Science Department Prepares for a Future Without its Cornerstone

If Mrs. Cate Majka ever needed a reminder of how long she worked at Saint Viator, she only had to ask the Campus Ministry Department. She was involved in the very first Kairos retreat in 1993, and students recently attended Kairos 100.

Mrs. Majka began her teaching career in 1990 at Saint Viator and retired after 35 years in the Science Department. Over those years, she taught all levels of Physics, Physical Science, PhyChem, Earth Science, and Astronomy. She had been at Saint Viator so long that in her final years, she was teaching the children of her former students.

“I could have retired years ago,” Mrs. Majka once said, “but it was always the kids that had me coming back each year.”

That was because she also got to know students outside the classroom. Not only was she an adult leader on the first six Kairos retreats, but she also served as senior class moderator for 12 years and helped plan their proms.

Mrs. Majka was involved in the Querbes Scholars Program from its inception and served as homeroom teacher for several classes of scholars. With its emphasis on enrichment and fostering a lifelong love of learning, Mrs. Majka organized memorable trips.

“We had some great Querbes trips to Chicago—to the opera, concerts, boat tours, the gangster tour, Botanic Gardens, Fermi Lab, and Argonne National Laboratory, to name a few,” she recalled. “I have great memories from those trips.”

One of her favorite excursions was bringing Querbes Scholars to the Experimental Aviation Association’s AirVenture show in Oshkosh, held each July.

“We would go for the day,” she said. “In the morning, students would earn service hours volunteering at KidVenture, and then they would have time to enjoy the 1,800 acres of aviation activities and the daily air show.”

In her later years at Saint Viator, Mrs. Majka served as moderator of the SADD Club (Students Against Destructive Decisions). She took pride in watching its members grow into responsible, caring young adults over their four years in the club.

Fittingly, that is how her colleagues in the Science Department described her: as a friend, mentor, and leader.

Ms. Cheryl Dispensa called Mrs. Majka her “carbon copy,” saying, “She took me under her wing when I started five years ago, and we became good friends. She will definitely be missed by our students, but I will miss her welcome at 6:15 a.m. every morning even more.”

Mrs. Shirley Dias described her as “very knowledgeable and always coming up with creative ideas to share her knowledge with her students with patience.”

Mrs. Gina Horne added, “It takes a truly remarkable person to inspire students and make physics come alive for more than three decades.”

Mrs. Jen Ruege noted that Mrs. Majka was willing to help any student, anytime, anywhere: “Cate was fiercely funny, loyal, hardworking, and loving—everything you would want in an educator.”

Mrs. Rachel Mroz was another teacher who credited Mrs. Majka with welcoming her and helping her feel at home: “One of the reasons I decided to join Saint Viator was because of the longevity of its Science Department. Cate was the cornerstone of the department and of Saint Viator High School.”

Finally, Mrs. Paula Nicolau, Department Chair, described Mrs. Majka as a key member of the Science Department: “She taught whatever class we needed taught and willingly shared her knowledge with other teachers. No one was more dedicated to their students than Cate.”