“This is the motivation for my life.” - Sr. Jacquelyn Gusdane
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School President Sister Jacquelyn Gusdane’s office is filled with photographs, visible symbols and reminders focusing on a life dedicated to God and the mission entrusted to her.
“When I look back on my years of service to God’s people, I have the graced blessing of seeing all the experiences of the decades come into play in my present ministry of leadership in ways I never imagined,” Gusdane said. “For me, leadership is an energy-driven and intricately nuanced dance. I have discovered that its impact is greatest when I surround myself with exceptionally talented men and women, readily delegate responsibilities to them and continually orchestrate where we are headed. Sometimes this calls for simple, loving, measured steps, while at other times, it requires thinking strategically, making decisions, taking risks, and always moving forward in hope and confidence, trusting that God is with me.”
NDCL is a Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school in Munson Township, sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame.
It is rooted in the guiding principles of Notre Dame Academy and Cathedral Latin School: justice, respect, integrity, community and excellence.
Completing her seventh year as chief executive officer of NDCL, Gusdane provides leadership in establishing and implementing its mission, vision and core values in all areas of the school life.
The soft spoken president stood by a sampling of framed photos of women and children hanging on her office wall, many representing those she met on her international travels. A single crucifix from Uganda in the center of the photos ties together its focus.
“It is a visible reminder to me of the crying needs of women and children throughout our world and our call to respond,” Gusdane said.
NDCL Principal Joseph Waler describes Gusdane as a “deeply spiritual woman whose love of God and young people drives everything she does.”
“We’ve been blessed by her vision. She’s an exceptional person,” said Waler, who has worked with Gusdane since she started at NDCL July 1, 2008.
“This place has been transformed,” he said. “She knows how to reach out and accomplish the common good.”
Regarding NDCL’s mission, Gusdane said “like Mary, who gave Christ to the world, NDCL educates leaders who transform the world, as Jesus did, by living the truth in love.
She said when the position of president became open, she was encouraged by several people to apply for it.
“Candidates for president are interviewed by the chair of NDCL’s Board of Directors and his search committee,” Gusdane explained. “Then the board selects the person they believe is best qualified to carry out the mission of the school, offers the position and the one chosen decides whether or not they will accept the offer.”
Gusdane said given her commitment to the Sisters of Notre Dame — who inspired her to join them as a young woman — and her “deep love” for the mission of NDCL, serving as president has given her inumerable opportunities to shape, design and bring about change for the growth of the school community.
“Sometimes it is rather overwhelming when I realize the influence and privilege that is mine to collaborate with so many talented and good men and women,” she said. “They, like me, want to transform lives and make our world a better place. My passion for mission has brought me blessings beyond measure and for these, I am so grateful.”
Vision and mission are frequent words Gusdane used to describe her love for a school celebrating its 25th anniversary.
From a graduating class of 103 in 1991 to 192 graduates in 2013, students hail from Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake counties and beyond. NDCL alumni now number 4,131.
A statue of Mary holding Jesus in her arms, a gift from the family of John L. Mooney, Jr. ‘44, welcomes visitors as they approach the main entrance. All NDCL graduates are given a replica of the statue upon graduation.
Vincent Bonacci, ‘02, serves as assistant principal for student life.
“Sr. Jacquelyn is influential in the NDCL community because she lives and breathes the mission of our school,” Bonacci said. “It is extremely powerful to hear her speak about our community members who ‘transform the world as Jesus did, by living the truth in love.’”
Gusdane is a native Cleveland eastsider. Her father, a Cathedral Latin alum and mother, a Notre Dame Academy alum, were major influences in her life, as were the Sisters of Notre Dame.
Gusdane’s influence continues to stretch way beyond Geauga County to the nation’s capital with her acceptance of an invitation from U.S. Rep. David Joyce (R-Russell Township) to be the guest chaplain and lead the opening prayer for the May 9 session of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
Waler, a member of the executive committee of the National Catholic Educators, reflected on Gusdane’s unique gifts involving leadership and their partnership.
A large framed photo of the NDCL leadership duo stands close by the principal in his office. The same one, a gift from Waler to Gusdane, stands in her office.
“It’s a rare combination of being challenged and supported,” Waler said. “I am a better principal and man because of it.”
Gusdane said her greatest accomplishment is her fidelity to the commitment she made to serve the mission of NDCL and offer to others “an experience of God’s loving care and goodness for them.”
She touched on other accomplishments that have served the NDCL mission, such as “giving wholehearted encouragement and support to our administrators and teachers to use their gifts and talents to make our school community one that exemplifies our core values: justice, respect, integrity, community and excellence.”
“I have had several opportunities which have allowed our faculty and staff to continually expose our students to the global community, heighten their awareness of the marginalized and broaden their limited worldview by:
• Initiating an annual immersion trip to Nicaragua for our students during spring break;
• Expanding service opportunities for our students and alumni in Geauga county and elsewhere;
• Responding to and continually seeking out opportunities for summer internships for our students, such as those we have established with the Cleveland Clinic’s Office of Civic Education;
• Traveling to China with other administrators on a grant to discern and then solidify our decision to offer Mandarin Chinese as one of our world languages;
• Traveling to Japan on a Fullbright scholarship with educators across the U.S. to engage our community more fully in the quest to make planet earth sustainable;
• Growing the international population in our own school community;
• And, over the past seven years, there have been immense changes in the physical facilities. We have renovated, built, remodeled areas of the school and campus to support and provide contemporary tools for the superb education our students are receiving, both in the classroom and in extracurriculars.”
Between accomplishments and following the SND mission with devotion to education in all forms, it is important to live a well-rounded life, Gusdane said.
“With all this on my plate, life is quite a balancing act,” Gusdane said. “Like anyone, I work at it.”
Her interests include walking the paths of the North Chagrin Metroparks, attending the Cleveland Orchestra, theatre productions (Les Miserables is her favorite musical), the art museum and sharing evenings over a simple meal with close friends, gardening, seeing a good movie or reading a book by one of her favorite authors.
“I keep a little, 80-page book near my nightstand titled ‘The Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership,’ by Henri Nouwen,” Gusdane said. “My copy is old and marked on every page. This treasure keeps me grounded and recalls for me how the most important person in my life, Jesus, led and engaged with people. That’s how I want to be and to lead.”
Gusdane looked around and elaborated a bit more on the surroundings of her office.
“Just about everything in it has meaning and reflects what captures my heart on any given day, God and people. Symbols of God and framed photos of people fill my office,” Gusdane said.
Gusdane smiled and slowly lifted up a framed copy of the prayer, “Falling in Love,” attributed to Pedro Arrupe, S.J. that sits on the credenza near the door to her office.
“Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything … Fall in Love, stay in love and it will decide everything,” the prayer read.
“This is the motivation for my life,” Gusdane said. “It really ‘says it all.’”
