St. Joan Antida High School President Marikris Coryell cuts the ribbon to officially open the Burke ROAR Center while standing with donors from The Burke Foundation, Catholic Financial Life, Kapur, Inc., the Dalum family and the Hilbert family. (Photo courtesy of St. Joan Antida sophomore Touie Sow)
St. Joan Antida High School’s new collaborative learning center, the Burke ROAR Center, opened in time for the end of the school year. This cutting-edge facility provides students with a space to collaborate and engage in a curriculum based upon career pathways that prepares them for success in the workforce and beyond.
The Burke ROAR Center, named after lead donor and SJA partner The Burke Foundation, is designed to support SJA’s mission of empowering young women to achieve their full potential. The Milwaukee high school’s new center features state-of-the-art technology, flexible learning spaces, a student-run café, and a variety of resources to help students explore and pursue their passions and career goals.
More than 100 donors, alumnae, friends and partners gathered in the Burke ROAR Center to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony and witness the blessing of the space by Fr. Tim Kitzke of Three Holy Women Parish.
With the Burke ROAR Center, SJA is taking a bold step forward in empowering young women to pursue their dreams and achieve success. This new facility will offer students the opportunity to learn about a range of careers in business, engineering and health sciences. Students will be able to take part in job training, mentoring and other experiential learning opportunities that will provide them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing job market.
“We are thrilled to open the Burke ROAR Center and provide our students with a world-class learning environment that supports their academic and career goals,” said Marikris Coryell, President of St. Joan Antida High School. “Our mission is to empower young women to achieve their full potential, and the Burke ROAR Center will play a vital role in helping us fulfill that mission.”
The Burke ROAR Center is sponsored in part by additional generous donors: The Dalum Family, a memorial gift in honor of Marion Fitzpatrick, Catholic Financial Life, SJA Alumna Phyllis Piano, Kapur and Associates, the Biel Family, the RA Stevens Foundation, the Hilbert Family, and Marikris and Eric Coryell.
The Burke ROAR Center will be a hub of innovation and collaboration, and will serve as a model for other schools and organizations looking to prepare young people for success in the 21st century. SJA is committed to providing students with a comprehensive education that prepares them for college and career success, and the Burke ROAR Center is a key part of that effort.
