Lincoln News Alumni Edition

Lincoln News

students and staff.

We would like to give special thanks to the alumni who kindly a n s w e r e d o u r interviews and sent us their updates and photos.

We hope you like it and may God bless you,

Adolfo J. Gonzalez General Director

[email protected]

Dear LIA Community,

We are very pleased to bring you a special edition of our Lincoln News dedicated to the LIA alumni. In this issue you will find news, photos and interviews with many of our former students. We think it’s a great way to catch up on friends who studied at Lincoln and to find out about what is going on at the campus. We

hope you enjoy it and we invite our alumni to e-mail us, visit our campus, or call us and tell us what they you doing. We want to hear from you! We have many improvements that we want to share with you.

In this issue you will find out more about the new things on campus. We have also included news about our current

LIA Alumni LIA Alumni winswins Presidential Award at Ave MariaPresidential Award at Ave Maria

Message Message from the from the General DirectorGeneral Director

Norma enrolled at Ave Maria in Fall 2007 and graduated in record time by taking summer sessions.

the letter, he stated: “We are very proud of Norma and this confirms the success of your institution, which is as Ave Maria concerned about forming students spiritually and academically”.

O n May 22nd, Ave Maria U n i v e r s i t y Latin American

Campus held its graduation ceremony for the class of 2010. Norma Serrano, LIA class 2007 alumni, received the Presidential Award, highest honor granted by the institution, as well as the Scholastic Award, for achieving the highest GPA of her class. Mr. Harvey Leach, Ave Maria Provost, congratulated LIA on Norma´s fine achievements in a letter sent to our General Director. In

N E W S L E T T E R F O R S T U D E N T S , P A R E N T S , A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

Alumni

Edition!

Quarter 1 2010-2011 School Year

In this Issue: Becoming a Successful Leader

2

Back from Japan! 3 Planning a Class Reunion

4

Opportunities for Outstanding Students

5

Leslie’s Project stands out in Savannah Morning News

6

News from Chile 7 RoMa Productions 9 Balancing Education and Work

9

Career and Motherhood

11

From Nicaragua to Japan… Just like

12

An example of Dedication and Persistence

12

Alumni Working at LIA

14

M.S. Coordinator attends AP Physics Training

15

Interact-La Mascota Club

16

6th Graders lead the Way in Fundraising for Haiti

18

Improvements for the 2010-2011 School Year

20

Lincoln News Alumni Edition 2

Johannus Vogel graduated from LIA in 2004. He s t u d i e d I n d u s t r i a l Engineering at Purdue University (Class of ‘08) and he recently joined N ie l sen ’ s Emerg ing Leaders Program. He just finished a one-month training in Chicago and now he is at his new position in Cincinnati.

Congratulations on your new position at the Emerging Leaders Program! How would you describe this experience at Nielsen?

Nielsen is committed to m y p r o f e s s i o n a l development and has served as a great launching pad for my career. Being a part of N ie l sen ’ s Emerg ing Leaders Program has given me the tools and experience to become a successful leader always s t r i v i n g t o w a r d s innovation. In the past year I have had the opportunity to build great relationships, work on major projects, learn about new technologies and be coached by some of Nielsen’s top leaders.

What can you tell us about your years at Purdue?

Pu rdue i s a top engineering school, with great professors and a l a rge i n t e rna t i ona l

popu la t ion wh ich makes for a very well-rounded learning experience. Studying Engineering at Purdue I l e a r n e d m a n y wonderful things, but my experience can best be summarized by these two teachings: 1) t he ab i l i t y and ambition to learn new things, no matter how difficult the subject, and 2) a problem solving mindset.

Purdue is in Indiana which is relatively far from Nicaragua where I grew up, not only geographically but also culturally. This had its challenges when I was first adapting, but it ultimately made my experience richer, and it gave me perspective.

Do you think the instruct ion you received at LIA helped you succeed at Purdue or at work?

Yes, the lessons (both personal and academic) I learned at LIA have laid a very strong foundation that has been instrumental throughout my career.

Do you keep in touch with old classmates from LIA?

Yes, I keep in touch

with pretty much all my friends from high school.

Any message you would like to share with current LIA students who are getting ready for College?

My attempt at advice:

Everyone will have their own opinions as to what success is. Listen to them as they mean well, but always make every effort to define it on your own terms. If you wish to be happy, do yourself a favor and don’t live your life measuring up to other people’s ideas of success.

Remember to always be passionate and hungry for knowledge. Never stop asking (and wondering).

Becoming Becoming aa Successful LeaderSuccessful Leader Lincoln International Academy of the Holy

Family

School newsletter for alumni and friends

Published Quarterly

EDITORIAL

Nelly Calero ’01

[email protected]

Veronica Cardenal

[email protected]

Cynthia Espinosa ’02

[email protected]

Adolfo Gonzalez

[email protected]

Las Colinas Sur, base militar, 600 mts al Sur.

Managua, Nicaragua.

www.lincoln.edu.ni

Follow Us:

Our Mission

Lincoln International Academy sees its mission in guiding each one of its students intellectually and morally to become valuable members of our society by:

• Instilling in them solid Christian and human virtues as taught by the Catholic faith.

• Challenging them to reach their ful l intel lectual capacity and achieve a high integral academic excel-lence in order to face the challenges of today’s world.

• Providing them with English instruction while preserving our Hispanic-Nicaraguan culture.

LN‐1011‐01 3

Back Back from from Japan!Japan! Leonora Calero, LIA class of 2004 graduate, s t ud i ed Bus i ne s s Administration at the University of Saitama, Japan. She obtained a Japanese Government S c h o l a r s h i p f o r undergraduate students. She later worked in the Secur i ty Sys tems division of a Japanese IT company called Intelligent Wave. She recently returned from Japan and is now work ing at JICA N i ca ragua ( Japan International Cooperation Agency), in the area of technical cooperation.

