Ashley Campbell `11 to Study This Summer at Brown University

Junior Ashley Campbell was recently accepted to participate in Brown University’s Pre-College Summer@Brown program. Ashley will learn with and from other talented high school students while being taught by the university’s preeminent faculty and staff. This experience will surely further Ashley’s social and academic college preparation and will give her an opportunity to experience life on an Ivy League campus.

Alexis Johnson `12 has also been accepted to a great summer program, the Junior Statesman Summer Program at Georgetown University. We will no doubt have more good news to report on summer programs and college acceptances in the coming months.

Congratulations to Ashley and Alexis!

An Interdisciplinary Commitment to Justice

Saint Martin’s commitment to justice and our school’s commitment to interdisciplinary teaching were on full display last Wednesday. Also on display was our interest in partnering with people and organizations who share our passion.

Our Ash Wednesday prayer service featured a guest speaker, Tom Gill, who also visited the freshmen Social Studies classes to delve more deeply into the complex topic of immigration. Since his service immersion trip to Ecuador as a Saint Ignatius High School student, Tom has been a passionate advocate for a more just immigration policy. His commitment strengthened as a St. Louis University student and as a graduate student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

While at Saint Martin Wednesday, Mr. Gill shared stories of the horrific plight of immigrant children seeking entry into the United States from Central America and Mexico. His reflections supplemented the exploration of the immigrant experience that our students undertake as part of the freshmen curriculum. Students read Enrique’s Journey to inform their examination of the topic. Enrique’s Journey tells the story of many Central American and Mexican children who leave their homes in a desperate search for their mothers in the United States. These young people ride freight trains, illegally and dangerously, that take them north through Mexico to the border.

Campus Minister Virginia Malloy, who was instrumental in welcoming Tom Gill to Saint Martin, and other members of the faculty and staff, will continue to seek opportunities to personalize and humanize the topic of immigration so that Saint Martin students are able to apply the values of Saint Martin – work, study, serve, lead, pray – to this contentious issue. The freshmen students will be engaging in a Service Learning project that will bring their conversations and learning to a real-world conclusion of compassionate and loving action through donations of household items to Migration and Refugee Services.

"Go with God"

Principal Mary Ann Vogel reminds students every day to “Go with God. God goes with you.” Math Teacher, Mack Starkey, and Senior, Da’Rion Webber `10, served as powerful reinforcement of this message of God’s presence in our lives. Both were laid to rest Saturday, February 6 after battles with cancer. Both men considered Saint Martin family, and that feeling was certainly mutual.

Mack, 50, was a graduate of Kent State University and taught math all too briefly at Saint Martin de Porres High School. Soon after his arrival at Saint Martin, he came to the realization that Saint Martin “felt like home.” In addition to being a gifted and beloved teacher, Mack was also a talented magician, earning him the moniker of the “Math Magician.” He is survived by his wife Tina, his daughter Amanda, and his son Dante.

Da’Rion, 17, planned to attend Xavier University after graduating from Saint Martin. He attended St. Francis Elementary School. At Saint Martin, he was a member of the basketball team, wearing jersey number 41, and his Corporate Work Study job was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Da’Rion received his Saint Martin diploma and a St. Martin medallion the evening before his passing. Da’Rion is survived by parents, Tanika Webber and William Anglen; his little brothers Marcus Conway, Jr., William Anglen, Jr., William Anglen, III, Beonte Anglen, and RayJon Anglen; sisters Robinique Anglen and Roshea Nichols; grandmothers Patricia Gunn and Robin Anglen-Allen; and grandfathers George Gunn, Jr. and William Hale.

Both Mack and Da’Rion are also survived by a community of brothers and sisters at Saint Martin de Porres High School who will miss them dearly. Please keep Mack and Da’Rion’s families, including the Saint Martin Community, in your thoughts and prayers.

Homecoming Takes On a Deeper Meaning

Da’Rion Webber provided the Saint Martin Community with a new perspective on “homecoming.” On the morning of Friday, January 29, Da’Rion went home to God after a two-year battle with leukemia. The weekend of January 29 and 30 was scheduled to be Homecoming Weekend at Saint Martin, and the celebration of that event coincided with the celebration of Da’Rion Webber’s life in a way we won’t soon forget.

