Summer 2021
Review The
Highlights, Special Events and More!
Class of 2021 Graduation Our newest alumnae begin their next steps
Saturday, May 22 marked the 146th Commencement of St. Mary’s Academy. The Class of 2021 was accepted to 133 different colleges and universities and will be attending 41 of them in 20 different states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Australia. In addition, 88% of the members of the class received at least one merit scholarship offer, with total awards of $12,111,000. Class of 2021 highlights include: • Tawnee Garcia, Andrea Lopez and Yelena Montesinos have all been named 2021 Daniels Scholars. The Daniels Scholarship provides a full tuition to any four year accredited college or university in the United States as chosen by the scholar. Students are selected based on their embodiment of the criteria as defined by Bill Daniels which includes: strength of character, leadership, commitment to serving their communities, academic performance and their well-rounded and mature nature. • Four 2021 graduates have been recognized as Commended Students through the National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes outstanding academic performance. Congratulations to Elizabeth Cave, Tess Hayden, Charlotte Swenson and Lillian Swenson! • One student from the Class of 2021 will be continuing her athletic career in college. Alexandra May will be playing field hockey at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. • The Class of 2021 completed 8,000 hours of service learning over their four years in the SMA high school, which is 1,600 more hours than required, and 37 out of the 64 students in the Class of 2021 graduated with Service Honors! Specifically, during the 2020-2021 school year, these seniors completed 2,568 hours with 33 different organizations.
SMA Awards of Distinction Shepherdess Award
Emily Monzon
Given to the students who have had the longest, continuous tenure at SMA.
Sanders Citation
Mariangela Acosta and Saera Chung
Given to the seniors who best exemplifies the spirit and commitment of Sister Helen Sanders ’25. Sister Helen was a visionary within the Loretto Community, and her generosity and dedication serve as an example to all of us.
Jessie Forshee Award
Jessica Garofalo and Yelena Montesinos
Presented to the seniors who have been outstanding in academic achievement. These students must have a 3.8 GPA or above and have shown a general interest in all school activities.
Marian Award
Tess Hayden and Grace Murphy
Awarded by the faculty to the senior most outstanding in leadership, loyalty and academic achievement. This is the most prestigious award given to a graduating senior.
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Reunion Weekend 2020 Virtual Reunion Weekend Thank you to everyone who attended our Virtual Reunion events and to all of our amazing speakers! The weekend was a great success with events enjoyed by a wide range of class years and many great questions from them for our speakers. The Reunion Weekend events included: • Alumnae Town Hall with Academy President, Bill Barrett and High School Principal, Iswari Natarajan • A History of SMA with Regina Drey, SL • A presentation on the Colorado Women’s Suffrage Movement with Erika Warzel, owner of Clerestory Preservation, and the Colorado Historical Foundation • Reunion Weekend Mass with Father Marty and Alumnae Board Members
Bill Barrett
Iswari Natarajan
Regina Drey, SL
Save the Date | Reunion Weekend 2021 | October 1-3, 2021 Golden Graduates Luncheon
Mass, Reception, and Fall Festival
Friday, October 1 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m., Mass in the High School Forum
Celebrating the classes of 19371971 and welcoming the classes of 1970 and 1971 into the Golden Graduates circle. Invitations will be mailed in August.
Sunday, October 3 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Reception and High School tours following Mass (alumnae-only event). 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Fall Festival. This is an SMA community event where alumnae and their families are welcome and encouraged to attend. Milestone classes include 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011.
For more information, please visit the SMA website at stmarys.academy and click on the “Alumnae” tab at the top of the home page.
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2020-2021 Alumnae Events
Alumnae events take place throughout the year. For more information, please visit SMA’s website at stmarys.academy and click on the “Alumnae” tab.
Senior Seminar
Claudine Cheever ‘84
Mariah Horvath ‘18
Raegan Rychecky ‘18
Annie Tobler ‘17
On March 3, the 2021 senior class was treated to a morning of virtual presentations by SMA alumnae during our annual Senior Seminar. The Young Alumnae Panel, to whom our seniors can ask questions, included Mariah Horvath ‘18, a neuroscience and behavior major at Notre Dame University, Raegan Rychecky ‘18, a computer science major at the University of Colorado, and Annie Tobler ‘17, a recent graduate of Xavier University with a degree in social work. They each shared their own experiences around the transition from high school to college and had such honest and helpful advice about navigating higher education. The girls then enjoyed a presentation by our keynote speaker, Claudine (Murphy) Cheever ‘84, Vice President Global Brand and Fixed Marketing at Amazon. She spoke about her successes as a global marketing executive, balancing work and family life, how she’s evolved in her career and as a person, and the lessons from SMA that guided her way. “My high school education was such an imprint on being able to achieve,” said Cheever, who remembers St. Mary’s Academy as a “warm and comfortable place where it was a positive thing to do well academically and where relationships were about supporting each other.”
Alumnae Community Service To help the SMA community, many Alumnae Board members donated gift cards to help families in need purchase food and gifts during the holiday season. They did so in conjunction with the SMA Giving Tree, which distributes gift cards to families in our community who can use extra help during the holiday season. The Alumnae Board looks forward to hosting community service opportunities during the upcoming school year with SMA’s sister school, Escuela de Guadalupe, and a local non-profit organization called Period Kits, which provides “kits’’ of period supplies to those experiencing homelessness, unstable housing, and extreme poverty. Keep an eye out for opportunities in our alumnae emails this upcoming fall!
We look forward to seeing you in the 2021-2022 school year! Planned events include: • • • •
Alumnae Volleyball Reunion, August 5, 2021 Hopper Family Wildcat Classic Golf Tournament, September 20, 2021 Reunion Weekend, October 1-3, 2021 Alumnae Basketball Reunion, December, 2021
• SMA Gala, April 29, 2022 • Alumnae Seniors Luncheon, May 18, 2022 • Class of 2022 Graduation, May 21, 2022
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Hopper Family Wildcat Classic
On September 28, 2020, the SMA Community joined together at Valley Country Club for SMA’s 17th Annual Golf Tournament. The event raised more than $75,000 to benefit technology and athletics at SMA. Thank you to Nina Ehrlich McCaskill ‘02 and Lara Mintz ‘02 for spending their day out on the course as volunteers and thank you to our gracious hosts, the Hopper family! Interested in playing in this year’s tournament? Contact Lea Frank at lfrank@smanet.org.
Save the Date
Hopper Family Wildcat Classic | Monday, September 20, 2021 | Valley Country Club
2021 Gala
The 2021 “Carnival of Venice” Gala was held virtually this year, with more than 200 viewers tuning in, including SMA families, alumnae, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends of SMA. The Gala raised over $350,000 for the SMA Tuition Assistance Fund and this year’s paddle raiser, “Beyond the Classroom.” A huge thank you to all alumnae who tuned in and supported the event, as well as to Darian Smith ‘20, who gave a heartfelt speech about the impact of tuition assistance and her St. Mary’s Academy education on her life and her future: “Nothing will compare to what I gained at St. Mary’s Academy and how they set me up for the future... I thank you for making me believe in not only myself but how I will be able to live every day as an empowered woman who is ready for the world.” ~ Darian Smith ‘20
Carnival of Venice 2021 St. Mary’s Academy Virtual Gala
Save the Date
2022 Gala | Friday, April 29, 2022 | Hilton Inverness Hotel
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Connect with fellow alumnae today The SMA Alumnae Connection is a new networking platform exclusively for SMA alumnae.
