For our third New Staff Spotlight, we are happy to introduce Ms. Garcia, our Dean of Students; Ms. Maldonado, our School Receptionist; Miss Margand, our Guidance Secretary; and Ms. Motschall, our Administrative Assistant for Academics!
All of us here at Cathedral High School extend a warm and excited welcome to our new Dean of Students, Ms. Stephanie Garcia! Ms. Garcia was raised by Dominican parents in the Bronx and attended Catholic grade school. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work at Lehman College because from an early age, she knew she wanted to help others (especially children), be their advocate, and provide them with the tools to become their own advocate. Since February 2017, she has worked at St. Athanasius in the Bronx alongside Ms. Aybar, and she is excited to devote herself to the mission of Cathedral and build a strong foundation with the CHS community.
Upon reflecting about this generation of students, Ms. Garcia shared, “What excites me the most about this generation of students is their ability to be unapologetically themselves. They embrace their uniqueness, confidence, and authenticity. God created us all different but equal.” Ms. Garcia has already positively influenced our students, and we are so grateful to have such an experienced and devoted Dean on our administrative team!
One of the first faces to welcome you when you step inside Cathedral High School is our new school receptionist, Ms. Julizza Maldonado! Ms. Maldonado hails from the Bronx and has spent the last six years as an early childhood teacher; she is excited to be in a high school environment, especially to have experience with students outside of the classroom setting. Ms. Maldonado earned a B.S. in psychology from Mercy University and hopes to grow in the skills required for running an office administration well.
CHS is delighted to introduce our new guidance secretary, Miss Gabrielle Margand, to the Cathedral Community! Miss Margand, a member of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Yonkers, recently graduated from Thomas Aquinas College’s New England campus where she studied the liberal arts and developed a love for theology. During her four years, she worked for the Admissions Department, organizing summer programs, open houses, and introducing students to the life of the school.
Miss Margand was attracted to Cathedral’s “belief that God has entrusted each woman with personal and intellectual gifts meant to be shared with the world.” She shared that this mission reminds her of a prayer that she deeply loves by Cardinal Newman: ‘God has created me to do some definite service. He has committed me to do some work that He has not committed to another. I have my mission.’ Miss Margand looks forward to serving our students in the best way that she can and is impressed by their hard work and dedication, evident in how they spend their summers exploring fields they are passionate about through various internships and programs. She is a fantastic addition to our team!
Cathedral High School is pleased to introduce Ms. Alexis Motschall, our Administrative Assistant for Academics, who joined our team just before the summer began! Ms. Motschall moved to Brooklyn after studying English and Film at the University of Toronto, and here at Cathedral, she diligently supports the Academics office so that data can be handled with care and thoroughness.
Ms. Motschall reflects, “Cathedral's mission of empowering young women to learn, grow and live out their unique and individual gifts from God makes this such a rewarding place to work. I am so blessed to work with all of the amazing staff here.” We are so blessed to have such a hardworking and kind member on our Academics team, an office which works tirelessly behind-the-scenes to support our students’ academic success!