F a c u l t y
2 0 0 9  -  2 0 1 0

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Course Outlines
for Freshmen 2010-11

John Paul II Faculty, 2009-2010

The Holy Spirit has been at work in many ways throughout the life of this project, and this was seen again as we sought to hire the first team of teachers and professionals to do the real work of building a Catholic high school from the ground up.  We have been provided an impressive collection of women and men from our communities, who bring a great deal of experience to their work at JPII.  Collectively, there are three ‘doctors,’ seven MA’s, and as teachers, they average twelve years of experience in education.  They all have been attracted to the school for the mission we have, and the great privilege of forming a school.  We are pleased to be able to introduce them as the first faculty of John Paul II Catholic High School.

Sarah Anderson, Paul Foster, Art Gonzales, Deacon Gorman,
Peggy Harkins, Andrew Iliff, Christina Kenney, Mary Ledford,
Silvia Lorenzen, Liz Peitersen, Laura Sullivan

Sarah Anderson
Sarah Anderson graduated from Texas A&M University in 2004 with a Bachelors of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. Upon completion of her degree, she accepted a position as a Biology and IPC instructor at Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, where she taught for two years, earning her Texas teaching certificate.  In the summer of 2006, she married and moved to Burlington, Iowa.  For the past three years, she has taught at Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in Burlington.  Her teaching experience at Notre Dame has included Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, and Physical Science.  Along with her husband, she has sponsored a high school bible study group and served on their parish RCIA team.   Mrs. Anderson will be teaching Biology and Tech I in the 2009-2010 school year. 

Dr. Paul Foster
Dr. Foster received his BA in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame, and his Ph.D. in Political Theory from the Catholic University of America. He has taught at the Heights School in Washington, DC as well as at George Washington University and Catholic University. Dr. Foster's other professional experiences include working as a staff writer at the White House during the Reagan Administration, as a program officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and as a counselor for a non-profit clinic in the Bronx.  His writings have appeared in the Review of Politics, the International Philosophical Quarterly, Chronicles, and Notre Dame Magazine, among other publications. For the past year, Dr. Foster has been working as a lay volunteer for the Mission of Divine Mercy, a new Catholic religious community located near New Braunfels.  Dr. Foster will be teaching English and Government in the 2009-2010 school year.

Art Gonzales
Coach Gonzales will be starting his thirty-sixth year in education in 2009-10.  He coached high school football and basketball for thirty years before taking an Assistant Athletic Director’s position (current job) with San Antonio ISD.   He has taught and coached at Jefferson, Harlandale, Burbank, and Del Rio High Schools, and his last thirteen years were at Highlands where he won several district basketball championships.  He has a genuine interest in students learning to compete in sports and carrying those lessons over into their lives.  He understands the vital importance of everyone working together, that academics come before athletics, that sportsmanship and fair play come above winning.  Art and his wife Edna have three grown children and are members of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Converse.  Coach Gonzales is very excited to volunteer for and direct the athletics program for John Paul II Catholic High School.  He will be forming all athletics schedules, helping to hire coaches, coordinating athletics activities with the school, and planning strategically for the expansion of the program in coming years.

Deacon Bob Gorman, Ph.D.
Robert F. Gorman is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Texas State University, where he has served as National Endowment for Humanities Distinguished Teaching Professor.  He is the author of numerous books and articles on international relations, international law and organization, refugee and asylum policy, ethics, patristic era philosophy and the history of ideas. A member of the Catholic Society of Social Scientists, he is currently editing a book entitled Toward the Common Good: A Catholic Critique of the Discipline of Political Science. He is a former Council on Foreign Relations Fellow, and has worked in the U.S. Department of State's Refugee Program Bureau and at Africare, an American nongovernmental organization.  He has an undergraduate degree in political science from Seattle University, a Jesuit school, and an MA and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Oregon.  He was ordained a deacon in 2000 for the Archdiocese of San Antonio and serves at Saints Peter and Paul Parish, where he specializes in catechetical and retreat ministries.  His wife, Mary, is a Catholic School elementary teacher.  They have three children and three (soon to be four) grandchildren.  Deacon Gorman will be teaching Theology I in the 2009-2010 school year.

