Alliance for Catholic Education
A time of service is often framed as a commitment with an end date. But for Farrell Moorehead, Morgan Pulliam, and Declan Ryan-Lawton—three current ACE Teaching Fellows—that time became the foundation of something more. They didn’t just serve; they immersed themselves in their school communities, and in turn, discovered a deeper purpose. They each spent meaningful time at American Indian Catholic Schools Network (AICSN) partner schools before discerning a call to join ACE Teaching Fellows. Their journeys to ACE and their experiences supporting students at Maȟpíya Lúta (Pine Ridge, SD), St. Joseph’s Indian School (Chamberlain, SD), and De La Salle Blackfeet School (Browning, MT) are inspirational.
Farrell Moorehead
Farrell Moorehead has known about ACE for as long as she can remember—her mother, Bridget Moorehead, served in the 3rd cohort of ACE Teaching Fellows, teaching at St. Richard Catholic School in Jackson, Mississippi. Inspired by her mother’s example, Moorehead attended the University of Dayton, where she studied Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Urban Education. After graduation, she felt called to pursue an M.Ed. through a postgraduate service program. “I saw how successful ACE was for my mom—she’s on fire for Catholic education—and I knew I wanted the same thing,” she shared. While discerning among several post-graduate teaching programs, Moorehead discovered the Maȟpíya Lúta Volunteer Program, which offers recent college graduates a unique opportunity to deepen their spirituality, serve in a Catholic school, and live in intentional community. Volunteers serve as educators for K–12 Lakota students at the Jesuit-sponsored Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud) and Winyan Wakȟáŋ (Our Lady of Lourdes) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. After much prayer and discernment, Moorehead accepted a volunteer teaching position in the fifth-grade classroom at Maȟpíya Lúta Middle School. “I saw that this could be somewhere the Lord wants me to be, so I trusted the process,” she reflected.
Moorehead had a deeply rewarding year teaching fifth grade, building relationships with students, and contributing to the school community in countless ways—from driving a bus route to coaching the girls' basketball team. Living in intentional community provided essential support during her service year, and she credits much of her growth at Maȟpíya Lúta to the mentorship of her principal, Thetna Weston, a graduate of the Remick Leadership Program.
After completing a year of service at Maȟpíya Lúta, Moorehead felt called to continue her journey in education by applying to ACE Teaching Fellows. Her experience in the classroom ignited a desire to deepen her knowledge and grow as an educator. As she said, “There’s so much more that I want to learn!” Moorehead thoroughly enjoyed her first summer of formation with ACE and is excited to begin teaching fourth grade at Cardinal Shehan School in Baltimore this fall.
Morgan Pulliam
During her time as an undergraduate at Notre Dame, Morgan Pulliam spent two consecutive summers serving at AICSN schools—experiences she describes as “key opportunities for discernment.” In her first summer, she joined the St. Joseph’s Indian School Bookmobile team in Chamberlain, South Dakota, helping distribute books and educational materials to Native communities across the state. The following summer, she taught summer school and led field trips for middle school students at De La Salle Blackfeet School, located near Glacier National Park. Reflecting on these formative experiences, Pulliam shared, “I knew I wanted to teach, but I also knew that I really needed to go to school to learn more about how to teach.” These meaningful summers solidified her desire to pursue a career in education. Now, she is preparing to serve as a middle school social studies teacher at St. Cecilia School in Dallas.
Declan Ryan-Lawton
Like Pulliam, Declan Ryan-Lawton—a member of the 32nd cohort of ACE Teaching Fellows—spent a summer of service at De La Salle Blackfeet School. While his role focused primarily on behind-the-scenes support, including facilities upgrades and coordinating volunteer groups, the experience was no less impactful. A standout moment involved dressing up as a supervillain to help facilitate a social-emotional learning project with students. One of the most meaningful aspects of the summer was the time he spent with the LaSallian Brothers who help lead the school. “I really felt like I was learning how to be a person of service from them,” he reflected. Ryan-Lawton described the summer as a “very formative” experience. This fall, he will continue his service in Catholic education as a fourth-grade teacher at St. Rafael the Archangel School in Milwaukee.
These three outstanding young educators demonstrate the formative nature of committing to service in schools. The team at AICSN is grateful for their dedication to supporting Native Catholic schools and eager to see them thrive as committed educators at their ACE sites.