Bishop Carroll Alumni and Current Students at John Paul II Manor
The medical field is a growing industry in our area, and current BC students and alumni are finding their niche, and doing so with the faith and values instilled at Bishop Carroll. There are currently several alumni and current students working and volunteering at the John Paul II Manor in Cresson, a personal care home run by the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart, including current students Emma (BC 2026) and Chloe (BC 2028) Gailey, Rebecca Tubo (2019), Taylor Clark (2016), Mary Golden (2024), and Nicole (2021) and Colleen (2024) Barnett.
Emma Gailey has been involved at the JP II Manor for several years, after her religion teacher at All Saints Catholic School asked if she was interested. She helps in the kitchen serving food, clearing tables, and giving the residents snacks. She says that her time at Bishop Carroll has helped train her with a good work ethic and working together as a team. She said that the best part of the job for her is seeing the joy and happiness in the residents on a daily basis.
Taylor Clark has a long history with the Manor. Her mother worked there, and she ran into HR Director Kathy Tubo one day at the store. Kathy explained they were hiring and Taylor felt the call to take on a second job there in patient care, assisting with bathing, dressing, transferring to and from surfaces, and other requirements. She said, “It is amazing to be able to be an example of Jesus and assist those who need it, while allowing them to participate and keep their faith.” She believes that BC prepared her for this work by teaching her to always be a good example and help those in need. This has also helped nourish her own faith. Of her work, Taylor added, “I get the joys of taking care of those that have gotten to a point where they are unable to participate in daily life independently while still getting to be as independent as possible.
Rebecca Tubo became involved with John Paul II Manor through her mother, the HR Director. After high school, Rebecca knew she wanted to go to PTA school. This job allowed her to get experience working in the medical field and enhances her knowledge of the field. At the manor, she is involved in Care Aid. She is grateful for the opportunity to be able to help the older adult population with anything they need. She said, “It also allows me to follow the work of Jesus Christ.” Rebecca said that BC taught her how to have a strong work ethic and high professionalism. She truly enjoys her work, adding, “I get to help individuals who lived a harder life especially during the Great Depression. I get to help those who truly lived a faithful life. I have learned the importance of helping those who truly need assistance. These individuals worked hard their entire life and it is important that I help them with whatever they need.”
The work of our students does not go unnoticed. BC Guidance Counselor Mrs. Laverick, whose mother Ida Simmers was a resident at the Manor, said, “Seeing the Bishop Carroll students working so closely with your parent is so rewarding. They are using the kindness, comfort tools and values that were instilled in them.”
Mother Mary Joseph Calore, SSCJ, Administrator of the Manor commented, “Here at John Paul II Manor, a number of Bishop Carroll students and alumni are providing compassionate care to older adults whose days thy brighten and bless. Thank you to parent and parochial partnerships that are forming such beautiful people of faith and service!”
John Paul II Manor is hiring! Anyone who is interested in working in a Catholic medical environment should reach out to the Manor through their website at http://www.johnpaul2manor.org/.
Katie (Nagy) Ouri, 2008
2008 BC graduate Katie (Nagy) Ouri is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, currently working as a Senior Clinical Director for The Helm ABA in Allen, Texas. A BCBA is a graduate-level professional in behavior analysis who is able to practice independently and provide supervision to BCaBAs and RBTs. Katie acquired her MS in Adapted Physical Activity from Slippery Rock University, graduate courses through the Florida Institute of Technology, and then 2000 hours of field practicum at Grafton Integrated Health Network in Winchester, Virginia.
Katie’s work is with children and families of children with autism, focusing on increasing communication and other necessary skills and decrease problem behaviors. She oversees the entire clinic, both clinically and operationally. She is the supervisor for a team of BCBAs, who complete assessment, parent interviews and training, and program implementation. Katie adds, “It’s a pretty complex field, but to the naked eye if you tour the clinic it just looks like adults playing with kids. Children learn best through play!”
Katie said the road to her profession was a windy one. Her undergrad degree at SRU was in dance. She then combined her love for that with her degree in Adapted Physical Activity to work primarily with those with autism. She spent her internship teaching creative movement to children at a school outside of Raleigh, NC. When she was applying for jobs, most places required a BCBA. It became clear to her that she needed to acquire this certification. Through family, she was able to begin a job in Winchester, VA as a therapist while completing her courses. She worked with everyone from early childhood through adulthood in residential settings, private schools, homes, clinics, and the community. Eventually, she gravitated towards leadership roles in the field.
Katie explained, “I not only enjoyed working with children and families but also mentoring staff and, believe it or not, I really enjoy the business side of my job. I not only get to improve the lives of the children and families, but also the lives of my employees.” She also adds, “We have a saying at our company that we change lives every day. It’s a bold statement but it’s the truth. When all a parent wants is to have their child be able to ask for what they want and you are able to make that happen, whether with vocal speech, sign language or an AAC device, there is no better feeling.”
