Inscape - Spring 2017

inscape News from Mother McAuley High School

SUMMER 2017

table of contents n Celebrating Women

Carey Temple Harrington ‘86 Vice President of Institutional Advancement

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n Reunions

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n Alumnae News & Events

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n Advancement Updates

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n School News

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Jennifer Ligda Busk ‘93 Director of Marketing & Communications Peggy Evan Rourke ‘76 Director of Alumnae Relations and Development Maura Moran Vaughan ‘07 Alumnae Relations and Development Assistant

Inscape Magazine is published twice a year by Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Alumnae Relations, Mother McAuley High School, 3737 W. 99th Street, Chicago, IL 60655.

Copyright 2016 Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.

Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written permission.

Design and layout by Karen Culloden Hoey ‘84 Printing by Accurate Printing

President’s Letter This past school year has been one of reflection and rejoicing as we celebrated our 60 years here on 99th Street as Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High – what a tremendous milestone! Since our beginning, the blessings of strong, visionary leadership, great lay and religious educators and deeply supportive and loyal families and alumnae have made McAuley a thriving school and a treasure in the Chicago area and network of Mercy schools.

This issue of Inscape celebrates all the women who have passed through our doors as graduates. You will read about the women of McAuley Hall, members of the Class of 1957, and the accomplishments of so many others who proudly boast of their McAuley education. These are only a few of our 26,500 alumnae who display goodness, discipline, and knowledge in their chosen careers, and in their involvement in Church and community. In their footsteps follow today’s students who carry on our long tradition of excellence with youthful energy and enthusiasm.

In recalling our storied past we are intensely focused on the future of our school. Now we look to our next 60 years and beyond to the succeeding generations of young women we will welcome. Earlier this spring, we launched our first capital campaign in nearly 25 years, Future Ready. It is the school’s largest, most ambitious, and most important fundraising in 60 years and will bring critical enhancements to our campus and program.

(You can read about specifics of the campaign on page 30.)

Even more exciting is that having been blessed by the goodwill and generosity of several donors, Phase I of our Future Ready upgrades will be completed this summer. This includes changes to the school’s Circle Drive entrance, relocation of the main and administrative offices, and the transformation of the current Student Lounge into a Student Commons, where students can gather to collaborate on projects, relax, enjoy a refreshment at the Mac Café or browse the new Macs Ltd. retail kiosk.

Just as our world is changing, so are the demands on our young people we are sending forth into it. Our means to educate students of today to become the leaders of tomorrow must adapt to the needs of the times. Catherine McAuley, Sr. Agatha O’Brien, Sr. Francis Xavier Warde and so many other were pioneers and visionaries of their time. Now is our time. Now is our turn. Future Ready allows us to remain resolute in our mission and relevant in educating women who are gifted, capable and altruistic.

It is an exciting time for us! I encourage you to visit our website to learn more about the campaign and all the amazing things happening on our campus. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.

In Mercy,

Mary Acker Klingenbeger ‘75

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Celebrating Women Six Women Inducted into the McAuley Hall of Honor The Mother McAuley/Saint Xavier Academy Alumnae Association inducted six women into the McAuley Hall of Honor on Sunday, April 30. Alumnae, friends and supporters of the school joined in the festivities which were held at the school. Established in 2013, McAuley Hall is a permanent installation at the school, serving to educate and inspire current and future students and all who visit the school.

Inductees into the Hall were chosen from more than 100 nominations. This year’s honorees are alumnae Kathy Wendt Sudeikis ’64, Marita Carey Sullivan ’65, Kathy Napleton Roche ’68, Dr. Bernadette Ryan ’76, Renée Popovits ’82 and former faculty member Jean Morman Unsworth.

Fr. Marty O’Donovan began the day with Mass for the guests, which was followed by the induction ceremony led by school president, Mary Acker Mary Klingenberger ’75. Afterwards, the celebration continued with a champagne brunch in the student lounge.

“The success of this year’s honorees has been far reaching, and truly inspires greatness,” said Klingenberger in her remarks.

“Whether is it furthering the ministry of Catholic education, or producing groundbreaking work in the arts, science, legal, travel

Kathy Roche Napleton ’68 4

or finance fields, they have channeled their gifts, knowledge, experience and compassion into roles and outcomes that have bettered their workplace, community, or the world. They exemplify the lifetime advantage of a Mother McAuley education.”

During their acceptance remarks, many of the honorees shared how their McAuley education was infused with opportunities to not only develop their knowledge, but confidence and compassion.

“Being at an all-girls school helped us grow into strong and confident women as the world advanced in welcoming women into the halls of business, government and family life,” said Kathy Wendt Sudeikis ‘64.

“I learned the accounting trade in college, but I became an educated woman, learning to appreciate art, music and literature at McAuley,” said Marita Carey Sullivan ’65.

“The Mercy nuns instilled in us an obligation to aid those in need, to make a difference in someone’s life no matter how small the gesture just as Catherine McAuley did,” said Kathy Roche Napleton ’68.

Renée Popovits ’82

Dr. Bernadette Ryan ’76

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2017 McAuley Hall Inductees Kathy Roche Napleton ’68 is a former educator who embodies the values and vision of Catherine McAuley. Kathy is an advocate for Catholic grade school education and support services. As a family volunteer and philanthropist, she has devoted countless hours supporting local organizations and parishes, including Circle of Friends, The Illinois Club for Catholic Women, and several Catholic high schools in the Chicago area.

Renée Popovits ’82, a nationally-recognized thought leader, strategist and policy advocate in the behavioral health field, is founder and principal attorney of the law firm, Popovits Law Group. She lectures extensively on ethics, parity, confidentiality and managed care issues. She serves on the boards and committees of several organizations, including the Catholic Charities Legal Advisory Committee and the Illinois Opioid Crisis Response Advisory Council. Francis Cardinal George awarded her with the Compassion in Action award. Renée is currently working on a book describing her watercolor paintings.

Dr. Bernadette Ryan ’76 is an accomplished scientist, business owner and author. In 2000, she cofounded, Experimur, a company dedicated to conducting research for the development and safety evaluation of pharmaceutical and biotechnology-based medicines. During the company’s 2007 expansion, Bernadette oversaw the design and construction of the 54,000 square foot state-of-the-art research facility and labs. Bernadette also is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.

Marita Carey Sullivan ’65 is the former Chief Executive Officer and remains Chairman of the Board of JMG Financial Group Ltd., an independent wealth management firm. In 2008 and 2009 Marita was named as one of The 50 Distinguished Women in Wealth Management

by Wealth Management Magazine. She is a member of The Chicago Network and Illinois CPA Society. Marita serves on the Board of Almost Home Kids, a charity that provides transitional care to children with complicated health needs.

Kathy Wendt Sudeikis ’64 has been a leader in the travel industry for more than 45 years. She has served as president and CEO of The American Society of Travel Agents, earning her induction into its Hall of Fame and the honor of being named Travel Agent of the Year. Since 2004, Travel + Leisure magazine has named her a Top Travel Agent. Kathy appears in Travel Agent Magazine as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Travel. In 2015, Kathy was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Travel Weekly Magazine.

Jean Morman Unsworth is a renowned artist, lecturer, author and founder of the Mother McAuley art department. She also is professor emerita of fine arts at Loyola University. Her extensive portfolio of media includes sculptures, stained glass, fabric, photography, paints, drawing and metal. Most recently she endowed the Jean Morman Unsworth Art Expressways Gallery at Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA). The inaugural exhibition in September 2016 featured original works

by McAuley students.

Full bios on the 2017 McAuley Hall inductees and a video highlighting them can be seen on our website, www.mothermcauley.org/mcauleyhall.

Kathy Wendt Sudeikis ’64

Marita Carey Sullivan ’65

Jean Morman Unsworth 5

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“The simplest and most practical lesson I know . . . is to resolve to be good today but better tomorrow.”

– C ath e rine M Aule y c

Marion McFarland, SXA ‘55, Celeste Konecky Turk ‘61 and Joan Caresio Grassman ‘61

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Kate O’Malley ‘82 and Sheila O’Neil Whalen ‘82

Kathy Wendt Sudeikis ‘64 is greeted by a guest.

Roxanne Marino, Marita Carey Sullivan ‘65, Patricia Glynn Mrozek ‘65 and Barb Scully DeBerge ‘68

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Hopkins Sisters This is the second in our series on Sister Stories. If you know of sisters you would like to see profiled in Inscape, please contact Maura Vaughan at mvaughan@mothermcauley.org.

Only two years apart by birth, one might think the sibling rivalry to be fierce among the Hopkins sisters – Dyamone ’12, De’Nye ’14 and Deyja ’16. On the contrary, these three alumna are carving their paths to success fully supported and embraced by one another. Their sisterhood encapsulates more than genetics.

They are bonded by their McAuley experience.

Dyamone ’12 has a passion for acting and life in the theatre.

She recently accepted a job as an assistant stage manager with a company in Chicago and says her interest in theatre began at McAuley.

“I saw my first show during my freshmen year, when I attended the school-sponsored theatre trip to New York City,” she says.

That experience, and Mrs. Haynes and Mrs. Thomas, really put the theatre bug in me.”

Her sophomore year Dyamone was a member of the ensemble cast for the school production of “Oklahoma”. Junior year she played a nun and her senior year scored one of the lead roles in “42nd Street”, where she played the role of Maggie Jones.

Dyamone’s experience with the McAuley theatre program led her to pursue a theatre degree in college. As a student at Dennison University, she participated in three main stage productions.

Her senior year, she studied with the National Theatre Institute at the Eugene O’Neil Theater Center. The opportunity allowed her to travel to London.

“We were on the go from 7am to 10pm and got to see several west end productions,” she says. “That experience solidified for me what theater is professionally and how to become an artist.”

She recently completed a program, Spring Board, in New York City. “It’s designed to help close the gap between college and becoming a theater artist in the real world once you finish college, she says.” While in New York, she saw 10 Broadway shows, attended the Tony Awards, and learned what it means to become a theatre artist. “You really have to work at it – it’s really a profession and all about business and networking.”

While Dyamone may enjoy the stage, sister De’Nye ‘14 prefers the courtroom.

“I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer,” says De’Nye. Recognizing the importance of strong communication needed in the law profession, De’Nye credits McAuley English teacher Mr. Patrick Sullivan for pushing her to work harder.

“He was never easy on me,” she says. “He would say ‘I know you can do better than this’ and ‘you need to stick it out because what do you think college will be about?’” Tackling college and making the grades now comes naturally to De’Nye. “I became a better writer and a better reader because of him.”

Deyja ‘16, the youngest sister and newly-minted McAuley alumna, shares similar feelings for English teacher, Sr. Nancy Houlihan. “She pushed me past my limit,” she says. “I always wanted to drop her class but I pushed through it, and scored an 11 on the writing portion of the ACT.” De’Nye recalls early in her studies as a political science major at Michigan State University, telling Dyamone that she was ‘breezing through my writing courses.’ “She told me the same thing happened to her,” shares De’Nye. “I realized when I got to college that so many people cannot read or write well. McAuley didn’t just teach us how to read and write a paper, our teachers taught us how to be great at it.”

