loGos 2010 - Ursuline Academy of Dallas

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LOGOS
U r s u l i n e A c a d e m y o f D a l l a s ■ A L U M N A E M A G A Z I N E 2 0 1 0
CHOOSING TO
CHANGE THE
WORLD
Alumnae
Educators
Engage Hearts
and Minds
GLOBAL SERVIAM
Young Alumnae in Kolkata
EXTREME MAKEOVER
French Family Center
New Music Building
Campus Renovations
20 YEARS OF MARDI GRAS
Celebrating Support for
Student Scholarships

An Ursuline
Tradition -
Planned Giving
{ Miss Mary Jane Sloan }
Mary Jane Sloan lost her mother in her early
girlhood and came to Ursuline Academy as a
boarder. On Commencement Day, June 28, 1876,
she received a crown awarded for good and polite behavior.
Having completed her studies, she begged the Sisters to
allow her to remain even though a home with her relatives
was always open to their “Aunt Mopsey.” Her health was
too delicate for the duties of the religious life, yet she was
accepted as a portress, chaperon, and daughter of the house.
Mary’s service to the Community was altogether
gratuitous and she considered herself fortunate to be
allowed to remain. She realized her responsibility as a
representative of the institution and bore herself with
dignity, reserve, and genial courtesy to all and was esteemed
by pupils, teachers, and the Sisters as a person of confidence.
This well-beloved daughter of Ursuline bestowed many
gifts at various times to the Sisters and the Academy,
including a memorial to her family in the 1899 stained glass
window. In June 1904, along with a span of thoroughbred
horses, she bequeathed to the Community her life insurance.
Mother Evangelista wrote in a letter to Mary’s family, July
2, 1904, “ Her delicacy of sentiment and tact, her thoughtful
kindness and filial respect all contribute to render Miss
Sloan a helpful and well beloved daughter of the Ursulines.
May she ever be lovingly and gratefully remembered as a
benefactress of this House.”
Information for this article was gleaned from the Ursuline
Archives. Photos courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Stockard,
relatives of “Aunt Mopsey.” Mary Sloan is buried at Calvary
Hill Cemetery within the Ursuline plot but at a discreet
distance from the Ursuline Sisters buried there.
To learn more about ways to make a planned gift to
Ursuline Academy of Dallas please contact:
Christy Frazer
Director of Institutional Advancement
469-232-3584
cfrazer@ursulinedallas.org

[ LOGOS
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TABLE OF contents
Published annually for Ursuline Academy of
Dallas alumnae and the Ursuline community.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
4900 Walnut Hill Lane • Dallas, Texas 75229
www.ursulinedallas.org
Alumnae Office
Regina Fonts Morris ’82, Director
469-232-3586
rmorris@ursulinedallas.org
Julia Frasco, Alumnae Associate
469-232-3587
jfrasco@ursulinedallas.org
advancement
Christy Frazer, Director
469-232-3584
cfrazer@ursulinedallas.org
Mimi Bishop, Director
Annual Giving
469-232-3595
mbishop@ursulinedallas.org
Communications
Valerie Oates, Director
469-232-1806
voates@ursulinedallas.org
URSULINE ACADEMY OF DALLAS
Sr. Margaret Ann Moser, O.S.U. ’56
President
srmoser@ursulinedallas.org
Elizabeth C. Bourgeois
Principal
ebourgeois@ursulinedallas.org
URSULINE SISTERS OF DALLAS
Sr. Lois Castillon, O.S.U.
Prioress
lcastillon@ursulinestl.org
2009-2010 ursuline alumnae board
Aimee Baillargeon Griffiths ’90, President
Sarah Johnston Polzer ’98, Vice President
Karen Meier Eubanks ’83, Treasurer
Marianne Chionglo ’00, Secretary
Jennifer Beesley ’03
Mary Lou Baskins Beesley ’71
Elaine Cochran ’01
Crissy Cook ’00
Kelly Moore Cook ’85
Lorilei Cardenas Cronin ’95
Genevieve Rubensteen Dittmar ’80
Jennifer Houston ’95
Kathleen Kilanowski ’98
Malorie Perry ’04
Angela Tristan ’99
Eileen Maher Weber ’84
Gina Scalise Landry ’85
Ex-Officio
Sr. Margaret Ann Moser, O.S.U. ‘56
Sr. Lois Castillon, O.S.U.
Amie Cantu Hinderliter ‘95
Cecilia Nipp ‘85
Fran Corrales-Drone ‘86
Linda Thomas White ‘81
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Brandon Thibodeaux, Deborah Kellogg, William Thompson
Holt Haynsworth, Ron Barbosa
Kristen Bohn
Director of Custom
Publishing
Mark Mahorsky
Creative Director
Pedro Armstrong
Production Manager
DESIGNED BY D CUSTOM
Lindsay Thomas
Business Development
Director
Jennifer Mosley
Account Service Manager
John Gay
Digital Imaging Specialist
Manager
750 North St. Paul Street, Suite 2100, Dallas, Texas 75201
214-939-3636 • www.dcustom.com
Copyright 2010 by Ursuline Academy of Dallas.
All rights reserved.
[ Cover Story ]
10 Choosing
to Change
the World
Alumnae educators talk about why they became teachers, the
challenges and the rewards, and qualities of great teachers.
[ FEATURES ]
16
Global Serviam:
Called to Spread
God’s Comfort
Sofia Almanza ’07 and Sarah Cook ’07
reflect on their summer “experiencing
the challenges that face the poorest of
the poor” at Mother Teresa’s mission in
Kolkata, India.
18
20 Years of
Mardi Gras
Ursuline will host its 20th annual
Mardi Gras Ball on February 13, 2010,
celebrating two decades of support for
student scholarships and a rich history of
volunteer leadership.
24
Extreme
Makeover
The French Family Science, Math, and
Technology Center and a new Music Building
open on campus. Major renovations transform
15,000+ square feet of older facilities.
COVER PHOTOS: Ursuline alumnae featured in LOGOS 2010
and LOGOS online at www.ursulinedallas.org
Mary Jane Neuhoff Brezette ’81 with her first
grade students at St. Rita’s Catholic School
[ departments ]
2 From the Alumnae Director
3 Professional Women’s Network
4 Letter from Board President
6 Alumnae Mosaics
8 Alumnae Awards
14 Student Profile
20 About the Sisters
22 Vital Statistics
26 Keeping In Touch
27 Alumnae Achievements
28 Photo Gallery
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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from the director
Moving Forward
Together
IDear Regina,
In the weeks after assuming the role of Alumnae Director, my
predecessor, Sybil Emmett Tucker ’51, gave me a wonderful
gift, a silver letter opener, accompanied by this note:
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
When I became Alumnae Director in 1982, Lydia (Haggar
Novakov ’68) gave me a silver letter opener. It has served
me well all these years. It has opened good and bad news,
invitations and memorials, promotions and keepsakes. It
brought reality to the number of alumnae whose paths I crossed
and whose lives the Alumnae Office became a part of. I thought
you might like the same.
Begun in 1899, the Alumnae Association has a rich heritage
of strong and reliable leadership. These talented women raised
scholarship money, hosted events, published a newsletter, and
made many difficult decisions long before there was an Alumnae
Office. I encourage you to recognize that independent spirit and
think of how the Alumnae Office can continue to foster it…
I wish you every success in your journey as Alumnae Director.
Sybil
March 2, 2009
With characteristic grace, Sybil makes clear the responsibility
that I have inherited. So much has been achieved during Sybil’s
time as Alumnae Director, and she has inspired, encouraged,
and empowered us. In her new position as Ursuline Archivist,
she will continue to be there for us in a different way, ensuring
that our heritage is well-preserved.
In the coming year, we have exciting plans for reunions,
more chapters in different cities, spiritual retreats, and other
initiatives. We will build a new alumnae online community at
www.ursulinedallas.org with password-protected access, class
pages, chapter groups, more news about events and alumnae
accomplishments, and a secure online directory. We have also
established a Facebook presence and a Twitter feed. So please
log in to stay connected, informed, and involved in all that is
happening at Ursuline today!
Like the letter opener that supported alumnae relations in the
past, these new approaches will help strengthen the bond
we all share with one another and our alma mater. Together,
we will continue our great traditions and move forward as
St. Angela Merici instructed so many years ago…
Reflecting on the independent spirit that established the
Association, it is with the deepest commitment and most
sincere intention that I continue upon the same path. I
look forward to working with you to identify new ways to
support alumnae needs and interests. Our goal is to facilitate
programs and activities that can be relevant at every stage of
life experience.
“Have hope and firm faith in God, for He will help you in
everything. Act, move, believe, strive, hope, cry out to Him with
all your heart, for without doubt you will see marvelous things...”
Counsels, Prologue 15, 17-18
With all my best,
We will explore new ways to share our gifts, knowledge,
and expertise with students, with one another, and with our
communities. We will seek meaningful partnerships, like
those nurtured by Ursuline’s Professional Women’s Network
in Dallas (see next page). We also hope to better enable
career networking and mentoring opportunities within our
alumnae community.
R e g i na F o n t s M o r r i s ’ 8 2
Alumnae Director
r m o r r i s @ u r s u l i n e d a l l a s . o r g

Professional women’s network
Women Helping Women
PWN Advisory Committee members, Emily Candee, Erin Fenske, Janet Medlin (left to right),
lead the IMPACT 3 workshop, which prepared students for their summer internships.
In 2004, three alumnae, Sharon Stack Morrison ’87,
Patti Sullivan ’81, and Angela Downes ’86, established
an organization to support students looking for
summer internships. They also envisioned the
group as a professional networking organization for
Ursuline alumnae. Today the Ursuline Professional
Women’s Network (PWN) has grown to more than 60
active members from nearly every career field. The
organization is open to alumnae, mothers of current
students and alumnae, and friends of the Academy.
The group hosts events several times a year. This
fall’s networking event, on October 26, featured Dr.
Joan Schiller, noted cancer researcher, speaking about
“personalized medicine in cancer.”
“We envision the PWN as a community for women,
whether they are alumnae or not, who have a heart for
students, and who want to develop a robust networking
group,” said Janet Liese Medlin ’75, 2009-2010 PWN
Advisory Committee member.
Last summer, 36 rising seniors took part in the
Ursuline summer internship program, working at least
60 hours in industries from television production to
medicine. Many of these placements were provided by
PWN members or people who expressed interest in
mentoring a student.
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Natalie Riemer ’10 interned
for Emily Candee ’03, who
works in real estate for
Transwestern. “Natalie did an
amazing job,” Emily remarked.
“She was poised beyond her years
and I cannot say enough good
things about her professionalism,
confidence, positive attitude, and
work ethic.”
In preparation for their
internships, the PWN annually
hosts IMPACT3, a three-session
workshop covering the three
“I”s - impression, interviewing,
and interaction.
Kelsey Carpenter ’10 is
interested in pursuing a medical
career, so she interned at
Methodist Hospital, spending
time in the operating room and accompanying a
physician on rounds.
“I hoped to get a better understanding of the different
types of medical careers,” she said. “Also, I wanted to
begin to immerse myself in the medical atmosphere to
see if it is a place where I would like to spend the rest of
my life working.”
“This is a group of women helping women – the
students and each other,” said Alexa Spears of the
architectural firm Corgan Associates. “We invite all
alumnae, mothers, and other professional women to
join us.”
Janet concludes, “It’s a great way to give back to the
community because these girls will be our future leaders.”
To get involved, contact Jo Carol Mason at
jcmason@ursulinedallas.org.
2009-2010 PWN Advisory Committee
• Janet Medlin ‘75, retired Wealth Management
Advisor
• Erin Fenske, UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Alexa Spears, Corgan Associates
• Emily Candee ‘03, Transwestern Commercial
Real Estate
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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letter from the board president
Dear Alumnae Sisters,
TThink back to that breathtaking moment when the doors of the rotunda
were opened and you stepped out in your white gown, holding your
roses, and slowly…confidently…walked into the next phase of your life.
That memory strikes me every single time I drive through the circle
on my way to St. Joe’s. It is this recollection, as well as the knowledge
that I am a small part of an incredibly rich tradition, that calls me back
to campus. We share a sisterhood that reaches across generations,
stretches around the globe yet we are united in the spirit, love, and
commitment that began with St. Angela Merici.
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
I am beyond honored to serve all of you as the Alumnae Association
President for 2009-2011. To be in the midst of such esteemed,
accomplished women is a joy and a great privilege. Please join me
in extending a special thank you to our immediate Past President,
Amie Cantu Hinderliter ’95, who was a remarkable leader and
a tremendous support to me personally. We are grateful for her
dedication to Ursuline.
Heartfelt thanks to the Board members who have also completed their
term: Nancy Bowen Brown ’70, Jean Thomas Buys ’82, Mary Anne
Haren Gallagher ’80, Sr. Peggy Hill, O.S.U. ’53, Ashley Lattner ’99,
and Mary Koch Stack ’82. They, too, have given very generously of
their time and talents.
Meanwhile, our returning Board members are rolling up their sleeves
and getting back to work! Joining us for the coming year are:
Jennifer Beesley ’03, Mary Lou Baskins Beesley ’71, Elaine
Cochran ’01, Crissy Cook ’00, Lorilei Cardenas Cronin ’95,
Genevieve Rubensteen Dittmar ’80, Karen Meier Eubanks ’83,
Jennifer Houston ’95, Kathleen Kilanowski ’98, Sarah Johnston Polzer ’98,
Eileen Maher Weber ’84, and Gina Scalise Landry ’85.
We also welcome five new Board members: Kelly Moore Cook ’85, Marianne Chionglo ’00,
Malorie Perry ’04, Angela Tristan ’99, and Fran Corrales Drone ’86.
Our job as Alumnae Association Board members is to fling open those doors of the school for
you once again so you can return and savor those wonderful memories… as well as rejoice in
all the exciting changes! We ask you to join us for one of our many events: Heritage Day, Easter
Egg Hunt, Homecoming, Senior Picnic, and Career Day, just to name a few. We urge you to
return to campus, allow us to take you by the hand, and reintroduce you to your history!
Fondly,
Aimee Baillargeon Griffiths ’90
aimeegriffiths@tx.rr.com

