School News

Freshman Heritage Day A Different Way

Each year in September, 9th-grade students traditionally travel to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary Community Center in Villa Maria, Pennsylvania for Freshman Heritage Day. The retreat at the Villa has become a hallmark of orienting first-year students to the rich history and heritage of Magnificat’s founding congregation. For the safety of the HM Sisters and Magnificat students, visiting the Villa was not an option this year, and so, for the first time, Magnificat’s Freshman Heritage activities took place on campus. While the Sisters and the historic Villa land and farm are irreplaceable, the Mission Department developed a safe and creative alternative that still enabled new students to feel a deeper connection to the HM mission and legacy. Throughout the first several weeks of school, VP of Mission Katie Higgins ’99 and VP of Mission Emerita Sr. Helen Jean Novy, HM presented to each freshman theology class about the foundation and history of the HM Sisters. Following the presentations, the first “Mini Freshman Heritage Days” took place over the course of four days in October, with a virtual option offered in November for any students who were streaming their classes last semester. Students cycled through a three-part rotation with their Advisory groups—the small cohorts of 10-16 students of which every student is a member during her four years at Magnificat. The rotation included a prayer service in the Lourdes Chapel where students wrote letters to read their senior year and received the “Learn” pendants that are traditionally distributed during the Freshman Family Mass. The next stop in the rotation was to plant bulbs throughout the school grounds while also learning about the HM land ethic and Magnificat’s commitment to care for creation. Since gardening was a new realm for many students, it was a fun, sometimes funny, and meaningful community-building experience for many Advisories. Eleanor Mitchell ’24 said, “I am so grateful to the Magnificat community for continuing to create a memorable Freshman Heritage Day, especially through the challenges 2020 has brought. One activity I particularly loved was planting a bulb in Magnificat’s front yard. It was a great way to build connections with my classmates, and seeing the flowers bloom in the spring will give us a pleasant memory from such a trying time.” Students also participated in a scavenger hunt throughout Magnificat’s building and outdoor spaces to learn more about the significance of many campus spaces that pay homage to the HM Congregation. Reflecting on the scavenger hunt, Katy Gus ’24 said, “It was a really meaningful experience to learn about the women who founded Magnificat while bonding with my Advisory and discovering various parts of the school with an intriguing history such as the HM Center and the math wing.” The activities were bookended with a socially-distanced prayer service in the Performing Arts Center where students received a single red rose to foreshadow the tradition of the 12 red roses each Magnificat graduate carries at commencement, along with a packet of seeds for families to plant at home in honor of the day.

Members of the Class of 2024 learn about the history of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary from VP of Mission Katie Higgins ’99 before planting bulbs in front of the Hilliard Boulevard sign.

Theme for the 2020-2021 School Year: We Belong to Each Other

Inspired by the Catholic Social Teaching theme of solidarity and a philosophy of St. Mother Teresa, the theme We Belong to Each Other was selected for the school year as a call to remember our interconnectedness and our responsibility to one another. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the echoing calls for racial justice in our world and communities, this theme has brought our community closer together as we contemplate how we are called to live Mary’s Magnificat in our daily life. As the school year began, all students were invited to reflect on the notion of solidarity and write a short message of affirmation to their fellow classmates that would remind us that we belong to each other throughout the year. In her mission reflection at the beginning of the school year, Vice President of Mission Katie Higgins ’99 wrote, “As human beings created by God in relationship and called to relationship, the Catholic Social Teaching principle of solidarity asserts that we are responsible for one another; that we are called to care for and love one another as God has and continues to love and care for us...Such solidarity is demanding. It is more than a passing thought of concern for another. It requires attentiveness to the needs of others as named by them. It involves a feeling with others in experiences of suffering and joy and everything in between. It necessitates a willingness to sacrifice personally and communally for the common good. It translates into loving action, humbly recognizing that everything we do ripples out to the whole because we do belong to each other.”

In July and August, Magnificat engaged Equius Group, LLC to conduct listening sessions with 170 faculty, staff, board members, students, parents, alumnae, and friends following a racist social media incident involving students that occurred last school year. The goal of the sessions was to address concerns and to assess the current state of Magnificat related to diversity, equity, and identify opportunities and hopes for the future. The full report of the listening sessions can be found on Magnificat’s website, and its findings will inform the school’s ongoing efforts toward greater equity, inclusion, and racial justice within our community and the larger world. These efforts include the search for a Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion which is now underway, along with the formation of an Anti-Racism Task Force that will advise the Leadership Team and Board of Directors in this important ongoing work that is so critical to Magnificat’s Mission.

Top: An example of the messages of affirmation written by students. Bottom: A collection of affirmation messages in the Marian Commons serves as a reminder of the school year’s theme, "We belong to each other."

