Maureen Keller Appel learned early in life that education is a gift. And through all her setbacks and triumphs, she dedicated the rest of her life to instilling that education in others.
Maureen Appel grew up in a loving household in Oyster Bay, NY as the oldest of five siblings. Her mother worked hard on the home front and her father toiled long hours at his job as the Chairman and co-founder of State Bank of Long Island. However, neither were college graduates and did not feel that a college education, especially for a girl, was a necessity. Maureen’s grandmother, however, felt differently. So as Maureen prepared for an uncertain future in her senior year at Holy Child Academy in Old Westbury, NY, her grandmother, Nellie O’Toole, an Irish immigrant, intervened.
“She told me not to listen to my parents. She implored me to go to college.”
It was a seminal moment in Maureen’s life and a historic moment in the Keller Family. Buoyed by this confidence, Maureen dedicated herself to her studies and vowed to continue her education at the next level. Upon graduation, Maureen was accepted to the all-girls Rosemont College in Rosemont, PA. She would be the first person in the Keller Family lineage to attend college!
Maureen continued her relentless pursuit of education. She flourished at Rosemont and developed a passion for classical language, ultimately majoring in English. But she wasn’t done with her studies. From Rosemont, she went on to C.W. Post to pursue her Masters in Education.
“I loved my time in college and post-grad, but as I headed out into the real world, things got a little bumpy.”
Maureen spent a brief stint as a manager in a Friendly’s Restaurant. She then pivoted through a family connection to do some accounting work at Genovese Drugs. But neither job lit her on fire.
“I realized how much I missed the education system.”
After a few years of struggling, Maureen finally returned to the classroom. She received an offer to teach 8th grade English at nearby St. Aidan’s School. She absolutely loved it. But that didn’t mean it was without its challenges.
“I was so naive. On the first day, I put on a beautiful green dress. A few boys placed gum on my chair and I sat right down in the middle of it. I didn’t get up for the rest of the lesson!”
Pranks aside, Maureen spent five wonderful years at the school. But the best part of her life’s journey was about to begin.
“A May-December Romance!”
Maureen was volunteering at a function for widowed spouses when she met Thomas Appel. Thomas was a widower with five children, in addition to five adopted children from a previous marriage. Two of the children were older than Maureen. But it was love at first sight.
“I was young, but sometimes you just know. And I knew.”
After only six months of dating, they were married. The newlyweds made such a unique and compelling couple, their courtship was featured on the nationally televised Phil Donahue Show under the episode title “A May to December Romance”.
“That was a real thrill. I knew we had something special.”
Thomas was a successful land developer which allowed Maureen to stay home and manage the household. But Maureen discovered something during her time away from work.
“I didn’t like it. I missed the schools and wanted to get back out there.”
At roughly the same time, the 1982 recession took a financial toll on Thomas’ real estate ventures. By early 1983, Maureen was actively interviewing to get back in the job market. During her time at St. Aidan’s, many colleagues had encouraged her to move into the administration side of the education system. And, as fate would have it, the Director of Development position opened up her alma mater, Holy Child Academy.
The following years were golden for the Appel Family. Maureen embraced her role at Holy Child and grew personally and professionally. In addition, she hosted a show on local Cable Channel 12 (“Today’s Family”) about modern families in the New York area.
“Tom was always so supportive of my public speaking both in front of the camera and at the school events. He really built up my self-esteem.”
And speaking of family, The Appels added to their own family during these years. Daughter Jaci followed by son Tyler completed the circle.
“It was a precious time.”
But after 11 years at the school, Maureen was ready to take the next step in her career. She had both the educational background and the fundraising skills to run a school. She thought she would spend the rest of her life in New York. But out of the blue, she received a call from Enos Fry, Vice Chairman of Connelly School of the Holy Child’s Board of Trustees in Potomac, Maryland. They were looking for a Head of School. It was a great opportunity for Maureen, but it was also a huge stretch.
“I had never run an entire school before. And, frankly, I had never heard of Potomac, Maryland!”
But she responded to the call and met with Enos at Congressional Country Club shortly thereafter. Maureen could not have been more impressed. The following week she met with Len Ralston, the Chairman of the Board and the Search Committee at Holy Child. A few days later, Maureen received a phone call from Sr. Helen McDonald, S.H.C.J., who offered her the job. She was overjoyed.