De’Nye says she was somewhat hesitant to speak up in grade school, but that McAuley helped her build her self-confidence.

“That made me become a better me,” she says. “In grade school you didn’t want to be that smart girl, but at McAuley I became confident enough to know that I cannot be afraid to speak out because men are in the room.”

All the girls agree that they found their voice at McAuley.

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“McAuley is a community of strong women, and a place that teaches you to be strong where ever you go in life,” says Dyamone. “McAuley women believe that we can make a difference in this world.”

“I’m going to encounter circumstances when people want to limit me, because I am a woman, and because I am AfricanAmerican,” says De’Nye. “I have to speak up for myself.”

“McAuley opened my eyes and my mind to different people, culture and traditions; I learned not be so closeminded, says De’Nye. In February she traveled to Hungary to study for a semester and says she was excited for the learning that took place outside the classroom. She plans to apply to law school after graduation.

Deyja says she’s always had a desire to serve her country. She plans to enlist in the armed force this September and hopes to become a pilot with the Air Force. Until then, she is taking classes at Moraine Valley Community College. She shares that her self-confidence and self-esteem grew at McAuley.

“I attended Kairos and learned that everyone has a story and that it’s okay to be different. I was taught to never give up, and to be determined in my quest.”

All three of these women see their McAuley days as a very special moment in time, where they built friendships a lifetime.

“I may not see my McAuley friends as often now, but we talk frequently, and sometimes the conversations can last for hours,” says Deyja.

Of particular McAuley memories, no one disagrees when Deyja voices that McAuley’s pep assemblies were Deyja Hopkins ‘16 the best. “No one could touch our pep assembles. The way the gym came to life as our athletic teams prepared to go downstate – that was amazing.”

Of course there are some memories that truly evoke nostalgia. “I had to run all the way from the English wing to make sure I got to lunch before they sold out of chicken bites!” says De’Nye. The discussion turns more serious when we ask the girls to share what they would tell a young girl who is thinking about McAuley for high school. “Go!” says De’Nye. “It will change your life. You can thank me later.” Adds Dyamone, “If you are looking for a second home, a sisterhood, a place to feel safe, McAuley is it.”

DeNye ‘14 at the Corvinus University in Budapest

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Mighty Macs on a Mission As students McAuley girls push, challenge, and question. In doing so, our young women graduate prepared to channel their gifts and ambition to excel in ways they may not fathom. Here we share three stories of alumnae making a difference in their worlds.

Their stories provide a vision of hope, a call to make a difference, and a continued belief that each of us are called to serve.

Stefanie DeLuca ’93 remembers the first public housing project she visited. It was the former Cabrini Green homes in Chicago.

inner-city America, and why the children (in the study) are doing so much better than their parents (at that age).”

The apartments were roach infested. The cinderblock walls were covered in peeling paint, and the heat was barely working. She was there as a University of Chicago undergraduate student to help paint some of the walls.

Right about the time Stefanie and her colleagues began compiling their research into book-form, the streets of Baltimore erupted in chaos in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray, an African-American man who died while in police custody.

To Stefanie, the media’s portrayal of the city was heavily skewed.

“It’s still hard to think back on,” Stefanie says. “It’s one thing to drive around places like that, but it’s another thing to see what it’s like to live there.

It was sort of a wake-up call,” she continues. “Many of us never saw how the other half lives.”

Stefanie went on to build a career helping others reach their full potential, and learning about Stephanie DeLuca ‘93 the obstacles that stand in their way. She is now an associate professor of sociology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and co-author of “Coming of Age in the Other America,” an in-depth look at the inequality and poverty that surrounds low-income families.

The book was released in April 2016.

In 1994, the federal government launched Moving to Opportunity, a major housing policy experiment that gave families in public housing a chance to leave and move to better places. In 2003, Stefanie and two of her colleagues began a decade of research interviewing 150 of the program’s Baltimore participants, comparing their outcomes to those who were not participants. They found that less than one of five participants turned to the streets, and that kids who spent their early life in the worst neighborhoods had finished high school and continuing their education.

“It perpetuated this idea that inner city youth and hoods are threatening and full of thugs,” Stefanie says. “And from the book, it was obvious to us it’s as far from truth as possible.”

Now that the book has been released, Stefanie has turned her focus to other research projects. She’s currently working on a study of urban landlords, and one on young people and police relations. Stefanie has also been appointed to a federal commission with Housing and Urban Development to help improve public housing programs, helping give a voice to the voiceless in Washington.

Stefanie earned a Ph.D. in human development and social policy from Northwestern University in 2002. She has fond memories of her McAuley days, saying she met some of the greatest women she had ever known, and that Mrs. Amedio’s religious class had a deep effect on her. In her spare time, Stefanie enjoys endurance cycling, traveling over 100 miles each trip.

“It was pretty surprising, but it became a bigger story,” Stefanie explains. “It was about what it was like to become an adult in

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Mother McAuley’s commencement ceremony is a time of festivity and tradition where we celebrate the achievements of the graduating class. We also specially recognize the two students with the highest G.P.A.: the valedictorian and salutatorian. It’s truly incredible to see what these young women were able to accomplish during their four years at McAuley, and even more incredible to see how they’re making a difference in the world today.

Diana Lorenzini Pulte was the valedictorian for the Class of 2007, and has put her work ethic to good use in the 10 years since. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2011 with a major in chemical engineering and biotechnology, a field she first heard about from an alumna who spoke to her chemistry class at McAuley.

“I never considered myself a science and math person,” Diana Lorenzini Pulte she shares, “but it’s because of teachers like my chemistry teacher, Mrs. Kratzke, who made me feel comfortable with the material, that I chose chemical engineering as a major.”

“It’s not really common to go to an all-girls school, but when I tell people or they find out, I like to talk about it,” continues Diana. “I went into an engineering major and was confident even though I was a minority. There were very few girls in my classes and it got less and less as people dropped out of the major, but I had that confidence that McAuley gave me to stick it out.”

Upon earning her undergraduate degree, Diana began to pursue a career in management consulting. She got her feet wet at Capgemini, a multinational information technology consulting corporation that is one of the world’s largest IT consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies. Though she was based out of Chicago, she traveled every Monday through Thursday to meet with clients, a lot of times working with CEOs to lead the effort in improving their company’s performance.

Her most recent client was Walgreens, where she worked directly with the Chief Information Officer (CIO). “He was a very intimidating guy,” Diana laughs. “But I have this strong foundation from McAuley that gave me the confidence to not be afraid to state my opinions or hold my own.”

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After three years with Capgemini, she started working for Point B, a smaller, employee-owned company based out of Chicago. She was the youngest person to join the firm, and worked with them for two years before relocating to Florida.

These days, Diana can be found helping her husband, Bill Pulte, expand Blight Authority, the non-profit he founded in 2013. The organization began in Detroit, MI. Its mission is to create safer communities by removing residential blight in the shortest amount of time possible, at the lowest cost possible, and without endangering public health or safety. They send in crews to remove dangerous vacant structures, overgrown brush and dead trees, trash and other materials in neighborhoods that need it the most.

Since 2013, the organization has expanded its reach to Pontiac, MI, but they don’t want to stop there. Diana, her husband and other members of the organization are working to create a strategic plan that would allow them to bring their assistance to cities across the country. They have even met with several people in the president’s administration to request government funds for their projects.

“Have faith. It works out. You have a lot of time.

I feel like when you’re 18, you jump into your freshmen classes and feel like everyone around you knows what they’re going to do for the rest of their life. But they don’t - you won’t even know what you want to be ‘when you grow up’ when you’re 28! It’s the fun part about life. Be patient.”

“In Detroit, I helped rake and cleaned up trash with the crew,” says Diana. “It was really fun to help, to see the neighborhood and to experience firsthand how grateful people were. Really, when you take away these vacant buildings where people are doing drugs or there’s prostitution, it makes a difference. There are kids living in these neighborhoods, so it gives them hope for a safer living situation.”

C e l e b r a t i n g Wo m e n

In addition to working with Blight Authority, Diana recently joined the Northwestern University Engineering Board. She’s looking forward to getting more involved, connecting with the students, and helping the university strengthen the program. She also sits on the board of North Star Reach, an organization dedicated to providing summer camp opportunities to children who would otherwise not have the opportunity due to serious medical reasons. She helps with fundraising, market outreach and more.

A lot can happen in 10 years, and Diana has some advice to share with her 18-year old self, a girl who graduated at the top of her class and was about to embark on the next adventure in life: “Have faith. It works out. You have a lot of time. I feel like when you’re 18, you jump into your freshmen classes and feel like everyone around you knows what they’re going to do for the rest of their life. But they don’t - you won’t even know what you want to be ‘when you grow up’ when you’re 28! It’s the fun part about life. Be patient.”

Lynn Malooly ‘80 serves as executive director for Water for South Sudan, a nonprofit organization that delivers transformative quality-of-life service to the people of South Sudan, a part of Africa that for decades has been ravaged by war and terror. Based in Rochester, NY and South Sudan, Water for South Sudan has drilled more than 282 clean-water wells since 2005.

Lynn joined the organization six years ago as a part-time office assistant, after taking 18 years off from the workforce to homeschool her children. She and her husband settled in his native Rochester after she earned her degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Lynn Malooly ‘80

“I didn’t know it was all going to work out, taking a huge break from the workforce,” Lynn says of joining Water for Sudan after her career hiatus. “I found out about that job from someone I worked with 25 years ago, and I was their first U.S. employee.”

While she is a “huge fan” of women doing what they need to do for their families, Lynn says her journey of returning to work pales in comparison to the struggles women face every single day in South Sudan, which only became its own nation in 2011. As a new nation, South Sudan is literally starting from nothing. The country even lacked access to clean drinking water. Instead, some girls had to walk miles every day to fetch water for their families.

“Some have to walk their entire lives,” Lynn explains. “But once a village (in South Sudan) gets a water well, they can begin developing. Maybe girls can go to school now, instead of walking for water. We can open a health clinic, and children live longer because of clean water.”

Water for South Sudan was founded in 2003 by Salva Dut, one of the thousands of “lost boys” made homeless after Sudan’s civil war in 1985.

Lynn says those boys were constantly kicked out of refugee camps when new wars broke out. After walking thousands of miles for 10 years, Dut was one of 3,800 refugees who came to the U.S. in 1996. He settled in Rochester, learned English, went to college, then found out his family was still alive.

“American families raised money to send him to reunite with his family,” Lynn says. “His dad was badly sick from bad drinking water.”

You can learn more about Salva Dut’s story in the New York Times Best-seller “A Long Walk to Water,” by Linda Sue Park. Learn more about Water for South Sudan at www.WaterForSouthSudan.org.

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reunions

BANNER YEAR REUNION 2016 Celebrating McAuley Style!

Nearly 600 Mighty Macs came out to celebrate and commiserate with their classmates at our fourth annual Banner-Year Reunion on November 5. Alumnae classes which graduated in a year ending with a ‘1 or ‘6 were recognized as a “banner year class,” celebrating a 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th+ reunion. Many of the women had not seen each other in decades, and you could see the excitement on their faces!