Listening Session Findings will Guide Racial Justice Efforts Moving Forward

Genesis Continues Despite Pandemic

Due to the challenges of the pandemic, many members of the Class of 2021 had to tweak or develop a new approach to Genesis—the 40-hour internship that involves shadowing a professional in the student’s field of interest. While Genesis used to take place at the end of senior year, now students typically complete the experiential learning project during the summer before their senior year so the experience can inform their college discernment process. This year’s senior class was given the option to complete a traditional Genesis project—if they could do so safely—or pursue a project-based experience. Challenge gave way to opportunity, and Genesis Coordinator Ms. Josie Miller ’13 shared that this year’s projects have been more varied than ever before, with many students innovating unique alternatives to their initial plans, including the projects highlighted below. Mira Kabbara ’21 developed an interest in nutrition after learning about how multifaceted the field is from a friend who is a nutritionist. For Genesis, Mira shadowed Registered Dietician Julie Wise of University Hospitals where she was able to sit in on both in-person and virtual appointments with clients. Mira was surprised to learn that many dieticians have a strict no-dieting approach to creating nutrition plans when working with their clients to create a healthy lifestyle. Mira also discovered that many dieticians pursue specialities and subspecialties, and that career opportunities within the discipline are vast and varied. "During my Genesis Project, I was able to dive deeper into the field of Dietetics and Nutrition in order to truly understand the meaning and the true essence of the profession. Through my experience, I found the passion and love I have for the field and my strong desire to pursue it as a career." Mia Bilardo ’21 took the project-based approach to her Genesis experience by starting her own business—Mia’s Upcycled Denim. She sewed, painted, and cut thrifted clothes to give them a second life for interested buyers. The goal of her business model was to create an alternative to ’fast fashion’—an industry that has received growing scrutiny for its exploitative practices. Mia consulted a designer, researched best practices for pricing, and got the store up and running via the app Depop. "Throughout this process, I learned how to problem-solve and I experienced first hand what it’s like to run a business. So far, I have sold more than $100 worth of clothes and have donated 40% to a local Black-owned clothing company," she said. “I went into my Genesis experience with no clear vision for my future, and I came out with a passion for architecture and design,” says Cat Hunt ’21. She completed a two-week internship with Schill Architecture where she visited homes the firm had designed and learned the skills necessary for drawing up both interior and exterior blueprints. Using Sketchup Software, Cat not only developed blueprints for her own unique design, but she was able to create a three-dimensional digital version of the home, pictured right. She looks forward to pursuing her newlyfound passion at the collegiate level, and is grateful to the Genesis experience for informing the direction of her future career.

Mira Kabbara

Mia Bilardo

Cat Hunt

Senior Makes Important Contributions to Work of Local Human Rights Organization

When Mariana Ramos-Andujar ’21 was ten years old, she and her family moved to the United States from Puerto Rico to pursue career and educational opportunities not previously available to them. When it came time to select a project for her Agape Experiment during junior Theology, Mariana’s experience as a child trying to learn English inspired her to find an opportunity to support immigrants and refugees adjusting to life in the United States. When her initial plan to tutor young children did not pan out due to her school schedule, Ms. Caitlin LynchHuggins ’01 connected Mariana with Sofia Fontanez ’17 who had similar aspirations for her Agape Experiment. Sofia encouraged Mariana to apply for an internship with the InterReligious Taskforce on Central America (IRTF), a Cleveland organization founded in 1980 to promote human rights and social justice in Latin America. The pandemic prevented Mariana from volunteering with IRTF before the end of the 2019-2020 school year, but she was given the opportunity to join their team as an intern over the summer. Although she was working full time and taking College Credit Plus courses, Mariana said yes. During her internship, she focused primarily on immigration rights and organizing the efforts of IRTF’s rapid response network, which supports those seeking asylum in the United States due to threatening conditions in their home countries. And, on June 18, Mariana was asked to write the organization’s official response to the Supreme Court ruling that preserved the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Reflecting on the experience of writing the statement, Mariana said, “It was important to me that I lift up the voices of those who were impacted by the decision instead of trying to be a voice for them myself.” Her colleagues were impressed by her thoughtful, well-written response and the statement was emailed to all IRTF constituents the day after the ruling. And, Mariana’s mother was so proud of her work that the statement now hangs in a frame in their family home. Mariana says that the internship has inspired her to pursue political science and psychology at the college level next year, and she has aspirations to eventually become an immigration lawyer. She says, “The experience not only educated me and opened my eyes to what is really going on, but it helped build my confidence in what I can do to have an impact and make change.”