Why did you decide to study in Japan?

I decided to study in Japan because it would give me a chance to learn a third language, understand a different culture, and see new places not many people have seen. I knew it would be a whole new experience for me, that would help me in the future.

Was it difficult to learn Japanese?

Speaking the language was not difficult because the pronunciation is similar to the Spanish pronunciation; however, reading and writing required a lot effort and

hours of practice. Fortunately, I always

found Kanji 漢字 (Chinese

characters) to be very interesting; therefore I always made time to study any word I did not know.

What did you learn about their culture?

The Japanese are very respectful and humble people. They are keen on other people's feelings and will go out of their way to help you. I think I learned to be humble and to really care about others' feelings.

How do you think your experience in Japan will help you in the future?

Although I lived in Japan, I met people from many countries and different cultures. Now, I think I am more open-minded and see things from a new perspective. I believe my experience in Japan will give me more chances to grow internationally as a professional.

Would you recommend to other students studying in Japan?

Leonora Calero ’ 04 (left) and friends, after their graduation ceremony in Japan.

“I decided to study in Japan because it would give me a chance to learn a third

language, understand a different culture, and see new places not many

people have seen.”

Yes, I would recommend Japan because not only do they have good education but it is also a very unique country with an interesting culture. I especially recommend universities in Japan for those who want to major in engineering, because they are very competitive and have high technology. Although Japan is very far from Nicaragua, living in Japan is definitely a worthwhile experience that has shaped my life and I will certainly never forget.

日本

After graduating from LIA, Claudia Velasquez ( c l a s s o f 9 8 valedictorian) studied Political Science and International Relations at Louisiana State Un ive r s i t y . A f t e r c o m p l e t i n g h e r bachelor’s, she worked at Norwegian People’s Aid in Nicaragua for three years, ad then earned a master’s degree in Peace, Conflict and Develop-ment Studies at Universitat Jaume I in Spain, where she also worked as Faculty Coordinator.

In Spain she also met her husband, Andrew Leadley; they currently live in Portland, Maine with their 20-month old son, Andres. Claudia is a full time mom for now, but she plans to return to work next year, preferably at an NGO where she can h e l p i n t h e development of third world countries. In the mean time Claudia is also organizing her class reunion, and she told us everything about her plans.

Planning Planning aa ClassClass Reunion!Reunion!

H o w a r e t h e arrangements for the class reunion going? Right now we are trying to contact all the alumni from class of 98. Actually we wanted to make the reunion in 2008, our ten year class reunion, but for

different reasons we were not able to make it. In 2010 we thought about it again, realizing that it was better late than never. We are planning to have a party at a hotel in Managua. At the event, we want to present a slideshow and a video of us that were shown at our graduation back in 1998. We also want to have a daytime activity with our children, possibly at a beach. Could you share with us some of your memories at LIA? I have great memories of Lincoln. I studied there four years, all my high s c h o o l . I a l w a y s remember the good friendships I made, my teachers, the activities, kermesses, part ies, retreats, community service at Pajarito Azul, our confirmation and our graduation. I would not change Lincoln for any other school. I thank my parents for choosing Lincoln for me and my sister; the religious principles that were

instilled in us have been very important for me, a n d t h e E n g l i s h instruction has been vital for my future. Any message to the students, alumni, or parents? To the students: Enjoy these years, they will be the best ones of your lives. At school you will make friendships that will last forever. To the alumni: I always felt we were like a family. I encourage you to organize your own class reunions! Parents: Congratulations for making the best decision in the education of your children.

Have an event or

activity to post for fellow

alumni?

Send an e‐mail with event

details to the alumni office for posting.

4

fba

lum

ni@

linco

ln.e

du

.ni

•N

etw

ork•

Sha

re•U

pd

ate

s•R

euni

ons•

Frie

ndsh

ips•

Con

nect

ions

Lincoln News Alumni Edition

Opportunities for Outstanding Students!Opportunities for Outstanding Students!

Leyla Samantha Tuckler, LIA class of 2007 valedictorian, is currently studying marketing and strategic communications with a minor in political science at the University of the Ozarks, Arkansas, where she attends with a full scholarship from t h e W a l t o n I n t e r n a t i o n a l Scholarship Program. Leyla recently visited LIA and had a great time catching up with her former teachers and friends. She shared with us that she just finished a two-month internship program at Telemundo in Washington, D.C., where she prepared a news report on the current situation of immigrants in the United States. Leyla, being able to work at such an important network for Latin American people must have been an incredibly enriching experience. Tell us more about it. It was one of the best opportunities I could have had. It submerged me in the world of news and media and I quickly got acquainted with everyone in the newsroom, including those working at NBC and some at FOX News, since many of the news stations are located in the same building. I was given hands-on experience since day one; my first day, I was asked to go on an interview that would be used for the newscast of the day. That same week, I was sent to the U.S. Senate to get my picture taken for my press pass. My supervisor, the Telemundo correspondent, sent me to congressional hearings in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, to interviews with professionals in the field, to news conferences as the Telemundo representative, and even to President Obama’s immigration speech. I was given a lot of responsibility early on and it made me want to prove that I could be an essential member of the team in order to generate the best possible newscast each day. I learned a

