Thanks to everyone for sending along these updates. Brian O’Brien claimed he was too busy “getting ordained” to help us compile the messages and some commentary! We got some help from a few of you all behind the scenes and have put together this ACE 5 Update: “In Your Own Words.” Congrats to Brian O’Brien, ordained a deacon a few weeks ago – soon to be Fr. O’Brien! We’ll give you a free pass for now…Enjoy, from the ACE Office and Tony DeSapio (ACE 6).
Adam Rodriguez: “I'm still in Fort Worth and I see John Fernandez (ACE 5) and Alan McWalters(ACE 5) very often . John and I are active in the Notre Dame Club of Fort Worth. I am President and John will take over Vice-Presidential duties this year after serving a year as Young Alum Coordinator. The ND Club of FW recently hosted a welcome party for the ACErs and ECHO students in the area. John coordinated the event. John works for Fort Worth Public Schools in the administration office (history department). I am no longer a teacher, but I get my teaching fix in by being a Junior Achievement volunteer at a bilingual school through my company, BNSF Railway. Alan works for Sabre and lives in Dallas even though he comes back to Fort Worth pretty much every weekend. He needs to quit being a Dallas wanna-be. The Club recently helped Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School(a former ACE school) to reorganize its library and move to a temporary location while a new school is being built. There are still plenty of ACErs in Fort Worth and we see them every now and then. They are Becky Camillus, Sara Holloway, Mandy Mouton and Andrew Villanueva. I will be seeing Mandy much more now that the ND Club will be coordinating activities with All Saints Catholic School where she teaches. I see Tony Ortiz (ACE 5) pretty often even though he lives in Chicago. Tony has just completed his first year on the Notre Dame Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Brenda, also recently completed the Chicago Marathon.”
Mike Faggella-Luby: “I have graduated from the University of Kansas with my PhD in Special Education and am now an assistant professor working at the University of Connecticut. My area of study is adolescent literacy and individuals with
learning disabilities or at-risk for failure. My dissertation was recently awarded the Outstanding Researcher Award for 2006 from the Council for Learning Disabilities. Max Engel was able to attend the ceremony on October 22 in McLean, VA. I was also able to visit with his wife Beth (ACE 4) and daughter Martha (a real cutie and potential ACE XXXVI grad!) at their home just outside Washington, DC. My wife (Kate) and I have moved to Worcester, MA. She is pursuing a dual Master's degree at Boston College in pastoral ministry and social work. We are both loathing our commutes but have relished the return to New England and the wonderful fall! During our drive from Lawrence, KS to Worcester, we spent the night with Dave Madden in Chicago.”
Anne Monahan (Freedy): “I now live in Chicago and am a stay at home mom of Claire, 19 months and Luke, 5 weeks.”
Larry Ward: “I am living in San Diego, California with my wife, Julissa Robles (ND Law 04). We welcomed a son, Luke Anthony, on January 13, 2006. I am currently an attorney at White & Oliver, APC in downtown San Diego. Also, Paul Fleisch got married to Emily Miller on September 23.”
Jon Burt: “I get lost with all of the updating processes, but I am now at Skutt Catholic High School (quite possibly the country's worst named Catholic School other than Omaha's own Gross Catholic!) teaching Theology and English. I am also the Head Boys Basketball coach and am proud to say that we were fortunate enough to win State last year. Jenny is entering her 19th year of the 30 year UNL School Psychology Ph.D. program - we're on the downhill slide! Actually, she is in year 5 and I'm sure at this moment is frantically working on her dissertation and internship apps. - one more year to go! Still proud of being one of the first ACE couples to procreate (those damn Spohns beat us to it!) we said, "What the hell?!" last year - "Let's set a record!" and on June 24th our second child, Addison Elizabeth joined her older brother Charlie. We would appreciate you letting us know if we are back in a tie for the lead. Life is good in Nebraska - home of the "Good Life", a revived Husker team (I'm sorry, I'm not an ND undergrad and when I once heard Schoenig comparing Holtz and Davies to Peter and Paul I knew I was out), and a growing/busy/very happy Burt family. All is well and we wish all the best to ACE V and VI - it was nice to read through the list and see what everyone is up to.”
