BC Alumni Newsletter

September 2023
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Welcome Back Eagles

2023-2024

Happy September!

Although the summer season may be ending, the arrival of Fall always brings excitement and new be-
ginnings at Burke Catholic.

After just two months, the entire BC student body has transformed once again. The Class of 2023 has
moved on. Our returning students are taller, older, and more confident, and our new students are
dressed in crisp new uniforms, carrying perhaps a little apprehension but also much anticipation for a
great new year.

Wherever our students are in their journey at BC, it is my hope that everyone will have an amazing
year full of new experiences, new friendships, and new successes.

Each year, I am increasingly grateful to our parents, who entrust us with their children every day, and
for the many faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who support the Burke Catholic mission so that our stu-
dents can fully experience all that this incredible school has to offer.

May God bless all of our students – past and present – and the entire BC community as we begin an-
other school year!

Mrs. Janice Clark—Principal

Welcome back to another exciting school year! This is a wonderful time of year, and we are so
proud of all of our Burke Catholic High School and Burke Catholic Academy students.
We are blessed with much good fortune at BC, as we have over 80 new families at BC/BCA. Thank
you for entrusting us with your most precious gift – your children!
“The young WOMEN and MEN of Burke Catholic will embody the spirit of Catholic Christian values,
demonstrate civic responsibility, and become leaders who will positively impact and serve the world.”
Non Vox Sed Votum.
John Douthit ’86, President
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Eagle Spotlight
Andrea Newkirk ‘90
I began my educational journey at St. Joseph’s in Florida, NY,
where I graduated in 1986. My commitment to Catholic educa-
tion was solidified when I continued my studies at John S. Burke
and proudly graduated in 1990. Catholic education isn’t just a
profession for me; it’s an integral part of my identity. I spent 7
fulfilling years teaching middle school English at Saint Stephen-
Saint Edward School and later at Saint John School. My path
then led me to Burke Catholic Academy, where I served as a middle school English and The-
ology teacher for two years.
While I wasn’t actively seeking a change, the opportunity to become the principal at Saint
John’s came my way. After much contemplation and prayer, I felt a divine push to embrace
this new challenge. I took on the role this year. Middle school remains close to my heart,
and I cherish the memories with my students who will forever be part of my extended fami-
ly. I always say that once you’ve been one of my kids, you will always be.
One of the joys of my time at Burke was reconnecting with former students who were now
in high school. They often visited my classroom after school for a chat, fostering a sense of
continuity I cherished. Additionally, I formed strong bonds with fellow educators, making
our team at Burke truly exceptional. The transition to Saint John’s was marked by unwaver-
ing support from Janice Clark and John Douthit, and the entire Saint John community wel-
comed me with open arms, from Father George to the teachers, staff, families, and students.
I don’t see my new role as a departure from Burke; rather, it’s a partnership in providing ex-
ceptional Catholic education in Orange County.
Parents seeking faith-based, academically excellent education
from pre-K to 12th grade need look no further, as Saint Johns
School and Burke Catholic are both conveniently located in Go-
shen. I’m truly honored to be part of this endeavor, and you might
even catch me cheering on the Burke Eagles, especially at a volley-
ball game!
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Eagles Spotlight
Erin Ronan ‘83
I have so many memories of my time at Burke Catholic.
During my high school years, I gravitated toward anything
math-related. I remember Mr. McLean taught a class com-
bining English and History that was quite interesting, and
Sister Josephine's Earth Science class Freshman year was fun. I was a member of the cheer and track teams
and was on the Student Council. Attending sporting events, dances, plays, and other extracurricular activi-
ties was a big part of my high school experience. Traveling to the Boys Basketball State Championships is a
particular standout memory. I loved how the Classes of '83 and '82 were close, and we did many things to-
gether. Spending time with Sister Agnes and Sister Josephine in the library during my free periods sticks
with me. And who could forget Mr. O'Neill's sense of humor!
I attended Hartwick College. Fun fact about how I ended up at Hartwick: I was procrastinating in the
college center at Burke when the Dean came in and was going to ask me to go back to class. I randomly
pulled a catalog out of the drawer and pretended to be reading so I looked busy. Later that night, my moth-
er saw the catalog and decided we should go take a tour. The rest is history! While at Hartwick, I started as
a Math Major but changed to a Management (Finance) Major with an Information Science Minor. Hartwick
afforded me so many wonderful opportunities. I took a bird-watching science lab on San Salvador Island in
the Bahamas, which was a super fun and amazing experience. I also spent 6 weeks taking a finance class in
Germany.
After graduation, I worked on Wall Street and lived in NYC till 1992. Lori O'Neill and I lived together in
NYC for a while. In 1992, I started my teaching career in the state of Florida. I moved to San Jose in 2011 and
have been a teacher at Homestead High School in Cupertino ever since. I would not teach anywhere else or
choose any other career. I love my school, my community, and the Bay Area. Finding my passion took me a
while, but it was worth the wait! I currently teach Algebra 1 and AP Calculus AB and thoroughly enjoy the
balance between the two curriculums and levels of students.
My partner Shawn and I have a great life here with our 3 cats and dog. We recently finished a complete
yard renovation and basically live outside now. We enjoy entertaining, wine tasting, traveling, cooking, and
watching/attending sports events in our spare time.
My time at Burke Catholic was wonderful, and my Burke connections remain an important part of my life.
In August, we celebrated my mother's 85th birthday in Miami Beach. She knew many of my Burke friends
and is still friends with them on Facebook!. A few years ago, I ran into Mike Cinque in Barcelona, and we
ended up going to a soccer game together – you never know when or where you will run into a fellow Eagle!
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Eagle Spotlight
Maureen Lord ‘82
I attended St. John’s School in Goshen, grades 1st through 8th. Af-
ter 8th grade graduation, my parents gave me the option to attend
high school at Goshen Central or John S. Burke Catholic High
School. I chose Burke and had an amazing high school experi-
ence. It was great to be an Eagle!