4Search for your fellow graduates by location, graduation year, careers, and more. 4Create interest groups and post discussions. 4Utilize the job board for hiring at your company or for your own job search. 4Stay updated with St. Mary’s Academy. Visit alumnaeconnection.stmarys.academy to get started. Reach out to advance@smanet.org with questions.
Do you have a next gen Wildcat?
“
After deciding to move home to Denver, there was no question that I wanted my kids to apply to SMA for school. I love being back on campus every day and getting to show my kids Mommy’s lacrosse field and volleyball gym and point out where so many fun memories took place. The SMA community is still as warm and welcoming as I remembered it being when I was a student.” ~ Lara Kubicek Mintz ‘02, alumna & current Lower School parent
The admissions process will soon be underway for 2022-2023 academic year enrollment. We invite you to consider learning more about St. Mary’s Academy as a prospective parent or grandparent in the coming months:
Lower School
Middle School
High School
Co-Ed Pre-K through 5th Grade
Co-Ed 6th through 8th Grade
All-girl 9th through 12th Grade
Previews: October 5 & December 9, 9 a.m.
Info Nights: September 21 & November 11, 6 p.m.
Info Night: November 9, 6 p.m.
Open House: October 23, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Previews: October 14 & December 7, 9 a.m.
Please contact admissions@smanet.org to learn more about the admissions process, including the possibility of enrollment in select grades for the 2021-2022 academic year! 5
St. Mary’s Academy Annual Fund: The St. Mary’s Academy Annual Fund supports programs that allow our students to explore their curiosities, creativity and passions to build a brighter future. While tuition covers a large portion of our budget, the Annual Fund is essential to providing enriching academic, creative, social, and athletic experiences for our students. We depend on the generosity of our parents, grandparents, friends, alumnae and staff to support our school. We strive for 100% participation from our faculty, staff, Board of Trustees, Alumnae Board and parents, and at least 10% from alumnae and grandparents. Alumnae participation in the Annual Fund is a demonstration of our alumnae’s love for their alma mater and how St. Mary’s Academy impacted their lives. On Colorado Gives Day alone, SMA raised a total of $196,133 for the Annual Fund, including $14,770 from alumnae. Every gift, no matter the size, is appreciated. In the 2020-2021 school year, 6.3% of alumnae contributed a total of $81,598, a 28% increase from last school year. Thank you for your generosity!
Annual Fund Allocation 2020-2021 $25,000 each to Lower, Middle and High Schools for vital resources $40,000 Athletics, Visual Arts and and Arts $50,000 Campus Improvements and Landscaping $16,000 Robotics across all divisions $20,000 Student One-to-One Device Program $10,000 Technology Improvements $50,000 Teacher Appreciation $40,000 Faculty and Staff Professional Development $15,000 World Leadership School Partnership $35,000 Academy Parents and Special Events to continue our Loretto School Value of community
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$20,000 $10,000 $19,000
Bus maintenance and field trips
$400,000
Total Budget
9th Grade Spirit Packs for each incoming High School student President’s Discretion
Th
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The Cornerstone of SMA’s Annual Fundraising Efforts Alumnae Stories: Why I Give Back “High School! Saint Mary’s Academy! Foundations! Always busy! With small and rigorous classes, a small school, open religious and academic discussions, caring and capable faculty, supportive and true friends, I am filled with fondness and joy. I donate to acknowledge my blessings, to say thank you, and to contribute to the foundation of teen girls.” ~ Linda Waldeck Parker ‘62
Alumnae Stories: Why I Give Back “My academic and extra-curricular experiences at St. Mary’s Academy gave me the confidence and tools to become the woman I am today. I was challenged to push limits and explore opportunities knowing I had the support of my teachers and the SMA community behind me. It is the perfect foundation for success. I give because I want our future female leaders to have these same opportunities.” ~ Laura Grisenti Deluna ‘89
Make a gift today, pay it forward and be a part of the SMA legacy!
Make a Gift Online
Make a Gift by Mail
Make a Gift by Phone
Visit our secure website at stmarys.academy/donate
Send a check, payable to: St. Mary’s Academy Attn: Advancement Office 4545 South University Blvd. Englewood, CO 80113
Call the SMA Advancement Office at (303) 762-8300.
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Thank You Alumnae! 2020-2021 Annual F The following alumane have donated to the Annual Fund as of June 30, 2021. Class of 1949 Annabelle Monaghan Deline Class of 1951 Jane Coupe McNamara Class of 1952 Patricia Wyers Gammon Barbara Meine McCarthy Clé Symons Class of 1954 Margaret Collins Shields Class of 1955 Anonymous (1) Class of 1956 Bunny Dines Mary Sue Hackett Terry Lowery Class of 1957 Judith Dillon Baenen Mary Kay Carlson Adele Locke Sarah Barry Przekwas Class of 1958 Sue Dunn Boucher Barbara Kendall Jeanne and John Potarf Class of 1959 Sheila Sullivan Bisenius Barbara Ann Cummings Virginia Kittleson Floyd Class of 1960 Marilyn Marranzino Foster Rita Scherer Maher Nancy Cella Sunkel Carol Grant Thomas Dianne Tramutola-Lawson Class of 1961 Norma Lammers Catherine McMahon Class of 1962 Mary Arvidson Judith Carlson Linda Waldeck Parker Mariana Phipps Nancy Hogue Wilke
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Class of 1963 Dr. Frances Candlin Cynthia Gardell Drew Patricia Brown Grace Class of 1964 Dora Cash Nancy Carr Coakley Frances Fryberger Nancy Landauer Patricia DeVore MacMillan Patty Michalek Terry Miller Class of 1965 Kathleen Fretheim Kathleen McMahan Class of 1967 Kathleen McCauley Blattner Catherine Darnell Jessica Karet Jane Wagner Nolan Class of 1970 Kathryn Blind Miller Laurie Mohrman Class of 1971 Marianne White Marvez Mary Ann McGovern Cheryl Donnelly Montanio Dr. Condoleezza Rice Patricia Hazlitt Steiner Class of 1972 Debra McCallin Mary Pat Orr Scott Jane and Jon Votel Mary Yelenick Class of 1973 Teresa Curlander Sarah Goodlette Gibson Carolyn Rink Janet White Maureen Witt Class of 1974 Jo Ann Beine Betsy Byrne Maureen Hencmann Kitty Monaghan
Class of 1975 Nancy Bell Dalton Jane Grogan Class of 1976 Brownie Kay Peterson Flesche Mary Carolyn Gamache Carol Mansfield Schlessman Class of 1977 Lucy Diss Ewing Niki Frangos Tuttle Class of 1978 Aimee De Line Alley Barbara Biddle Galoob Class of 1979 Meg Hencmann Deline Lynn Millar Lovato Carole Eckrich O’Hagan Dena Johnson Pinsker Anonymous (1) Class of 1980 M. Nicolette Russell Class of 1981 Carol Andrew Lisa Donahue Goodwin Stephanie Landin Class of 1982 Julie McKenna Valine Bernhart Perll Cindy Phillips Kathleen Traylor Donna Treu Class of 1983 Michelle Rodriguez Crippin Catherine Gordon Theresa Murray Lane Susan Lintonsmith Kim Brown Marsh Bonnie Maguire Sutherland Class of 1984 Claudine Murphy Cheever Catherine Hupp Julie May
Class of 1985 Mary Berger Dilenschneider Andrea Witkin Tenenbaum Sarah Diss Warren Anonymous (1) Class of 1986 Catherine Horle Class of 1987 Stephanie Goodrich Jennifer Hallam Monique King Miller Anonymous (1) Class of 1988 Molly Dieveney Baker Theresa Lorenzo Vanessa Freudenstein McCormick Class of 1989 Andrea Carey Laura Grisenti de Luna Kelly Michalek Osborn Celia Collins Zaharas Class of 1990 Michelle Irwin Peggy Coughlin Walling Class of 1991 Byinna Warfield Crowder Andrea Michels Class of 1992 Mandi Buche Elizabeth Dieveney Class of 1994 Melanie Thielen Ulle Class of 1995 Adora Curry Class of 1998 Rebecca Carr Davis Megan Felsburg Doud Leah Mencin Garbe Class of 2000 Abby Marie Rohr
We apologize if there are any omissions, misspellings or errors. If so, please inform the Advancement Office at (303) 762-8300.
