NDP Bestows Honors in 2020-21

FOUNDRESS SOCIETY 2021

Mary Bartel

Mary Bartel was a brand new college graduate when she signed her first contract in 1981 at Notre Dame Prep; 40 years later, she’s still teaching at NDP. In her four decades, she has also served as the athletic director, physical education department chairperson, coach, served on committees for the Junior and Freshman retreats, and chaperoned the New York trip. The Foundress Society honoree previously received the school’s Mildred Motsko Huntt Award, the Hyacinth for the Soul Award, and is a member of NDP’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ms. Bartel is credited with expanding the school’s physical education and interscholastic athletics programs. During her tenure, she has coached just about every sport, but she’s best known for her championship lacrosse teams. She is remembered for her support for her struggling 2001 team. After a rough start, she told her girls they were “capable of far, far better.” They went on to win the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) championship and Coach Bartel was named The Sun’s Coach of the Year.

Before she inspired her students, she herself was an outstanding athlete, captain of Towson University’s volleyball and lacrosse teams who led her teams to the 1979 Maryland State volleyball title and a 13-6 record as a junior lacrosse player. Also, in 1979, her lacrosse team placed second in the AIAW National Championship Tournament.

While she fondly recalls her first New York trips with the seniors and her first Gym Meet with fellow teacher Holly Adolph, she remembers how much she learned from Sister Helen Marie Duffy, SSND. “She mentored me with unconditional love. Most powerfully was the way Helen began the school year… Her final words to her faculty at our opening meeting were, ‘Love them into goodness.’  It remains at the heart of how I approach every day.”

Ms. Bartel describes Notre Dame Prep as loving, just, and wise, as she praises the dedication of the faculty and staff and the enthusiasm of NDP students. “It is the perfect combination for success,” she said.
Grateful for her time with students and mentors such as Sisters Helen Marie, Ellis Denny, and Pat Murphy, she says, “Being a small part of the evolution of our students becoming independent young women is the reward of a lifetime.”
 
 

Sister Joannene Merendino, SSND*

Sister Joannene Merendino, SSND, is remembered at NDP not only for her history and social studies classes in the 1970s and ‘80s, but also for her feisty spirit and her deep and abiding faith.

A Baltimore native and graduate of the Institute of Notre Dame (IND), Sister Joannene spent twenty years teaching grade school students before she taught high school, beginning at IND. Missioned to Notre Dame Prep in 1970, she taught there until her retirement in 1998. In addition to teaching world history, Sister Joannene led trips to Europe and took part in a visit to the Holy Land.

Sister Joannene expected excellence from her students in the classroom and beyond, recalled Sister Sharon Kanis, who taught in the classroom next to Sister Joannene. “She was tough as nails and they loved it,” she said. Sister Sharon remembered how Sister Joannene glowed with pride when one of her students excelled, and her raised eyebrow alerted displeasure if a student gave less than 100 percent.

Outside of the classroom, Sister Joannene guided students in forensics competitions and took Gym Meet very seriously, popping into practices, providing incentives for improvement, and assuring her classes that they would be the first freshman class to win the Silver Cup.

She was also an avid NDP basketball fan—except when NDP played her alma mater. Then she would sit on IND’s side.

Sister Joannene relished visits with family and enjoyed traveling with them. She was devoted to her SSND friends. The story of her friendship with a family friend, Benny Rubin, was front-page news in the Baltimore Sun in 1995. After his death, Sister Joannene attended synagogue to recite Yahrzeit, the prayers of his Jewish faith. Mr. Rubin left $800,000 to endow a scholarship for young women, stipulating that Sister Joannene had to serve on the board.

Sister Joannene, who had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, was never without her rosary, which she would pull out and pray in quiet moments.

After retiring Sister Joannene continued to live in the convent until 2000 when she relocated to Villa Assumpta. When the NDP students sang for the retired sisters, Sister Joannene wept with pride.

After her death on November 2, 2020, alumna Roann Tsakalas Voultepsis, Ph.D. ’82 said, “Her mind was brilliant, her faith was steadfast and her love for all around her never ending.”

“No one ever forgets Sister Joannene,” said NDP alumna Val Macys ’79. “She is more than a person; she's an experience.” 
 

