Name: Grace Coffey DeMoss

Graduated: 2006

Graduated from: I went to Cathedral High School and then Saint Mary’s College. Go Belles!

Where do you live now: After college, I came back to Indianapolis and live on the north side of the city.

What have you been up to since STA: After leaving St. Thomas, I went to Cathedral, where I met some of my closest friends. While in high school, I was lucky enough to experience traveling abroad. I went to England and France with a group called People to People, and when I came back from my trip, I knew that I needed to continue traveling. When I looked at colleges, I wanted to find a school that would both prepare me to be a good educator and provide me with quality study abroad opportunities. Saint Mary’s fit the bill, so I went to college there, where I studied abroad in Rome during the fall semester of my sophomore year. Going to Saint Mary’s was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. While in college, I found a summer job as a camp counselor at Camp Tecumseh. I absolutely loved working there, and I met some incredible people, including Noah DeMoss, the man who is now my husband. After graduating from Saint Mary’s, I became a teacher, first at Franklin Central High School on the south side of the city, and now I’m an English teacher at Brebeuf Jesuit here on the north side.

Family: My parents, Pat and Tom Coffey, are both parishioners at St. Thomas, and my siblings, Anne, Michael, and Patrick Coffey are spread around throughout the Midwest. My husband, Noah, and I got married in October at St. Thomas. He is an accountant—he spends his time counting while I spend my time reading. I like to think we balance each other out quite well!

What is your favorite STA memory:  This is a tough one…so I’m going to cheat and pick two.  One of my favorites was when we were in seventh grade. We went to Camp Tecumseh, and I absolutely loved this experience. It inspired me to return to work there when I was in college.  Another favorite is from sixth grade when we had a talent show in which all of the girls in my class danced, with my teacher, Tara Land, to a horribly ‘90s song. It was wonderful.

What do you like to do in your spare time:  I enjoy reading, doing yoga, and baking. I would be lying if I didn’t say I also enjoy watching TV, but my goal this year is to read more books!

What words of advice would you offer a current STA student: Listen to your teachers! They work hard to shape you into good people, and if you pay attention to them, you’ll learn much more than just the lessons they teach you in class.