Cas and Joanne Jakubik and Esther Delgado Larocco

Union Catholic Hall of Fame

Class of 2025

Educators

As part of Union Catholic's preparation for its Class of 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, we are rolling out profiles on each member who will be enshrined on October 3rd at the Shackamaxon Country Club in Scotch Plains.

In the spotlight today are Cas and Joanne Jakubik and Esther Delgado Larocco. 

Esther Delgado Larocco

Esther Lilliam Delgado was born in La Habana (Havana), Cuba. To escape the new communist regime, Esther’s parents sent Esther and her brother, Raul, to the United States through the Peter Pan Project.  This project is a program that, from 1960 to 1962, safely relocated thousands of Cuban children to live with family, foster families, or in boarding schools. At age 11, Esther and Raúl arrived in the United States through the Peter Pan Project and were welcomed by an uncle in Long Island.  

After several moves, Esther finally settled in New Jersey.  Thanks to a scholarship, she enrolled as a Sophomore at Union Catholic Girls High School in 1965.  In 1966, Esther’s parents and younger siblings were reunited with her when they arrived in the United States. Esther graduated Union Catholic in 1968 and pursued higher education, earning her bachelor's degree from Montclair State University. She then moved to California, where she earned a teaching credential and a master's degree from California State University, Chico. 

Esther became the first bilingual certified teacher at Chico Unified School District, pioneering bilingual education programs.  In 1984, she joined the university faculty as an adjunct instructor and later earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis.  She became a full-time, tenured professor and served as coordinator of the bilingual teacher preparation program and the Liberal Studies program.  Throughout her tenure, Esther received numerous awards and honors for her dedication to education.  

After retiring in 2014, she continued working at the university, writing grants to support students pursuing bilingual teaching careers. Currently, Esther is co-authoring a handbook of instructional strategies to support English Learners. 

Esther met her husband, Terry, in Chico, California, and they have been married for over 50 years.  Together, they have four children and eight wonderful grandchildren.  After more than 40 years in Chico, Esther and Terry moved to Santa Rosa, California, three years ago.

Cas and Joanne Jakubik

Cas and Joanne Jakubik have dedicated nearly 45 years to shaping young lives as teachers, counselors, advisors, advocates, and life coaches.

Their journey began in the classroom as teachers, Cas at Marist High School and Joanne at Our Lady of Mercy in Jersey City.  While teaching full-time, both pursued and earned advanced degrees in counseling. Together, they co-founded the first Hudson County High School Fair, an invaluable resource for students and parents exploring educational opportunities within the Newark Archdiocese.  The fair continues to serve the community more than 40 years later. 

Joanne spent two years at Union Catholic Girls School before joining the Union County Regional High School District, where she served for over 27 years.  Rising to the role of district director, she earned numerous honors for her leadership and impact. Cas began as a counselor at Marist before transitioning to the public sector, where he worked in Summit for seven years and Westfield for two decades.  During this time, he completed his doctorate and served as adjunct faculty at St. John’s, Kean, and Seton Hall Universities.

In 2005, following long and meaningful careers in public education, Cas and Joanne “retired”,  only to return to Union Catholic’s counseling team, where they served for another 16 years. They officially retired in 2021, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a dynamic team.Married for 58 years, the Jakubiks recently relocated to Bucks County, Pennsylvania to be closer to their son Jeff, their daughter-in-law Karyn, and their beloved grandchildren, Audrey and Josh.  The family is joyfully anticipating Audrey’s upcoming wedding to her fiance, Kalil, in 2026.

The deadline to RSVP for the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is Sept. 19

For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here