The teachers and staff at Burke were fantastic! They were support-
ive, caring, and wanted the best for us. They had high expecta-
tions for their students, which I am very thankful for. They taught
real-life lessons and skills. They also taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. I
thank God every day for these skills. I was a 3 sport athlete all four years at Burke. I had some
incredible coaches who taught the same values and lessons for life, not just on the court or
field. I am blessed to have had such a successful athletic experience, too.

It’s very hard to believe that I just started my 34th year of teaching in the same district where
I began my career. I travel to three schools in the Monadnock Regional School District, which
is located in a beautiful area in the southwest corner of New Hampshire.
I teach Physical Education for grades K-6. One of the schools I work at is a STEAM Academy,
where I teach all content areas depending on our theme. I really like the hands-on learning
with the STEAM educational model. I enjoy seeing students excel
and learn through the STEAM model that may struggle in a tradi-
tional classroom.

I love teaching and working with my students. Things sure have

changed a lot over the years, but you must keep pushing forward.
Teaching is always an adventure and can be very challenging at
times. I love my job, and I work with some fantastic people. Teach-
ing has been a very rewarding career for me.
I truly believe I chose to become a teacher because of the impact
my teachers had on me through the years. A couple of things
teaching has taught me is there will always be challenges but also
new opportunities. As a teacher, I am always learning. Many teach-
ers positively impacted me, and it’s pretty amazing to pay that gift
forward. Working with children also keeps you young at heart.
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Eagle Spotlight
Ellen Roesch ‘78

Following college and law school I began practicing law in Al-

bany. I have worked in both private sector and the public sec-
tor. In addition to a full time legal practice I have also started
a successful consulting business which I call “Ellen Roesch,
Your College Coach”. I work on this business outside of my
normal work hours. I assist high school juniors, seniors and
transfer students with everything from narrowing their col-
lege choices, writing their essays, choosing their standardized
tests, and submitting their applications. It’s been very re-
warding and exciting to assist students throughout New York
and on the East and West coasts. Anyone out there who is
reading this and feeling that the college search process is
overwhelming, please reach out to me for some tips.

