As we celebrate National Catholic Schools Week across the country, we’d like to recognize teachers, staff members and school leaders across the Archdiocese of Denver who are celebrating milestone years. Please continue to keep these educators and dedicated staff members in your prayers, as they are working hard to make disciples of our students.
School administrators and leadership who have reached milestones:
20 Years:
Roxie Mountain-Weed
Assistant Principal, Most Precious Blood
Frank Cawley
Chief of Enrollment, Mullen High School
15 Years:
Tracy Alarcon
Principal, All Souls
Mark Strawbridge
Principal, Good Shepherd
Kate Hatch
Asst. Principal, Our Lady of Loreto
5 Years:
Fr. John Nugent, SJ
Principal, Arrupe Jesuit High School
Karen Smith
Lower School Principal, St. Mary’s Academy
In addition to these dedicated administrators, we congratulate and thank the following teachers and staff members who are also celebrating milestone anniversaries:
45 Years:
Mike G. Gabriel
Holy Family High School
30 Years:
Kathy Anderson
Annunciation Catholic School
John Allison
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Katie Armatas
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Jane Laughlin
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Carolyn Goddard
Holy Family High School
Ronald Ortega
Mullen High School
Darla Hamilton
St. Mary’s Academy
25 Years:
Denise Bouchillion
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Mary Grigsby
St. Joseph Catholic School
Tammy Christensen
Mullen High School
Chris Walsweer
Regis Jesuit High School
20 Years:
Bridget Tschappat
All Souls Catholic School
Sue Vogt
All Souls Catholic School
Lorena Sanabria
Guardian Angels Catholic School
Roxie Mountain-Weed
Most Precious Blood Catholic School
Frank Cawley
Mullen High School
Heang Hour
Mullen High School
Michael McGuire
Mullen High School
Chantilly (Dee) Sok
Mullen High School
Peter Spiessbach
Mullen High School
Diana Brunner
Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School
Erin Cassidy-Cernanec
Regis Jesuit High School
Sandra Ferraro
Regis Jesuit High School
Gretchen Kessler
Regis Jesuit High School
Carol Sobolik
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School
Kitty Comeaux
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
Cathy Canavan
St. Mary Catholic School, Littleton
Julia Castillo
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Sarah Teall
St. Thomas More Catholic
Sue Gerken
St. Vincent de Paul School
Beth McConaty
St. Vincent de Paul School
15 Years:
Tracy Alarcon
All Souls Catholic School
Brigid Ryan
All Souls Catholic School
Dawn Hug
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Laura Kirk-Rosenberger
Bl. Miguel Pro Catholic Academy
Chris Rusin
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Brenda Wright-Scaife
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Sandra Reese
Escuela de Guadalupe
Mark Strawbridge
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Amanda Gallegos
Holy Family High School
Daniel Hahn
Holy Family High School
Christina Dorchuck
Most Precious Blood Catholic School
Am Meang
Mullen High School
Kate Hatch
Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School
Mark Canino
Regis Jesuit High School
Christopher Cook
Regis Jesuit High School
Lindsay Cummings
Regis Jesuit High School
Katherine Fay
Regis Jesuit High School
Jennifer Gray
Regis Jesuit High School
Kenny Ramos
Regis Jesuit High School
Ken Shaw
Regis Jesuit High School
Kathi Gregg
Shrine of St. Anne School
Randall Dufour
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
Robin Martinek
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
Lori Domenico
St. Louis Catholic Church
Jessica Bennett
St. Louis Catholic School
Kerri McGill
St. Louis Catholic School
Michele Beaudoin
St. Mary Catholic School, Greeley
Brian Cole
St. Mary’s Academy
Jacqueline (Jackie) Neal
St. Mary’s Academy
Mark Dennis
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Savannah Valdez
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Laura Carter
St. Stephen Catholic School
Kathy Grace
St. Thomas More Catholic
Shari Lamb
St. Thomas More Catholic
Cathy Leisegang
St. Thomas More Catholic
Sarah McMahon
St. Thomas More Catholic
Theresa Kovar
St. Vincent de Paul School
10 Years:
Julie Talbot
All Souls Catholic School
Mira Martinez
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Vianney Rodriguez Bernhardt
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Kelly Harvey
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Shana Krakowiecki
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Julie Harris
Escuela de Guadalupe
Nora Jennings
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Jeff Moser
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Rodney Scohy
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Tammy Schneider
Holy Family High School
Robert Comeaux
Holy Family High School
Moira Mennona
Most Precious Blood Catholic School
Lindsay Hooper
Mullen High School
Lawrence Arkoff
Nativity: Faith & Reason