al Fund Honor Roll of Givers Class of 2001 Amy Isaacson Zoe Sylvester Anna Lydon Truman Class of 2002 Brianne Ehrlich Clanton Samantha Galvan Brittany Long Nina Ehrlich McCaskill Lara and Clifford Mintz Brighid Walsh Turek Class of 2003 Alex Norris Dietel Margaret Emmerich Class of 2004 Catriona Jones Molly Costigan Telford Class of 2006 Casey Harnar Amber McGown Sarah Mellick Riley Stouffer Elizabeth VanCamp Class of 2007 LaDan Assayesh Briana Wallace Keyes Kelsey Traynor Jung Anonymous (1) Class of 2008 Blair Anne Hensen Class of 2009 Jennifer Maraia Annie Scott Elizabeth Williams Class of 2010 Katherine Horvath Cecilia Lorenz Callie Wallace Class of 2011 Megan Cronin Rebecca Saunders Class of 2012 Ellen Hoogerwerf Andrea Lorenz Cassie Prouty
Class of 2013 Katherine Armstrong Blair Batky Ashleigh Freudenstein Taylor Naiman Class of 2014 Erin Flynn Rachel Leo Daniela Lorenz Sarah Melberg Emily Tobler Anonymous (1)
(Gift of $300+) Annabelle Monaghan Deline ‘49
Meg Hencmann Deline ‘79
Barbara Meine McCarthy ‘52
Dena Johnson Pinsker ‘79
Margaret Collins Shields ‘54
Lisa Donahue Goodwin ‘81
Judith Dillon Baenen ‘57
Catherine Horle ‘86
Class of 2015 Hannah Forward Morgan Wagner
Barbara Bazata Kendall ‘58
Stephanie Goodrich ‘87
Nancy Cella Sunkel ‘60 Dianne Tramutola-Lawson ‘60
Vanessa Freudenstein McCormick ‘88
Class of 2016 Isabel Forward Sarah Hoogerwerf Siena Schroeder
Norma Phillips Lammers ‘61
Andrea Carey ‘89
Judith Carlson ‘62
Laura Grisenti de Luna ‘89
Dr. Frances Candlin ‘63
Celia Collins Zaharas ‘89
Patricia Brown Grace ‘63
Peggy Coughlin Walling ‘90
Class of 2017 Annie Tobler
Jessica Varacalle Karet ‘67
Mandi Benavidez Buche ‘92
Nina Hanson Sisk ‘70
Rebecca Carr Davis ‘98
Marianne White Marvez ‘71
Amy Isaacson ‘01
Mary Ann McGovern ‘71
Nina Ehrlich McCaskill ‘02
Dr. Condoleezza Rice ‘71
Lara Kubicek Mintz ‘02
Debra Due McCallin ‘72
Margaret Emmerich ‘03
Class of 2019 Annie Hoogerwerf
Mary Pat Orr Scott ‘72
Catriona Jones ‘04
Mary Yelenick ‘72
Molly Costigan Telford ‘04
Class of 2020 Jenna Ceraso
Maureen Reidy Witt ‘73
Itsy Jones VanCamp ‘06
Jo Ann Beine ‘74
Briana Wallace Keyes ‘07
Betsy Byrne ‘74
Elizabeth Deline Williams ‘09
Jane Grogan ‘75
Callie Wallace ‘10
Mary Carolyn Gamache ‘76
Ashleigh Freudenstein ‘13
Carol Mansfield Schlessman ‘76
Rachel Leo ‘14
Lucy Diss Ewing ‘77
Sara Binder ‘15
Aimee De Line Alley ‘78
Annie Tobler ‘17
Class of 2018 Frances Forward Raegan Rychecky
Class of 2021 Maya Cederlund Saera Chung Lola Faix Jessica Garofalo Tess Hayden Samantha Hicks Bree Horn Lillian Humber Lillian Lichtenberger Alexandra May Parke Mills Grace Murphy Maya Stehno Lillian Swenson Anna Vu Kyriake Zaharas Anonymous (3)
Barbara Biddle Galoob ‘78
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Consecutive Annual Fund Giving 5+ Years
10+ Years
Sheila Sullivan Bisenius ‘59 Megan Cronin ‘11 Cecilia Lorenz ‘10 Terry O’Dea Lowery ‘56 Patty Cella Michalek ‘64 Terry Miller ‘64 Callie Wallace ‘10 Elizabeth Deline Williams ‘09 Cynthia Gardell Drew ‘63 Barbara Biddle Galoob ‘78 Patricia Brown Grace ‘63 Casey Zoellner Harnar ‘06 Michelle Bruce Irwin ‘90 Mary Carr Arvidson ‘62 Teresa Curlander ‘73 Norma Phillips Lammers ‘61 Nancy Fennell Landauer ‘64 Marianne White Marvez ‘71 Julie Cella McKenna ‘82 Dianne Tramutola-Lawson ‘60 Kelsey Traynor Jung ‘07 Niki Frangos Tuttle ‘77 Lisa Donahue Goodwin ‘81 Patricia Hazlitt Steiner ‘71 Itsy Jones VanCamp ‘06 Judith Dillon Baenen ‘57 Megan Felsburg Doud ‘98 Jane Wagner Nolan ‘67 Abby Marie J. Rohr ‘00 Celia Collins Zaharas ‘89
Jo Ann Beine ‘74 Andrea Lorenz ‘12 Amber Grisley McGown ‘06 Janet White ‘73 Laura Grisenti de Luna ‘89 Frances Lennartz Fryberger ‘64 Barbara Bazata Kendall ‘58 Nina Ehrlich McCaskill ‘02 Dr. Condoleezza Rice ‘71 Virginia Kittleson Floyd ‘59 Mary Carolyn Gamache ‘76 Carole Eckrich O’Hagan ‘79 Carol Grant Thomas ‘60 Carolyn McCoy Rink ‘73 Nancy Cella Sunkel ‘60 Betsy Byrne ‘74 Mary Berger Dilenschneider ‘85 Kathleen Kelble Traylor ‘82
15+ Years
President’s Partnership (Gift of $1,200+) Pioneer Carol Mansfield Schlessman ‘76 Stephanie Goodrich ‘87
Achiever Dr. Condoleezza Rice ‘71
Founder Mandi Benavidez Buche ‘92 Mary Carolyn Gamache ‘76 Susan Odland Lintonsmith ‘83 Dena Johnson Pinsker ‘79
Partner Judith Carlson ‘62
Theresa Lorenzo ‘88 Meg Hencmann Deline ‘79 Lynn Millar Lovato ‘79 Julie May ‘84 Dena Johnson Pinsker ‘79
Laura Grisenti de Luna ‘89
20+ Years
Kelly Michalek Osborn ‘89
Jane Turner Votel ‘72
Margaret Emmerich ‘03 Barbara Biddle Galoob ‘78 Mary Ann McGovern ‘71 Julie Cella McKenna ‘82 Margaret Collins Shields ‘54 Peggy Coughlin Walling ‘90
Thank you, Charlie!
