English – Leo High School

Osvaldo Carnalla

Mr. Carnalla is a native South Sider—born and raised in the neighborhood of Marquette Park. A proud Hancock College Prep graduate, Mr. Carnalla spent his last four years in Boston where he attended Brandeis University. In his studies, he focused on English, Spanish, and Education, all subjects that intertwined to his identity as a first generation man. During his time at Brandeis, Mr. Carnalla worked as teacher assistants for both middle-school and high-school ELA classes. Mr. Carnalla was able to graduate early from Brandeis in the winter of 2024, where he then spent 7 months working with special education kids. This is what pushed him to seek out opportunities in teaching—where he stumbled on Leo High School and has proudly been serving since.

Catherine Sedun

Ms. Sedun teaches Freshmen English at Leo. In 2001, she received a full athletic scholarship to row crew at the University of Notre Dame, which is how she discovered the friendly Midwest, since she is originally from Portland, Oregon. After graduating from ND in 2005 with a degree in English and a teaching degree, she moved to Florida to both teach and start a high school rowing program. Then, she moved to Philadelphia, PA, where she taught and coached at an all-girls high school for 4 years. She earned a Master’s of Science in Higher Education Administration from Northwestern in 2013, where she was also a rowing coach for the university’s club team. She worked in Admissions at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine, and then decided to take a break from education for six years, where she managed women-owned restaurants in Chicago’s vibrant hospitality industry. She moved to Indianapolis and started teaching again in the Indianapolis public school system. But she missed Chicago, and moved back in 2025, and found Leo. In addition to teaching here, she is also the Head Coach for St. Ignatius College Prep’s rowing team.

Samantha Alvarado

Samantha Alvarado has been in education serving as an English teacher, Department Chair, and Principal since 2007. She is from Chicago and has always worked with students on Chicago’s South Side. She had Masters in English as well as Educational Leadership. She has three biological children and more than 2000 babies (most are adults now!) who walked through her classroom doors.

Daniel Ridges

Mr. Ridges teaches freshman theology, sophomore English, and journalism at Leo High School. Raised in the St. Jane de Chantal parish in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood, and a member of Quigley South’s (now St. Rita) second to last graduating class, he is a product of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s elementary and high schools. A 20+ year veteran of Illinois public schools, Mr. Ridges brings his passion for teaching and his diverse and storied experience to the students at Leo every day. He and his wife have been married for over 20 years, and they have four children.

Titus Redmond

Mr. Redmond brings 25 years of experience and commitment to Catholic education to Leo’s English department. A former basketball standout at Gordon Tech High School (now DePaul Prep), Mr. Redmond holds a BS in computer science and is pursuing a Master’s degree in the art of teaching. A father of four, Mr. Redmond has been an athletic director, an admissions director and a dean of students in addition to classroom teaching. He lists reading, politics, public speaking and “research for new knowledge” among his interests. His students have gone on to attend some of the nation’s top universities, including Dartmouth, Northwestern, Marquette and Michigan State.