‘Angels’ Praised at Futures in Education Annual Gala; At Least $1.5M Raised
FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Angels are real; just ask Michaela Phillips, an eighth grader at Divine Mercy Catholic Academy in Ozone Park.
Michaela is a natural storyteller, judging by how she mesmerized 850 adults in the grand ballroom at Cipriani Wall Street on April 28 during the Futures in Education’s Annual Scholarship Fund Dinner.
Michaela told the audience about a seventh-grader at her school who had been enrolled there since she was 3, thanks to the love of her parents, Michael and Laura, who wanted a Christ-based education for her. But then her dad became ill with debilitating diseases, and medical bills depleted the family’s bank accounts.
While the girl’s Catholic education began to seem impossible, she was more concerned about her dad, an Air Force veteran who made multiple overseas deployments during the Global War on Terror.
“She was losing her best friend and her hero,” Michaela said. “What would happen to her dad, let alone her dreams?”
Michaela explained that Divine Mercy’s principal, Sister Francis Marie Wystepek, asked Futures in Education, which covers tuition for approximately 3,000 students in Catholic schools and academies in the Diocese of Brooklyn, if an “angel” could help the girl’s family.
The Angels program connects benefactors directly with families who need help with tuition and are facing difficult circumstances.
Michaela said that a match was made for the girl before sharing one more detail.
“That young girl was, and is, me,” she told the delighted audience. “My Catholic education is important to me because it helps me grow spiritually and shows me what it means to be a part of a loving community.”
Michaela, who enjoys reading, language arts, and writing, will graduate from DMCA this year and is on track to be part of the Class of 2030 at St. Francis Preparatory High School in Fresh Meadows.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you all enough,” she said, “not only for funding my education, but for funding the hundreds of other children in need.
“I’m also elated to share that my father is doing better than he was last year. He is stable and has only been in the hospital twice since Christmas.”
John Notaro, executive director for Futures in Education, told The Tablet at the evening’s close that the staff was still crunching numbers, but early reports indicated the total would exceed $1.5 million.
Currents News anchor Christine Persichette was this year’s master of ceremonies, and Bishop Robert Brennan gave the invocation and helped recognize this year’s honorees.
Also attending were Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros, and priests and religious sisters from throughout the diocese.
The evening’s spirited Angel Auction, handled by auctioneer Howie Schwartz, raised $254,099 from attendees.
This year, four honorees were recognized for their steadfast commitments to funding Catholic education:
- Frank La Salla, president, CEO, and director for Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation.
- Rocco Papandrea, managing director and international wealth advisor, Merrill Wealth Management Bank of America, and his wife, Danielle Papandrea, managing director, Merrill Wealth Management Bank of America.
- Joseph Sciame, vice president of community relations (emeritus), St. John’s University, and a trustee for Futures in Education.