Each class had a special area or classroom in which to gather and reminisce, and many chose to decorate their area with items and other mementos. We are most appreciative of our class reps, who assisted with tracking down classmates, providing updated contact information, prepping postcards for mailings, and much more. The evening featured food, drink, tours of the school, the opportunity for individual class photos, and entertainment.

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Members of the Class of 1976

reunions

Save the date Saturday, November 4, 2017

BANNER YEAR REUNIONS

1972 | 1977 | 1982 | 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | 2002 | 2007 | 2012

Celebrate at McAuley – where the memories were made.

Banner Year Reunion 2017 RSVP online at www.mothermcauley.org/banneryear. $40 in advance (highly recommended) and $55 at the door.

Includes dinner, beer & wine.

Visit www.MotherMcAuleyAlums.org to find your Class Reps.

For more information, or to get involved, contact the McAuley Alumnae Office at 773-881-6565 or email www.mothermcauley.org/banneryear

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50th Reunion Class of 1967 Nearly 100 alumnae from the Class of 1967 returned to McAuley on April 28 for their 50th Reunion.

Thanks to help from planning committee members Sharon Feeney Sodikoff, Maureen Martin Moskal and Rosemary Wolf Rehak, the ladies enjoyed a wonderful evening reminiscing and sharing stories of where life has taken each of them.

A 5pm Mass, celebrated by Fr. Kenneth Budzikowski, began the festivities. Afterwards, the ladies were treated to cocktails, appetizers and a buffet dinner. Photocopies of yearbook pages and Inscape newspapers from their days as students lined the walls and popular songs from the era played throughout the Student Lounge, where the dinner was held. A few guests were even caught dancing, reminiscent of their study halls and lunch periods.

One generous classmate offered to donate $10,000 if classmates rallied and matched her gift. As of this printing, we’re glad to say we are hearing the mark!

Many alumnae have shared their gratitude for the evening, memories from their student days and tributes to faculty and classmates.

“I had a wonderful time at the 50 year class reunion. Since I hadn’t been inside of McAuley for at least 25 years, it was fun to walk the halls again and see the many changes and the many things that are still the same. It was fun also to see everybody and to talk with people that were close friends and some who were not but viewed now from an adult point of view. It was a good night and very well organized. Food was good too!” Lori Dolenak Carlson To my classmates… “Several months ago, Kathy Schaffer asked me what the happiest time of my life was; without a moment’s hesitation, I replied that it was our four years at Mother McAuley. The heart-warming welcome you gave me at our reunion deepened my affection and esteem for each of you. The last words I spoke to you at our senior honors assembly, a quotation from Truman Capote’s ‘A Christmas Memory’, serve as the perfect ending for my message of appreciation: ‘I could leave the world with today in my eyes.’” Barbara Butler

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“Remembering an overall feeling of belonging at McAuley and loving every minute of it.” Ellen Dougherty Arnold

“Saluting Sr. Clement Mary for her love of literature and the power of words.” Linda Janus Gruber

“Hats off to a superb education, religious atmosphere, Glee Club, lunch daily with friends, singing ‘McAuley High’ and ‘Senior Girl’, trip to Sunset Point, and the pride of being a ‘McAuley girl.’” Sharon Orawiec Cunnea

“Walking in the halls to class - single file in silence!”

Mary Jo Porto Reilly

“Saluting Jean Morman Unsworth for her talent, intelligence and courage. With thanks and love for teaching me art values.”

Peggy Dee Merrion “Here’s to white socks with penny loafers!”

Kathy Purcell Malone

“A tribute to great friends, great times, and a great education.”

Lynne Jason Strutz “Fun friends, dancing at lunch, freshman year class float, quality of Mercy Speech, Merchant of Venice, loving art classes, learning about opera in music appreciation, feeling inadequate in gym classes, being an ostrich in Peter Pan, learning and growing in a woman centered environment.”

Ann McCahill Wohlberg

“Celebrating the wonderful girls whose ideas inspired me and a faculty who expected only our best efforts.” Susan Murphy

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alumnae news & events

Alumnae News & Events GCAC Hall of Fame Inductions

Career Day

The Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC) held their 42nd anniversary dinner on March 26, 2017, where they inducted the Mighty Mac volleyball teams from 1997 and 2000 into the GCAC Hall of Fame.

Nearly 70 alumnae and friends attended Mother McAuley’s annual Career Day on March 3, 2017. The day kicked off with a presentation by Jandi Kelly ‘02, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan who has years of experience working with college students in career development, planning and leadership at the University of Chicago. Jandi spoke to students in every grade level about preparing for college and finding the right path. Afterwards, students had the opportunity to speak to alumnae from fields including arts, architecture, engineering, law & government, healthcare and so much more during their free periods.

The 1997 team captured the school’s 11th state championship, and the 2000 team captured the 12th title! The following alumnae were inducted:

1997 TEAM Melissa Barnett ‘99, Katie Brasher ‘99, Nicole Blazina Brown ‘00, Lindsay Frasor ‘99, Megan Griffin Gardner ‘99, Robyn Guokas ‘99, Erin Halloran ‘98, Maura Harrington ‘98, Elizabeth Hughes ‘98, Angela Laporte ‘98, Laura Mikos ‘98, Nicole Kacor Pasquinelli ‘98, Julie Ryan ‘99, Catherine Skelly ‘99, Marita Spencer ‘98, and Heather Thomas ‘98 Coaches: Nancy Pedersen and Lisa Sieger

Tallet Vanek ‘07

Jandi Kelly ‘02

2000 TEAM Maddie Barron ‘02, Kristyn Corley Carmody ‘01, Kathleen Boyce Dunne ‘01, Amy Harmening ‘02, Elizabeth Kujawa Henri ‘01, Nicole Hodgman ‘02, Amanda Kenny ‘04, Megan Knightly ‘02, Eileen McNulty ‘01, Sarah Niedospial ‘02, Carrie Joyce Nowicki ‘01, Molly Broderick O’Connell ‘03, Kathern Kozak Pisczor ‘02, Megan Griffin Schamber ‘02, Sarah Sexton ‘01, and Ellen Hayes Yopchick ‘02 Coaches: Nancy Pederson and Lisa Sieger Amy Maslar ‘08 & Rachel Page ‘09

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alumnae news & events Class of 2017 Alumnae Induction & Breakfast On May 12, the Class of 2017 gathered together for one of the last times as they celebrated their induction into the Alumnae Association. The day began with a special breakfast in the Student Lounge, where they enjoyed delicious food, drank a lot of coffee, and shared memories and laughs with their classmates.

Lisa Vanier Martirena ‘01 joined the seniors to perform her original song, “Big Strong Women.” The lyrics encouraged the students to stand up, hold their head high and make their own way in life, no matter what obstacles are thrown their way; words that were especially relevant as the newest alumnae prepare for the next adventure in their life.

Kate Scully Krebsbach ‘05 addresses the senior Class of 2017.

Later that morning, the Class of 2017 was formally inducted into the alumnae association during the all-school senior prayer service.

Kate Scully Krebsbach ‘05 shared a reflection with the students before leading them in the alumnae induction pledge.

Mother’s Day Mass and Beverly Breast Cancer Walk Mother McAuley brought a new twist to a beloved tradition: bringing the annual Mother’s Day Mass to the site of the Beverly Breast Cancer Walk! This year, alumnae and members of the community joined McAuley on the corner of 9700 S Longwood Drive for an outdoor Mass celebrated by Father Tom Hurley. It was a wonderful celebration of life, family, the perseverance of the human spirit and the resilience and support of this community.

The celebration continued with the Beverly Breast Cancer Walk, which stepped off at the end of Mass. This year, team Mother McAuley was made up of 128 walkers who raised $3,195 for Little Company of Mary Hospital’s award-winning Comprehensive Breast Health Center. A mighty thank you to all who joined us!

Jane O’Neil Quinlan ‘74 and crew

Grace Flaherty ‘09, Mary Acker Klingenberger ‘75 and Fr. Tom Hurley

McAuley a cappella choir

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alumnae news & events College Hang Out College-aged alumnae ended their Christmas break with the annual College Hang Out on January 5, 2017. Alumnae had the chance to recount their college adventures to old classmates and friends, catch up with their McAuley teachers and enjoy some pizza in the dining hall.

Honoring Eileen O’Brien

Eileen O’Brien and family

On March 22, 2017, a small ceremony was held next to the pool at Brother Rice High School in honor of Eileen O’Brien, who was instrumental in starting the swimming, diving and water polo program at Mother McAuley. When her daughter, already a talented competitive swimmer, entered McAuley as a freshman in 1980, these programs didn’t exist. However, due to her perseverance and pioneering spirit, they were introduced during the 1982-1983 school year.

The first year, students worked out on their own at different pools, and under the direction of different coaches. Their hard work paid off when their relay won the districts, thus advancing them to the state finals. Since then, our students have represented McAuley in state finals multiple times as a team and as individual competitors. The water polo team alone has 11 state titles ranging from first to fourth place, the most recent of which was won during the 2015-2016 season.

Ragen Sisters Sisters and alumnae Dr. Therese Ragen, Ph.D. ‘67, Anne Ragen McNulty ‘69 and Katie Nolan granted the James M. Ragen Memorial Fund to Mother McAuley to help support a project to update the security and surveillance system.

Their generosity made it possible to begin work on these much-needed updates, which make the school a safer place for the students, faculty, staff and visitors.

The first phase was completed in the summer of 2015, when the school replaced an older operating system with a server that is compatible with the current wired and wireless network infrastructure, increased the number of surveillance cameras, and more. The second phase will be completed in the summer of 2017 and will improve communication throughout the building.

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Eileen O’Brien is a trailblazer, dedicated mother and athletic supporter who believes in the importance of competition and teamwork. It is because of these qualities that McAuley enjoys robust, award-winning swimming, diving and water polo programs.

Her desire to provide opportunities for her daughters Nancy O’Brien Kane ‘84, Kathleen O’Brien McMahon ‘82, Karen O’Brien ‘79 and granddaughter Nancy Kane ‘19 and future women has impacted generations of student athletes who have found their community in these programs.

In her honor, an anonymous donor has established the Eileen O’Brien Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to a student who competes on one of these teams. Recipients were notifies at the end of the school year.

You can donate to this scholarship fund by clicking the button below and selecting “Eileen O’Brien Scholarship” in the “designation” drop down field.

Save the Date - Annual Golf Outing

Fore the Macs - Playing it Forward The Mother McAuley Golf Outing will be held on Friday, September 15 at Ridge Country Club (10522 S California S. Ave, Chicago, IL 60655).

Get your foursome together for a fun day of golf, dinner and fundraising for the Tradition of Excellence Scholarship!

alumnae news & events

Kathleen O’Connell and Mary Kay Mulcahy O’Connell ‘84

Veronica Burgess ‘82, Tyler Bentley and mother Jamie Burgess-Bentley ‘83

Legacy Photos

Kristen Wittekind Plaehn ‘87, Madelyn Cichon and mother Kari Wittekind Cichon ‘89

Mother McAuley has a long history of tradition and legacy.

