Victoria McNamara '14 tells us about the April 2012 meeting of the student Marianist LIFE Community. The MLC invited Gross Catholic alumni Susie Jankowski McGuire '92 to share her experiences in Madagascar working through her Conservation Fusion organization. You can read more about Susie's organization here.
Last night at the LIFE meeting, I was so inspired! Susie Jankowski McGuire '92 was our guest speaker about her work in Madagascar and how horrible life is in some parts of the country. She talked to us how people there don’t have adequate drinking water or have food for what we would call a normal eating day. The younger kids are not educated well, if at all. Susie is traveling over there with her Conservation Fusion organization to help build up schools and teach the natives how to farm and grow things so that life there will be better for everyone and everything, including the animals.
One of the interesting things that Susie told us about was how many different types of animals there are in Madagascar. To my surprise, there are more than 800 different types of frogs just in a very small region on the island. I was amazed at how many different species of animals live there and how many of them rely on the remaining forests there. When some natives farm, they burn down the forests so they plant rice fields, which caused many resources for the animals to be destroyed. Susie said that it is hard for the animals to find food and they eat the same things each and every day because there is nothing else to eat.
My favorite part of the presentation was when she began to talk about her work with the children of Madagascar. I love kids and plan to study teaching in college, but she showed us things that she has done that blew my mind. She showed us how she has educated the kids on animal life and how to even take care of themselves. Some of the kids did not even know how to wash their hands, which to me was mind boggling because I have been taught for as long as I can remember.
The very best part of Susie's presentation was when we got to help her with her next project. She was making little costumes for all of the kids over there. They were turtle costumes modeled after a native turtle that is going extinct. We helped her make them to raise awareness to help save the turtles. My friends and I tried on a few, and we just loved them. I really hope she will send us back some pictures so we can see how much the kids enjoyed them.
By: Elizabeth Leibel Transferring schools can be difficult, new kids, new teachers, new atmosphere. It definitely is an adventure. Transferring isn’t always the solution for everyone, but sometimes there is a need for...
Read moreBusiness Education instructor Shelby Sweetmon is proud to continue Gross Catholic's partnership with Junior Achievement by bringing in guest speakers from the private sector to volunteer their time in the...
Read moreMeet Advisory Board Members Fr. Ryan Lewis, Susan Aguilera- Robles '82 and Dan Placzek '80. Father Ryan Lewis Tell us a little bit about yourself. Originally from Valley, NE. Mount Michael graduate. I have...
Read moreby Emily Fanslau '13 When I first came to Gross as a freshman, I didn’t know all that much about the place. Sure, I knew the colors were orange and blue,...
Read more
As the Universal Church celebrates a year of Faith our Cougar Family celebrates years of faith by highlighting our alumni who have chosen to live their faith through consecrated religious...
Read moreMeet Advisory Board Members Jeff Moore and Chris Reed. Jeff Moore '82, Vice-Chairman of the Board Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born and raised in Omaha. I am a...
Read more
Maddie was recently featured in a PBS series on Dementia called Now What?: The Caregiver. You can watch the full episode online!She is the Top Youth Fundraiser for the Alzheimer...
Read more
I have always thought that working at Gross Catholic was a blessing, but after two straight days and one overnight retreat experience with this year's senior class I know it;...
Read moreGROSS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLBOARD OF EDUCATION2012 - 2013 Tom Kjar, Chairman of the Board Tell us a little bit about yourself. I was born in Lexington, Nebraska and after graduating from St. Ann...
Read more
I am thrilled to be back in Catholic secondary education and a part of the Cougar Family! I am excited for the future and I look forward to an amazing...
Read more
by Kelsey Ackerman '13, Staff Writer, Paw Prints. Kelsey's editorial was published in the November 2012 issue of Paw Prints. It's that time of year seniors, when you're starting to get...
Read more
When a Los Angeles film production company needed vintage wrapping paper for a scene in a movie about a talking teddy bear, the prop master beckoned a stay-at-home mom in...
Read more
Bro. Leo Willett served as the founding principal of Gross Catholic High School from 1967 - 1974. He now resides in the Marianist Residence at the University of St. Mary's in...
Read more
Amanda Lehotak, Gross Catholic alumnae of 1999, recognized a good opportunity when she saw it. That’s why the chance to be the head softball coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio was something...
Read more
Victoria McNamara '14 tells us about the April 2012 meeting of the student Marianist LIFE Community. The MLC invited Gross Catholic alumni Susie Jankowski McGuire '92 to share her experiences in...
Read more
