Rebel With A Cause
Tickets are Now On Sale!
Rebel With A Cause
LIVE AND IN PERSON!
June 2, 2022
5:30pm Cocktail Reception
AC Marriott
125 Front Street, Worcester, MA 01608
Tickets: $50 and $100
(Tickets at the $100 level will help us support student tickets to the event)
This year, we are excited to announce our Knollwood Award Honorees and our Inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame and the Society of the Arts.
Knollwood Awards:
Sarah Scrogin '92
Margery "Tommy" Dearborn
Former NDA Trustee
Founder, Preservation Worcester
Athletics Hall of Fame:
Carola Cummings '76
Eileen Cataldo Kneeland '80
Annie Lahey '98
Society of the Arts:
Judy Tonelli-Brown '74
Caitlin Sargent Lubelczyk '00
This event raises funds to support the financial aid needs of the families seeking this unique education for their daughters. Honoring the recipients of the Knollwood Award and the inductees of the Athletics Hall of Fame and the Society of the Arts, we celebrate alums and community members whose commitment to their vocation and dedication to the service of others exemplify the Notre Dame Academy tradition and our values of character, community, and commitment.
The funds raised through this event are essential to provide financial aid to our families to clear any boundaries for families committed to the educational values instilled at NDA.
Sponsor our Event HERE
Congratulations to this year's honorees
Athletic Hall of Fame
Carola Cummings ’76
Carola Cummings was a three-season NDA athlete playing Field hockey, Basketball, and Softball. In 1976 she enrolled at the University of Notre Dame where aside from her rigorous academic schedule, she played club field hockey and basketball. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1980, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Carola returned to Worcester where she spent a year as a Nanny for her 2-year-old triplet nieces, and also coached the NDA JV basketball team and served as an assistant coach for Patty Provost for varsity basketball and softball.
In 1981, Carola enrolled in the Edward Hines School of Laboratory Technology, located in Maywood, IL (Chicago). After an intense, compressed year of study, she was granted Certification in Medical Technology after passing both the NCA and ASCP exams. She began her MT career at the South Bend Medical Foundation in South Bend, IN. While there, she re-enrolled at the University of Notre Dame and earned her Master’s Degree in Administration. In the Summer of 1987, The International Summer Special Olympics were held in SB/ND and Carola along with others volunteered their services to assist the athletes.
In 2016, Carola retired as the Manager of Blood Bank Services where responsibilities included overseeing blood component preparation, labeling, storage, all required testing, quality control, and shipping to over 15 hospitals across Indiana. Her company also provided transfusion testing, crossmatching, and problem-solving for the two major hospitals in South Bend, including a Level II Trauma center. Carola continues to follow all UND sports and attend many games in person.
Eileen Cataldo Kneeland ’80
During her time at NDA, Eileen Kneeland ’80 was a four-year, three-sport athlete, playing on the varsity field hockey, basketball, and softball teams each year. During her tenure, she was proudly recognized as the Worcester Telegram and Gazette athlete of the year for Notre Dame Academy. As a member of the College of the Holy Cross class of 1984, Eileen continued to play varsity field hockey and also joined the varsity swim team. Eileen also studied to become a physical therapist assistant as a member of the class of 1995 from Becker Community College, a career which she departed after receiving a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Despite this diagnosis, she has stayed active in her athletic pursuits since then, as an active cyclist, skier, hiker, and swimmer. She has also been very active in raising funds for research on the care and potential cure of Multiple Sclerosis.
Eileen now works as the Community Outreach Coordinator, a spokesperson of the Office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr. in Worcester. In this position, her responsibilities include traveling to schools and community centers to talk to young people of all ages about bullying, cyberbullying, and internet safety. She also presents to teachers and parents on these same subjects. She recently brought this conversation to Notre Dame Academy in February of 2022, speaking to the St. Julie Division seventh and eighth graders. Throughout the pandemic, she has been teaching this material and other subjects relevant to the legal system and keeping children safe over zoom to classrooms and parents.