To honor members of the graduating class who follow in the footsteps of grandmothers, mothers, sisters, aunts or cousins, the alumnae office offered a complimentary generational family portrait. This year, 23 graduates and their families stopped by McAuley before the ceremony to celebrate their legacy!

Amelia Kennedy with Shayne Swiecicki Kennedy ‘90

Melissa Carroll and sister Meggan Carroll ‘08

Peggy Dombro Griffiths ‘84, Maureen Phelan Dombro ‘60, Ellie Threloff and mother Michelle Dombro ‘89 and Laura Dombro ‘87.

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alumnae news & events

Alumnae Notes Sr. Susan Sanders, RSM, PhD ‘69 will have a new education initiative named after her in honor of financial help and mentorship she offered to a student at St. Xavier University back in 2009.

Daniel Geiter has opened the Sister Susan M. Sanders, R.S.M. Teaching and Learning Center to provide career and life training to 30 students.

On March 26, Sr. Ruth Mutchler, who was a guidance counselor at McAuley from 1969 - 1971 and principal from 1971 - 1979, was honored at the annual luncheon for Margaret’s Village, formerly known as the Institute of Women Today (IWT). Sr. Ruth was executive director at IWT in the 1990s, and was honored for her dedication to the organization, which operates two 50-bed interim housing sites for homeless families in Chicago.

Congratulations to Producer Mary Kay Wall ‘75 on winning a Chicago/Midwest Regional Emmy for inCommon with Mike Leonard: “Crossroads.”

Anne Bigane Wilson ‘76 received an Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Lifetime Achievement award in construction from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Given to only five of 150,000

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ASCE members each year, the OPAL awards honor outstanding civil engineering leaders whose lifetime achievements have contributed to construction, design, education, government, or management.

Anne received the OPAL Award in construction for innovation and excellence in construction projects and programs in her role as President of Bigane Paving Company. She is the first woman to earn this honor. Anne currently serves as the chairperson for the Mother McAuley Board of Trustees.

On April 29, Kate Bigane Larson ‘78 was honored by Laurel House as the Darien Town Champion for her leadership roles and volunteerism in Darien community organizations. Laurel House provides mental health resources to people coping with mental illness, and their families, across numerous communities in and around Connecticut.

Marilyn Toner Naughton ‘79 has recently released a new podcast, “Where Are My Glasses”, which is available through iTunes. The podcast is a humorous look at life.

Dr. Jennifer Lim, M.D. ‘80 was interviewed by multiple news outlets for her innovative procedure with a groundbreaking retinal device called Argus II. Debbie Stolfe ‘81 retired from the Chicago Police Department with 21 years of service on February 15, 2015.

Kate Shannon Boyle ‘82 and three of her family members received the Heart of Gold Award at the 2017 Misericordia Women’s League March Madness Event on March 17, 2017. Kate is a member of the Board of Trustees at Mother McAuley.

On May 11, Trish Biondo Soltys ‘85 was the guest speaker at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Communication commencement ceremony.

Trish was inducted into the McAuley Hall of Honor in 2014.

Erin Halm ‘85 has published two novels through Amazon. Her most recent novel, “Burying Kevin O’Leary”, was published on February 22, 2017.

Bridget Gainer ‘86 was included on Chicago Magazine’s Emerging Power Players list! This list features bold, innovative Chicagoans who are poised to make big changes in their field. You can read more about her in the June 2017 issue.

alumnae news & events

Ann Thibeau Halleran, RN, BSN, ’87 was recently named 2017 Nurse Educator of the Year by Little Company of Mary Hospital.

Eileen Scanlan ‘88 completed her Doctor of Education- Educational Leadership at the University of St. Francis in December of 2016.

confidence, and respect. Someone Special Books cover a range of topics, such as Autism, Diabetes, Down Syndrome, Speech Impairment. They were featured on ABC and CBS in the fall of 2016. You can learn more about their books by visiting their website, www.someonespecialbooks.com.

You can read more about her program on its website at www.fingertipsprogram.org.

On February 10, Angela Kus ‘99 was featured in a Chicago Tribune article to celebrate her work as the head wrestling coach and a football assistant at Senn High School.

Ellen Hayes Yopchick ‘02 was named head girls varsity volleyball coach at St. Laurence High School.

Amy Broderick Gluch ‘90 completed her masters in special education in May 2016.

Elizabeth Shine Hermes ‘96 was named one of “40 under 40” attorneys

by The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in January 2017.

Katie Schumacher Cawley ‘97 has recently been named the Kenneth L. Gross Head Coach of Volleyball at the University of Pennsylvania! Katie, a former NCAA All-American and national champion at Penn State, most recently served as head coach of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) women’s volleyball program, where she led the team to 71 victories. She was inducted into the McAuley Hall of Honor in 2014.

Kate Noskowiak Ryan ‘98, a teacher at Oak Lawn Hometown Middle School, and her friend, Heather McCarthy, created “Someone Special Books”.

These personalized books teach young ones kindness, acceptance,

Katherine Gory ‘01 was promoted to Vice President - International Client Experience and Product Management at Charles Schwab in June of 2016.

At the Lurie Children’s Hospital Research Scholar Day on May 11, Dr. Alicia Thompson Lenzen ‘02 was awarded the Second Year Fellow Basic Research Award for her research in hematology/oncology, called “A siRNA Approach for Targeting Immunosuppressive IDO1 in Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.”

Ann Jayaram ‘03 was featured in an online publication called Inspiring Women in Surgery.

Katie Quick ‘00 was recently featured in Chicago Catholic newspaper for her “Fingertips Program” and the nationwide tour she’s kicking off with her friend, Ryan Chesla. The program’s mission is to inspire kids and teens to find their passion and follow their dreams. They provide fun, engaging, and interactive school assemblies that combine popular live music with motivational speaking. The program is rooted in social-emotional learning and is based on the Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards. This spring, they started a tour that will impact the lives of over one million children in schools and children’s hospitals across the United States.

Dallas Aramburu ‘05 graduated first in her class for the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) Academy. She is the first woman in the history of the CFD to do so.

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alumnae news & events

Stephanie Florence ’05 ran the 2016 and 2017 TCS New York City Marathon to benefit She’s the First, a not-for-profit that provides scholarships to girls in lowincome countries with the goal of creating first-generation graduates and our next generation of global leaders. Stephanie serves as junior board member for the organization.

Lauren Garvey ‘07 became a licensed architect. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 2013 with her masters in architecture, and now works as a architectural engineer for Klein and Hoffman, Inc. Since graduating from McAuley, Madeline Kegan ‘07 has taken classes at SIU and Harold Washington College, took improv classes at Second City, and finished the Chicago Marathon in 2014. She has held several jobs in the past years, including banking, retail, sales, and customer service, and is currently working at Uber at the corporate office in Chicago.

Eileen Meslar ‘07 will represent the United States as a member of Team USA in the World Women’s Ball Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic in June 2017.

She also represented the US in 2015, when the championship was held in Switzerland.

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Stephanie Seweryn ‘07 returned to the McAuley auditorium stage at the school’s Comedy Night on April 1, 2017.

Stephanie performs in multiple improv troupes in Chicago.

Bridget Snyder ‘07 recently completed her masters of arts in Applied Behavioral Analysis with additional graduate level certifications in autism and ABA from Ball State University.

Jane Wojtulewicz Vana ‘07 started working for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois in March 2017 as a Behavioral Health Care Coordinator. She works with Medicaid members, specializing in homelessness and outreach, to ensure they are getting the behavioral health care they need.

Devan Lesch ‘09 received her bachelors in psychology from Marian University in 2014. She’s currently pursuing her master’s in school counseling and working as the assistant women’s ice hockey coach at Lindenwood University.

Alumnae Lauren Majka ‘09 and Mary Ryan ‘11 opened their own salon in Beverly, named Marlo Salon.

Lauren Martinkus ‘09 and Kelly Ciurej ‘09 had their artwork on display at Toroomeen for the Beverly Art Walk this fall. Kelly is an MFA candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

Lauren is teaching elementary art in Oak Lawn.

Sara Sabadosa ‘11 visited McAuley on April 25, 2017. Sara is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in physical therapy at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She shared a presentation on physical

therapy with 150 freshmen students during their biology classes.

Annie Hopkins ‘13 was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Week in lacrosse for the second time this season. Annie plays at Augustana University.

Lynn Mornes ‘13 was a contestant in the Miss Illinois USA Pageant, representing the Chicago neighborhood, Beverly. She shared: “I [was] really excited for the opportunity and couldn’t wait to share with my McAuley family. If it wasn’t for the confidence and lessons that attending McAuley gave me, I would have never dreamed of making it this far!”

Julia Mosqueda ‘13 just finished up her fourth year as an architecture student at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She also is a manager for AIAS Project Yellow that specializes in composing architecture related workshops for high school students. In addition to her mentoring positions at IIT, she was named the Student Director for the American Institute of Architects Chicago (AIA Chicago). She is representing all architecture students of the Chicago area on their Board of Directors.

Julia said: “I wanted to share my accomplishments because being a part of the Mother McAuley community has allowed me to believe in myself.”

On May 12, Brenna Smith ‘13 addressed her classmates at the Academic Honors Convocation at Western Illinois University, where she gave her speech, “Western Gives You Wings.”

alumnae news & events

Shannon Zofkie ‘13 was crowned as the South Side Irish queen during the pre-parade fundraiser at 115 Bourbon Street on February 25, 2017.

Ryann DeJarld ‘15 returned to McAuley with her collegiate volleyball team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, for a scrimmage against the Marquette Golden Eagles on April 8, 2017.

Erin Drynan ‘15 helped lead the Moraine Valley Community College’s (MVCC) women’s basketball team in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship (NJCAA) tournament in March. This is the third time in MVCC’s history that they made it to the national tournament. The last time was back-to-back in 1988 and 1989.

Dara Sanders ‘15 was selected for the All Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) honors second team. Dara is the pitcher for the Lewis University softball team.

Water polo player Claire Mueller ‘16 was interviewed for an article in Swimming World about her experience playing at St. Francis Brooklyn and at Mother McAuley.

Send us your update!

Visit www.mothermcauley.org/alumnaeupdates and enter your information into the form.

marriages Cynthia Sanchez ‘07 married Eduardo Chavez on May 21, 2011.

Paulina Gut ‘07 married Robert Brison on September 12, 2015.

Theresa Lavelle ‘06 married Nicholas Brainerd on September 17, 2016.

Natalie Zepeda ‘07 married Danny Rodriguez on November 17, 2012.

Caitlin Kelly ‘07 married Ryan Julian on October 10, 2015.

Erin Barry ‘07 married Dave Wills on October 15, 2016.

Misha Blackman ‘89 married Robert Rose on March 30, 2013.

Brenda Fitzgerald ‘03 married Vivior Doyle on January 1, 2016.

Megan Pawlak ‘03 married David Faulkner on November 12, 2016.

Shannon Cunningham ‘96 married Scott Hager on April 6, 2013.

Kristen Bretz ‘76 married Steven Lennis on January 29, 2016.