LN‐1011‐01 5

Leyla Samantha, Class of ’07 at the University of the Ozarks in Arkansas

great deal by being engulfed in the news environment and learned about my strengths and potential when it comes to reaching goals and constantly improving. It was an experience I will never forget. Now tell us about your experience at LIA. Do you think the formation you received here has helped you succeed in the university and work? I thoroughly enjoyed all my years at LIA. High school is one of the most important and influential periods of a person’s life and it was a defining point in mine. LIA helped me grow in different areas, from the AP classes that helped me aspire to higher challenges, to the leadership development of being i nvo l ved i n a myr i ad o f o rgan i za t i ons l i ke s tudent government, Operation Smile, and HACIA democracy. Not only was my formation academic, but the simplicities of developing character and people skills while relating to my friends, professors, and faculty also were of substantial impact. I was able to unfold as an enriched person, dealing with real life issues, with strong Catholic values, and aching to improve and mature into a person I was comfortable with. Leyla, you have already earned many achievements being so young. What advice can you give our current students for success in school and college? Thank you. I honestly think that perseverance i s the most contributing factor to success. It is not only enough to want to accomplish something or to dream. Dreams are great, in fact, I encourage them wholeheartedly. Yet, in order to attend that dream college, land the fulfilling job, or simply find what enriches you, you have to research, look for opportunities, and not think it’s over if it doesn’t work out at your

first try. God has an amazing way of guiding people to their dreams. Sometimes some goals aren’t meant to be, but never turn away without knowing you’ve exhausted your options. My advice is not only to aim for success, but learn from setbacks. At times, they can be as enriching, if not more, than actual success. In a way, it’s important not to take things too seriously, because in the end, things have a way of coming back to you, at the right time. Don’t underestimate the opportunities you’ve been given, even if they are not those that you expected, because they might just be the vehicle to that great dream you were waiting for.

T he name is Leslie. Leslie Falla. I graduated from Lincoln in 2007.

I'm actually quite glad I got to study at Lincoln, mainly because I don't think I could have tolerated the over-crowded kind of schools you mostly find in the states. The atmosphere at Lincoln was always friendly and nice, you knew everyone—even if you didn't talk to them, you recognized them. I thought that made things pretty easy-going.

Right now I'm a Junior at SCAD—that is, Savannah College of Art and Design. Currently I'm working on my BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Sequential Art. Since I've been asked what that is every time I bring it up, I guess I should give a quick explanation:

It's basically a major for comics. Yes, I'm studying comics. Though the careers you can take up related to this major branch out much more—you could do illustrations

for books, or maybe even do storyboards for films. The possibilities are whatever you want to make them.

As for me? I'm not quite sure what career I want to pursue yet. During my first year it was definitely "make comics!" But after finally getting into the groove of things your perspective can change. As of now I'm leaning towards concept art, but you never know what you might be thinking of in a year's time.

If it's art you want to pursue, don't get too worried about what kind of career you want. Art branches out to all kinds of things—even things you might not have guessed. Sometimes you just need a taste of things to truly realize where you want to go in life.

Leslie Falla, Class of ’07

Leslie received a special mention for a poster she created as part of her classes at SCAD. It was for her Character Design class—the project was to create a poster for the Savannah Derby Devils--a roller derby team. Her teacher had students enter a contest the team had set up for this special event. The best posters were shown on the Savannah m o r n i n g n e w s — a n d Leslie´s was even pointed out specifically by the news anchor interviewing the team.

Leslie’s Project Stands Out in “The Savannah Morning NewsLeslie’s Project Stands Out in “The Savannah Morning News

“I'm a Junior at

SCAD—that is,

Savannah College of

Art and Design.

Currently I'm working

for my BFA (Bachelor

of Fine Arts)

in Sequential Art…

It's basically a major

for comics”

- Leslie Falla

Class of ’07

Krystian Vilchez, LIA class of ’02, graduated Cum Laude in 2006 from the Business Administration program at UAM.

While studying, he also worked in the banking industry for three years, with the purpose to acquire more knowledge in that area.

After graduating from UAM, he worked in the legislature as administrator

of a parliamentary group; later, as the administrative manager at one of the main optical clinics in the country.

Krystian just began an MBA at EAE in Barcelona, Spain. After completing his Masters, he plans to return to Nicaragua.

Congratulations Krystian on this fine achievement.

Heading Out to Pursue an MBA Program in BarcelonaHeading Out to Pursue an MBA Program in Barcelona

6 Lincoln News Alumni Edition

Chile has been an excellent experience; it has helped me grow as a person and as a professional”. Luis plans to stay in Chile working for a few more years and then possibly return to

Nicaragua.

If you have a dream, go for it, Chile has wonderful opportunities to study and work!

Luis Edgardo Gutierrez Lau, LIA class of 2001 salutatorian, came to Nicaragua last month and shared with us the news of his recent wedding. He told us that he is currently working as a project manager at a real state company in Chile that b u i l d s a p a r t m e n t buildings. He just received his Master’s Degree in Construction Management from Universidad Catolica de Chile.

His best memories of LIA are his friends. “They were and always will be my best friends” he says. He also has many good memories of all his teachers, especially from Mr. Luis Rojas and Mr. Adolfo Gonzalez.

Luis also told us that “Living and studying in

News News from from Chile!Chile!

Rodney likes to help people, therefore these two jobs have been very gratifying for him—

“I like to help and to learn at the same time” he says after having had the opportunity to travel abroad for training.

“I have learned to save lives, develop character and have found that life is not easy.”

But even though he has had wonderful experiences and has learned a lot, he has sacrificed a lot of his time and sleep. Rodney tells us that his vocation for helping people arose since he was very young,

Rodney Sanchez, Class of ’06, is an example of c o m m i t m e n t t o community service. He has been Scouts Leader at the Nicaraguan Scout Association for almost two years and has also been a Volunteer Firefighter for quite a while.

when his father taught him the concept of Social Responsibility. Another important influence was his School. During his years at LIA, Rodney dedicated many hours of community service to the Angels of Mary Club. As part of this LIA Club, he visited retirement homes, leper colonies and orphanages.

