Two Sisters Value the Generations of Impact and Give Back
May 21, 2024
“Each generation that has attended Cretin, Derham Hall or CDH received a true gift of an education that positioned them for success after high school and provided a foundation for them to make a difference in the world.”
Nora Byrne Fitzpatrick and Katie Byrne Reeder ’89 grew up in a large family of six girls who knew how much Catholic education and Cretin meant to their father, Philip B. Byrne ’56, and their grandfather, Donald E. Byrne, Sr ’34. All the girls attended Catholic high school. Four of the six Byrne girls attended Derham Hall and Cretin-Derham Hall.
As they walked down the hall of history at CDH, they found their dad’s senior photo, as well as that of his best man and other groomsmen. The friends from his Cretin days stayed with him for a lifetime.
The Byrne women learned early on the importance of service to others and giving back to their communities. Their Dad lived by the mantra: ”Gratitude changes everything.” He approached daily life by giving of his time, talent, and treasure to the communities, people, and places that were influential in his life, and more importantly, to marginalized people in our larger community.
“Our Dad would be proud to know the Byrne family has stayed connected to CDH — giving back and living the values of community, leadership, service, diversity, and equity.”
In their own families, the legacy continues. Between Katie and Nora, they have sent 11 children to CDH, marking a very robust fourth generation to attend this school.
A Big Small School
“We knew CDH was the best fit for our children because of the excellent academics, theater and arts, over 70 co-curricular activities and sports,” noted Katie. “There is something for every student to participate in and feel like they belong to the CDH community in more ways than just the classroom.”
They see these connections first hand. She proudly recited a long list of all the co-curriculars her children or nieces and nephews participated in: Knowledge Bowl, Student Council, Debate Speech, Mock Trial, Theater, Choir, Close Up (Washington DC), Costa Rica Justice Trip, People Finding People (PFP), JROTC, Empty Bowls, Ultimate Frisbee, and National Honor Society. Plus, between the two families, their students competed in soccer, swim and dive, gymnastics, cross country, football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, track and field, and golf.
They saw first hand the way CDH offers individual students many paths to success, which is an important part of the mission of our school. “The diversity of opportunities meant there was something for each of our kids,” noted Nora. “It wasn’t just about participation, it offered such potential for leadership experience that has proved to be important at every stage of their lives past high school.”
Nora calls CDH a “big small school” meaning it is big enough to provide many options and small enough that students could participate in all it offered. In addition to a range of academic levels to ensure each student is challenged, there was so much more their children gained on the road to being prepared for post-high school life.
Katie, who currently has a senior at CDH, agrees. “We love that the seniors have the opportunity for service learning in the community. The experiences provided eye-opening insights into the value of service to others.”
As parents, they certainly value the role CDH played in their children’s college and career successes. And, they appreciate how CDH fostered in their children the values that impact their lives long after graduation. They treasure the fact that their graduates are committed to making the world a better place. “And like their grandpa, this fourth generation has created life long friendships with classmates and fellow alumni that will continue to influence them over their lifetime.”
We want CDH to flourish!
The two sisters take their own connection to CDH seriously and it shows in the way their families give back both their time and treasure. “We want CDH to flourish!”
Nora is currently serving on the Board of Directors. Katie ‘89 and her husband are Assistant Coaches for the CDH Girls Swim and Dive team. Both women volunteered through the Parents Association whenever possible. And both families have been generous in their support of the Annual Appeal on a consistent basis for nearly two decades.
They recognize that their volunteering and financial support of the school has varied over time due to their ability to contribute, but it has always been important to do what they can because all levels of giving and volunteering are valuable!
“We give back to help ensure that current and future CDH students receive the quality CDH educational experience that our children have received,” explained Katie. “We want to pay it forward and encourage future generations to do the same.”
Annual Giving is critical for access to a CDH education by providing needs-based tuition assistance to 66% of our families who may not be able to attend without it. Plus, our donors — alumni, parents, faculty/staff and more — truly ensure excellence in academics and co-curriculars that define the CDH student experience by directly closing the gap between the true cost to educate a student and the tuition cost. In short, annual giving is a lifeblood to excellence at CDH.
“Our students have significant opportunities that simply would not exist without the financial support of our donors like Nora and Katie, who understand first-hand the impact this funding has on the life-changing education our students receive,” noted Mona Passman, Principal. “Our faculty and staff work hard and thanks to donors like Nora and Katie, they have the resources available to ensure our students thrive!”
Nora and husband John have seven children, all graduates of CDH. Nora’s late husband Greg Fitzpatrick ‘80 and John’s late wife, Karen Gergen Thuente ‘82 were also alums, which opens up even more CDH affiliations among extended family. Nora is the Associate Vice President for Finance and Budgeting at the University of St. Thomas and a current CDH Board of Director.
Katie Byrne Reeder ‘89 and husband David have four children, with three graduates of CDH and one current senior. Katie is currently a Swim and Dive Assistant Coach at CDH.
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