At Our Lady of Tepeyac, we value opportunity. We know that when given the chance, Tepeyac girls rise to the occasion. We were glad to bring back Career Day. There were over 30 presenters who took time out of your busy schedules to share their educational and career experiences with the young women of Our Lady of Tepeyac High School. Our students as well as our faculty and staff all enjoyed meeting them and learning more about their work. Tepeyac girls were exposed to all of the opportunities that exist for them beyond the walls of our school. 

Career Day is important at OLT because students learn that through education, hard work and a caring network of support they can achieve their goals.

Last fall, Melannie Castro was eagerly awaiting the first day of school. She came to us from Chicago Public School, Ruben Salazar Elementary School. "What I was looking forward to the most was getting to know my teachers," she shared. Since the first time she visited OLT at a Shadow Day, Melannie immediately knew this is where she would spend her high school years.

She definitely carried her enthusiasm into her freshwomen year; getting involved in after school activities, being a great student helper and always encouraging her classmates to have a positive attitude.

Melannie is a cheerleader for the Class of 2025 - beaming school spirit and pride. We are happy to have students like Melannie and look forward to her future years and accomplishments at Tepeyac!

Melannie (right) with Senior, Autumn Wilson at a Student Ambassador Ice Cream Social.

To date, 91% of the Class of 2022 has been accepted to colleges and universities around the country and we are on track to achieve 100% by the Spring. The girls have been hard at work on their applications and essays. This amazing group as earned over 3 million in merit based scholarships alone. Congrats girls and keep up the good work!

Fun and Games For All!  Last year, Our Lady of Tepeyac, Assumption BVM and St. Roman's Parish united to form Mother of the Americas Parish. We are celebrating together at the church at Cermak & Whipple. The schools will retain their names.

The Kermes, Spanish for a Catholic bazaar or fundraiser, was organized and run by the parish. There was great food, music, games and more!  A few students ran a booth to provide free face painting for the children. The kids were beaming with joy! We also provided fans to the people who attended - they came in handy, particularly because of the hot day. We even got Fr. Tom in the dunk tank! The Kermes was a great way at bring our community together.  The newly united parish has also been holding street masses to promote unity and peace. Read more here.

Principal and teacher for the Holocaust course, Kathy Ingram says, "Psychology and Holocaust have been taught in years past and we are so excited to get them back into the rotation. The students are looking forward to having the opportunity to take these courses as well!"   Members of the OLT faculty also advised adding an Intro to Computers course to the Freshwomen Curriculum. "We've learned that our new students need time to get to know high school applications like Google Classroom as well as the Portal, where they can access grades and assignments. Intro to Computers will ensure that our Freshwomen get off on the right foot. These skills are necessary for every class they will take during their high school career." says Ms. Ingram. The course will also focus on word processing and other applications used across the curriculum.  We look forward to watching our girls engage in new ways this year!

Meet Sue Olensky. Sue is serving at Our Lady of Tepeyac through the Ignatian Volunteer Corps. She is spending her time as a counselor with the College Readiness Program, assisting Seniors. Sue is retired from her career in the same field.

As an Ignatian Volunteer, Sue participates in spiritual reflection with her peers as they journey through their year of volunteer service. IVC Volunteers are people who have either retired or are working less and want to spend their time in service to others. They have a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to share. IVC gives them the opportunity to serve in under resourced schools and social service agencies throughout the country.

Because of Sue, the College Readiness Program is able to spend more time, one on one, with girls as they navigate applying to schools, choosing a college that is right for them and sifting through the financial aid process. She has enjoyed building relationships with the students she has been spending time with. "Tepeyac young women are very social and open to having fun. They care about each other and have so many interests and talents: STEM Mars labs, Physics model races next to the outdoor Shrine, World Religions, collecting for people in need, decorating their Little Sister's lockers. And they are kind to a new adult in their school!" We are so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of Sue's time and talents. She is a true joy for all of us, both students and staff, to be around.