Charlie Arbogast, Director of Advancement, retired in July of 2020 after 23 years at St. Mary’s Academy. Beyond the money he raised and the events he orchestrated, Charlie’s true legacy is the positive impact he made on the SMA community. One of Charlie’s greatest joys at SMA was seeing its graduates return to SMA and share all the great things they are doing in the world. Thank you, Charlie, for giving your heart to SMA, going the extra mile to make people feel important, and bringing joy to all that you did for this community. “Charlie was larger than life, figuratively and literally! He could see many familiar faces over a large crowd and never hesitated to quickly greet each and every one. His unwavering ability to raise money and get volunteers was not just a job, his efforts came from the love he had for the SMA Community.” ~ Meg Hencmann Deline ‘79
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“Early or late, evenings or weekends, setting up or cleaning up, running errands or writing speeches, tending bar or meeting with donors – Charlie was always there. The epitome of a true leader, the face of St Mary’s Academy to many people, and always with a smile, a handshake or a hug—and a pocketful of SMA swag! That is Charlie Arbogast!” ~ Cathy Bell Darnell ‘67
We apologize if there are any omissions, misspellings or errors. If so, please inform the Advancement Office at (303) 762-8300.
St. Mary’s Academy Alumnae Board
The Alumnae Board is a group of dedicated graduates who meet throughout the year to discuss activities within the SMA Alumnae Community, to plan events and to assist in fundraising efforts involving alumnae. Board members serve as a liaison to the school and the Alumnae Community and act as ambassadors for St. Mary’s Academy. Interested in joining the Alumnae Board? Check out a meeting to see what it’s all about. Meetings are held approximately once per month on Tuesday evenings during the school year. Contact Katie Wheeler at kwheeler@smanet.org for more information.
20202021
SMA Alumnae Board
Sara Donahue Adair ‘03 LaDan Assayesh ‘07 Megan Cronin ‘11 Cathy Bell Darnell ‘67 Meg Hencmann Deline ‘79 Ashleigh Freudenstein ‘13 Laura Grisenti de Luna ‘89 Abby Marie Rohr ‘00 Briana Wallace Keyes ‘07 Stephanie Landin ‘81 Cecilia Lorenz ‘10 Nina Ehrlich McCaskill ‘02 Julie Cella McKenna ‘82 Raegan Rychecky ‘18 Annie Scott ‘09 Amber Smith ‘12 Kelsey Tranyor ‘07 Itsy Jones VanCamp ‘06 Liz Deline Williams ‘09
Loretto Legacy Society Thinking about the future? Join SMA’s Loretto Legacy Society! The society recognizes friends of SMA who have notified the school that they have made a provision for St. Mary’s Academy in their estate plans. Thank you to our current members. Charlie and Theresa Arbogast Judith Dillon Baenen ‘57 Pam Bent* Dusty and LaFawn Biddle Deirdre Cryor Timothy and Katherine Farrell Lauren Fisher Stephanie Goodrich ‘87 Jim and Darlene Graham Carol Haller Robert and Brenda Harrison Barbara Hennigar Norma Phillips Lammers ‘61
Mary Ann Brannan Lipton ‘46 Cristi Lippert Lundquist ‘77 Nina Ehrlich McCaskill ‘02 Kathryn McNamee Jay and Liz Mellick Alney Allbritten Norell ‘23 Claire O’Neal ‘75 Mary Sweeney Parlin ‘65 Dena Johnson Pinsker ‘79 Carol Mansfield Schlessman ‘76 Anita Figueras Stricoff ‘64 Mary Martha Diss Sundby ‘72 Mike and Meg Tobler *deceased
For more information, contact Natalie Mesko at nmesko@smanet.org or 303-762-8300 ext. 227.
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Remembering
Joy Gerity Class of 1958
Joy graduated from SMA in 1958 and returned as a High School English teacher, then a founding Middle School faculty member, and then the Middle School principal for many years. After that, Joy became curriculum director and Middle School/ Lower School counselor where her mantra of “what’s best for kids” grounded her individual and the administrative team decision-making. She led the work to get ACIS accreditation, wrote the report to secure SMA’s first Blue Ribbon School of Excellence designation, and happily took on any project. She was extremely proud to have been one of the two Loretto members among the founders of Escuela de Guadalupe School (Susan Swain SL being the other Loretto founder.). Joy left SMA in 2000 to begin a 19-year career on the Loretto Community administrative staff in addition to being a Loretto Co-member. She was known well among SMA staff as the person who organized and led the Teacher Immersion trips to the Loretto Motherhouse in Kentucky.
Ann Killian entered St. Mary’s Academy, then located at 14th & Pennsylvania, as a freshman in fall 1941. Ann loved her happy student days there. She formed a lifelong interest in current events, a passion she later ignited in many of her own SMA students. Mrs. Andrew taught history, American government, world geography, and sociology. She famously made Time Magazine required reading, determined to cultivate in her students a lasting zeal to be informed on the key issues of the day.
Remembering
Ann Killian Andrew Class of 1945
Mrs. Andrew also had a profound impact outside the classroom. She made time to talk with students one-on-one, focusing her kind attention on individual girls. She saw your potential. Her faith in you was persuasive, her enthusiasm contagious. One alumna lauded her as “the person who listened to me, the person who believed in me.” Over her three decades at St. Mary’s Academy, Ann encouraged thousands of young women to believe in themselves. Ann’s life story and a tribute wall on which to share a favorite memory may be found at horancares.com/obituary/Ann-Andrew.
Lucy was a much beloved actress, comedian and member of Denver’s Phamaly Theater Company where she appeared in 43 Phamaly productions. Lucy developed symptoms of Early Onset Parkinson’s at age 25 and became an advocate of research and awareness, along with showing us all that with grit and spirit, we can push through our circumstances to chase our dreams.
Remembering
Lucy Roucis Class of 1977
Lucy was dedicated to supporting St. Mary’s Academy throughout her lifetime, visiting with each graduating class as a speaker at SMA’s High School Senior Seminar for 20 years. Lucy shared her story, her wisdom, and much of her humor with each graduating class, inspiring more than 1,000 young women at SMA along with so many others through her advocacy and theater work. Visit arvadacenter.org to read an incredible tribute to Lucy’s life and legacy.