Ellen McCarthy ‘08 married Tom Hickey on January 28, 2017.

Kate Adamonis ‘07 married Robert Marach on July 13, 2013.

Katie Clemens ‘05 married Kevin McCarthy on March 5, 2016.

Diana Lorenzini ‘07 married William Pulte on March 25, 2017.

Ashley Stranczek ‘07 married Kurt Kimzey on October 12, 2013.

Amanda Pudil ‘07 married John Klinger on June 11, 2016.

Stacy Mulcahy ‘91 married Daniel Kimmey on April 22, 2017.

Julia Sutich ‘06 married Tim MacKerell on July 19, 2014.

Sarah VanDeKerchove ‘08 married Shelby Whiteside Vanderside on August 27, 2016.

Christine Dujka ‘07 married Mark Serio on April 28, 2017.

Marvet Sweis ‘00 married Demijan Drnovsek on August 17, 2014.

Alyssa Salerno ‘06 married Patrick Foy on September 5, 2014.

Lauren Terpin ‘07 married Edward Rooney on September 10, 2016.

Dr. Karen Kowalesik ‘07 married Mike Patrick on May 6, 2017.

Tracy Vizza ‘91 married Bill McElligott on September 10, 2016.

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alumnae news & events

births Patrick and Alyssa Salerno Foy ‘06 welcomed Emma on April 12, 2013.

Demijan and Marvet Sweis Drnovsek ‘00 welcomed Elaine Liliana on December 31, 2015.

Nora Capron Gifford ‘02, English department chair, and husband Adam Gifford and sister Essy welcomed Dorothy “Dottie” Frances Gifford on March 10, 2016.

Ryan and Caitlin Kelly Julian ‘07 welcomed Isabelle Bea on July 6, 2016.

Natalie Zepeda Rodriguez ‘07, husband Danny and daughter Danilyn welcomed Nathan on July 12, 2016.

BreeAnne Mavity ‘07 and Jim Goutos welcomed Mia on October 1, 2016. She joins big sister Olivia.

Kevin and Colleen Carter Coleman ‘04 welcomed Maeve Kathleen on February 21, 2017.

Kurt and Ashley Stranczek Kimzey ‘07 welcomed Colton on December 7, 2016.

Debbie Caminker Claessens ‘84 welcomed granddaughter Zamaya LaShae Claessens on February 22, 2017.

Dave and Erin Barry Wills ‘07 welcomed son Gavin on January 3, 2017.

Rebecca Kujawa Finn, Physical Education and Performing Arts Chair, her husband, Chris, and big sister Lily welcomed daughter Abigail Fay on February 13, 2017.

Cynthia Sanchez Chavez ‘07, husband Eduardo and brother Abel Eduardo welcomed daughter Angel Noel on February 17, 2017.

Eric and Katie Crotty Brousseau ‘93 welcomed Evie Mae on March 12, 2017.

She joins big sister Eily and brother Colin.

Jennifer Novosel Callahan ‘02, social science teacher, and her husband Mike welcomed son Brendan Michael on April 6, 2017. He joins big brothers Jerry and Luke.

deaths Silvia Sotelo Thrasher, sister of Sara Sotelo ‘01 passed away August 14, 2014.

James Temple, father of Celine Temple Walsh ‘84 and Joan Temple Holowaty ‘85 passed away on July 27, 2016.

Jim Ehrenstrom, brother of Vivian Ehrenstrom Williams ‘66, Eileen Ehrenstrom Jenny ‘71 and Jane Ehrenstrom ‘73, passed away on August 19, 2016.

Clarence Malinger, husband of Marguerite Duggan Malinger ‘68 and father of social science teacher Mariclare Malinger Martin ’95 passed away September 3, 2016.

Jane Thacker ‘74 passed away September 14, 2016.

Sandra Roberts, mother of Colleen Roberts ‘02, Kaitlin Roberts ‘06, and Mary Roberts ’11 and aunt of Bonnie Roberts ’04 passed away September 21, 2016.

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Martha Reynolds Thomas ‘70, daughter of 2013 McAuley Hall honoree Sheila Taffee Reynolds, SXA ‘39, and sister of Molly Reynolds Sanchez ‘72, Regina Reynolds ‘70, Sheila Reynolds Trainor ‘70, and Tracy Reynolds Aleksy ‘68 passed away October 14, 2016.

Mary Costello ‘85 passed away November 5, 2016. She is the aunt of Jesalyn Bull ‘15.

Audrey Griegel, grandmother of Anne Larmon Ringrose ‘01, Julie Larmon ‘09 and Carrie Griegel ‘14 passed away October 17, 2016.

Rosemary “Rose” Schleyer Griffin ‘72 passed away November 22, 2016.

Laurie Becker Baker ‘89, sister of Jolie Becker Piko ‘93, passed away October 22, 2016.

Patrick J. Cleary passed away October 22, 2016. He is the father of Ann Cleary Santino ‘78 and Kathy Cleary Tonner ‘79.

John Francis Lovell, Jr. passed away October 26, 2016. He is the father of Kathy Lovell Thompson ‘85 and Maureen Lovell Clore ‘89.

John F. Mulchrone, grandfather of basketball coach Maureen Mulchrone passed away on November 14, 2016.

Einar “Nick” Antonson, father of Erin Antonson ‘18 passed away November 12, 2016.

Eileen Halpin McKinney ‘65, sister of Kathleen Halpin Kummer ‘60 passed away November 27, 2016.

Bonnie Heinsch, mother of staff member Debbie Heinsch Feil, passed away November 28, 2016.

Larry Walski, husband of Roberta Baran-Walski ‘67, passed away November 27, 2016.

Harold Walter “Hal” Christie III, son of Ann Christie Miller ‘74 passed away November 28, 2016.

Anne Taaffe Mills, SXA ‘48, sister of 2013 McAuley Hall honoree Sheila Taaffe Reynolds ‘SXA 39 and aunt of the late

alumnae news & events Martha Reynolds Thomas ‘70, Regina Reynolds ‘70, Sheila Reynolds Trainor ‘70, Molly Reynolds Sanchez ‘72, and Tracy Reynolds Aleksy ‘68 passed away November 29, 2016.

Charles Gordon, father of art faculty member Kathy Gordon-Davis passed away December 2, 2016.

John McGraw, husband of Maureen Dunne-McGraw ‘67 passed away December 8, 2016.

Anthony N. “Tony” Pandolfi father of Laura Pandolfi Hahn ‘86 and Jeanne Pandolfi Bowes ‘87 passed away December 9, 2016.

Fr. Bill Sheridan, McAuley supporter and dear friend of president Mary Acker Klingenberger ‘75 passed away December 10, 2016.

John “Jack’ McGowan, father of Denise McGowan Rudolph ‘86 passed away December 13, 2016.

William Sheehan Jr., husband of Judy Dwyer Sheehan ‘60 and father of Mary Beth Sheehan ‘82 passed away December 20, 2016.

Eugene Halleran, father-in-law of Ann Thibeau Halleran ‘87 and grandfather of Nora ‘16 and Bridget ‘18 passed away December 24, 2016.

Cornelius “Connie” O’Sullivan passed away December 27, 2016. He is the father of Bridget O’Sullivan O’Donnell ‘85 and Patricia O’Sullivan Lavin ‘88, fatherin-law of Patricia Gallagher O’Sullivan ‘87 and Kim Billish O’Sullivan ‘93, and grandfather of Laura Holtz ‘98, Kathleen Holtz ‘01, Kelly Holtz ‘08, Margaret Liston ‘10 and Sarah Lavin ‘19.

Adele McCormick, mother of McAuley faculty member, Mary McCormick, passed away December 29, 2016.

Geneva Lewis, sister of Simone Lewis ‘17 passed away in December 2016.

Eric Chick, father of Erica Chick ‘16, passed away January 1, 2017.

Delaney O’Connell, niece of Colleen LaFontaine ‘84 passed away January 3, 2017.

Joan Gray, mother of Colleen Gray Zielinski ‘94 and Eileen Gray Pacetti ‘99 passed away January 8, 2017.

Robert Greenfield Sr., father of Margaret Foster Greenfield ‘80, Laura Janicki Greenfield ‘83 and grandfather of Amy Lippert Labrador ‘90, Bridget Greenfield ‘06 and Anne Greenfield ‘11 passed away January 10, 2017.

Lorraine Fox, mother of Marguerite “Peggy” Fox Jester ‘73, Colleen Fox Hirst ‘75 and grandmother of Katie Hirst ‘07 passed away January 10, 2017.

Marty Ryan, brother of Noreen Ryan Signorelli ‘89, Sheila Ryan ‘92, and uncle of Sophie Signorelli ‘20, Helen Signorelli ‘19 and Ryan Moran ‘19 passed away January 12, 2017.

Dr. Joseph Gallagher, father of Mary Beth Gallagher Flaherty ‘73, father-inlaw of Jeanne Burke Gallagher ‘80 and grandfather of Eileen Flaherty Knightly ‘01, Grace Flaherty ‘09 and Mary Kate Gallagher ‘11 passed away January 13, 2017.

John Leary, father-in-law of Jennifer Roache Leary ‘88 and grandfather of Keeley Leary ‘18 and Taylor Leary ‘20 passed away January 15, 2017.

Rose Lamb, mother of Rosemarie ‘74, Colleen Lamb Ferrara ‘77, and Sheila Lamb Gabler ‘80 passed away January 16, 2017.

John Torpy, former president of the Mother McAuley Fathers Club and father of Sarah Torpy Paprocki ‘05, Susan Torpy ‘07 and Eileen Torpy ‘09 passed away January 16, 2017.

Margaret Dargan ‘80, sister of Colleen Dargan Miller ‘77 and Elizabeth Dargan Gardner ‘93 passed away January 19, 2017.

George Basile, father of Joey Basile Kelly ‘93 and Jamie Basile Plumb ‘95 passed away January 19, 2017.

Donna Witt Hannigan ‘60, longtime Saint Xavier University employee, passed away January 19, 2017.

Evelyn McIlvain, mother of Kathryn McIlvain Dalrymple ‘79, Mary McIlvain ‘81, Sharon McIlvain ‘87 and Bridget McIlvain ‘88, mother-in-law of Anne Togher McIlvain ‘84, and grandmother of Rachel McIlvain Eckhorn ‘05, Grace McIlvain ‘09, Killian McIlvain ‘10 and Allison McIlvain ‘12 passed away on January 29, 2017.

Lilian Mikolajczak, mother of Marcia Mikolajczak ‘70, Susan Mikolajczak O’Donnell ‘83 and grandmother of Katie O’Donnell ‘14 passed away January 29, 2017.

Marilyn Malooly, mother of Lynn Malooly ‘80, Janey Malooly Burton ‘82 and Diane Malooly Zeitzheim passed away January 31, 2017.

Marilyn Murphy Hickey ‘68 sister of Maureen Murphy Leake ’67, Madalyn Murphy Gallo ’72, Michelle Murphy Downes ’79 and sister-in-law of Noreen Hickey Wendell ’72 passed away February 18, 2017.

