Scott Morgan Honored with 2017 Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education

Scott Morgan was presented with the 2017 Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education by Fr. Tim Scully, C.S.C., the Hackett Family Director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives and co-founder of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), at a luncheon today on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

Humility and hard work characterize Carl Loesch’s career in Catholic education. Though Loesch, the Secretary for Catholic Education in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, recently earned The Michael Pressley Award for Excellence in Catholic Education, he is quick to use his spotlight to thank those who helped him ascend to his position.

To an outsider, rugby may come off as a hostile sport. Even those who have not seen a game can imagine the intensity of a sport that uses terms such as “charge-down,” “crusher tackle,” and “blood bin.” And while a match might induce some scrapes and bruises, for Daniel Hodge, the former captain of Gonzaga University Men’s Rugby Club, the spirit of rugby is one of hospitality, generosity, and seeing past opponents’ differences. In fact, the kindness present in the rugby community is something Daniel, ACE 24, hopes to foster in his classroom next year.

"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

This past Sunday’s Gospel reading shared the story of Thomas’ doubt in the wake of Jesus’ resurrection. Thomas, although a disciple of Jesus, was hesitant to believe because he had many doubts that it could be true. He had yet to lay eyes on the risen Christ, so in a very human way, he questioned his friends’ message. It’s possible that members of ACE 24 may have entered April Retreat with similar feelings of uncertainty. They have not yet stepped foot in their schools, met their community members, or experienced their new homes. Yet, they have put their faith in what is yet to come in ACE.

“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” - Sherlock Holmes

Though perhaps relatively few use seemingly minute details to solve major crime cases like Sherlock Holmes, data and its analysis enable people to make informed decisions in any field today—and education is no different. Nobody knows this better than Chris Broughton, who has spent the bulk of his professional life using data to find key intervention opportunities that change the trajectory of students’ lives. Chris, currently the Executive Director at Bottom Line in Chicago, graduated from the 11th cohort of ACE Teaching Fellows and taught middle school in Oklahoma City. He has learned through years of data-work that it is truly not the numbers that matter, but the people behind those numbers.