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In Memoriam and Class Notes I n M emoriam St. Mary’s Academy has lost the following members of our community: Yvonne Walker Milliken ‘41. June 1, 2020. Rita deBey ‘44. July 15, 2020. Survived by her sister, Ruth Ann Kennebeck Zook ‘49. Ann Killian Andrew ’45. July 23, 2020. SMA teacher from 1958 to 1988. Predeceased by her sisters, Mary Killian ’47 and Patricia Killian Smith ’57. Survived by her daughters, Annette Andrew Elges ’79 and Carol Andrew ’81. Julie Parry Wright ’45. May 24, 2020. Jean Shea Hebert ’49. October 25, 2020. Jackie Bolton Lampbert ’50. Barbara Dunn Light, CoL ’51. October 15, 2020. Predeceased by her sister, Mary Dunn Morrow ‘60. Patricia Killian Smith ’51. October 25, 2020. Predeceased by her sisters, Ann Killian Andrew ’45 and Mary Killian ’47. Survived by her nieces, Annette Andrew Elges ’79 and Carol Andrew ’81. Pauline Kuempel Evans ’52. March 2018. Survived by her sisters, Katie Kuempel Malloy ‘55 and Roberta Kuempel Stein ‘61. Mary Patricia Brennan Young ’52. April 8, 2021. Peggy McLaughlin Tighe ’54. April 8, 2021. Survived by her sisters, Mary Lee McLaughlin Ryan ’56 and Jane McLaughlin ’58. Carol Frankenreiter Lawless ’55. August 31, 2017. Rosemary Buckley Dines ’56. March 21, 2021. Survived by her sister, Lois Buckley Antonelli, ‘51. Sheilah Niehouse Bowen ’57. February 25, 2021. Kathleen Madden Hansen ‘57. March 4, 2019. Joy Gerity, CoL ’58. SMA Teacher and Middle School Principal. Judith Harper Horose ’61. January 17, 2020. Survived by her sister, Jeanne Harper Crutchley ’66. Marti Key Foster ‘61. Susann Hurley Green ’61. March 13, 2019. Ann Cunningham Callahan ‘62. February 22, 2021.
Janet Soran McIlwaine ‘64. September 14, 2019. Survived by her sisters, Kathleen Soran Hopkins ‘63 and Linda Soran ‘68. Sandy Keller Blue ‘65. March 10, 2020. Predeceased by her sister Mary Jo Keller ‘67. Survived by her sisters, Sharon Keller Smith ‘61 and Monica Keller Latkiewicz ‘69. Wendy Wallace ’66. Bernie Morgan Abbott ’67. December 28, 2020. Survived by her sisters, Mary Jo Morgan Derkash ’65 and Barbara Morgan Kollenkark ’66. Katie Wright ’72. 2005. Kim Kelley ’77. March 23, 2021. Survived by her sister, Tracy Kelley-O’Neill ’78. Jennifer Spangler Murphy ’77. April 27, 2021. Survived by her sister Cathryn Spangler Hamer ’76 and her cousins, Maria Louisa Roozen ’77, Vivien Onofrio Zafferani, and Michelle Onofrio Deshong ’86. Lucy Roucis ’77. February 7, 2021. Meg Flemming ‘82. August, 2019. Shannon Kuhn ’82. August 17, 2019. Sharon Grimes Lindquist ’82. September 23, 2012. Caroline Guinan ’83 Christine Chandler Bramson ‘85. August, 2020. Peggy Breiner ‘88. September 16, 2020.
C lass N otes Class of 1954 Mary Ann Walsh Van Etten. After her wedding in her Denver home in August of 1970, Mary Ann ran and cherished a child daycare business, the Van Etten Zoo, in her home for over 37 years in San Jose, CA. In 1992, her husband, Dave, retired after two ten-year careers, one in health care and another in real estate, and began a full-time 21-year career as Mary Ann’s CFO/diaper-changer. In 2013, both Mary Ann and Dave retired to a quieter time of mutual self-appreciation. In late 2019, in their mid-80s and after years of maintaining a home now in need of 55 years of deferred maintenance, they began to think about moving into a Senior Living facility. In late February 2020, they rented their home and re-located to Brookdale, San Jose about two weeks before the isolation restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Class of 1956 Paula Curran is enjoying life in Newport Beach, CA. Her son, Tony, has been working at the Pacific Symphony for 18 years, living near Paula. He is an avid surfer and takes her to various symphony concerts as well as Mass each weekend! Class of 1959 Mary Jo Frawley Koning celebrated 61 years of marriage on August 20, 2021. She attended Citrus College and had a career as a dental assistant. Mary Jo has four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Class of 1960 Dianne Tramutola-Lawson has been the chair of Colorado-CURE since 1990. Colorado-CURE is an all-volunteer, non-profit criminal justice advocacy international organization. Class of 1962 Anne Taggart Pierce is a retired Special Education Teacher/Transition. She is married, has three sons that are married, and nine grandchildren: Justin, playing basketball in Finland and completing his MBA in business from North Carolina; Alec, wide receiver for University of Cincinnati and a junior in engineering; Siena, a junior at Marquette University and playing rugby; Chase, at the University of Notre Dame and playing rugby; four in high school involved with basketball, football, and volleyball; and one in fourth grade playing basketball and volleyball. She is enjoying family, church, library events, golf, and book groups. Class of 1965 Connie Brown and her husband moved to Albuquerque in January 2020. They are settled now and liking it. Albuquerque is full of people who like good sleep- there is a mattress store on every corner! Connie married Bob Brown so they are the BrownBrowns. He’s ahead of her on the calendar by nine years and right now he’s doing most of the cooking! Connie hopes you all are well and thriving. Her thoughts and prayers are with you. She arrived at St Mary’s for senior year and the school and all of you were a Godsend to her. Ann Morrison Clement continues to live one half of the year in Silverthorne, CO, and the other half of the year in Slovenia. She is enjoying retirement in the Colorado
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Class Notes (continued) mountains with year-round activities: alpine and nordic skiing, snowshoeing, biking, kayaking, golfing, hiking, etc. She spends time in Slovenia consulting for children with special needs and giving lectures as a visiting professor at the University of Ljubljana. Slovenia is a great base to travel all over Europe, etc. and there are lots of sporting activities in the Julian Alps and the Adriatic. She is active in Rotary in both Colorado and Slovenia. She is also active in the Fulbright Alumni Association. Ann wishes everyone the best in living through COVID-19 and the many changes we have all had in our lives in 2020. Better times ahead. Carolyn Waldeck Goad has been beautifying her garden and working on her now 31-year-old home. Both are going well and are most satisfying. At the start of the virus, Carolyn began deep-cleaning her home, assured of having the cleanest house on the planet. Carolyn still leads a somewhat normal life through this pandemic but stays in closer contact with friends through telephone calls to be sure everyone is alright. If she totally hibernated, she would be crazier than she already is (ha, ha)! Theatre is non-existent so locally they’ve gone virtual with Zoom or podcasts. It is working well so far. She looks forward to in-person plays in the future. Carol Veruchi Peterson. All is well at the Peterson’s. Carol’s husband, Ron, is having back surgery this month. Carol is busy with her book club, yoga, and swimming. They are looking forward to traveling and for COVID to be over! Just living each day that God has given them. Class of 1968 Libby Malo Collins would like to share that life is never dull with her four kids and three grandchildren! It keeps her going for sure! Stephanie Tonish Martinez retired from teaching at El Paso Community College as a Professor of Physical Education and Dance. During this past year, Stephanie has found herself to be a virtual teacher for three of her grandchildren: five-year-old twins beginning kindergarten and an eightyear-old in third grade. Class of 1970 Mary Schmitz Bunt taught elementary school in Gunnison for 25 years until her retirement. She also owned Crested Butte Sports, a ski and bike shop, with her husband Steve until his retirement five years ago. They have two thirty-something sons. Mary and Steve enjoy tent camping
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and fly-fishing in warmer months and cross-country skiing and walking in the winter. Mary is an avid hiker and loves the beautiful Colorado outdoors! Genevieve (Genny) Appell Hinkle has survived the isolation and restrictions that COVID-19 put her under in 2020. Both of her adult children came down with COVID-19 (her daughter lives with her and her son is married) but she did not. She did get the two-dose Pfizer shots in April. She was tested for various allergies last July and she has 14 allergies. She is being given shots on a weekly basis. Genny doesn’t know if that kept her well or being a 19-year cancer survivor! She has tried to stay active with her volunteer work, church activities, facilitating monthly book discussions, and being a Red Hat lady. Her grandmother loved wearing hats as often as she could and told Genny that wearing a hat changes you. Now Genny believes her! Genny can’t believe it’s been 50 years since high school graduation! She turned 69 this past January and doesn’t know where the time went! Genny hopes all is well with everyone. Best Wishes! Laurie Robinson Killeen has been married for 48 years, has three sons, three terrific daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren. She is semi-retired now. Between her part-time job as a finance manager for one son’s dental practice and sewing masks for hospitals and schools (over 1,000 and counting), she keeps busy. Laurie can’t wait to get back to volunteering at the parish school as a para. She and her husband founded a group at their parish devoted to helping the poor and each year they provide dental and medical care for a mission in Haiti. Laurie has been asked to record books on tape for the blind but awaits the go-ahead after the pandemic. Life is good. Kathryn Blind Miller is currently an independent educational consultant helping students and families with college decisions. Laurie Garrity Mohrman and Jim Wilson were married for 35 years before he passed away in 2014. She met a new love, Mike Mohrman, and they married in 2019. Laurie and Jim had two daughters and Mike had two sons. Together, they are blessed with seven grandchildren who live in the Denver area. The youngest is seven months old and the oldest is nine. Laurie and Mike are retired and get to enjoy these beautiful kids often.
