ELIZABETH SETON HIGH SCHOOL LauncheS LeaD PROgRam

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Love Lies in the Garden “ What happened to the roses?” asked Mary Brophy Haddow ’68 who was bewildered to see the lifeless garden that lay at the foot of Blessed Mother in the Seton courtyard. During Alumnae Association meetings, she vividly recalled her days as a young Seton woman. Those were the days when the Blessed Mother stood boldly over a sea of roses, in what was known as the “Seton Rose Garden”, with her arms outstretched as if to embrace and cherish the bouquet of beauty that lay before her. This was once a place where students proudly gathered for graduation pictures, “Rose Ceremonies”, May processions, and other special Seton events. Over the years, the garden started to deteriorate as ivy, weeds, and other harmful entities invaded the territory. Soon, the vibrant Rose Garden in the courtyard of the school became a listless bed of weeds. Slowly, as the tide of young Seton students began to turn, the question went from, “What happened to the roses?” to “What rose garden?” And just like that, the legacy of the Seton Rose Garden faded away. In the final line of Bette Midler’s song, “The Rose”, after many disheartening situations, it was the love of the sun that ultimately revived the rose. Likewise, the unique love of the Alumnae Association gave life to a garden that appeared to have no hope in ever becoming what it once was. And on September 10th, they restored its honor and legacy within the community as they unveiled the beautiful transformation that had occurred. The members of the Alumnae Association made it a priority to breathe life into the Seton Rose Garden. With gardening tools and roses in hand, Association members, Renee Greene ‘81 and Mary Brophy Haddow ’68, led the restoration efforts. They spent the spring and summer months clearing out the ivy and tilling the soil. After many months of sweat, energy, and most importantly, patience, the rose garden was ready! The time had come to introduce it to the school community. With the ivy all gone, and the roses brazenly soaking in the sunlight, the Seton Rose Garden was now a gem ready to shine. Former graduates, Seton students, friends, and family came on that warm Saturday afternoon, on September 10th, to take part in rededicating a long lost symbol of Seton. The Alumnae Association celebrated the Rose Garden’s transformation with an outdoor reception that was held in Seton’s courtyard and a ribbon cutting ceremony. Bright smiles and laughter emerged from the crowd as people intermingled and enjoyed light appetizers and drinks. In the true spirit of sisterhood, the essence of the Rose Garden inspired many Seton students to thank the alumnae for giving them a path to a brighter future: many of whom had provided scholarships for students. In turn, they delighted in meeting their “little sister”, and asked what more they could do to help them achieve their dreams. As everyone took their seats, Seton President, Sister Ellen Marie Hagar ‘74, opened the ceremony with a brief prayer that thanked God for the revival of our rose garden and the reunion of friends and family. Renowned horticulturalist, Gene Sumi, from Homestead Gardens, shared his expertise regarding the care of roses and the special quality that comes with each kind of rose. Then, it was time to introduce the main attraction of the event. United by their Seton pride, the crowd broke into a cheer when the students cut the ceremonial ribbon initiating a new start to the Seton Rose Garden. To those who never had the chance to experience it as a student, the Seton Rose Garden is no longer a mystery. Moreover, the community can take an active role in continuing to enrich its magnificence. For a small contribution, a rose can be planted in the garden in honor of someone who has used their love as a catalyst for growth, change, and ultimately to make a difference, just as the Alumnae Association did for the Seton Community. As for the future of the Seton Rose Garden, it will always unite the members of the Seton Community, and as long as their love continues to shower down on the Garden, the roses will continue to return year after year. 20
