The Roche Center
Whole Child Education Team

Melodie is the Executive Director of the Roche Center for Catholic Education and faculty member for the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Prior to coming to Boston College, Melodie served as an assistant professor and academic director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program for the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame. She also has served as president of Nativity Jesuit Academy in Milwaukee, WI and director of mission effectiveness for the NativityMiguel Network of Schools in Washington, DC. Melodie's current research and scholarship focuses on urban Catholic education, system-level leadership, effective governance practices, character formation across networks of schools, and the intersection of immigration and education. Her published work includes Cultivating Talent: Examining Pathways to Increase the Presence of Hispanic Teachers and Leaders in Catholic Schools (2022), Seven Steps to Strategic Planning for Catholic School Leaders (2020), and Responding to the Call for Educational Justice: Transformative Catholic-Led Initiatives in Urban Education (2018). Melodie has a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and master's degrees in educational administration from Marquette University and education from Mount Mary College.

Molly serves as Director of Leadership Programs at the Roche Center. Previously, she has served as both an elementary and middle school educator, and has held several teacher-leader positions in the Catholic schools she served. She was an assistant principal and principal for 12 years. As principal for nine years in the Chelmsford Public Schools in Massachusetts, she was instrumental in facilitating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) effectively across all elementary schools. Further, she helped to research, build, and implement a Social-Emotional Behavioral Therapeutic Program for the district. Molly completed her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Boston College, where she also served as a clinical supervisor of student teachers while completing her degree and an administrative internship in the Boston Public Schools. Her dissertation was in urban parent engagement. Her passions include the impact of leadership on school communities and the importance of SEL for positive school climate and overall well-being of students.

Prior to joining the Roche Center, John served as executive director of Operational Vitality for the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA), where he oversaw the organization's programs related to communications, marketing, budgeting and finance, technology management, and digital learning and discipleship. He also served as the assistant superintendent for academic excellence and budget supervision for the 32 Catholic schools in the state of South Carolina. John has a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California.

Victoria is a Master’s candidate for a MA Theology & Ministry/ Master’s of Social Work (MSW) dual degree. She received her BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology / BA in Spanish from Johns Hopkins University and has worked full-time in public health research and epidemiology for five years. Most recently, Victoria completed a year of ministry with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, where she provided case management and spiritual support group services for seniors, the unhoused, traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors, and survivors of intimate partner violence through a Catholic, community based hospital. Victoria’s research interests focus on adapting Ignatian spirituality for use in mental health care, particularly to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma throughout the lifespan.