- April 23, 2019 Association, Mission Advancement
By Barbara Roberts, Director of Mission Advancement, Kansas City
"Nan Bone has epitomized the generosity of St. Joseph in her graceful leadership of the St. Teresa’s Academy family. She has led like Joseph, but is particularly like him in her humility, her modesty, and her willingness to follow the Holy Spirit through the many joys and the periodic sorrows. St. Joseph put God at the center of the Holy Family's life and Nan deserves this recognition for doing the same for St. Teresa’s Academy," states Kevin Connor, chairperson of the St. Teresa’s Academy Board of Directors.
At the end of the 2018-2019 academic year, Nan Bone will step down as president of St. Teresa’s Academy (STA) in Kansas City. During her 12-year tenure, Nan oversaw a successful capital campaign, weathered controversy, and imbedded the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet into the entire STA community. Because of her efforts, she is the latest recipient of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s Generosity of Joseph award.
“We all agreed that Nan was our best choice. She's personable and has the ability to relate with a myriad of constituencies, board, students, faculty, alumnae, and parents,” says Sister Ruth Stuckel, who was a member the STA board of directors when Nan was named president.
Nan’s first action as president was to listen and reflect on what would be best for STA as a whole. She hired an outside consultant to visit with the numerous groups at STA to ask and listen as to where they believed STA needed to grow and change. From this, came the school’s first of three strategic plans during Nan’s successful tenure.
“I think maybe I was put here to help girls understand what this mission is and how they have to go out and make a difference in the world,” says Nan. “This world is kind of crazy right now. And these are the smartest, brightest and most caring girls that you will ever meet. They take on every initiative, fighting for every cause. I'm the luckiest person in the world. I think God had a plan in that, because I went to school here. To come back and get this job, I feel like I've hit the jackpot."
When Nan attended St. Teresa’s Academy in the late 1960s, the majority of her classes were taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph. At the time, she didn’t remember the sisters sharing their charism—to love their dear neighbor without distinction—with the students, since they were busy, as teachers and administrators. With not many sisters at STA when Nan became president, she believed that “we needed to tell their story, to know everything about the sisters and their charism.”
The school’s promotion of the sisters’ charism was one of the “most profound” things Nan believes she accomplished while at STA. She believes that embedding the charism into the students’ high school experience led to a “much richer” experience for them.
In order to infuse the charism into STA, Nan first wanted to learn more about the charism herself, which she did through the CSJ Associate program. "The CSJ associate program is beautiful,” she says.
Nan spent a year in study and conversation learning more about the sisters. Spending individual time with her mentors, Sisters Patty Clune and Ruth Stuckel, “was so rewarding,” she recalls. “They're so humble and so grateful, so appreciative. It was a time for us in our busy lives to stop and reflect back to why we're all doing what we're doing here." Today, the CSJ associate program at STA is flourishing among faculty, staff and students as well.
“Sometimes the sisters say to me, ‘I think you know more about the charism than we do.’ Of course, that's not true. It's just that we're storytellers now,” says Nan. All at STA are taught to live by the CSJ mission: love of neighbor, love of god, love of self and love of earth.
"We say your neighbor could be anybody in your class. Anyone having a bad day,” says Nan. “Love of self is a hard one for girls as teenagers [since] they have so many images that tell them not to love themselves unless they look a certain way.” To counteract this, the school has programs that center around wellness for growth, such as CSJ Leadership Camp and Passing of the Legacy Ceremony.
The past academic year launched STA’s new Research and Design Elective Series with the Windmill Project. Students designed, prototyped and assessed windmill structures to reduce the energy footprint at STA campus. "It is so important for girls here to learn to protect the Earth,” says Nan.
"Her faith life initiated the first big program she wanted on campus," says Sister Ruth, referring to Windmoor Center. The building, which uses sustainable energy to heat and cool the building, is home to the first dedicated chapel and four multi-functional high-tech classrooms.
Additionally, the sisters’ history of lace making and its significance is incorporated into the façade, serving to spread the sisters’ charism to all who pass by.
“Nan is a fearless fundraiser. It is because she believes so deeply in the mission of sisters, that she feels empowered to go out and ask for support,” says Ann Tierney Prochnow, vice chairperson of the STA Board of Directors. The school is concluding a successful Academy 150th Anniversary Campaign, which focused on facility enhancements, endowment and campus preservation.
Under Nan’s tenure, the endowment increased by 43%. This, in turn, increased the scholarships available to young women who otherwise may not be financially able to attend STA. Additionally, diversity and inclusion at all levels has been an ongoing focus for all at STA to address and solve past and recent issues of controversy regarding discrimination.
Finally, to further help prepare women in science technology math fields, the STEM/STEAM certificate program was launched in the fall of 2016.
"I firmly believe that students graduate from STA knowing that the idea of service is imbedded with them so when they graduate they really believe they can go out and change the world,” says Ann.
“Because of Nan’s loving touch, she brought STA to a point of excellence that it is today," echoes Sister Ruth.
This award “is such an honor because it's from the Sisters of St. Joseph,” says Nan. “I will treasure it the rest of my life." And the sisters, STA students and alumnae will treasure all that Nan has done to serve her dear neighbor.