Nearly 300 guests joined together on April 30 to celebrate Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School’s achievements and pledge their commitment to its continued growth and success during the school’s Continue the Dream gala.
Thanks to the dedicated support of generous donors and sponsors, the school was able to raise over $175,000, ensuring that students can continue to receive a quality, Catholic education at VASJ rooted in the Ursuline and Marianist traditions.
“I could never find the words to express my sincere gratitude to the entire Viking Village for an amazing evening at our Continue the Dream gala,” said VASJ President Thomas M. Carone. “Thank you for your continued support, for your prayers, and for your commitment to the total student experience here at VASJ.”
After a welcome from Carone and VASJ Principal Lorenzo M. Jones, former FOX 8 Cleveland sports anchor and emcee John Telich took to the stage to kick off the event. VASJ sophomore Ariana Somich dazzled the crowd by singing the National Anthem.
Students were a focal point of the evening from volunteering as servers to helping with raffle items to sharing their school experiences with guests. Senior Gbagalo Kennedy, one of the evening’s student speakers, discussed his involvement with the school’s Marianist Urban Students Program (MUSP) and the opportunity it provided him to attend a Catholic high school.
“I knew that the only way I was going to be able to go to a good Catholic high school was if I got a scholarship,” Gbagalo said. “Fortunately, I didn't have to look too far. VASJ’s MUSP director at the time came to visit St. Jerome and talked to us about the Marianist Urban Students Program, a program that offers financial, academic and social support to students in eighth grade who display good grades, school leadership and want to be a part of a Catholic school community. I was able to get into this program, and it is the reason I can attend VASJ today.”
Junior Maria Karboski, the second featured student speaker of the evening, highlighted the importance of Catholic education in her household and shared about the sacrifices her parents made to send her and her siblings to Catholic school.
“When it came time for me to attend high school, I had a few options in mind, but the first day I came to VASJ to shadow, I knew this was the place I wanted to go,” Maria said. “And looking at the tuition, I knew I was going to work hard to get as much help as I could for my parents. I work incredibly hard every day to maintain the scholarships I’ve earned. The scholarships cover most of my tuition and have offered me an incredible opportunity here at VASJ.”
The crowd, which consisted of alumni, parents, friends of the school, parents, and faculty and staff, enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by AVI and had the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind live auction items. The evening included recognition of our VASJ Hall of Fame 2020 inductees as well.
This year’s gala also marked the school’s first-ever online silent auction, allowing guests and those at home to bid on a variety of exciting auction items via their smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Rock Radio Band, which includes VASJ’s Fine Arts teacher Walter Spisak, kept the party going all night long with live music and dancing.
A special thank you to this year’s sponsors: Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic – Euclid Hospital, Don ’70 and Mary Jo Dailey, and KeyBank.