Rick (and sometimes Laurie, who went on her inaugural trip last summer) also spends one week in Memphis, Tennessee during “Elvis Presley Week.” Rick has been going to Memphis each year for the last eight years. True to his friendly nature, he has amassed a vast array of friends there. Rick and Laurie’s deep dedication and commitment to Jesuit over the years have benefited countless students and events at our school. This dedication to and love of Jesuit High School exemplifies their spirit of selflessly serving others. It is with great pride that we present Rick and Laurie Howington with the President’s Age Quod Agis Award for 2014 in recognition of their enduring commitment to Jesuit High School.
Corps (JVC) for one year. From 1976-77, he volunteered as a counselor for Athabaskan Indian and Yupic Eskimo children at a group home in Bethel, Alaska. At the time, Bethel had the highest rate of alcoholism and suicide in the nation, and many of the children came from families torn apart by alcoholism. Tom was challenged by his volunteer work but enjoyed the experience. Inspired by the Jesuits he met in Alaska, he eventually decided to join the Society of Jesus. “Becoming a Jesuit seemed like the right thing for me to try,” says Tom. In 1977, Tom became a Jesuit Novice and taught math and general science at Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Washington. It was in this early introduction to teaching that Tom first discovered he wanted to become a teacher. Tom left the Jesuit order in 1979, knowing he wanted to devote his life to teaching and to raising a family.Tom returned to Bethel, Alaska in 1979 where he was a permanent substitute teacher at Bethel Regional High School. It was there that he renewed his friendship with fellow JVC volunteer Sheila Fogarty, who was then the director of the Group Home. Tom and Sheila returned to Portland together and were married in 1980. Tom began teaching Theology at Central Catholic High School in 1981. He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Religious Education at the University of Portland and a Master’s in Theology at Notre Dame with emphasis in Systematic Theology and Biblical Studies. Over the course of the next 13 years at Central, he would also coach cross country and track. During that time, Tom and Sheila were raising four children: Tommy ’01, Maggie ’02, Pat ’05, and Brian ’07. Tom recalls creatively sharing parenting duties as he and Sheila, a mental health therapist at Emanuel Hospital for the last 25 years, juggled their jobs and family responsibilities. In 1994, Tom returned to Jesuit High School as a teacher and coach. Over the last 20 years, Tom has fully immersed himself in the life of the school. He coached Jesuit’s cross country team for 17 seasons and served as track coach for 18 seasons. He has gone on three service trips to New Orleans for clean-up and restoration following Hurricane Katrina and on one service trip to western Alaska. Tom has attended several freshman retreats and approximately 15 Encounters. In 2006 he was awarded the Ignatian Educator of the Year Award for teaching excellence in the Jesuit tradition. His knowledge of Theology has been enhanced by several trips to Greece, Turkey and the Holy Land. Outside of Jesuit, Tom has been involved in his parish at Resurrection Catholic Church for the last 30 years. He worked there part-time as the Director of Adult Faith Formation for 20 of those years, which kept Tom busy with youth ministry, teaching evening classes to parents of children making First Communion and First Reconciliation, and Sunday morning classes in Biblical Studies. Tom also taught Adult Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in the evenings for four years. He served as Board Chair
Alumnus of the Year Award Tom Manning '71
Each year, Jesuit High School presents the Alumnus or Alumna of the Year Award to an individual whose actions and deeds represent the values of Jesuit High School as found in the Profile of the Jesuit Graduate at Graduation: Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Loving, Religious, and Committed to Doing Justice. This year, Jesuit High School is pleased to present the Alumnus of the Year Award to Tom Manning ’71. Tom grew up in Lake Oswego along with his two brothers and two sisters. He attended Our Lady of the Lake School and then followed in his brother John’s (JHS ’66) footsteps by graduating from Jesuit High School in 1971. Tom recalls that he was impressed with many of the Jesuits who were his teachers. “The Jesuits demanded a lot from us as students,” says Tom. “I looked up to and admired them, and they had a positive impact on my spiritual growth.” After graduating from Jesuit, Tom attended Oregon State University. He earned his undergraduate degree in 1975, majoring in marketing and minoring in general science. Tom then decided to serve in the Jesuit Volunteer
•
35
•