Salpointe Inducts 11 Distinguished Alumni to Hall of Fame

The Salpointe Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame was founded in 2003 with the purpose of honoring outstanding alumni, faculty and staff who have brought honor to the community through their contributions to the arts, business, education, government, humanities, science, or philanthropy.

Salpointe is pleased to honor the eleven 2018 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame inductees who officially joined this elite group within our Lancer community on September 21, 2018. Read more about the inductees here.

During their time back on campus, many of these inductees visited with current students, faculty, and staff to share the wealth of their expertise, perspective, and experience in their respective fields.

Sr. Jeanne Bartholomeaux, S.C. ‘64
Sr. Jeanne Bartholomeaux worked at Salpointe for a total of twenty years, teaching art and theology and serving as the art director for the Poor Man’s Theatre. Sr. Jeanne was part of the team that brought the Kairos retreat to Salpointe. It’s also in part thanks to Sr. Jeanne that the Humanities Program was launched at Salpointe. Sr. Jeanne currently serves as the Vicar of Vowed Religious for the Diocese of Tucson. She is the bishop’s delegate when needed and represents vowed religious of the diocese at national gatherings. Sr. Jeanne visited Salpointe’s theology classes to discuss vocations and God’s call in our lives.



Lieutenant Colonel Brett Cassidy ‘00
Rising through the Air Force ranks, Lieutenant Colonel Brett Cassidy has served on operations all over the world. Brett is rated a senior pilot, seeing over 200 hours of combat, and has been presented with several prestigious awards. While attempting to evacuate American citizens during a civil war in Africa, Brett’s aircraft suffered considerable damage and many were gravely injured. Brett collected crucial information about the injured that enabled ground support to prepare a mobile blood bank at their destination. Brett earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic achievements. While on campus, Brett visited government classes to share perspective from the Air Force.


Dr. Anne De Luca ‘88
Anne De Luca was the first person in her family to attend college. She went on to earn her Ph.D., researching the retention of underrepresented students at the top schools in the country. Anne had a 10-year career at the University of California Berkeley where she oversaw undergraduate admissions, financial aid, the Registrar’s Office, and the Student Success Center. Currently at Harvard University, Anne is the Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. She encourages any first-generation students like herself to attend college. Anne met with Salpointe students and counselors to provide inside perspective on college admissions.


Richard De Schutter ‘58
Dick De Schutter earned his Bachelor and Master in chemical engineering, then joined Monsanto Company where he served as a Director, Vice Chairman, and Chief Administrative Officer for 35 years. He was later the CEO and Chairman of pharmaceutical companies including Searle and DuPont. Dick’s extensive experience with operational and financial advising has provided countless companies with strategic insight and direction for growth. Dick was the 1989 recipient of Salpointe’s Alumni Service Award, which is given to an alum for being an outstanding humanitarian.



Dr. José Garcia ‘66
Dr. José Garcia worked at Salpointe for three years as a Dean of Men, Spanish teacher, and basketball coach. He founded the “Beat the Odds” program in California, raising scholarship money for Hispanic students. José earned his Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology and is a mental health practitioner, treating patients suffering from a variety of mental health and behavioral issues. José has also consulted for companies to help improve their work environments for employees. José joined Salpointe’s theology classes to share his story and strategies for mental health.

Luisa Greenfield ‘88
Luisa Greenfield is an artist who creates visual essays that analyze the function of the filmic phenomenon and the moving image. She has taught visual art, film and writing courses at universities across the US and Europe. Luisa has received many competitive grants and has participated in artist residencies in Canada and Sweden. Luisa’s artwork and essays are presented and shown internationally. Luisa is a Ph.D. candidate, currently living in Germany. In her acceptance speech, Luisa said, “Art allows us to be most deeply integrated with the world. How bland life would be without art!”

Hugh Grinnell ’57
Hugh Grinnell had a 25-year career in the aerospace industry, followed by 20 years as a financial advisor. While succeeding in those careers, Hugh also found time for his lifelong love for music. In addition, Hugh is a public speaker, sharing the story of his distant cousin George Bird Grinnell, who was a major influence in saving the great American West and establishing the National Park System. Hugh carries on the passion and purpose of his cousin, ensuring that our natural wonders are not lost. Hugh will visit STEM, environmental science, history, and music classes later in the year.


M. René Islas ‘96
René Islas has over a decade of experience leading education reform through practical programs and political policies. René served as the Senior Vice President of the Learning Forward Center for Results, to support education leaders in developing systems to improve teacher effectiveness. René is currently the Executive Director of the National Association for Gifted Children, to help gifted and talented children as they strive to achieve their personal best and contribute to their communities. “At Salpointe, I learned how to study,” René said at the ceremony. “The Carmelites emphasized the importance of being, accompanying, listening, and sharing. Salpointe did all of that for me.”

Maggie Jarry ‘88
Maggie Jarry is a national leader in developing disaster response and recovery systems. Maggie has also researched the role of faith communities in disaster response. With a passion rooted in her own past, Maggie also raises awareness about the experiences of children who have a parent with a mental illness, focusing on breaking stigma against those parents. Her work encourages nationwide conversation regarding mental health.


Frank Reilly
After a 25-year career in the Army, Frank Reilly came to work at Salpointe. He was the Dean of Men, and later a counselor and psychology teacher. He coached cross country, track, and football. Frank was very involved with the Kairos retreat program and theater productions. Frank’s happiest moments at Salpointe were attending daily mass in the chapel with his five children, who are all Lancers. Frank also has a love for writing short stories that take place in the late 1800s, telling stories of the buffalo soldiers and Native American tribes.


Tony Torres ‘92
Tony Torres grew up playing soccer, was a soccer star right here at Salpointe, and has been playing ever since. He is a coach for Cienega High School and the FC Tucson Youth Soccer Club. Tony currently works at Cienega as a Transition Specialist, helping students with disabilities explore careers, prepare for college, or find employment after high school. Tony was also named the “Assistant Principal of the Year for Arizona” by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Tony said, “At Salpointe, I found the power of others who took the time to believe in me and to inspire me. Believe in others and inspire them through encouragement.”


Congratulations to all of our outstanding Distinguished Alumni!

If you know of other distinguished alumni, faculty, and staff, please submit a nomination here or contact Carissa Krautscheid ‘11 at ckrautscheid@salpointe.org or 520-547-5900 for more information.
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Salpointe Catholic High School

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