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25 outstanding graduates of Catholic schools lauded
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On May 3 at Notre Dame Seminary’s Schulte Auditorium, Martha Mundine, deputy superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, called out the names of 25 “Distinguished Alumni” – 25 individuals who were recognized by their alma maters as being exemplars of the values taught in Catholic schools (a listing of this year’s honorees follows).
Each honoree was called forward as words of recognition were shared from their respective schools and to receive a recognition plaque from Archbishop Gregory Aymond.
“Congratulations to all of our honorees,” Mundine said. “We are so blessed to have so many fantastic graduates of our schools, leaving a true legacy for all to follow!”
Archbishop Aymond concluded the ceremony with a prayer and a blessing of all of the distinguished alumni and their schools.
High schools
ACADEMY OF OUR LADY: Asmeret Tewelde, owner of Tewelde’s Piggly Wiggly in Lafitte. “She has been a dedicated alumnus for many years, giving of her time, finances and energy even with the recent devastation of her store in Lafitte during Hurricane Ida. She is always willing to lend a hand and supports AOL by attending all school functions.”
ARCHBISHOP CHAPELLE: Shari Schiro De’Ville, a dental hygienist. Shari demonstrates extreme dedication and loyalty to Archbishop Chapelle. She serves as a member of the alumnae board as well as a member of the St. Joseph’s Altar committee.
ARCHBISHOP HANNAN: Father Jeffrey Montz, who was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2008. He is a member of the school advisory board and has led faculty retreats. He has served three different parishes and currently is spiritual director of the house, department chair and professor of theology at Notre Dame Seminary.
DE LA SALLE: Caroline Laurent Huber, a teacher at Louise McGehee School in New Orleans, president of De La Salle’s alumni association and a member of its board of trustees. “She is a tireless supporter of De La Salle.”
HOLY CROSS: Bill Chauvin, a retired insurance executive. “His commitment to Holy Cross School, Good Shepherd School and St. Mary’s Dominican has been monumental in the continuation of Catholic education in New Orleans.”
JESUIT: Deacon Ronald J. Drez Jr., a real estate appraiser and 1983 alumnus, lives the Jesuit motto of being a “man for others.” He was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the archdiocese in 2015 and is assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in New Orleans, where he prepares couples for marriage. He has been leading the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola at Manresa House of Retreats and throughout southeast Louisiana. He has served on several non-profit boards, including Project Lazarus, the archdiocesan Real Estate Subcommittee and the Jesuit High School Alumni Steering Committee. In addition to earning a BA and an MBA from the University of New Orleans, he earned a master of arts in pastoral leadership from Notre Dame Seminary. He is a dedicated husband to Allison and father of son Ronald Drez III, daughter Kathleen Drez Coad and son-in-law Alex Coad.
MOUNT CARMEL ACADEMY: Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Robin D. Pittman, who has served since January 2009. “She shows a deep respect for others and is committed to the pursuit of justice.” Judge Pittman earned her undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans and juris doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. She is dedicated to mentoring young attorneys, teaching and inspiring the next generation of legal leaders. Her leadership and life of service to others make her stand out.
REDEEMER: Ira Fields, distribution network supervisor for the Luling network with Entergy for the past 17 years. After graduating in 1996, he went on to graduate from Army officer candidate school in 2002, Army engineering school in 2003, earn an undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2005 and an MBA in 2014 from University of Phoenix. He is married with two children and helps coach his son’s baseball team. He is a combat veteran, having served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Although Redeemer-Seton closed permanently after Hurricane Katrina, a school official sent in this special recognition.
ST. CHARLES CATHOLIC: Andrew Prejeant, a mechanical engineer with the Bayer Corporation, serves as a role model for others, especially current students, demonstrating the importance of a firm foundation and making a difference in the world. Prejeant, his wife and his oldest son graduated from St. Charles Catholic. Prejeant’s wife is a teacher at St. Joan of Arc School in LaPlace. Prejeant serves as a member of the school advisory board and as president of the SCC Quarterback Club.
