2012 Annual Report

AMDG SUMMER 2012 Chicago Jesuit Academy Brothers Jonathan (Class of 2015) The Promises We Keep and Sam (Class of 2012). To read their story, see inside back cover. Annual Report FOR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND BENEFACTORS OF CHICAGO JESUIT ACADEMY Chicago Jesuit Academy is a full-scholarship, college preparatory, Jesuit, Roman Catholic middle school for young men from modest economic backgrounds. The Academy is distinguished by small classes, an extended academic day and a longer school year to prepare students for success in college prep high schools, universities and positions of community leadership. Chicago Jesuit Academy helps students develop as young A Letter from the men who are open to growth, religious, intellectually competent, loving and committed to doing justice in the service of others, in accord with the Jesuit mission and tradition. The school’s success in its mission is made President possible by the disciplined sacrifices of our students, parents, faculty, staff, volunteers and benefactors. Faculty and Staff 2011-12 A.M.D.G. Summer 2012 Matthew Lynch, President Joyce Hatch, Recruitment Coordinator and Faculty Member Washington University M.B.A., Georgetown University B.A. Northern Illinois University B.A. Thomas Beckley, Principal Jenna Heitchue, Graduate Support Director and Faculty Member Dear Friends, Michigan State University B.A., Secondary B.S. Loyola University Chicago M.Ed., Columbia University B.A. This summer, the ongoing violence in Chicago has captured the attention of the national news media. Matt Houlihan Dean of Programs Catherine Cassidy, Vice President of Operations & Development , University of Notre Dame M.Ed., B.A. For me, the most jarring incident was the murder of seven-year-old Heaven Sutton. She was shot to Northwestern University M.B.A., University of Illinois B.A. Sean Kane, Faculty Member death at her lemonade stand in late June while she was only feet from her mother. David Diehl, Dean of Students Northwestern University M.Ed., Boston College B.A. Northwestern University M.Ed., Villanova University B.S. Chris Keiser, Faculty Member Days before Heaven’s murder, my daughter had set up her first lemonade stand in front of our home. Marques Carroll, Music & Jazz Band Director Georgetown University B.A. She is six years old, and we live less than two miles from where Heaven was killed. DePaul University B.A. Katie McDonnell, Faculty Member Clara Chu, Volunteer Coordinator & Development Associate University of Notre Dame B.A., M.Ed. Heaven was murdered where many of our CJA students live. I have come to know the few blocks Northwestern University M.Ed., Santa Clara University B.A. around her home especially well because one of our alumni, Jerrod, lives there. This past winter, he had Paul Mitchell, Faculty Member asked for extra help getting ready for the ACT. My wife volunteered, and Jerrod and my family soon James Dalton, Business & Database Manager University of Notre Dame B.A. found ourselves spending parts of our Saturdays or Sundays together. Northwestern University M.M., DePaul University M.A., Gregorian Anne Roney, Faculty Member University S.T.L., University of St. Mary of the Lake B.A. Boston College B.A. My less than two-year-old son now yells Jerrod’s name on sight. My daughter tries to impress him with Matthew Durkin, Faculty Member Maria Lefkow Sorensen, Development Associate and Special Events her knowledge of Math. My wife and I are awed by the amount of food a seventeen-year-old boy can University of Notre Dame B.A. Coordinator consume. Jerrod could have been Heaven. Heaven could have been Jerrod. Christopher Dwyer, Director of Facilities & Information Technology Tulane University B.A. Macalester College B.A. Denise Smalley, School Social Worker What madness is this? How are we called to respond? Brian Farmer, Dean of Fifth Grade and Faculty Member St. Mary’s University M.A., Dowling College B.A., Loyola University Northwestern University M.Ed., University of Michigan J.D., University Chicago (Type 73 Counseling Endorsement Program Candidate) At Chicago Jesuit Academy, we remain dedicated to being a safe haven for our students and alumni. of Notre Dame B.B.A. Bernina Sykes, Administrative Assistant Our enrollment continues to grow, and we are developing an extensive college-persistence program for Sarah Finch, Special Assistant for Institutional & Academic Achievement Benedictine University A.A. our alumni to help them navigate the complicated path to a four-year college degree. University of Notre Dame B.A., M.Ed., Loyola University Chicago (J.D. Janet Underwood, Academic Consultant Candidate) Catholic University of America M.Th., University of Notre Dame M.S.A., In July, we also began renovating the south wing of our school building. This renovation will double Pam Gilmour, School Nurse and Program Assistant Barat College of the Sacred Heart B.A. our enrollment capacity and create the critical spaces our students