What Would You Say to 8th Grade Girls Interested in Attending Saint Joseph Academy? “The educational opportunities, personal connections and spiritual support you are blessed with at Saint Joseph Academy are truly amazing. Your fellow Jaguars become your sisters and the entire Academy community becomes your extended family. Everyone sincerely wants to see you succeed and will go out of their way to help you achieve your dreams. I have never experienced a more welcoming, nurturing, supportive environment and would not be who I am and where I am in life had it not been for my experiences at Saint Joseph Academy.” – Meghan Crute ’02
Emily Cunningham ’04 Owner and Photographer, Emily Millay Photography Bachelor of Arts in Photography and Printmaking, Columbus College of Art & Design Sister of Anna Cunningham ’10 Resident of Rocky River, OH
Emily is an excellent example for women, demonstrating strong leadership and integrity as she runs a successful, self-made photography business, which captures precious moments in her clients’ lives. Her passion for her profession has offered her once-in-a-life-time opportunities and has planted seeds of meaningful relationships. The support Emily has received from her Saint Joseph Academy relationships motivated Emily to pursue her love of photography. She has traveled to and photographed clients in 19 states, Europe and Asia. She inspires others professionally by hosting photography workshops across the United States. Emily also ran her first full marathon in May in addition to completing a year’s worth of 33 races (which included 5ks, 10ks and half marathons). In her spare time, she runs half marathons to benefit Autism Speaks and The Haven Home, which provides overflow shelter for homeless women and children in the Greater Cleveland area.
Emily Kollin ’06 Aerospace Engineer, NASA Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, The Ohio State University Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Master of Science in Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin Resident of Webster, TX
After discovering her love for math and science at Saint Joseph Academy, Emily completed several degrees in the field of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering. She is currently employed by NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, designing navigational software for the Orion Program, the new spacecraft that will take astronauts to the moon and Mars. For most people, it is mind-boggling to even consider the intellectual curiosity required to approach such complex goals, yet Emily embraces this challenge. She sifts through 1960s Apollo-era research notes and rewrites them as code to predict a spacecraft’s trajectory; acting as an astronaut stranded off the coast of Florida during a rescue operation rehearsal. The list of amazing but true stories from her career goes on and on. Emily’s most current project launched in July 2019, where she sat in the control center at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, deciding whether or not the spacecraft’s navigation system is a “go for launch.” Already in her young career, Emily has gained and shared a tremendous amount of wisdom which began with the passion and curiosity fostered at Saint Joseph Academy.
Rebecca Kostell ’08 Music Theatre Actress and Vocalist, Self-Employed Bachelor of Music in Musical Theater and a Minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology, New York University Daughter of Ann Murphy Kostell ’81 Sister of Mary ’10, Annie ’13 and Katie Kostell ’13 Resident of New York, NY
What advice would you give the 12th grade you, knowing the success you have today? “Recognize the importance of developing and nurturing relationships with other women and set an intention to develop new relationships and foster existing ones once you have left Saint Joseph Academy. College is going to be a lot more work than you realize, so stay focused, do not be discouraged by its challenges. Never doubt yourself and never give up on your dreams.”– Emily Kollin ’06
Saint Joseph Academy has been a part of Rebecca’s life since birth because of her late father, beloved math teacher, coach and Athletic Director Don Kostell. Rebecca has become a successful self-made actress, creating an entire brand around her talents cultivated while attending the Academy. She returns annually to Cleveland to serve Saint Raphael Parish and lend her musical gifts during Vacation Bible School. Working with household names such as Disney and Charlie Brown, Rebecca has embraced roles that both challenge her and introduce her to new cultures and experiences. Her career has given her the opportunity to travel to 26 countries and 39 states, as Saint Joseph Academy SUMMER 2019
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