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SAINT DOMINIC ACADEMY NEWSLETTER VOLUME 55 SPRING 2014 A Woman for Others SDA Scholarships Changing Lives Even in Death Marie Varley ‘56 Continues Her Generous Spirit with Bequest to SDA Last September, Saint Dominic Academy lost one of its most tireless supporters in the passing of Dr. Scholarship recipent Kristina Japay ‘14 addressed the 275 guests at the SDA Leadership Awards Gala in November. She shared her heart-warming story of how receiving an academic scholarship Marie Josephine Varley ‘56. Marie enabled her to attend SDA. dedicated her life to helping others Coleen Kwiakowski Mason ‘87. and even in death her giving did not “Without the scholarship my parents stop, as she left a bequest of When one hears the term would not have been able to afford to “scholarship” a variety of thoughts approximately $35,000 to her alma send me here to receive an amazing mater to be known as the Varley may go through one’s mind: “gifted education and establish a musical student,” “eternal memorial,” “work- career.” Alexis has been part of the Scholarship in honor of her family study,” “free tuition,” “lasting Glee Club all four years, which has she loved so much. The Scholarship legacy,” and “financial aid,” are just a enabled her to sing at Carnegie Hall will go toward young women few. To some of our students, their several times. She will attend SDA scholarship reflects opportunity, wanting an SDA education, but in Monmouth University in September need of financial assistance. a direction and path, and an and major in Music Education. education and experience that is unforgettable. “If it weren’t for the Isabelle C. Wolfe As a Caldwell Dominican Sister, scholarship I wouldn’t be able to Marie taught at several schools “Being on scholarship at SDA has graduate from SDA and would have allowed me to go to the school I have throughout New Jersey and upon been a student at Malcolm X. Shabazz leaving the order she became known wanted to attend since seventh High School in Newark,” says senior, grade,” says Alexis Mason ‘14, a Jade Dawson ‘14. “I would have been as “The CROP Lady” raising funds senior from Secaucus and daughter of continued on page 3 continued on page 3 From the Head of School’s Desk SDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES Spring 2014 Sister Luella Ramm, O.P. Chairperson Dear Friends of Saint Dominic Academy, Sister Patricia Crowley, O.P. By the time you read this newsletter, the long, cold Secretary winter of 2014 will be just a memory. I hope that all of you made it through Sister Pat Tavis, O.P. without major disruption to your daily lives or damage to your homes. Director of Sponsored Ministries Unfortunately, the Academy did experience some significant damage to the ceiling of our chapel, due to accumulated snow and ice on the flat roof above Barbara C. Griffin it. Fortunately, the stained glass windows, which had just been restored and Ex Officio, Head of School replaced last fall, escaped any damage. SDA In this issue you will be reading about our scholarship program which LEADERSHIP TEAM provides the gift of an SDA education to countless young ladies, whose families could never afford the full tuition without some aid. The program also Barbara C. Griffin, M.A., M.Ed. supports our academic merit scholarships, which are awarded to young ladies Head of School of exceptional academic achievement. These two programs are made possible John Seborowski, M.A. by friends like you – true believers in the education of young women in the Academic Dean timeless tradition of the Sisters of Saint Dominic. On behalf of all of them, whose lives have been transformed by your generosity, I wish to thank you. Sister Mary Lou Bauman, O.P., ‘65 M.A., M.A. Dean of Students As part of our 135th Anniversary celebratory year, we have compiled a very Director of Guidance special list of all our donors who have supported the Annual Fund over the Sharon Buge, M.B.A., C.P.A. past 30 years (the age of our database). This list, which is included in this Director of Finance newsletter, names the donors who made at least five gifts to the Annual Fund in the last 30 years. It does not include gifts and contributions made to the Kate Lillis-Magnus ‘83, B.A. Director of Advancement Academy for other purposes, although we have a record of those gifts and are most grateful for them. We are focusing on the Annual Fund in this special Maryann McLean, B.A. report to show you what a significant part the Fund plays in our fundraising Coordinator of 7th and 8th Grades program. So -- look for your name – you might not realize just how many Andrea Villani Apruzzese ‘75, B.A. times you said “yes” to