Faces of ACE

Cassie Brownell had her first introduction to Catholic schools when she enrolled at Marquette University. "The closest Catholic school [to our small North-Central Montana town] was sixty miles away," she tells us. What captured her imagination as a college freshman is what continues to motivate her today: a love of service and living "as a woman for others."

That motivation is also what led her to ACE Teaching Fellows (plus, she says, the influence of "some great MU alums in the ACE program") and then spurred her to enroll in ACE Teaching Exceptional Children. About her interest in TEC, Cassie says, "After three years teaching in post-Katrina New Orleans, two years in second grade with ACE and one year in first grade at my post-ACE school, I recognized trends among the academic and behavioral needs of the students I encountered. From discussions with [ACE Senior Director of Program Development] Dr. Joyce Johnstone, I knew more could be done to address the needs of not only students but parents and educators."

Through TEC, Cassie established a Strategic Intervention Team (SIT) at her school, which allowed her and her colleagues to develop relationships with six families that now, she says, "have new hope for the future of their children's academic careers." She went on to say, "My principal commented that SIT is the single-best thing to happen at our school."

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Cassie continues her focus on service and living for others. Recently she visited her ACE school, where she ran into a former student. In the first moments of their conversation, the student asked, "Do you still love all of us?" That summed up Cassie's commitment as a Catholic and an educator: "Loving my students and meeting them where they are."

Carl Loesch is one of seven children whose combined years in Catholic schools total more than 100. It's not hard to see how these schools have formed him. There's his deep commitment to the faith and to service. His strong academic training in math. Two Theology degrees from Notre Dame. And a career dedicated to Catholic education.

"I just wanted to give back," he says when explaining his decision to become a Catholic school teacher. And so he has. For nine years he taught and coached in Fort Wayne and then, at the invitation of Bishop D'Arcy, pursued a position in administration through the ACE Teaching Fellows and Remick Leadership programs. Today he serves as the highly respected principal of Marian High School in South Bend.

Of his experience in ACE, Carl points out that both programs prepared him not only academically, but spiritually and socially, too. "The emphasis on forming us as Catholic educators is exactly what we need to be prepared to educate and care for the precious souls entrusted to us. The emphasis on prayer and the sacraments as necessary for our ministry help sustain me in my daily work. Finally, the emphasis on community taught me to share my gifts with others and to be open to learning from others."

Carl Loesch is still giving back to the Catholic schools he loves, and it's clear the schools are still forming him, too. He recently shared this story about what he learned from a courageous transfer student with autism and the student body that accepted him: "On his first day at Marian, the student walked very nervously into the cafeteria and sat down at a table by himself. He began to eat his lunch, and then a beautiful thing happened. A couple young men came over and invited him to sit with them. From that point on, I knew he was going to be okay. This young man went on to serve the school as a manager for two varsity sports. I could barely hold back my tears of joy at the end of his senior year when I got to place a state runner-up medal around his neck for his support of a team in their run to state.

This courageous young man and our welcoming student body taught me how to see the good in others. As St. John Chrysostom said, 'What greater work is there than touching the minds and hearts of young people.' More often than not, they are the ones teaching me."

After being chosen as Arizona's Teacher of the Year, Hands Across the Border Teacher of the Year, and one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year, Rachel Moreno wanted to contribute her expertise to the next generation of teachers. So the 27-year veteran of public schools earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and then fulfilled her lifelong dream of teaching in a Catholic school, taking a position at Kings College. After 3 years, she joined the faculty of supervision and instruction for ACE Teaching Fellows.  Dr. Moreno also teaches for ACE's English as a New Language program.

We asked Dr. Moreno, who lives in Tucson and works with ACE teachers in Notre Dame ACE Academies and elsewhere, to share some of her favorite examples of hope.