ST. MARY’S ACADEMY: Sandra Regis, executive assistant to the principal at her alma mater and who remains the “go-to” person for historical knowledge. She embodies the values and qualities that represent Venerable Henriette Delille, foundress of St. Mary’s Academy. It is her belief that every girl and woman should be able to fulfill her potential.
ST. SCHOLASTICA ACADEMY: Meg Williams, a realtor with Latter and Blum. “She has been a shining example for students and alumnae as a woman who lives out patron St. Scholastica’s motto, ‘She can do more because she loves more.’ She shows how to humbly walk the path of life in the Benedictine tradition of balancing the pillars of our faith: prayer, work, study and community.”
URSULINE ACADEMY: Suzanne Cromiller Thomas ’73 and daughter of 1943 alumna Patricia Sutton Cromiller. Her four sisters and two aunts also graduated from Ursuline. She attended Ursuline from kindergarten through her senior year, graduated from Dominican College in 1977, and earned an MBA from the College of William and Mary in 1980. During her 40-year commercial banking career, “Serviam” has been her guiding principle. Her sister, Renee Cromiller Porter, class of 1980, states, “She is someone that the current students of Ursuline Academy should strive to emulate.” She has been a member of the academy’s board of trustees, helping rewrite the school’s financial and investment policies, and she has served on both the finance and executive committees. She has been chairman of the Ursuline Academy Foundation since 2018 and founding member of Ursuline Academy’s Laurel Legacy Guild. Post-Katrina, she was a board member of Parkway Partners, an organization that planted more than 10,000 trees in neighborhoods across the city. She is also a past board member and board chair of the Academy of the Sacred Heart. She is a three-time recipient of the CityBusiness Women of the Year award. She is currently the president of the Poydras Home Board of Trustees and is a member of the New Orleans Museum of Art Board of Trustees. She is active at St. Francis Xavier, where she has served as a eucharistic minister for many years. Most recently, she and her sister Renee also established an academic scholarship in memory of their mother.
Elementary schools
HOLY NAME OF JESUS: Graham Jarrott, head football coach, P.E. teacher, transportation coordinator and member of the leadership team at De La Salle High School. “He has been an outstanding coach, teacher and mentor in the New Orleans Catholic high school community for the past 19 years.” After coaching and teaching at Brother Martin, Jesuit and Archbishop Rummel, Jarrott landed his “dream job” in February 2021 when he took over as the head football coach at De La Salle, his alma mater. “Mr. Jarrott’s passion for education was instilled in him at Holy Name of Jesus at an early age through the relationships he built with his teachers and coaches. Those principles and values provided the foundation that helped him achieve success as a student-athlete at De La Salle. In 2017, Mr. Jarrott was recognized for his leadership and the impact he made on the Cavalier community when he was inducted into the De La Salle Hall of Fame.
MARY QUEEN OF PEACE: Dr. Spencer Robichaux, a member of the school’s first graduating class. He works in anesthesiology and radiology with a Ph.D. in virology at Ochsner Medical Center. “He has devoted his studies to medicine in order to help others. His background in virology is especially appreciated in this time of COVID.”
OUR LADY OF THE LAKE: Ally Spell, a science and social studies teacher at her alma mater, graduated from LSU in elementary education with dean’s list recognition. She brought with her Google and Apple teacher certifications and completed Project Lead the Way training to effectively implement the STEM curriculum. Spell willingly involves herself in OLL’s extracurricular activities, especially as cheer moderator.
OUR LADY OF LOURDES, SLIDELL: Michael Calamari, retired business owner of Calamari Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. He excelled academically and athletically as a basketball player at OLL, serving as team captain as an eighth grader in 1978. He started high school at Holy Redeemer, transferring to Pope John Paul II when Holy Redeemer closed, and continued to excel in basketball, earning a spot in the 1,000-point club, being selected team MVP, team captain and as a member of the all-district team. His two children attended OLL and also graduated from Pope John Paul II. He has been very involved in parish life, serving as the liaison between the church and the school, setting up for school Masses, coordinating the activities of extraordinary ministers of holy Communion and altar servers, coordinating the fair and managing the annual Henry J. Calamari Memorial 2-Mile Race. He also leads the rosary at daily Masses.