Rodney is currently s t udy i ng Indus t r i a l Engineering at UAM and is also working as Secretary of the Board at INDE (Masaya Chapter).

Example of Commitment to Community ServiceExample of Commitment to Community Service

“It takes a

long time to

grow an old

friend.”

John Leonard

LN‐1011‐01 7

Luis and friends at Universidad Catolica de Chile.

“ It is not how much we do,

but how much love we put in the

doing. It is not how much we give,

but how much love we put in the

giving. ” Mother Teresa

After graduating, Fernado Yaluk, Class of ’99, moved to the United States and g r adua t ed w i t h a Bachelors in Economics and Latin American Studies.

After that, he moved to Lawrence, a city in Kansas, and has lived there since 2002.

In 2005 he got married with Celeste, bought a house and began working at Vangent, a company that provides services to the U.S. government.

Last year, he started a Masters Program in Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas

where Celeste works and is pursuing a PhD in Education.

make our own wine and olive oil. Since then, I have developed two companies that do web design and computer assistance.

Hopefully, there is much still left to do, but it is thanks to the great education I received from my teachers throughout my life that has helped me

to get through all of life’s turmoils.

So, thank you God and

Thank you Lincoln.”

Maximiliano Ferro Class of 2000

Living Living LA DOLCE VITA!LA DOLCE VITA!

“Since I graduated from Lincoln a lot has happened.

I studied Underwater Archaeology in Rome and also had the chance to travel around Europe. This experience helped me understand different cultures as well as analyze just what exactly I wanted to do in the future. Then I moved to London, where I lived for about two years and met my girlfriend. During this time I worked for a known marketing company.

My girlfriend and I had a son who's name is Thomas, and is now four years old. Eventually we ended up moving back to Italy where I bought a house in a small medieval town near Rome, that I just adore because we get to

“Since I

graduated from

Lincoln a lot has

happened…

I bought a house

in a small

medieval town

near Rome, that I

just adore

because we get to

make our own

wine and

olive oil.”

Maximiliano Ferro

Living the American DreamLiving the American Dream


Every great dream begins

with a dreamer. Always

remember, you have within you the strength,

the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change

the world.

Harriet Tubman

Madrid. During his stay in Spain, he wrote and directed 4 short films and worked as an assistant director in more than 15 other films. In his last short film, El Panel del Suicidio, he directed Spanish actress Angela Boj and Mexican actor Ricardo Davila.

Subsequently he came back to Nicaragua to

continue working for the progress of the film industry in the country. RoMa Productions has excelled as one of the leading production companies in the country for producing documentaries, institutional, and promotional videos. Currently Roger is preparing his next short film.

RoMa Productions RoMa Productions

“… I came

back to

Nicaragua to

continue

working for

the progress of

the film

industry in

our country.”

Roger Mantica

After I graduated high school in 2000 I attended UAM where I studied Law and graduated in 2005. I also worked during college at BAC for 5 years in the legal department.

After I graduated, I worked for 2 years as a Legal Counsel for the Economic Section at the US department of State in the US Embassy in Managua.

In 2007, I attended Law School at the University of Virginia (UVA) where I got my Masters in Law (LLM)

LN‐1011‐01 9

in Banking and Financial Law. I returned to Nicaragua and worked again for BAC as a Legal Counsel for a year and a half. Ever since April I have been working at Banpro as their legal counsel.

My best memories of LIA are my friends, a lot of which I still keep in touch with, and also teachers, administrators, etc.

Right now I plan to work for a couple of years and advance career. I also plan on making some

investments. In 3 to 4 years I would love to get an MBA or Masters degree in Finance. Oh and at some point I'll get married I guess!

Alejandro Vivas Class of 2000

Roger Mantica is part of Lincoln Academy’s class of 1998. After graduation, he went to the U.S. and s tud i ed a t Loyo l a University in New Orleans, LA, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

After that, Roger worked for different companies in the United States, to later come back to Nicaragua to work for Wal-Mart Central America for several years.

He had a good job and was advancing in his career; but, his dream of video production was always in his thoughts. He then founded his video production company RoMa Productions.

In 2009 he finished a Masters Degree in Film Directing at Escuela Superior de Artes y Espectaculos TAI in

Balancing Education and WorkBalancing Education and Work

fba

lum

[email protected]

u.ni

•Netw

ork•Share•U

pd

ates•R

eunions•Friend

ships•C

onnections

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a

habit.” -Aristotle

Marie Anne graduated from LIA in 2006. In August of that same year she began her architecture studies at the University of Notre Dame. During the 2008/2009 year she lived and studied in Rome, Italy as part of her program’s academic curriculum. During the summer of 2009, Marie A n n e h a d t h e opportunity to do an internship at the prestigious firm Zurcher

Architectos in San Jose, Costa Rica. Last semester she participated in the Driehaus Awards, which is an award given through the University of Notre Dame to the architect who has contributed substantially to the field of Classical Architecture. During this event she worked as a simultaneous translator for the architect Rafael Manzano Martos, winner of this prestigious award. In

the summer of 2010 she did an internship with Alejandro Cardenal, renowned architect in Nicaragua who also designed our LIA school. Mar ie Anne w i l l graduate in May 2011 and is searching for a job that will allow her to develop her skills.

Designing a Career!Designing a Career!

