Holy Family University Claims Eight Lindback Awards
Seven alumni are honored for teaching excellence and one current student is recognized for distinguished leadership
Eight Holy Family University alumni and students are among this year’s recipients of the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award, one of the Philadelphia School District’s most respected honors for educational excellence.
The annual award recognizes teachers and instructional leaders who demonstrate innovation in the classroom, strong ties to their school communities, and a lasting impact on students. Each recipient receives $3,500. The eight honorees bring Holy Family’s five-year total of Lindback recipients to 35—a testament to the University’s School of Education and the caliber of teachers it produces. A current Holy Family student claimed the Distinguished Principal Award.
The teaching honorees are Marita Anderson ’98, M’04 (John Moffet School), Nicole Campagna M’07 (Anne Frank Elementary School), Susan Del Rossi ’12 (Henry A. Brown School), Kimberly Hensel M’01 (Gloria Casarez Elementary School), Brittany Luroe ’13, M’19 (Ethan Allen School), Evelyn Pomales M’11, M’20 (Solomon Solis-Cohen School), and Stephanie Ryan ’12, M’24 (Watson Comly School).
Vance Quitman-McNear, principal at Edwin Forrest School in the Mayfair neighborhood, received the Distinguished Principal Award. Quitman-McNear is currently completing his Letter of Superintendent Eligibility at Holy Family and will begin his Ed.D. at the University this fall.
For many recipients, the recognition came as a genuine surprise.
"I was surprised upon first hearing it, and then excited and so immensely grateful," said Campagna, a first-grade teacher who earned her Master of Science degree from Holy Family through the University’s reading specialist program and now teaches at Anne Frank Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia.
"The reading specialist program at Holy Family helped change my perspective to really look into understanding how my students were learning to read," she said. "I am continuously striving to improve my teaching and often use strategies and techniques learned at Holy Family."
Hensel, who earned her Master of Science in Education degree from Holy Family, is a Title I reading specialist at Gloria Casarez Elementary School in the Kensington neighborhood.
"I truly love my job and do it out of a firm belief that, with a strong educational foundation, my students can achieve absolutely anything they desire," said Hensel. "Knowing that my colleagues recognized my daily dedication as distinguished practice is an incredible honor."
Ryan, who earned her bachelor’s degree and her Master of Education degree at Holy Family, provides autism support for grades three through five at Watson Comly School in the Somerton neighborhood and also serves as an adjunct instructor in Holy Family’s School of Education.
It reaffirmed my commitment to my students and validated the hard work I put into creating a nurturing and effective learning environment," she said.
Ryan said her graduate studies emphasized not just instructional technique but also "empathy, patience, and cultural responsiveness—qualities essential for working with diverse learners."
Anderson, who also earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Holy Family, is in her 26th year teaching fourth grade at John Moffet School in Olde Kensington.
"I had amazing professors that prepared me for the reality of the classroom," Anderson said. "My Holy Family education introduced me to diverse instructional strategies and taught me how to establish clear expectations, build rapport with diverse students, and create a safe, supportive classroom culture."