Graduation 2006~ - Marian Catholic High School

FACULTY EXCELS, CONTRIBUTES BEYOND CLASSROOM
Science teacher Jen Clifford ’88 is planning a
Garden Cooperative for the Dominican
Greenhouse.
While more than 115 members of the
Marian Catholic faculty and staff work to
turn out Scholars with a Soul each school
year, the faculty itself continues to devote
work and hours toward service and its own
professional development.
Following are a handful of examples:
Social Studies Department Chair Scott
Bodnar serves as a reader for AP World
History for the College Board and his AP
students participated in a test development
project through the College Board.
Bodnar also serves as moderator for the
Psychology Club, which raised $800 for
thank you gifts for guest speakers, a $200
donation to Muscular Dystrophy support
groups and $500 returned to psychology
honor students in the form of psychology
books and a monetary scholarship to eight
students.
Science teacher Jennifer Clifford ’88 is
planning a Garden Cooperative, a project
that will make seasonal growth use of the
Dominican Greenhouse in the Science
Courtyard, as well as developing a
raised–bed courtyard garden that will serve
as a living and breathing classroom for
subjects across the entire curriculum.
In January, choir teacher Michelle Coduti
served on a panel and spoke on an advisory
panel at the Indiana Music Educators
Association State Convention in
Indianapolis.
This summer, Coduti will participate in
the Genesius Guild’s production of Children
of Eden by performing the part of Yonah.
Genesius Guild is located in Hammond, IN
and the show dates are July 21-23, 28-30.
A Chicago Tribune writer by trade before
moving to Marian as a guidance counselor,
Karen Olson is back in print after the
publishing of her first book: Frommer’s
Croatia. The Frommer’s series is one of the
most respected among travel guides.
Olson takes readers inside the thriving
cities of Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split, with
their spectacular Roman ruins, medieval old
towns and nearby storybook castles. From
the Turkish bazaar–like feel of Split’s Pazarin
market to the lowdown on Zagreb’s see-andbe-seen
café culture, Frommer’s Croatia
showcases the best of a country that has long
been labeled Europe’s “best kept secret.”
Experiences for science teacher Linda
Savick expand well beyond campus. In
addition to taking 24 anatomy students to
Northern Illinois University for a full day
cadaver lab and lab practical, she is spending
this summer taking students to Poland for
International Snowball.
Science Department Chair Vince Zerante
’70 recently was named a Class Nobel
Educator of Distinction, an honor established
by the Nobel Prize Family from the
National Society of High School Scholars.
Zerante was noted as a “role model and
positive influence, someone who has made a
difference–in short, a great teacher.”
JOHN BERGER ’03
HUGE INFLUENCE
AT NOTRE DAME
PRE-SCHOOL
John Berger ’03 attends Notre Dame
University and is majoring in Accounting. Last
year, John began volunteering at Notre Dame’s
preschool on Friday afternoons. The children
were then 3-4 year olds. This year, he was able
to move up with them, so now they are 4-5
year olds. The children have really enjoyed
having John around. A while ago, one mother
came up to John and said, “I had to meet you,
John, because my daughter says so many nice
things about you. The other day, she told me
that a good day at preschool is when they serve
chicken nuggets for lunch, but a great day is
when they have chicken nuggets for lunch and
‘Mr. John’ is there too!”
This year, John was inducted into two prestigious
academic honor societies: Beta Alpha Psi
and Beta Gamma Sigma. He just completed
his second year as a Teaching Assistant to
Professor Change in the business school.
Finally, John was hired this summer in the
Chicago office of Deloitte Touche, an international
accounting and consulting firm. This
summer internship was listed as one of
"America's Top Ten Internships" by the widely
known consulting firm, Vault, Inc.
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