The current Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School is more vital, more important, and more worthy of our support today than at any time during the memorable separate histories of the two schools or since they were united in 1990.  I know that there are spirited Villa Angela ladies and robust St. Joe Vikings of earlier years who will strongly disagree with me.  For many good reasons, we graduates loved the experience we had in our two proud schools, or at VASJ more recently.

Out of careful thought, change came to the first editions of our schools.  A reformed model is almost never easy to accept for those who loved and became comfortable with our generation's model.  Knowing that, I encourage you to take a close look at the very unique, disciplined, successful, value-splashed center of learning that is today's Villa Angela-St. Joseph.  If you want a thrill and to be filled with the warmth of humanity, take a very close look at the sparkling school that is our legacy.

Let me be direct about this: if you want to see young America at its best, come back and see your school.  If you want to see a beautiful group of young people who reflect, look like, and are the families of Greater Cleveland, come back and see your school.  Experience the students' dignity of self-respect at work, teamed with the all-pervasive code of mutual respect flowing from the newest freshman up to our school President.  Come back and see your school.  If you want to watch young people being taught to become future principled professionals, come back and see your school.  If anyone has suggested otherwise to you - come back and see for yourself.

I graduated from St. Joe's when we were nearly 2,000 boys.  It was a very large energetic place.  My sister's Villa Angela was a place where she was allowed and encouraged to be happy and to grow.  As kids we assumed that all of this would be frozen in time.  Elvis, John Lennon, gasoline prices and Art Modell showed us that change comes invited or not.  2006 is not yesterday.

Our son Kerry graduated this year as a member of the Class of 2006.  His brother Brendan graduated from VASJ in 2004.  They were accepted at other excellent high schools.  They chose VASJ because their instinct was that the truest complete education, as a person and a student, would be found at your school and mine.  It was proven to be true then and now.

Meet today's teachers at VASJ.  They are the best ever, for they have come from a fascinating variety of professional backgrounds.  Many subsequently chose teaching young people as their true valued vocation.  They are there by choice.  It clearly shows.

Meet Principal Janice Roccosalva, VASJ's academic leader.  She might be overshadowed for a moment by the height of the Viking offensive line at a football rally but at no other time.  She is always encouraging but never compromises on the ethic of complete mutual respect for all on the campus.  She sets the tone.  Come experience for yourself.

VASJ's President, Jim Sukys, is a vital treasure for the campus.  Jim, like the faculty, is experienced in the private world, smart and wholly dedicated to building the best value-based high school in the region.

If this sounds worthwhile and you have not seen it for yourself come and see the school.  You are going to be very happy with today's version of Villa Angela-St. Joseph.

-Tim McCormack '62 - VASJ Hall of Famer and Parent of Graduates

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Leadership comes in many shapes and sizes at various times in life.  However, there are certain characteristics that I believe are essential for a leader to possess, and these can be found in the words of St. Angela Merici, the foundress of the Ursuline Sisters in the Counsels and Rule she left for those of us who follow her.

As St. Angela says in her Counsels, “Give good example - teaching more by what you do than what you say (Third Counsel).”  Therefore, the leader should not be in front or far ahead of others, but rather in the center taking the pulse of the group while never losing sight of the mission and goal.

“Pray that God enlighten you, direct you, and teach you what you are to do (Intro. to the Counsels).”  In this St. Angela reminds us that prayer and contemplation are the foundation of every good leader.  If the leader does not take time to build a relationship with God then the leader will not build right relationships with others either.  In order to minister with and for those committed to her/his care, the leader needs to know and “esteem one another, help one another [and] support one another...(Ninth Counsel).”

Collaboration with others is another necessary characteristic of a leader.  As St. Angela also says in her Ninth Counsel: being “united in one heart and one will” brings harmony to the ministry where “sweetness and kindness will do more good than...harsh and stern words (Second Counsel).”  Finally, St. Angela tells leaders to “be joyous, and always act out of charity, with faith and hope in God (Primitive Rule).”  If you “put your whole soul into the enterprise you have undertaken - Rejoice (Ninth Counsel)!”

St. Angela's words to leaders today hold as much importance as they did when she wrote her Counsels and Rule in the sixteenth century.  Leadership was in question in her day, too, but she knew, as we do today, that leaders “have more need to serve others, than others have to be served (First Counsel).”

-Sister Susan Mary Rathbun, O.S.U. '58, VASJ Advisory Board Member

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Dear Alums,

I was delighted to be asked to write to the alums of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.  I feel I have this debt to the St. Joseph High School community because of my experience as a religion teacher from 1968 through 1976.  It was during these years that I was taught by members of the school community.  From my experiences, I learned some leadership skills from the young men at St. Joe's and the young women from Villa Angela.  I saw these young people develop into outstanding leaders.

