STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
BY ELISSA ESHER
The Roman Catholic Diocese of
Brooklyn awarded a medal of honor
to Saint Francis Preparatory School
for donating a whopping $22,700 to a
like-named school in Kenya as part
of their World Mission Sunday celebration
at The Co-Cathedral of
Saint Joseph in Prospect Heights on
October 20th.
“The kindness of these students
exemplifies the Christian spirit of
taking care of and helping those in
need,” said John Quaglione, Deputy
Press Secretary for the Diocese.
“The idea of these high schoolers in
New York making such an impact
on Kenya blows me away.”
The annual World Mission Sunday
mass at St. Joseph’s in Prospect
Heights celebrates and recognizes
extraordinary acts of charity
within the diocese, and this year
honored the Catholic school in
Queens for its outstanding fundraising
achievement.
The cash was raised in the
school’s annual Lenten collection,
in which participating students
were given collection boxes to be returned
once filled. With additional
contributions from parents and
alumni, the colossal donation will
fund tuition assistance, nutritional
aid, and the construction of campus
walkways and a basketball court at
the high school’s sister institution
7,300 miles away.
“As a Franciscan school, we do
our best to remember our call to
work in solidarity with our global
brothers and sisters,” said Patrick
McLaughlin, Principal of Saint
Francis Preparatory School. “I am
so very proud of the contributions
of our faculty, staff, students, and
alumni who humbly walk with our
Franciscan brothers and sisters in
Kenya and live out the Gospel every
day.”
Saint Francis’ contributions to
Lare have not only been financial.
Since 2017, alumnae Dr. Joseph Pantaleo
and Dr. Kamica Lewis have
also been coordinating medical
teams to provide healthcare for the
people of this community.
“These students and alums live
in a world where if you have a tooth
ache you can get to the dentist in ten
minutes and they are pouring into a
place that doesn’t even have basic
necessities, like sidewalks,” said
Quaglione. “It’s a beautiful bringing
together of two worlds.”
COURIER L 36 IFE, NOV. 22-28, 2019
JOE HITI
Democratic bigwigs from
around Brooklyn gathered on Nov.
17 for the 63rd annual Thomas Jefferson
Club dinner at El Caribe eatery
in Mill Basin.
The political organization —
headed by Kings County Democratic
boss Frank Seddio — played
host to politicians and community
leaders alike, who spoke to attendees
about various issues on both a
local and national level.
The marquee guest of the annual
bash was Senate Democratic leader
Chuck Schumer, who took a break
from the chaotic news cycle in the
nation’s capital to remind guests of
his role founding the Thomas Jefferson
club in 1972.
“He really gives the same speech
every year,” Seddio teased.
The fund-raising dinner remains
a major source of income for
the club, according to Seddio, who
praised the event as a rousing success.
Multiple awards were bestowed
to community leaders — like Michelle
Sealy, Arthur Goldstein,
Hon. Annette Robinson, Carlo Scissura
— for their outstanding work
in the borough.
The club has continued to
grow and become a dominating
voice around the Brooklyn political
scene — even continue to hold
weekly meetings.
“The Pope has mass on Sunday,”
said Seddio. “We are at the TJ Club
on Thursday.”
JOE HITI
Students and faculty at the
Math, Engineering, and Science
Academy in Bushwick gathered
on Wednesday morning to honor
an outstanding educator with a
$25,000 prize for her extraordinary
dedication to her students’
academic futures.
“I felt like teaching found me,”
said science teacher Princess
Francois. “I saw myself in the
kids.”
The Brooklyn-born educator
— who currently serves as both a
teacher and the school’s assistant
principal — accepted the prize
money from the Milken Educator
Awards, which has dolled out over
2,800 awards, totaling $70 million,
to teachers around the country.
The organization chose to
honor Francois with the prize —
billed as the “Oscars for Educators”
— for her work in improving
STEM education test scores for
the students she helps mentor.
“I’m like their second mom,”
Francois said, “It’s what keeps me
going.”
Francois accepted the prize
money at a surprise ceremony
in the school’s auditorium, when
award reps — with the help of six
students — revealed Francois as
the winner of the grant to thunderous
applause from the gathered
attendees.
“I least thought it was me,”
said Francois, who described herself
as shocked and overwhelmed
by the recognition.
But Milken honchos saw Francois
— the daughter of Hatian immigrants,
who holds two master’s
degrees in education — as the perfect
recipient for the award.
“Princess Francois understands
the value of a STEM education,”
said Milken Educator
Awards Senior Vice President
Dr. Jane Foley. “By working to
help students advance themselves
and their communities, Francois
opens the door to a brighter future.
Frank Seddio, Sue Ann Partnow, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Alan Maisel pose for a photo
at the Thomas Jefferson Club dinner. Photo by Derrick Watterson
Dem bigwigs gather for annual gala
BK teacher gets
an ‘A’ — and
$25,000!
Brooklyn Diocese
honors school for
acts of charity
Photos on Page 42
Saint Francis Preparatory School raised $22,700 for its sister school in Kenya (pictured).
Photo Courtesy of the Brooklyn Diocese