, sister of Star Boyle O’Connor ’56 and Alice Boyle Shepard ’50 (dec.) and sister-in-law of Gloria Grunwald Boyle ‘50 Martha Crank; Mother of SAA Faculty Members Debbie Crank and Lisa Crank James Davenport; father of Claire Davenport Dimon ‘09 Elene Davis; grandmother of Allie Davis ’10 Annette DelBeccaro; grandmother of Katherine Brody ’07 and Jill Brody Fredericks ‘05 F. LeRoy Delmore; father of Mary Delmore Balagia ’71, Martha Delmore Durio ’74 and Ann Delmore St. Germain ’73

Joyce Goldberg; grandmother of Abbie Goldberg ’08 and Molly Goldberg ‘10 Dean Hemphill; father of Deanna Hemphill ’70, Carol Hemphill Burke ’73, Cathy Hemphill Strohbehn ’75, and Dana Hemphill Le Master ‘80 Ofelia Herrera; mother of Ofelia Herrera Vajasinovic ’96 and Sofia Herrera Massey ‘01 Noelie Romero Holtz ’26; sister of Mercedes Romero Duggan ‘21

Emil Mateker; father of Anne Mateker Miller ’76 and father in law of Deborah Wall Mateker ’75 (dec.), Joan Hamlin Mateker ’73 Olivia Mejias; grandmother of Jennifer Mejias ’06 and Megan Mejias ‘10 Rev. Kenneth Mikulik; uncle of Kati Fleming ’03 Patty Montonchaikul; Past SAA staff member, mother of Rose Montonchaikul ’13 and Sarah Montonchaikul ‘10 Mary Anne Nolen ’42; sister-in-law of Chickie Elliot Nolen ’36 and daughter of Ida Belle Monaghan Nolen ’14 (dec.) Ruth Quaintance; grandmother of Kelli Quaintance Watson ‘89 Lillie Pontello; stepmother of Barbara Pontello Conaway ‘67 and Susan Pontello Bowman ‘74 Victor Pursch; father of Judy Pursch Burgess ‘64 and Jan Pursch Collins ‘67 Rose Kegg Reilly ’42; mother of Virginia Reilly Leeland ’68, aunt of Terry Kegg White ’79 and Patty Kegg Saragusa ’77 Laron Robinson; father of Lauren E. Robinson ‘00 Rosalie Hogue Rush ’39; aunt of Jeanne Wey ’62 and Nancy Wey Whitty (dec.) ’64; sister of Dorothy Hogue Way ’37 Kathleen Merz Rutter ’46

Esther Caramanian Hopkins ‘56

Walbur Salcedo; father of Natalie Salcedo Gray ’91

James Jongebloed; husband of Renee Broussard Jongebloed ’61 and uncle of Debbie Christ Broussard ‘75

Charlotte Schneider; mother of SAA faculty member Cindy Lusby

Sandra Knack; grandmother of Alexis Fitzgerald ‘20 Wayne LaFitte; husband of Necline McGee LaFitte ‘53 Andrew J. Layden, Sr.; grandfather of Paige A. Layden ‘05 Erika Blattel Leal ‘56 Reyes O. Licea; father of Norma Licea Cole ’60, Dolores Licea Cervantes ’61, Lydia Licea Nugent ’62 and grandfather of Karen Nugent Newsom ‘85 Janet Caliva Lodge ’71; aunt of Rosanette Caliva Bosco ’79, sister-in-law of Frances Russo Caliva ’58, cousin of Jo Ann Camarda Hanson ’52, and cousin of Vera Camarda Robinson ‘48 Orline Dunn Maer ’33

Sandy Keefe Schwarzbach ‘51 Ingeborg Skene; grandmother of Elizabeth Aigner ’11 William Stender; father of Carly Stender ’13 and Hannah Stender ‘10 Larry Stroman; grandfather of Rachel Stroman ’06 and Sarah Stroman Estrada ’08 Phyllis Marble Thomas ’34; grandmother of Stephanie Schlimper Loveless’ 86 Paul Weathers; husband of Terry Tschumy Weathers ’56 Dorothy Hogue Way ’37; mother of Jeanne Wey ’62 and Nancy Wey Whitty (dec.) ’64; sister of Rosalie Hogue Rush ’39 (dec.) Robert Wey; husband of Judy Dodge Wey ’60, brother-in-law to Phyllis Dodge Howell ‘61and Sandra Dodge Smock ’56

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Stay Connected As a St. Agnes Academy graduate, you’re an important part of the Alumnae Association, a network of over 8,500 alumnae. Below are some of the ways you can connect with the alumnae community. JOIN US FOR EVENTS Visit www.st-agnes.org/Alumnae and see our EVENTS & REUNIONS page. Plan to reconnect with alumnae at activities in Houston and other areas. PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING Join our group on LinkedIn: St. Agnes Academy Alumnae - Houston, TX and network with fellow alumnae, view job postings, and connect professionally. LOG IN TO ACADEMY CONNECTION, our online alumnae community, to view our searchable alumnae directory, update your contact information, see who represents you on our alumnae and SAYPO boards, and sign-up for our alumnae eNewsletter. SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND LIFE UPDATES Our alumnae director, Lori Sebastian Pinter ‘88, is here for you! Let us know what is going on in your life; job promotions, volunteerism, marriages, and births. Get in touch with her at lori.pinter@st-agnes.org or 713.219.5493. SUPPORT ST. AGNES The Alumnae Association encourages all graduates to support the mission of Dominican education at St. Agnes through the Academy Fund. Helping us advance our mission is the most meaningful way alumnae can continue to give back to the Academy. 32 | STAY CONNECTED

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12 Day Holy Land & Jordan Pilgrimage with Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. Join Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. on a life-changing pilgrimage to the Holy Land! Walking where Christ was born, ministered, performed miracles, died, and was resurrected is a profound experience. Many of us wonder what it felt like when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, preached on the shores of Galilee, or gave us the Beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount. What must his solitary vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane have been like? Pray, celebrate Mass, and connect to experiences like these together.

June 4 -15, 2017

above, Holy Sepulchre

Tour Price: $4,890 per person Included in the price: • Round Trip Air Transportation from Houston on Lufthansa German Airlines • 5 Star Deluxe Hotels • Three meals a day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner • Daily Sightseeing as per Itenerary with an English Speaking Guide • Daily Mass- High Mass at the Tomb of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre • Special Meeting with His Beatitude the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem • Airport Taxes, Fuel Surcharges, and Tips to guides and drivers • Porterage of one piece of Luggage per Person at Hotels • $1,000 donation to St. Agnes Academy For further information, contact Inspirational Tours at 713.961.2785.

Veritas

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9 0 0 0 B ELL A I R E B LV D, H O US TO N , T X 7 7036 PH O N E: 713. 219. 5 4 0 0 W W W. S T- AG N E S.O R G

Alumnae parents: If you are still receiving your daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Veritas although she no longer lives with you, let us know so we can update our records and send it directly to her. Contact the Office of Alumnae Relations at 713.219.5493 or alumnae@st-agnes.org.

What is your Legacy?

Learn more about the 1906 Society on page 47

St. Agnes Academy established the 1906 Society to recognize those who have included the Academy in their estate plans. Through these gifts, alumnae, parents, grandparents and friends ensure the future of the school and help continue the legacy of excellence through a Dominican, Catholic education. For more information, contact Lisa M. Chmiola, CFRE, Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at 713.219.5466 or lisa.chmiola@st-agnes.org.