The inaugural class of Duc In Altum Fellowships welcomed ten inspiring candidates. This column profiles the final four of the ten participants in 2021. In the application process, candidates were asked what they expect to receive from the Fellowship, and what they expect to give through this experience.
Angela Odinet
Headmistress Odinet of John Paul the Great School in Lafayette, Louisiana, took part in the DIA Fellowship to grow in community with other Catholic school leaders. First, she’s seeking a source of other like-minded friends and colleagues that are working to serve students in Christ and in wisdom. Second, she’s looking for inspiring ideas and suggestions in order to really strengthen the school community. “I am so eager to be a part of really (saving) advancing Catholic education,” she commented.
She’s currently in the first year of leading John Paul the Great School and has a deep love of her school and is honored to serve.
Chris Harrington
The Admissions Director at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California, Mr. Harrington is also an avid athlete, is the oldest of his 12 siblings, and he and his wife believe firmly that young people need a community of faith in which to grow and thrive. That’s what they seek for their own young family.
Harrington focussed his fellowship on how to utilize community strengths and institutional identity to be intentional about bringing in the best mission-fit families to JSerra. In fact, he’s working to identify, attract, and inspire faithful and talented people to build up Catholic education in general, through personal formation of students, families, and staff. He believes that a comprehensive focus on this purpose across school departments is essential for providing families with the tools to establish a living and sustained domestic church.
Angie Jakubik
“What might a Catholic high school theology classroom look like if the pedagogical approach shifted from primarily content conveyance to faith formation and spiritual development?” This was the premise of Ms. Jakubik’s DIA Fellowship. She is also investigating how theology teachers might blend personalized learning approaches with best practices of Catholic evangelization in order to better accompany students along their journeys of faith.
Jakubik teaches Theology at Ursuline Academy of Dallas, in Texas, and also teaches the Certificate of Pastoral Ministry program at the University of Dallas. Through the DIA Fellowship, she looks forward to meeting fellow co-workers in the vineyard of Catholic schools, learning from their wisdom and experience, and seeking their thoughts and perspectives, “as we all strive to best serve our students.”
Austin Krause
Merging faith and culture together to create flourishing faith lives is a great passion of Mr. Krause. He expects the DIA Fellowship will help sharpen his current skills – knowledge, communication, relational ministry – and add so much more. “I hope not only to be on the front lines of evangelization, but I also want to lead those with me, teach those around me so that they can bear more fruit for the Lord,” Krause stated. Working on a team, developing new ideas and opportunities to share and integrate the faith hits at his core. He continues, “This fellowship allows me to grow the abilities I already have, stretch the ones that are developing, and gain knowledge that I am yet to have.”
Krause is a Theology Teacher at St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas. He’s looking forward to growing as a leader in the community and gaining new ideas and abilities to weave the faith into a student or colleague’s life.
Capstone
The “capstone” for each Fellow was a presentation summarizing their projects at the 2021 DIA Schools Summit, which is ending today, October 22.
Apply for the 2022 DIA Schools Collaborative Fellows Cohort!
Plan to be part of the 2022 Summit, October 19-20, on the beautiful campus of JSerra Catholic High School in southern California. It’s a great opportunity to meet the next cohort of thought-leaders and for the quality programming and camaraderie with Catholic school leaders, teachers and campus ministers.