Maureen McCallin Moses shares: “What a time we’re living through in 2020 with COVID-19, calls for social justice, and a plea for restoration of a sane government. I think of my grandchildren and I’m planting seeds for a time of respecting the earth, participating in our civic life, and, most importantly, loving our global world. This is my hope as we live through this decade and beyond.” Elizabeth St. John was married in 2017 to Chris Thome! Class of 1975 Nancy Bell Dalton. Although she continues to deal with increasing health challenges, Nancy does her best to remain upbeat and hopeful with the help of her son, Ian, sister, Cathy Bell Darnell ‘67, and niece, Mary Catherine (Molly) Darnell ‘99. She would love to hear from any former classmates or students as Nancy taught Theology in the high school from 1980-82! Lisa McCarty Ernst’s daughter, Katie, graduated in May from CU Boulder Leeds School of Business. Katie graduated with a double major and is now working for US Bank. Michele Colburn Gonzalez’s youngest son Ryan just went to CU-Boulder. Niko, her oldest son, is in Greeley, Colorado taking a gap year before UNC. Yikes! They just became empty nesters! Jane Grogan is enjoying semi-retirement with her husband, Bill. She is providing alumni career counseling part-time at the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Jane congratulates her class on 45 years since graduation! Jennifer Woodward works as the Technical Assistance Coordinator at the University of Colorado School of Public Health where she either coordinates or contributes to three grants that focus on the Colorado community with health disparities. She and her partner, Brenda Porter, were married in October of 2014 right after the decision to sanction gay marriage. They live in a multi-generational, co-housing community in South Golden, CO with their 11-year-old Golden Retriever, Kali. Jennifer spends a lot of time with her two sisters’ families and her 87-year-old mother. Life is good. Jane Ann Yant is a computer scientist working in Oracle databases, Oracle Forms and Reports, and Java. She loves bicycling and camping in the Rocky
Mountains and sharing health, happiness, and serenity with her community. Class of 1980 Margaret Blackmer has been living in Charleston, SC for the last 32 years. She has been staying very busy with non-profits and she has been lucky enough to serve on several great non-profit boards over the last 20 years. Although she is sorry to have missed her 40th high school reunion this year, several in her class keep up with each other through Facebook. They were lucky enough to locate about half of the class several years ago. Margaret wishes everyone a healthy 2021 as we attempt to get back to whatever the new normal might be! Ann DePinto Rossman is beginning her 30th year of teaching elementary school, mostly in second grade.Distance learning is a whole new twist to life! Ann just moved to Newberg this summer after 15 years of commuting over 25 miles each way every day. She is looking forward to having more time with her husband and family rather than listening to audiobooks. She looks forward to hearing how other SMA families are doing! Class of 1981 Cheryl Marian moved back to Colorado after being on the East Coast for 30 years! She is writing a children’s book that is soon to be published! Class of 1982 Julie Cella McKenna enjoyed watching the 2021 Gala with her classmates Margaret Reidy Pflueger, Kathy Kelly Sangster, Kimberly Yanish Moore, and Kathy Horan Scaggs!
Class of 1983 Michelle Rodriguez Crippin retired from The Boeing Company in 2020, after 33 years of service. She now enjoys having more time to spend with her family. To keep up with all things aviation, her passion, Michelle supports the Marketing Communications Committee of the International Aviation Women’s Association.
Class of 1985 Kathleen (Katie) Stone Carpenter has been married for 30 years to Dave Carpenter. Katie currently works as an ER nurse at Swedish Hospital. She has a daughter, Maggie, who is 25 and got married on August 8, 2020. Maggie lives in Redding, CA with her husband, Justin. Maggie is a chemical engineer and works for a cement plant. Katie also has a son, Jimmy, who is 21. He is a senior at Marquette University studying computer engineering. Mary Berger Dilenschneider has two college-aged children – one about to graduate and one just getting started. Mary is still working in software sales but looks forward to retiring and traveling with her husband when the time is right. Stephanie Gharst has been working for the last 28 years as a Veterinarian Technician. Three years ago, she went from manager/technician to part-owner of the pet center that she works for. Stephanie still works overnights providing emergency care for small animals, but her next phase is starting an animal blood bank by the end of 2021. Betsy Ryan LeaRussa and her husband, John, are now empty nesters. Their daughter, Melanie, will graduate from the University of Denver this spring with a degree in political science and minors in social-legal studies and psychology. She has started the process of applying to law school. Their son, Nate, is a sophomore at the University of Tulsa majoring in business management and marketing with a focus on sports. These days, Betsy and her husband stay busy with projects around the house and spend lots of time with their two westies, Rosie and Daisy. They have lived in Houston longer than any other place and it has truly become home for them – but they do miss the Colorado weather at this time of year. Betsy just celebrated 31 years with Phillips 66 and is currently the Manager of Operations Excellence for Midstream Operations. One of the things she enjoys most about her role is that she is able to focus much of her time on the development of their engineers, which has enabled her to be an active advocate for female engineers at Phillips. Betsy wrote this update the day after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg which she is sure has caused many alumnae to think about your days at SMA and the importance of establishing a sense of self-worth and confidence in young women. Betsy feels St. Mary’s Academy has prepared her
to succeed at the mostly male Colorado School of Mines and go on to a productive and rewarding career as an engineer in the male-dominated energy industry. She shares that there is still much work to be done to ensure inclusion and diversity in our society and institutions like St. Mary’s Academy play a critical role. Michelle Perry Madelans spent her first year of college at ASU then she moved back to Denver and received her B.S. from CU Denver. Immediately after graduating, she and her husband, Ken, moved to Arizona and have been in Phoenix for 30+ years. They just celebrated their 33rd anniversary and have a beautiful daughter, Mikenna, who is a junior in high school. She has worked for State Farm Insurance for over 25 years, working in numerous capacities (Claim Rep, Learning and Development, HR, Agent, and currently a Claim Specialist in the Special Investigative Unit). She enjoys following SMA alumnae on Facebook and the older she gets, the more she appreciates the St. Mary’s Academy education her parents so generously afforded her. She also enjoys thinking back on her high school experiences and the friendships she formed. Danya Seale Stehr is married and living in Northern California with her husband, Jim, and golden retriever, Stanley. She has three boys aged 20, 23, and 24. Her oldest son, Bennett, graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 and now lives in NYC, working for JP Morgan. Her middle son, Clayton, graduated from Brown University in May 2020 and now works for Optum Healthcare in D.C. Her youngest son, Peter, is a junior at Boston College where he also plays football. Danya recently closed a small gift store, Gypsea Bungalow, that she owned with a friend (not due to COVID-19, it was just time). She has been very blessed! Class of 1986 Becky Paul Marek just retired after almost 26 years working for the Austin Public Library.
