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THE ALUMNI RETURN!
Donahue is a relatively young school; and so for prospective parents there may be nothing more encouraging than to know that the school’s alumni return as teachers. Indeed, it is how storied educational institutions are created. This year, Donahue has three alumni on our teaching staff, and they bring to their teaching a perspective and deep love of learning that was instilled and nurtured right here in the halls of Donahue Academy.
Peter Scheck returns to Donahue as a full-time teacher and football coach. He instructs middle and high school Latin and theology students while assisting with 8-man football and other extracurricular activities. A Valedictorian of the Academy in 2013, Mr. Scheck has spent the last ten years in missionary work, discernment in seminary, and teaching or mentoring in various Catholic schools. In all his past endeavors, Mr. Scheck has been a role model and guide, a teacher even, to the young people in his orbit, both here in Ave Maria and in other parts of the world (Mexico, Nicaragua, New Mexico, France). His love of classical education, first planted at Donahue, continues to be nurtured, he says, by the power of stories. “Great stories are literally the air the students of Donahue Academy breathe, and the ability to receive and pass down a good story is essential to the human person and the human race as a whole. A Catholic and classical education passes on not only Homer and Shakespeare but also Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the adventures of Beowulf are recounted in the same breath as those of Jesus Christ. It provides a space for students to encounter not only our greatest thinkers but also the Logos Himself.” But beyond his passion, talent, and perfect fit for the job, Peter has a secret weapon in leading our youth to Christ: “I know what it’s like to be a teenager in Ave Maria.” So far the students and parents of Donahue love having Peter as a member of the faculty, and joy-infused learning is happening daily in his classes.
Olivia Burke and Kateri (Millward) DeStefano return to Donahue as assistant teachers in the grammar stage. Olivia recently graduated from Hillsdale College with a B.A. in mathematics and a minor in classical education. Although she hopes to have her own classroom eventually, she found it prudent to begin her career by learning from two of Donahue’s greats: Mrs. Fox and Ms. Klucinec, assisting in both 5th and 4th grade. Ms. Burke also brings a love of stories to the classroom. “[In college] I took an amazing class on Classic Children’s Literature, so you can expect me to make references to fairy tales and nursery rhymes and Wind in the Willows.” No one who knows Olivia is surprised that her students love “Miss Burke,” especially fourth grader and little brother Francis Burke, who says it is “good” having Olivia as his teacher, but he thinks “she still acts like a sister.” For her part, Olivia has had to get used to hearing her first name called out frequently in class.
Kateri recently graduated from Ave Maria University with a degree in theology and a minor in marriage and family. She explains her call to help her alma mater: “I applied to teach at Donahue because of my own experience in high school. I fell in love with school because the teachers taught me to: I fell in love with learning and searching for truth” and she intends to share that love with her students in the 3rd grade, where she assists and learns the art of teaching from Ms. Casterline. Ms. DeStefano likewise comes with a ready-made fan—she is the “star teacher” for her little brother, Justin, who reportedly is behaving well for his new teacher. “It’s great teaching my little brother,” says Kateri, “and, yes, he still calls me by my first name. But so far, no one else has caught on!” Kateri is excited to be a part of the Donahue faculty and loves being able to attend daily Mass with the students.