Mariana Ramos-Andujar

Junior Art Student’s Tiny House Earns a Spot in Ohio EPA’s National Recycling Day Celebration

Since Oakley Cekada ’22 was a young child, relatives and teachers have told her that she has a gift for art and design. At the age of five, she began building with her dad, and when she was twelve she took to building small houses for local cat shelters as a project for Girl Scouts. Throughout her childhood, Oakley also experimented with drawing, writing poetry, and writing and playing music. “I’ve just always loved being really creative and showing emotions through pieces and stories,” she said as she reflected on what draws her to pursue art in both her freetime and in the classroom. Since coming to Magnificat, Oakley has broadened her portfolio to include clay and metal work and now a tiny house that sits outside of her family’s rural home. In March of 2020, Oakley grew more interested in the scaleddown simple lifestyle of “van life,” a trend that has gained popularity across the country during the pandemic. In July, her interest led to action when she started to develop blueprints for a tiny house where she and her friends could spend time together. Once the design process was complete, she gathered leftover materials from past house-flipping projects that her family had completed along with used materials from her grandparents’ tree farm, and she started to build. During the fall semester, Oakley was taking Mrs. Debbie Barlow’s Studio Art 2 course, and she often attended virtual class from the tiny house to share progress with her classmates. When Mrs. Barlow received word about the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s recycled art competition, she posted the information in her Google Classroom encouraging students to participate. Oakley’s tiny house was selected as one of the most unique concepts and, thus, was featured in a video the agency released in celebration of National Recycling Day on November 15. This was the first year Magnificat participated in the competition, as it was previously limited to students within the Columbus area; due the pandemic, the Ohio EPA was inspired to expand to a state-wide event, which will continue in the coming years. As part of the school’s efforts as a U.S.

Department of Education Green Ribbon School, many student art projects involve recycled materials, and

Magnificat plans to participate in the contest each year moving forward.

Although the winter months have put the project on hold for now, Oakley plans to continue adding to the house soon as the weather allows. Insulation and heating are next on her list so she and her friends can enjoy the space year round, but she will not be using electricity from her home because “that would be too easy.”

Among the many skills and lessons gained from the designbuild process, she says one of the most significant learnings has been that the obstacles and mistakes pushed her to expand her creativity and, “actually made the project better in the end.” In remarking about Oakley’s natural instincts for art and the breadth of her talent, Mrs. Barlow called Oakley a “renaissance person.” “The intention, creativity, and work she put into the house, along with the physics, math, engineering, and aesthetic talent that it required—all of these things make a true artist, and she is.”

Oakley intends to continue expanding her knowledge and skills related to art and design at Magnificat, and she plans to pursue the discipline at the college level. The Magnificat Community is certainly proud of her many accomplishments thus far, and looks forward to seeing what the future will bring!

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Senior Film Actor to Star in Fairmount by Ride Home Films

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Scholastic Art Awards

Congratulations to the following students for their achievements in this year’s Scholastic Art Awards Competition! A virtual ceremony and exhibition to honor the awardees took place on Saturday, January 30.

Oakley Cekada ’22 Honorable Mention

Immaculate Heart of Mary Ceramics & Glass

Katie Lawlor ’21 Honorable Mention

Overthinking Drawing & Illustration

Adriana Schermaier ’21 Honorable Mention

Crashing Waves Jewlery 4

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Katheryne Mooney ’23-Silver Key

Twisted Citrus Photography

Kerry Sponseller ’21 Honorable Mentions

How Do You Act On A Rainy Day? and Walk A Mile Fashion Expanded Projects

Beret Traum ’21

Preschool Pressures Drawing & Illustration Sarah Alison Cooper ’21 has been interested in film since childhood and has been a screen actor for the last four years. An avid soccer player since the age of three, an injury during Sarah’s freshman year meant that she could no longer safely play throughout high school as she had hoped. Instead of allowing her discouragement to take hold, Sarah saw her newly-found free time as an opportunity to pursue her acting aspirations, and she began attending seminars with actors and producers at Cleveland’s Hood School of Acting. Over the last four years, Sarah has been cast in extra and supporting roles, and now, in the lead role of Haley in Fairmount, a film by Jillian Bokatzian and Charlotte Moretti. In the wake of the death of her grandmother, Haley, her brother, and her neighbor embark on a road trip to her grandmother’s hometown of Fairmount, Indiana; intrigue and adventure ensue. Filming took place in Detroit in September and October, with the cast and crew quarantining to ensure the health and safety of all on set. In reflecting on what it was like to star in a film during the pandemic, Sarah says, “From working on Fairmount this past year, I learned that even through the most uncertain times, only I have the power to make the best of any circumstance, and that with hard work and determination, achieving my goals is possible no matter what the situation may be.” Sarah plans to move to attend college in Southern California with the hopes of continuing her career as an actress while also pursuing a degree in physics! Visit ridehomefilms.com to view the trailer of Fairmount, which will premier in select theaters and via streaming services this fall.