“ The knowledge that we are a
small part of an incredibly rich
tradition calls us back to campus.”
- Aimee Baillargeon Griffiths ’90
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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Alumnae Board members in the atrium of the new French Family Science, Math, and Technology Center (diagonal from
top to bottom) - Right Row: Gina Scalise Landry ’85, Kelly Moore Cook ’85, Mary Lou Baskins Beesley ’71, Karen Meier
Eubanks ’83, Crissy Cook ’00, Malorie Perry ’04; Middle Row: Sr. Margaret Ann Moser, O.S.U. ’56 (ex-officio), Genevieve
Rubensteen Dittmar ’80, Lorilei Cardenas Cronin ’95, Linda Thomas White ’81 (ex-officio), Jennifer Houston ’95, Jenny
Beesley ’03; Left Row: Julia Frasco ’05 (Alumnae Associate), Marianne Chionglo ’00, Sarah Johnston Polzer ’98, Angela
Tristan ’99, Kate Kilanowski ’98, Aimee Baillargeon Griffiths ’90, Regina Fonts Morris ’82 (Alumnae Director).
Not pictured: Sr. Lois Castillon, O.S.U. (ex-officio), Elaine Cochran ’01, Amie Cantu Hinderliter ’95 (ex-officio),
Cecilia Nipp ’85 (ex-officio), Eileen Maher Weber ’84, Fran Corrales Drone ’86 (ex-officio).

ALUMNAE MOSAICS
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
Katherine Mix
Becoming a Veterinarian
Katherine Mix ’99 has
known that she wanted to be a
veterinarian since second grade.
“I always had pets growing
up and during high school,” she
explained. “I began working
for the vet we took our dog to
for five years off and on during
summer breaks in undergrad
before applying to veterinary
school.”
Last fall, Katherine began
an internship in Small Animal
Medicine and Surgery at South
Texas Veterinary Specialists in
San Antonio, where she was selected from among 80
applicants for one of only two positions available.
“My experience at Ursuline taught me that if I worked
hard at what I wanted I could achieve my goals,” she
said, “even when people told me I might not be able to.”
Michelle Weilert
Heading for Broadway
It’s only a matter of time before Michelle Weilert ’05
has her name in lights on Broadway. A recent graduate of
Loyola Marymount, she was named “Playwright of the
Year” two years in a row, the first student in the university’s
history to achieve such an honor.
Earlier this year, her dark comedy, Two Can Keep a Secret
(If One is Dead), was selected as one of 30 out of 400 plays
submitted to be showcased at the
American Globe Theatre Company
in New York, reaching the semifinals
of the renowned off-Broadway
theatre festival.
Michelle describes herself as
a product of her environment,
recognizing Ursuline’s influence on
her playwriting and the experiences
she writes about. “I think any writer
draws from the community they
grew up in. Being at an all-girls
school is such a unique experience
and it’s definitely a factor in my
perspective on the world.”
After pursuing some light acting
in high school, Michelle studied
Graduating from Texas A&M University in 2003 with
a B.S. in Animal Science, Katherine earned her doctorate
in 2009 from Ross University School of Veterinary
Medicine, on the island of St. Kitts, West Indies.
She moved to Oklahoma for her final year of studies,
along with five-year-old Bassett Hound, Gracie, and
Buster, a three-year-old Coconut Retriever adopted in
St. Kitts, in tow. In March, she won top honors for her
DVM Student Clinical Case presentation at Phi Zeta
Research Day, Oklahoma State University Center for
Veterinary Health Sciences.
“Veterinary school is one of the most difficult
and one of the best things that I have ever done,”
Katherine said. “There were times I fell asleep in
patients’ stalls working an 80+ hour week. But it was
definitely worth it, for everything I’ve learned and the
interesting cases I have been able to work on.”
With a large extended family in Dallas, including
sister Theresa Mix ’02, aunts Linda Mix Gilbert ’69
and Sharon Mix Mentesana ’82, and cousin Stacy
Mix ’04, Katherine hopes to one day work in the
area, either in a small animal specialty practice or in
general practice.
with Beth Henley, a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, at
Loyola Marymount, and realized her interest in writing
plays was more than just a hobby.
“I was still toying around with acting, but being in this
class and the recognition of being accepted made me realize
writing was my one true passion,” she said. “They say you
should only be an actress if you can’t imagine yourself doing
anything else, and that’s how I feel about writing.”
Michelle hopes to expand into TV and film writing,
and to have one of her screenplays purchased. She would
ultimately like to make movies
with her best friend Barrett
Johnston ’05, with herself
writing and Barrett directing.
“Winning an Academy
Award for Best Screenplay
would be more than a dream
come true,” Michelle said.
She is currently working
for her former professor,
Beth Henley, fine-tuning
her skills and exploring all
the options that playwriting
offers. Catch details of all her
upcoming shows and a blog
she updates regularly on
www.michelleweilert.com.

Becky Wade
Taking Great Strides
Becky Wade ’07, a junior at Rice University, has entered
her third season with the Women’s Track and Field team,
conference champions for three years running.
“I made running a priority my freshman track
season at Ursuline, and worked daily with Coach Dan
Hardy who constantly inspired me in this sport,” she
said. “During my junior year, I decided that I wanted
to run in college and Rice was a perfect fit for
running and academics.”
Becky was recognized this year as one
of four Rice female track and field athletes
named to the Conference USA All-Academic
Team. She also represented the USA in the
3000 meter steeplechase at the World Junior
Championships in Poland last summer, and was
named NCAA Division I All-American.
While the Olympics are her ultimate goal, she’s
focusing on the present and says, “I will definitely
have to keep improving and be patient, as most
marathoners don’t peak until their mid-thirties.”
Alberta Blair-Robinson
Engineering Community
Alberta Blair-Robinson ’79, Assistant Director
at Dallas County Public Works Department, has a
goal to become a key player in regional planning and
infrastructure. She is well on her way, with over 22 years
in engineering and construction project experience in
the city of Dallas and Dallas County.
A graduate of Texas A&M, with degrees in both
Environmental Design and Civil Engineering, Alberta
helps manage an estimated $100 million in work
on roads and bridges throughout Dallas County
each year. Previously with the City of Dallas, she
worked on projects such as the McKinney Avenue
Trolley, Arts District Streets, and the State Thomas
neighborhood development.
Along with a very demanding career, Alberta has
been active on a number of community boards and
commissions, including State Thomas Tax Increment
Finance District, Cultural Affairs Commission, and
the North Park Development Corporation. She is also
involved in her church, where she volunteers in the
youth program and teaches children’s Bible study.
Community involvement has always been important
in Alberta’s family. As a public servant, she says she is
well equipped to bring a strong sense of service to the
office each day.
“I started my path early, following my father to civic
and neighbor meetings looking at ways to effectively
enhance communities,” she said. “Ursuline’s motto,
This summer Becky was given the opportunity to
live on a horse ranch in Colorado and train with Laura
Haefeli, a professional trail runner who has represented
the USA multiple times at the World Championships.
“I learned so much about a different kind of running
than I’m used to… her successful running career is
such an inspiration to me.”
Becky remains very active on the Rice
campus through organizations such as
Rice Ambassadors and Student Athlete
Advisory Committee, an academic
mentorship program. In 2008, she
was honored with the Martel Female
Athlete of the Year award.
“Although life would be a little less
challenging and demanding without
three seasons of competitive running
each year, it would also be so much less
fulfilling and enjoyable.”
Becky has a twin brother, two older
siblings, and parents Suzanne and Bill who
travel to nearly all of her meets, biking beside
her on long runs, and encouraging her pursuits.
‘Serviam, I will serve,’ is a model I still carry in my
career and life ventures. It is easy to complete projects
with this same attitude of professional service for others
and the community.”
Antoinette Bacchus, a co-worker, attended an
Ursuline school in Guyana. Alberta happened to notice
a Serviam emblem hanging on Antoinette’s wall one
day and inquired about it. Realizing they were Ursuline
sisters, “we then recognized that the values taught to
us were clearly demonstrated in our work ethics and
involvement,” she said.
After attending
Ursuline’s 2009
graduation,
Alberta said she
felt nostalgic
and amazingly
thankful for her
own experiences
at the Academy.
“I’m still having
fun in life after
leaving Ursuline
over 30 years ago,”
she said. “It’s been
an inspiration to
me to strive to be a
greater woman. I
will always treasure
being part of this
great school.”
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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ALUMNAE AWARDS
Alumnae
Awards
08
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
Ursuline Honors Alumnae
at Homecoming
Serviam Alumnae
2009
Dianne Wright Doyle
and Jodee McCarthy
Dianne Wright Doyle ’78 and Jodee McCarthy ’82 both
received Serviam Alumnae Awards in recognition of their
volunteer work.
Within the Dallas community, Dianne Doyle has
volunteered for Catholic Charities, the American
Red Cross, Austin Street Shelter, and local parishes in
numerous capacities. She developed the framework for the
Ursuline Class Agent program and served her class in that
capacity. She has devoted her time to the Ursuline Mardi
Gras Ball, alumnae phonathons, Homecoming events, and
the Jesuit Rangerettes.
Jodee McCarthy is praised by her classmates for
her tireless efforts to bring their Class of ’82 “family”
together, keep them informed, and spread prayer
requests as they arise, going far above and beyond as
their Class Agent.
More than 450 alumnae “came home” to
Ursuline Academy on Sunday afternoon, February 1,
to participate in Homecoming 2009. Special honors
went to award recipients Susan Hayes Raffo ’74,
Distinguished Alumna; Dianne Wright Doyle ’78
and Jodee McCarthy ’82, Serviam Alumnae;
and Sybil Emmett Tucker ’51, retiring Alumnae
Director now serving as the Academy Archivist.
Carrying on a century-old tradition of awarding
scholarships, the Alumnae Association also
recognized the following current students, relatives
of Ursuline Academy of Dallas graduates, who have
demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities:
Shanon Elizabeth Hurley-McKnight ’09,
Selina Elise Amador ’09, Emily Pryor ’10,
Elise Tanner ’10, Jennifer Boone ’11, Mary
O’Brien ’11, and Colleen Hoofard ’11.
Distinguished Alumna
Susan Hayes Raffo
Susan Hayes Raffo ’74 volunteers on the boards of
numerous non-profit organizations and works daily with
girls at the Sacred Heart
School in her home
state of California. She
was instrumental in
the formation of the
Ursuline Academy of
Dallas Foundation, Inc.,
serving as a member of
the Foundation Board
(2001-2008), including
the position of Board
Chair and Investment
Committee Chair. From
its inception, she provided leadership and guidance to
the Foundation, helping to define its purpose, establish
committee structures, and advise on investment strategy
and financial strength. Long-time supporters of Ursuline,
Susan and her husband Bob have also established two
endowed scholarships for worthy Ursuline students.
To read remarks made at Homecoming by the 2009
Alumnae Award recipients and honoree Sybil Tucker,
go to www.ursulinedallas.org/alumnaeawards.