Hope surrounds all of the Notre Dame ACE Academies as they continue to be a "flagship" for the diocese of Tucson. I saw hope [when a gifted ACE graduate moved to Tucson] to work especially at an Notre Dame ACE Academies. I see hope when [two gifted ACE teachers] decide to embark on the journey to become administrators. [Another Notre Dame ACE Academies teacher] demonstrates hope each time he directs and produces one of his outstanding and kid-friendly plays at Santa Cruz, where he has taught for 12 years. [Still another Notre Dame ACE Academies teacher] had three job offers in big cities all over the country yet chose to remain here. And because she is so committed to promoting literacy she specifically requested to teach 1st grade. (If that isn't a story of hope, I don't know what is!) Finally, [Notre Dame ACE Academies teachers] give their students hope each time they remind them that they are not only preparing for heaven but for college.

Mi esperanza existe todos los dias de mi vida (hope is present every day of my life). Why? Because everyone I work with is fully committed to making God known, loved and served.

No matter what role she plays as an educator--resource specialist, author, classroom teacher--this ACE Teaching Fellows graduate emphasizes that she's doing not her work, but God's.

How did you come to be involved in education and Catholic schools?

I always tell people that education chose me, not the other way around. From tutoring to teaching religious education, I was involved in education from a young age. However, it wasn't until my time in ACE that I truly realized that education was, indeed, my vocation.

What led you to ACE?

The community pillar was what really made ACE stand out over other service programs I was considering, such as Peace Corps. I realized that I wanted to share my day-to-day experiences with a group of like minded individuals. My experience in community did not disappoint!

How did ACE prepare you for what you've done since graduating and for what you're doing now?

ACE challenged me to truly be a professional educator by staying current on research and translating that into my own practice. I also recently realized that while I (thankfully) don't keep a reflective journal about my students and my classroom like I was required to during ACE, that I do continually reflect on what I'm experiencing.

And while I'm not currently working in a Catholic school, I bring those experiences with me every day. During our first ACE summer, Fr. Scully told us that we needn't be anxious about teaching because we were doing God's work in our classrooms, not ours. I started each morning with a prayer asking God to help me do His work. I find myself still praying those words each morning.

How do you see ACE making a difference in Catholic schools?

ACE helps young people discern a vocation to serve children in Catholic schools. What bigger difference could be made?

Jess and her husband, Tre', live in Columbus, Ohio. After many years serving as an elementary education resource specialist at the Ohio State University, she returned to the classroom and is now teaching 1st-5th grade science. Her book, Inquiring Scientists, Inquiring Readers: Using Nonfiction to Promote Science Literacy, Grades 3-5, co-written with Terry Shiverdecker, can be pre-ordered and will be officially released on October 25.

Stephen LaBrecque (ACE 19) captures the spirit of ACE Teaching Fellows when he says, "I want to give back and help students, not just academically, but also spiritually, emotionally, and athletically." We asked him a few questions as he was preparing to start his first year of community life and teaching in Dallas, Texas.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I just graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in English. Prior to ACE, my experiences in education have been varied. I taught religious education throughout high school, and I tutored at the Robinson Community Learning Center while at Notre Dame. I also did an Appalachia Service Seminar at a small high school in David, Kentucky.  This year I will be teaching English at Bishop Dunne Catholic High School in Dallas.

What drew you to Catholic education?

When I made the decision to transfer to Notre Dame, I was drawn by the University's mission to educate the mind, body and spirit. This focus on the whole person played a large role in my decision to join ACE and teach in Catholic Schools. I want to give back and help students, not just academically, but also spiritually, emotionally and athletically.

How have your first months in ACE shaped your vision of education?

My [early] experiences in ACE have helped to refocus my view of education. Too often we, as educators, get caught up grouping students by test scores and grade levels and demographics. ACE has shown me that we must get back to the human elements of education. We cannot forget that we are dealing with students, parents, and local communities. As teachers we must remember that first and foremost we are serving people.

Below, Stephen is pictured with the members of his ACE community (L to R): Gregg Schettini, Maria Isabel Eugenio, Stephen, Blair Carlin, Keaton Van Beveren, and Nick Reed.