To close the school day on Friday we had a terrific Pep Rally followed by a student-faculty basketball game. The Pep Rally featured the triumphant debut of our Drum Corps and Hip Hop Dance Crew and a spirited routine by our Cheerleaders. Da’Rion’s name and jersey number 41 were announced as part of the pre-game introductions, and the students proved victorious in the best game in the series’s brief history. Saturday’s dance featured the announcement of the Homecoming Court, and Da’Rion’s mother, Tanika Webber, received his crown as the Court’s King.

Our extended Homecoming festivities will conclude with boys’ and girls’ basketball games at John Carroll University on Saturday, February 13, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Governor Strickland and Speaker Budish Hold Press Conference at Saint Martin

Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish held a press conference at Saint Martin de Porres High School on Saturday, February 6. The press conference was intended to encourage the Ohio Senate to pass a teen domestic violence bill, known as House Bill 10, which would provide minors with greater rights when confronted by an abusive partner. Ms. Johanna Orozco, who was raped and shot in the face by her ex-boyfriend several years ago was also in attendance to promote passage of this bill.


Other dignitaries included Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman, Domestic Violence Center executive directors Nancy Neylon and Linda Dooley Johanek, and Carolyn Brown of the Cavaliers Better Halves. Of particular note was the nice personal connection Mrs. Brown made with Samantha King `11.


Saint Martin was pleased to support the work of all of our distinguished guests.

Please follow these links to view WKYC’s coverage of this event or to read cleveland.com’s coverage.

Marque Payne `10 Recognized as a Leader Who Exemplifies Respect

Saturday, February 6, Marque Payne `10 received the Peer Leadership Award, given by the Domestic Violence Center (DVC) of Greater Cleveland. He was nominated by Counseling Director, Ms. Nicki Stacey, who cited Marque’s compassion, loyalty, motivation, creativity, sense of humor, and his integrity. She also cited Marque’s ability to overcome the senseless and tragic shooting death of his cousin last year.

Theology Teacher, Devon Lynch-Huggins-Szep, said of Marque, “His presence can always change the dynamic of a group for the better.” Marque has been known to spontaneously mentor underclass peers when they are not behaving in a manner consistent with the values of Saint Martin. He is also an outstanding ambassador of Saint Martin, serving as a member of the Saint Martin Recruiting Force, and a member of the basketball team.

Marque was recognized at halftime of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game February 6. Earlier that same day, he was part of Governor Strickland’s press conference at Saint Martin. In addition to meeting the Governor and our other guests, Marque presented Mrs. Carolyn Brown, of the Cavaliers Better Halves, with a basketball signed by him and the other members of the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams.

Congratulations, Marque, and thank you for the positive leadership you provide!

Follow this link to view the Cleveland.com coverage of the event

Saint Martin Students Star in PSA, Spread Message of Respect

During the February 6 Cleveland Cavaliers’ game, in addition to Marque Payne being recognized individually, Saint Martin students were also featured in a public service announcement (PSA) on the scoreboard. This PSA was part of the Domestic Violence Center of Cleveland’s commemoration of National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Week. Saint Martin was chosen to participate in this PSA by Scott Minium, who is an executive producer at Cinecraft. Mr. Minium visited Saint Martin a few years back while shooting a video on the mission of our school. He was so impressed with the way our students treated him and one another with such respect that he immediately thought of us when presented with this project.

Please follow this link to watch our students co-star with Carolyn and Coach Mike Brown to spread a message of respect.

Work Study Program Receives Highest Marks in School’s History

Roughly 92 percent of our students earned good or outstanding marks from their Corporate Work Study Program supervisors during the first marking period. Executive Vice President, Tom Bennett, said “We are extremely proud of our students, and are thankful to our 103 corporate partners who partner with us to help our students to develop their skills. I am also personally grateful to John Delaney, Treye Johnson, Sara Kidner, Diana Novak, Jessica Shuleva, and Molly Vaughan, our CWSP team, who help to make this partnership so successful.”

Follow this link to view over 300 compliments given to our students on their most recent evaluations.

Sixteen Students Prepare to Lead and Serve over “Break”

Community service provides our students with an opportunity to develop habits of mind and spirit outside of the classroom. Saint Martin students have served in Africa (Malawi), in New Orleans, at Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia, and they regularly serve our surrounding communities in Cleveland.

Over the upcoming Easter Break, students will serve at Bethlehem Farm and here in Cleveland. Congratulations to the students listed below who will be of service during their break.