Homecoming 2010
January 31
Special Honoree
Sybil Emmett
Tucker ’51
“Inexhaustible pep, brightening many a
glum gathering, amusing quips, revealing
quickness of thought are characteristics
of Sybil, our lively cheerleader for Jesuit”
(Ursuline yearbook ’51).
Words used to describe most of us in our high school yearbooks
are seldom a foreshadowing of years to come. Not so for Sybil
Emmett Tucker ’51.
Although her Jesuit cheerleading might be a bit out-of-practice,
her enthusiasm for Ursuline has truly remained inexhaustible.
Having served as President of the Alumnae Association (1974-
1976), the first Director of Alumnae and founding editor of LOGOS
(1984-2008), and a longtime member of the Dallas Women’s Club,
she is most proud of the Ursuline Alumnae Board and the Class
Agent program.
“They are the weavers who keep the cloth whole.”
As Academy Archivist, Sybil’s special focus will be on developing
displays for the Academy’s new Heritage Gallery in the French
Family Science, Math, and Technology Center.
“Most amazingly, I’ve seen you all…
as you walk down Main Hall,
magically become 16 again.”
Sybil Emmett Tucker ’51
Homecoming 2009
Yearbook photos:
Sybil Emmett, Class of 1951
Enjoy
tours of the French Family
Science, Math, and Technology Center
and new Music Building.
Behold
the beautifully restored
Stained Glass Window from the original
chapel in Old Ursuline.
Remember
deceased classmates and
their families at the Memorial Service.
Honor
the 2010 recipients of the
Distinguished Alumna and Serviam
formal program.
Join
your classmates for a fun-filled
celebration immediately following the
Alumnae Awards.
Pose
for reunion and class pictures to
be featured in the next issue of LOGOS.
Reminisce by walking through Main
Hall and “become 16 again”!
View
archives, class photos, and
artifacts from the early days of Ursuline
in the new Heritage Gallery.
UCPA
Doors Open at 1:00 p.m
Alumnae Awards Presentation 1:30 p.m.
Memorial Service 2:00 p.m.
Haggar Center
Reception 3:00 p.m.
French Family Center South Atrium
Stained Glass Window and Donor Recognition
Ceremony 3:30 p.m.
Sybil Emmett Tucker ’51
Endowed Scholarship
In honor of her 27-year
career as Alumnae Director, the
Ursuline Alumnae Association
has established the Sybil Emmett
Tucker ’51 Endowed Scholarship.
When fully funded, the scholarship
will provide, in perpetuity, financial
support for qualified and deserving
young women students to attend
Ursuline Academy.
For more information, contact:
Ursuline Academy Advancement
Office at 469-232-3584.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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[
CHOOSING TO
CHANGE THE
WORLD
[
Alumnae Educators Engage Hearts and Minds
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
When LOGOS first reached out to identify alumnae
educators, the enthusiastic response posed a real challenge.
How to best represent these accomplished and talented
professionals, diverse in age, geography, area of expertise, and
experience, yet united by their bond as Ursuline graduates
More than 50 alumnae responded to the call to
participate in this story. Their experience levels range from
veteran educators with more than four decades in the field
to those just beginning their teaching careers.
LOGOS asked each teacher why they chose a career
in education and what they find most challenging and
rewarding about their work. They were also asked to
share their views on the qualities
and characteristics of great
teachers, innovation in education,
and what they think the future
holds for their profession.
Why Teach
Many alumnae who chose to
teach were inspired by their own
teachers who instilled in them a love
of learning. Others felt called to the
profession from an early age. All are
driven by a desire to make a positive
impact in the lives of their students.
“I can connect to another person
and make a difference in the way
they look at the world and their work,”
said Elaine Pawlowicz Leydon ’85,
adjunct professor of art at the University of North Texas.
“I chose a career in education because so many of my
teachers, especially at Ursuline, inspired me to be like them,”
said Monica Prachyl Cochran ’71, English teacher at
Ursuline. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is knowing
that I touch the lives of so many young girls as a teacher.”
“I enjoy going to work each day,” said Janine Wachsman
Amy ’83, Math department chair at W.T. White High School
in Dallas. “Students and I work toward mastery. I teach a
diverse group of students who have many challenges in front
Mary Jane Neuhoff Brezette ’81 with her first
grade students at St. Rita Catholic School, Dallas
of them. I am always looking for ways to relate what we learn
to the real world.”
“Among the most rewarding aspects of this career are the
‘aha’ moments that children have,” said Kristen Frazer ’92,
who teaches 8 th grade Math at Christa McAuliffe Middle
School in Palm Beach, Florida. “When I explain something to
students, it is great to be able to see them ‘get it’. The pure joy
on their faces and knowing that I helped open the world to
them is one of the best feelings. In all my years of teaching, it
still gets me excited!”
Serviam Teachers
True to their Serviam roots,
many alumnae teachers routinely
extend their role as educators
beyond the traditional classroom
and into their communities.
Joanna Brown ’97, who
teaches third grade at an American
run international school in
Quito, Ecuador, volunteers at an
orphanage on the weekends. Her
classmate Heidi Edwards ’97
teaches English and religion
at a private Christian school in
Surabaya, Indonesia, where she
also serves as campus chaplain.
Retired from teaching English
and ESL in the Memphis schools,
Judy Drabek Bettice ’58 is
now teaching East African refugees from Sudan, Somalia,
Rawanda, and Barundi, helping them adjust to the
complexities of American life. Judy and her husband are
also Adult Faith Formation Coordinators for their parish and
teach Diocesan Biblical Studies.
Sister Virginia Cirone, O.S.U. ’58, a member of
the Ursuline Provincial leadership team, is currently
living with three other Sisters serving in New Orleans
neighborhoods recovering from Hurricane Katrina. She is
consultant to seven reopened Catholic elementary schools,
This article offers just a small sampling of the information provided to LOGOS on alumnae educators. To learn more about the
extraordinary motivation, dedication, and spirit of service of all who commented for this story, visit www.ursulinedallas.org/LOGOS.

Many Ursuline Dallas alumnae have returned to their alma mater as teachers to help educate future generations.
Pictured l to r: Barbara Woster ’90, Connie Young ’60, Sarah Berry ’03, Monica Prachyl Cochran ’71, Alex Huffman ’00, Susan Flume
Bauer ’64, Suzy Fowler Grossman ’59, Christy Miller ’00, and Monica de la Cerda ’91. Current alumnae faculty not pictured:
Ann Middendorf ’84, Cecilia Nipp ’85, Colleen Johnson ’98, Lauren Field Stewart ’00, Jenny Beesley ’03.
PHOTO BY Holt Haynsworth
providing training in administration, financial analysis, and
bookkeeping.
Elizabeth Schuster Nowak ’84, recognized by the
National Science Teachers Association as a Fellow, turned
down offers from some of Delaware’s most prestigious
schools to teach real life skills to students at Delcastle
Technical High School in Wilmington.
For years, Susan Flume Bauer ’64, Director of
Technology at Ursuline in Dallas, has dedicated a month of
her summer break to teaching Math and computer science
to disadvantaged students in East Texas.
Leadership
Clearly, there is no shortage of leadership ability,
achievement, and entrepreneurship in these ranks.
Many Ursuline alumnae teachers are serving as
administrators at their educational institutions, including
Cecilia Nipp ’85, Dean of Diversity and Global Education,
and Monica de la Cerda ’91, Dean of Students, both
at Ursuline in Dallas. Sister Jan Dunn, R.S.C.J. ’64 is
Headmistress of Duchesne Academy, an all-girl college
preparatory school in Houston. Fran Lucido Thompson ’78
is Principal of St. Patrick’s School in Dallas.
After running the Grand Prairie, Texas, elementary
school summer program with great success, Amanda
Borowczak ’01 was recruited to serve as Assistant Principal
at Austin Elementary, embracing a challenging assignment at
this predominantly Hispanic school and one of the oldest in
the district.
Nancy Marshall ’67, a Language Arts teacher at Hudson
Bend Middle School in Austin, was honored as one of 35 Top
Texas Teachers in Dorothy McConachie’s 2002 book of the
same name. Martha Werner ’88, now Principal of Oak Point
Elementary, Little Elm ISD, Texas, was named Assistant
Principal of the Year for her region in 2006-07. Beth Duffin
Wunderlick ’71 recently received the Park Cities Learning
Disability Teacher of the Year Award.
After 25 years teaching pedagogy at Southern Methodist
University, Becky Hardy Corley ’62 started her own music
school which just celebrated its 20 th anniversary of operation.
She has also served as President of Dallas Music Teachers
Association. Mary Ann Hylden ’67 opened her Montessori
school in Houston in 1995.
Renee Chauviere Carver ’92 took her teaching degree
into the aligned field of educational publishing. Over the past
eight years, she has written, edited, and project managed
student edition textbooks and teacher’s guides, working for
major publishers.
Innovation
“The use of technology will continue to inspire teachers
to create new and exciting ways to teach and assess their
students,” said Sarah Berry ’03, Theology teacher at
Ursuline in Dallas. “The more I learn about the programs
available to us, the more anxious I am to try them out in the
classroom and see how the students will react.”
“Education is a series of building blocks,” said Fran
Thompson ’78. “The challenge is to use innovative
techniques to teach the basics and to maintain a strong
educational foundation.”
“I am excited that Ursuline is beginning cross curricular
classes, and I hope this can continue in every subject,” said
Alex Huffman ’00. The concept of making connections
across the disciplines helps students and teachers solidify the
material and develop a deeper understanding.”
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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Teaching for America: Lessons of My First Year
By Valerie Bishop ’04
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
Teaching is something I always thought I’d try someday
if I had kids and needed a flexible schedule. After graduating
from Texas A&M in December 2007, I struggled to find
work in the music industry before realizing I had to
consider other options.
Teach For America
(TFA) is a non-profit
organization that places
high achieving college
graduates in inner city
schools across America
for a two year teaching
commitment. I decided to
apply because it allowed
me to live in New York
City, test drive teaching,
and do meaningful work
with children.
Although I had been warned it would be grueling, there’s
nothing that could have prepared me for my first year TFA
experience. I trained roughly 18 hours a day to teach 6 th grade
Math in Brooklyn. Training was intense, but I felt excited and
prepared to face my students for the first day of school. Before
even starting, however, I was laid off due to budget cuts and
sent to an elementary school to substitute while TFA worked
to place me in a new permanent position.
Eventually I was hired to replace a middle school special
education English and humanities teacher in the South Bronx.
I quickly saw the challenge in teaching a class where students
ranged in ability from a 1 st grade to an 8 th grade reading level.
Even more challenging was building a rapport with my
students who felt abandoned by their previous teacher.
Most rewarding, aside from completing the year without
any major incidents, was watching a low functioning student
volunteer nearly three pages of facts he’d memorized about
the thirteen colonies. He also cheered on some of my speech
and language impaired students as they presented their Black
History Month projects at an assembly in front of our entire
middle school!
As someone not originally planning to be a career teacher,
I never imagined I’d be so consumed by my job. I talk, think,
worry, dream, and brag about my students constantly.
Now in my second year, I have a better understanding of our
public education system. I’ve gained insight into the culture
and home life of my students and their families. And I’m
learning to manage and instruct students with various mental
and emotional disabilities. All this and more have made this
experience such an asset to my development, as a professional
and as an adult.
To learn more visit www.teachforamerica.org
What Makes a Great Teacher
Here’s what alumnae educators say: Great teachers are creative, fair, and flexible. They have high expectations for their students, a caring
attitude, a lifelong love of learning, and passion for the educational process. They are totally dedicated to the success of their students.
Patience and a sense of humor also come in handy.
Martha Werner ’88, Principal, Oak Point
Elementary, Little Elm ISD, Texas
“Caring - You can’t capture a kid’s mind if you
don’t capture their heart first. Teachers have
to be able to build and maintain relationships
with students if we expect them to give their
personal best.
Perseverance - Kids are not a ‘one size fits all.’
You have to be willing to keep trying, using
multiple modalities and ideas, to help a child
learn.
Passion - Teaching is not the job for the fainthearted.
Kids know when their teachers are
excited about their job.”
Martha Werner ’88
“Great teachers put a smile on their faces every
morning whether they feel like it or not, and use
humor, laughter, and maybe a little music to set
the tone for their classroom. A great teacher
is one who looks beyond the labels of autism,
ADD, dyslexia, emotionally disturbed, and finds
a way to reach the child inside. A great teacher
is diligent about planning and preparing for
instruction. And a great teacher acts as thrilled
with the gift of the colored macaroni necklace
as she does with the spa gift certificate.”
Kitty Fleming ’71
“A great teacher is someone who can connect
with their students. A great teacher is someone
who practices what they preach and is engaged
with the world!! They have a sense of purpose
and want their students to achieve success.
They are flexible and willing to adapt teaching
methods to best suit the needs of students.”
Elaine Pawlowicz Leydon ’85

