“I have made many great friends who are now my brothers"

On Saturday, October 19, Notre Dame College Prep celebrated the 11th year of their one-of-a-kind Burke Scholar program. More than 400 people filled the spacious event room at St. John Brebeuf raising money to support the program that serves special needs students.

Established in 2009, the Burke Scholars Program is the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of Chicago and one of a small selection of such programs in the United States. Notre Dame College Prep believes that all students should have the opportunity to participate in a Catholic high school experience regardless of ability or disability.

The Burke Scholars Program at Notre Dame College Prep is designed to provide an inclusive Catholic high school education for young men with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities or significant learning disabilities that place students academically below grade level. Young men with disabilities, such as Down syndrome, Autism, and other genetic and learning differences are given the opportunity to partake in a religious educational setting.

While at Notre Dame College Prep, the Burke Scholars have the ability to engage in many academic and elective courses with their typically developing peers. There are currently two special education teachers that work with the Burke Scholars, their families and the general education teachers. The Burke Scholars teachers work with the general education teachers to provide modifications, interventions and accommodations to assist in the inclusion and education of the Burke Scholars. The Burke Scholars teachers instruct leveled sections of math and English and provide one-on-one support to students during study hall periods.

One of the evening’s speakers was Chris McDonough, the mother of Senior Burke Scholar Tim McDonough. She shared with the crowd that her biggest fear when her son was young was that he wouldn’t have any friends. Today she says, that fear seems absurd. “Over the last four years it has become almost comical to think that I ever worried about Tim having friends. He literally has hundreds of them. The compassion and brotherhood that he has found at Notre Dame will remain with him long after leaves. Every interaction he has with his peers, his teachers and his coaches are met with inclusion and most importantly respect. Everyone in the Notre Dame community goes out of their way to make those interactions the norm. Every Don matters in this most beautiful, Notre Dame family.”

Then her son Tim stood up. The huge crowd was completely silent, and when Tim finished his remarks by saying, “I have made many great friends who are now my brothers, and will be for life,” they erupted into a standing ovation, many of them moved to tears.

The event’s expenses were underwritten in their entirety by Hoopis Capital Management, a Chicago area agency boasting a number of NDCP Dons. According to Paul Tokarz, NDCP class of 2000 and founding partner of the group, “With five current Hoopis Group advisors from Notre Dame College Prep, we feel an affinity to our alma mater. We know it is our duty and obligation to give back to the institution that allows us to grow professionally today. In thinking of what programs to directly support, we all agreed that the Burke Scholar Program is one of the most special Catholic programs in the state of Illinois! Whenever we are around these students, we are reminded of the unique gifts we all have and to use them in the most positive way.”

Countless others contributed to the success of the evening, and the NDCP Burke Scholars especially thank the Thomas and Christina Grusecki Foundation for their generous support. The Gruseckis have been dedicated to the success of the program since they first learned of it, and were the individuals responsible for the new Burke Scholar classroom at Notre Dame. Leandra Juarez, the Director of the Burke Scholar Program said, "The support of the Grusecki family has been indescribable. From the moment they first came on campus, they understood the important role that our students play in the school community."