don’t yet have: Florida Atlantic University R.N., B.C. Pediatrics, Bowling Green State University C.M.A. • a gym that is safe and warm in the winter; • a cafeteria where they can eat more nutritious meals; Board of Directors • a nurse’s clinic to better provide for the health needs of our students and their families; Mr. Matthew J. Botica, Chair Mr. John Lahey • additional classrooms so we can grow the number of students we serve each year; and, Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP Chairman, Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates Inc. • more tutoring and counseling rooms for our students and alumni. Mr. Kevin J. Conway Mr. Brian C. Lewis Partner, Cooney & Conway Assistant United States Attorney Your commitment to our mission has made it possible for us to plan such growth. Please know that we remain grateful for your generosity and your dedication to our students and alumni. Mr. L. Adam DeLeon, S.J. Mr. Matthew Lynch Retreat Director President, Chicago Jesuit Academy Please continue to walk this journey with us. Mrs. Catherine Denny Rev. Richard H. McGurn, S.J. Civic Leader Spiritual Director, Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House In gratitude, Mr. Michael Dwyer Rev. Rick Millbourn, S.J. Senior Vice President, Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch, Private Banking Teacher, St. Xavier High School Investment Group Mr. Michael Miller Mr. Paul C. Gearen Managing Partner, Wolf Point Growth Partners LLC President, Nicolson Porter & List Inc. Mr. Robert Otter Mr. Darrell W. Hill Principal, Robert E. Otter Matthew Lynch Corporate Finance Marketing Director, William Blair & Company Mr. Christopher Peterson President Mrs. Lindy Keiser Mutual Fund Analyst, Harris Associates L.P. Recruitment Coordinator, Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund Mr. Tom Reynolds P.S. Jerrod earned a 29 on the ACT this spring. He will complete a prestigious American Cancer Society Mr. William G. Kistner Financial Analyst, Perkins Investment Management research internship this August before beginning his senior year of high school. Vice President, Northwestern Memorial Hospital Ms. Carol Smith Mrs. JoAnn Kunkel Executive Director, The Gies Foundation Philanthropist/Homemaker Dr. Lauren Smith, MD Attending Physician, John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County Assistant Professor, Rush Medical College Gratitude at Graduation On June 1st, we celebrated our fourth graduation. Nickolas, Davion and Duane shared these words of gratitude for benefactors, parents, families and teachers. These gentlemen - like all students at Chicago Jesuit Academy - attended CJA on a full scholarship. For Grad-at-Grad Awards more information about supporting a Every year students from Chicago Jesuit Academy’s graduating class are recognized for exemplifying student’s scholarship please see the the five “graduate at graduation” principles that serve as the foundation for our Jesuit education. This Scholarship Benefactors page. year, the following five students received “Grad-at-Grad” awards. Nickolas For Our Benefactors Committed to Doing Justice - awarded to Davion “We all had days when we gave up what we wanted to do because we had school. And, for some, the last four years have had moments of personal “CJA may not be the same without him, because it’s not every day pain that made us want to give up. But as the teachers here always say, that you meet a young man who could be called committed to doing “What you put in is what you get out.” Since we put in a lot of time justice in the service of others simply by being himself.” - Mr. Kane working hard, what we get out is a simpler life—a life where we don’t have to worry about getting our bills paid, worry about putting food on the table Intellectually Competent - awarded to Sam for our kids, or worry about violence for the sake of violence. We couldn’t be on the road to this simpler life if it wasn’t for you—the benefactors.” “As the demands on him grow next year, the daily habits Sam has given himself will be moving him in the direction of success before he even opens the textbook.” - Mr. Diehl For Our Parents and Families Davion “Sacrifice, that’s the heart of what you’ve done for us. You’ve moved us - awarded to Mateo to safer neighborhoods and fought for places at better schools. You make Loving hard choices for yourself so that we could have a better life. Your “This gentleman’s heart is in the right place. How much better would sacrifices came in small packages, like helping us with one problem on a this world be if we embodied this same love? How much better would homework assignment. They came in big packages too, like sitting in a this country be? How much better would our communities be?” hospital waiting room while I had heart surgery. We thank you, - Ms. Hatch parents, for your compassion, your strength, your hope, your faith, and most of all, your love.

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