“It was fabulous! The education of young women was important to me. And I felt so welcome in this new community.”
But Jaci was now in 7th grade and had her friends and way of life. Tyler was only five years old and just settling into school. Moving the entire family would create upheaval in their lives.
“It was not without its challenges. But every change in life comes with a trade off.”
Amen, Maureen!
In the early summer of 1994, The Appel Family relocated from New York to Potomac, Maryland. It was the best move of their lives.
The (Potomac) Holy Child Years
Maureen and her family moved into a beautiful white house right in the middle of Holy Child’s campus. This was her new home and it was time to get started with her mission. But little did she realize the challenges in front of her.
In one of her first meetings, Maureen realized there was barely enough money in the school budget to make payroll.
“I had never read a bank statement before. That was a real eye-opener. I realized I needed to sharpen my skills and act quickly.”
The first few months were a baptism by fire. But Maureen was comfortable asking for money, having spent eleven years as a Director of Development. She poured her energy into the financial side of the school. She hosted fund-raisers in the community. She went out to the local elementary schools and spread the word about Holy Child. She raised the pay for teachers to attract the best and the brightest. After a couple of years, the school was out of danger and on solid financial ground.
At the same time, the family moved out of the white house on campus to a nearby house right behind the school.
“It was the perfect place to raise the children and host events. Our entire family was part of the Holy Child community. And I will never forget our Sunday dinners at the old house. All of us together.”
With the family secure, Maureen found time for two additional pursuits. First she continued her education at Johns Hopkins, completing a post-Masters Graduate degree in “Adolescents at Risk”.
“As the Head of School at an all-girls high school, I can’t tell you how valuable it was to gain that perspective.”
The second pursuit had an impact on the school that still stands today. Maureen has never been able to hear out of her left ear. As a result of this condition, she had more difficulty learning than most children. It took some major adjustments just to keep up.
“Having gone through that experience, I always had an appreciation for those students who needed more support.”
Inspired by this, Maureen started the Academic Support Center at Holy Child, which has helped hundreds of students adjust and acclimate to a new learning environment.
With the school stabilized and the curriculum in place, it was time to launch a development strategy at Holy Child. With the Board of Directors by her side, Maureen embarked on a $17 million capital campaign to renovate the school and add a major new building to the campus.
It required focus and discipline. But the entire community rallied behind the cause. And the seminal moment came a year later when Maureen and her family travelled to Kerry, Ireland to meet with the Sister Pauline McShain, S.H.C.J. She pledged $500,000 to the campaign and agreed to fulfill her pledge in two payments. That act of generosity provided the final piece to the puzzle. A beautiful new building, Connelly Hall, was built on the spot of the old white house on campus. Mission accomplished!
And as the years rolled on, there were more challenges and triumphs. The community lived through the devastating September 1t1th attacks. They endured 23 harrowing days in October, 2002 when a sniper was on the loose in the Washington, DC area. And the Appel Family continued to grow up and grow together.
The Sunday family dinners continued. Jaci eventually went on to Holy Child ( a shortcut through her backyard) and Tyler to Georgetown Prep High School.
During this whole time, Thomas was a stay-at-home dad. He attended every event, every game, and every meeting at Holy Child Child. He was a fixture in the community. And he continued to support Maureen’s public speaking and leadership. He was her rock.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without him. He was so supportive he and loved Holy Child beyond words.”
But the Appel Family was about to find out how fragile life could be.
A Sudden Tragedy
June 14, 2008 is a day forever ingrained in the hearts of The Appel Family. Maureen had just finished up her fourteenth year at Holy Child. Tyler had just graduated from Georgetown Prep a few weeks before and Jaci was out in the working world.
Thomas Appel played 18 holes at Congressional Country Club that day and still had time for a lesson afterwards. He was tired that evening and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, Thomas suffered a massive brain aneurysm. He never woke up.
It was a shock beyond description to The Appel Family.
“I never imagined my life without him.”
And it was a further shock to the extended Washington, DC community, who showed up in droves to attend the funeral at Holy Trinity Church. All twelve of Thomas’ children were together in one place. The atmosphere was incredible.
“It was the most uplifting service I have ever attended. There was a rock band that played beautiful music and so many people poured their hearts out in support. It was unforgettable.”