Cassandra M. Roberson

Cassandra M. Roberson was blazing trails and sharing her passion for education and social justice long before she arrived at Notre Dame Preparatory School 30 years ago.

A middle school mathematics teacher, she once thought she’d clean people’s houses for a living but instead, she spent her career helping girls break free from their fear of math.

Ms. Roberson, a Louisiana native who grew up in Miami, attended St. Francis Academy in Baltimore. When she graduated in 1962, she was offered a scholarship to become the first Black student to attend Barry University, then a Catholic women’s college located near her home. Four years later, she was the first Black undergraduate to graduate with a B.S. in math. After moving to Baltimore in 1968, she taught at Seton High School until 1971. By the time she became a full-time math teacher at NDP in 1983, she was well-acquainted with the school.

In the early ‘80s, her daughter Camilla, then six, took piano lessons with Sister Kevin. Ms. Roberson later taught a Red Cross babysitting class, a computer class, and substituted for an absent fifth grade teacher. She became an NDP parent when Camilla entered fifth grade and daughter Maria entered high school in 1985.
Among her happy memories of Notre Dame Prep, Ms. Roberson recalled the Masses planned by the girls.

“The talent and spirituality of the girls really shone through and have really influenced how I now approach any faith celebration.” She recalled the Prep’s 125th anniversary gala, as well, especially the feeling “we were really ONE school celebrating something wonderful.”

Ms. Roberson says NDP is “the place I can always count on to find true love.” When she needed prayers after the death of Camilla at age 42, “I saw NDP’s motto in action—experienced the loving, just, and wise part of Christ.”

Now retired, she retains her ties to NDP and hopes it will always remain accessible to all, making sure to be a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. “We have so much to offer in making every woman a force in our world,” she said.
 

Jane Kroh Satterfield '60*

A member of the Class of 1960, Jane Kroh Satterfield made a difference everywhere she went. Not only did she have a successful career as a physical therapist, but also she was a lifelong philanthropist and a driving force behind NDP’s Innovation Wing which bears her name.

Mrs. Satterfield went to the University of Maryland to study physical therapy, then earned her master’s from the Johns Hopkins University.

Once in the workforce, she saw the struggle of parents with special needs children trying to run a home while getting their children the health care they needed. She founded Care Rehab, a company that provided in-home physical and speech therapy. A basement start-up, it became a company with national reach.

She was honored with the Henry O. and Florence P. Kendall Practice Award from the American Physical Therapy Association for outstanding service. She was the first female member of the Maryland Chapter of The Executive Committee. A full-time tenured position at the University of Maryland bears her name: The Jane Kroh Satterfield Endowed Professorship in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. In 2018, Mrs. Satterfield received NDP’s Mother Caroline Friess Alumna of the Year Award.

Dedicated to her family, she was married to Albert “Jody” Satterfield for 54 years, until his death in April 2020. They had two children, Carey ‘90, and Kristopher, and five grandchildren.

Mrs. Satterfield, who died last year, maintained a close relationship with her alma mater. She served as a trustee for six years and a donor, supporting three separate scholarship funds to keep the NDP mission alive for future generations of young women. She served as the honorary chair of Notre Dame Prep’s Limitless Campaign.

“The idea of innovation was embedded in me at Notre Dame Prep and allowed me to believe that, with imagination and perseverance, people can go far beyond where they can see and where they initially think they can go. The sky’s the limit for our girls,” she said in an article about the new building in NDP’s alumnae magazine Roots and Wings.
 

Sister Sharon Slear, SSND, Ph.D. '61

“What’s next?” For Sister Sharon Slear, SSND, Ph.D., those are words to live by. A member of NDP’s class of 1961, she’s always ready for the next thing.

An avid athlete who played tennis, basketball, and badminton, she coached tennis for seven years at Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU), where she was honored as an outstanding coach four times.
Sister Sharon was one of the first group to open the new Archbishop Keough High School, was the first woman athletic director of Bishop Walsh High School in Cumberland, and Notre Dame of Maryland University’s first dean of the School of Education. She is currently provost/vice president for academic affairs at NDMU.

