Staff Spotlight: Wendy Lynn

In the first of a multiple-part series, we'd like to introduce Wendy Lynn as the first profile for our 

"Staff Spotlight"! 

1. Where did you grow up? 

I grew up on Chicago's northwest side. 

2. Where did you go to school-high school, college, grad school? 

 I attended: Alvernia High School (’69) which closed in 1989. Alvernia was an all-girls’ Catholic high school run by the School Sisters of St. Francis.St. Xavier University (’85), B.A. business Administration

University of Illinois at Chicago (’07), MBA, concentration in accounting and finance.

3. Did you know you’ve always wanted to work in the field you’re in now? What drew you to the MKC?

While in high school, I wanted to work in Catholic education. Life took me in another direction where I had to go to work instead of college. I had a successful career in business for 39 years, mostly in human resources. My work required that I feel comfortable in strategic planning, law, finance, and accounting as well as human resources, so I operated as a general manager in my last corporate position as Vice President of Benefits Consulting for an insurance company in Chicago.

In 2008, I learned that Maria High School was conducting a search for a new president, and I decided to apply for the position.  I hoped that my business background could help another single gender Catholic high school remain open. The many challenges that existed at Maria proved to be too great for us to succeed financially. So the Sisters of St. Casimir and the Maria High School leadership convened a think tank to bring life back to the complex on California Avenue and Marquette Road. Our best opportunity for a financially viable school was one that was publicly funded. We found a partner in Catalyst Network of Charter Schools which embodies an ethos that could point back to many of the world religions, especially the Catholic religion: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Catalyst – Maria opened in our beloved Maria High School in September 2012. When fully deployed, Catalyst will have 1100 scholars in grades K-12 for both genders.

The think tank also envisioned a Catholic Community Center which would operate in the former Maria High School convent, providing wrap around services to the school and to families in the community. It would also be a place for the St. Casimir Academy and Maria High School alumnae relations to take a foothold. So in the summer of 2012, we created a new think tank that would focus on the mission and vision of this Community Center.

Since the center was living out the mission of the Sisters of St. Casimir in a new way, we thought that the name Maria Kaupas Center, after the foundress of the Sisters of St. Casimir, would be a fitting name. 

4. What is your favorite thing about the Maria Kaupas Center? 

My favorite thing about the MKC is the people: the people who work here, the people who volunteer here, and the people who come here to share in our faith life: the students, the alums, and the people from the community.

5. What is your favorite food? 

Hmm, favorite food. It’s so hard to pick only one. I’ll say my father-in-law’s chili recipe. It’s not too spicy, and I think of him whenever we make it.

   

      6. What is your favorite book? Why?

     I have many favorite books. One that I just read is “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”. It is a story of Christopher, a 15-year old boy with Asperger's syndrome (a type of autism), who finds his neighbor’s dog “murdered”. I liked the book because it was poignant, at times funny, and gave insight to how Christopher perceived the world and relationships. His life is turned upside down and he has to figure out how to cope with the new information. A quick and engaging read.

A special thanks to Wendy for taking time to answer these questions!