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Class Notes (continued) Class of 1987 Laura Pertusi Maclean. After 26 years in North Carolina (18 as Music Director at a Catholic church), Laura and her husband are happy to be back in Colorado where she is Director of Music Ministry at Light of the World Catholic Church. She is happy to be in touch with SMA girls! Class of 1990 Shannon Haley Neville lives in Denver with her husband, Ryan, and two sons, Will and Tate. They spend most weekends skiing during the winter. They are members of Christ the King Catholic Church and School. Shannon graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1995 with a degree in civil engineering. Shannon works as a project manager in telecommunications. Class of 1995 Lisa Lombard Kays moved to Dallas, TX after graduate school and has lived in north Texas ever since. She and her husband love living in Dallas and enjoy visiting their family in Colorado and Missouri. Lisa is Senior Director of Professional Development and Lifelong Learning at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she leads a team to create and facilitate innovative education programs for students of all ages, including career and creative development courses and college preparation workshops. Every day, Lisa draws from the strong foundation in lifelong learning she received at SMA! Sara Knickerbocker earned her Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2015. After working as an educational consultant for a variety of schools and non-profits and managing a private practice as a licensed psychologist providing counseling and assessment for children, Sara started her own training and consulting business, Original Educator, focused on cultivating emotional and relational well-being among educators through customized professional development offerings. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Graland Country Day School and enjoys participating in family service projects. She works from home in Denver, where she lives with Ryann Peyton, her spouse of 10 years; their lacrosse-loving son, Archer; and the very best “good boy”, Hopper, a golden retriever.
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Lisa Gustas Knox has been living in Highlands Ranch, CO with her husband and kiddos for the past 18 years. They just sent their oldest, a son, Carson, to his freshman year in college at Montana State University to study physics this past August. It was not the end of his high school career that they had envisioned, but they are glad that he has been able to move onto this next step and that MSU has had very few COVID-19 cases pop up on campus as of September (knock on wood!). Lisa’s second child, a daughter, Ellie, just started her freshman year in high school here in Highlands Ranch. Ellie continues to enjoy soccer and being an advocate with JDRF since being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age three. Their youngest, another daughter, Tessa, just started 6th grade. She loves Irish dancing and competes whenever she gets the chance (although there haven’t been many opportunities these last few months). Lisa’s husband, Aaron, works as a researcher at a pediatric brain tumor lab at Children’s Hospital in Denver. They just celebrated 20 years of marriage this past May and after having their big anniversary trip to Japan canceled because of COVID-19, They are looking forward to a redo as soon as they get the chance! Lisa is currently working as a Scrum Master in IT at a company based out of California called American AgCredit. They’ve been super fortunate so far during this crazy pandemic and Lisa is actually really enjoying the opportunity to work from home 100%. She hopes that everyone is staying healthy and happy! Class of 2000 Colleen Scott Heneghan graduated from CU Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She moved to St. Louis, MO to work in the fatigue, damage tolerance, and fatigue tracking areas of the F/A-18 Super Hornet program. While out there, Colleen got her MBA from Washington University at St. Louis and, more importantly, found an amazing guy who was even willing to move back to Denver with her. She spent a few years in the healthcare industry doing project management and process improvement, before rejoining the F-18 fatigue tracking program (this time as a Navy contractor) where she is still chugging along. Meanwhile, Colleen and that amazing guy got married and now have three kids: a four-and-a-half-year-old and twin two-yearold girls. Colleen shares that there’s a lot of
screaming in their house these days and says she can only hope that if they survive the next two to three years, life will be pretty amazing. Until then, at least there’s beer (just kidding!). Lindsay Robinson attended the University of Denver where she played D1 lacrosse. After that, she moved to New York City and worked for the NFL, then Columbia University in the athletic department. While there, Lindsay suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to move in with her parents in Michigan for a year and a half. She still has many residual and lasting effects but what can ya do! Later, Lindsay moved back to New York City, and she and her now-husband got engaged. After a year, they were married and his job took them to Memphis, TN. They spent eight years there together and had both of their two insane and adorable daughters there – Ruby-Wayne (age five) and Jennings (age two). In March 2020, Lindsay and her family moved to Tallahassee, FL. Abby Marie Rohr welcomed her beautiful son, Gabriel Alex, on July 11, 2020! Kimberly (Kim) Smith has spent the last 14 years in Monterey, CA working as a Librarian and Library Manager. She spends most of her free time adventuring with her four-year-old daughter, Nixie. Rhea Picillo Tankersley graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder then worked at the Boulder Marriott in several positions, culminating as Director of Sales and Marketing. After marrying Patrick Tankersley in 2007, they relocated to Bellingham, WA, where they lived for five years before relocating to Sarasota, FL. Rhea and her husband have four children, ages ten, seven, five, and three. Class of 2002 Jaye Bucholtz Kuchyt and her husband are so happy to announce their newest additions, born on September 26, 2019. Rylen and Elora are the sweetest babies and big brother Jaxon is adjusting well! Our family is now complete! Brighid Walsh Turek just finished her 12th year of teaching. She is currently a Title I Interventionist with Norfolk Public Schools. She has also had the opportunity to be an adjunct instructor with nearby Wayne Stage College. Brighid loves being a mom to three strong little women – Maggie (age
eight), Amelia (age six), and Lucy (age two). They, along with husband Josh, a child psychologist, reside in Norfolk, NE. Class of 2003 Sara Donahue Adair and her husband, Chris, welcomed their first child, Liam Patrick Adair, into their family on October 2, 2020!
Morgan McDonnell Silver is a science teacher at an alternative high school in Jeffco. She and her husband have a oneyear-old little boy, two big dogs, and two horses: one regular size and one miniature. They plan to spend the summer outside, camping, and working on their small backyard farm.
grateful to be in a career that gives back too. She sends her best to peers and staff! Class of 2009 Elizabeth (Liz) Deline Williams married Brett Williams on October 16, 2020, in Denver, CO!