She credits her family and faculty for encouraging her to take the next step. “My family instilled in me a confidence to believe I could do anything I set my mind to. Because of them, it never occurred to me I couldn’t. I’m also very fortunate to work with an extremely supportive faculty.”

Maybe she hesitated once. In 1989, then NDMU president Sister Kathleen Feeley, SSND, asked her to start the graduate program in education.

“I think I can do that,” she said.

“Don’t think. Do,” Sister Kathleen replied.

Of course, she did. She oversaw the school’s expansion to include 11 master’s and two Ph.D. programs, as well as 18 additional certification programs.

Her leadership led to her election three times as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She received the NCEA Sister Catherine McNamee Award for outstanding leadership in promoting a vision of Catholic Education that serves students with diverse needs, the President's Medal from Notre Dame of Maryland University, and in 2015, Sister Sharon was appointed to the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland.

Sister Sharon remembers her days at NDP as fun while giving her the spiritual grounding she needed. “It opened my heart to serving others. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to believe I can do anything.”

That’s one of the school’s best attributes, she said. “Graduates leave NDP with a sense of purpose, of commitment, and of service; that we recognize the importance of paying attention to everything we do, of paying attention to the needs of others, and that we develop the resilience to respond positively to challenges.”
 

Athletic Hall of Fame

Chastity Dunnaville '06*

When Chastity Dunnaville was deciding on a prep school, Notre Dame Prep was the last school she visited. But the minute she arrived during open house, she seemed to know. “It seemed a light came on in her spirit,” her mother Taryn recalled. “She was clearly impressed and wanted to experience more of the school.”

After a shadow day, “Chas,” the daughter of Taryn and Leslie Dunnaville III, was ready to become a member of the Class of 2006. In middle school, sports were especially important to her: she learned how to play lacrosse and got involved in synchronized swimming. Basketball was a natural; she was a member of an AAU team in Baltimore City.

A standout volleyball and basketball player in both the middle and upper schools, as well as a trusted student leader, Chas was a recipient of the White Blazer, served as NDP’s Athletic Association president, and helped produce Gym Meet.

While attending the U.S. Naval Academy, she was named a Rugby All-American and landed a spot on the US. Women’s Rugby team, including placement on the short list for the Olympic rugby team. She graduated as a Distinguished Midshipman in 2010.

At NDP, she learned to be a team player, even earning the unsung hero award in basketball and MVO for volleyball. “At the end of each game, win or lose, Chas always came away loving her teammates more,” Mrs. Dunnaville said. “Winning wasn’t the main goal. Building a sisterhood that would take on any challenge was her main focus.”

A student of color, she found her place at NDP but recognized it wasn’t as easy for some of her fellow students. She gravitated to those who struggled and worked to bring them into the fold of stronger students, her mother said.

“Equality for all was near and dear to her heart. Some girls were stronger than others, but it was her concern that all girls be given the same support and love throughout their journey at Notre Dame Prep,” Mrs. Dunnaville said.

She was a Navy lieutenant junior grade and still a passionate athlete when she died of cancer in 2012 at age 24.
 

Sallie Zeidler Grandi '68

A member of the Class of 1968, Sallie Zeidler Grandi was known for her prowess with a racquet. A superb tennis player, she returned to her alma mater to coach badminton and tennis after graduating from Towson University. She also served as treasurer and president of the Athletic Association.

“On my first visit, I fell in love with NDP,” she recalled. “The new buildings, sprawling fields and campus.”
Mrs. Grandi quickly met girls who became lifelong friends, including Jane Kaltenbach with whom she carpooled, as she dove into a busy life of school, sports and clubs. She played doubles with the undefeated varsity team all four years.

Although her sophomore year was consumed by her mother’s battle with cancer, Mrs. Grandi found solace from the headmistress. “Sister Helen Marie was my comfort and helped me through this very difficult time,” she recalled.

Mrs. Grandi’s father married again to Kathleen Mitchell, who had six children under age ten, then added another child to the family. “We became part of a ‘Yours, Mine, and Ours’ family,” she said.

Faith, family and friends formed the core of student life. “Gym Meets were the heart and soul of our class,” Mrs. Grandi added. “Everyone working together for a common cause taught us team spirit at its finest.”

