May 29, 2025
Dear Friends,
Today is another great day to be a Salpointe Lancer! One of the greatest gifts and honors of my life has been to serve this sacred community for the past 24 years. I have loved every single day and every single Lancer … and I am exceedingly proud of our transformational accomplishments.
Salpointe Catholic is a very special place, a source of strength, inspiration and innovation that keeps on giving, generation after generation. For you who have been touched by Salpointe, as a Lancer student, parent, grandparent or friend, the school’s commitment to embrace the Carmelite spirit of prayer, service and community and to honor the dignity of every person has become part of the fabric of your life…forever.
My tenure has been a journey of love, joy and gratitude and I thank the Carmelites, and especially Fr. Carl Markelz, O.Carm., and Fr. William J. Harry, O.Carm., who served as Prior Provincials during my tenure. I am particularly touched by the honor that Fr. Carl bestowed on me at the Baccalaureate Mass last Saturday, welcoming me with “spiritual affiliation” as an honorary member of the worldwide Order of the Carmelites, signed by the Prior General Fr. Miceal O’Neill, O.Carm., at the Curia in Rome.
I thank the members of the Board of Directors. I always say that any nonprofit in Tucson would be honored to have the caliber and loyalty of Salpointe’s professional, qualified and personally committed Board members. You embrace the charism of this holy place and ensure that the mission guides our every decision. I specifically want to thank the three board chairs with whom I had the pleasure of working over the past 14 years: Phil Lacovara, Mike Slania and Pat Lopez. I also thank the members of our seven board-level committees, and the Boards of Directors of the Salpointe Catholic Education Foundation, Salpointe Parent Association and Salpointe Alumni Council for your generous support and welcoming hospitality. You keep us on the cutting edge of excellence by raising funds and providing fun opportunities to build a community of believers.
Thank you, administration, faculty and staff, current and past! Many people make Salpointe successful. Everyone matters: our custodians, security attendants, chef, maintenance staff, coaches, admin assistants, managers, teachers, directors and principal. You have enabled Salpointe to seek excellence in every capacity; you give your hearts and souls for the benefit of our Lancer students, truly dedicating your lives to their success. The school is blessed to have your mentorship in the classrooms, courts, fields, stage and offices!
Thank you, donors! Your investment in our students is the best investment you could ever make: you are changing lives in transformative ways that last a lifetime. Your gift matters here! On a personal note, thank you for your trust in me when I asked you for tens or hundreds or thousands or millions of dollars. You humble me with your generosity and your love. You have helped Salpointe embrace its mission to provide a Catholic, college prep education to thousands of students regardless of financial status. You have constructed a campus that rivals the facilities of some colleges with spaces that welcome Lancers and support academic success. Click here to see a list of generous donors who gave over $50,000 to Salpointe during my tenure. My gratitude is forever!
School leadership and the Board of Directors have determined that increasing the $5M financial aid endowment must be our next fundraising priority. Several hundred Salpointe families live at or below the federal poverty level and even with state tax credits and ESA, these 300+ families need additional assistance. Salpointe wants to partner with qualified families by providing help through the financial aid endowment. In celebration of the school’s 75th anniversary this year, Salpointe has a goal of raising an additional $7.5M.
To help reach this goal, Salpointe recently established the Kay Sullivan Financial Aid Endowment Fund. I am humbled and honored … and, of course, I am grateful for any gift you may wish to offer! Click here to make a donation.
Salpointe’s future is bright! I have every confidence and trust in our next president, Jennifer Harris. She is a highly intelligent, visionary leader who is fully committed to Salpointe’s mission and to the success of each and every Lancer.I have no doubt that Salpointe will continue to soar under her energetic and vision-driven leadership. Please welcome and continue to support Jen and our exceptional principal Ardemis Martin as you have supported me!
As Ecclesiastes notes, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” My time is now and I am retiring to start the next chapter of my life. I hope to become an insatiable traveler and, much more importantly, a doting grandmother to our two precious grandbabies! As I take this next step, I will take you with me, cherishing the times and the memories we have made together. I feel certain that our paths will cross again.
Sending love, joy and gratitude,
Kay
PS: Stay in touch! I can be reached at LancerKaySullivan@gmail.com after July 1.