Mary McKinney, mother of the late Karen McKinney ‘74, Kathleen McKinney Donahue ‘75, Eileen McKinney ‘77 and Maureen McKinney Verwiel ‘84 passed away February 1, 2017.

Laura Lavery ‘80, sister of Linda Lavery Earley ‘77 passed away February 5, 2017.

Camille Wysocki, mother of Lauren Wysocki Fitzgerald ‘74, Lisa Wysocki Zoccoli ‘77 and Linda Wysocki Snyder ‘78 passed away February 6, 2017.

Patricia Ann Kilroe, mother of the Honorable Sheila Kilroe McGinnis ‘79 and Ellen Kilroe Harmening ‘84 and grandmother of Erin McGinning ‘09 passed away February 7, 2017.

Thomas Leonard, husband of Jeanne McBride Leonard ‘73, brother of Patricia Leonard Lowry ‘69, Virginia Leonard O’Shea ‘77, Eileen Leonard Carey ‘75, brother-in-law to Sue McBride Greeley ‘69 and Marian McBride Stevens ‘71, and uncle to Molly E. Carey ‘08, Amy Carey ‘06, Elise Carey ‘04, Lauren Carey ‘01, Maureen Carey Phelan ‘00 and Meghan Stathis Lowry ‘06, Erin Harrigan Schober ‘88, Katie Harrigan Arundel ‘91 and great uncle of Elle Harrigan ‘ 12 passed away February 9, 2017.

Marilyn Hickey Murphy ‘68, sister of Maureen Murphy Leake ‘67, Madalyn Murphy Gallo ‘72, Michelle Murphy Downes ‘79 and sister-in-law of Noreen Hickey Wendell ‘72 passed away February 18, 2017.

Fr. W. Barry Moriarty, brother of the late Carol Moriarty Sweeney ‘60, Sr. Rita Moriarty CSJ, ‘62, Sharon Moriarty Waite ‘65, Therese Moriarty ‘67 and Mary Beth Moriarty Sorrels ‘73 passed away February 19, 2017.

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alumnae news & events

Thomas Henaghan, father of Erin Henaghan ‘16 passed away February 20, 2017.

Richard Soch, father of Megan Soch ‘92, passed away February 21, 2017.

E. Michael Thomas, father of Terri Thomas Brown ‘76 passed away in March 2017.

Daniel Butler, Jr., husband to Ming Bleeker Butler ‘65, father to SaraBeth Butler ‘98 and Danielle Butler ‘99, and brother to Elizabeth Butler Marren ‘63, brother-in-law to Lynne Cushing Butler ‘72, Debbie Burns Butler ‘75 and Jeanne Bleeker Palmisano ‘63 passed away March 4, 2017.

Judy Doyle Sullivan, mother of Kelly Sullivan ‘93, passed away on March 4, 2017.

Ardel “Scotty” McKenna, father of Mary Anne McKenna Bryan ‘81 passed away March 4, 2017.

Ralph McGinnis, father of Amanda McGinnis ‘08 and Michelle McGinnis ‘19, passed away on March 5, 2017.

Anthony Pappalas, son of Katie Gaskin ‘01 and grandson of Mary Kay Cronin Gaskin ‘74 passed away on March 9, 2017.

Helen Hennessy, mother of Mary Anne Hennessy Capron ‘75, Elaine Hennessy Prendergast ‘82, grandmother to Jacqueline Capron Buschbach ‘10, Anne Capron Chedister ‘06, Nora Capron Gifford ‘02, Emily Capron Gleason ‘00, Clare Prendergast ‘13, passed away March 14, 2017.

Marjorie Byrne passed away March 18, 2017. She is the grandmother of Carrie Cavato Lombardi ‘95, Bridget Byrne McGovern ‘02 and Colleen Byrne ‘03.

Robert Novick, father of Jeanene Novick Levar ‘96, Natalie Novick Brown ‘98 and Beth Novick ‘00 passed away March 18, 2017.

Margarita Pedroza, mother of Araceli Pedroza Thiele ‘02, mother-in-law of past Mothers Club president Suzanne Pedroza, and grandmother of Madalynn Wantuck ‘14, Jessica Pedroza ‘15, Olivia “Rosie” Wantuck ‘20 and Alena Pedroza ‘20 passed away on March 19, 2017.

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Jean Molnar, former president of the Mother’s Club passed away March 23, 2017. She is the mother of Janice Molnar Derrick ‘72, Mary Molnar ‘78 and Anne Molnar ‘81.

Mary Lou Beilfuss Byrne ‘72, sister of Jule Beilfuss ‘78 and aunt of Lisa Beilfuss ‘99 and Karen Beilfuss ‘01 passed away March 27, 2017.

Nancy Heiderscheidt, mother of former board member Robert Heiderscheidt, grandmother of Caitlin Heiderscheidt ‘06 and Nora Heiderscheidt ‘11 passed away March 28, 2017.

Patricia M. Biondo, mother of 2014 McAuley Hall inductee Trish Biondo Soltys ‘85 and aunt of Kelly Biondo ‘06, passed away on April 3, 2017.

Terry Karstrand, mother of Katy Karstrand Rotroff ‘87 passed away April 13, 2017.

Rita Linehan, mother of Dr. Kathleen Linehan Mayer ‘67, Maureen Linehan Howard ‘74, Mary Rita Linehan Kuntaras ‘78 passed away in May 2017.

James Sokol, father of Sharon Sokol Kochanek ‘67 and Janet Sokol Lombard ‘73 and grandfather of Jennifer Lombard Kibbon ‘99 and Jacqueline Lombard Andersen passed away May 3, 2017.

Luis Meneses, father of Alexandra Meneses ‘83 and past Fathers Club member passed away May 5, 2017.

Kimberly Maroney passed away May 11, 2017. She is the granddaughter of the late Barbara McCann Bansley, SXA 50, great niece to Helen McCann Sullivan ‘48, niece to Barbara Bansley Cronin ‘91, Helen Bansley Schiller ‘93 and Lucy Bansley Riles ‘98, cousin to Amy Bansley Innis ‘00, Susan Bansley Dixon ‘00, MaryKate Bansley ‘06 and McAuley faculty member Laura Bansley ‘08.

Carl Sterk, father of former Board of Trustee member Tim Sterk, Mary Beth Sterk Lourie ‘73, Ellen Sterk Siegert ‘79, Ann Sterk Erie ‘81, father-in-law of Joyce Barczak ‘73, Lucille Krol Sterk ‘79 and grandfather of faculty member Hilary Sterk ‘05 and Meggan Sterk ‘09 passed away April 21, 2017.

James Lynch, father of Marie Lynch ‘17, and brother of the late Mary Clare Lynch ‘82 passed away May 16, 2017.

Pauline Monahan, mother of Mary Jean Monahan O’Malley ‘75, Kathleen Monahan Connor ‘77 and Patti Monahan Diana ‘79 passed away April 22, 2017.

Jean Miller, mother of Dean of Underclasswomen Jeanne Miller, former Admissions Coordinator Kathy Klyczek and grandmother of Elizabeth Klyczek ‘08 and Emily Klyczek ‘08 passed away May 17, 2017.

Terrence Nolan, husband of Michelle O’Connor Nolan ‘66 passed away April 23, 2017.

Robert Czarnecki, husband of Pat Kata Czarnecki ‘66, father of Anne Czarnecki ‘98, and uncle of English teacher, Kevin Czarnecki, passed away on April 26, 2017.

Patricia McAllister Condon ‘66, sister of Carol Condon Neylon ‘73 and sister-inlaw of Lynne Condon ‘66 passed away April 28, 2017.

Elma Garcia, grandmother of Jessica Garcia ‘06 and Sarah Garcia ‘09 and mother of former McAuley Board of Trustee member Jose Garcia, passed away on April 29, 2017.

Sarah Conway ‘72, sister of Patricia Conway Panfil ‘65, passed away in May 2017.

Mike Murphy, husband of Maureen Sullivan Murphy ‘66, father of Jeannine Moran Larkin ‘89, and grandfather of Erin Larkin ‘17 passed away on May 16, 2016.

Richard “Dick” Ryan, father of Sallie Vail Ryan ‘71, Kathy Ryan Baffoe ‘73, Mary Ryan Hannigan ‘81, father-in-law of Laurie Bugos Ryan ‘90 and grandfather of Katie Ryan Bastian ‘98 passed away May 19, 2017.

Margaret Quan Meyer ‘66 passed away on May 24, 2016.

Anthony “Tony” Kearney, father of Maureen Kearney Brennan ‘84 and Deirdre Kearney O’Riordan ‘87 and uncle of Bernie Kearney ‘78 and Margaret Kearney Schander ‘83 passed away May 25, 2017.

Raymond Schwaller, former member of the Board of Trustees and father of Nancy Schwaller ’83, Rosellen Schwaller Brannigan ’80 and Mary Beth Schwaller Sanchez ‘78 passed away May 30, 2017.

advancement

Carey’s Corner Dear Alumnae, Parents and Friends, When reflecting on the theme within this issue of Inscape, Celebrating Women, I have great pride that Celebrating Women is something we make a habit of everyday at McAuley. We celebrate the passion that women bring to their lives, their work, their families and community.

We celebrate the lifetime advantage a McAuley education provides and how McAuley has shaped and continues to shape so many lives.

We appreciate and celebrate Mighty Macs of all ages, and there is so much to celebrate!

We recently graduated 269 accomplished young women celebrating all the energy and talents they have brought to our McAuley community.

We celebrate our current students, like perfect ACT scores and our academic decathlon team scoring second among private schools, and NHS members raising over $20,000 for two children and families fighting for their health.

We celebrate our alumnae, including our recent McAuley Hall inductees - women of impact in their industry, community, and homes; passionate activists who are changing the world by providing clean water for families and allowing girls from Sudan to go to school learn; and those using their talents to shed light on the severe limitations of public housing.

We celebrate mighty accomplishments like state and national titles for our Mighty Mac volleyball team. And mini ones, like our sold out Mini Mac

camp inviting young girls to experience our McAuley community this summer.

We celebrate our foundress Catherine McAuley and the availability and sensitivity to the needs of others - particularly women - which she shared so many years ago to begin this Mercy movement.

It is never more important than now to highlight, fortify and strengthen the position of women young women in particular. We need to continue to focus on celebrating our current and future Mighty Macs.

Please support our school in any way you can.

Our responsibility is to continue to steward the gifts given to us for the generation to come. How will you take on the responsibility as stewards of our education and Mercy charism? Perhaps it is in sharing your passion about your own McAuley experience, or how you are advancing your community. Donate your resources of time, talent or treasure. Above all, pray for all of us here as we live out Catherine’s legacy to prepare and send forth our young women into a world so desperately in need of their influence and compassion.

Gratefully,

Carey Temple Harrington ‘86 Vice President for Institutional Advancement

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advancement

Celebration 2017

McAuley Honors Three at Gala Annual event helps provide tuition assistance to Mother McAuley students Spirits were high on February 4 when Mother McAuley held its Celebration Gala at Beverly Country Club. Nearly 300 people attended the annual fundraiser which benefits tuition assistance for McAuley students. The evening also celebrates individuals who exemplify the charism and conviction, embody the spirit, and possesses the influence which are the hallmarks of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy. This year Mother McAuley honored John Coleman, Esq. with the Catherine McAuley Leadership Award, and inducted two distinguished members of the McAuley community as Life Trustees: Sister Marion “Dolly” Cypser ’63, RSM and Steve Ligda.