Career Perspectives
Ellen Smith Pryor ’74
Years of teaching - 22 years at Southern Methodist University
Susan Williams
McElroy ’80, Ph.D.
Years of teaching - 16
Current Position
Associate Professor of Economics and Education Policy
School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
Susan Williams McElroy ’80 chose to pursue a career
in higher education because she believed she could make a
difference in that arena.
“I guess you could say teaching is in my blood,” Susan said,
“because I come from a family of educators.”
Susan’s mother and aunt are retired teachers, and her sister
Martha Williams ’78 currently teaches high school chemistry and
physics. She discovered her own love of teaching in graduate school.
“During my senior year at Princeton, I received a full fellowship for
graduate study from the National Science Foundation. I understood
what a phenomenal opportunity that was,” she explained.
“When I entered the doctoral program in Economics of Education
at Stanford University, I was not actually planning to become a college
professor. However, I had very few professors who were female or
people of color, and I felt an obligation to at least consider this path.”
What she finds most rewarding is the satisfaction of working with
students and guiding them through the learning process.
“I teach economics, and some of my students do have math
anxiety,” Susan says. “When I work with a student and see them build
their self-confidence, then my impact goes beyond simply teaching
the subject matter.”
In elementary and secondary school, she says, innovation is critical
to ensure that students develop a love of learning. At the college
level, her focus has been on higher education pedagogy, including
development of new college courses to add to the curriculum.
“There is always a cost involved in changing the way we do things,”
Susan says, “not to mention the inertia that often favors doing things
the way we have always done them, sometimes in the name of
tradition. So we have to weigh the costs and the benefits.”
What does she see on the road ahead
“My hope is that in 10 years, the professoriate or the cadre of
professors in this country will be more diverse in terms of gender and
race. This will help college students develop a broader world view and
an appreciation for a variety of perspectives, which is important in
light of globalization.”
She also believes it’s very important for students to develop 21st
century learning skills. “As a graduate of Ursuline and a mother of
a nine-year old daughter, I think in particular about how we can
encourage and develop these skills and competencies in girls and
young women.”
Current Positions
Homer R. Mitchell Endowed Professor of Law, SMU Dedman
School of Law; Associate Provost, SMU, Dallas, TX
In law school Ellen Smith Pryor ’74 had the chance to be editor
in chief of the law review, an opportunity that tended to “open the
door” for joining a law faculty.
“The possibility was in the back of my mind,” Ellen recalled. “But
I was pretty certain that the one thing I did NOT want to be was a
law professor.”
But after she had been in practice for several years, she became
very interested in disability, compensation, and the law. So she joined
the faculty of Southern Methodist University with the primary goal of
researching and writing on these issues.
“I realized that these areas were still evolving. On my first day, I fell
in love with the teaching aspect of the job, as well as the research.”
About three years ago, she was asked to serve as an Associate
Provost at SMU.
“I am still on the law faculty - and probably will return to
teaching - but for now I report to the Provost, the chief academic
officer of the university. The job exposes me to educational
issues in all seven degree-granting units of the university, which
is really interesting.”
As a classroom teacher, Ellen says, the most rewarding part
of the job is to “help be one useful, small step” on the student’s
journey of discerning what they will and should do with their
lives. She believes it is important to be positive about the legal
profession, while still illustrating its conceptual and moral
complexity, and some of the difficulties and challenges of practice.
“As a researcher,” she
says, “I have the incredible
opportunity to research an
issue in depth and then to
write about it in a way that I
hope is useful and accessible.”
“The greatest challenge
of being an academic
administrator is the incredibly
fast pace and immense
volume of the work,” she
continues. “The most
rewarding part is the chance
to work with an academic community such as SMU. A university is
a complex organization and the students are in a crucial intellectual
and personal formation stage. “
Over the next decade, Ellen believes that there will be a greater
emphasis on “engaged” education that includes real-world
experience and original research by undergraduate students. She
also sees more focus on interdisciplinary studies. Current examples
at SMU include a class on the sociology of aging, with time spent
in an elder care facility, and a human rights course that includes
experience with a refugee center or other human rights non-profit.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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student profile
Educating a
YOUNG SCIENTIST
[ Maddie Ball ‘11]
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science fair, Maddie Ball ’11 is an international
force to be reckoned with.
Her projects center around how small
crustaceans called copepods can provide an
organic way to control mosquitoes. She has won
first prizes at the state and regional level, tens of thousands
of dollars in college scholarships, and top honors at the
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
two years running. At this year’s fair, Maddie won the
second grand award and was the only girl on a team of all
boys representing North Texas.
Ursuline Academy of DallasIn the highly competitive world of
“To think that copepods, these tiny but hearty
crustaceans, would be better than the commercial pesticide
that you buy at your local home improvement store, is
amazing,” Maddie said.
This year, she began studying the possible unintended
consequences of using copepods for mosquito control.
“My research now is all new,” she continued. “Freshwater
copepods can be a host for the bacteria that causes cholera,
so I am looking at the cholera transmission process.”
Her research recently took her to the lab of
Dr. Joel Goodman, Professor of Pharmacology at the
UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Maddie at the Dallas World Aquarium, where she worked caring for fish, turtles, and other aquatic creatures.

“Compared to other strong high school science projects
with which I’ve been involved, the hypothesis was quite
complex,” Dr. Goodman said about Maddie’s research. “She
went into this in much more detail… she even included
statistical analysis. She is a professional, rare at her age. She
oozes enthusiasm, is very mature, and smart as a whip. She
already thinks like a scientist.”
Interestingly, cholera did show up in all of Maddie’s
samples, but it was not the variety that she expected to find.
Instead, it was the new and dangerous Vibrio cholerae 0139
that is responsible for current cholera epidemics in Iraq,
Zimbabwe, and the Congo.
Maddie’s research proved that not only is the variety here
in North America, but it has been here for at least ten years.
“My love of science was really started by my father.
We always had a subscription to National Geographic and
my dad loves science a lot,” she said. “We also had a huge
aquarium and raised many unusual kinds of fish.”
She began competing in science
fairs as a seventh grader at St.
John’s Episcopal School.
“My first project was testing the
hypothesis that if you overfeed sea
anemones, they will reproduce
more quickly. Not surprisingly, this
turned out to be true,” she said.
In eighth grade, she started
working with the copepods. “It
really is cutting edge science. No
one is really exploring what they
can do. I thought, ‘Why don’t we
try them out to see if they are as
good as people say at controlling
mosquitoes’”
She went on to compete and win
at the state and regional science
fairs, and to earn her first trip to
ISEF, where she won the fourth
grand award.
“ISEF is such a multicultural
event. There are people from
40 countries and every state.
[ ]
“ To think that copepods
would be better at mosquito
control than commercial
pesticide ...is amazing.”
Everyone trades pins and you meet a lot of cool people.
Two of my good friends are from Pakistan, and we all
keep up with each others’ projects through Facebook.”
“Maddie thinks and works independently, but she
also works well in a group to accomplish whatever task
is assigned,” said Roxanne Leitner, Maddie’s Biology I
Honors teacher at Ursuline. “With her science fair
competitions, she demonstrates for the other students
that creative thinking and hard work can lead to success
in seeking their goals, even while still in high school.”
When considering what to do this summer, she
approached the Dallas World Aquarium, hoping they
might allow her to volunteer or intern. After learning
of her skills, the owner offered her a full-time paid job
caring for the fish, turtles, and other aquatic creatures.
Her time there was cut short by two extraordinary trips
in July. Maddie was one of ten students from across the
U.S. tapped to go to Charles University in Prague, Czech
Republic, to explore quantum
physics and live with other
international students. She
was also invited by AMAAVET,
the Czech national science
program, and MILSET to
present her copepod research
in an adult forum in Prague
and at Exposition Sciences
International in Tunis, Tunisia.
“It’s very international and a
huge multicultural event. I love
different cultures - it’s kind of
my thing. I love the different
landscapes and just meeting
people from all over the world.”
This fall, she will begin her
next science fair project, again
working with copepods.
“Junior year is the biggest
year for scholarships.” Then
she added with a twinkle in her
eye, “Maybe I can even throw a
- Maddie Ball ’11
patent in there this year.”
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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In Her Own Words
On Science Fair
“It’s kind of like a pageant – I have a nemisis in my category.
It’s very competitive. My friends keep up with what each other
is working on.”
What do her friends think of her work
“My Ursuline friends are really supportive. They wonder how
I find the time. I just make time and do a little work here
and there.”
On the French Family Science, Math, and Technology Center
“We’ll have better equipment and better labs, so we can see
science in action. In the past, I had to go to other schools to
use their microscopes because we didn’t have one that was
powerful enough at school.”
“LEED is awesome. First it’s new and it’s nice and good for the
planet. It tells the students that we can help the planet every
single day. A lot of students I know are really conscious about
the planet, so they are really jazzed about it because it’s an
opportunity to be green.”
Science Course taken this year (2009-10)
AP Biology
What does she do when not doing scientific research
“I like to hike, rock climb at climbing gyms, and I read a lot.”
What is she reading
“The Red Queen, a genetics book. And trying to work my way
through Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.”
Her career plans
“I’m very interested in scientific research. I know scientific
method very well. I’m not sure what I want to go into – maybe
the medical field — either doctoring or research.”