High school is a critical time of development for young people.  If you have children in the age range of high school, you know how precious and exciting it is for you and for them.  It is a time when young people begin the process of identifying their gifts and talents.  At VASJ, part of this identification is about what contribution a person can make to improve one's civic community and the world.  In the Marianist and Ursuline traditions, we learn that happy and healthy persons are intimately connected with their brothers and sisters.

I am proud that VASJ continues the wonderful tradition of education for service.  I believe that I learned that tradition by working with the Marianists and Ursulines, their lay collaborators, and the students.  I had some remarkable role models who demonstrated to me that life was about service to others, e.g. Bernie Guilfoyle, Sister Ann Winters, OSU, Father Ken Sommers, SM, Joe Farrell, Sister Dorothy Kazel, OSU, Brother Gil Gensler, SM and many more.

I have great hope in the leaders who will graduate from VASJ in the years to come.  They will become leaders in a multi-ethnic, multi socio-economic, multi-cultural and multi-valued society.  The diversity at VASJ is one of the community's great riches.  I believe that leaders being formed at VASJ will have a greater sensitivity to the complexity of our society and of our world.

In the midst of my confidence and hope for VASJ, I ask and encourage all alums to continue to support their alma mater.  If you have not been to VASJ for a while, I encourage you to visit the school and meet some of the leaders of the future.  You will be charmed.  You will be impressed.  You will be confident in the future.  You will want to be part of the community.

The present administration and staff of the school have brought a new dynamism and financial stability to the school community.  They need the assistance of the school's alums to guarantee the continued forward movement of the school.  I ask you to help as much as you can and in as many ways as you can.  Thank you, members of the VASJ community, for giving me an education.

-Brother Michael O'Grady, S.M., 2006 VASJ Hall of Fame Inductee and Advisory Board Member

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Merriam-Webster defines leadership as: 1) the office or position of a leader; 2) capacity to lead; and 3) the act or an instance of leading.  VASJ as a school has helped me develop my ability to be a leader through all of these instances.

First, VASJ told us as students that everyone has the capacity to be a leader in some way.  Over the years at VASJ , I've come to notice the truth behind this statement.  There are those who are born leaders, the people that you notice from the first day of freshman orientation already taking charge.  Then there are the made leaders, people who you see stepping up later, emerging from the crowd.  Those are the people who seem to take on a whole new persona when they are asked to step up and take responsibility.

VASJ has taught me that a leader must step up from among their peers and be able to inspire action, not just yell and expect it to happen.  A person doesn't have to be the loudest, the brightest or even the most athletic to lead, they just have to have the heart.

I was asked to lead early on in my freshman year in biology class.  My class was assigned a huge project involving studying the ecology of a field, with me being designated the leader of one of the groups.  I didn't think I possessed a lot of leadership skills coming into the project, but through the course of it my skills slowly emerged.  I had to learn how to manage a group, both in dealing with a deadline and dealing with different personality types.  I had to learn that in order to actually be able to classify so many trees and animals in so short a time required very good communication skills.  If someone didn't get the message that yes, that leaf was in fact their responsibility, then it would wither fall through the cracks or I as a leader would have to take it on.  This first experience primed me for when I would take on an elected office.

Throughout my junior and senior years, I have taken on more responsibility being in actual elected positions.  Currently, I am Vice President of the Senior Class and Vice President of National Honor Society.  Even though I only have two elected positions, I still try and lead by example in my other activities, both in and out of the classroom.  I discovered a person can lead by simply trying their hardest every time and not giving up if times get tough.  I hope to continue using these leadership skills that I learned at VASJ once I transition into college, wherever that may be.

VASJ has led me to realize that the real order the definition of leadership should go in is: 1) the capacity to lead; 2) the act or an instance of leading; and 3) the office or position of a leader - because all of us possess the capacity to lead, we just need to recognize it and latch onto it and become the leaders we were all meant to be.

-Joanne Neugebauer, VASJ Class of 2007

Our community, society and world need leaders guided by compassion, justice and truth.  These are the hallmarks of a quality Catholic education in the Ursuline and Marianist traditions.  VASJ not only provides an excellent academic education, but also prepares young people for leadership by fostering community, faith, hospitality, responsibility, social consciousness, and service.  The example and teaching of Jesus to care for and serve one another with love is the surest model of leadership.  It can be witnessed at VASJ where each and every student is important and valued.  If you walk the halls, talk to the students, meet the faculty and staff, and listen to the parents, you will agree that tremendous good is being accomplished.  VASJ is probably more vital now than ever.  I have been blessed to be a part of the VASJ community, and am committed to supporting its mission.

-Deborah Sesek ’68 (VASJ Advisory Board Chairperson and VASJ Endowment Board Chairperson)