Gwen Kelly ‘82

I teach Pre- K 5 at Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas. I
love seeing children get excited about learning! Most importantly, it
is a privilege to work at a school where I can teach the Bible to stu-
dents at an early age. There is nothing better than seeing a students
face when they have a “ lightbulb” moment.

"Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the
love of bringing the first two loves together."
–Scott Hayden
 Burke Catholic Alumni in Education
Changing the world on student at a time.
Thank you for making a difference.
Non Vox Sed Votum

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Eagles Soaring
Jillian Ludvik ‘15
On September 7 PIX 11 aired a piece
about Eagle Alumni Jillian Ludvick,
Niclole Johnson wrote that Jillian,
“soared through barriers to become
NYPD’s first African American fe-
male pilot.”

Growing up I would see pictures and videos of my dad on the news

repelling out of the Bell 412 (Air Sea Rescue) while at work. Before the end of eighth grade I
was given the opportunity at 13 years old to fly an airplane. While at Burke I continued
working on my private-pilot rating in the fixed-wing and then was able to fly the helicopter
for the first time and I fell in love.

From the end of eighth grade until I joined the NYPD my ultimate goal was the Aviation
Unit. I joined the NYPD in October of 2019, and worked in the west Bronx in the 46 Pre-
cinct. Then was able to take the physical exam and written exam for the Aviation Unit in
April of ‘23 and was assigned to the unit as of the end of June ‘23.

Watch Jillian’s story : Exclusive: NYPD's first Black female pilot soars through barriers (pix11.com)
 Dorothy (Daly) Hupfeld ‘72
I graduated from Burke in 1972 and have many good memo-
ries of my years there. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the
great education we received at Burke even more. I went to
Virginia Tech for college and graduated in 1976. My husband
Chris and I have lived in Maryland since then. We have three
children and three grandchildren.
It had been quite a few years since I had been back to the
Goshen area, but in late August 2023, we were traveling
through NY on our way back from a trip and realized we
would be passing close to Burke. We decided to make a
quick detour and take a few pictures from outside, but when
we got there, we were warmly greeted by Mrs. Rickard-Fandl and invited to come inside and
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see the school. We got to meet Mrs. Clark, Mr. Douthit, Mrs. Dwyer, and other staff members
and had a lovely tour around the building. It was fun seeing how much of it looked familiar
from 50 years ago! I appreciate the lovely welcome we received, and it was great to see that
Burke looks wonderful and is still going strong!

Jaimie Hilfiger ‘03

Jaimie has made numerous television appearances,
including an E! Network series feature. Appearing
on over 30 magazine covers, nationally and inter-
nationally, she has earned the International Model
Award from the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Association.
Jaimie has also worked as a Huffington Post col-
umnist, an US Weekly fashion contributor, and a
Fox News Magazine fashion correspondent. Jamie
is the creator and face of The Jaimie Hilfiger Col-
lection by La Curcio.
Jaimie’s Times Square Billboard premiered in June
2023
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Eagles back on Fletcher Street

“Let us remember:
One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the
world.”
 Burke Catholic Alumni Huddle

Join us on October 14 here on Fletcher Street.

Look for the Eagle Alumni tent.
All Alumni and families are welcome!

It is going to be a great day!

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BC Alumni Reunions!
We have a few reunions in the planning stages.
You can find contact information on the next few pages and look for information
to be posted in the coming weeks on the alumni page of our website.

Calling the Class of 2003!

Please reach out to Deirdre Dillion at the email below.
deirdredillon07@gmail.com
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Calling the Class of 1993

Saturday, October 14, 2023
One Day, Two Great Events!

1pm-3:3o pm 4pm– 10pm

Homecoming Football Game at Orange County Distillery & Orange
Burke Catholic County Brewing Company At
Brown Barn Farms

**Gather around the Alumni Tent** 286 Maple Aveune

New Hampton, NY 10958

Important Details:
*In the event of rain the evening event will be moved to The Captains Table (547 Route 17M in Monroe)
*Brown Barn Farms opens at 12pm if you want to skip the game and start celebrating early.
*Live music 6pm-10pm, Beverage options include cocktails, beers, ciders, wines, mocktails and non –alcoholic drinks. Cash/
Credit pay as you go. Food Truck on-site. Outside food permitted (bring your own or have it delivered). Kids welcome. Dog
friendly (outside and must be leashed). Bring blankets and chairs for outdoor seating and dress accordingly. The venue will
be open to the public so it might be crowded. It is first come first serve, and we weren’t able to reserve the area.