Class Notes 1970’s Theresa (Persick) Arnold ‘70 I retired on September 30, 2011 after 35 years with the Federal Government mostly with the Department of Army and the Defense Department. My last project supervised the construction of the 1.8 MSF LEED Gold administrative facility with a budget of about a billion dollars, in Alexandria VA. I continue to keep in touch with my big sister Jeannie Kalinofsky Townsend ‘68 and her daughter, my godchild, Anastacia Pena. I also keep in touch with Ginny Meade Crotts ‘70 and Evelyn Bancroft Hahn ‘70 whom I have known since grade school. Mary Lou (Barton) Holt ‘71 I am very proud of the fact that I worked for the Catholic Church for many years until 1998 when I started at the University of Maryland in the College of Education. I, now, work in the Fire Protection Engineering Department. I have been married to my husband, Mike, for 21 years. We have four children and four grandchildren. My oldest children, Joe and Denise live in North Carolina with my one grandson and my three grand-daughters. My youngest sons, Mike and Billy, are going to MD community colleges. I am active in St. Hugh’s parish. I have wonderful memories of Seton: when I watch basketball, I wish could get up the court like old times. God Bless the Class of 1971 ...40 years...hard to believe. Nicole Jones ‘71 I enjoy my retirement. I am involved in volunteer work, and I am a member of the board of directors for the Restoration Ministry for Women in Orlando. We are a residential home for women with drug and alcohol issues. I also enjoy teaching bible study to the women twice a month. Lisa Anne Shea ‘74 I retired and moved from Potomac to Edgewater, MD Ann Marie (Reilly) McGovern ‘75 I recently attended my daughter Richelle’s graduation from Mary Washington University, Fredericksburg, Virginia. She received her Masters Degree in Education specializing in gifted and autistic children. My best friend, Susan Byrd Finotti ’75, and my sister, Margaret (Reilly) Furio ’82, sat next to me during her graduation. My husband and I moved to Florida and have officially become beach bums. Class of 1976 They celebrated their 35th Reunion on Sunday, December 4th at the home of Cheryl (Patane) Neidig ‘76. Many came to see their fellow classmates and to delight in the joy of Seton Sisterhood. A good time was had by all! 1980’s Gloria Davis Harberts ‘81 She is happily married with 2 stepsons and 2 daughter-in-laws. She is looking forward to grandchildren Katherine (Farrell) May ‘82 As a CPA and corporate accountant, I have worked the past 10 years in the construction and homebuilding industry. Unfortunately, the drastic downturn in the economy affecting construction, particularly hitting hard in Florida, forced me to seek new employment. I am very excited to have started as the Director Business Process Lead with Arizona Chemical Company in Jacksonville, Florida. This international company is the leading producer and refiner of pine chemicals. It strives to make the world cleaner, healthier, and safer by converting paper mill waste into viable products, not pollution. I report directly to the International Corporate Controller. My work will be in both in the US and in The Netherlands. My husband, Paul, has also started a new position as the IT Manager for NCCAOM - an international non-profit. My son, Bryan, continues to live in Jessup, Maryland and work as an accountant for an international banking/ finance company in Washington, DC. We are very excited that our oldest daughter, Caitlin, will graduate from high school in 2011 and has been awarded a scholarship to attend the Maryland Institute and College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. She will major in sequential art/graphic design and minor in animation. Our youngest daughter, Maggie, has started her freshman year of high school and is quite the academic (scoring a near perfect score on the PSAT). She regularly appears in productions at Theatre Jacksonville and the Limelight Theater. We love life in Florida, but travel home regularly to continued on page 22 21
Page 1 and 2: VOL. 1 • SPRing 2012 Elizabeth Se
Page 3 and 4: Mission Is College-Prepared Enough?
Page 5 and 6: Words of Wisdom from the Workforce:
Page 7 and 8: toward the construction of Seton’
Page 9 and 10: Principal’s MESSAGE Last spring w
Page 11 and 12: Elizabeth Seton High School Launche
Page 13 and 14: gineering & Design Technology impac
Page 15 and 16: Internships for Students Exposing s
Page 17 and 18: The Legacy of Light to Know and The
Page 19: The Legacy of Light to Know and The
Page 23 and 24: In MEMORY Alumnae Mary Ann (Straub)

ELIZABETH SETON HIGH SCHOOL LauncheS LeaD PROgRam

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?