After marrying Charles Grandi, whom she met on a ski slope, they adopted a son and daughter. Their granddaughter is, Mrs. Grandi said, “the joy of our lives.”

Career and family took her away from the Baltimore area, first to New Jersey, later to Taiwan in the 1980s and Japan in the 1990s. After Mr. Grandi retired, they moved to Florida where they built their dream house on the Intracoastal Waterway. Both of their children and families live nearby.

Sports continues to be a big part of her life. “I have been given a gift,” she said, noting how NDP encourages girls to use their talents.

She played racquet sports when she lived overseas and now—even after three open heart surgeries—still competes in golf in state tournaments. “I’m still out there competing in Florida, Mrs. Grandi said.

Mrs. Grandi continues to look forward to class reunions to see friends who have remained close for all these years. “NDP made me who I am today,” she said, noting that she still wears her NDP class ring.
 

Barbara Reahl Kasun '77

Barbara Reahl Kasun was considered a strong leader who always maintained her sense of humor during her years at NDP. A member of the Class of 1977, she played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse all four years, was an Athletic Association class rep, and served on Gym Meet committees.

Going to Notre Dame Prep was a family tradition. Her mother Nancy Schanberger, several aunts and cousins, as well as two of her sisters and two of her daughters all attended NDP.

Mrs. Kasun says she learned to make every moment count at NDP. “Time goes by so fast, and we sometimes forget to take the time to stop and reflect on the present. Soak in all your experiences along your journey whether they are setbacks or not, both on and off the field. Don't sell yourself short.  Embrace everything NDP has to offer,” she says.

That includes awesome traditions, an education that meets the demands of today’s world, and friendships that endure.

“Our class truly has a unique bond which I feel so fortunate to be a part of and will never take for granted,” she says.

Following graduation, Mrs. Kasun played basketball at Roanoke College, winning the All Conference Award her sophomore year and the All-Tournament Award as a junior. In her senior year, she transferred to Towson University to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education.

After graduation in 1983, Mrs. Kasun taught kindergarten at St. Pius X, a job she held until her first child Kathleen was born. Two more daughters, Lauren and Sarah, followed.

She returned to teaching in 2000, spending 11 years with three- and four-year-olds at Kidsclub, a certified preschool at the Bel Air Athletic Club.

Her love of sport has kept her busy through it all. Her first coaching job was at her alma mater, where she coached JV basketball and freshman lacrosse from 1983 to 1985.

She went on to coach varsity basketball at Maryvale Prep from 1985 to 1992. Her team was inducted into Maryvale’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.

Mrs. Kasun also coached in rec and travel leagues, first for her daughters and now for her grandson Carter’s basketball team.

“Follow your dreams,” she advises. “My favorite saying in sports is ‘Anyone can beat anyone else on ANY given day!’ Depends on who shows up! In today’s world, there are so many opportunities for women to break barriers and achieve their goals. Stay focused, work hard, believe, and most importantly have fun!”
 

Patricia Lagator Knott '86

As a player for NDP, Patricia Lagator Knott demonstrated strong leadership and work ethic in basketball and lacrosse. Her unselfish play continued at the Johns Hopkins University, where she was a standout lacrosse player and set the record for assists. She is a member of the Hopkins Hall of Fame as well as the U.S. Lacrosse Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame.

At Hopkins, she earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and later earned a master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Loyola University Maryland. Her career has taken her from health care sales to counseling. She is a clinician with Chesapeake Mental Health Collaborative.

A member of the Class of 1986, Mrs. Knott has remained an active alumna. She serves on the Board of Trustees, chairing the Advancement Committee. In addition, she and her husband Mark served as co-chairs of a previous NDP capital campaign. The Knotts have three daughters, two of whom are NDP alumnae, Kate ’15 and Lila ’19.

Mr. and Mrs. Knott continue the Knott family tradition of philanthropy. “Women’s schools have traditionally struggled. There’s no good reason for that, and it’s time to change it,” she said.

In the earlier 1990s, Mrs. Knott served as a middle school lacrosse coach and later filled in as the eighth grade lacrosse coach.