Those going to Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia April 5-10 will be accompanied by Math Teacher Lisa Ritchie and Spanish Teacher Mark Dougherty:

Teresa Arteaga `11
Jocelyn Duncan `12
Alexis Johnson `12
William Null `12
Shawnetta Stevens `11

Those doing service immersion in Cleveland April 6-10 will be accompanied by Theology Teacher Megan Weiss, Jesuit Volunteer Mary Grasela, Campus Minister Virginia Malloy, and VP for Mission Steve Suding:

Vivanna Brown `12
Jakema Childs `11
Carriyonna Cobb `12
Samantha King `11
Davion Morris `10
Sarah Mujahid `13
Samantha Newton `11
Lynda Scott `11
Maddie Taylor `12
Shelby Vest `13
Dameyonna Willis `12

Miss Johnson Goes to Washington

Sophomore Alexis Johnson `12 was recently accepted to the Junior Statesman Summer Program at Georgetown University. Alexis will be joining other top high school students from around the United States and will attend college-level courses on constitutional law, engage major political figures on Capitol Hill, and debate her fellow attendees on many current legislative issues.

Congratulations to Alexis on this incredible opportunity and the hard work and diligence she demonstrated to earn her spot among this year’s class.

The Real Deal about Angileece Williams `12

Sophomore Angileece Williams `12 has been selected as one of four finalists in the Scenarios USA screenwriting contest. Angileece wrote a story answering this year’s theme, “What’s the Real Deal about Masculinity?” If her story is the winner, she will be teamed with a Hollywood team to put her story into a screenplay that will be filmed in Cleveland this summer!

Scenarios USA is a non-profit organization that uses writing and filmmaking to foster youth leadership, advocacy and self-expression in under-served teens. Scenarios USA movies are shown on television and at film festivals, as well as in classrooms around the country. To learn more about Scenarios, go to www.scenariosusa.org.

Congratulations, Angileece!

Cleveland Clinic, Google, Progressive Executives Meet at Saint Martin

Friday, January 22 was a very exciting day at Saint Martin de Porres High School! We welcomed to campus:


From the Cleveland Clinic, Senior Director Office of Civic Education Initiatives, Rosalind Strickland, and Pediatric Surgeon and Chairman of the Institute for Community Relations and Diversity, Dr. Anthony Stallion.


From Google and Progressive, we welcomed internet marketing executives to campus. Executive Vice President Tom Bennett was also able to secure for Saint Martin a unique opportunity to host a meeting between these two impressive corporations.


From Boys Hope Girls Hope, Tim Grady and Bitty Dorr were hosted for a meeting to continue to strengthen our partnership.



From Cinecraft Productions, a crew was here to film for a public service announcement in which Saint Martin students co-star with Carolyn and Coach Mike Brown.


While these meetings took place, Saint Martin students completed their final exams. Our ability to focus on student achievement while developing and strengthening key partnerships was clearly on display this day. Thanks to all who visited!

Saint Martin’s Sustainability Tiger

Lausche Avenue will again feature a sculpture produced by a local artist. In partnership with the St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation (SCSDC), Saint Martin will host a “Year of the Tiger” sculpture with a green hue and stripes with an Earth for each eye. This tiger was selected by Advancement Coordinator John Hagerty “because the tiger tied in beautifully with our curricular theme of Care for the Earth and our community’s commitment to sustainability.”

Our “Sustainability Tiger” will serve as a reminder of our responsibility to live sustainably, our commitment to partnership with SCSDC and to enhancing our neighborhood, and our support for art and self-expression.

Saint Martin Sophomores Win Big Money in Stock Market Investment Challenge Game

Sophomores Ray Corrigan, Vincent Hassing, Daleshaun Winlock, and Kayron Russell finished third out of 800+ teams in the Stock Market Investment Challenge Game sponsored by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Fidelity Investments, and the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center for Education and Research. These young men finished so high in the rankings because they exceeded a 10% profit in less than three months

On Sunday, January 31, these four young men were accompanied by Social Studies Teacher, John Monahan, to an event at Quicken Loans Arena. At this event, these young men presented their results and explained their strategies to a panel of investors. They then ate dinner followed by watching the Cavaliers defeat the Los Angeles Clippers. At halftime of the game, Ray, Vincent, Daleshaun, and Kayron were recognized in front of a capacity crowd.