Roxana Tablada (Class of ’98) graduated in Political Science at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. After that, she pursued a Masters in Latin American Studies in England. She was part of LIA’s faculty for two years as Social Studies Teacher. She left LIA because she received a scholarship at La Sorbonne in Paris, France, where she studied a Master in Education and Cooperation. She taught at Louis Le Grand and worked at UNESCO at the Social Science Sector while living in Paris. At this time, she is back in Nicaragua working for a consortium project with USAID funding.

Welcome Back!Welcome Back!

Right: Marie Anne ’06 at Alicante, Spain. Left: With a friend in Venice.

Roxana ’98 at La Sorbonne


Alumni Benefits @ LIA for your

Children

Option 1:

A 20% Discount on the Entrance Fee

10-15% Discount on Tuition for 2 years

Option 2:

15% Discount on Tuition for 4 years

Option 2:

100% Discount on Entrance Fee

For more information contact:

[email protected]

DEAR ALUMNI

Your opinion is important!

Lincoln Academy wants to hear from

you!

What do you think of this newsletter?

Have you been back on campus since you

graduated?

Are you back in Nicaragua?

How are you spending your time?

Are you planning an alumni reunion soon?

Send us

comments,

pictures,

accomplishments,

and suggestions !

E‐mail us to update your contact information:

[email protected]

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Valerie Cross (Class of ’99) started working at CSU Nicaragua (what is now Wal-Mart N icaragua) responsible for imports until December 2005.

In March 2006 she got married and began a new chapter in her life. She moved with her husband, Miguel Zavala to Chinandega. In 2008 she had her first child, Miguel Ernesto, and from then on she dedicated herself to being a mom and wife. Her second son, Rodrigo, was born in March 25 of this year.

May God bless her beautiful family and we hope to welcome them soon as parents at LIA.

Career and Career and Motherhood!Motherhood!

Valerie Cross ’99 with her husband Miguel Zavala and their two beautiful children

Miguel and Rodrigo.

Car los Solorzano, graduate of the class of 2001, is the founder and CEO of Vegyfrut, S.A., a company that began operations at the end of 2006 and is now firmly positioned in the food service markets of Panama, Miami and Nicaragua. VegyFrut produces high quality, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables that are locally sourced by mostly women-run cooperatives. It provides technical know-how to enable local farmers to diversify their crops and improve the quality

Our ex-alumni from the Class of 2001, Carlos Solorzano and Margina Arellano, got married. They have two beautiful sons, Sebastian and Carlitos.

of their produce. VegyFrut processes much of the produce for the food

service industry in Managua, Nicaragua. Congratulations!

Outstanding Entrepreneur!Outstanding Entrepreneur!

LN‐1011‐01 11

Tokyo, Japan

Fall 2010

September 27th 2010

In September 2001, I started my undergraduate studies at Ave Maria College of the Americas. My major is Business Administration with concentration in Management and Finance. In 2005, I worked as interim Financial Aid Director for Ave Maria College for one year.

In April 2006 I travelled to Japan to pursue my MBA degree at the University of Tsukuba. I was granted the Monbukagakusho Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship offered by the Japanese government since 1954.

Since the culmination of my MBA degree in 2009, I have been working at the Finance office at Temple University Japan Campus in Tokyo.

Sincerely,

Ayack Montalvan Aleman

Class of 2001

This past April I relocated to Houston to manage it full time. My family just joined me and we are expecting our second child (Donaldo Maximiliano Sanchez III) this year. The education I received from LIA has been essential for the experiences I have had in life. I never forget the teaching, discipline and basic knowledge obtained since then. Projections for the future

are to expand here in the U.S., manage a portfolio of businesses related to the current portfolio, under the same business model we carry. Always working hard, being persistent, honest and with a lot of effort.”

Max Sanchez Class of ’98

An Example of Dedication and PerseveranceAn Example of Dedication and Perseverance

“After graduating in 1998 from Lincoln, I studied at Truman State University, Kirsville, MO. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a major in Bus iness Administration in 2002. Then I went back to work at my family’s personal business and in 2006 went back to get another degree in Public Finance & Accounting, graduating again with honors. I am certified in Nicaragua as a C e r t i f i e d P u b l i c Accountant. In early 2008, I got married and later that year my daughter Sophia Mariela was born. After managing three businesses in Nicaragua (Transportes Paola, Inver-siones Max & Ferreteria Jenny), I decided to open another business in Houston, TX under the name of Max Trucks & Equipment, LLC in 2010.

From Nicaragua to Japan … just like that! From Nicaragua to Japan … just like that! “Our alumni

take their

talents abroad...

From Japan to

the United

States… putting

our country on

the map.”

12

When the

world says,

"Give up",

Hope whispers,

"Try it one

more time".

Author Unknown


Last August, Andrea Baez, our Elementary School

Principal ’s Assistant, attended the Faithful until Death conference in Quito, Ecuador. At the conference she met young people from all over the world who wanted to grow spiritually and share with other young people their love for God. “The conference was filled with God’s presence, and to be

able to share with young people from all over the world was a big blessing in my life. I am very happy with the support the school has given me, and I hope I can spread throughout the school the happiness of loving and serving God in everything we do” Andrea said.