Leigh Woods
Nativity: Faith & Reason
Margaret Gates
Notre Dame Catholic School
Tanya Schrader
Notre Dame Catholic School
Kim Simonson
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
Becky McDowell
Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School
Jason Ell
Regis Jesuit High School
Joey Lechuga
Regis Jesuit High School
Spencer Wagner
Regis Jesuit High School
Dana Frerich
Shrine of St. Anne School
John Kiaha
Shrine of St. Anne School
Kathleen Olsen
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
Karleen Watson
St. Mary Catholic School, Greeley
Terri Sue Monark
St. Mary Catholic School, Littleton
Amber McGown
St. Mary’s Academy
Cristina Castaneda
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Erin Ugran
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Gissela Dillow
St. Stephen Catholic School
Annelie Herrera
St. Thomas More Catholic
Nicole Thomason
St. Vincent de Paul School
5 Years:
Maggie Barton
All Souls Catholic School
Anna Good
All Souls Catholic School
Andrew Brimeyer
Annunciation Catholic School
Liam Driscoll
Annunciation Catholic School
Samantha Eckrich
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Estefany Hernandez
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Fr. John Nugent, SJ
Arrupe Jesuit High School
Chris Tetro
Bl. Miguel Pro Catholic Academy
Erin Houtsma
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
Rachel McCabe
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School
JoAnn Gartlan
Christ the King Roman Catholic School
Rebecca Kopperud
Christ the King Roman Catholic School
Maria Garcia
Escuela de Guadalupe
Natalie Hopper
Escuela de Guadalupe
Fabiola Doyle
Frassati Catholic Academy
Angela Gesicki
Frassati Catholic Academy
Becky Heier
Frassati Catholic Academy
Coleen Larson
Frassati Catholic Academy
Lisa Lupica
Frassati Catholic Academy
Kate McDonough
Frassati Catholic Academy
Sylvia Prusinowska
Frassati Catholic Academy
Kathy Brown
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Kim Devlin
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Shaye Gardner
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Satomi Moser
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Ray Sandoval
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Emily Wurl
Good Shepherd Catholic School
Sheila Doyle
Guardian Angels Catholic School
Ellen Christoff
Holy Family High School
Gillian Erdmann
Holy Family High School
Dr. Seth Fabian
Holy Family High School
Kathryn Greany
Holy Family High School
Laura Reynolds
Holy Family High School
Daniel Underkofler
Holy Family High School
Danielle Gotchey
Most Precious Blood Catholic School
Marjorie Ader
Mullen High School
Devon Brady
Mullen High School
Katie Cawley
Mullen High School
Neal Devlin
Mullen High School
Jillian Hock
Mullen High School
Brenda Newton
Mullen High School
Janelle Petersen
Mullen High School
Heidi Trevithick
Mullen High School
Melanie Mages
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
Sara Theisen
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
Katie Weaver
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
Courtneigh Osborn
Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School
Marie Young
Our Lady of Loreto Catholic School
Samantha Johnson
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Classical School
Natalie Baldasare
Regis Jesuit High School
Chris Boyle
Regis Jesuit High School
Leslie Diedrich
Regis Jesuit High School
Jim Goeke, SJ
Regis Jesuit High School
Kelsey Greiner
Regis Jesuit High School
Virginia Justis
Regis Jesuit High School
Megan Langfield
Regis Jesuit High School
Leah Malm
Regis Jesuit High School
Summer McDermott
Regis Jesuit High School
Kaitlin McKeon
Regis Jesuit High School
Dee O’Neill
Regis Jesuit High School
Bridget Rector
Regis Jesuit High School
Mindae Russell
Regis Jesuit High School
Julie St. Louis Quimby
Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School
Elaine Uhrik
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
Kelly Jenks
St. Joseph Catholic School
Christie Crowe
St. Joseph Catholic School
Andrea White
St. Louis Catholic School
Veronica Hoffpauir
St. Mary Catholic School, Greeley
JJ Cleaver
St. Mary’s Academy
Michele Elia
St. Mary’s Academy
Victoria Fernandez
St. Mary’s Academy
Lea Frank
St. Mary’s Academy
Barbara (Kelly) Gibbs
St. Mary’s Academy
Rosemary Rehmer
St. Mary’s Academy
Joseph Riehl
St. Mary’s Academy
Karen Smith
St. Mary’s Academy
Kathryn (Katie) Wheeler
St. Mary’s Academy
Patty Haven
St. Pius X Catholic School
Samantha Archuleta
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Jennifer DeLurgio
St. Thomas More Catholic
Denise Devers
St. Thomas More Catholic
Rachel Espinosa
St. Thomas More Catholic
Emily DeLisle
St. Vincent de Paul School
Laurie Pedlow
Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic STEM School
While we cannot interview each of these amazing and dedicated staff members, we would like to recognize one educator from each milestone anniversary year and learn a little bit more about each of them.
