Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Brittany May receives Elizabeth Ann Seton Award
Teachers from across the Diocese of Richmond were honored at the annual Excellence in Catholic Education award ceremony on Wednesday, April 27. One teacher from each of the diocese’s 23 Catholic schools received an award; three received a diocesan Award for Excellence in Catholic Education. Brittany May, a teacher at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School, Newport News, received the prestigious Elizabeth Ann Seton Award.
Natasha Feher, data coordinator in the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, explained that honorees were selected based upon their selfless work in service of the Gospel in word and deed, their dedication to Catholic education, their instructional expertise and their witness to their faith to help transform the lives of Catholic school students and communities.
“We are fortunate to have amazing teachers who selflessly dedicate themselves to their students by helping them grow both spiritually and academically,” said Kelly Lazzara, Diocese of Richmond superintendent of schools. “Being a Catholic school teacher is special; we can freely share our Catholic values and incorporate our faith into all of our lessons, allowing us to focus on the academic, social, emotional and spiritual needs of our students.”
The award’s namesake, Elizabeth Ann Seton, was the first United States-born saint. She is regarded as a founder of the country’s parochial school system, dedicating her life to her calling as an educator and a Catholic.
‘Gift to others’
Dominican Sister Anna Joseph, principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC), shared how May embodies many of Seton’s qualities, such as compassion, patience and “her genuine desire to seek the true good of the other. She offers herself as a gift to others, her students and colleagues alike, by words of support and encouragement that fortify and sustain them.”
May has taught seventh and eighth grade history and civics at OLMC for eight years and has recently begun working with kindergartners in the library.
In nominating her, Sister Anna Joseph noted that even though May is a part-time employee, she is fully invested in her students’ lives and is not only regarded as an exemplary educator, but a role model as well. The principal said the nominee strives to connect with students on a personal level. In her history and civics lessons, May works to show how the present is tied to the past by analyzing and comparing current and historic events. She invites her students to examine modern culture with a Catholic lens by incorporating the lessons of Christ with her own.
May begins each school year by having her eighth graders analyze the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution in order for them to understand two of the most important documents in our nation’s government. She then introduces passages from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and asks students to analyze the connections between them.
“From this, students understand that legitimate authority seeks the common good and is at the service of the dignity of the human person, and that the purpose of government is to protect the rights of the people,” she said.
In nominating May, Sister Anna Joseph noted that May is an example of “faith, modesty and kindness” to the girls she teaches She leads discussions on the pressures and challenges girls face. She advises them on how to stay true to their faith even when it’s not popular and where to find modest yet stylish clothes. She is well aware of the effect social media has on girls and works to combat the filtered and fake perfection that trends daily.
“Middle schoolers are searching for truth and wrestling with questions like ‘Who am I?’ and ‘How do I fit into this great big world?’” said May. “They want to know what’s real. So much of what’s presented on social media isn’t real – it’s the photoshopped version of life. So I look for ways to expose them to the good, true and beautiful through positive examples of real people.”
May does this by inviting musicians, retired military personnel, collectors, professional parents and others to speak at her classes. She also has open and honest conversations about modern culture and aspects of her own life with her students. More importantly, she works to make sure each student knows their worth.
“Every child is unique, so my first goal is to know my students. I want them to know with deep assurance that they are valued and have an important place not only in my classroom, but even in our history,” May noted.
The end of the school year does not bring an end to the relationships she has formed with her students. She prays for them long after they graduate and keeps in touch with many, even serving as a confirmation sponsor for some and leading high school retreats.
“For me, working in the field of Catholic education is not just a job. It’s a vocation,” she said. “I choose to work in a Catholic school because I know this is exactly where the Lord is calling me to serve. This is my mission.”
‘Taking care of each other’
The recipients of the diocesan Awards for Excellence in Catholic Education were Angela Cash of All Saints Catholic School, Richmond; Laura Hall of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Richmond; and Heather Krys of St. Gregory the Great Catholic School, Virginia Beach.
All Saints is unique in its diversity, with Catholics making up only 30% of the student population. Many students are African American, Hispanic and from other religious denominations. Middle school religion teacher Angela Cash works to welcome and engage each student, regardless of race or creed, in her classroom.
“When I walk through our doors, I fully understand that if the outside world could visit us for a day, they would walk away with the model on how to combat racism,” she said. “Our diversity strengthens us. We celebrate all cultures under our roof, and I cannot count the times I have heard visitors say the one characteristic that shines through is how much like a family we are and the love they feel in the building. We take care of each other.”
Cash has worked at All Saints for 21 years and proudly proclaims, “Blue and green runs through my veins!” in honor of the school’s colors. She uses creative ways to get her students to care about and feel included in her lessons, even if they aren’t Catholic. One example of this is having her students make saint action figures while teaching about the saints’ lives.
With her help, the school honors the growing Hispanic community by celebrating Dia de los Muertos. She also reached out to the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association to procure posters of Black Catholic seminarians that now adorn the walls of the school.