Andrea Baez: Faithful until Death conference in Quito, EcuadorAndrea Baez: Faithful until Death conference in Quito, Ecuador

Andrea Baez with Spanish spiritual leader, Father Jesus.

administration. For over 25 years Catholic School Management has provided the most complete training programs for Catholic school professionals. For Lincoln, CSM provided our

A member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Ramiro Vogel Delgadillo and Mrs. Veronica Cardenal, our Institutional Advancement Director and SACS Accreditation Coordinator, attended the Catholic Schoo l Management Certificate Program at the University of Notre Dame, IN. This is a program for professionals in Catholic Education and is a hands-on, interactive immersion program designed to effectively train in the ar-eas of administration, development, finance, enrollment management, guidance and counseling, and athletic program

members with institutional assessment and consulting for the continuous improvement process of the School and the advancement of our students

LIA attends the Catholic School Management Certificate ProgramLIA attends the Catholic School Management Certificate Program

From June 21–26, Mrs. Fabiola Paez, Elementary

LN‐1011‐01 13

Training on Map Testing and Differentiated InstructionTraining on Map Testing and Differentiated Instruction

School Teacher and Mrs. Patricia Callejas, Elementary School Principal, attended a training session on MAP testing and Differentiated Instruction. The training was held at Potomac School in Virginia, and was hosted by the AERO group. Mrs. Fabiola explained: “I understood the importance of MAP

testing and how it helps improve students’ learning based on test’s results. I also learned the importance of differentiating, ways of applying differentiated instruction, as well as the difference it makes in our students’ learning experiences.”

This October, our 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Test. The MAP exam is a computerized test that will provide educators the information they need to improve teaching and learning. Educators will use the growth and achievement data from MAP tests to develop targeted instructional strategies and to plan school improvement. MAP test results help educators make student-focused, data-driven decisions. This year, MAP tests will be administered three times during the year in Reading and Mathematics and at no additional cost.

Part of the faculty and staff that we see everyday at the School also walked through our hallways several years ago as students!

Melissa Peñalba, Eugenia Arguello, and Beatriz Gomez are now part of our faculty. Cynthia Espinosa, Coco Reyes and I work with LIA’s Administrative Team. Norma Vogel is the Middle School Coordinator and also teaches the AP Physics class.

As students, many of them did not think about working at LIA, Mrs. Melissa ’96 says: “Working here was not in my plans when I was a student; but, I am really happy that I did, I really love my job. When I decided to go into teaching, Lincoln was my first choice, since I always considered I had a very good education here.”

The story was different for Miss Beatriz ’04. She told us, “It crossed my mind several times. I have been tutoring mathematics since I was in 9th grade and I loved it. I thought about teaching here and even my classmates would tell me that I was going to be a mathematics teacher at Lincoln.”

When asked how they think students benefit from having alumni working here, Mrs. Melissa

said: “My students benefit from my work here because they know that I grew up in a Catholic environment and have the values and morals that they want as well.” As for Miss Norma ’97, “I was part of LIA, and as a result, I have seen first hand how a great education and solid Catholic formation can take you far in life.”

Mrs. Eugenia ’96 shared with us that what she likes the most about working here is “the school environment, the great organization that we have, the students and faculty”.

As for me, what I like the most about working at LIA is that here we have wonderful colleagues, a great working atmosphere and the opportunity to develop professionally. I enrolled at Lincoln at the Master of Education

Program from Framingham University in Massachusetts. The program is offered on campus with FU professors in January and July. I will graduate in June 2011 with an MEd. Also, the staff continuously participates in conferences and workshops where they learn from educators and school administrators from all over the world! They share with us their success stories and we try to implement them here. By improving ourselves we improve the school and the education we offer our students.

At work, we also remember and share our experiences as former LIA students and enjoy talking with some of our former teachers, Mr. Adolfo Gonzalez, Mr. Luis Rojas and Mrs. Darling Conrado.

Nelly Calero

Class ’01

Alumni Working Alumni Working atat LIALIA

“My students

benefit from my

work here because

they know that I

grew up in a

Catholic

environment and

have the values and

morals that they

want as well.”

Melissa Peñalba

Class of 96

Nelly Calero, Beatriz Gomez, Norma Vogel, Cynthia Espinosa, Melissa Peñalba, Coco Reyes and Eugenia Arguello.

14 Lincoln News Alumni Edition

From June 14-24, Mr. Luis Rojas (Science Honors and Biology Teacher; Science Department Head) had the opportunity to participate in the Department of State/University of Central Florida Brevard School Foundation Aerospace Institute Workshop, held at different locations including the Kennedy Center, EPCOT, and the Florida Solar Energy Cen te r . The ma i n objective of the workshop was to learn how to integrate aeronautics into the science curriculum.

At the workshop he was presented with many new

LN‐1011‐01 15

MS Coordinator attends AP Physics TrainingMS Coordinator attends AP Physics Training Physics teacher, she has been active in test scoring and development for The College Board, serving on the AP Physics Test Development Committee from 1997-2001.

Ms Norma Vogel (Class of ´98), LIA's Middle School Coordinator and AP Physics teacher, attended the Pacific AP* Institute, which offered an intensive four-day teacher-training session designed to develop and fine tune the skills of both beginning and experienced AP* Physics teachers. All sessions were conducted by Connie Wells. Connie Wells has a Master of Science Degree in Physics from The University of Kansas and is a Physics and Advanced Placement Physics teacher, as well as Science Olympiad Team Coach, at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri. During the past eighteen years as an A.P.

Lincoln International

Academy offers 12

Honors classes and

7 Advanced

Placement classes:

AP Calculus AB, AP

Physics B, AP English

Language, AP

English Literature,

AP Spanish

Language, AP

Spanish Literature,

and AP US History.

Mr. Rojas participates in Workshop at NASAMr. Rojas participates in Workshop at NASA techniques to give his class a more scientific approach.

He learned that astronauts have to apply knowledge from all areas in order to solve the problems they might encounter in space.

Mr. Rojas had the chance to enter laboratories where he experienced close to gravity 0. “It is awesome! It is a new experience completely different from anything else you have tried on earth, although it is artificial” he said.