Annie Lahey ’98
While at NDA, Annie Lahey ’98 was a three-season athlete, playing varsity field hockey, basketball, and softball from her freshman year through until her senior year. The field hockey team went on to become district champions her sophomore, junior, and senior years (‘96-’98), as well as a state finalist in junior year (‘97). The softball team also became district champions in her sophomore, junior, and senior years (‘96-’98), as well as state finalists in sophomore and junior year (‘96-’97). The softball team also had the honor of being the Telegram & Gazette’s Super Team in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
After graduating from NDA, Annie attended Holy Cross as a member of the class of 2002, then Vanderbilt Divinity, receiving an M.T.S. in 2004. Annie worked as an English teacher, varsity softball head coach, and varsity field hockey head coach at Wachusett Regional High School from 2004 to 2010. In 2011, she joined Assumption College (now Assumption University) as the head coach of the field hockey team. As head coach, she has seen great success at assumption, first receiving the NE10 Coach of the Year award in 2012. Each year, from 2014 through 2021, the team earned a berth at the NE10 Conference tournament, becoming a conference finalist in 2015 and 2017. In 2019, Annie led the team to Assumption field hockey’s first NCAA bid in program history. Her most recent landmark 2021 season has seen many milestones, with the team becoming Conference champions and earning a Final Four appearance. The season also brought Annie’s 100th win and 20 consecutive wins, and also earned her the NE10 Coach of the Year and the East Region Coach of the Year.
Society of the Arts
Caitlin Sargent Lubelczyk ’00
From a young age, Caitlin knew she wanted to be on stage, she started dancing when she was four years old and continued through high school where she then developed a love for the theater. While at NDA, she was a member of the Concert Chorale, Chamber Chorale, Acappella group and also acted in the fall productions, touring theater productions, and Spring Musical all four years. Caitlin was also part of the first Worcester England Theater exchange during her sophomore year in 1998. In 2000, Caitlin received the Theater Award at NDA and enrolled that fall in the University of New Hampshire as a Musical Theater major.
While at UNH, Cait not only performed in the University’s main stage productions but was also very involved with the student performing arts club Mask & Dagger. During her Junior year, Cait was selected as a cast member for a traveling performance troupe that toured throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Upon graduation, Cait returned to Worcester and began working at Saint Vincent Hospital where she would stay for thirteen years, her last five serving as the Regional Marketing Manager for Tenet New England. For several years during that time she directed the after-school drama program at St. Mary’s in Shrewsbury while also choreographing and directing productions in local theater companies including Westborough Players, Sterling Community Players, and WCLOC.
In 2007, Cait started an Irish Music band with Saint John’s grad, and brother of her former classmate Siobhan, Brendan Keenan, and the pair joined up with bass player Tom Lubelczyk, and they named themselves Fergus. Fergus performed all over New England, at festivals and pubs, including the Newport Irish Festival, until 2010. In 2017 Cait began working at Notre Dame Academy and for two years worked as the dance teacher and Spring musical choreographer in addition to her work as the Director of Marketing and Enrollment.
Cait also developed a passion for community service during her time as a student at NDA because of the love-in-action program and has carried that over into her adult life. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club and was a corporator for the YMCA of Central MA. She also served on the board of the Emerald Club of Worcester from 2014-2020 and was the President from 2016-2018. During her time as president, the club had a large focus on fundraising for the music and art therapy program at the Mercy Centre in Worcester, a program that was obviously very near and dear to her heart. In 2016, Cait was named one of Worcester Business Journal’s 40 under 40 recipients.
Cait still continues to perform in local theater productions, most recently she played the role of God in David Javerbaum’s “An Act of God” at Worcester County Light Opera Company.
Judy Tonelli-Brown ‘74
As a third-grader, at St. Mary’s School, Sr. St. Frances, SND gave Judy Tonelli-Brown ’74 and her classmates the assignment to write a theme entitled “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up.” Her answer, in short, was “An Artist.” As far back as age seven, she desired to follow a career path in art. At Notre Dame, although she enjoyed math and sciences, her art classes were always a highlight of her week. She was even asked to do the cartoony illustrations in the 1974 yearbook.
After Notre Dame, Judy was accepted into Vassar College and attended as a pre-veterinary student (with a Neuroscience/Behavior major). After graduation, rather than attend a vet school, she concentrated on her interest in children’s book illustration and applied for art school. She decided on a program at Pratt in New York City and headed for the Big Apple.
