11 minute read
Coming Home
Their passion for Rochester Catholic Schools permeates in the classrooms, at student activities, on athletic fields, and across all five RCS campuses. And for this group, it all started back when they themselves walked the hallways, not as faculty and staff but as RCS Eagles. Ten percent of RCS educators got their start in the Rochester Catholic Schools system. Read on to learn what
brought them back to the place they say helped shape them into who they are today.
Andy Poterucha '01, Principal, St. Francis of Assisi School
For Mr. Andy Poterucha '01, it’s about paying it forward and passing along to his students the same lessons instilled in him during his school years at RCS.
Mr. Poterucha has been connected to the RCS system since he attended St. Francis of Assisi School and St. John’s Elementary School, now the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School, and graduated from LHS in 2001. While in college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, he also coached high school basketball and track at LHS, which provided him with some of the most rewarding and happiest memories of his life at that time.
Upon graduating, Mr. Poterucha worked in the finance field but says his love for coaching, helping youth, and his strong connection to RCS were leading him elsewhere. When he met his wife, Cassandra, her parents were both teachers, which allowed him to ask questions and learn more about teaching as a potential vocation. This led him to the decision that it was something he was truly meant to do.
He then pursued his Masters in Instruction and his K-12 Principal Licensure at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He found his way back to RCS in 2013, when he was hired as a Physical Education and Science teacher at Holy Spirit Catholic School. He later became principal of St. Francis of Assisi School - where his RCS journey had initially started. Talk about a story coming full circle!
Mr. Poterucha says when he looks back and thinks about why he chose to return to RCS, it was truly because of the educators that helped shape his life.
“I want to make an impact on young people’s lives like these educators impacted my life. I want them to be able to show and be proud of who God made them to be!” he said.
Fall sports picture day during Mr. Poterucha’s senior year, 2001
Mr. Poterucha visiting with students at St. Francis of Assisi School
Mr. Poterucha has five children, all of whom will be attending Holy Spirit Catholic School this fall.
“I feel the presence of God in my life more than ever and am very grateful for my own children to experience all that RCS has to offer.”
It’s an RCS family legacy that will live on for generations to come!
Ms. Emily Heydon '09, a kindergarten teacher at St. Pius X School, is a shining example of the culture of educational excellence within the RCS system and beyond! This past year, Ms. Heydon was named the Honor Teacher recipient for grades K-6 in the MINNDEPENDENT 2022 Private and Independent Education Awards, presented to only one teacher statewide annually.
This award served as the culmination of her lifelong love for learning, a passion passed down from generation to generation in the Heydon family. Ms. Heydon’s mother, Pat Heydon, was a fifth-grade teacher at St. Francis of Assisi School for 32 years, where her late grandmother, Louise Heydon, also taught for 20 years. Ms. Heydon knew at a young age she wanted to become a teacher, having grown up playing school and helping her mother set up her classroom every school year.
RCS has always been an important part of Ms. Heydon’s life, which became even more apparent during her student teaching days.
“As I was student teaching, RCS was always the standard I compared myself to, and I just realized how much it would mean to come back ‘home,’” she said.
After attending the University of WisconsinStout and earning a Master of Arts Degree in Literacy Education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, an opportunity arose and she was hired as a Kindergarten teacher at St. Pius X School.
“RCS is truly my home. I can’t imagine working anywhere else!” she said.
It is clear that Ms. Heydon truly is at home at RCS and in her classroom. With her students, she places faith and values above all else. She fosters individual growth and achievement at a young age by helping each student understand that learning is a lifelong process.
Ms. Heydon teaching her kindergarten class at St. Pius X School “My hope for my students is that they become good people! I always hope they try their best and know it’s okay to not ‘get it’ right away because that means we are still learning,” she said.
There are many reasons Mrs. Pam Smith '96, found her way back to RCS, most notably the positive impact her elementary teachers including Sandra Dilley, Char Evjen, and Deb Lawler, had on her life during her school days.
Growing up, Mrs. Smith attended St. John’s Elementary School and graduated from LHS in 1996.
She said while attending college at Winona State University, she received special permission to complete one semester of her classroom hours at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School, where she had the opportunity to observe her sixth-grade teacher, Sandra Dilley.
“It was such an amazing experience,” Mrs. Smith said. “She was a great mentor, and she taught me many things. After my experience in her classroom,
Mrs. Smith at St. John’s Elementary
School in second grade
Mrs. Smith pictured with her students, including her son Connor (R), at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School
I knew that I definitely wanted to teach in the RCS system. I loved the faith-filled community, and I wanted to be part of that type of teaching/learning community,” she said.
Mrs. Smith recently completed her 21st year teaching at RCS. She started out at St. Pius X School, where she spent her first six years, followed by the CoCathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School where she just finished her 15th year.
She says some of her favorite aspects of the job include seeing the children every day, being part of a caring community, and sharing the Eucharist. She also has the opportunity to co-teach with fellow alumna DesmaLee Hurtado '97, which she says has been a truly rewarding experience.