Please share info! Send any questions to Gillian (Carr) Farrell at jfarrel@burkecatholic.org
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Save the date Class of 1978

45th Reunion Details

Two great nights planned!

Friday, October 6
Friday Night Ice Breaker at Delancey’s in Goshen
Come have a drink if you are in town early.

Saturday, October 7
Hall of Fame of the Trotter
6pm-10pm Dinner and Dancing
Cost is $100 per person
(includes dinner, beer, wine and well drinks)

Dress to impress!

Payment due September 15th

Send checks to
Jim Brannigan
21 Sunbeam Road
Syosset, NY 11791
Or Venmo
@ James - Brannigan-4
 Class of ‘87
36 Year Reunion

Join us November 3rd and 4th

November 3rd will be drinks at Delancey's and November 4th will be dinner at
Limoncello's in Goshen.

A message from Len Pawliczk…

“Hey everyone - after visiting BCHS the other day to speak with the students
at Career Day- I felt a little nostalgic for the old days! This year is 36 years
since we graduated and 6 years from the last reunion. Against my better
judgement on organizing this (men suck at organizing - just ask my wife),
here we go!”
If you are on Facebook, there is a group to join for our class:

John S. Burke Class Of ’87

Also, if you are in touch with a classmate, please share this date.

Contact Len at Lenny@awrgroupinc.com

 The BC Connection
The BC Connection every Friday at noon.
You can connect at 1110 AM or 93.5 FM
Innovation. Education.
Milestones
Alexis Batulis ‘13– started at Honeywell as a Sr.
Offering Management Specialist.
Joe Tobin ‘15– started as Assistant Superinten-
dent at The Walsh Group - Walsh Construction
& Archer Western.
Thomas Garneau ‘17- started as Sales Develop-
ment Representative at CheckedUp.
Ethan Kless ‘18– graduated Summa Cum Laude
with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Manage-
ment from American Public University.
Brendan Douthit ‘20- accepted a position at
Gallagher as a Producer Associate in the NYC
office.
Madelyn St. Amand ‘20– started a new position
as Incoming Analyst at BDT & MSD Partners.
Ryan Tashman ‘21– started as a Viceroy Intern
at Barstool Sports.

Interested in joining the BC Coaching Staff?

Email Adam Kless, BC Athletic Director
akless@burkecatholic.org

Many of our BC Alumni are looking for internships. If your company offers in-
ternships or mentorships please contact

Karen at kdwyer@burkecatholic.org
We are compiling a list of all our BC Alumni authors and their works.
If you would like to be included please contact
kdwyer@burkecatholic.org

A writer never has a vacation.

For a writer life consists of either
writing or thinking about writing.
~Eugene Ionesco
BC Alumni Giving

ReVitalize, ReEngage, ReConnect

Office of Alumni and Advancement

Your gift will have an immediate impact on all BCHS students.

Light the way for today’s students, so that they can find their way to impact
the world.

To make your gift today, please visit

www.burkecatholic.com

To double the impact of your donation check to see if your company participates in a matching
gift program - please visit

https://doublethedonation.com/BCHS
 If you would like to be in-
cluded in the next news-
letter or have a Milestone
or story you would like to
share, contact Karen Dwyer:
kdwyer@burkecatholic.org

Contact Information
John S. Burke Catholic High School
Office of Admissions, Alumni and Advancement
80 Fletcher St, Goshen, NY 10924
(845) 294-5481 ext 132

burkecatholic.com
facebook.com/burkecatholichighschool
facebook.com/BCadmissionsandadvancement
twitter.com/burkecatholichs
instagram.com/burkecatholichs