Mr. Rojas at

NASA in Cape

Canaveral, FL

T hree and a half years ago, members of the Rotary Club approached

Lincoln International Academy in Managua, Nicaragua to begin a student club that could help sick children at a local hospital. In 2007, Mr. Adolfo J. Gonzalez, General Director of the school, along with 15 students began the “Interact-La Mascota Club” with the objective to reach out and help children with cancer at Hospital Manuel de Jesus Rivera, most commonly known as “La Mascota”. The First Year During the first year, students began monthly visits to the hospital, with the primary goal to read to the sick children and cheer them up by painting with them and spending quality time with each one. The patients usually come from far away towns and their families need economical support in order to stay in the hospital to care for their children. In most cases, the parents of the sick children have low incomes and are forced to make huge sacrifices to take them to the hospital in Managua and stay caring for them. Primary Goals Interact-La Mascota Club’s

primary goal is to help these young fighters hang on and never lose hope. As a unified school community, the students are concerned not only for the basic necessities of those they aid but also for the emotional stability of these children and their families. Patient by patient, LIA students try to infuse strong virtues, hope in God, seeking that He gives the children and their families the strength to endure the difficult problems they face. The vision that LIA students share goes way beyond what is obvious to the naked eye. It sees inside each one of the young patients that have so deeply touched the school community’s hearts. Parties at La Mascota During the second year of operation, the club decided to raise funds

in order to give the children two parties: one in December (the Christmas Party) and one in June (Children´s Day Party). During both parties, gifts, food, cake, piñatas and games were provided to more than 70 children and their families . The students helped the children forget for a l itt le while their problems and their pains; all of them were able to play and enjoy the parties as children that they are. Up to now, the club has raised funds annually to successfully arrange four parties in the last two years, for more than 300 children and their families. A quality that d ist inguishes Interact-La Mascota from the rest of the clubs at LIA is the creativity with which it functions. The parties are always fun and filled with

LIA Community ServiceLIA Community Service

16

“The

visi

on t

hat

LIA

stu

den

ts s

hare

goes

way

bey

ond w

hat

is

obvi

ous

to t

he

nak

ed e

ye.

It s

ees

insi

de

each

one

of

the

young

pat

ients

that

hav

e so

dee

ply

touch

ed t

he

school co

mm

unity’

s hea

rts.”

Members of the Interact-La Mascota Club at the 2009 Christmas Party at Hospital La Mascota


Interact-La Mascota Club

surprises, as well as the monthly visits done by the school. Last December, one of the students dressed up as Santa Claus and took pictures with every child that participated at the party. One week later, students took the photos to the hospital and delivered them to the children. Unfortunately, during that visit, the doctors told us that one of the patients, a little girl, had passed away due to a serious infection.

The hospital did not have needles and had to reuse them. Besides that, students were notified that the N1H1 flu would make it impossible for the students to visit the hospital on a regular basis. The club enthusiasm dropped and only two visits were completed, but students were able to raise funds and did the two parties for the children. Both were a success. A New Beginning In August 2010, the

club began again their monthly visits with a very special activity. Five students from the student exchange program LIA has with Flintridge Preparatory School, in La Cañada, California, joined LIA students to inaugurate this year´s visits to the hospital. During the visit, students made puppet shows, magic tricks, played with the children, read and colored with them; and, in some cases, with the very sick children, they also prayed with the family in order to seek a little comfort for them. The favorable outcome of this activity marked a great start for the 2010-2011 school year. Mahatma Ghandi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” It is evident that the LIA community knows itself much more deeply because of how much commitment it has put in helping others. Hopefully, in a near future, this project can expand to other schools and other hospitals so that one patient at a time, students will be able to bring a little more joy to their lives.

Cristina Chamorro ’11 & Adolfo Gonzalez

Bringing back hope, one patient at a time!

LN‐1011‐01 17

Students from LIA and Flintridge at Hospital La Mascota. Students from Flintridge took pictures and made a video for their school to raise awareness and collect funds for the club.

T his past January, the day a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, the Lincoln

6th graders were beginning a chapter about natural disasters in Language Arts. I had prepared a presentation about the tectonic plates and vo l canoes here in Nicaragua, but I knew that the earthquake in Haiti would be the only thing on the students’ minds. There were no real images of the earthquake’s devastation yet, and so I included some photos of Haiti that I had taken during a couple volunteer trips I had made there several years ago. The students were struck by the poverty in the photos, although the images are not all that different than what they see here every day. Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Haiti. For this reason, the students felt a strong kinship with the people of Haiti and like many of us, they were left with the question, how can I help? The “Dress in Haitian Colors Day” was

quickly and enthusiastically a p p r o v e d b y t h e Elementary Principal and General Director. The 6th graders, led by their class presidents, got to work on promotional signs, such as, “Let’s Help Our Haitian Brothers and Sisters!” to hang throughout the school. The only problem we had was including everyone who wanted to help! The Elementary school was a sea of blue, red and white the following Tuesday in support of Haiti. Over the week, the 6th graders collected over 1,100 dol lars from Pre-school, Elementary and High School combined and several 6th graders were especially generous in their donations of time and money. Gabriel Solórzano commented, “Haiti is a poor country, and after the earthquake it got even worse, many people were injured and many died. Haiti had lost its hope, but with people donating, they recovered it. The injured people and destroyed buildings were all over the news, but

what encouraged me to donate was seeing people suffering without food or shelter”. Ruben Buitrago stated, “I wanted to donate to Haiti because I felt bad when I saw that many people were homeless or dead. Deep inside my heart I felt sadness for those people and I felt I needed to donate. All the proceeds were donated to the Yéle Haiti organization (http://yele.org/). The 6th graders are eager to continue raising money for Haiti. They understand that as the spotlight on Haiti fades, Haiti ’s problems will not go away. We also fundraised during Lincoln’s annual Kermesse (carnival) last March in benefit of Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti (http://www.hashaiti.org/).

