Alliance for Catholic Education
Corpus Christi
Life in the City
Corpus Christi is close to Padre Island, which can provide a peaceful break after a long day or on the weekend. There are also ample opportunities to watch sports, including the Hooks (AA baseball) and the Corpus Christi Ice Rays (hockey). It is quite a diverse city with a military presence, large Hispanic community, oil and energy industry professionals, and “may be the only city in Texas where cowboys and surfers live harmoniously." It is also home to some of the top high school baseball talent in the entire country.
ACE Corpus Christi
Leslie Gamboa
St. John Paul II
MS Science
Nathan Hershberger
Sts. Cyril and Methodius
3rd Grade
Owen Linczer
Sts. Cyril and Methodius
2nd Grade
Emily Short
St. Pius X
4th Grade
Lauryn Sweeney
St. Anthony
MS Social Studies
Hometown
Weslaco, TX
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Neuroscience and Behavior
Minor: Latino Studies
What are you most looking forward to most as an ACE teacher this year?
Something that I am most looking forward to as an ACE teacher this year is to get to know my students and learn from them. Equally, I am excited to share my faith and have them share their faith with me.
Hometown
Winchester, VA
Undergraduate Institution
University of Virginia
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Psychology
What is one of your favorite memories from your first year in ACE Teaching Fellows?
I helped direct our school's Christmas play, and it was incredible to see how each student lit up and connected to the music differently, all through the lens of our shared Catholic faith.
Hometown
South Bend, IN
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Theology
Minor: Business Economics
What is the one thing that you love most about your ACE school? Why?
One thing I love about Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic School is the family engagement the school holds as a central focus. In every way possible, the school works with families to provide the best experience for their students. At school performances and important sacramental events, families are present and very supportive of both their child and the mission of the school. This union of parents and faculty turns our simple school into a place that children can call home for eight hours a day, one hundred eighty days of the year.
Hometown
Mahtomedi, MN
Undergraduate Institution
Boston College
Undergraduate Studies
Majors: Transformative Educational Studies & Environmental Studies
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE Teacher?
I hope to grow in my faith, with my community, and develop skills as a professional educator.
Hometown
Cypress, CA
Undergraduate Institution
Fordham University
Undergraduate Studies
Majors: International Political Economy & Theology
Concentration: American Catholic Studies
If you had to pick one word to describe your ACE experience thus far, what would it be? Why?
One word to describe my ACE experience so far is transformative. After ACE Summer I, I found myself experiencing the disorienting effects of displacement as I moved to my placement site. I was in a new place (Corpus Christi) doing a new thing (teaching) with new people (my commuity members, students, and coworkers). I was even being called by a new name (Miss Sweeney)! In the midst of this change, I found myself asking, "Who am I, and who am I called to be?" Through the many new experiences that displacement brought, I found my heart and mind being transformed to see the world, my classroom, and the role of education in new ways.