Mrs. Josephine Gandolfo became Archbishop Carroll’s campus minister this year in addition to becoming a freshman theology teacher and a moderator for the school’s Community Service Corps.
Mrs. Gandolfo has a master’s degree in theology and has been teaching for 25 years. Among the schools where she worked was Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in Pennsauken, N.J., and the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova. She served in the campus ministry in both places.
Mrs. Gandolfo said knew she wanted to be a teacher since her youth, and that she loved and admired her second and third-grade teachers in particular. Having six brothers, Gandolfo said she “took the lead” in her family.
Among the reasons Mrs. Gandolfo said she chose Carroll was because she was familiar with the school and “… always liked the community feel,” which is something that called to mind her high school alma mater.
“Carroll reminds me of my high school experience at Cardinal Dougherty,” she said.
Another reason Mrs. Gandolfo gave for choosing Carroll was the school’s Catholic core values.
“I knew this was a school that celebrated their faith,” Mrs. Gandolfo said.
Mrs. Gandolfo said she hopes to enlarge the campus ministry team, including any interested juniors and seniors. Her goal is to have the team equivalent to student council in terms of leadership, ”to have faith leaders as well as student body leaders.”
Following her first marking period at Carroll, Mrs. Gandolfo spoke highly of the school.
“I love it,” she said. “I love the kids. I think the faculty and staff are great. I am really enjoying my time here. I have a seventh grader and would absolutely send him here.”
Mrs. Gandolfo seems to have made a good impression on one of her freshman students.
“She is really nice,” said Nick Mastripolito. “I like her traditional teaching style.”
