This past weekend was the official ribbon cutting for a brand new playground at St. Lawrence Elementary School. Thanks to the generosity of longtime CISE donor, Nick Ragland, 55 preschoolers will enjoy a new, safe playground.
The smiles on the children’s faces say it all!
| CISE is taking to the airwaves with two radio interviews on “Driving Home the Faith” with Fr. Jack Rob on Sacred Heart Radio. Join us as Phil McHugh dives into what’s happening at CISE, sharing insights and updates that you don’t want to miss.
Mark your calendar for these important dates. Listen live at 740AM or 910AM, or download the Sacred Heart Radio App. |
Allow us to introduce you to Carol and Dick Stevie, unwavering CISE supporters.
Originally from East Price Hill, Carol attended St. Lawrence Elementary School (a CISE-supported school since 2012.) Dick is originally from Northern Kentucky and was also educated in Catholic schools. Dick met Carol met at a Thomas More University fraternity party.
In 1997, and Carol joined CISE as the first full-time Executive Director since CISE was established in 1980. When she came on board, it was just her and an administrative assistant. That first year, Carl Lindner donated $1.5 million to CISE to begin a technology program in the CISE supported schools. The following year $1 million was donated by a foundation to increase enrollment. Carol recalls, “These were game-changing donations. Support for CISE increased steadily throughout the years through the efforts of the dedicated CISE Board, Annual Campaign chairpersons, volunteers, and generous donors. They were all critical to the success of CISE and its ability to educate children in our community. We were a great team, and I was so grateful to work with all of them.”
During her tenure, Carol helped set up the high school scholarship program and assisted with the establishment of the CISE Foundation – a separate 501(c)(3) – thanks to a generous seed gift from an anonymous donor.
When the CISE Foundation was established in 2007, Carol recognized the opportunity to start a planned giving program for CISE. With the help of Allison Kropp, they established the St. Benedict Society and the Stevies became charter members of this esteemed group.
In 2008, Carol made the decision to step down to a part-time Associate Director role for family reasons. She concentrated her efforts on donor engagement, the CISE Foundation and continuing work on a planned giving program. In January 2017 after nearly 20 years with CISE, Carol retired. Carol believes that her Catholic education guided her and helped her to be successful.
When asked why they decided to be members of the St. Benedict Society, Carol replied, “Personally, Dick and I believe that it is important to continue our longtime support of CISE after we are no longer here with a planned gift. A bequest through our estate will enable CISE to continue its good work of changing the lives of children in our community.” Dick added, “Education drives your whole future.”
The Stevies were presented with the CISE Faith in Education Award in 2017.
Today, you can find Carol and Dick enjoying retirement, and they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two grown daughters, Beth and Laura.
Mike Kennedy has joined CISE as Director of High School Scholarship Programs. The High School Scholarship Program has grown in numbers and complexity and Mike’s skill set is a strong match for addressing this welcomed challenge. The financial management of the Program, formerly lead by Frances Dudley, who has moved on from CISE, will be overseen by Mike. Jessica Beck will grow in her role from Grade School Administrative Assistant to working with both the grade schools and high schools.
More about Mike
Mike recently retired from Fifth Third Bank after more than 20 years serving in various leadership roles in the Wealth & Asset Management division, including leading the Bank’s investment management and trust businesses that serve not-for-profit entities and private and corporate foundations. Prior to Fifth Third, he served as Chief Financial Officer for PNC’s wealth management businesses in Pittsburgh. Mike started his career in finance at Ernst & Young in Philadelphia after graduating from St. Joseph’s University.
Mike has served on many non-profit boards of directors and committees during his career. He currently serves as chair of the board of St. Joseph Home (SJH) in Sharonville, which provides support systems for people with complex disabilities and their families. Prior to his time at SJH, he was a member of the board and finance committee of Bayley in Delhi, which provides a continuum of care for seniors.
Mike and his wife, Michelle, live in Pierce Township. They have two grown daughters (a doctor and a banker) and four grandchildren.
My name is Katie Puthoff and I am the Principal of Holy Family School in Price Hill. Catholic education has always been a huge part of my life and is something I am very passionate about. I attended grade school at St. Michael in Sharonville, went on to high school at Mount Notre Dame High School, and then continued my Catholic education at the University of Dayton for both my undergraduate and masters degrees. Go Flyers! After graduating from UD, I then taught middle school for 9 years prior to becoming Principal of Holy Family.