John Coleman, Esq., is a litigation partner at the firm of McVey & Parsky, John has served as counsel for the administration and staff of Mother McAuley since 1999.

His legal acumen and skills are coupled with a firm understanding of the Catholic Church and a deep personal faith. These are the foundation of his steadfast guidance, moral strength and support, and generosity of spirit.

As described by one of his 13 siblings, “John exudes calmness. He is the guy you want on your team for any heated discussion or debate. He brings judicious assessment and peaceful accord to the table.”

The distinction of life trustee was established in 2014 to honor individuals whose contributions of time, talent or financial support has demonstrated their sincere commitment to Mother McAuley.

For the past 38 years, Sister Marion “Dolly” Cypser ‘63, RSM, has served as the principal of St. Catherine of

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John Coleman, Esq., Catherine McAuley Leadership awardee

Siena - St. Lucy School in Oak Park. Under her leadership, the school received the Croghan Award in 2016, which is awarded to a Big Shoulders School whose students have shown the most growth between their expected and achieved scores on national tests.

Sr. Dolly is a founding member of Amate House, a young adult volunteer program sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago, and has served on the boards of many social service and educational institutions. Her work with Mother McAuley included serving on the Board of Trustees for 19 years. She also has served on the Sisters of Mercy financial boards.

Steve Ligda first became involved with McAuley as a member of the Fathers Club. He later chaired the Mother McAuley Board of Trustees for five years and most recently served as a member of the academic affairs and finance committees.

Steve has always felt a call to serve, whether it be our Church, his parish, community, or our Mother McAuley family. A member of Most Holy Redeemer Parish for 45 years, Steve has served his parish and our Church in a number of roles. He is a graduate of the Archdiocese of Chicago lay ministry training program, as well as the Archdiocese of Chicago spiritual director training for Christ Renews His Parish. His dedication often led him to be called upon as counsel for various groups, including the initial Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, and delegate to the Illinois Council of Catholic Bishops. In 2012, Steve received the Archdiocese of Chicago Christifideles Award.

Sr. Dolly Cypser

Steve Ligda

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Scholarship Donor Breakfast “Feedback is the breakfast of Champions.”

– Ken Blanchard

Mike and Margaret McShane and Jackie and Larry Heavey

What a great way to start our day! On March 30 over 75 donors joined us for our annual Scholarship Donor Breakfast. This day was filled with appreciation and gratitude for all our donors who have made it possible to nourish the minds and hearts of our McAuley girls. These young women who graciously hosted our donors, are the recipients of $230,000 dollars in tuition assistance from individual donors, and over $370,00 from external scholarship organizations – together totaling over $600,000. We are so blessed with donors who embrace our mission and believe it is a lifetime advantage to receive a McAuley education. As our girls shared their accomplishments, successes and dreams with their donors, they were ignited by our spirited benefactors wisdom and feedback. These Champions are out to change the world!

Sr. Carol Mucha, RSM, Sr. Dolly Cypser, RSM and Sr. Rita Specht, RSM

Sisters of Mercy scholarship recipients

Sr. Cathleen Cahill, RSM and Cele Konrad Arnold ‘63

Save the Date!

Board of Trustees scholarship recipients

CELEBRATION 2018 will be held Friday, February 2 (note the new night!) at Beverly Country Club.

Desirée Pepper-Venzant with the HFS scholars

Yaitzell Noriega ‘17, Board of Trustee scholar addressed guests

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advancement

FutureReady The Campaign for Mother McAuley

Our Vision Before us lie our hopes and dreams reflected in the brilliant faces of the young women of Mother McAuley. To them and to all who will follow them, we commit ourselves to being the very best so that they might be their very best. For us to call them to excellence in all things, we must call ourselves to excellence.

Through minds sharpened by rigorous academics, talents honed through personal pursuits in the arts and athletics, and hearts enriched by the Mercy tradition and enduring personal relationships, Mother McAuley prepares these young women to join the community of caring McAuley alumnae in making a world of difference.

Anchored in our rich Catholic tradition, we choose a future that is as bold and pioneering as Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy.

Future Ready, The Campaign for Mother McAuley will support our commitment to be a premier school of choice for girls who will grow into confident, creative, and collaborative women in college and the workplace, in their families and communities.

“Future Ready, The Campaign for Mother McAuley,” is the school’s largest, most ambitious, and most important fundraising effort since the school opened on 99th Street in 1956.

“Future Ready” provides for campus enhancements to promote collaborative learning that is the norm at colleges and universities, and within the workplace.

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Since January 1, 2017 thanks to the help of a number of generous individual donors and family foundations, the “Future Ready” Campaign has raised $1.4 million of its $1.8 million goal for phase one.

Construction activity began Monday, June 5, 2017. This phase transforms the current Student Lounge into a Student Commons – a place for students to gather to collaborate on assignments, build community, relax, enjoy a refreshment at the Mac Café or shop for branded apparel and merchandise at a retail kiosk. Chicago-based Wight and Company is the lead architect on the project. The Lombard Company is the construction company.

In addition, phase one will upgrade the school’s main Circle Drive entrance off 99th Street to provide 21st-century safety and security that is invisible, yet essential, for students, faculty, staff and visitors. The space also will include new offices. All improvements will be completed before September 2017.

The remaining phases for the “Future Ready” campaign, to be completed as gifts are secured, prioritize renovating and enhancing classrooms; radically changing the library/media center to become the hub of the school; and adding more wellness and athletic facilities and resources.

Active planning for the campaign has been going on for over a year, engaging many constituents, including

advancement Flex Classrooms

Student Commons

Achievement Center

Achievement Center

students, parents, alumnae, faculty and staff. Earlier this year, McAuley held two community engagement sessions to solicit feedback on the facility upgrades. Feedback from all of the sessions helped prioritize the various needs around the school.

Athletic Center

Funding for “Future Ready” comes exclusively from donors.

No funding will be derived from tuition. Additionally, a non-facility component of the campaign includes bolstering scholarships and tuition assistance for families.

McAuley’s last capital campaign – “Expanding for Excellence” – was conducted in 1993 with proceeds funding the construction of the main gym and music wing. Although additional updates have been made to the campus since that time, all have been funded through the general operating budget. These include the 2001 renovations to the art and science wings, the 2008 dining hall update and the 2012 construction of two new, state-of-the-art, LEED-certified chemistry labs. Infrastructure updates to support the 1:1 iPad program were completed in 2014.

More information on Future Ready, including renderings of the proposed campus enhancements, can be viewed on he school website: mothermcauley.org/futureready To donate to the campaign, contact: Carey Temple Harrington ‘86 Vice President for Institutional Advancement 773.881.6557, charrington@mothermcauley.org

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school news

School News Scholastic Art Winners

Art students Sara Bryja ’17, Brenda Cabada ’17, Victoria Green ’17, Jaydn Jordan ’18, Rachel Kapusciarz ’18, Allison Morg ’17, Jillian Mueller ’18, Faith Primozic ’17 and Precious Sorrell ’18 took nine top honors in the prestigious Scholastic Art, Midwest Regional Competition.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the nation’s longest-running, largest, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Students in grades seven through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.

Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. There were approximately 10,000 entries to the 2017 competition.

Catherine McAuley Honors Scholars The Catherine McAuley Honors Scholars had quite the busy school year, hosting over 30 McAuley alumnae speakers, participating in various service projects and touring college campuses including the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University!

Girls Who Code Brittany Vacchiano ‘10 met with the Girls Who Code Club (GWC), which is an organization dedicated to removing the technology gender gap for up and coming female students. Brittany trained under the GWC auspices to present a curriculum to teach high school students the basics of computer software programming. Brittany’s company, Clarity Partners, generously donated computer equipment to McAuley’s Woman in Science & Engineering Club for use in the GWC twice monthly meetings.

Journalism Awards In April, the McAuley Journalism Team on placed 6th in the state competition with over 70 teams! Rachel Kapusciarz ‘18, Alex Devlin ‘17 and Annabelle Hladik ‘17 all earned medals in their categories.

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school news Academic Decathlon The Mother McAuley Academic Decathlon team traveled to the State competition at Northeastern University in March. Students competed in seven academic subjects, speeches, essay and interviews. This year’s theme was WW II. Mother McAuley came in 2nd among non-Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Clare Graney-Dolan ‘19 received a bronze medal for her 3rd place Interview over all teams and 8th in Math. She held the highest McAuley score and ranked 35th overall. Kaleigh O’Hara ‘18 scored 5th overall in Math and 17th in Economics. Elizabeth Ward ‘19 held five scores in the top 20, ranked 18th in Essay and 37th overall. Colette Manahan ‘19 held three scores in the top 20, 12th in Art and 47th overall. Kate Monahan ‘19 held four top 20 scores. Isabel Luna ‘18 held four.

Annie Chellberg ‘18, held three with 27th in Speech overall. Lauren Plesha ‘18 and Erin Sullivan ‘19 excelled in their Speech and Interview placing 33rd and 34th, respectively.

All students finished in the top one-third of their G.P.A. level.

Math Macs

Emerging Mac Leaders The Emerging MAC Leaders had eight speakers over the course of the year including alumnae Carol Martinelli Bartucci ‘81, Kim Kashirsky Castro ‘88, Mary Brennan ‘03, Kerry Ryan Lynch ‘98, Jeannette Pfeiffer ‘97, Marianne Kwiatkowski ‘82 and Laura Shallow ‘75. Each speaker talked about their leadership experience in their various careers and shared helpful tips and strategies to becoming successful leaders in any capacity. In addition to the speaker series, the Emerging MAC Leaders participated in the Polar Plunge, raising over $7,000 for Special Olympics Chicago.

The Math Macs traveled to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on May 6 for the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics High School Math Contest. Overall, the Math Macs placed 24th and earned 150 points at Math Contest. The Freshmen team, which included Mary Russell ’20, Emily Webber ’20, Martina Maples ‘20, Molly Keller ’20 and Ann Marie Cleary ’20 earned 60 points and placed 23rd. The Junior Team, which consisted of Catherine Rogers ’18, Grace Trippiedi ’18, Kaleigh O’Hara ‘18, Kali Foyle ‘18, Emily Tonkovich ’18 and Bridget Halleran ’18 earned 64 points and placed 17th. Kaleigh O’Hara ’18 and Lindsey Tryban ’17 ranked 10th among the two person teams.

Fall Musical: Footloose In November 2016, the theatre and music programs produced the annual musical. This year’s show, “Footloose!” was nearly sold out for all four shows! Close to 200 McAuley students were involved in the production, whether on the stage, behind the scenes, or in the tech box.

Brenna McGathey ‘17 was chosen as a crew member for the State Production of ‘Sweeney Todd’. Brenna is a talented make-up and hair artist and her contributions to the show were amazing.