SERVIAM
Called to
Spread
God’s Comfort
[Carrying on the Work of Mother Teresa]
by Sarah Cook ’07
Sarah Cook (l) and Sophia Almanza (r) on
laundry day in Kalighat.
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
In Kolkata, India, life for the poor is simplified into a
single objective – survival. For many, it is a struggle as
they battle to find the basic necessities to supplement
an animalistic lifestyle. Years ago, the poverty seen
throughout the city drew Mother Teresa to Kolkata and
she felt called to spread God’s comfort to the suffering.
Now, hundreds of volunteers from all over the world flock
to Kolkata to help the Missionaries of Charity carry on
Mother Teresa’s work. In June, I was lucky enough to
become one of these volunteers and spend four weeks
working with Mother Teresa’s nuns, experiencing the
challenges that face the poorest of the poor.
I had seen all the pictures
and read all the books, but
nothing could prepare me for
the streets of Kolkata. The
street was its own small world,
a constant chaos of rickshaws,
bikes, motorcycles, cars, taxis,
buses, dogs, cattle, and people
everywhere and at all times.
Horns were used so frequently that they had lost their
meaning. And there were no apparent traffic laws, with
stoplights counting only half the time. But the sidewalk was
the true heart of the street, filled with hundreds of people
living on their claimed scrap of pavement. Our morning
walk to Mass turned into more of a weave as we were forced
to wind our way through the sleeping bodies that lay backto-back
on the cement in the early morning heat.
After simply witnessing life on the street, I could
easily understand why Mother Teresa was drawn to
Kolkata. It needed her. Without the Missionaries of
A scene on the streets of Kolkata.
Charity, I would have given up hope. The Sisters’ daily
routine gave me strength — Mass, work, and sleep.
Without it, I might have despaired.
Together with Sofia Almanza ’07 — a fellow Ursuline
classmate whom I amazingly found also volunteering
with no previous knowledge of her plans — I went to
work with handicapped children at an orphanage called
Shishu Bhavan. Handicapped children have a hard time
getting adopted from Shishu. In many ways, we were
their only connection to the outside world. Feeding,
changing, and exercising were all part of the daily routine.
In the evenings we would work at Kalighat, the House
of the Dying. Kalighat stayed with you. I saw things that
I didn’t know could happen in this modern age. And
eventually people would die. It was so hard. The two
hours there sometimes felt like years. And yet, there was

How humbling Kolkata is!
by Sofia Almanza ’07
Coming to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity
has allowed me to live out Serviam closer to God’s
poor — those who are truly unwanted, unclaimed, and
unloved. I am placed in Shishu Bhavan, an orphanage
for little street children, in the mornings and Kalighat,
a hospice for the sick and the dying, in the afternoon.
Sisters in both places guide us through the daily routine
and provide extra instruction depending on what is
needed for the day.
As I walk to Shishu Bhavan, I am overwhelmed by the
sights, sounds, and smells. There are families living on
the pavement, buses honking, and the distinct odor of
human waste. While there, we hang laundry, feed the
children breakfast, do
physical therapy in the
form of simple exercise,
and later feed them lunch.
Feeding them is a true
test of patience. Many
clinch their teeth, while
Sarah Cook (far left) and Sofia
Almanza (far right) with other
volunteers and Sr. Mercy Maria.
a sense of peace gained from all
the work because I realized that
these people would be dying alone
on the streets if they weren’t in
Shishu or Kalighat.
Now that I’ve returned, the first thing that people ask
me is if I had fun. Fun…that’s not the exact word I would
use to describe it. It was challenging and demanding. It’s
probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I tell
people it wasn’t fun, but I’m happy I went and I would
easily go again.
❋ EDITOR’S NOTE Sofia Almanza, a Gates Scholar and
junior at Brown University, is majoring in Economics and
considering graduate school for Economics/Education.
Sarah Cook, now a junior studying English at University
of Dallas, hopes to serve in the Peace Corps before
graduate school.
others slobber everything
back out. However,
laughing with the children
as they stretch their
limbs at the playground
rejuvenates me. I take Sunita, who is always the first one
outside ready to hop on the swings. We sing the alphabet
and other songs in hopes to teach them while playing. To
see the light in their eyes as we return is a true gift.
Taking a bus to Kalighat, I am squeezed between
people in the hot, sticky seats. Similar to morning duties,
we complete the laundry by hand, walk the patients,
pass out medicine, and feed them. The women are more
hesitant about exercise. Two of us often have to pull a
patient out of their bed and physically move their legs
for them. Laila, an elderly malnourished woman, holds
our hands tightly for balance and wheezes after walking
200 feet. However, the patients are much more eager to
eat. They begin to ask about dinner an hour and a half
before it is time. And, often a patient will snatch a piece
of bread off of another’s plate — it seems like the latter
doesn’t mind knowing that there is probably a need for
food. While the women are all strangers, they generously
look out for one another.
Despite Kolkata’s harsh and callous environment, I
have found peace and hope by working with the Sisters.
They radiate Jesus’ presence in the simplest tasks,
from scrubbing the floors to preparing meals. I have
been blessed to share in these tasks alongside other
volunteers. I know that my two months here will only
provide a small amount of help that is actually needed. I
pray that I continue to do “small things with great love”
in my community for the greater glory of God.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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MARDI GRAS
Celebrating 20
Years of
Mardi Gras
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UUrsuline Academy will host its 20th annual Mardi Gras
Ball on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at the Intercontinental
Dallas Hotel. As in every year past, all proceeds from the
event will go to support student scholarships.
“Our theme, Hearts of Gold, celebrates a commitment
of service from a talented and dedicated community,” said
Linda Booth, Co-Chair of Mardi Gras 2010. “The success
of Mardi Gras is achieved through the heartfelt spirit of all
those brought together who share a common mission to
provide for those in need.”
Over the past two decades, with endowment earnings
and from Mardi Gras, Ursuline has funded more than
$14.1 million in financial assistance and merit awards for
deserving young women students. This year, the Academy
will provide $810,000 in scholarships for 159 students, about
22% of the total enrollment.
“It is an honor to be co-chairing the 20th anniversary of
Mardi Gras! When I think of the cumulative effect of 20
years of scholarships, the number of lives changed is truly
countless,” added Diane Brown, Co-Chair of the 2010 Ball.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
Mardi Gras
BALL 2010
Saturday, February 13
Cocktails and Dinner, Live and Silent Auctions, Car Raffle
InterContinental Dallas Hotel
Entertainment - Professor D and the Playskool
Visit www.uamardigras.org
Ann and Barry Drees in 1991 (l)
and today (above)
The First Mardi Gras
The first Mardi Gras Ball was held on February 3, 1991 at
the Fairmont Hotel. The event, chaired by Ann and Barry
Drees, was a rousing success with nearly 400 attending.
“I really believe that the best way to help women is through
education, so how could I say ‘no’” Ann said. “Barry almost
never says no to helping girls and women; after all, he has a
sister, two daughters, and three granddaughters—no boys.”
In addition to his six years as a member of the Ursuline
Board of Trustees, serving as Chair from 2006-2008, Barry
Drees has been on the steering committee of the Dallas
Woman’s Foundation for a number of years. Ann and Barry
are parents to two alumnae daughters, Meredith ’90 and
Melanie ’92.
“Barry and I had attended many charity balls in Dallas and
a Mardi Gras Ball in Mobile when we were young,” Ann said.
“So we took the best ideas from all of those…New Orleans
food, costumes, dancing, two bands, and Ursuline girls selling
the car tickets.”
Their biggest challenge, she recalled, was convincing
people to pay $125 each for a truly special event. “After the
first ball was so much fun, I don’t think that has ever been a
problem again.”
Not long after that first Mardi Gras Ball, Ann Drees
suggested and wrote the application for Ursuline’s campus to
be named a historical site. Today, the official marker stands
on the front lawn. Ann enjoyed the research so much that
she decided to get her Masters in History, and went on to
teach English as a second language at the Dallas community
colleges for the next ten years.
“The Lord leads us in mysterious ways indeed,” she said.

A Sisterhood of Service
Marian Haggar Bryan ’72 and
Donna Hafertepe Butzberger ’72
Barbara Balisteri Koeijmans ’79
and Teresa Daly Walther ’74
“Of course, chairing is the easy job; our committee is an
amazing group of dedicated, talented, and hardworking
women and men.”
Recognition of endowed gifts at Mardi Gras began in
1998 when Mary Lee and Fritz Duda presented the first
Mardi Gras endowed scholarship from The Duda Family
Foundation. More than 60 endowed scholarships and
faculty endowments have been established through Mardi
Gras over the past ten years.
“If it weren’t for the scholarship money
I received at Ursuline, I wouldn’t
have been able to go to high school
there… The teachers I had, the friends
I made, the classmates who journeyed
with me, and the lessons I learned made
a lasting impression on me.”
Elena Doskey ’06
Why has Mardi Gras continued to be successful,
Q: year after year
“Ursuline women are inspired to multiply the
blessings of our community by extending them to those
less fortunate. This is because Ursuline inspires the mind
and opens the heart by teaching service as a way of life.
We are all enriched by the diversity that comes through
scholarship.” – Barbara Balisteri Koeijmans ’79
“Mardi Gras is so successful because of the
unbelievable commitment on the part of the volunteers
and the staff. Everyone is working towards a common
goal and it all has to do with ‘the spirit of service’ and
helping others.” – Marian Haggar Bryan ’72
Leadership of Mardi Gras is a huge commitment!
Q: Why did you decide to get involved
“Ursuline gives so much to its graduates…it’s an honor
to give back.” – MaryCook Nabors Blanshard ’67
“I got involved because I understand the impact of an
all girls Catholic education and I wanted to help ensure
as many girls as possible had access to the Ursuline
experience.” – Jennifer Staubach Gates ’84
What is your most cherished memory of your
Q: Mardi Gras experience
“I made so many friends chairing Mardi Gras and still
maintain these friendships even though our daughters
have long graduated. Ursuline is about the sisterhood,
and even the women that were not UA grads still had a
chance to be part of a sisterhood of service.”
– Teresa Daly Walther ’74
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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1991 Ann & Barry Drees
1992 Barbara & Robert Middendorf
1993 Mary Cook Nabors Blanshard ’67
& Robert Blanshard
1994 Mary & William Henrich
1995 Nancy McLochlin
Marianne Staubach
1996 Luann Sewell
Barbara Brum
1997 Mary Wilbert
Vicky Pitts Lattner ’69
1998 Mary Lee Duda
Brenda Morgan
Patti Reynolds
1999 Rosalyn Bell
Jennifer Staubach Gates ’84
2000 June Tehan
Maureen Croley
2001 Jill Jackson
Debbie Sirchio
Past Mardi Gras Chairs
2002 Mary Ann McNally
Barbara Balisteri Koeijmans ’79
Teresa Daly Walther ’74
2003 Jane Kirby
Susan Genovese
Donna Garcia de Quevedo
2004 Jenny Vilfordi Dove ’76
Mary Ackels
2005 Donna Hafertepe Butzberger ’72
Marian Haggar Bryan ’72
2006 Cynthia Brown Robinson ’76
Natalie Devero
2007 Tina Noah
Cindy Bartholomew
2008 Jane Ryan
Michelle Priolo
2009 Michelle Collins
Mary Smith
Ana Esteve Yoder ’82
2010 Diane Brown
Linda Booth

