Marian High School’s CASA Helps Chaldean Students Achieve

Faustina Husayno, Genna Jonna, Claudine Denha Tella, Roseann Karana, Gabby Mekani, and Danielle Denha

By Cal Abbo

Since the first Chaldeans arrived in Detroit, they have emphasized the importance of education and worked hard to provide that for their families. Nowadays, the community sees the fruit of those sacrifices in metro Detroit’s most prestigious Catholic high schools, like Marian.

Marian High School’s Chaldean population is nearly 30%. As the all-girls Catholic school rises in popularity among Chaldeans, its connection with our community has become deep and inextricable.

Many students, for example, were inspired to attend Marian by their mothers who went there a generation earlier. Genna Jonna, who will graduate in 2023, is one of those students. She said she ended up at Marian because of her mother’s testimony.

“The Chaldean culture at Marian is amazing,” Genna said. “It helps you create friendships and relationships with people that will be involved in your life for a long time.”

Genna plays many leadership roles at her school: she’s the treasurer of National Honors Society, she’s the vice president of the political discussion club, and she’s on the board of Marian’s CASA club, which stands for Chaldean American Student Association. CASA has chapters throughout Southeast Michigan at several high schools and colleges. Marian’s club is just one year old and has grown to extreme popularity among Chaldean and non-Chaldean students.

Roseann Karana founded CASA’s club last December. “I wanted to get all the Chaldeans at Marian united,” she said. “CASA is a way for us to come together and talk with each other, especially people we don’t see every day at school.”

CASA Officers Lourdes Koza (secretary), Sophia Shamoun (PR historian), Roseann Karana (president), Genna Jonna (treasurer).

Roseann and the other Chaldean students seem to share similar concerns about their culture. The language and culture are dying out, they say, and we have to preserve it. “My parents came here so I could have something good,” Roseann added. “The best way for us to maintain our heritage is by staying close and connected with each other.”

Claudine Denha Tella has taught at Marian for 16 years. She’s played a huge part in attracting and retaining Chaldean students as well as preserving a cultural element as girls come and go. “Family values are a part of our culture and faith,” she said. “These are just things we take with us.”

Claudine sees Marian as a continuation of these values. At times, however, Marian students and teachers who aren’t familiar with Chaldean culture can have trouble understanding where Chaldean students are coming from. This is where Claudine shines as the only Chaldean staff, serving as a liaison between the school and Chaldean students.

Claudine got married just last year and invited a few faculty to her wedding. Some of the teachers, who are all non-Chaldean, were nervous yet excited to go to their first Chaldean wedding. So, they asked students what happened at Chaldean weddings.

One of the teachers was in Genna’s study hall. “My friend and I showed her the Bagiya,” she said. “We taught her the steps. Then we demonstrated for the entire class. And everyone in the study hall learned it.”

This shared cultural experience helps foster community at Marian. When teachers learn about our culture, they can relate to students better; and when students share their culture, they gain confidence and a grand perspective on the importance of their identity as it relates to their larger community in Detroit.

Claudine’s family story is one shared by many Chaldeans, but she sees a key difference between her generation and the one she teaches. The younger generation has a plethora of opportunity compared to her growing up because of the hard work put in by their parents and the Chaldean community in general. “They take advantage of those opportunities, and that’s something really positive,” she said.

“My dad came here when he was 19 or 20 and had probably 15 dollars in his pocket,” Claudine said. “He worked until he started owning his own businesses. At 12 years old I started going to the store once a week and I started learning about business. It taught me a great work ethic.”

Opportunity presents itself in many forms. Marian’s Chaldean students owe it to the generation that came before them as well as the high school itself. Many of them have taken every opportunity that comes their way.

Faustina Husaynu, who is a senior at Marian, is one of those girls. Faustina is half-Chaldean, which means she represents an interesting cultural mix at school and in the community. Still, she embraces her Chaldean culture and uses it to make connections with others. She attributes her religiosity to her grandmother, who taught her family the meaning of Christianity and the Chaldean Church.

“My dad came here to provide opportunities for me,” she said. “It wouldn’t be smart to not take advantage and get the fullest education.”

Faustina attended Shrine for grade school. “There were two other Chaldeans in my grade, and they were half, like me,” she said. “That connection was so special … Finding people with strict parents and who know what dolma is.”

At Marian, Faustina met many more Chaldean girls that she quickly became close with. “The first thing I did at Marian is go to the field hockey camp,” she said, “I didn’t know anyone. That’s how I made my first friends here and my friendships throughout the years.”

Faustina Husaynu served as co-captain of Marian’s field hockey team.

Faustina’s last season in field hockey has come to an end, but not without a dramatic climax. At the beginning of the year, her coach asked her to be co-captain – cementing her legacy as a leader in women’s athletics.

While she proved herself on the field, Faustina also excelled in academics. “I want to go to Boston College,” she said, adding that she wants to go into psychology. “I feel like college is a good chance to go away from home and experience new things. I will definitely miss my family.”

Other girls, like senior Gabby Mekani, want to stay closer to home for college. Thankfully, Michigan has excellent options for higher education that are relatively local. Gabby wants to attend the University of Michigan for film.

“UofM is the number four school in the country for film,” she said. “My dad went there, and my brother goes there so I already have connections.”

Gabby said she’s always been creative. “I’ve been acting since I was 7 or 8 years old and I’ve been singing for the same amount of time,” she said. “I really enjoy making things and telling a story.”

Eventually, Gabby wants to become a director. She’s already written and directed a short film – called “The View from a Bathroom Mirror”. She entered it into the Michigan Thespian Festival and earned a special designation called a superior.

In addition to her ventures in the worlds of theatre and film, Gabby has begun writing a novel, she’s the secretary of Marian’s National Honors Society, and sings in Melodies, the honors choir.

Even while many of these students plan to attend college and become professionals, others are inspired by their parents and want to follow directly in their footsteps.

Danielle Denha, who will graduate in 2025, said she’s not sure where she wants to go to school. “I want to own my own business and be an entrepreneur,” she said.

Danielle’s path was inspired by her father, who brings her around his work. Because of him, she wants to be her own boss and understands the value of hard work. “We should never expect anything to be handed to us,” she said. “We have to work hard to achieve a goal.”

This attitude is something that Marian cultivates in all of its students, and the Chaldeans have taken it to heart. “What I love about Marian is that we foster our mission,” Claudine said. “Strong women of heart and mind.”