Among the many new faces that have been welcomed to the Reging Dominican campus this year is the new theology’s service opportunity coordinator, Sr. Kathleen. But, this is not Sr. Kathleen’s first time within the walls of Regina, she is actually an alum! As the service coordinator, Sr. Kathleen works to make service projects more appealing to students and provides them with more service opportunities throughout the school year.
Sr. Kathleen says that she loves being able to go out into the world to help other people. She said, “We can learn a lot about the world from the people that we help”
Sr. Kathleen grew up in Glencoe, Illinois and attended Sacred Heart School in Winnetka. After going to Regina for high school, she attended Maryville College in St. Louis, and she majored in Political Science. Sr. Kathleen said she loved college and enjoyed her time there.
After graduating, Sr. Kathleen joined a Dominican convent in Sparkill, New York. She later got her masters degree at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Sr. Kathleen began her teaching career teaching fourth grade in New York where she taught as an elementary school teacher for five years. She became the principal of Holy Redeemer in Saint Louis at age 28, and worked there for 12 years. She later left Holy Redeemer and became the principal at Christ Prince of Peace for another 10 years.
When she returned to Chicago, she worked as the principal of Sacred Heart School, where she went to grade school, for 17 years. During her time at Sacred Heart, she realized that not much had changed since she went there as a child, so she and many others began work to renovate the building. Sr. Kathleen said that she loved the challenge of being a principal.
Sr. Kathleen said she returned to Regina because she felt the need for a community after leaving her job at Sacred Heart, and that is when she discovered the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, which gave her the opportunity to volunteer at Regina. Sr. Kathleen’s first impression being back at Regina is that although it’s different from when she attended as a teenager, the school is still wonderful.
Sr. Kathleen said that Regina’s teachers are very dedicated, and want to give young women the opportunity to better themselves through education. She considers herself lucky to be here.
Sr. Kathleen said that she felt called to be a nun, and entered her convent in 1967, during what she called ‘a great exodus’, when many sisters left their congregations. Sr. Kathleen says that our role as Christians is a “two way street”.
Sr. Kathleen said, “Realize that our role as Catholics is loving God bringing Him to other people by being understanding and open to helping them and we learn from them too”.
Sr. Kathleen said that she has always been an active person. When she was at Regina, she would even choose to take the long walk from Regina to her home in Glencoe. In her free time, she enjoys walking, bike riding, yoga, and doing crafts.
She also loves to travel, having been to the Galapagos Islands, France, Rome, Greece, and Turkey. However, she said that the most important thing to her is spending time with family and friends, and getting the opportunity to watch her nieces and nephews grow up.
“I tend to be an optimist”, Sr. Kathleen said when asked to describe herself, “I always look at the world through rose colored glasses, which drives some of my friends crazy”.
Sr. Kathleen also believes it’s important to be flexible. She said, “It’s important not to be stuck in a box, but to have windows in the box so you’re always looking out”.
Sr. Kathleen advises students to expose themselves to many different opportunities throughout their time at Regina.
She says, “You don’t know what you’re gonna be doing, but you want to have skills that will be able to fit into different areas. Teachers will set the stage, but it’s up to each student to figure out how to make this the best place for themselves”.
Students can find Sr. Kathleen in her office in the Dominican Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so make sure to stop by and say hello!