We did not receive any updated information from the ACE 4 class, but would love to hear how you are doing for the next installment of these class updates. If you are interested in being the ACE 4 representative, please send us a message at ace.fellowship@nd.edu. We have included, for your nostalgic enjoyment, an ACE 4 update from January, 2000. Enjoy this walk down memory lane and let us know what's going on in your lives for the next newsletter.
Despite Brian Anderson’s labeling of my request for information as pathetic, I appreciate all those who wrote me back and let me know what’s going on. Seeing as we just graduated, here is a quick rundown of what I think everyone is doing.
We’ll start with Bangladesh where Anderson, Christian Dallavis, Cierran Kinney, and Sean Byrne are currently teaching seminarians at the college there, while also making time to romp through the streets on crazy rickshaw adventures. The drivers are reportedly worse than New York cabbies. They tell me Dhaka is not the prettiest place, but are making due just fine. Since it is not kosher for women to travel unescorted, Brian got to marry one of their female traveling companions while Sean became his little brother. They will again be traveling soon, getting out of the city whenever possible. The guys ask that if you write, use the (notredam@citechco.net) address to which they have constant access…Our fearless new ACE leaders, MJ Adams and Emer Doherty returned from their first site visits and said things were moving along peachy-keen. They are adjusting to their new life in South Bend…Emer will be adjusting along with Lindsay Phillips, her roommate, who is teaching English in a South Bend grammar school. Jen Kowieski wanted me to plug the Emer-Lindsay bed and breakfast for anyone driving into town for a football game or late night snack at Nick’s Patio.
Jen teaches on the west side of Chicago where things are a bit different from St. Petersburg. A former student has now elevated himself to gang leader status and there has been violence on the playground between rival gangs. Along with fire drills, Jen is also showing the students what to do during a shooting drill…Speaking of violence, one of Molly Pierman’s K-5 students threw a punch at her at a school on the south side of Chicago. Fight back, Molly. We’re all behind you…Staying with St. Petersburg, Matt Stecher is back teaching at his old high school in San Francisco, while Matt Arsenault has a house and is happily married, teaching at a nice Miami/Ft. Lauderdale high school…As for marriages, ACE IV newlyweds Matt Althoff and Kate Archibald wed in late August in Milwaukee, while on August 14, Jay Sullivan tied the knot with longtime Mobile resident Katie Flynn in California…Ted Caron, now studying curriculum development at Iowa, married his longtime girlfriend at Notre Dame on July 31…Steve Wojcikiewicz remained in Tulsa to work in the University of Tulsa campus ministry office. Upon Steve’s departure from the single sex housing in Tulsa, ACE V member Brain O’Brien has experienced trouble waking up without his trusty Wojcikiewicz-brand alarm clock…Nicole Till is also involved with religious ministry work in her hometown of Minneapolis. Nicole directs youth ministry at a local parish and loves every minute of it, from overseeing fund-raisers at Viking games to organizing various trips.
Other non-teachers include John Eriksen who deferred law school for a year to help Father Scully spend a million dollars…Laura Eidetis, in pursuit of another master’s, admits to studying how fish remain upright at Michigan. She also says the UM campus has nothing on Notre Dame but, as expected, the night life is superior….Beth McCarthy currently rooms with her brother in Omaha. After spending a long summer unwinding, Beth has taken a job as a software quality assurance coordinator with a web company…Joe Miller and JP Hurt both entered this year’s Moreau seminarian class at Notre Dame…Mark Kocovski has begun his first year in DePaul Law School in Chicago…Carolyn Long is in medical school in Ohio…Pretty sure Adam Lipps is not teaching, but don’t quite know the status of his exhausting Chicago job search…Last, but not least, Missy Basaraba (Pensacola rocks the house) took a job at the hospital in Portland where she previously worked. Most days will find her in the lab preparing slides as a surgical pathology assistant. Missy also relays a Sr. Joan Dixon sighting through a friend who met Sr. Joan at a Gonzaga conference. The friend told Joan that she knew someone in the program (Missy) and Joan became extremely excitable, yelling “get out of the box” to everyone in attendance.
As for our teachers, Kate McCann committed to JVC International for two years, serving in Tanzania. She is teaching Communication Skills and advises on the school newspaper. She would love to hear from you at Box 10522, Mwanza, TANZANIA)…Pete Miller has taken the job of head basketball coach at his alma mater, St. Joseph, in South Bend. Pete also convinced Marty Harshman, also a St. Joe alumnus, to forego a third year in Charlotte and return to South Bend to be his assistant coach…Christy White stayed in Jackson to teach a third year…As did Bill Watson and Jo Kaesbier in Mobile.
Mr. Do-It-All Tom Kessler remained in Biloxi to teach a third year at a school who values his presence more than life itself…Stacey Carel develops young minds at a year-round school in Denver…Susan Fischesser is enjoying her first year at Cincinnati-based school…Bills Gibbs returned to his alma mater, Fenwick High School, outside of Chicago….Maureen Kroha moved back to her home state of California and teaches at an Oakland inner-city school…Maria Freiburger wants to return to school, but for now is teaching in Ohio. Laura Sale was the only person to take the new Salt Lake Catholic High School up on their offer to teach. She will also be coaching basketball…Another Portland alumnus (wait, I guess we all are), Christy Stein, will soon be living with Missy and instructs in Portland public schools. Go Pilots.
Sorry if you did not see your name in lights this issue. I will do my best to get you in next time, assuming you want to be mentioned. I hope this newsletter finds everyone well and still having nightmares about Blaine’s shirts. Take care and keep in touch.
Still upset the Clinton call wasn’t for me,
Joe Villinski