ABOUT THE SISTERS
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
“ Life
”
An
Sr. Peggy Hill , O.S.U. ’53
Extraordinary
“It’s an ordinary life,” Sr. Peggy Hill, O.S.U. ’53, says, as she begins to paint a
portrait of her life that has been anything but ordinary. Sr. Peggy, no doubt,
is best known by some for her gift of orchestrating powerful Memorial
Masses for Ursuline alumnae several times each year. “We owe it to our
classmates to honor them and their stories,” Sister explains, “to wipe the
tears of their loved ones who ‘come home’ for the Masses.”
Perhaps this liturgical gift was born
of Sr. Peggy’s personal tragedy. Having
lost her father when she was eight years
old, she not only experienced personal
grief, but also witnessed the paths this
grief took in the lives of her mother and
nine siblings. “Maybe out of my loss, I see
the need to help others come to terms
with their grief. That is my ministry with
Ursuline alumnae.”
Others know Sr. Peggy best as an
Ursuline Theology teacher.
“I’d never thought of teaching!” she
chuckles, reflecting on her decision to
pursue this vocation, made during her
senior retreat at Merici. “I just wanted to
be of service as I saw the Ursuline Sisters
doing when I was a student here.”
Nevertheless, teaching became one of
the many ways that Sr. Peggy has touched
the lives of others.
“The way I see Theology, and especially
scripture,” she says, “is through ‘the story;’
how we interpret suffering and joy and
birth and death. That’s what religion is.
Everyone has a story.” Specifically, Sr. Peggy
is passionate about sharing, reverencing,
and celebrating the woman’s story.
“I get so excited about that! God created
male and female and in God’s image
male and female. It is not about women’s
liberation—it is about the woman’s story.”
She praises the wonderful women
scripture scholars and women theologians
who have a voice. It follows that, for class
analyses of Biblical miracles, Sr. Peggy
always chose one that involves a great
woman as a way to inspire her students
to find their own voice. “Scripture tells
us the gift of women is their wisdom,”
Sr. Peggy says.
“That’s who we want to be. The stories
are very powerful.”
In the 1990s, believing she needed to
know more about her Asian sisters in our
global environment, Sr. Peggy volunteered
to serve in Bangkok, Thailand. (She is quick
to add that the King of Thailand attended
Ursuline kindergarten.) When the Ursuline
Provincial suggested that the Sisters there
would not have a voice in the world unless
they learned English, Sr. Peggy not only

Missale Romanum, 1942,
displayed in St. Ann’s Chapel,
open to the page for the Feast
of St. Angela Merici.
Peggy Hill, Class of 1953, Acres
taught the Sisters, but taught the high
school girls as well.
In Thai society where men are
traditionally better educated and given
every opportunity, she says, “these girls
have a chance on life. They can sail right
up to the top…and they do.”
As a member of the Dallas Ursuline
Community, Sr. Peggy accepted a
major role in the conversion of the
Sisters’ convent to St. Ursula Hall. The
Provincial had asked each Community
to survey their needs and assets. “Like
any aging family, we needed to take
inventory,” she said.
After much study and prayerful
conversation, and following the
guidance of St. Angela Merici, their
foundress, “to adapt with prudence,”
the Sisters decided to turn the convent
over to the school. The school benefited
from the increased space as well as the
gift of a beautiful chapel—a sacred space
for Masses and for the girls to enjoy
anytime for prayer and reflection.
“And, I discovered the chapel has a
name!” Sr. Peggy explained. “The chapel
was a gift from the L.E. Guillot family,
who donated and named it in honor of
the mother, Ann Reagan Guillot. It has
always been ‘St. Ann’s Chapel.’”
Lest we portray Sr. Peggy only as an
“You have to
remember, Peggy,
you are doing
your best. Even
the angels
can’t do better
than that.”
accomplished woman, she reminds us
of her time as an Ursuline student.
“It wasn’t easy being a student
here! Our principal, Sr. Dolores
Marie, had eyes in the back of her
head!” Sr. Peggy recalls. There were
occasions when, arriving at high
school “in the sticks,” Sr. Dolores
Marie called her and some friends to
the office because one of “her
people” saw the girls waiting for the
bus wearing an untucked blouse or
lipstick. “She knew it!”
Now that Sr. Peggy is retired from
the Ursuline teaching community,
she reflects on the challenge of
redirecting her need to be of service.
She observes that an inscription on
a stained glass window in St. Ann’s
Chapel seems to offer some guidance,
“Do whatever He tells you.”
Sr. Peggy is strongly considering
applying her degree in language
learning once again, perhaps working
with Sisters in Mexico, and sharing
her passion—to give women a voice.
Those whose lives she touches will
agree that Sr. Peggy continues to heed
the advice her mother gave her many
years ago. “You have to remember,
Peggy, you are doing your best. Even
the angels can’t do better than that.”
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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VITAL STATISTICS
Marriages
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
’74 Karen Brewer to Robert Holman
’78 Tracy Naftalis to Eddie Kittle
’82 Christine Jack to Philip Blum
’84 Shannon Flynn Mayfield to Ron Workman
’87 Melissa Fedro to Jim Alexander
’88 Elizabeth Galecke to Ted Sampson
’88 Abla Lynn Hamza to Jeremy Milner
’90 Lisa Moses to Matt Montgomery
’91 Dayna Harvey to Jeff Rekieta
’92 Traci Karlstad to Christopher Wellington
’92 Tracey Hull to Eric Antrim
’92 Kira Hultsman to Todd Hartgrove
’94 Elizabeth James to Aaron Koury
’94 Katy Robertson to Ryan Smith
’95 Shawnna Tyler to Chris Kelsey
’96 Allison McCabe to Maurizio Bendandi
’96 Kristin Sullivan to Matt Kowalski
’97 Megan McClendon to Jonas VanDyke
’98 Hillary Dunn to Brian Deck
’98 Kelly Canavan to Feliz Galen
’99 Maggie Furlong to Tripper Clancy
’99 Katherine Lane to Jason Mallette
’99 Jennifer Spaeth to Ryan McLaughlin
’99 Ana Ramon to Zachary Sherman
’00 Kaylen McCurry to Nicholas Meserve
’00 Wendy Wheless to John Cluley
’00 Kristen Hargett to George Parry Jr.
’00 Annie Duross to Kevin Babuder
’00 Katie Larkin to Adam Nadelson
’00 Anne Marie Lucier to Brian Bierman
’01 Margot Allen to Kyle Goss
’01 Stephanie Hockridge to Ryan Woyski
’01 Courtney Lewels to Rhyland Rowe
’01 Mary Tarangioli to Kevin Smith
’01 Julie Wimmer to Clint Tuttle
’01 Jacquelyn Jetton to Dr. Dennis David
O’Banion Jr.
’01 Lauren Sullivan to Andrew Wyatt Dorman
’02 Elizabeth Pollard to Zachary Savage
’03 Claire Garahan to William Charles
Scheihing III
’03 Michelle Cox to Christopher Chiara
‘03 Sarah Harris to Jeremy Graham
’03 Megan Kirby to Michael Spaeth
’03 Jacquie Kutscher to Chris Moline
’03 Lindsey Jaco to Steve Justice
’03 Greer Rawlings to Mark Knox
’03 Kathleen Ryan to Matt McCabe
’03 Mary Ellen Stark to Daniel McWilliams
’03 Mara Walther to William Guerin
’03 Natalie Nordseth to Damien LeVeck
’04 Jill Robinson to Michael Hylden
’04 Jacqueline Villa to Steve Prenger
’04 Allison Morgan to Dr. William H. Dunklin III
’04 Ashley Pierrett to Matt Panfill
’04 Danielle Rivera to Nick Villanueva
’04 Emily Genovese to Jay Miller
’04 Natalie Koeijmans to Barrett Koch
Mara Walther ’03 married
William Guerin in Rome.
Births
Girls
’88 Cara Ritchie Borian
’88 Jenny Yakamavich Fedele
’89 Kathryn Gallagher Coligado
’90 Jennifer Puente Daugherty
’90 Stefanie Ramirez Lattanzio
’91 Mary Rudick Candelario
’91 Megan Gordy Lumpkin
’91 Mari Hinojosa Jones
’91 Amy Lootens Sorensen
’91 Carrie Armstrong Marquis (2006)
’92 Julie Zander Eiben
’92 Katie Schaffler Morris
’92 Traci Karlstad Wellington
’92 Joni McKown Grossman
’95 Danielle Dunne Dress
’95 Karen Cassell Ford
’95 Mary MacHutta Kearney
’95 Shawnna Tyler Kelsey
’95 Erin McCormick Lundie
’95 Juli Anna Schaeffer McNutt
’95 Amy Staubach Mentgen
’95 Helen Flurry Trajtenberg
’95 Kelly Noonan Walker
’95 Andrea Laurenzi Wolf
’96 Joanna Rebone Chabot

