(May 2)
ACE in the Community
Phoenix is a dynamic center for Catholic school activity, and ACE has been honored to be a part of this community since 2000. A total of 32 teachers have served in Phoenix over the years and are joined by five ACE teachers currently serving three schools in the diocese: Bourgade Catholic High School, St. John Vianney Catholic School, and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School.
Each year, the Diocese of Phoenix hosts a fundraising gala entitled “A Night of Hope” to make Catholic education in the diocese affordable and accessible to those who want to bring up their children in a loving, faith-filled environment. “Our Catholic schools go above and beyond the standards for Arizona and for the nation,” said MaryBeth Mueller, Superintendent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and a Catholic Education Arizona board member. “The Night of Hope is about celebrating the success of these schools and the positive impact they have on students, families, and the larger community. Our whole community is better because of the contributions of our Catholic schools.”
Where We’ll Be
Friday, May 2
St. Vincent de Paul School Event
3130 N. 51st Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85031, 623-247-8595
Afternoon/ Evening - school and social event combo
St. John Vianney School Event and Spring Fiesta Kick-Off (social)
539 La Pasada Blvd. Goodyear, AZ 85338, 623-932-2434
Event Point of Contact: Andrea Cisneros, , and Patrick Graff,
Award Recipients
The University of Notre Dame Sorin Award for Service to Catholic Schools
Sister Julie Kubasak, DC, principal of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Phoenix, has overseen several consecutive years of robust growth in enrollment and service to students, especially among the Latino community. During seven years as principal, Sister Julie, a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, reversed the school’s enrollment declines to the point that construction began on new classrooms. She has embraced an enthusiastic outreach to Latinos, ensuring that content on the school’s website is bilingual and using her own fluent Spanish in a local TV appeal to invite additional students. Sister Julie has been instrumental in planning and mentoring for the Alliance for Catholic Education Latino Enrollment Initiative.
Her school also has continued to embrace its mission and the Daughters of Charity charism, with a dedication to academic excellence and generous service to the poor. She also accepted a leadership position within the Daughters of Charity and completed studies for a master’s degree in Catholic school leadership.
The University of Notre Dame Champion for Education Award
Tom Ambrose, a member of the board and former executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, has been a prominent community leader in Phoenix for nearly four decades. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1970 and joined the Arizona Republic, also serving as a Big Brother mentor himself. Before long, he went to work with the Phoenix Suns basketball organization, serving in key public relations, marketing, advertising, and foundation management positions. He directed the Phoenix Suns Charities for 17 years. That grant-making unit grew substantially under his leadership and has by now raised and distributed more than $10 million for community programs.
Ambrose has served on the boards of numerous non-profits, spearheading many capital campaigns and mentoring many leaders in business and charity. His successful projects have included major fund-raising for the Children’s Museum of Phoenix and the Phoenix Zoo. In recent years, he has returned to writing and is the author of two books.