In the Spotlight . . .

She calls her leadership role in Notre Dame ACE Academies "the beginning of a lifelong mission to provide a Catholic education of the highest quality to as many children as possible." Meet Cristina Espino.

From a very early age, my parents and family reinforced the value of Catholic schooling and were committed to providing this opportunity, acknowledging and accepting the financial sacrifices it would entail. They understood that sharing similar cultural and religious values with my peers would allow me to thrive both personally and academically. At the parochial elementary school I attended and where my mother taught, I learned that Catholic learning institutions pride themselves on not only teaching practical knowledge but also instructing their students to align strategic priorities and become responsible leaders.

In high school, a time when teenagers generally struggle to find their path, my sense of belonging and purpose was clear at Holy Cross Academy. The small classrooms, rigorous classical curriculum, and mandatory prayer and meditation at chapel every morning allowed me to focus my energies in a positive manner, accomplish far more than imaginable, and mobilize the student body to do the same.

Social responsibility is an undeniable part of an education in the Catholic School system. During my time as a student at Our Lady's University I was an active participant and leader in the Building Bridges Mentoring Program. After completing the appropriate training and coursework, I enrolled in the Volunteer Tax Assistance Program, helping low income families prepare their federal tax returns on weekends....[M]y sense of community was strengthened by attending university sponsored Catholic retreats and agreeing to be an Encounter retreat leader.

[After completing a master's in business administration at Loyola University, my husband and I moved to Tampa.] I was eager to reinvent my career and lead with purpose. My new position [with Notre Dame ACE Academies] is a program level role responsible for the marketing and finance oversight of the ACE Academies – three schools in Tucson and two schools in Tampa. More specifically, I will work closely with Christian Dallavis, Ryan Clark, and our diocesan partners, to develop and implement advancement strategies in each of our partner communities - leading the ACE Academies' efforts to secure tax credit scholarships and recruit new students.

To learn more about Notre Dame ACE Academies, click here.

As an undergrad at the University of Notre Dame, Greg O'Donnell got his first taste of working with children through a community ed program that became "one of the most impactful experiences of my collegiate career." Among other things, the program exposed him to the power of education to transform children's lives. He signed up for ACE and set his mind toward becoming an educator.

After two years of teaching social studies, the newly minted master's recipient considered next steps and decided, he says, "that if this was to be my vocation, I would need to gain a more diverse experience teaching in different settings." Greg signed up for ChACE, moving to Santiago, Chile where he taught, improved his Spanish, and obtained a certificate in teaching English as New Language.

Greg speaks movingly about what he learned through ACE and ChACE. "First, trust that God will take care of you. Many times a new experience can be completely terrifying. For me, both teaching and living abroad were such experiences[...] It wasn't until I surrendered myself to God's will that I was actually able to find the strength to overcome my fears and learn how to cope with my new environments. Every time I reflect on this, I recall one of my favorite sayings, 'God doesn't call the qualified, but qualifies the called.'"

The second lesson Greg learned was, "Relax and don't rush everything. And above all, value personal relationships." He explains: "The culture in South America is such that most people approach situations from a completely different perspective [than North Americans]. While often my instinct was to finish a task as quickly as possible, they generally approached tasks slowly, taking the time to talk to individuals even if it meant that things didn't get done on time. This focus on individual relationships was one I came to appreciate, and I hope that I adopted aspects of it to blend in with my own cultural practices."

Today Greg O'Donnell is back in North America, where he recently became associate director of ACE's Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program. What landed him in the job was what landed in his heart as an undergraduate volunteer in community ed: the transforming power of education. "Something inside me," he says, "was yearning to find a way to make a greater impact on Catholic schools; [...]teaching around the world made me cognizant of the limited scope of my influence. Thus I set out to find a way to broaden my influence on the educational world, which naturally brought me back to looking at the work ACE is doing in the United States and abroad."

Click here to learn more about ACE Teaching Fellows. To read about ChACE, click here. To read about ACE English as a New Language, go here. To learn about the Remick Leadership Program, click here.

ACE is excited to welcome Lynn Kachmarik, an athlete, administrator, official and coach at almost every level in sports, to the Play Like a Champion Today team. Lynn was vice president and general manager of South Bend's Silver Hawks baseball team; executive director of the South Bend / Mishawaka Convention and Visitors Bureau; director of athletics and recreation at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana; director of aquatics at Bucknell University (PA); and head coach for the men's and women's water polo, swimming and diving teams at that university.

