Coming Back To RES | Alumnae faculty & staff share what brought them back to RES

Alumnae faculty and staff share what brought them back to RES, how RES impacted their college and career plans, and their favorite RES memories.

Mary Kaye Ulczak, '83, Registrar

Mary Kaye started working at RES in 2003. She started as an English teacher and is currently the school’s registrar.

She said she wanted to work at RES “because of the teachers I had, I wanted to become an English teacher. What better place to work than where it all began – 20 years later!”

During her time as a teacher, Mary Kaye said she loved the fact that she was teaching “alongside some of the same teachers who had such an impact on me. During my time in the classroom, I was teaching students who were children of many of my classmates. I always loved that extra connection.”

Maura L. Collins, '90, CFO

Maura started working at RES in 2020 as the Vice President Finance/CFO. She said “after spending 25 years working professionally as a CPA, I wanted to leverage my time spent in public accounting and corporate financial services to give back to a non-profit – Resurrection was a natural fit.”

As a student, Maura was president of Spanish Club, participated in Science Club, and was a member of NHS and Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society). She said some of her favorite memories include dances as an underclasswoman in the cafe, the four Father-Daughter dances she attended, and the lifelong friendships she made. She also added that her time spent working at Resurrection Retirement Center (RRC) with other high school students was a really fun time and a great introduction to the working world.

“Resurrection taught me that anything was possible as a young woman,” Maura said. “My favorite part of working at RES is seeing the girls - they are the reason we are all here – the back office improvements and efficiencies created will help poise the school to remain relevant as we enter our next 100 years.”

Denise Lenihan, '97, Social Science Teacher

Denise started working at RES in 2005 as a Social Sciences teacher. She said she wanted to work at RES, because she fell in love with history “because of the teaching of Tony Mazzulla, a former RES teacher. When I completed my Masters in Education, I was fortunate that the department was looking to hire a new history teacher and it felt so fortuitous to begin my career under his leadership.”

Denise said thanks to RES, she felt well-prepared for her university courses; adding that participating in class discussion and self-advocacy came naturally to her, because her teachers at RES always encouraged both. Her favorite memory as a student was Kids’ Day, she said.

“It was kind of like a Saturday Night Live show, where teachers would dress up and perform in comedy skits. I vividly remember one year where Mr. Longo and a former English teacher, Ms. Loftus, dressed up as Sonny and Cher and sang, ‘I Got You Babe.’”

Briana O’Donnell, '09, Director of Academic Support

Briana started working at RES in 2015 as the Director of Academic Support. Bri also works as the Concussion Case Manager and Senior Class Moderator. She said she “absolutely loved RES as a student, but never had a plan to work here, because I majored in Special Education, and RES didn’t have a program. When I saw that they were going to create an academic support program and the position for the director of it was open, I was so excited.”

Bri said when she graduated from RES, she felt so prepared, “especially when it came to writing and time management. RES also did wonders for my confidence in speaking up within a group.”

Her favorite memories include, senior week, Kairos, and traveling to Europe “with 50 other seniors and our History department. That trip is something I don’t think I’ll ever stop talking about.”

When asked what her favorite thing about being back at RES as an employee, she said “being able to continue participating in RES traditions is so fun, and the teachers I work with are fantastic, but by and large, the best part of working here is our girls.”

Bailey Scianna, '13, English Teacher

Bailey started working at RES in 2019. She started as a substitute teacher, then worked part-time as an English teacher. She now teaches English and Religion full-time. She said she chose to work at RES, because she had “amazing teachers who helped empower me and support my learning. I was influenced by them to pursue a degree in education in college – something I had never considered before RES! I didn’t think I was smart enough! I always felt called to come back to RES. I like to think that it was Blessed Celine speaking to me.”

During her time as a student at RES, Bailey participated in Creative Writing Club, Chamber Orchestra, RES Banner, and Innerview, the school’s literary magazine.

“I remember staying late to work on the school newspaper. Back in the day, it was a hard copy, so it had to be sent to the printers at a certain time once a month. Therefore, we all had to stay late, sometimes until 9 p.m., to make sure it got done in time. Classes would end at 3 p.m., we would all pile into one girl’s car and go get Starbucks and dinner for everybody, come back, eat, and work on the paper all night. The next morning, we’d arrive early and greet our classmates at the door with a newspaper, hot off the press. We had a chant we’d do: ‘Who who who are we? We are, we are TRB!’” Bailey recalled.

Peyton LaValley, 17, Development and Communications Coordinator

Peyton started working at RES in 2022 as the Development and Communications Coordinator. She said she chose to work at RES, because it’s always been a second home.

As a student, Peyton said, RES prepared her for the classes and the workload that happens in college. “I felt ready for all of my English classes, especially, and knew I had the skills to write strong papers,” Peyton said.

During her time as a student at RES, Peyton was a Student Ambassador, a part of National Honor Society and Diakonia Honor Society, as well as Natural Helpers Organization; she was on the bowling team and the yearbook staff, working as the editor.

“As a senior, I was able to meet and interview Shawn Mendes with other members from the RES Banner and yearbook staff. It was a great honor getting to ask him a few questions before he performed for the whole school. It’s a moment I will never forget,” Peyton said.