Listening to Our Past: What We Carry Forward
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“You’re not doing this for yourself or for your paycheck,” she told Mo and Natalie. “You’re doing this to help kids in need.”
Sr. Virginia remembered developing the Coding Method: “It wasn’t sitting down and writing a system. It was teaching and experiencing it.”
Sr. Philomena, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday spoke about another lesson that continues today: families have to be part of the work. Family involvement was key so children could practice communicating at home with parents.
Today, teachers have new digital tools to coach families, but the core partnership remains unchanged. Technology will continue to evolve, and DePaul School will continue to grow. The Sisters’ advice, however, was wonderfully simple: love the children, know them, and keep working until you find a way to reach them.
Mo and Natalie went to Caritas Christi to listen to DePaul School’s past. They came home knowing a little more about what they are being asked to carry forward.
Speaking to the Future: No Limits!
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Juliet entered DePaul School’s preschool program as a quiet child. Today, she is a thriving kindergartener who is talking, reading, singing, and learning to advocate for herself. One moment last spring showed Annie just how far she had come. After Annie spoke from across the room, Juliet replied, “Come closer, Mom. I can’t hear you.”
For Annie, that sentence meant more than simply being heard. “You want her to be able to speak, but you want her to be able to advocate for herself,” she said. “And that’s also what she’s learning here.”
Today, Annie shares one piece of advice for families starting a similar journey: “Don’t put any limits on what you think your child can accomplish.”
At the beginning, Annie could only imagine what her daughter’s future might look like. Now, Juliet is starting to answer that question for herself.
A Perfect Foundation: From DePaul to the Airwaves
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Grant is studying Sports Media and Information at Duquesne University with plans to become a professional sports broadcaster. He began calling games in high school and has since announced approximately 100 matchups. This year, he will continue broadcasting for OLSH while calling Duquesne soccer and volleyball games on ESPN+. In 2026, he received the Myron Cope Award for best high school play-by-play announcer.
Grant still remembers music class, his teachers, and learning how to manage his hearing aids - knowledge that proved vital when he transitioned to a school where he was the only student wearing them.
“DePaul gave me a good understanding of how to manage my hearing situation,” Grant said. When classmates asked questions, he knew how to answer. “DePaul taught me about my hearing aids so much that I could convey that to others despite my young age.”
Grant knows receiving early Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) education gave him skills he now relies on every time he steps behind a microphone. “I am very fortunate to have received [LSL education] at the young age that I did because it allowed me to be able to speak well,” he said. “Without that, I’d have no chance of being a sports broadcaster.”
When asked what he would title his DePaul story, Grant had an answer ready: “A Perfect Foundation.”
At 18 months old, Grant couldn’t have known where that foundation would take him. Now, as he builds a career in sports broadcasting, he hasn’t forgotten where it started.