“My biggest life lesson on and off the field is that we are all part of one team,” she says.
If she could bottle one aspect of Notre Dame Prep, it would be Gym Meet. “Why? You know if you have experienced it.”

She describes NDP as a place of sisterhood, faith, and tradition. “My hope for NDP in the future is that we pursue the path of inclusivity and acceptance,” she says.

She continues to be an advocate for sports for all. “Everyone can be an athlete. The benefits of sports and daily exercise are so important for stress reduction, self-confidence, health, friendships, and learning to be part of something bigger than yourself. Find what you love and do it for you!” she says.
 
 

Amy Sielicki Larkin '93

A three-sport athlete who played field hockey, winter soccer and lacrosse, Amy Sielicki Larkin, also served as student council president and was the recipient of the White Blazer as a member of the Class of 1993.
She remembers being an eighth grader thinking as she listened to the student council president speak, “I want to be her.”

And so, she accomplished what she set out to do—from sports to class leadership.

She credits her mother with inspiring her in everything she did. “She had an enormous zest for life. When she was here, she was here,” Mrs. Larkin said. Gerri Sielicki struggled with breast cancer from her daughter’s freshman year until finally succumbing to it in 2008, nine days before the birth of Amy’s daughter Ava, now a member of the Class of 2026.

After 20 years at Under Armour, where her duties ranged from brand identity and culture to building and developing a strong team of future leaders, Mrs. Larkin is now executive vice president of business development and marketing at War Horse Cities.

She has continued to be involved at Notre Dame Prep, participating in such activities as mini Gym Meet, Alumnae Bingo, the WIN Program and Alumnae Committee of the latest campaign.

Lessons from her family and NDP continue to make a difference in her life, she says. “Many believed in my abilities even when I did not and so I try to remember that in my personal life and career today not only in terms of my own abilities but also in being the voice of courage and reason for those still growing and learning that failing is better than never trying at all.”

At NDP, she found opportunity, empowerment and tradition, and says she still cherishes the feeling of students together. “The energy of all classes together either in the gym for Gym Meet rehearsal or the auditorium for assembly. Nothing like it.”

To today’s female athletes, she offers this advice: “The lessons you learn on the field, in the locker room, and through competition will take you to great places in your life journey.”
 

Margaret “Peggy” Strott '50

With all her activities at Notre Dame Prep, it’s a wonder Peggy Strott got her homework done. A member of the Class of 1950, she was a three-sport athlete, championing in field hockey, basketball, and tennis. She received the Gold Medal at the AA banquet in 1950.

In addition, she was class president her first year, class captain in 1949 and 1950, winning the Gym Meet cup both years. She was a member of the CSMC for four years, serving as president her senior year, as well as a reporter for the yearbook and school newspaper.

“The teachers were there for you,” she says. She recalled with affection Sister Helen Marie, Sister Carola, Sister Dorothea, Junie Peacock, and Kay Carroll. “They imparted lifelong lessons, patience, discipline, and leadership.”

Mrs. Strott’s zest for athletics continued at Chestnut Hill College where she played varsity in three sports, won the Intercollegiate Diving Championship in 1953 and was runner-up in 1954.

She brought all that energy back to NDP in 1954. In addition to teaching gym classes for grades 1 through 12, she coached the hockey, basketball, and tennis teams. “My favorite time was Gym Meet time, a wonderful experience to help and watch all the girls rally to the very best of their abilities,” said Mrs. Strott, who noted she was thrilled to judge Gym Meet in 1958 and 1985.

Her career took her into the field of fashion. She worked at several well-regarded boutiques, including Octavia, Trillium, and Littlefields, as well as Sports Her Way, which was operated by her niece Sue Heether who attended NDP’s lower school. “Of the five women who employed me, three of them were students at NDP,” she said.

Mrs. Strott also served as a eucharistic minister at Sinai Hospital, from 2011 until Covid-19 forced her to stop.
She hopes her alma mater can continue “to maintain their high standards and stay on the cutting edge of today's world.”

And of course, she’d like to find a way to bottle Gym Meet. “It brings every student together to plan, create and achieve their goal with hard work and effort.”


