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“<strong>Eastside</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong> reinforced the things that Karen and I<br />
believe are important. The kids who graduate from <strong>Eastside</strong><br />
<strong>Catholic</strong> are going to be our future leaders, and the values<br />
that they learn there will help our country and the world.”<br />
and felt overwhelmed because we didn’t<br />
know anyone. One mom – Pat Dana (alumni<br />
parent <strong>of</strong> Donny ’01) – waved to us from<br />
across the gym. She had saved a spot for us!<br />
That meant everything to me.” After that first<br />
game, Pat saved a spot for the Burnhams at<br />
each game, and introduced them to other<br />
parents. They immediately felt part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
community. While Terry and Karen were<br />
making friends within the EC community,<br />
Nick, Todd and Lexie were having worthwhile<br />
experiences as students.<br />
For Nick, being pushed academically at<br />
<strong>Eastside</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong> was useful when he got<br />
to the University <strong>of</strong> Washington. “Taking AP<br />
and other [college prep] classes made us<br />
practice good study habits, which really paid<br />
<strong>of</strong>f in college when we didn’t have someone<br />
standing over us, making us study. Laurie<br />
Matthews was a teacher who gave me an<br />
opportunity to succeed and propelled me to<br />
push myself in other classes,” he says.<br />
Todd remembers the first English class that<br />
he took at <strong>Eastside</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong>, from English<br />
teacher Holly Stein. “She didn’t just have<br />
you read a book and write an essay. She<br />
taught us to emphasize our own ideas. She<br />
encouraged us to analyze the point the<br />
author was trying to make.”<br />
Lexie talks about having the opportunity to<br />
take English from Dr. Gary “Doc” Culbert<br />
for two years (instead <strong>of</strong> senior year only,<br />
as most students do). “Doc really pushed us to do a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
reading,” Lexie says. “He made me more able to understand<br />
and to see different viewpoints.” Karen believes that Lexie’s<br />
ability to advocate for herself in college is a direct result<br />
<strong>of</strong> her academic experiences at <strong>Eastside</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong>, where<br />
teachers encouraged her to ask questions and think for<br />
herself.<br />
The “deal” that Karen and Terry Burnham struck with Nick<br />
back in 1999 has paid great dividends – for the Burnham<br />
family and for <strong>Eastside</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong>. Our community is truly<br />
fortunate to have Lexie, Todd and Nick as gifted alumni,<br />
and Karen and Terry as loyal and steadfast volunteers,<br />
benefactors, alumni parents and friends.<br />
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