Cash sits on multiple committees aimed at diversity and inclusivity, such as the Strategic Planning, Equity and Diversity Committee and Black Catholics Initiative, as well as the Afghanistan Refugee Resettlement Committee.
Teaching the Catholic faith through action, Cash’s students participate in food drives; collect toys for needy children; and send cards to soldiers, first responders and health care workers.
“Mrs. Cash is an extremely devoted teacher who brings her love for Jesus to her students and her fellow teachers each and every day,” said All Saints principal George Elliott. “Her gentle voice and joyful laugh portrays the patience and love with which she teaches. She not only teaches this way, she truly treats people in a kind and loving way.”
Modeling faith, discipleship
Laura Hall has spent three decades teaching science at Our Lady of Lourdes (OLL). She has seen the school grow both in size and diversity. She has watched it overcome obstacles, but 2020 brought one of the biggest challenges all schools faced with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hall serves on the School Safety Team, and her knowledge and input were vital in forming the school’s COVID Safety Team. With her help, the school implemented practices to promote a safe learning environment for the school’s students.
Principal Carey Jacobsen explained how Hall is always willing to help when needed, even if it means going out of her comfort zone. The school offered summer learning programs in 2021 for students who were struggling in the wake of the pandemic. Though Hall taught science for decades, she worked with students to improve their math and reading skills.
When the school’s religion coordinator left to work at another school, Hall offered her help once again by assisting the student lectors and Mass helpers.
After teaching at OLL for many years, Hall converted to Catholicism in 2004, a decision that had a lasting effect on the way she teaches.
“She found it vital to participate spiritually in the community she was so involved in, and thus, she further models faith and discipleship for her students and her colleagues,” said Jacobsen.
Hall works to show her students that science and religion are not at odds, but are one in the same, connected by God.
“I want them to look up at night, see the stars, and know God has created this place we call home. I hope they look around and see those around them, see the beauty of nature, and know God has created this for us,” she said. “Lastly, I want my students to know I love them, and I consider them a gift.”
‘Amazing experience’
Heather Krys started teaching at a small Catholic school in Detroit in 1999. With minimal supplies but maximum love, she found a home there. When her family moved to Norfolk in 2003 and she started teaching at a public school, she noticed something was missing.
When she later returned to Catholic teaching at St. Gregory the Great School (SGGS), she said “the missing piece was evident from day one of year one. Being part of raising and teaching the next generation of Catholics is an amazing experience.”
Fourteen years later, she is still teaching seventh grade language arts at SGGS, but that’s just one of the many hats she wears. She is also the school’s religion coordinator and the Student Council Association sponsor. In addition to this, she serves on the Master Curriculum Committee for Language Arts, which will revise the current curriculum to include a list of classroom strategies and resources that reflect Catholic values.
“Mrs. Krys’ instructional approach focuses not only on diocesan curriculum objectives, but also in promoting a culture that ignites the love of learning while encouraging student initiatives for service to the community,” said Principal Joseph Branco.
While she wants her students to find joy in reading and increase their critical thinking and communication skills, she also wants them to recognize the importance of living their faith.
In literature lessons, Krys asks students to imagine themselves as a character in the story, and think about how they would act in that situation if guided by their faith and the effect that it would have on the story’s outcome.
She also invites her students to give back to the community by helping with the food pantry, participating in toy drives, serving meals and fundraising for the Special Olympics.
“I want students to leave my classroom with knowledge and an ability to communicate well that will serve them in all their endeavors,” she said. “More than that though, I want them to be good stewards of the faith and humanity; to be good humans. I pray that as they grow to become the future of the Church that each student I work with will lead with love and grace.”
A teacher at each school is honored
Administrators and colleagues at each diocesan Catholic school selected one teacher to be recognized at the Wednesday, April 27, ceremony based on their “exceptional commitment to Catholic education through their leadership and service to their students, parents, colleagues, parishes and school communities,” according to criteria established by the Office of Catholic Schools. Those receiving the Excellence in Catholic Education Award are:
Angela Cash, All Saints Catholic School
Miriam Smith, Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School
Nicole Laroussi, Catholic High School
Russell Hendrick, Charlottesville Catholic School
Sheila McDermott, Christ the King Catholic School
Laura Hall, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Brittany May, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School
Melanie Weser, Peninsula Catholic High School
Franklin Baker, Portsmouth Catholic School
Tim Carlin, Roanoke Catholic School
Elizabeth Brown, Sacred Heart Catholic School
Patricia Johnson, St. Anne Catholic School
Mary Jo Brunner, St. Benedict Catholic School
Julia Strukely, St. Bridget Catholic School
Vicki Long, St. Edward-Epiphany Catholic School
Heather Krys, St. Gregory the Great Catholic School
Caroline Waite, St. John the Apostle Catholic School
Arlene Cary, St. Joseph Catholic School
Mercy Thompson, St. Mary Catholic School
Victoria Sofianek, St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School
Mary Kay Benish, St. Matthew’s Catholic School
Bobbie Tasber, St. Pius X Catholic School
Lisa Ramsey, Star of the Sea Catholic School