HAMPTON AWARDS 2021

J. Conrad* and Marilyn Cook Buedel '52

J. Conrad and Marilyn Cook Buedel have supported deserving students with half-tuition scholarships through the Buedel Financial Aid Grant since 2007. Mrs. Buedel is a 1952 NDP alumna and their only daughter Jackie, a former trustee who was named to NDP’s Foundress Society in 2015 and who passed away in 2017, graduated in 1973.

“As a graduate, I was inspired by the school, but our daughter Jackie was the catalyst that sparked my deep love for the school,” Mrs. Buedel said. “Her unconditional love for SSND and Notre Dame was infectious.”

An affection for Notre Dame Prep is shared by the whole Buedel family. It was Mrs. Buedel’s mother who wanted her daughter to attend Notre Dame. Not only had Jackie been active with development and the Board of Trustees, but also their son Mark continues the family commitment by serving on the board today.

“Currently I have the joy of having a 2019 NDP graduate as a part-time care giver,” Mrs. Buedel added.  “She is like a granddaughter, and I can tell part of why we get along so well is she is an NDP girl!”

The Buedels continue to have high hopes for the school. “Our hope is that Notre Dame will continue to provide a faith-based, well-rounded quality education and remain true to the foundation it was built on, rich in traditions,” Mrs. Buedel said.

She noted that she and her husband of 66 years, whom she called “Connie” and who passed away in mid-April, always enjoyed having the opportunity to support an NDP education for motivated young women. “The indescribable joy of affording young girls the opportunity of such a fine Notre Dame education is beyond rewarding. We are so grateful to watch the journey and see the girls mature into young women who will make a difference in the world.”

She urges others to consider getting involved with NDP. “One of the most important things you can do in life is give back.”
 

Barbara Leonard Daugherty '53

Barbara Leonard Daugherty has been committed to her NDP sisters since their graduation in 1953. She has served as the class’s chatter writer, reunion organizer, and all-around cheerleader.

In fact, she said the honors shouldn’t go just to her but to the entire “Great Class of 1953.”

“It isn’t only me. It’s my class, too,” she said. “If I hadn’t had such a good class, I wouldn’t be me.”

Mrs. Daugherty, who served as class president and Athletic Association president, said she remains grateful to her parents that she could attend such a special school.

“There’s a spirit about this place,” she said. When asked for three words to describe Notre Dame Prep, she responded, “Spirit. Spirit. Spirit.”

Her love of the school runs deep. She had just started at Notre Dame Prep when her grandmother offered to pay the tuition for young Barbara and her sister to go to another Catholic school. Their mother agreed and off they went to a different school. But it didn’t last. Mrs. Daugherty came home crying every day because she missed NDP.

Her mother relented and called Sister Mary Virginia Connolly, asking if Barbara could return to NDP. She was welcomed with open arms. Mrs. Daugherty says it was the spirit of NDP that got her.

The “Great Class of 1953” never won Gym Meet, but they loved each other. In senior year, when the time came to announce the winner of the coveted White Blazer, Mrs. Daugherty was one of those nominated, but no decision was made. “This shows how much the class loved each other.”

Mrs. Daugherty, who had six children, married Charles Daugherty who had four of his own. Both of her daughters are NDP girls, as is her granddaughter, who is finishing her freshman year.

She still relies on lessons learned during her years at Notre Dame Prep. “NDP always stood for loyalty and spirit. The school held high standards for the girls to reach not just with grades but in all aspects.” Reaching those high standards, she said, was part of the fun.

“I’ll never get Notre Dame out of my heart,” Mrs. Daugherty said.
 
 

J. Fred* and Jean Glose

For many years, Fred and Jean Glose were tireless volunteers and loyal donors to Notre Dame Prep. The parents of five alumnae, they spent a lot of time in the stands at sporting events, fundraisers, and Gym Meet.
“Our youngest daughter wanted to attend NDP just from watching her sisters play all their basketball and lacrosse games,” Mrs. Glose said.

Mr. Glose, who passed away in March, was a Boys Latin School graduate and member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He attended the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business after serving in the U.S. Army. He worked for two family businesses, the Federal Container Company and the Maryland Chemical Company, for which he served as president.