Lynn was an early pioneer of women's water polo. She was a member of the U.S. Women's National Water Polo Team for 12 years, six of which she was team captain. She was named to the All-World team in 1978, competing in the 1980, 1984 and 1988 World Aquatic Championships and seven FINA World Cup competitions. She then served as the team's assistant coach.

Lynn was among the first group of women to be inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame and the first woman inducted into the Collegiate Water Polo Hall of Fame. She was a six time All-American selection in water polo and swimming at Slippery Rock University (SRU) from 1976-80 where she received both her bachelor's and master's degrees. She brings this winning spirit and dedication to her new role in Play Like a Champion.

Rev. Ronald Nuzzi, Ph.D., senior director of ACE's Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program, has received the C. Albert Koob, OPraem, Merit Award, with which the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) honors an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to Catholic education in the United States.

The NCEA presented the 2013 Koob Award to Father Nuzzi during the group’s annual convention, attended by 8,000 Catholic educators April 2-4 in Houston.

“I am honored and humbled by this gracious award from my good friends and colleagues at the NCEA,” said Father Nuzzi in a statement. “I am especially grateful for the many faith-filled colleagues with whom I share this important ministry, here at Notre Dame and across the country.”

Father Nuzzi made reference to his work in the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), where he has served since 2002 as the founding director of the formation initiative preparing the next generation of principals and other leaders for Catholic schools. The Remick Leadership Program has become the largest program of its kind in the country.

"It is a blessing beyond measure for me to contribute to the success, perseverance, and development of Catholic school leaders in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Ireland,” Father Nuzzi said. “There is much work to be done, a new generation to reach, a new evangelization to proclaim. I hope that all of our efforts—those led by Notre Dame, ACE, the NCEA, and other Catholic institutions—may continue to bring life to Catholic schools and especially to those teachers and leaders who are so dedicated to the future and to our children.”

Later this year, Father Nuzzi will lead a new ACE initiative assisting Catholic schools as they assess and renew their Catholic identity in the spirit of the New Evangelization. ACE will seek a new director for the Remick Leadership Program, in which Father Nuzzi will continue as a faculty member.

As Father Nuzzi commented in a video posted April 2 by the NCEA, his perspectives on Catholic education have been shaped by his own service in parish and diocesan schools and at Notre Dame, as well as scholarly work at Saint Louis University and the University of Dayton.

He cited the inspiration he draws from the Catholic school teachers and leaders being formed in ACE—their “great commitment to the faith, a serious commitment to Catholic education, a quest and hunger for social justice.” Their energy, he said, gives him “great hope for the future.”

Father Nuzzi, a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, has a distinguished academic background. He has authored or edited a number of books, including two published in recent months: Striving for Balance, Steadfast in Faith: The Notre Dame Study of U.S. Catholic Elementary School Principals and Building Assets: The Strategic Use of Closed Catholic Schools. Both were co-authored by ACE faculty members Dr. Jim Frabutt and Dr. Anthony Holter. The same team produced No Greater Work: Meditations on Church Documents for Educators in 2010 and Faith, Finances, and the Future: The Notre Dame Study of U.S. Pastors in 2008.

Books including the two-volume encyclopedia Catholic Schools in the United States and Handbook of Research on Catholic Education were edited by Father Nuzzi along with Thomas C. Hunt and Eillis A. Joseph.

When Yvonne became the principal of St. James the Less Catholic School eight years ago, the school's population had been in serious decline. She rolled up her sleeves and, as a strategy to boost enrollment, worked closely with her parish administrator to encourage the Columbus Latino population to attend St. James. She also encouraged other minorities to visit St. James.

As a result of her efforts, the population of the school has doubled, test scores have risen, and the school has become a model of differentiation and inclusion. Students are involved in authentic service learning and are able to see that their own financial situation does not prevent them from helping others. Teachers have been trained to address the needs of bilingual students and children of poverty. The school has expanded its arts and music program, has instruction in English and Spanish, and all students learn American Sign Language.

Mrs. Schwab says, "I work with our staff to develop the potential and the promise that each student possesses. Our children come from Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Russia, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto Rico and all parts of the United States. We have children of all faiths, income levels, academic levels, and family structures. I believe that we are a window to the world and this gift of diversity allows us to relate to everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ."

Mrs. Schwab and her staff have worked with the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) and the Catholic School Advantage Campaign, which has provided the staff with necessary training for the school's diverse population. Yvonne Schwab received the 2011 National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Principal Award.  She was also named a Whitehouse Champion of Change under President Obama's Winning the Future initiative.

The Principals Academy will be offered again this summer June 24-28, 2013. Registration is now open.