5 Years: Sara Theisen, Our Lady of Fatima
Sara Theisen has been teaching at Our Lady of Fatima for the past four years and is currently teaching middle school science and theology. She was at a different Catholic school for one year prior to coming to Our Lady of Fatima. “I feel so blessed to be able to teach both science and theology. As Saint John Paul II said in Fides et Ratio, ‘Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth – in a word, to know himself.’ Although different, faith and science are complementary to each other; I’ve seen that, in learning both in the same classroom, students are able to make new and deeper connections, thus leading to an even greater understanding of both science and theology.” A fun fact about Sara is that she loves painting and playing music on her trumpet and French horn!
10 Years: Tanya Schrader, Notre Dame Catholic School
Although she’s not a child, Tanya Schrader is still in kindergarten! She started her 10 year teaching career at Notre Dame, and you’ll still find her in the kindergarten room. Her favorite thing about teaching in a Catholic school is the faith and community she has found. When she’s not in the classroom, her passion is being outdoors enjoying all kinds of activities.
15 Years: Mark Dennis, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy
Mark Dennis is celebrating 15 years teaching in Catholic schools, the last 10 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy where he teaches middle school religion and social studies. Prior to that, he taught at Presentation of Our Lady. His favorite thing about teaching in a Catholic school? “I love being able to have conversations with students that not only increase their academic knowledge, but truly have an effect on the way in which they interact with others and encounter God.” One of the fun facts about Mark is that his three oldest children (ages 5, 7, and 9) join him at school every day.
20 Years: Kitty Comeaux, St. John the Baptist, Longmont
Kitty Comeaux has been teaching in Catholic schools for the past 20 years, the past 17 of which have been at St. John the Baptist where she teaches 2nd graders. Prior to that she was at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic School in Tucson, AZ. Her favorite thing about teaching in a Catholic school?
“It is so special to be able to include God in all we teach. I cherish the opportunity to help children grow in their faith every day, because by doing so, I also grow in my faith.” You may be surprised to know that traveling is a passion of Kitty’s and her husband. They have already traveled to 25 countries and nearly all 50 states. Her favorite countries (so far) include Santorini, Greece and Barcelona, Spain. They especially love European countries with all their different cultures and histories. Kitty says they hope to continue these amazing journeys.
25 Years: Mary Grigsby, St. Joseph Catholic School, Ft. Collins
Twenty-five-year educator Mary Grigsby has spent every one of those years at Saint Joseph Catholic School in Ft. Collins, with all of them spent in the Kindergarten room. She and her husband have raised four children who all attended and graduated from Saint Joseph. Mary loves teaching in a Catholic school because it makes her heart happy to see her Kindergarteners learn about their faith and share a love for God. This year Mary helped open a new Atrium teaching the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. In 2014, Mary received a Distinguished Teacher Award from the NCEA. In her spare time, she loves backpacking and traveling, especially to Kenya where she enjoys sharing her love for education with the children there.
30 Years: John Allison – Good Shepherd Catholic School
Some people might not know that John Allison, who has spent the last 30 years as a teacher in Catholic schools, started out his teaching career as a music teacher! He taught music at Sts. Peter &Paul for one year, then moved to Good Shepherd and taught music there for 13 years before switching to social studies. “Teaching at a Catholic school allows me the opportunity and curriculum to teach the whole student. Not just the core of the subject but being able to teach them about a faith-filled life as well.” Some fun facts about John: he graduated from Montana State in 1988 with BA in Music/Vocal Production and also has a master’s in Educational Leadership from Regis University with his Principal’s license, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He also has two remarkable daughters. One is a local physician and the other is a Deputy Sheriff. He is also the proud grandfather of three grandchildren.
45 Years: Mike G. Gabriel, Holy Family High School
Mike Gabriel – the SENIOR Mike Gabriel at Holy Family High School (his son, referred to as “Mike D” is the assistant principal of the school) is celebrating an amazing 45 years in Catholic education as a teacher, with all of those years spent at Holy Family. He teaches grades 9-12 Strength and Conditioning. Mike G says he was drawn to teach in a Catholic school because of some of the teachers he had in high school, and the opportunity to go back to his alma mater and teach. His favorite thing about teaching there? “The one thing that stands out for me is the students who attend Holy Family, because they have a desire to learn and excel in school, they are committed to the community, and they want to succeed. I wouldn’t want to teach anywhere else because Holy Family has given me and my family more than I could ever give back.” Mike is extremely proud that his grandchildren are fourth generation students at Holy Family High School. Now that is impressive! Thank you, Mike G for your dedication to your students and Catholic education!