Peggy Harkins
Peggy Harkins has been a lifelong member of St. Pius X parish and graduated from Incarnate Word High School. She received a degree in Mathematics from the University of Dallas. She and her husband Dan, upon their graduation from UD, worked as administrators on the University's Rome campus for three years. They are rearing six children, all attending Catholic schools through college, and are very committed to Catholic education. Peggy has a Master's Degree in Education from U.T.S.A., and a recently completely Master's Degree in Theology from St. Mary's University.  She has served as a catechist in her parish for more than 20 years.  Mrs. Harkins will be the moderator of the small faith formation groups during the 2009-2010 school year.

Andrew Iliff
Mr. Iliff is the school's principal and will teach Economics in the 2009-2010 school year.  He has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Trinity University.  He is a certified English teacher, earning his certificate through courses at St. Mary's University.  He was a teacher, coach, and administrator at Central Catholic High School, and most recently was the principal at St. Luke Catholic School in San Antonio.  He also taught in the Bronx at Cardinal Spellman High School, through a volunteer program run by the Archdiocese of New York.

Dr. Christina Kenney
Dr. Christina Kenney is a magna cum laude graduate of Texas Tech University and earned a medical degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School.  After embarking on a career in education, Dr. Kenney was a member of the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension Department of Family Development.  Upon coming home to Texas, she became a certified high school teacher and taught high school science in Marion ISD for three years before taking time off to be a full-time mother to her two young children.  Dr. Kenney has been married to Mr. Kevin Kenney for eleven years and has served as a music minister, lector, communion minister, CCD teacher, youth group advisor, and regular adorer of the Eucharist.  She is currently a parishioner of Sts. Peter & Paul Parish in New Braunfels.  Dr. Kenney will be teaching Algebra and Pre-AP Geometry in the 2009-2010 school year.

Mary Ledford
As a native of San Antonio, she began college at Incarnate Word, attended various colleges in Mississippi, Georgia, and Oklahoma during her husband's Air Force career, and earned Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Latin and Latin Literature from the University of Oklahoma.  Upon returning to settle in San Antonio, she did her educational certification courses at Trinity University, becoming certified to teach Latin and History.  For the past 23 years, she has been a teacher in North East ISD, 21 of them at Roosevelt High School and the last 6 as the Department Head of Foreign Languages.  She and her family have been active members of OLPH for the last 18 years.  She has led Adult Scripture studies, served on ACTS retreats and ACTS Core, been a member of the Pastoral Council, and currently is a lector, communion minister, and member of the Liturgy and Art & Environment committees.  Mrs. Ledford will be teaching Latin and Speech in the 2009-2010 school year, and will also moderate the yearbook. 

Silvia Lorenzen

Mrs. Lorenzen has been in education for over ten years, working first as a bilingual teacher in elementary schools, and most recently, over the last four, at the university level at the University of Texas-Pan American, where she obtained a Masters Degree in Spanish.  At UTPA, she taught introductory and second level Spanish courses, as well as Spanish courses for pharmacy students.  At the present time, she is working on a Ph.D. in Spanish at the University of Houston.  Her goal as an instructor is to help all her students achieve their academic goals and to be ready for higher education.  Mrs. Lorenzen will teach Spanish I and II.

Liz Peitersen

Liz Grow Peitersen graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2002 with a BA in English and Computer Applications, where she was also an All-American and eight-time All-Big East honoree in track. She went on to earn a Masters Degree in Professional Counseling from St. Edward's University in Austin in 2007 and currently works in private practice in New Braunfels. In addition to counseling, Ms. Peitersen is a forensic evaluator for Comal, Guadalupe, and Bexar Counties and has volunteered her services to Catholic Charities, The Gabriel Project, and Project Rachel. She offers parenting workshops to the community. Ms. Peitersen is passionate about her work with teenagers and is thrilled to be a member of the school faculty. She will keep regular hours on campus each week, working with students, teachers, and parents as our guidance counselor.

Laura Sullivan
Ms. Sullivan has been actively involved in the application of funds management, contract negotiations, and strategic planning for 15 years.  Prior to joining John Paul II, she was employed by the City of San Antonio as Fiscal Planning Manager with the Department of Community Initiatives.  She has extensive knowledge in accounting principles and has managed multiple general fund, grant, and capital programs and budgets of up to $150 million.  Ms. Sullivan has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University (currently Texas State University) and attained Certified Public Manager and Certified Contracting Officer designations.  Ms. Sullivan is a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, is married with two children, is active in retreat ministries, leads a Cub Scout Pack, and serves as a communion minister.  Ms. Sullivan will be serving as the school’s office and business manager.