Testimonials

Bianca Vertus

Alumnus, Class of 2013
After-School Counselor

Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy is a welcoming and enriching community that I am proud to be a part of.  As a former student, my dedicated teachers provided me with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in high school.  My decision to return to RA as an after-school counselor has been greatly rewarding.  Providing my services to the RA community has felt like coming home to an environment that has always made me feel safe, loved, and cherished.

Oscar Garcia

Alumnus, Class of 2014
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Sal Candela

Alumnus, Class of 1998
Member, Board of Trustees

I attended Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy for ten years - from Pre-K through Eighth grade - and I feel incredibly fortunate that I did, as it served as the foundation for my life during my formative years.

The Academy played a huge role in teaching me lifelong lessons about friendship and sportsmanship, about meeting the world with kindness and optimism, and about embracing all people with love.

My memories of RA are etched in my memory forever. I fondly recall learning and collaborating with classmates, playing sports across various teams, laughing at the lunch table with friends, deepening my faith as an altar server, participating in school plays and much more. As a student of RA, I woke up each morning excited to learn, see my friends and take on the day. Each morning I was also met by kind teachers who challenged the class academically and cared about my success as well as every other student’s.

Attending RA Academy was a transformational experience for me. It enriched my childhood and was the foundation for everything after elementary school.

That’s why I serve as a board member. I want every child to experience the benefits of attending Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy.

Sean Belon

Alumnus, Class of 1993
Member, Board of Trustees
CFRE, CAP

Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy is quite literally the bedrock upon which I have built my future. Throughout my entire educational career, from Pre-K through college and graduate work the single most impactful educational experience has been the 10 years I spent at R.A.C.A. I recall vividly my first day of high school when one of my new teachers asked us what 8th grades we had come from, when I said “Resurrection Ascension” her response was “You went to RA? Oh you’re going to do just fine!” and she was right.

In the halls of RA I learned not only the fundamentals of a lifelong education, I learned the value and beauty of experiencing a truly global society first hand. From the time I was 4 years old I learned and grew with classmates whose families hailed from 6 of the 7 continents (no Antarctica unfortunately!) I was surrounded by classmates and friends who spoke a myriad of languages at home, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Hindi, Polish, Tagalog, Bengali, Croatian, Tai and Portuguese…just to name a few. My experience at RA not only helped me to excel academically and professionally, it helped mold me into a man who is comfortable in our truly global society and who sees the immense value of knowing the beauty of our diverse world long before I left the street where I was born.

My faith was nurtured and enriched through experiencing the daily interactions with our beloved pastor, Msgr Bynon, and many other priests and sisters who showed me the values of kindness and empathy and selflessness in action. Their example has sustained my Catholic faith through all the years since and gave me a spiritual strength that has never wavered. Through opportunities for service as an Altar Server, Cub Scout, Pastoral Care to the Elderly, Youth Ministry, Children’s Choir, CYO athletics and countless parish and school fundraisers I learned the importance, no the duty, of giving back and helping your community and those who need you the most.

Serving on the Board of Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy is one of the great honors of my life. I believe that the legacy of being a RACA graduate is working together to ensure a more just, equitable and compassionate world for our children. In my opinion there can be no better legacy to support and there can be no better foundation for life than Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy. 
 

Jason Leberfeld

Alumnus, Class of 1998
Treasurer, Board of Trustees

As I reflect through my own personal experiences, I find that my childhood upbringing has had the greatest impact in molding me to the person I am today. When looking back at my childhood, I cannot help but to think of my time as a student at Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy (RACA). 

I attended Resurrection Ascension Catholic Academy from kindergarten through 8th grade, and graduated class of 1998. It was during my time at RACA where I was able to socialize with classmates and learn from teachers within an environment that emphasized Catholic moral values. I was able to obtain a top-notch education as well as participate in multiple sports and extra-curricular activities. RACA always put a focus on my overall well-being which I wholeheartedly feel had such a profound impact on my life. 

It is not a surprise that my closest friends and fondest memories I have was during my time as a student at RACA. RACA was not only a school I attended, but a life experience I had from my toddler years, into the beginning of my teenage years. I am forever grateful and proud to have experienced those critical years of my upbringing at such a wonderful institution. 

Today I am proud to serve on RACA’s Board of Trustees as Treasurer. Giving back to the academy that has had such a profound influence on my life and being able to positively impact those children taking on that same RACA journey that I experienced is truly an honor and privilege. 

Michelle Eichorst

The academic education that I received at RA was very important to my success in high school, college, and my career in medicine. But RA also taught me how to be part of a successful community where people work together and help each other to succeed. Those lessons have become an important part of my philosophy and attitudes about friends and work. They are important to what I would call success in life. At RA, they understood that learning is not just about academics - it’s about learning how to become someone that you can be proud of as a person. And that is the ultimate success.
 

Ann Eichorst

Alumnus, Class of 1963

When I graduated from RA in 1963, life was very different than it is today. However, the basic values of RA have remained the same. I saw that when my daughter, a 2005 graduate, also attended RA.  It continues to be a place of caring and community that prepares its students for the real world by providing them with an excellent education and values...which in turn helps them face challenges and succeed in their careers and life. Caring teachers, lifelong friendships, and its sense of community all make RA a very special place.  It definitely made a difference in my life!

Patricia (Rabold) O'Connell

Alumnus, Class of 1966
Member, Board of Trustees

Having been a student at RA over 50 years ago, I was well prepared for high school, college and a prosperous career. I have worn many “hats” through the years and I have been able to succeed at whatever I tackled.   My foundation at RA not only taught me academics; I learned to respect and be kind to others, and how a helping hand should always be extended.

Still living in the neighborhood many years later, when it was time for my daughter to enter elementary school, the decision was easy as I knew that Resurrection Ascension continued to teach the same basic “building blocks” of life in a welcoming, safe and secure environment.  

While the faculty and student body has changed over the years, Resurrection Ascension continues to provide the next generation the quality education for future success and happiness. To help assure that these values remain a part of the teachings at Resurrection Ascension, when asked to become a member of the Board of Directors of the Academy,  I did not hesitate to accept and was honored to do so.
 

Kathleen (O'Connell) Walsh

RA gave me the fundamentals to become a successful adult from the first day I walked into the school for Pre-K almost 30 years ago. The personalized attention I received from my educators bolstered my knowledge base which afforded me the opportunities to attend, and graduate with honors, highly accredited high school, college, and graduate schools. Not only do I have RA to credit for my success as an adult in a professional manner, but I also developed friendships that have continued for over three decades.