L-R: (Seated) Sisters Liz Hecker, Rosemary Anne Parker and Arnadene Bean with their former students, (standing) Dana Jacobs, Mercedes Loprinzi and Janey Gassman.
“When you’re little, you don’t know anything about the lives of your teachers. Now we’re learning their stories,” said Dana Jacobs. Jacobs and her friends Janey Gassman and Mercedes Loprinzi were taught by Sisters at The Madeline School and St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, OR, in the ’60s and ’70s.
Decades later, the relationships they have built with their former teachers have become essential. Several times a year, the trio of students visit Mary’s Woods Senior Living in Lake Oswego, OR, to connect with their former teachers, SNJM Sisters Liz Hecker, Arnadene Bean and Rosemary Anne Parker. Jacobs is quick to point out what a unique opportunity they have. “What’s so special about it?! Well, do you know any other 74-year-olds who can visit their first grade teacher, their seventh grade teacher and their high school biology teacher?”
At the Madeline School, Sister Liz was their first grade teacher. “She taught me how to read and write. She gave me the skills that I’ve used every day of my life,” said Loprinzi. About their seventh grade teacher, Sister Arnadene, she said, “She knew how to bring a sense of calm and peace to all 50 of us classmates. She taught us about social justice way before it was a thing.” During high school at St. Mary’s Academy, their biology teacher, Sister Rosemary Anne, “prepared us for college, and made science interesting to high school girls. Her zest for knowledge encouraged us to strive hard.”
Over time, their student-teacher relationships have evolved into friendships and mentorships. Continued connection has given the students a chance to better understand and celebrate the lives of the Sisters. “Their dedication toward serving others is an outstanding tribute to their kindness and compassion, and their work toward creating a better world,” said Jacobs. “These Sisters are our friends, our teachers from six decades ago, but they continue to teach us at each and every visit.”