When someone says they are going to school for elementary education, it generally isn’t expected that they will be working for a publishing company. However that is exactly where Aquinas alumna Joellyn Cicciarelli ’87 ended up.

Cicciarelli grew up hearing endless stories about her father’s time at Aquinas. “He always talked fondly of his Aquinas experience,” she said, “and had remained connected to the campus through Alumni events.” In addition to her familial ties to the school, Cicciarelli felt at home at Aquinas after visiting in high school. Her tour was warm and welcoming, as were the people, many of whom shared with her the same Catholic values of the College.

Cicciarelli was very involved during her time at Aquinas. She was a cheerleader during her first year, and as the time went on, Cicciarelli moved on to extracurricular activities that required a bit more responsibility. She was a Resident Assistant in Regina during her final two years at Aquinas, and was also a member of the Advisory Board, giving campus tours and calling prospective students. “Think I was drawn to the activity,” she said, “because of the great experience I first had in high school.”

After graduating from Aquinas in 1987, Cicciarelli did what she had initially set out to do: she taught. She began in Coldwater, Michigan teaching physical education and second grade. After a few years she moved to Downers Grove, Illinois where she taught third grade for a year, after which she moved to Santa Ana, California to teach in a fourth/fifth grade combination classroom. It was in California, after seven years of teaching, that she began her career in publishing.

Cicciarelli started as a staff editor for Creative Teaching Press in Huntington Beach, California, where she worked for two years as an editor for Mister Rogers. Together they did a six book series called “Grow and Learn with Mister Rogers.” “I am grateful every day for the time I spent working on that series,” she said. “I learned so much about writing for and helping caregivers and teachers of young children, and I loved being part of the ‘neighborhood’ for a little while.”

Returning to the Midwest in 1996, Cicciarelli continued her career in educational publishing by working as a writer, editor, managing editor, and development consultant for various curriculum publishers like McGraw-Hill and Scott Foresman. In 2004 she was asked by Robert-Leslie publishing to author the InvestiGator Club Prekindergarten Learning System, which is still implemented nationwide in public and private schools, as well as Head Start programs.

From 2002 to 2008 Cicciarelli worked with Loyola Press as a consultant leading product development innovation sessions. “I was drawn by their sense of Jesuit mission and their dedication to quality, integrity, and innovation,” she said. “Loyola Press was eager to provide the finest learning materials to children in grades PreK to 8, and it was my pleasure to help.” In 2008 she became the Director of Curricula Development, where she led editorial, design, and production teams that worked on developing award-winning curricula for faith formation, grammar, and writing, for PreK-8th grades. In March 2015, Cicciarelli was named Vice President of New Product Development where she oversees both the curricula and trade departments.

“Every day,” Cicciarelli said, “I get to find new and exciting ways to help children know that they are loved and lovable, to understand that they have a spiritual life that can be developed, to grow in ways that can bring them inner peace and joy, and to bring them into a life of service to others. I work for a company that takes its mission seriously in bringing the Good News to kids - in ways that are engaging, creative, accessible, and effective.”

Cicciarelli and Loyola Press recently have received national attention for their program for religious education for children with special needs. The “Adaptive Finding God” program provides a hands on religious learning experience for children with special needs either in a variety of settings ranging from one-on-one attention to full group settings. Cicciarelli recently attended a conference at the Vatican on Autism Spectrum Disorders where the “Adaptive Finding God” program was featured for creating appropriate religious education materials for special needs children. The conference ended in an audience with Pope Francis I where he blessed attendees and families with children with autism. Loyola Press recently published Pope Francis I’s first two books, for which the company also received national attention.

Cicciarelli is thankful for her time at Aquinas because it has taught her many skills she still uses today. “Because of Aquinas, I can instill in others the values of faith, learning, and service - in very tangible ways. My Aquinas education directly influenced my ability to build products for learning that deepen children’s relationships with Jesus and inspire children to become ‘people for others,’ people who work to make the world a better place.”