And there was one more unforgettable moment. After stirring eulogies from Tyler and two of Thomas’ older sons, Maureen stood up, walked to the front of the church, and delivered an impromptu eulogy.
“It wasn’t in the program. But Tom was always so supportive of my public speaking. A feeling came over me in the moment. I wanted to honor him by making him proud one more time.”
And so she did.
The Appel Family struggled with confusion and grief in the ensuing months. But there was one silver lining.
“It made us all so much closer. We saw how fragile life could be and we appreciated our moments together that much more. To this day, Jaci and Tyler are so close as a result.”
Life marches on and they had to pick up the pieces.
“We carried on but a lot of the fun was gone. Thank goodness for the support of the Holy Child community.”
But after a few years, Maureen didn’t have the same passion. She was out of the big house and living alone in an apartment in nearby Chevy Chase, MD. The technology had changed. Phones and distractions were more prevalent in the classroom. It was time. After 20 years as Head of School at Holy Child, Maureen Appel stepped down.
“I was not sure what I was going to do next. Educational Consulting was certainly an option, but I felt it would be too isolating after the hustle and bustle of running a school. But I knew I just had to keep going.”
A Change of Scenery
In 2014, Maureen moved to the suburbs of Boston to become President of Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts.
“It was cold up there and I didn’t know a soul. But I made it work.”
Maureen loved her new community but it was an adjustment moving from the comfort of Washington, DC. She persevered and made the most of her experience. After two years, she received a surprise call from her nephew. There was an opening at St. Dominic’s School in her old home town of Oyster Bay. It was an opportunity to return to family.
“I was excited to get the call. But I told my nephew that they would never hire a 60-year old to run the school.”
But they did. And Maureen Appel was back home.
“Once I got there, I thought I would never leave. I was positive this was the end of the road.”
But after three years, a lot had changed. Maureen had grown increasingly disillusioned with the Church in the wake of the sex abuse scandals with the clergy in Washington. But fate once again intervened.
In March 2019, she received another out-of-the-blue offer. This time it was from Eddie Quinn, Chairman of the Board at San Miguel School in Silver Spring, MD. She decided to at least hear him out.
San Miguel is an all-boys middle school dedicated to transforming lives for academically and economically disadvantaged Latino youth. Maureen travelled back down to the Washington, DC area and was absolutely blown away by the mission and the purpose of the school.
“Everyone was so gracious. And the faculty was simply amazing.”
But it was the students who ultimately swayed Maureen.
“82% of the students were below the poverty line. But they were perfectly attired and behaved. I left the school in absolute tears. They were a blessing.”
The San Miguel community had transformed Maureen. The fire was back. The Head of School was on the move once again.
A Renewed Passion
Maureen moved back to the Washington, DC area and started at San Miguel on July 1, 2019. It has been a labor of love ever since.
“I now realize you can only ask for money if you have the passion. And I have never been more passionate. I just want to put the boys in the best position.”
Maureen soon came to understand the intense rigor of the program. The school day lasts from 8am to 5pm and the boys are in class from August to June. And reading is a major focus to break the cycle of poverty. The San Miguel boys are required to read 40 books a year!
“The boys appreciate the opportunity so much. They helped me understand that education is a gift.”
And perhaps more importantly, the San Miguel experience has helped renew Maureen’s faith in the Church.
“They won my heart. And I now see God working through them. “
Maureen Appel’s transformation was complete. But nothing can take the place of family.
Now that she is back in the Washington, DC area, Maureen is reunited with her family and has renewed the Sunday evening tradition of dinner with Jaci and Tyler.
“In this frenetic world, it is so important to pick a time to appreciate one another. “
And eleven years after the passing of their father, Jaci and Tyler remain as close as ever.
“Tyler recently got married to a wonderful girl, Emily, and Jaci served as his best man. Imagine that. I am so thankful.”
And there you have it. A resilient journey. A renewed passion. An appreciation for family. And a lifetime dedicated to education.
Maureen Appel’s journey has not been without its struggles. There have been tough decisions, heartbreak, tumultuous moves, and uncertainty. But her resilience has carried her through. And the world is a better-educated and more loving place as a result.
What a gift, indeed!
True resilience and a special lady !
Couldn’t agree more. Class act and doing amazing work with educating our youth.