Mrs. Glose, whose musical resume includes singing with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and the Baltimore Opera Chorus, also worked as a dental assistant and medical assistant.

While the Gloses’ son and grandsons went to BL, all five girls, Jeanette Glose Partlow ’75, Mary S. Lawler ’76, Katie Glose ’77, Maureen Glose Partlow ’79, and Joanne G. Wiklund ’85, as well as granddaughters Maddie Wiklund ’12 and Lizzie Wiklund ’17, are NDP alumnae.

Mr. Glose started NDP’s Century Club in 1973 along with fellow parents Vernon Bolte, Rene Gunning Sr., and Ed Reahl. Club members not only had fun but raised funds to buy the school’s first lacrosse equipment.

“We loved attending all the girls’ activities at school which made it so easy to become involved with school and all the other parents,” Mrs. Glose said. “The Christmas celebration was so beautiful!  Gym Meet was the most wonderful time of the year. Our daughter, Katie, won Gym Meet two years in a row. I attended Gym Meet as recently as 2017 to watch our granddaughter!”

Mrs. Glose said she always found Notre Dame Prep to be a family place, inspirational and caring. “We hope that NDP continues with their fabulous work with the girls and their strong education.”

What set NDP apart were the educators, Mrs. Glose said. “The girls were so comfortable going to the teachers, and everyone felt like family and a part of everyone’s personal life.”

“Involvement at NDP gives inspiration to both parent and student to give back to a community that was there to support them, and now it is their time to support future generations,” she added.
 

Lilly Mihm Hunter, MD '90

One of Baltimore’s leading OB-GYNs, Dr. Hunter, a member of the Class of 1990, recently served as co-chair of Limitless, NDPs most successful capital campaign. She serves on the Board of Trustees and is the parent of two current NDP students, Anna Kate ’23 and Georgia ’26. In addition, she is the daughter of revered history teacher, Mrs. Lillian Mihm.

Once Dr. Hunter returned to Baltimore after finishing her medical training, she wanted to share her learning. “At NDP, we were taught to learn, grow spiritually in our Catholic faith, and transform the world. Upon moving home to Baltimore as an obstetrician/gynecologist, I felt compelled to give back to other women, specifically, young, Catholic women of my high school. It began simply by sharing my story at career days and culminated in helping raise money to build an innovation wing to assist other young women in their journeys toward STEAM careers,” she said.

Just as she was encouraged during her days at NDP, she is proud to encourage a new generation of girls to achieve their fullest potential. “It is more than rewarding,” she said. “It is a gift.”

She says NDP is a place of sisterhood, faith, tradition, and confidence. “I hope NDP continues to be a leader in our community in how to effectively educate young women in our Catholic faith while maintaining the traditions which define the uniqueness of our school. I hope our graduates use their talents to make positive and meaningful change in the world. I hope they ultimately come back and give back to their NDP sisters in helping them achieve the same. In this way, I hope for a circle of sisterhood.”

A woman of faith who says being the mother of her two daughters and her son are her “greatest joy” and a doctor who has brought more than 3,000 babies into the world, Dr. Hunter urges others to get involved in the work of her alma mater. “Any person, whether you are an alumna or community member, who believes in the importance of educating young, Catholic women should be a part of NDP’s mission.”

“I wish all alumnae knew how it feels to walk through the halls of NDP now. It’s like coming home,” she said.
 
 

Arthur and Martina Varnado

A passion for social justice and inclusivity led Arthur and Martina Hutchinson Varnado to establish the Varnado Family Diversity Scholarship Fund to support students of color at Notre Dame Prep. In addition, the couple serve on STRIVE (Sustaining Transformation: Racial Inclusion, Value, and Equity), NDP’s antiracism task force, and Mr. Varnado served two terms on the school’s Board of Trustees.

“We feel we can make a difference as the school embraces a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is heartening to see the school wanting to make a change and striving to be the very best it can be,” they said.

Married for 31 years, Arthur and Martina are the parents of two NDP alumnae, Marissa ’15 and Marla ’18.
Mrs. Varnado, the product of a School Sisters of Notre Dame education, is a director in the Office of the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration where she has been for the past 11 years and a federal employee for 23 years.