Although she had aspired to a children’s illustration focus, Judy took a required graphic design course, and immediately recognized how practical it would be to head in that direction. She quickly learned the skills, and the school found her some freelance work and then landed a full-time job. After four years, she headed back home to Shrewsbury and established a freelance clientele. Then, she took a full-time job at UMass Medical Schoo, followed by a design agency in Worcester. She then transitioned to an at-home graphic design business, allowing her to raise her family.
While at Notre Dame, Judy learned about “giving back” through the Love in Action Program, having volunteered at a nursing home. She has since volunteered for several organizations, including an arts education program for children, Community Reading Day activities for her sons, and donations of custom portraiture gift certificates for charity fundraisers.
In 2010, one of her freelance clients, Becker College, asked her to come on full-time. As Creative Services Director at Becker for almost 11 years, she was able to focus on one client, and become part of a community. In her third year at Becker, Judy was awarded the Employee of the Year award, chosen out of over 200 employees for her service to the College. When Becker closed in June of 2021, Judy explored other options. She now has the opportunity to assess her passions, talents, and skill, and see how to best make a mix that will lead toward a happy time. She is still exploring this balance of ideas, involving graphic design, illustration, crafts, and volunteer work. She might even be adding farm work into the mix.
She will always be grateful for the Notre Dame education as her foundation. Without it, she would not have had the confidence to move through her life with the same courage and confidence.
Knollwood Award
Sarah Scrogin ’92
Sarah Scrogin grew up in Worcester, where her father was the minister at the First Baptist Church. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Columbia University Teachers College. Sarah is a wife, mother and founding principal of East Bronx Academy for the Future, a New York City Department of Education public school serving students in grades 6 - 12. While at Harvard, Sarah wrote her own major studying “The History and Structure of American Public Education.” She then worked as a teacher in the New York City public schools as well as in Lawrence Massachusetts. Sarah participated in the New Leaders for New Schools program and in 2004 worked with a team of educators, parents, students and a non-profit organization, Teaching Matters, Inc., to found East Bronx Academy for the Future, as part of the Bill and Melinda Gates 20th Century High Schools Initiative. Many of the ideals Sarah learned at Notre Dame found their way into the school design. Since founding the school in 2004, Sarah has continued to serve as principal, working in partnership with New Visions for Public Schools and Phipps Neighborhoods to increase opportunities for students, families and alumni. Among Sarah’s proudest accomplishments are seeing the successes of her alumni, many of whom are now working as teachers, counselors and other staff members at the school. Sarah’s goal is to retire with a 100 percent alumni staff!
Margery “Tommy” MacNeil Donnelly Gustafson Dearborn
Margery MacNeil Donnelly Gustafson Dearborn, known to all as “Tommy”, grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, prior to attending Smith College in the class of 1945, graduating a year early in the spring of 1944. She then attended the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 1944 to 1945. While in school, Tommy became a World War II volunteer, helping at the Veteran’s Hospital, harvesting in the farms, and teaching English. In the late 40s and 50s, after moving to Worcester, Tommy continued her volunteer work, becoming especially involved as a mother of five children. As a prior Girl Scout herself, Tommy became both a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout mother for her children. She also became the PTA President, a volunteer reader for first graders, and a historical tour leader for fifth and sixth graders. Her interest in education remained apparent, as she later became a trustee for Bancroft School and then Notre Dame Academy.
In the 1960s, Tommy became a docent at the Worcester Art Museum. During this time, she also conducted Preservation research, which led to her helping to found Worcester Preservation Society, now Preservation Worcester. Tommy has stayed involved with Preservation Worcester, continuing to attend events when she can. Tommy also loved to travel, spending much of the 1980s traveling. She had also been a travel agent, creating, selling, and leading tours. The best tour she created was one to Russia in 1975.
Tommy continued to stay involved in the Worcester community, establishing a garden landscape and becoming president of the Worcester Garden Club. Now, she has moved to the Willows of Worcester and stays involved with the Willows community, just recently working with others to create a “Movie Appreciation Club,” which meets monthly to watch and discuss older films.
Tommy holds special importance for the role of her family in her life, especially honoring her late husbands Jim Donnelly, Vincent Gustafson, and Dick Dearborn, as well as her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.