Like Mrs. Smith, her husband Nate '96 attended RCS, and their three children are current Eagles. She said she is grateful to have had the opportunity to provide them with the same experiences she had.
“It is truly a wonderful community to be part of. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to work in a school with such amazing staff and students,” she said.
Mrs. DesmaLee Hurtado '97, said she has always felt called to help guide children along the path of life.
After attending St. Francis of Assisi School for elementary and middle school, she graduated from LHS in 1997. She then went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls before working as a Juvenile Probation Officer beginning in 2001.
Her family decided to return to Rochester in 2018 following a strong calling from God to move back to MN. Mrs. Hurtado shared that following their faith truly was the best blessing for their family. She prayed for an opportunity to teach in the RCS system, and her prayers were answered in August 2019.
“I am so grateful that I was able to be patient in God’s plan and timing,” she said.
Mrs. Hurtado’s senior photo, 1997
Mrs. Hurtado pictured at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School
As part of her role as a middle school math teacher at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School, she says she loves that she is able to pray openly with each of her students and continue to watch them grow in their Catholic faith.
“I love to see students’ curiosity ignite and the growth that happens throughout the year. I feel such a sense of community with my fellow coworkers, and they are like family,” she said.
She said her education at RCS led her to discover her passion to help others by becoming a steward of Christ.
“This has encompassed my passion as an educator to help students find their purpose and respond to the calling of God.”
Mary Greve '83, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Holy Spirit Catholic School
Mrs. Mary Greve '83, is a lifelong learner through and through and has been teaching in the RCS system for 35 years (and counting!)
Mrs. Greve’s senior photo, 1983
Mrs. Greve pictured at Holy Spirit Catholic School Growing up, she attended St. Pius X School followed by LHS, where she graduated in 1983. She went on to attend Loras College in Dubuque, IA, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1987 followed by her K-12 Reading certification at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
She said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher because she loved children and learning.
“I had some wonderful, faith-filled teachers during my school career who were excellent role models that I hope I emulate,” she said.
Mrs. Greve began her career at St. Pius X School in 1987 and moved to Holy Spirit Catholic School in 1996, where she currently serves as a fifth-grade teacher. She has taught fifth grade every year along with some fourth and sixth-grade classes along the way. To Mrs. Greve, coming back to RCS has felt like home.
“I have always appreciated the sense of community and family I feel at RCS. I feel a strong sense of belonging, compassion, and cooperation among my peers,” she said.
She said her favorite aspect of her job is the time she spends working and growing with her students.
“I love hearing them share their stories and watching them grow and develop academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. It is especially rewarding when I see a student feel a sense of accomplishment, however big or small it may be,” she said.
Similar to Mrs. Greve’s tenure at RCS, her husband, Mike, has been teaching at RCS for 40+ years - just a few years longer than her! All three of their children received their education through the RCS system.
She shared that her career has been extremely rewarding, each year is new and exciting, and she is constantly learning new things.
Kiersten Bretton-Billmeier '93, LHS Front Office Receptionist and Former RCS Substitute Teacher
Mrs. Kiersten Bretton-Billmeier '93 has a longstanding and wide-spanning history in the RCS system - with connections to all five campuses and RCS family ties dating back 50+ years!
Growing up, Mrs. Bretton-Billmeier attended St. Francis of Assisi School, St. Pius X School, and LHS. She said some of her first and fondest memories were of the old LHS building, where her father, Jeff Brengman '61, worked as choir director and assistant principal and her mother, Karel, served as a front office secretary.
Mrs. Bretton-Billmeier sporting her high school cheerleading jacket, which she wears to athletics events and student activities to this day!
Mrs. Bretton-Billmeier substitute teaching at the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Middle School “It was like a family. Everyone took care of each other,” she said.
After graduating from LHS in 1993, she attended Minnesota State University, Mankato, La Universidad de Guadalajara, and Winona State University-Rochester where she completed her Education degree.
Years later, when her children became of school age, Mrs. Bretton-Billmeier decided to return to the RCS school system in hopes of giving other children the same positive experience she had. In 2016, she fulfilled that dream through substitute teaching, serving as a paraprofessional, and providing office support. She recently began in a new position as front office receptionist at LHS.
“It’s a joy for me to fill that role for other families and students,” she said.
Some of her favorite aspects of her job include watching students grow throughout the years, getting to know their siblings, cheering them on at their activities, and showing them that they matter. She also loves teaching students about the importance of faith and trusting in God.
“I am proud of our system, our staff, our students, and our families. It’s been a wonderful experience for me, and I am privileged to spend my days with people I truly care about,” she said.
We would like to thank our alums who decided to come home to teach at Rochester Catholic Schools, as well as ALL of our faculty and staff for sharing their time, talents, and gifts across all five campuses. We are grateful for your continued support and dedication to helping our RCS Eagles grow in mind, body, and spirit !