Mr. Varnado has worked for 33 years in investment banking, most recently at T. Rowe Price Associates where he is a fixed income senior product manager and vice president.

The couple became involved at NDP as soon as Marissa enrolled. “We were inspired to become involved with NDP because, like any parent, we wanted to closely involve ourselves with a place entrusted with our daughters’ educational development and foundation. Art took it a step further when he was invited to join the Board of Trustees and served two terms as a board member. He was also pleased to share his finance expertise as chair of the investment sub-committee.”

Mr. and Mrs. Varnado expressed their gratitude for the solid educational foundation their daughters received at NDP. It’s a place Marissa and Marla have always been proud to call their alma mater.

“Our dream is for NDP to become an inclusive place that embraces girls of all backgrounds to enroll in the school and thrive,” the Varnados said. “We would love for NDP to become a microcosm of the world and produce girls who have a strong appreciation for all of the gifts each person brings to the school.”
 

J. Scott Wilfong

When J. Scott Wilfong co-chaired NDP’s recent Limitless capital campaign, his family established the Wilfong Family Scholarship Fund for a new generation of Notre Dame students.

Mr. Wilfong, who also serves on the Board of Trustees, has a long career in banking and philanthropy. The retired chairman, president, and CEO of SunTrust Bank’s Mid-Atlantic Region, he spent 43 years in the industry, starting with the old Equitable Trust Company. He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of three children, including NDP alumnae, Julie ‘95 and Sarah ‘00, and grandparents to three; granddaughter, Madison Knauer, is a current senior.

He currently serves on the boards of Catholic Charities, the Living Classrooms, and the Forest Country Club. In the past he has served on boards as diverse as the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Loyola University’s Sellinger School of Business, and United Way of Central Maryland.
His volunteer work has merited the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals for the State of Maryland and the CEO Business Philanthropic Award by the Washington Business Journal; he was inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame in 2015. He also received the Brute Medal, the highest alumni recognition for leadership and service from Mount Saint Mary’s University.

“I was inspired to become involved with NDP because I witnessed how happy my daughters were and the depth of the mission of NDP,” Mr. Wilfong said. “There was a positive energy you felt the minute you drove onto the campus. The teachers and staff were making a difference in these girls’ lives. They were instilling in them the confidence to be engaged learners and strong leaders with a foundation based on Christian values.”

He describes the school as supportive, committed, and loving. “The most satisfying aspect of my association has been witnessing the fine young women my daughters and granddaughter have become in part because of their experience here at NDP. The lifelong friends they made while at NDP continue to be an integral part of their lives,” he said.

He’s proud of the commitment of teachers and staff to help the girls excel. “This is a challenging educational environment that creates a desire in our students to succeed but doesn’t lose the focus of the individual’s emotional wellbeing,” Mr. Wilfong said.
 

Mother Caroline Friess Alumna of the Year

M. Anita Barry, M.D. '71

This year's Mother Caroline Friess Alumnae of the Year is Dr. M. Anita Barry from the Class of 1971, who joins a long list of sisters who have dedicated their lives to making this world a better place. Dr. Barry is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, with extensive experience in public health. She was the Director of Communicable Disease Control at the Boston Public Health Commission from 1984 to 2017. As the director, she was responsible for the surveillance and control of all communicable diseases in the City of Boston. During that time, she remained a practicing ID clinician, including for a number of years, as manager of the BPHC Tuberculosis Clinic. In addition, for over thirty years, Dr. Barry taught as an assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine and as an assistant professor of public health at the Boston University School of Public Health. Throughout her life, Dr. Barry served and continues to serve on various advisory groups and committees, including the National Association of County and City Healthy officials Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Workgroup. But for us here at NDP, Doctor Barry played a pivotal role as a member of NDP's Medical-Public Health Advisory Team during this very difficult past year.  She helped the school navigate the pandemic, always keeping the safety of the community at the forefront.  To her, Notre Dame Prep is truly grateful. 

 
* deceased
 
 
 
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Notre Dame Preparatory School

An Independent, Catholic Girls School, Grades 6-12, Sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame