What's Happening

April 12, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – More than two years after her death in February 2020, Sister Mary Trzasko, OP, is still inspiring learners and tutors. A large tapestry depicting Sister Mary with the first two students she tutored in Beaufort, South Carolina, hangs on a wall near an entrance to Adrian Rea Literacy Center.  
 
Sister Mary responded in 1995 to a newspaper ad calling for tutors of at-risk children whose parents were mentally challenged and unable to help them in their schoolwork. She came to learn about more children who needed help in school for a variety of reasons. In 1997, she began Thumbs UP Children’s Education Center to meet those needs.
  
Now a 501(c)3 charity, Thumbs up provides year-round programs for at-risk, economically disadvantaged children ages 6 to 12 who are performing below their grade level. The program includes after-school tutoring and help with homework, an enrichment program, and a six-week summer program.
 
The tapestry was commissioned by the Board of Directors of Thumbs Up to honor Sister Mary at its 20th anniversary celebration, explained Sister Carleen Maly, OP, Director of Adrian Rea Literacy Center. The tapestry was presented to Sister Mary and, after her death, ultimately found its way to Adrian Rea. 
 
“Adrian Rea Literacy Center is proud to have this stunning tapestry hanging on the wall of our main entrance,” Sister Carleen said. She invited Sisters and Co-workers at the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse to view the tapestry during an open house on April 4. The tapestry and information about Thumbs Up and Sister Mary will remain at Adrian Rea to inspire the adult learners and the tutors.
 
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1936, Sister Mary moved with her family to Hamtramck, Michigan, when she was 6 years old. She entered the Felician Sisters in 1953 after graduating high school and in 1973 transferred to the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
 
Sister Mary served in a variety of ministries, caring for people on the margins. In 1974, she began ministry as a community organizer with Sister Beverly Stark, OP, at a low-income area of Cincinnati, Ohio. They ministered together ever since, until Sister Mary’s retirement in 2007. 
 
“In 1985, our Prioress invited us to come to South Carolina to explore justice ministry opportunities in Beaufort,” Sister Mary said in a talk at the 20th anniversary of Thumbs Up. “I began teaching in an alternative high school at the Low Country Human Development Center.” 
 
While still teaching there, Sister Mary responded to the newspaper ad and began to realize the plight of many disadvantaged children. She started Thumbs Up to respond to their need. 
 
“The mission of Thumbs Up is to enrich the lives of children in at-risk families and enhance their potential for success by instilling values and offering comprehensive learning experiences,” Sister Mary said in her talk. “These include doing homework and … teaching responsibility, empathy, respect, care for the environment, and community service.”
 
Along with tutoring, Sister Mary developed several programs at Thumbs Up: recruiting volunteers who provide nutritious snacks for the children before tutoring sessions; acquiring a small house for the program; planning weekend field trips to hiking trails, parks, the beach, and museums; and hiring a social worker to work with the parents in areas such as cooking and parenting skills. Sister Mary even bought a 15-passenger bus and acquired a commercial driving license so she could drive the children to and from Thumbs Up.

Feature photo: Sisters Carleen Maly, OP, left, and Beverly Stark, OP, stand with the tapestry commissioned by the Board of Thumbs UP to honor Sister Mary Trzasko, OP. 

March 18, 2022, Grosse Pointe, Michigan – Kimberly Williams, Director of the Dominican Literacy Center, and Sister Janice Brown, OP, Director of the Siena Literacy Center, were recognized by Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe on the evening of March 9, 2022, with the Ruby Award. Both literacy centers are located in Detroit and are sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe is a dynamic group of women who care about making the world a better place for women and girls. The group raises funds throughout the year to support women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. 

Kimberly Williams, left, and Sister Janice Brown, OP, Ruby Award recipients, enjoy time together during the awards dinner.

Kimberly and Sister Janice received the Ruby Award in recognition of their outstanding work and dedication to women's education and growth. With the award, both literacy centers received donations to help continue their excellent work.    

Sister Janice has been involved in adult education since 2005. She was Director of the Dominican Literacy Center until 2017, when she began her work on a Doctorate in Ministry at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

“It was an honor to be highlighted as a leader in our community for women’s education,” Sister Janice said. “I was thrilled to … be with people who are passionate about it.” She praised the women of Soroptimist of Grosse Pointe for their dedication to providing a second chance to women who strive to overcome adversity and make a difference in the world.

Sister Janice said the work of literacy centers is to provide that second chance for people who are struggling with literacy issues – either native English speakers who didn’t gain sufficient skills in school or adult learners studying English as a Second Language (ESL). Offering a second chance at life “is part of cultivating that individual to be who God meant them to be,” she said. “We walk with [our adult learners]. We provide the education and support they need for the foundational level.” 

Adult learners tend to have “a lot on their plates, raising a family and putting food on the table,” Sister Janice said. “You’ve got to have a time in your life when you can put education in top priority.”

She spoke of some of Siena Literacy Center’s many success stories. One adult learner, an ESL student, earned her GED and is now taking classes to earn her two-year nursing degree. “That’ll be a better paying position, as well as filling a great need we have in society” for healthcare professionals, Sister Janice said. 

Kimberly was “happy and excited and honored” to receive the Ruby Award and, during the award evening, appreciated hearing the stories of the scholarship recipients, women who faced obstacles and moved forward in their lives. “It was very powerful to me to hear what people have gone through and how they’re pushing through,” she said. “It was very inspirational.”

She is also inspired by the adult learners at the Dominican Literacy Center. “My highlights are when I see people achieving their goals,” whether to earn a GED, read the Bible more effectively, or help their children, Kimberly said. She pointed to one student who spent years improving his reading and math skills so he can now work to earn his GED. Two staff members were originally adult learners at Dominican Literacy Center and are now able to give back, she added.

A native of Detroit, Kimberly graduated from college and moved to the East Coast, where she “worked for corporate America for a long time.” When she was laid off, she realized that her volunteer work had been more rewarding. After working for a high school, pairing tutors and students, she moved back to Detroit and was hired as program coordinator at Dominican Literacy Center. She earned a Master of Education degree in Reading from Marygrove College in Detroit. When Sister Janice left to work on her doctorate, Kimberly was hired as Director.

“This is my dream job,” Kimberly said. Still, she added, she has been challenged by the pandemic, which forced the Center to close at times and which brought on the need for Zoom for tutoring sessions and meetings. “Right now, we’re open and offer online and in-person instruction,” she said. “We’re working towards full capacity.”

The evening also honored women who courageously broke chains of oppression. Some struggled to get out of abusive relationships to make a better life for themselves and their families. Others had dreams to learn the skills that they would need to help others significantly. All received scholarships to continue their education and are doing the work needed to create a new trajectory of their lives. 

Lavina Hutchinson received the Virginia Wagner Award for women enrolled in a university degree program who work hard academically and either volunteer in the community or face financial challenges.
 
Nealmetria Loper, Delia Mustin, Denise Sargent, and Danyelle Easly received the Live Your Dream Award for women who are working toward a university degree and are the primary financial supports for their families.

Tonesia Nesbitt received the Continuing Education Award, which is given to Living Your Dream recipients working towards completing their university degrees.
 
Sister Janice Brown, OP, contributed to this article.

Feature photo (top): Celebrating with Sister Janice Brown, OP – Ruby Award recipient – are, back row, from left, Associates Geri Pleva, Carol Hofer, and Toni Adams and Sister Janet Stankowski, OP, and front row, from left, Sisters Nancyann Turner, OP, and Janice Brown, OP, Associate Mary Margaret Bommarito, and Dominican Volunteer Erinn Toth.