CHARLOTTE — Students in seven Catholic schools across the Diocese of Charlotte will receive a total of $76,445 in financial aid from the C. Philip Johnston-Aline W. Kaneer Scholarship Fund, paying all of their tuition for the 2024-’25 academic year.
The fund was created by C. Philip Johnston with $4 million from his estate at his death in 2017.
Johnston was born in Charlotte but lived all over the country before retiring in the Southeast. He attended Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and earned a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958. He worked in the entertainment industry, but when acting work became scarce, he took a “temporary job” working for Conrad Hilton in a new credit card venture called Carte Blanche. He rose to success in the emerging industry and, after reaching the position of senior vice president at a large regional bank in St. Louis, he left to lead a nonprofit organization specializing in consumer credit counseling.
Students from 19 Catholic schools in the diocese are eligible for scholarship awards from the fund.
The Johnston Scholarship follows students throughout their time in schools in the diocese.
The schools that students will attend this year are: Immaculate Heart of Mary School in High Point; Our Lady of the Assumption School in Charlotte; Our Lady of Mercy and St. Leo schools in
Winston-Salem; Sacred Heart School in Salisbury; St. Mark School in Huntersville; and Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville.
The scholarship awarded to each student ranges from $6,000 to $15,350 depending on the tuition cost and need. Each student can continue receiving assistance through the scholarship fund every year for the length of their academic career as long as they remain eligible.
“I first met with Mr. Johnston back in 1989. He made his decision to put this (scholarship) gift in his estate back then,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “He never wavered from that commitment, even though he moved away from the diocese in his later years.”
Kelley noted, “More people like Philip Johnston are recognizing a range of needs in the Church here in western North Carolina – including our Catholic schools, parishes, seminarian education, Catholic Charities and St. Joseph College Seminary – and remembering these ministries in their wills and estates.”
Since 1986, diocesan entities, including parishes, schools and ministries have received 51 gifts of $1 million or more from individuals like Johnston. They typically help fund capital projects or endowments.
— Courtney McLaughlin
CHARLOTTE — Catholic school communities in the Triad and in Asheville are welcoming new principals this fall. Two recent hires and three internal candidates have been tapped to lead St. Pius X in Greensboro, Our Lady of Mercy and St. Leo in Winston-Salem, Bishop McGuinness in Kernersville, and Asheville Catholic School.
Antonette AguileraAntonette Aguilera, the new principal of St. Pius X School in Greensboro, has more than 25 years of teaching experience, from elementary education to post-graduate levels. She began as a third-grade teacher near Los Angeles and has served St. Pius X School as assistant principal since 2018. In addition to her love for children and for teaching, her dedication to education advocacy and law has been a driving force in her career, she says.
“As someone who has been shaped by Catholic education, the mission of Catholic schools resonates deeply,” she adds. “I believe in nurturing in our students a lasting relationship with Christ and an appreciation for the profound beauty of our Gospel teachings.”
Aguilera holds a bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic University, a Juris Doctor degree from Western State University, a Master of Laws from the University of London, and a master’s degree in educational administration from Liberty University.
Callie MooreCallie Moore, the new principal of Our Lady of Mercy School in Winston-Salem, has spent the past nine years teaching and leading the middle school at St. Leo School in Winston-Salem. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from High Point University.
During her time at St. Leo, Moore was named Teacher of the Year for the 2019-’20 school year for her work in developing and executing the digital learning plan for the middle school. Most recently, she served as the assistant principal at St. Leo.
Moore says she feels God has always led her to the place she most needs to be, and He had a strong hand in leading her to this position. With His guidance, Moore says, she is looking forward to a new journey and is excited to see what the future holds at Our Lady of Mercy School.
Katie Nance Katie Nance is the new principal of St. Leo School in Winston-Salem. She has experience as a school administrator and non-profit executive. In her 11 years of management and senior leadership experience, she built and maintained relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
Nance earned her undergraduate degree at High Point University and a master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University. She served as admissions director and director of the lower school at High Point Friends School from 2017 to 2020. She has also served as director of education and programs at the Nido And Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum in High Point.
Nance is a member of various committees such as the High Point Chamber of Commerce and volunteers as a lector and greeter at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in High Point.
Melissa StuartMelissa Stuart, the new principal of Asheville Catholic School, will be familiar to the school community – having taught and served as assistant principal from 2022 to earlier this year. She joined the school in 2021 as a fourth-grade teacher, following 17 years of service in Miami-Dade County Schools. Throughout her career she taught upper elementary classes with a focus on reading development and a specialization in writing. She served as a lead teacher, instructional coach, and in 2016, was named a Florida High Impact Teacher.
Stuart first became an assistant principal in 2016 after earning a master’s degree in educational leadership. She worked in administration for three years before moving to Asheville with her family. Stuart attended Catholic school as a child and says her own Catholic education and experience in the classroom inform her leadership approach. She prioritizes having students find joy in learning and fulfillment in being living examples of Christ’s love.
Claire WillisClaire Willis assumed the role of principal of Bishop McGuinness High School in Kernersville in June 2024, with her predecessor, Dr. Jared Rashford, becoming president of the school. Willis most recently served as the assistant schools superintendent for the Diocese of Baton Rouge and has 10 years of experience as a Catholic school administrator.
Willis is a certified education leader and education specialist in gifted education and holds a master’s degree in education from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree in business administration from Louisiana State University-Shreveport, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Louisiana State University.
After spending every summer in the North Carolina mountains since childhood, Willis and her family moved from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to fulfill their dream of making North Carolina home. She says she is excited to be a part of the Bishop McGuinness community and its mission to form the faith, character and intellect of young men and women.
— Annie Ferguson