ST. ANGELA MERICI: Greg Schmidt, manager at Gil’s Carpet Sales, Inc., is a dedicated parent of two St. Angela students and serves as Men’s Club president. “He has dedicated countless volunteer hours to doing whatever it takes to support the school.”
ST. ANN: Red Cross worker Linzy Roussel Cotaya. She and her husband Paul Cotaya have two children, Annelise and Emmeline, who attend St. Ann. She is an active member of the community, serves on the School Advisory Council and is a member of the Home and School Club. She has organized various events, including summer cabbage ball leagues, preschool play dates and is helping launch the first gala event for St. Ann School. She is giving of her time and talents to help build and strengthen the bonds of the community.
ST. ANTHONY, GRETNA: Rory Cadres, a 1975 St. Anthony graduate who recently retired from the U.S. Postal Service, is a dedicated parishioner and frequently volunteers with the church and school. He is a lector, usher, altar server, member of the St. Anthony Pastoral Council and assists with the annual Bonanza to raise funds for the parish. Prior to the pandemic, he served as a mentor to middle-school students through the Isaiah 43 mentoring program. He is also a member of Knights of Columbus Archbishop Blenk Council 1905. He is always willing to do whatever needs to be done to keep the parish going strong.
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is one of the few women to serve on the nation’s highest court. While maintaining such a demanding career, she is a devoted wife and mother who takes an active role in her faith. She is a great example for students because they know she was once in their shoes. They know that with hard work and determination, they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.
ST. CLETUS: Janet West, an intervention teacher at her alma mater, is a great resource and advocate for solid Catholic teaching. She is faithful, caring, compassionate and willing to serve others.
ST. DOMINIC: Vanessa Trauth, a pre-K4 teacher at her alma mater, is a dedicated teacher and always goes above and beyond for her students and peers. She is a blessing and is a positive role model for all.
ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR: Janet Trahan Gourgues, a registered nurse at East Jefferson General Hospital, is a devoted wife and mother of six children, whom she shepherded through Catholic education at St. Edward the Confessor and then at local Catholic high schools. She has been a wonderful role model through her faithful attendance at Mass, family prayer at home and service to the school, parish and community. In the words of her daughter, Jan is a “super mom” who “has always gone above and beyond with everything.” In the words of one of her sons: “My mother has been a shining example of selflessness and unconditional compassion to all six of her children, to her husband, to her parents, and every stranger she meets. She shows in her actions how to be selfless, and what it means to put others’ needs ahead of her own. She has embodied Jesus Christ’s teachings of servitude and love in her approach to raising her family.”
ST. JOAN OF ARC, LAPLACE: Lacie Poché, a passionate teacher at her alma mater and a woman with a faith-filled and kind heart. She graduated from SJA in 1999. She attended Southeastern Louisiana University, earning a degree in elementary education. She has taught for 13 years, making a difference in the lives of her students. St. Joan of Arc has been blessed to have her on staff for the past three years, where she impacted the lives of students and faculty by being a patient and knowledgeable mentor-teacher.
ST. PETER, COVINGTON: Debbie Salter Mendow, a retired registered school nurse who graduated from St. Peter in 1965, is a St. Peter parishioner. She is the grandmother of several St. Peter students and was a school nurse for 24 years, retiring from the St. Tammany Parish School Board in 2014. She has demonstrated exceptional service to the school for the last 10 years in the Grandparents’ Club (president for the last three years), St. Joseph’s Altar committee, at bake sales and volunteering as a field trip chaperone, a Colonial Day helper and at the annual fair. The Grandparent’s Club has held several successful bake sales benefitting the school.