Nichole Wagner has been living in Austin, TX for the last 10 years with her two dogs. She recently released an EP, “Dance Songs for the Apocalypse”, which you can listen to on Spotify. Class of 2006
Alex Norris Dietel recently celebrated three years cancer-free from breast cancer! She also recently became a coach at OrangeTheory Fitness, which has been a goal for several years. Class of 2005 Katherine (Kibby) Berry is now a Mom! She had a little girl in October 2019 and feels very blessed. Jordan Finegan moved back to Denver in 2016 after living and working in Washington D.C. for seven years! She is the Executive Director of a local nonprofit called The Colorado Healing Fund, which helps victims of mass criminal tragedy in Colorado after the tragedy occurs. She enjoys living in Capitol Hill with her boyfriend and cat while house hunting regularly! Melissa Gomez had a baby boy, Raphael, in May 2019, and she will graduate with her Master’s in Accounting in May 2021. She is also a magazine contributor for Blush Magazine in addition to her full-time job. Rachel Graham got married on 9/9/19! The pandemic hit her really hard, as she still performs in live theatre and expanded to create a live theatre photography business. However, Rachel is still fostering special needs and high-risk kittens. She has fostered and saved over 350 in her time working in cat rescue. Tara Malik has two daughters (ages four and one)! She and her family currently live in Vienna, VA, and both she and her husband work in federal consulting.
Jennifer Snow graduated from DePauw University in 2010 with a bachelor’s in biology and she earned her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2014. Jennifer is an attorney in St. Louis where she focuses on representing and fighting for people who were injured through no fault of their own, including victims of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and other employment-related legal issues. Itsy Jones VanCamp and Taylor Craver. This past September, Itsy and her husband, Zach, welcomed Albert (Albie) into the world. In February 2021, Taylor and her husband, Craig, welcomed Nolan (Nola) as well. The two little ones have become best buddies! (Below: Nola left, Albie right)
Class of 2010 Samantha Buck. The past decade has been a whirlwind of education, career growth, travel, and love. After receiving her B.S. in biochemistry and microbiology, Sam went on to get her master’s in clinical Epidemiology. She was working for few years in the software engineering industry (as a Product Owner and QA Engineer). Then, Sam transitioned back to the scientific lab world to become a certified Clinical Lab Scientist working in the infectious disease department of the medical laboratory at Denver Health. The past few years have been filled with lots of travel across Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and North America with her partner, as well as lots of fun after adopting a silly senior jack russell terrier, Princess Margaret. In 2020, Sam married her incredible wife, Sarah R. Davis, and started a new job as a Bioinformatics Data Scientist at Invitae (a diagnostic genetics company). Sam and Sarah are looking forward to their post-COVID-19 wedding and traveling again.
Class of 2008 Kelly Rogers Denzler was appointed Dean of Students at Mullen High School beginning in the 2021-22 school year. She previously taught French and social studies at SMA before joining the faculty at the Dawson School in Lafayette, CO in 2019. Blair Anne Hensen is excited to be running her own business in Montana as a marriage and family counselor. She is so grateful to the SMA community and all the support she had in her development. She feels so
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Class Notes (continued) Carolyn Campbell and her husband welcomed their first son, Oakley Thomas, in 2018, and their second child in February 2021! Carolyn will be graduated in December 2020 with her master’s degree in Higher Education – Student Affairs from her alma mater, Fort Hays State University. Looking forward to more adventures! Johanna Carr is living in Baltimore and just graduated from law school! Meghan Colip is currently a first-year student at medical school and loving it! Madigan (Maddie) Diaz Doherty moved to Boston to attend Northeastern University and has been there ever since! She lives near Fenway Park and is a Senior Art Director for T.J.Maxx. She was married in Denver in May and hopes to move back to Colorado soon. Lea Franco was married in June 2020 and is had her first baby in April of 2021! Elize Miller lives in downtown Denver and does sales enablement for a tech company called Vertafore. Sarah Moya lives in Brooklyn, NY and is in her second year at Fordham University School of Law. She is currently interning with the Immigrant Defense Project, a nonprofit specializing in the intersection between criminal and immigration law. Sarah hopes to work as a public defender when she graduates from law school.
Olivia Shope recently relocated to Omaha, NE, and is thrilled to be working at her alma mater, Creighton University. Megan Timlin. After owning a clothing boutique outside of downtown Denver, Megan has spent the last few years working for different footwear companies in Denver. With the goal of being an international fashion curator, she started classes this semester at the Harvard Extension School in pursuit of a master’s in museum studies. Class of 2012 Madeline O’Connell is excited to be going back to school this spring at Boston University to get her MBA. Go Terriers! Class of 2014 Daniela Lorenz. After graduating from Santa Clara University in 2018, Daniela spent two years living in San Francisco. She enjoyed trying new restaurants, going to the Farmers Market along the Bay, and the occasional trip to Napa. She moved back to Denver in May 2020 and started a new job with Slack’s Recruiting team. Over the past year, she has been trying out lots of new baking recipes and teaching herself guitar!
Class of 2017 Eleanor Kim graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California in May 2021. She is also happy to share that she received the Renaissance Scholar Distinction! At USC, this distinction is awarded to students who have excelled in two or more disparate fields of study. In Eleanor’s case, she majored in narrative studies from the English department and pursued two minors— one in legal studies from USC’s Gould School of Law and the other in dance from USC’s Kaufman School of Dance. Anyone who knows her from high school probably remembers her as the ballerina. :) She will be attending law school at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law on a merit scholarship in the fall. She has SMA to thank for the academic preparation and disciplined focus!
Class of 2016 Abigail (Abby) Yonker Harrington was married in December of 2020 in a small family ceremony, postponed from her original June 2020 wedding date.
Crystal Schablitsky is married to Edward and is mom to Lillian (age four) and Luke (age one). She is currently an Account Executive at Travelers Insurance. Crystal and Edward enjoy baking, hiking, and exploring Colorado outdoors together as a family.
Stay connected with SMA! Send your news and pictures or update your information by visiting stmarys.academy/alumnae. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Class of 2021 College Matriculation Mariangela Acosta Quezada Marygrace Kristin Adam Kathlin Mayu Ai Chang Zoë Elizabeth Amburn Eloise Morgan Appel Lauren Rose Archie Avery Grace Arnold Lilian Avitia Marquez Pervical Aven Cabell Benedick Mia Giulia Bertacchi Gathright Mia Frances Breitenbach Emily Anne Burkeholder Valeria Bustillos Sophia Joan Callender Daphney Castaneda Luna Beauregard Elizabeth Moana Cave Maya Xiutong Cederlund Saera Mackenzie Chung Esha Ruth Damstra Ava Ruth Espinosa Lola Grace Faix Emma Noelle Garcia-Colmenero Tawnee Breann Garcia Jessica Anne Garofalo Arely Yoseline Gonzalez Zalamanca Therese Lee Hayden Samantha Mae Hicks Zoe Taylor Holland Breanna Lynn Horn Lillian Weathers Humber Carolyn Johnsen Madalyn Kei Klefeker Elizabeth Francesca Lanava Lillian Grace Lichtenberger Andrea López López Reese Caroline Lurcott Tabbitha Angelica Elizabeth Manuel Fabiola Marrufo Lopez Alexandra Elizabeth May Elizabeth Parke Mills Alexa Miramontes Granillo Andriana Isabella Molina Yelena Montesinos Emily Monzon Alex Reese Morrissette Yaritza Vianey Muñoz Grace Anne Murphy Grace Lau’ren Newsome Hutt Grace Elizabeth Oakes Símone Shizue Ohara Wahl Anja Benjamina Rohan Rhea Elizabeth Rowan Emilie Katherine Schaefer Esmeralda Genevieve Solis-Fuentes Lauren Marie Sottosanti Andrianni Virginia Stefanoudakis Maya Noelle Stehno Lauren Donovan Stribley Charlotte Marie Swenson Lillian Grace Swenson Melanie Alessandra Torres-Godoy Anna Ngo.c V ũ Anna Mary Walling Kyriake Mary Zaharas
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Summer 2021
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