I feel so blessed to be able to work at Holy Family. The community of students, families, and staff here is one of the best things I have ever gotten to be a part of. I always say that there are truly no words to describe the support this community provides one another- it’s something you feel the moment you step in our building. This is my 6th year as Principal of Holy Family and I truly love what I do.
We have been working hard over the last 5 years at Holy Family and the hard work is paying off every day as we see our students achieve their goals. While we have been working hard in many areas, our most recent venture has been working on improving literacy outcomes for our students. We have been working with the Ohio Department of Education and Mount St. Joseph University to become a model demonstration school for excellent literacy instruction. Our staff has worked hard to learn and implement research-based practices in the classroom that show us how kids best learn to read and write. We have seen a tremendous amount of growth in our students’ literacy achievements and can’t wait to see their growth continue. It has been truly amazing to watch our students grow in confidence through this initiative. Having a first grader turn to you and say “Ms. Puthoff, I can read!” with a big smile on their face is one of the best feelings in the world.
When I’m not enjoying the students at Holy Family, I like to spend time with my family and friends; whether it’s a vacation to the beach together, watching the Bengals game, or a fun night of board games, my time spent with them is something I cherish. When I’m not doing one of those things, you can usually find me playing sand volleyball, reading one of my favorite Harry Potter books, or listening to upbeat music to keep my day bright and cheery.
Thank you to CISE and every CISE supporter for truly making a difference in my life and in the lives of all 234 students at Holy Family! You may never know the scope of the impact your support is making, but I assure you it is far and wide. The support of CISE allows our school to provide our students with the ingredients they need to be productive, successful members of society. When they leave us, we know their futures are bright, and that is largely due to the support they receive from CISE.
Your Annual Report is here!
CISE has found great success by partnering with individuals and organizations who share their expertise to benefit our scholars. These partnerships are united by a common goal – to make a difference in the lives of our scholars and to support the CISE mission of providing a quality, Catholic education for inner-city children in Cincinnati. This year, we dedicate our annual report to our partners: donors, teachers, school nurses, academic coaches, mental health specialists and countless others. Our work would not be possible without your support, thank you.
We are better together!
CISE is saddened with the closing of St. Joseph Catholic School for the 2023-2024 school year. We respect the decision of the Archdiocese, the pastor and parish council at St. Joseph.
Although CISE does not manage any of our schools, CISE does provide financial resources for tuition assistance and educational support services to create an environment where all students can learn in a Catholic, values-based environment. CISE has provided substantial funding to St. Joseph School for many years and will continue to support the needs of these students.
Currently, we are focused on providing a smooth transition for St. Joseph students and their families to another CISE school, to continue their Catholic education.
Exciting News! Last evening, we officially launched our Annual Campaign at the Kenwood Country Club. This campaign is our primary fundraiser, devoted to providing vital support to CISE schools, students, and teachers.
The event featured an inspiring speech by Katie Puthoff, Principal of Holy Family, filling the room with motivation and positivity.
Notable moments also included Campaign Co-chair Don Mellott’s address, spotlighting the incredible work CISE is accomplishing within the inner-city schools of Cincinnati. Insightful closing remarks were shared by Phil McHugh, CISE President and Executive Director.
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the occasion. Your support fuels our mission to rewrite the futures of urban children by providing access to a faith-based Catholic education.
By Eileen Connelly, OSU
Catholic Telegraph Magazine
Combine a mother’s love, faith and commitment to her children’s future with generous donors who support the Catholic Inner-city Schools Education’s (CISE) mission, which helps rewrite urban children’s lives by providing access to a strong Catholic education. The result instilled in Ebony Webb’s five children the confidence that they can become the best they can be, academically and spiritually.c“I was a teenage mom, age 15, when I had my daughter, Destiny,” she explained. “I was so young and scared, but knew I wanted something better for her. As she got close to school age, I knew Catholic education would help her and help me.”
“My faith has always been my foundation,” said Ebony, who was raised Baptist. “Generations of our family attended the same church and my mother, Carla, raised me to have a powerful belief in God. He has always come first. I wanted my kids to have that, too. My mom couldn’t afford to send me to Catholic school, so when I learned about CISE from the secretary at St. Francis de Sales, it gave me hope.” Ebony’s five children are all former or current students of St. Francis de Sales elementary school, but CISE also assists through high school at designated schools.
