Enduring Legacy, Endless Possibilities

On Thursday, November 20, Wolfhound parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends of Saint Patrick Catholic School attended the Enduring Legacy, Endless Possibilities Breakfast. Known in previous years as the Returning Thanks Breakfast, this event was held in support of our Enduring Legacy, Endless Possibilities Capital Campaign. This Campaign offers the School the opportunity to build on our first 20 years of educational excellence by supporting upgrades to our physical structures that enhance student learning and creativity, improve safety and accessibility, expand community involvement, and promote interdisciplinary learning. We were grateful to welcome so many members of our community back to campus in support of the School’s mission of educating and nurturing the whole child – mind, body, and spirit!

Guests were greeted by our always impressive student Legati and escorted to the gymnasium where they joined their table captains for the official program. Eighth Grade student and Celtic Council President Toni M. began by welcoming our guests and introducing Father Jim Curran, Saint Patrick Catholic School Chaplain and Rector of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, who delivered the invocation. 

As attendees began enjoying their breakfast, Head of School Lauren Mazzari welcomed everyone and spoke to the significance of this event. She hoped “to give equal importance to the rich legacy and the values that define the Saint Patrick experience,  while looking ahead to build a sustainable and bright future for future generations of Wolfhounds.” This is a special time in which our community is celebrating both the twentieth year of this beautiful campus, and the possibilities we can achieve through the success of the comprehensive Capital Campaign.

Mrs. Mazzari went on to reveal exciting campus enhancements that include an expansion of the theater and outdoor learning park, but also the continuation of a Master Teacher Endowment and support for Financial Aid. TowneBank has generously offered a $500,000 matching gift in the hopes of inspiring our community to step up, so Mrs. Mazzari encouraged all Wolfhounds to “give what they can to ensure that Saint Patrick not only has a lasting legacy, but a future filled with endless possibilities.” The highlight of her speech, however, was the announcement that our new state-of-the art theater will be named the John H. Tucker Theatre in honor of Mr. Tucker’s powerful legacy and contributions to our School community. We can’t think of a better way to honor Mr. Tucker!

After a moving video presentation, Lauren Mazzari introduced Anne Hobbs Dorsey, Class of 2010. After graduating from Saint Patrick, Anne went on to graduate from the Granby High School International Baccalaureate and NORSTAR programs before earning a degree from the California Institute of Technology. In 2014, Anne was invited to the White House where she was awarded the Presidential Scholar medallion by President Barack Obama. She holds 6 patents, worked on the Mars rover Perseverance, and currently works at Waymo, leading a team focused on pedestrian and cyclist interactions.

Anne is already quite accomplished, but she credits Saint Patrick for giving her the tools to think critically, manage personal and professional relationships, and dream big through the support of Wolfhound teachers and staff.  Anne said that she uses “what she learned from Choice Theory and success plans every day in her job.” She also remembers cutting out a newspaper article about Google’s self-driving car and bringing it into Saint Patick to share. She remembered the article was critical of the technology, but that her teachers - sensing her excitement - encouraged her to think about “how she could help make self-driving cars possible.”  Even though she lives in California for her work with Waymo, Saint Patrick still “feels like home” to Anne. She is grateful to see that the legacy of teaching the whole child continues today.  

Our next speaker was current and alumni parent Tessa Robinson. She spoke about her Navy family’s journey from Guam to Norfolk and how they found a new home at Saint Patrick. She shared the countless memories and experiences that have made this school so special for her family. As her son Logan prepares to graduate in June and join his sister Lucy as a fellow Wolfhound alum, Tessa reminded all of us that “there’s no place like home.”

Our final speaker was Founding Principal Steve Hammond who reflected on the Catholic Church's belief that true education “strives for the complete formation of the human person” and that the School’s mission to nurture the whole child - mind, body, and spirit - is more important than ever. He closed by asking all those in attendance to support Saint Patrick through the Enduring Legacy, Endless Possibilities Capital Campaign to ensure this school will thrive for generations to come.

We truly appreciate all of the board members, parent ambassadors, table captains, volunteers, and sponsors who helped make the Enduring Legacy, Endless Possibilities Breakfast possible. 

If you would like to make a donation to the Enduring Legacy ~ Endless Possibilities Capital Campaign, please click HERE!