Mrs. Katie Dufala graduated from Villa Maria Academy in 1998. Together with her husband Greg, they have four children together. Mrs. Dufala currently works as an accountant with a focus on tax preparation in addition to serving on the Villa Maria Cathedral Preparatory Catholic School System School Board.
“The best part of my Villa experience was definitely the friendships that I made,” Mrs. Dufala said. “I still remember all of the friends that I made through swimming. Sports Day was also my favorite day every year.”
Mrs. Dufala comes from a long line of both Cathedral Prep and Villa graduates.
“My decision to attend Villa was not really a choice,” Mrs. Dufala said. “My grandmother went to Villa, and my dad was one of 13 kids in his family to go to either Prep or Villa. I also had multiple cousins that went to both Prep and Villa. It was a family tradition to go to Prep or Villa. I did not really mind being forced to go to Villa because it is where I wanted to go anyways.”
Like most Prep or Villa alumni will say, Mrs. Dufala completely agrees that her high school education was instrumental in her success in her life afterwards.
“Villa helped me prepare for life after high school in so many different ways,” Mrs. Dufala said, “I still remember how one class in particular was so incredibly difficult. It was a joint English Literature and History class. I am actually very grateful that I stuck through that class because it taught me how I need to be self-motivated and work outside of the classroom, both of which are important skills to have in college.”
Villa taught Mrs. Dufala more than just baseline education. Her time at Vila instilled in her core values that she still carries to this day.
“My time at Villa taught me how important it is to support fellow women in the workforce,” Mrs. Dufala said/ “There was just this bond between all the women at Villa that I still wish I could experience again today. This is part of the reason that I think so many people sent generation after generation to Prep or Villa. That bond that you get from the sisterhood or brotherhood is just fantastic to be a part of.”
Mrs. Dufala currently works as an accountant. Her path to becoming an accountant is not straightforward, but she is glad that she ended up where she did.
“I did not really plan on being an accountant when I was in college,” Mrs. Dufala said. “I actually graduated with a degree in History. After college, I started to work as a receptionist for an accounting firm. Over the years, I learned enough about accounting to where they hired me to be an accountant. I currently work part time because I have four kids to take care of, and being an accountant allows me to do that. If I was not in this field, I would not be able to manage my family, which is why I am glad to be an accountant.”
Mrs. Dufala also donates her time to serve on the Cathedral Prep School Board.
“I never really planned on serving on the school board,” Mrs. Dufala said. “I got a call one day asking if I would be interested in a spot. After thinking about it for some time, I decided that it would be important to have a Villa alumni present on the school board during the merger. I wanted to make sure that Villa was represented fairly and continued on after the consolidation was complete.”
Finally, Mrs. Dufala has some advice for any current students at Prep.
“Choosing to go to Prep will prove to be one of the most important and beneficial decisions of your life,” Mrs. Dufala said. “When you graduate, you will be a part of a wide alumni network that will connect you with opportunities to succeed. Always make sure to look out for other Prep or Villa alumni. We always look out for each other.”
