a publication from Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Mes Amies spring
2012 Issue \ 5
the SALUTE TO ALUMNAE issue
The Biennial Career Day Event
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart hosts the biennial Career Day event to educate students about college and career opportunities, and to help them connect their high school experiences with alumnae who have preceded them. “I was a limits-tester,” admitted The Honorable Margaret J. Mullen ’73. As the Presiding Judge of the Law Division of the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, Mullen opened her keynote address at Career Day 2010 thanking her alma mater for playing such a pivotal role in her life. “ Woodlands nurtured me along. Woodlands is a big part of who I am today and what I do.”
margaret j. mullen ’73
She added, “Take whatever God gave you and work on those strengths. Become the person you want to be.” The articulate and accomplished Judge Mullen set aside her usual courtroom demeanor to share a lively perspective on her life journey. “At Woodlands, there was a high level of commitment to the written word and the art of the written word,” said Mullen. Nicknamed “Booty” during her formative years, Mullen recounted humorous moments in her years at Woodlands. “I think I first learned leadership by taking students across the bridge to Barat to the nun’s cloister to slide down four stories of the fire escape.”
Strong independence blended with uncommon energy and enthusiasm characterized Kate Bateman ’04 when she was a Woodlands student. She carried these traits to the University of Michigan where, as an undergraduate, she worked with other student engineers to build and drive a solar car cross country.
“ Woodlands is an incredibly challenging environment,” Bateman affirmed. “At Woodlands, all the teachers really want you to succeed.” Bateman also volunteers with Living Water International, an organization whose mission is to provide clean sustainable water to communities in developing countries. She’ll utilize her engineering skills to build wells for the residents. “Get involved in something you are passionate about,” Bateman told students. “This will set you apart.”
“My passion was always the social life of the school,” said a smiling Kate Hartman ’00. “I love to talk.”
Susan Brennan Morrison ’69 walked the halls of Woodlands the day before her Career Day closing keynote address. She remembered the opportunities to be a leader and how “we valued ourselves and our work.”
Hartman took her gift of gab, along with sage advice from her parents, and shaped a successful career in public relations. “Dreams don’t work unless you do,” her parents told her. Hartman heeded their words and now enjoys partnering with celebrities in telling the story of CocaCola’s glacéau line of beverages to the world market in her role as Global Public Relations Senior Manager. kate hartman ’00
Maintaining that her greatest accomplishment is her six-month-old daughter Charlotte, Hartman advised students to,
“Surround yourselves with good people, family, friends, and faith. Life is short. Take chances. Live your life.”
kate bateman ’04
She shared with attendees her experiences as a Colorado-based drilling engineer with Shell Oil Company, adding “Engineers really make a difference.”
Morrison believes the support she received at Woodlands fostered the self confidence she needed to be a force in the business world. Ultimately graduating with honors from University of California San Diego while simultaneously working two jobs, Morrison entered and then excelled in the world of advertising. Through her involvement with the Women’s Sports Foundation and her friendship with tennis icon Billy Jean King, Morrison found both her voice and an opportunity to give back. About Women Moving Millions, another philanthropic passion, Morrison says, “There are countless opportunities for talented young women to go out and make a difference.” susan brennan morrison ’69
“I am finally doing something I love, and I have become my best self by giving back,” Morrison affirmed. “I feel I am just getting started.” Her parting advice to students: “Hold fast to dreams, and live the values you are learning here at Woodlands Academy.”