Preston David
Molepske and big
sister Madison
Molepske, children
of Lindsay Davis
Molepske ‘00.
’97 Sarah Katherine Davis Zavala
’00 Lauren Field Stewart
‘00 Adrian Bergkvist
Boys
’83 Faith Martinez Culotta
’83 Elizabeth Thompson Grant
’87 Karen Hirst Kennedy
‘87Ann-Marie Munin Helling
’87 Melissa Fedro Alexander
’90 Lisa Moses Montgomery
’90 Michele Yannarella Nelson
’90 Lizzie Peters Wiener
’91 Lisa Mehl Bonnett
’91 Katina Bithos Tchokoev
’91 Chithra Arumugham Volluz
’91 Dorothy Woster Sosnowski
’91 Alicia Alcala Frederick
’92 Courtney Masino Melkus
’92 Christy Yakamavich Jimenez
’93 Heather Byrne Koopman
’94 Natasha Wyndham Hanners
’94 Becky Ford McDavitt
’95 Shawnna Tyler Kelsey
’95 Pauline Mabul Lewis
’95 Courtney Brown Gilbert
’95 Jennifer Jordan Nieman
’95 Marny Brum Tackett
’98 Elizabeth Nelson Keller
’98 Elena Dodd Switzer
’99 Claire Rawlings Gilder
’99 Kate Haggerty Hatch
’99 Amy Dunne Henderson
’00 Lindsay Davis Molepske
’01 Allison Gulick Wells
Twins
’91 Lisa Mullan (girl and girl)
’92 Erica Gonzalez Dominguez (boy and girl)
’94 Caroline Bird Bourret (boy and girl)
Adoption
’88 Mindy Tucker Fletcher (boy)
Please note: Vital Statistics listings reflect notifications received by production deadlines.
Deceased
Requiescat in pace
Alumnae:
’28 Gertrude Kilsdonk Taber
’31 Anna Catherine Moser Endom
’33 Mary Louise Brown Dodge
’36 Neva Mae Harrell Malcomesius
’38 Betty May Exall Stewart
’40 Margaret Fowler McCauley
’40 Flora Quinn Monroe
’46 Marilyn “Lynn” Donnally Ardizzone
’47 Mary Ann Triece Vogel
’51 Claire Patricia Campbell
’57 Mary Jo Byrne Vanderlaan
’63 Susan Andrea Balding Rychlik
’76 Mitzi Garcia Perez
’77 Jean Marie Tolle Geis
’81 Caroline Rasmussen Farrell
Husbands of:
’35 Patricia Richardson Ryan
’41 Jean Lynch White
’58 Tonita Worley Peebler
’62 Jean Merrill Hill
’82 Susan Broun Loyd
’88 Michelle Sineni-Ribeiro
Mothers of:
’60 Sharon Sladek Thies
’67 Mariann Gilchrist
’71 Jill Kohlhass Parcell
’72 Mary Maher Hughes
’72 Susan DiFrancesco Borecki
’73 Marilyn Moussa Hubble
’75 Carmody Cronin Baker
’76 Karen Rea Brooks
’77 Melanie Mayeux Dulock
’77 Jocelyn Meintser
’78 Valerie Vanderlaan Beard
’78 Jane Maher Blast
’78 Leslie Vassallo
’79 Emma Donahue McLaughlin
’79 Sharon Rea Peavey
’79 Jennifer DiFrancesco Petersen
’80 Laura Gatewood Burkhardt
’80 Kathryn Moussa Daniel
’83 Isis (Marie) Moussa Schlesinger
’88 Jeanine Trumbull Dillon
’04 Mallory Massanelli
Fathers of:
’64 Patricia Roper Eggemeyer
’64 Judy Vetter
’67 Patricia Ryan Dubberley
’68 Debra Shepherd Robinson
’69 Christine Rehme Scully
’69 Sally Vetter
’70 Mary Kay Shepherd
’70 Mary Ryan Millwee
’70 Gloria Vara Stuart
’72 Patricia Morris Johnson
’73 Nancy Rehme Hockridge
’73 Helen Demko
’73 Kathleen Vetter Jenkins
’73 Katherine Hendler Huske
’73 Barbara Bray Wall
’74 Sharon Keating McQuown
’75 Gloria Hendler
’75 Marguerite Bray Murchison
’76 Nancy Bray Martin
’76 Kathleen Keating Precise
’78 Sarah Hendler Feagin
’78 Tricia Keating
’80 Marea White Meadows
’80 Elise Mierzwiak Macy
’80 Theresa Santoro
’80 Glenda Jo Daniels Delgado
’82 Pauline Hendler Pagel
’82 Paula Reagan
’83 Nancy Hunter Rodriguez
’85 Patricia Hunter
’86 Maureen Keating Vance
’87 Marla Mierzwiak Duff
’87 Stephanie Ashmore Ingram
’89 Michelle Ingram Morales
’91 Melina McKinnon Cain
’92 Bee Lee
’92 Kathy Ingram
’92 Tracy Hull
’92 Elizabeth Hobrecht Sampson
’95 Angelique McKinnon Lorig
’05 Katie McGlynn
’07 Claire McGlynn
’09 Mia Morris
’12 Tessa McGlynn
’13 Isabelle Morris
Daughter of:
’52 Tammy Marietta Tolle
Son of:
’79 Laura Delin Wilson
Sisters of:
’37 Mary Moser Bosworth
’55 Carol Campbell Conway
’69 Rita Garcia Ransdell
’71 Kitty Ruisinger Fleming
’80 Irma Garcia Pacheco
’83 Renee Grasso Strycker
’84 Claire Rasmussen
Sister Ann Barrett O.S.U.
Brothers of:
’59 Joan Black Austin
’63 Dianne Bifano
’66 Catherine Grinnan Bartley
’67 Anne Grinnan Lind
’70 Mary Grinnan Puster
’75 Janie Grinnan MacNaughton
’76 Kathleen Flatley Hickman
’78 Frances Grinnan DeWitte
’79 Carmen Rangel Blandino
’79 Cathy Weber Miller
’87 Cathleen Finch
’00 Paula Finch
’00 Cassandra Pellegrini
’09 Melanie Wilcox
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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MUSIC
ON CAMPUS
BUILDING
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
The extraordinary new 70,000-square-foot French Family
Science, Math, and Technology Center opened in fall 2009.
Construction of a much needed new Music Building was also
completed in time for the start of school. Last October, work
began on major renovations to convert 15,300 square feet of
older facilities into 21st century learning environments.
When completed, these campus renewal projects will
have transformed more than half of all classroom space and
increased total instructional facilities by 25 percent.
Ursuline’s progress to date reflects tremendous
community support. With the end goal in sight, the Academy
now needs to raise a total of $2.9 million over the next two
years to complete funding of these projects.
TAKING NOTE
Ursuline’s new Music Building is the first
structure on campus designed and built
specifically for music instruction. Located
next to UCPA/Braniff, the Music Building
completes a vibrant new hub for performing
arts. For the first time, performing arts faculty
and students are centralized in one area of
the campus, inspiring new excitement and achievement in
Jane Chambers, Chair, Performing Arts Department, shown in the new
Music Building, directs instruction and programs for the 250+ students who
participate in the school’s orchestra, three choirs, musical theater, color
guard, and band each year.
instruction and performance.
A LEED facility, the building exceeds today’s standards
for energy efficiency, water conservation, and acoustical
performance.
The heart of the Music Building is its large rehearsal
area; measuring approximately 1,800 square feet, it seats
approximately 100 people. The facility also offers a practice
room, music library, office space, and storage. Advanced
technology includes audiovisual, wireless network, and a
special computer-equipped classroom with software for music
composition, music theory, and MIDI (Musical Instrument
Digital Interface).
CAMPUS RENOVATIONS
In addition to new construction, campus renovation is a
key component of Campus Renewal.
Spaces in Lower Main Hall and Cass Hall (vacated with
the move of sciences to the French Family Center) are being
converted into new classrooms for English, Journalism, and
Theology. A new faculty office suite will be located on the
first floor of Cass Hall. The Bear Necessities bookstore is also
being relocated to a larger, renovated, and more accessible
space in the lower level of this building.
Visit www.uafuture.org to learn more about Campus
Renewal at Ursuline, including a virtual tour of the new
French Family Center.

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION | AT URSULINE ACADEMY
The French Family Science,
Math and Technology Center
and the Music Building have
been designed and built to
meet the Leadership in Energy
& Environmental Design
(LEED) certification standards
established by the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED school buildings conserve natural resources
and contribute to a healthier learning environment.
Some of the measures used in sustainable construction at
Ursuline include:
• Sustainable site development
Soil erosion controls; highly reflective finishes
for roofing and all site landscapes to reduce
heat islands; interior/exterior lighting systems
that minimize light sky glow; development of a
master plan to ensure sustainability in future site
development.
• Water conservation (more than 50% savings)
Native, water efficient plants, highly efficient
irrigation systems and captured rainwater for
landscaping; low flow faucets and fixtures and
other conservation measures.
• Energy efficiency (25% savings)
Mechanical systems designed to optimize
energy performance and environmental/
economic impact; solar shades to reflect light
into classrooms and protect large expanses of
glass from direct sunlight; sourcing a portion of
electricity from renewable resources.
• Materials selection and waste management
Recycled or salvaged 70% of all non-hazardous
construction/demolition debris to divert
from landfills or incinerators, including over
2,000 tons of wood, paper, concrete, brick, and
metal materials; use of building products that
incorporate recycled content; materials sourced
from within 500 miles of building site.
• Indoor environmental air quality
Use of low emitting adhesives, paints,
furnishings, and other building materials;
HVAC protection and other indoor air quality
construction methods.
“One of our calls as educators is
to be responsible stewards of all
God ’s gifts to us. At Ursuline
Academy, our goal is to
become a model of environmental
stewardship. We as a community
have made a commitment to grow
in our understanding and practice
of sustainability campus-wide.”
- Sister Margaret Ann Moser, O.S.U.
President
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
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Your gift can do so much!
To find out more about the Facing the
Future Campaign, visit www.uafuture.org,
or contact the Office of Institutional
Advancement at 469-232-3584.

keeping IN TOUCH
New Ways for
Alumnae to
Connect Online
Ursuline is launching
several new online
tools to help you stay
connected with other
alumnae and all of
the exciting things
happening at the
Academy today.
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Ursuline Academy of Dallas
New! Alumnae Login at
www.ursulinedallas.org
As an alumna, you can now
log in to the new private, password-protected community at
www.ursulinedallas.org to access news and information
just for you. The previous online community, as well as the
permanent email addresses, have been replaced by a new
site with these features:
Alumnae Portal
The Alumnae Portal is the new “home page” for the
Ursuline Alumnae Online Community. It is a comprehensive
one-page dashboard that highlights news, announcements,
events, photos, downloads and links that are important to
Ursuline alumnae. When you log in, your Alumnae Portal
will display information customized to you; for example, it
will display information of interest to all Ursuline alumnae
as well as information specific to your graduation year.
“My Profile” to update your contact information so your
friends will be able to find you.
Chapter Groups
Join the chapter group for your area! There are chapters
now in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington, D.C. Just click
on “My Groups” to see what groups you might like to join.
Mentoring and Networking
In the near future, we will add new groups for
professional networking and for alumnae/student and
alumnae/alumnae mentoring. Stay tuned for more details.
Class Pages
Each class will have its own group page run by its class
agents. You will be able to post your news, plan reunions,
share photos, and more.
Alumnae Directory
When you are logged in, you will be able to view a private,
secure directory of Ursuline alumnae. Be sure to click on
Log in Today!
Your username is your class year, first initial, and maiden
name with no spaces (i.e., Pam Smith Jones ’78 would have
the username of 78psmith).
Your temporary password is your five-digit home zip
code. You will be asked to set a permanent password on your
first login. If you need help, please contact the alumnae
office at alumnae@ursulinedallas.org.
Even More Ways to Stay Connected Online
• Facebook: Become a fan of Ursuline Academy of Dallas Alumnae
• Linkedin: Join the Ursuline Academy of Dallas Alumnae and the Ursuline
Professional Women’s Network groups
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ursulinedallas

alumnae achievements
Kudos
• Beth Duffin Wunderlick ’71 has been teaching special
education in the Highland Park ISD for four years and
recently received the Park Cities Learning Disability
Teacher of the Year Award. Beth is also finishing her M.S.
in Special Education with certification as a diagnostician.
Sr. Dolores Marie Ramsey at her 75th Jubilee celebration on July
18th in Alton, Illinois, shown with Peggy McLemore Baum ’53.
• Nancy Leamy Bowen’s ’76 home was featured in the
October 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens kitchen
renovation section. She has been renovating homes in
East Dallas for many years and takes a hands-on personal
approach to each project.
• Rosanne Messineo Mills ’77 was selected as a
D Magazine “Best Real Estate Agent in Dallas” for the
third year in 2009. Less than 1% of real estate agents are
awarded this honor. Last spring, she spoke to the Dallas
Association of Young Lawyers about “Buying Your First
Home in a Volatile Real Estate Market” and was on a
panel of attorney/entrepreneurs on “Alternative Careers
for Attorneys.”
the daughters of Margaret Murrin Moser ’31 and the
late A.C. Moser, Jr., of Dallas.
• Sabrina Hall ’92 recently received a very honorable
promotion from Homeland Security to Immigration in
the White House. Her permanent position is in Dallas
where she serves as Deputy Chief Counsel for U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Mary MacHutta Kearney ’95 and her husband, Will,
established a book drive last December to honor the
memory of their daughter Abigail Ann for Medical City
Children’s Hospital. “Our goal was to collect 300 books.
At last count we have nearly 2,200!” They also raised
several thousand dollars and, as a result, Medical City is
opening a children’s library that will be called “Abby’s
Book Corner.”
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
27
logos
• Ana Ramon Sherman ’99 joined the Aeronautics
division of Lockheed Martin Corporation and received
the company’s annual Community Service Award,
recognizing her company outreach efforts and her
community involvement outside of the office.
• Sr. Margaret Ann Moser, O.S.U. ’56 (right), President
of Ursuline Academy of Dallas, and Sr. Mary Theresa
Moser, R.S.C.J. ’53 (left), Assistant Dean of Arts &
Sciences at the University of San Francisco and Secretary
to the Catholic Theological Society of America, both
celebrated their Golden Jubilee marking 50 years of
religious service this year. A special mass was held on
June 20 in the Ursuline Chapel with Fr. John Edwards,
S.J., as celebrant, followed by a dinner for about 100 of
the Sisters’ family members and friends. The Sisters are
• Allison Mathews ’03 graduated Summa Cum Laude and
Phi Beta Kappa from Howard University with a B.A. in
Sociology in 2007. While studying at Howard, she received
the Lucy E. Moten Scholarship to conduct research in
Spain and Morocco. After completing several research
projects, she presented and published her senior honors
thesis entitled, “The Economic Influence on Progressive
Legislation: An Example of Affirmative Action.”
• Melissa Gramlich ’07 successfully auditioned for
Dance Coalition, a dance education group in Northwest
Arkansas. This past year was her second year to compete
in the Miss University of Arkansas pageant as well and, for
the second year in a row, she was voted Audience Favorite.
Read more alumnae news in Happenings.