Now 27, her daughter Destiny graduated from Purcell Marian High School, currently works as a chef, and has two children of her own, including a young daughter following in her mother’s footsteps at St. Francis de Sales.
“The staff there is amazing. They have become like family over the years,” Ebony said. And they respected her children as individuals, instilled enduring values and helped set them up for success. Her son, Benjamin Ferguson, showed signs of having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when he was in third grade. “The school recommended having him tested,” she said. “I was reluctant, not wanting to have that stigma, but went ahead. It gave me so much trust in the teachers, and he wouldn’t have gotten that help anywhere else.”
Benjamin graduated from St. Xavier High School in 2019 and received an athletic scholarship to Fordham University, where he played football. Recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business/marketing, he is now pursuing a master’s degree.
Ebony’s daughters, Aissatou “Aissa” and Jariatou “JaJa” Bah, were next to attend St. Francis de Sales. Aissa graduated with honors from Saint Ursula Academy in May and is bound for Tuskegee University on a full academic scholarship. JaJa is entering her junior year at Saint Ursula.
Ebony is especially thankful for the way the St. Francis de Sales community rallied around her family when JaJa was born with Spina Bifida. “That was a very hard time for our family,” Ebony recalled. “We thought she would never walk. The people at St. Francis de Sales made meals for us and JaJa was on the prayer list at church. When it was time for school, they really worked with us on what JaJa was able to do and not do. Their prayers and support helped heal JaJa. She’s 16 now and runs and walks.”
Both young women firmly believe that their Catholic education laid the foundation for academic success and for their desire to be of service to others. Aissa was inspired by a St. Francis de Sales’ teacher whose motto was: “What can I do? How can I help?”
“That really stuck with me,” she said. “It just really ingrained in me that if you see someone struggling, you should assist them. It helped me become the person I am. I think that’s what Catholic education does for a person. It fosters in a person a call to serve and a willingness to give back. My mother taught us that, too.”
That spirit of service is evident in Aissa’s variety of activities at Saint Ursula, where she received the 2023 Mother Gertrude Creamer Award for her initiative and Christian service. This included serving as a leader in the Bulldog Buddies tutoring program, as co-president of Hands Across Campus (HAC) and as a member of Sisters in Cultural Unity.
“I’m just so grateful for the support I’ve received and opportunities I’ve had,” JaJa said. “My education has also helped develop my faith, my relationship with God, how I pray, how I think about things, what I choose to read, how I deal with life and treat other people. I always think, ‘What would Jesus do?’”
Diagnosed with diabetes in 2021, JaJa acknowledges that health concerns sometimes presented a challenge, but her faith has seen her through. She hasn’t let such struggles slow her down—JaJa serves as a Bulldog Buddies ambassador, member of Saint Ursula’s Brave Ones Program and co-president of HAC. Both Aissa and JaJa have also been involved in their community as teen staff members with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and with the Youth Antiracist Leadership Academy Program, which helps young people better understand themselves and the world around them by exploring who they are and how they lead.
Their younger sister, Housanatou, is following in her siblings’ path. She will graduate from St. Francis de Sales in 2026, completing the family tradition of a CISE education.
Ebony emphasized that she has always strived to teach her children to believe in God and in themselves—that they are inwardly and outwardly beautiful, strong and capable of doing hard things.
“I hope CISE donors know how grateful I am for the impact they have made in my children’s lives,” she said. “They made an investment in my children’s future, and I want them to know that my children will carry that investment forward and make a difference in the lives of other people and make the world a better place, each in their own unique way.”
Aissa and JaJa also expressed their thanks to CISE. “I don’t think ‘Thank you’ even covers the blessing CISE has been to us,” Aissa said. “I don’t know if donors know the impact their generosity has had.”
“Ebony represents a group of parents that CISE is proud to partner with as we travel the journey of educating students together,” said Dr. Cate O’Brien, Director of School Programs for CISE. “Our parents want a rigorous, disciplined and faith-based environment for their children. Catholic education is a choice and best chosen by parents like Ebony, who supported her children and their teachers, and the spiritual and academic growth of her children both inside and outside the classroom.”
Congratulations to Tom Haber, who officially retired from CISE on June 30, 2023. With an extensive background of providing financial expertise to Catholic schools, Tom served CISE very well for the last four years. We wish Tom well in his retirement!
