Eight new graduates of the University of Notre DamesAlliancefor Catholic Education (ACE) program will ride bicycles intoSouth Bendon July 11 (Tuesday) as part of a cross-country fund-raising and awareness project called the ACE American Fellowship Tour.
The 3,600-mile tour began June 4 in theLos Angelessuburb ofSanta Monicaand is scheduled to end July 28 inNew York City. Along the way the riders are sharing their teaching experiences and working to raise money for and bring attention to the schools served by the ACE program. Three of the neediest schools in the program – Little Flower Catholic School inMobile,Ala.;ResurrectionCatholicSchoolinPascagoula,Miss.; and All Saints Catholic School inFort Worth,Texas- have been targeted for specific financial support.
The cyclists thus far have pedaled throughCalifornia,Arizona,New Mexico,Texas,Oklahoma,MissouriandIllinois. ** They will ride upNotre Dame Avenueon the Universitys campus at aboutnoonJuly 11, stopping in front of theMainBuildingfor a welcoming reception.
Founded in 1994 by Rev. Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C., and Rev. Sean McGraw, C.S.C., the ACE program provides college graduates an opportunity to earn master of education degrees while serving as teachers in understaffed Catholic schools nationwide. In exchange for a modest stipend and a tuition-free graduate program, ACE participants make a two-year commitment to teach in these schools.
More than 85 recent college graduates from a wide variety of educational disciplines enter ACE each year. They take courses and participate in teacher-training projects at Notre Dame during their two summers in the program and are assigned during the academic year to full-time teaching positions at schools in 30 cities and 14 states. After two years, the students graduate with a master of education degree, and 75 percent elect to stay in education.
The American Fellowship Tour riders are among the 88 students who will participate in the 11 th annual ACE graduation ceremony July 15 in theDeBartoloCenterfor the Performing Arts. U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will be the principal speaker.
The tour cyclists are: Karl Hendrickson from Truman State University, Nick Huck from the University of Richmond, Liz OConnor from the University of Scranton, Mary OLeary from St. Patricks College (Dublin), Nathan Patla from the University of Portland, and Tony Hollowell, Chelsea Madison and Nick Williams from Notre Dame. __
_ Contact: Colleen Garvey, ACE assistant director, 574-631-9774 or cgarvey@nd.edu
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