Miss Sara Godjikian English Teacher

66thth Graders Lead the Way in Fundraising for HaitiGraders Lead the Way in Fundraising for Haiti

18

If y

ou

can

't f

eed

a h

un

dre

d p

eo

ple

, th

en

feed

ju

st o

ne.

~M

oth

er

Tere

sa


LN‐1011‐01 19

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us survivors,

now and in the hour

of our rescue.

Oh Mother, in the cathedral

I thought you would be protected,

from the nightmares of awakening giants,

who as the old myths say lie below.



now and in the hour

of our rescue.

The pillars were not strong enough

to sustain all the saints,

what then oh mother,

will sustain you under the rubble?



now and in the hour

of our rescue.

The city, wrapped in a shroud

of clouds, hastily buries

its dead, coffinless and unidentified,

together with empty cans.



now and in the hour

of our rescue.

The air is no longer redolent

of incense filled as it is

with stench coming from

abandoned corpses on the street.


Mother, mother, are you still there?

are you still clinging to the ground,

liberated by Toussaint L’Overture

and kissed by John Paul II in his visit?


We are also survivors, oh mother,

fighting against despair

every day since the earthquake,

with our heartfelt prayers.

now and in the hour,

Heartfelt prayers that will overcome

the stiffness of twisted iron

and crumbled walls till we find you,

oh mother of resistance and renewal.

Of our

Is that you oh mother who is singing?

Do not stop singing oh mother,

not until the dogs find you

and lick your outstretched hand.

Rescue.

Do not stop singing oh mother,

that help is coming.

We need you oh mother,

to strengthen our faith

and make a new beginning

for ourselves and the country.

Oh MotherOh Mother On “Oh Mother”

Mr. Noel Sevil la, Philosophy and History Teacher at LIA, wrote the poem “Oh Mother” touched by the suffering of Haitian people after a devastating earthquake nine months ago. He told us, “Through this poem I tried to connect history and religion to the suffering in Haiti and call the attention of people and motivate them to help the suffering people”.

This poem along with Miss Sara’s article will also be published in Momentum Magazine, official journal of the Na t i ona l Ca tho l i c Educational Association (NCEA).

Improvements for the 2010‐2011 School Year

• New Physical and administrative divisions: Preschool/Elementary/Middle School/High School

• Wi-Fi Clear-Channel expansion (from 1.5 to 8 mega)

• Dance and Music class reorganized

• New instruments for Music Class (53% donated by LPA)

• New LIA Music Academy

• New ceiling-fans in every classroom and in Assembly Hall

• Free Saturday English class for LIA’s personnel

• New Technology Curriculum

• Training of board member and administrative team member at summer institute: Catholic School Management Certificate Program, at University of Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S.

• Reorganization of Athletics Department

• K-12 Partnership for Online Courses

• New Customer Service Department, including “Suggestion Wall” website

• New Curriculum Revision Cycle and Curriculum Coordinator

• Reading Specialist follow up (from last year work)

• LIA PROCOMP monetary compensation program for the faculty with student growth as main goal

• Movistar Tournament

• New Preschool Coordinator

• Improved and expanded playground area

• New playground equipment

• New sinks and restroom facilities appropriate to children height level

• Two new bathrooms for the preschool faculty.

• New PE area for preschool

• Internet access in each classroom

• New materials to support Creative Curriculum

• New Technology Room with 42” TV

• Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA-2) Leveled Books (Kinder)

• New physical division 6th-8th grade area

• New larger size lockers

• New position: Middle School Coordinator

• PCs, multimedia projectors and roll-up screens in every classroom to increase technology use

• Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Test administration and faculty training (6th and 7th grades)

• Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA-2) Leveled Books (6th grade)

• Two new Honors classes for 8th grade (3 in total)

• New “Catholic Virtues in Action” program

• EF Tour to Washington DC (6th grade)

• Readak Advanced Study Skills Program

• Faculty participation at NASA Aerospace Workshop in Cape Canaveral, FL.

• New physical division, 9th-12th grade area, new building, new larger size lockers, new bathrooms

• New desks to accommodate laptops & new electrical outlets

• PCs, multimedia projectors and roll-up screens in every classroom to increase technology use

• PrepMe, PSAT & SAT online course

• WPP online writing program (11th grade)

• 4 new Honors classes (9 in total)

• Math Reinforcement up to 11th grade

• Student Exchange Program with Flintridge Preparatory School, California

• Partnership with TEC de Monterrey for college counseling online platform

• Faculty participation at College Board AP Physics workshop, Monterey Bay, California.

• Readak Advanced Study Skills Program

• World Youth Day with the Pope, Madrid 2011 (11th grade)

20

• New division 1st-5th grade area

• Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Test administration and faculty training (5th grade)

• 4 new Technological Carts (8 in total) equipped with laptop, projector, Mimio and speakers

• New material to support curriculum

• Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA-2) Leveled Books

• New & Improved Report Card handout procedure

• Faculty participation at the AERO standards workshop in Washington D.C.

• Readak Advanced Study Skills Program (5th grade)

• Boy and Girl Scout Program

As part of LIA’s Continuous Improvement Plan, every year the School invests in new physical and instructional material for the improvement of student learning and school effectiveness. The following are some of the improvements the LIA community found on their return to the 2010‐2011 school year by area:

School Wide

Preschool

Elementary School (Grades 1‐5)

Middle School (Grades 6‐8)

High School (Grades 9‐12)


Documents

Lincoln News Alumni Edition