Joe Kraus: “Hey, Not much new going on here. Well, nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. I'm still with Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Tuscaloosa, but I do teach CCD to 5 yr olds at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Hoover, AL(Same Parish Alex from MTV's Two-A-Days attends). I'm up to three children now. They keep Heather and I very busy. Joey is 4 and 1/2, Haley Grace just turned two, and Olivia is 6 weeks old. I haven't run into too many ACE'rs lately, but I have been giving all these Crimson Tide fans more ND propaganda than they can handle! That's about it.”
Genelle Duyck: “I ‘retired’ from full time teaching in 2005 in order to be able to help out more with my husband's blueberry farm. When time allows, I substitute at a couple Catholic schools. I also began subbing this week at my first public school...you know you've been ingrained in Catholic schools when your first thought is, "Please stand for prayer." Good thing I caught myself and refrained from saying that! I do miss having a class of my own, but subbing has been a good thing for me. I enjoy teaching a variety of classes and students. I spent a weekend this summer with my Napoleonville housemates while attending Steve Dosch's wedding in Boston. Joe Berlage has two adorable children. Susan Happel has a charming son who insisted that I was his sister...humm--I wonder how that works! I also spent some time with Nap'ville housemate, Niki Hill (ACE 6), when she and her new husband came out to the west coast for their belated honeymoon. My husband and I may have a new job in the tour guide business for the Oregon coast and blueberry farms! ACE members can receive our special ‘friends’ rate!”
Jennifer Cervantes-Smola: “I am teaching at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas. It is an all male high school that is filled with wonderful students. I teach sophomore geometry and senior level statistics. I recently got married in Merriville Indiana (October 14th) to a fellow teacher here at Jesuit (fellow ACER Erik Burrell and Ben Calleja were invited). This year, Pat Parker also joined us here at Jesuit. Things are going well and we have had several graduates of Jesuit attend ND as well as ACE.
Paul Fleisch: “I guess the big one is that I got married a month ago. I am married to Emily Miller. She is ND class of 98. She works for a small software company based in Chicago. We met in Milwaukee after being set up by her sister. The reception was at PNC park in Pittsburgh. Larry Ward was an usher for the wedding. We have a group of friends that includes ACE grads Ed Foy, Angela Foy, and Karena Creten. I am still teaching sophomore chemistry at Marquette High, my alma matter.”
Sean Macmanus: “I am no longer with the Arlington County Police Department. I graduated from the FBI Academy earlier this year and am a Special Agent in the Southwest (sorry, can't say where!). I am really enjoying it and am also getting married in May! Needless to say, things are good. I did have the pleasure of pulling over a fellow-ACER in Arlington when I was still with the police department there. Actually, I pulled up on a car with all its lights off at one of the scenic parks there. When I approached the car, I saw a fellow ACEr who was just showing a friend the view of DC from there. It was totally legit, I swear. And no, they did not get a ticket or anything! I will keep their name anonymous so no one gets embarrassed!”
Max Engel: “Beth (McCarthy) Engel - ACE 4, and I moved this past summer to Silver Spring, MD while I work on a PhD at Catholic Univ. in Religious Education. In May our daughter Martha Marie was born - Scott Bishop is her Godfather.”
Annemarie Welch Roberts: Annemarie and Andrew Roberts were married at the Basilica on July 8th. Brian O'Brien served as the acolyte and there were tons of ACE friends there to help the couple celebrate. Andy and Annemarie currently live in Denver where Annemarie teaches high school math at Regis Jesuit High School and Andy works for Avaya.