Photo gallery
Homecoming 2009
1.
1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
28
logos
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
1. Amie Cantu Hinderliter ‘95
2. Crissy Cook ‘00, Ashley Lattner ‘99, Jenny
Beesley ’03
3. Class of 1984: Karen Sayre Hedrick, Tish
LoCascio Yoxall, Eileen Maher Weber
4. Class of 1974: Front Row: Teresa
Vilfordi Korman, Patty Meneses Kutscher,
Monica Laino Harris, Patty Walker Mason
Back Row: Sharon Keating McQuown,
Patricia Swenson, Teresa Daly Walther,
Susan Collins Hahn, Susan Stearman
Parker, Susan Hayes Raffo, Judi Fontenot
Pierre, Gwen Watts Satterthwaite, Julie
Houle, Karen Brewer Holman
5. Class of 1982: Back Row: Libby Nady
Lynch, Bede Marshall Ryan Second
Row: Mark Koch Stack, Meg Cadigan
Frainey, Carolyn Durick Harrison, Ana
Esteve Yoder, Jean Thomas Buys,
Suzanne Riederer Pizzo, Susan Broun
Lloyd Third Row: Regina Fonts Morris,
Jodee McCarthy, Roxane Ruiz Wierman,
Marietta Lowry, Michelle Koller
6. Carolyn Kelly Guerin ‘75, Sarah Johnston
Polzer ‘98, Kathryn Kelly Johnston ‘73
7. Class of 2004: Marika Dahlstrom,
Christina Rossini, Elizabeth Doczi,
Katie Vick
8. Genevieve Rubensteen Dittmar ’80, Gina
Scalise Landry ’85, Jean Thomas Buys ‘82
9. Class of 1954: Norma Shosid, Pat
O’Hearn Terwilliger, Mitzi Furtula
Watts, Myrna Lamping Tenholder, Kathy
McRedmond Kahil, Barbara Holten Wright
10. Class of 1951: Seated: Midge Murnane
Yoxall, Sybil Emmett Tucker, Standing:
Dorothy McRedman Weed, Lorraine
Lastelick, Sr. Mary Troy, O.S.U.
11. Class of 1969: Seated: Lyn Cooper
Abercrombie, Rita Garcia Ransdell
Standing: Terry Schafer Porter, Irene
Ryan Swaim, Louise DeLoache Actkinson,
Patty Franz Liem

Class Reunions
1.
2. 3.
4. 5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
29
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10.
11. 12.
1. Class of 1959 Reunion: 50th Golden
Girls Reunion at St. Joseph’s Hall
2. Class of 1958 Reunion: Mary Louise
O’Malley Cadigan, Ann Finegan Lindley,
Mimi Hardy McAfee, Rosalie Strangi Gulig,
Amy Wasoff, Linda Lee Clevenger, Susan
O’Brien Jones, Carole Pollinzi Harris,
Martha Hardy Withers, Joan Black Austion,
Carol Chase Morrison, Becky Neuhoff
Griffith, Barbara Merrill Maddy
3. Class of 1974 Reunion
4. Class of 1984 Reunion: Kneeling:
Shannon Flynn Mayfield, Dee Stone
Cassell, Karen Tullis Morin, Elizabeth Inga
Center: Susan Baird Learmont, Melissa
Miramontes Carpenter
Back: Cecilia Ackels Martin, Cathy Tapia
Stevens, Kelley Popma Trcka, Julie Lenzer
Kirk, Kim Popma Miller, Lee Schwalb
Poole, Eileen Sasso Atwood, Kathy
Jacquart, Lisa Schweykowsky Mullman
5. Class of 1953 Reunion: Front: Peggy
McLemore Baum, Bette Barlebon Ade,
Carol Crutcher Shircliff
Back: Gabriella Veleba Bondy, Theresa
Lake Dres
6. Class of 1959 Reunion: Peggy Fox
Swinney, Helene Kilbourn Thurber,
Mary Edith Stokes Wagnon, Barbara
Brooks Fairfield
7. Class of 1959 Reunion: Mary Edith
Stokes Wagnon, Judy Humphries
Sardello, Emily DeLoach Ryan, Bitsy
Marie Freitas Benjamin
8. Class of 1959 Reunion: Mary
Regina Finn McLean, Angela
McCaffrey Notzon
9. Class of 1959 Reunion: Clemence
Romanet Rawley, Helene Kilbourn
Thurber, Judy Friedel
10. Class of 1959 Reunion: Jerry and Joanne
Vassallo Tomlin, Charlie and Mary Regina
Finn McLean, Al and Angela McCaffrey
Notzon
11. Class of 1984 Reunion: Jennifer
Staubach Gates, Kathy Jacquart, Anna
Goldsmith Shives, Rosie Aquirre Fletcher
12. Class of 1984 Reunion: Kelley Popma
Trcka, Mary Nelms O’Hagan, Melissa
Miramontes Carpenter

Photo Gallery
Easter Event 2009
1. 2.
3.
4.
5.
30
logos
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
6.
7.
1. Lisa Schweykowsky Mullman ’84, Emma
2. Tonia Chebino Fishman ‘88, Jack, Pat
Chebino, Erin
3. Kristine Murphy Scavo ‘96, husband,
Peter Scavo with Leo, Alex, John Paul
4. Patty Avila Guajardo ‘77, Kate, Erika
Louis ‘87, Maddie
5. Mary Ann Whitacre, Lauren Whitacre
Nelson ’98, Sydney, Cooper,
John Parker
6. Jennifer Saucedo Espinoza ‘95 with
husband, George Espinoza, Xavier;
Monica Vazquez Jaime ‘97 with husband,
Adrian Jaime and son, Julian Alexander;
grandparents, Leticia Vazquez, Nic
Vazquez
7. Dee Stone Cassell ‘84, Connor

Easter Event 2009
8.
9. 10.
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
31
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11. 12.
8. Back Row: Pia Fontes ’12, Julie Cox ’12,
Maddy Kepple ’12, Audrey Burnish ’13,
Lorilei Cardenas Cronin ’95, Jillian
Buys ’13, Regina Morris ’09
Front Row: Elaine Cochran ’01, Easter
Bunny, Crissy Cook ’00, Lydia Morris ’13
and Maria Cordova ’12
9. Ladonna Harrison ’86, Anna Stewart
LeBlanc ’86, Sean LeBlanc, Jessica
Carrales Gossage ’87, Nicole
10. Kelly Hermann ’91, Henry, Catherine
Hermann Gravel ’85, Benjamin, Camille,
Margaret Hermann
11. Elizabeth Thompson Grant ’83, husband,
Kevin, and their children, Colin, Michael,
Kevin, Emily, Elizabeth Anne, Mary, Kelly
12. Jean Thomas Buys ’82, daughter, Julianna
and friend, Hannah

Photo gallery
Phonathon 2009
1.
32
logos
Ursuline Academy of Dallas
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. Stacie Collins ’82, Mary Koch Stack ‘82
2. Standing: Kathy Martin Weatherford ’77,
Kathy Rix Hogan ’77 Seated: Bridget
Dunne Buell ‘77, Nancy Farina ’77, Katy
Haden Einspanier ’77
3. Amie Cantu Hinderliter ’95, Jennifer
Houston ’95
4. Marie Kelly Brehm ’79, Margot Brito
Murphy ’79
5. Mimi Hardy McAfee ’58, Susan O’Brien
Jones ’58, Barbara Merrill Maddy ’58

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Alumnae Calendar of Events 2009-2010
August 2009
23 Class Agent Brunch - St. Ursula
27 Faculty/Staff Luncheon
September
12 Memorial Mass – St. Ann’s Chapel
17 Alumnae Mother/Daughter Breakfast- St. Joe’s
27 Alumnae Open House for The French Family Center
October
5-17 Alumnae Trip to Italy
8 Senior Latte Day
14 Heritage Day
12-14 Phonathon
19-21 Phonathon
23-25 Classes of 1954, 1989, 2004 Reunions
26 Professional Women’s Network Fall Event
4
November
14 Alumnae Angela Retreat
20 Homecoming Alumnae Awards Nomination Forms Due
23 Merici High School Event
25 Class of 2009 Reunion
25 Mardi Gras Young Alum Gift Gathering Party
23-25 Intramurals
December
8 Women’s Museum Exhibit
18 Young Alum Event: Christmas in the Community (Classes 2005-2009)
21 Class of 2009 Reunion- FFC Atrium
22 Young Alum Event: Cocktails at Christmas (Classes 2000-2006)
Keeping alums connected
Margot Allen Goss ’01 and Lauren
Grabowsky ’04, at the annual
Class Agent Brunch, St. Ursula
Hall, August
2009
5
January 2010
9 Memorial Mass – St. Ann’s Chapel
25 Alumnae Board Member Nominations Due
25 Alumnae Scholarship Applications Due
29-31 Class of 1960 Reunion
31 Alumnae Homecoming
6
February
13 Mardi Gras Ball “Hearts of Gold”
19 Senior Breakfast - 100 Days Until Graduation
March
6 Alumnae St. Angela Retreat
April
3 Easter Event - St. Joe’s
21 Alumnae Career Day
30 Senior Mass & Induction to Alumnae Association
May
8 Memorial Mass – St. Ann’s Chapel
26 Senior Picnic
Spring
TBD Young Alum Crawfish Boil
Dates subject to change.
For more information about this year’s events and other alumnae
activities, visit www.ursulinedallas.org/alumnae. Or contact Julia Frasco
in the Alumnae Office at 469-232-3587 or alumnae@ursulinedallas.org.
To view more photos of 2009 events, go to www.ursulinedallas.org
and log in!
FROM ABOVE: 1) Career
Day offers students
a glimpse into the
professional lives of
successful women. Alums
across the U.S., including
2) Chicago and 3) the Bay
area, keep in touch with
Ursuline through Alumnae
Chapter events. 4) Mother-
Daughter Brunch brings
generations of Ursuline
women together. 5) Class
Agents attend an Annual
Brunch. 6) Annual Easter
Egg Hunt.

<
Save The Date • Wednesday, April 21 st
Be An Inspiration!
Ursuline Career Day 2010
The Ursuline Alumnae Association is excited to once again sponsor
Career Day for the Academy’s students.
Join us on Wednesday, April 21, and give the girls a peek into your
professional world as they begin to think about future careers.
To participate in this very special event, contact:
Genevieve Rubensteen Dittmar ’80 gdittmar@sbcglobal.net or call
the Alumnae Office at 469-232-3587.
Ursuline Heirloom Ornament
Support Scholarships with the Perfect Christmas Gift!
Designed and handcrafted by European artists especially for Ursuline, this
beautiful handblown and painted glass collectible depicts the front entrance of
Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Presented in a gift box with history card, it is the
perfect gift for daughters, grandparents, alumnae, or yourself.
Purchase collectibles for $50 each at www.uamardigras.org or by calling
469-232-3964. Net proceeds benefit the Ursuline Academy Scholarship Fund.
The 2009-2010 Mardi Gras Ball Committee and the students of Ursuline
Academy of Dallas thank you for your support!