Katie truly enjoys seeing the progress in the children. The growth that the children have is remarkable to both her and the parents. She commented, “To me, anything is possible. It just may take some creative thinking and approaches to get there. As a leader, I am able to motivate and coach my staff so that they are able to provide quality services to more and more children, to be able to help reach goals like I’ve mentioned. Not all of my entry level employees will become BCBA’s, or even stay in this field. But my hope is that they grow as humans, both personally and professionally, during their time working with me.”
She says that the job is difficult but worth it. There is no predictability from day to day. Her advice to those who are considering the field is, “If you want to play with the best kids and help them achieve independence in their day to day life, check out ABA! There are other entry level positions from which you can grow to other jobs. Be prepared to go where the need is the greatest.”
Katie values the time that she had at Bishop Carroll and how the school helped put her on the right path. She said, “The one thing that was instilled in me at BC was that nothing is impossible. If you have a goal that you want to achieve, the BC community is there to support you every step of the way. You also have to have faith that God has a plan, and sometimes that includes taking a risk and diving into a field that your family and friends know absolutely nothing about, but you know that God has brought you to it for a reason. Take advantage of the opportunities presented to you at BC and continue those through your life!”
Katie currently lives in Allen, Texas with her husband, Hussam, a football coach at SMU, and their dog, Otis.
Megan (Freidhof) Light, 2019
Megan (Freidhof) Light’s journey to Occupational Therapy began at Bishop Carroll. Taking AP Biology and Anatomy with Ms. Carlisle opened her up to this amazing career. She was able to job shadow and knew that she wanted to work a job that would allow her to help others with their everyday tasks.
Megan is currently employed as an OT at a skilled nursing facility, and her job includes assessments of patient needs, creating goals, and working with the patients on their tasks. She achieved a Master’s Degree in OT from Saint Francis University and became Board Certified in order to have this job.
Her career in OT means so much to Megan. She said, “I feel blessed to have a caring nature that I can use to help my patients reach their goals of being more independent and have a better quality of life. I enjoy interacting with older clients and listening to their stories and words of wisdom as I work with them to help them increase their independence. I had the opportunity to spend time helping my grandmother in her later years, and I know how much independence meant to her, and I think she would be proud of me for the career I chose.”
Megan said that Occupational Therapists have a holistic perspective, focusing on adapting the environment and task to fit the person. The field is broad but the approach remains the same to help individuals stay healthy and independent in their everyday tasks, regardless of age.
She advises all current BC students that if a career in health care interests them they should consider job shadowing OT in a few different settings, because there are many different directions that career can take. The program involves a great deal of hard work and dedication. She adds, “There were many late nights studying for exams and writing papers. The Saint Francis OT Department supported me throughout my learning course and prepared me well for beginning my career.”
Megan is grateful for the start she had at Bishop Carroll. “Going to Bishop Carroll prepared me well for this career path and life in many ways. The dual enrollment classes and the dedicated teachers helped me to get to where I am today. Each class at BC gave me a great base of knowledge that I needed for my degree. Attending Bishop Carroll also strengthened my faith, which I use to guide me through all aspects of life.”
Megan and her husband Gage live in Roaring Spring with their dog Cooper.
Nik Sukinos, 2015
2015 BC graduate Nik Sukinos is making his mark on the world in a couple ways. He is currently working as a RN on a Palliative Care / Medial Surgical unit, tending to a variety of patients dealing with acute and chronic illnesses as well as patients at the end of life providing hospice care.
After high school, Nik switched majors a couple times, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2019. His great-uncle, who he was close to, was also battling cancer at that time and Nik began taking care of him. It was during that time that he felt called towards a career in nursing. He entered the program at Mount Aloysius, earned his degree, and has been working in the field for 3 years.
He says the work he does is very rewarding. “Being able to help patients and their families navigate some of their most challenging times is something that I truly enjoy. Each day presented its own unique challenges but with positivity and kindness you truly can make a difference as a nurse and that is my favorite part of the job.”
Nik advices current students interested in nursing to spend time shadowing and learning the different aspects of the job. He also says to take advantage of the science classes and college curriculum offered at BC.
On the side, he and 2014 graduate Marcus Lee are active in running. He has completed 9 ultramarathons, 5 of which have been 100 miles. He has done runs to raise money for charities. He says he does these things because of the physical and mental benefits it provides.
He is truly grateful for his time at BC, adding, “BC played an integral role in helping me shape my faith in God and provided me with guiding principles for life. From the phenomenal teacher to lifelong friends, Bishop Carroll was filled with many great people who helped me become the person I am today. BC fostered an environment filled with kindness and these are traits I strive to live on a daily basis.