Elsje Maassen: “I am currently working at Queenswood Girls' School in North London managing a boarding House of 53 girls - basically that means I am responsible for overseeing their academic and pastoral welfare. I also teach English to the equivalent of 8th grade and freshmen. I still enjoy working with students but I am looking at moving out of teaching and doing a Masters in Counseling to work within schools or a degree in Play Therapy. The lure of living back in Australia is getting stronger and I will probably move back to Perth in the coming summer or at the latest December '07 - these English winters are killing me. I have had several contacts with my ACE Jax community and a bizarre ACE 5 reunion. Dave Madden came out to England in the Summer '05 and we did London in style. We attended Wimbledon and managed to scam our way on to Centre Court and see Andy Rodick; we did a Globe Tour and climbed all over St Paul's and marveled at the view from the top of the London Eye. A week later, we headed to Paris and met up with our old housemate Sola Sawyerr. From Paris, under Dave's crazy scheming, we caught up with the Tour de France: I believe it was the Aussie who won the leg that day! Seeing Lance Amstrong whip past in a blur was a definite highlight but the best part was catching up with my two best mates. My strangest ACE moment happened later that same summer in Koln, Germany. I was attending World Youth Day with a London group and we were walking the road into Marian Field for the Papal Mass. Madden had mentioned that Brian O'Brien was attending as well with his school. I thought there was no way that out of the 3 million people was I ever going to see BOB. The crowd of people was undulating its way slowly down the road. Many groups were singing and chanting and the general atmosphere was one of fun and expectation at what lay ahead. No one had any idea how far we had to go or exactly where; you just followed the swell of the crowd. I noticed a group that had stopped to the left of the road to pray. As I looked at the back of one of the heads, I thought this is unbelievable. The yell, ''B.O.B,'' was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Brian was recognizable anywhere, even after five years. We had a catch up by the side of the road and then said goodbye as his group continued the Stations and my group was disappearing in a sea of people. It was a perfect moment in the middle of an amazing week. A bit of ACE magic to add to the World Youth Day high. Before you think that was the most amazing coincidence. Summer 2004 I was walking through a square in Paris and heard my name. Thinking I was mad, I kept walking when I heard it again. I turned around to see Gina Couri, ACE 6 running out of a cafe! It seems to me that no matter where I am in the world ACE will continue to pop up in my life and remind me of what a great experience it was and how fantastic the people are that I met.”
Andrea Ray Allessio: “Adam and I are starting our fourth year in Seattle. I teach theology at Holy Names Academy, an all-girls school in Seattle, and have the good fortune of seeing Julie Tilghman and Lynette Grypp (ACE 7) on a daily basis. Both are tremendous colleagues. Adam presently is a research fellow in UW’s radiology department; he works with other PhD folk and medical doctors in improving medical imaging technology.”
Scott Reis still lives in Portland, OR and has been at the same Catholic high school since he moved back to Portland in 2001 after ACE. It's called De La Salle N. Catholic and its mission is to serve inner city youth who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford a faith-based education. Scott really loves working with this population and tries to make math come alive for these students or tie it into their culture as much as possible (just ask him about his "Missy Elliott rap for dividing fractions")! DLS is part of the Cristo Rey network and is modeled after the one in Chicago where several ACE graduates have worked. In fact, Tim Green came out for a visit to Portland over a year ago, and he and Scott were able to hang out. Mr Reis is still coaching Cross Country (his 9th year) and Track & Field...some exciting news was his girls Track & Field team had their best performance ever last year and got its first OSAA state trophy by placing 3rd out of 34 teams at the State Meet in the 2A division! He is excited for the upcoming season, because he only lost 2 seniors to graduation. Speaking of graduation, his school was brand new when he began teaching there and he has been able to see the first two graduating classes go on to college (over 95% went to some type of college), which has been extremely rewarding and re-affirming of all the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into this ministry. Scott just bought a new condominium and spent the summer moving. He is finally feeling settled, and hopes that if anyone visits Portland, they look him up: scottreis@gmail.com.
Gary Z. is in his 3rd year as principal at Nuestro Mundo, a two-way Spanish-English immersion school in the Madison Metropolitan School District. He has a 15 month son who is running all over the house. His wife Megan is doing well. Gina Velasco, visited us over the summer before she went back to Central America. Jen Mullins is getting married in July and Matt Daily is keeping it real out in Cali.
Gina Velasco sends her best wishes from Central America and announced Jen Mullin’s engagement.
John Fernandez wrote from Texas serving as a Humanities Master Teacher Specialist with the Ft. Worth Independent School District.