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school news

Junior earns perfect ACT score!

Catherine Rogers ’18 (Beverly) earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score.

In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2016, only 2,235 out of nearly 2.1 million graduates who took the ACT earned a composite score of 36. ACT test scores are accepted by all major U.S. colleges.

“Catherine is an outstanding student, wholeheartedly committed to her academics,” shared Mother McAuley Principal, Eileen O’Reilly. “This achievement is a testament to her hard work and sets the stage for the advancement of her college and career goals. Beyond excelling in the classroom, Catherine shares her talents with several academic and social clubs at McAuley, earning her the recognition and respect of both teachers and classmates.”

The ACT consists of tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1–36. A student’s composite score is the average of the four test scores. Some students also take the optional ACT writing test, but the score for that test is reported separately and is not included within the ACT composite score.

“I am so proud of Catherine’s incredible accomplishment,” said Nichole Carey ’02, director of counseling and college counselor at Mother McAuley. “An ACT score of 36 correlates to the top one-tenth of the first percentile of testers, nationwide. While this is nothing short of amazing, it comes as little surprise as Catherine is one of the brightest students I have ever encountered as a college counselor. Her natural ability partnered with her intellectual curiosity and superior work ethic are some of the things that makes Catherine, particularly, distinguished. I anticipate her college search process will be broad and exciting.”

Catherine is a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Junior Classical League, Student Ambassadors, Book Club, Math Macs and runs Cross Country and Track. Catherine also is a Catherine McAuley Honors Scholar, a program which recognizes superior academic achievement. Members must maintain at least a 4.09 G.P.A. and complete at least five advanced placement classes before graduation, among other requirements.

Most recently, Catherine was named a Mac with Merit, an award which recognizes students for their honorable character, diligent work ethic and notable contributions to the McAuley community.

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Catherine is a 2014 graduate of Saint John Fisher School.

Her freshman year at McAuley, Catherine received the Sr. Agatha O’Brien Memorial Scholarship which recognizes students who score in the top five percent on the High School Placement Test. She also was one of 16 students to receive the Tradition of Excellence Catherine Rogers ‘18 with Scholarship for legacy Mrs. Eileen O’Reilly ‘03 students. Catherine’s mother, Joan Dempsey Garey-Rogers ’83, five aunts, and sister, Jenna Garey ’09, all attended Mother McAuley. Most recently, Catherine was named a Mac with Merit, an award which recognizes students for their honorable character, diligent work ethic and notable contributions to the McAuley community. During her sophomore year, Catherine was honored with The Irish Fellowship Educational & Cultural Foundation Scholarship.

Outside of school Catherine serves as a teacher’s aide for the Saint John Fisher School of Religion, and during the summer she volunteers her time at the Chicago Public Library’s Summer Learning Challenge and as a Camp Counselor at Lake Katherine in Palos Heights.

While Catherine’s parents, William and Joan Dempsey Garey-Rogers ’83, are extremely proud of all Catherine has achieved academically, they are even more proud of the young woman she has become. “We are very proud of Catherine and all of the effort she puts into her schooling,” her parents said.

“At Saint John Fisher, Catherine learned to be competent, curious and compassionate; she brought these traits to Mother McAuley and sharpened them as she has been challenged, motivated to succeed and determined to persevere. McAuley continues to be an incredible place for Catherine and we are so grateful! As pleased as we are about the ACT, we are more proud of Catherine’s kindness and gentle nature.”

school news

athletics

We Are the Champions!

On November 12, 2016, McAuley’s Mighty Mac volleyball team brought home its 15th Class 4A State championship title in a win (25-19, 19-25, 25-19) against Minooka High School at Redbird Stadium on the Illinois State University campus. Following the win, the team became the first ever to be ranked number 1 in the nation

by USA Today, MaxPreps, PrepVolleyball.com, VollyeballMag.com!

Charley Niego ’18 was named “Player of the Year” but The Daily Southown newspaper and Gatorade named her the Illinois Volleyball of the Year! Charley is the first McAuley player to ever receive this award. She was honored during a special pep assembly and presentation at the school in January. Gatorade is an official partner of the Illinois High School Association. It annually recognizes some of the best and brightest in Illinois by naming Gatorade Players of the Year in 12 sports.

Mayor Sexton and the Evergreen Park Police and Fire Departments helped the champions celebrate with a parade through the village to the school. A proclamation was awarded by the Village of Evergreen Park, which declared the month of December as “Mighty Mac Month.” The County Board of Commissioners and the Illinois State House of Representatives also awarded proclamations to the team.

Charley Niego ‘18

The good news continued as head volleyball coach, Jen Rees DeJarld ’87 was named 2016 PrepVolleyball.com National Coach of the Year! DeJarld has been McAuley’s head volleyball coach for the past 12 years, leading the team to two State Championship titles.

It’s the second for DeJarld in 12 seasons as the head coach. Her teams have also finished third in the 4A Conference three times and second once.

Jen Rees DeJarld ‘87

Tara O’Malley Scored Historic Point

Water Polo Finishes Strong Congratulations to our Mighty Macs water polo team which finished fourth for the third straight year and collected the program’s 12th state trophy! The team finished the regular season 24-8.

In January, basketball player Tara O’Malley ‘18 scored her 1,000th career point in a win against Bogan High School. She has been the team’s leading scorer since her freshman year and currently averages 15.4 points per game as a junior also lead the team in assisted. In March, Tara qualified for the State 3 point contest at Illinois State University where she hit eight of 15 shots.

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school news

be fun, loving, and articulate McAuley women who seek out the challenges that lie ahead knowing we have a McAuley support system behind us for the rest of our lives.

Alyssa La Bella, valedictorian; Faith Primozic, salutatorian; Mrs. Deborah Curran Grisko ‘80, alumnae speaker; Kailtyn O’Connell, salutatorian; Annabella Barry, student speaker.

McAuley Celebrates the Class of 2017 Sunny skies greeted graduates and guests to the Shannon Center on the campus of Saint Xavier University on Sunday, May 21 for the 61st commencement ceremony. Families and friends gathered together to celebrate the 269 graduates.

The Mother McAuley Class of 2017 had many accomplishments to recognize, including two National Merit Commended Scholars, three recipients of the Chick Evans Scholarship, 25 athletic commitments and 40 Illinois State Scholars. One of the most impressive facts is the amount of merit-based scholarships awarded to the Class of 2017, which totals more than $37 million.

The ceremony included the tradition of graduates donning floor-length white dresses, complemented by long white gloves and the carrying of red roses. The tradition dates back to when the school first opened in 1846. The ceremony began with remarks by the valedictorian, followed by the conferring of diplomas. The salutatorians then introduced the alumnae speaker. Remarks by the faculty speaker and student speaker rounded out the event.

Valedictorian Alyssa LaBella completed her senior year with a cumulative G.P.A. of 4.51 and leaves the school with many accomplishments under her belt. Next year, she will attend the University of Notre Dame and then hopes to enroll in medical school. She reflected on the many skills and character traits that McAuley instilled in her and her classmates.

“As one journey ends and another begins, we give thanks for the life lessons, confidence, relationships, and excellent education received at Mother McAuley. These lessons have prepared us to

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Kaitlyn O’Connell and Faith Primozic shared the distinction of salutatorian, both having earned a 4.48 G.P.A. Kaitlyn will attend Ferris State University on a full athletic scholarship next year, where she plans to major in Biology on the pre-med track.

Faith will attend the University of Notre Dame where she will major in architecture. The girls both introduced the alumnae speaker for the ceremony.

This marked the fourth year that Mother McAuley invited an alumna to address the graduates during commencement. This year’s speaker, Deborah Curran Grisko ’80, is the president and executive director of Almost Home Kids, a charitable organization that provides transitional care in a home-like setting to children with complicated health needs. To date, Debbie and her staff have successfully transitioned 1,400 children home to live with their families. In 2012, Debbie assisted with Almost Home Kids’ expansion and opening of a new state-of-the-art facility occupying the entire 6th floor of the Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s Hospital.

She now is leading the charge on the building of a new Almost Home Kids location through a partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Illinois - Order of St. Francis in Peoria. Once completed, it will be only the third home of its kind in the United States. Debbie hopes that one day Almost Home Kids will have locations across the country to fulfill the great need of keeping families together and whole.

Debbie, herself a mom to a special needs child, shared how her life’s journey and passion for helping others brought to her role today.

“Throughout life and through each battle, I have seen the worst and the best sides of people, especially when referring to people with disabilities. At first it’s easy to get angry and hurt, but over time I found the best way to fight ignorance is not with anger but with education, leading by example and extending kindness.”

“As you leave here today, remember to keep crafting your mission and know God will guide you when the time is right down whatever path he has for you. Never believe in the word NO – believe in your path. As I always tell my children ‘make sure whatever room you walk into that you have made a difference before you leave, because life is short.’”

(Deborah Curran Grisko ‘80, alumnae speaker)

school news

Class of 2017 Accomplishments 269 graduates 100% of students accepted to college 83% accepted to their first choice school Attending 100 institutions 34 entering Direct Admissions Programs (for Pharm.D, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, medical and juris doctorate)

$37 million in merit-based scholarships 25 athletic scholarships 74 National Honors Society members 2 National Merit Commended students 40 Illinois State Scholars 3 Chick Evans Scholars Top schools graduates are attending: Belmont University Loyola University Northwestern University University of Illinois University of Michigan University of Notre Dame University of Texas - Austin Washington University

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school news Admissions Update Mother McAuley is excited to welcome 235 young women to the class of 2021 this August! These young ladies will come prepared to engage in our rigorous curriculum and challenged to embrace the Mercy mission. They’ll gain the confidence and tools to give them a competitive edge as they move onto college and into careers.

Here are some fun stats on the Class of 2021...

They have earned:

$283,000 in scholarships

We welcome: The students represent:

93

elementary schools

41

zip codes

21

Tradition of Excellence scholarship recipients

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Agatha O’Brien Scholars (testing 95% or higher on the entrance exam.)

And here’s a fun fact…

The three most popular names are:

1. Emma 2. Grace 3. Maeve

Lots of Legacies!

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students have a mother who graduated from McAuley

20

students have a grandmother who graduated from McAuley

20

students have an aunt who graduated from McAuley

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have a sister who attends or did attend McAuley

Do you know a McAuley girl?

Help them get started on their lifetime advantage! Invite her to these upcoming events: Shadow Days begin September 5th Open House Sunday, September 24 Tuesday, October 24 Financial Aid Information Night Wednesday, September 20 In April, the Class of 2021 and their families were invited to be our guest at our “Freshman Fiesta Dinner.” This evening has become an annual tradition when administration, faculty and staff welcome and thanks families for choosing McAuley!

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Honors Information Night Tuesday, October 10

One Last Look Open House Tuesday, November 30 Don’t miss out on the best night of the year!

Girls Night Out October 20 Save the date!

Entrance Exam December 2 8:00am

Flashback Corner See how times have changed over the years!

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Contact Maura Moran Vaughan ‘07

Alumnae Relations and Development Assistant

mvaughan@mothermcauley.org

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Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Alumnae