the Academy when you received that appeal. Our hope Director of Admissions is that reading about the ways donors to our scholarship program are changing lives, more of you will be inspired to join this special group of “friends of SDA.” SDA ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION As we move into spring, I look forward to greeting many of you at our all-class Alumnae Reunion Weekend in May. Staci Zegler ‘83 President Tracy Morley ‘80 Sincerely, Vice President Peggie Madden Marano ‘83, P ‘16 Secretary Stephanie Barbi ‘64 Barbara C. Griffin Treasurer 2 PENTIMENTO continued from cover continued from cover for the poor and hungry through CROP Walks for Hunger while working for Church World Services whose mission consists of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, comforting the aged, and sheltering the homeless. She served on several boards for Catholic education including 12 years on the SDA Board of Trustees. In 2012, the Academy honored Marie with the Dominican Pillar Award at the SDA Leadership Awards Gala. In her acceptance speech, Marie asked the audience to continue to remember those less fortunate. Marie was a committed fundraiser for Current parents George and Carol Taite have been staunch supporters of the “Fund a Scholar” live auction at the Gala. the Caldwell Dominican Sisters and SDA. As a volunteer caller for the SDA an outcast at Shabazz because I students, more than 50% receive wouldn’t have fit in with the crowd some form of scholarship whether Phonathon, Marie would talk to there.” Jade looks forward to being financial aid, academic merit or hundreds of alumnae asking for their the first in her family to finish college legacy grants where daughters and support. When anyone would counter and plans on majoring in Criminal granddaughters of alumnae receive a Marie’s request with, “I wasn’t on Justice at William Paterson University tuition discount. Dollar amounts for scholarship, why should I support the in September. scholarships range from $500 to $8,500, and for some of our families school,” Marie would answer, “We Due to the generosity of many, SDA that amount is the difference between were all on scholarship as the awards over $400,000 to our students sending their daughter to SDA or to Dominican Sisters paid part of our each year. Some of this support is their town’s public school. Years ago, tuition with their blood, sweat and funded by foundations such as the some local churches paid the SDA tears!” Marie usually got the donation. Turrell Fund, The Scholarship Fund tuition for the children of the parish. for Inner-City Children and The Today, there are very few parishes William E. Simon Foundation. Other that have an open Catholic grammar Marie was always grateful for the many scholarships come from individual school in Jersey City. While SDA’s blessings she received during her life donations and others are initiated current tuition of $10,440 may be 10 including the love of friends and with bequests such as the most recent or even 20 times the amount paid by family, her strong faith, and the love of one left to SDA by the late Dr. Marie some families decades ago, the Varley ‘56 (See sidebar story on page amount is still less than the actual cost God and the Blessed Mother. Her belief 1). ($11,800) to educate each student at in giving back continues in her death SDA. Thus, even families who do not not only with the Varley Scholarship Susan Odenthal Mulvaney ‘73 receive any type of scholarship are and by donating her body to medical recently established the Sister basically receiving a discount of research, but in the lives of those she Victorine Scholarship in honor of the $1,360 per student. Caldwell Dominican Sister now served. known as Sister Barbara Krug. “Charging that extra $1,360 might be “Catholic education in a setting that the straw that breaks the camel’s back encourages young women to be their for some of our families,” says SDA best is as vital as ever, but its cost has Head of School Barbara Griffin. “We become out of reach for too many do our best to keep tuition as who could benefit,” says Susan. “The affordable as possible, but we know legacy of SDA will only be assured if that our tuition at just over $10,000 is we, whose lives have been influenced a stretch for some of our families. Our by what we experienced here, support scholarship fundraising efforts have it. I’m blessed to be able to honor a been critical to bridging that gap for Sister who had such an impact on each student.” me.” Over the last five years, more than a Out of our enrollment of 301 continued on page 22 SPRING 2014 3 SDA Scholarships 2013-2014 Mary Cunningham ‘30 Scholarship Established by Dr.