Spring awards season has kicked into high gear, and three more of Mount St. Mary Academy’s student groups – the Concert Belles, Harmony Belles and Forensics Team – have moved on to their respective state-level competitions.

Once again the Concert Belles were recognized as being among the very best at this year’s regional Choral Performance Assessment on March 8. They scored all superior ratings and were awarded a Division I plaque, which qualified the choral ensemble for the Arkansas Choral Directors Association State Festival on April 9.

The Harmony Belles also performed well at the regional assessment, receiving mostly superior ratings and an overall Division I rating. Their performance qualified the small ensemble for the State Festival, as well. This is the first year the Harmony Belles have advanced to the statewide competition.

The Forensics Team, known as the Forensics Breaking Belles, enjoyed another successful season of competition. The group participated in five tournaments across the state, placing in speech and theatre events such as storytelling, poetry, prose and duet improv. The group’s overall performance earned them Second Place Sweepstakes awards at both the Bentonville and Searcy tournaments. They will be competing at the Arkansas Forensics & Debate State Championship held April 5-6 in North Little Rock.

The following team members qualified to compete in the state tournament: America Alejandri ’20, Avery Appleton ’20, Mia Aquino ’22, Lily Eagan ’20, Anna Farmer ’19, Rachel Klinck ’22, Sophia Lehman ’22, Malingo Matute ’22, Bri Moseley ’19, Anna Palmer ’20, Alexandra Powell ’22, Amalie Shollmier ’19, Karina Singh ’19 and Victoria Volpi ’20

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Mount St. Mary Academy is proud to announce that Bekka Ureta ’19 has been named a National Merit Finalist in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Competition. Bekka is among 15,000 high school seniors nationwide who have met all the requirements to advance to Finalist standing and continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships.

More than 1.6 million students nationwide entered the Merit Program as juniors by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. High scorers were designated as Semifinalists in the fall by scoring in the top one percent among students taking the PSAT.

Congratulations, Bekka!

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

Two MSM students were recently recognized for their community spirit and exemplary volunteer service. Rachel Ridgeway ’19 was honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award, and Grace Barnett ’21 received the Sotomora Service Award.

Granted by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, the President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of time to serve their communities and their country. An active member of the Mount St. Mary and Christ the King Catholic Church communities, Rachel has spent more than 500 hours volunteering through school, church and other activities. Her lengthy list of involvement includes the Building Bright Futures tutoring program, the Diocese of Little Rock’s Youth Advisory Council and her church’s Youth Advisory Team, Mount St. Mary Academy’s Mountie Messengers student ambassador program and Beta Club, and more.

“I have always been told to use my gifts for good, so I became involved everywhere I could think of,” Rachel said of her participation in so many different groups and activities. “I have realized through all this work that there is nothing more rewarding than doing things for others. I have gained a new appreciation for all people, stereotypes have been lost, and walls in my heart have been broken down. I have become a more understanding, merciful, loving and open-minded person, and I strive to improve every day.”

Grace was honored with the Sotomora Service Award at this year’s American Heart Association of Central Arkansas Heart Ball on Saturday, March 2. Created by Eileen and Dr. Ricardo Sotomora in 2001, the award is presented annually to the Sweetheart who performed the greatest number of community service/educational hours during her time as a Sweetheart. Grace completed 317 hours of volunteer work, the most of this year’s group of 66 Heart Ball Sweethearts. She is the fourth Mount St. Mary Academy student to receive the Sotomora Service Award since it was created 18 years ago. Previous recipients from the school include Megan Alley ’18, Olivia Root ’07 and Ashley Jones McMillan ’05.

“I think volunteering in the community is important because it helps acquire life skills as well as provide service to those who need it most,” Grace said. “Along with the fun experiences that I have volunteering, I have also made friendships that will last a lifetime.”

We recognize Rachel and Grace for their commitment to service and living Mercy, and congratulate them on their respective well-deserved honors!

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.

This time each spring, a handful of Mount St. Mary Academy’s student clubs and organizations travel to various locations across the state to participate in regional competitions with the goal of performing well enough to advance to state and national competitions. Two groups – Odyssey of the Mind and Mock Trial – both achieved that goal after placing at the top in their respective regional tournaments on Saturday, March 2.

The MSM Odyssey of the Mind team is headed to the state competition after a first-place win in their division at the Diamond Regional Tournament in Paragould. This year’s problem, “Leonardo’s Workshop”, challenged the team to develop and present a performance that tells an original story about Leonardo da Vinci that takes place within the famous Italian painter’s workshop and features pieces of his work. In addition to receiving a top score for their performance, the MSM team also scored high in the Spontaneous and Style portions of the competition. They’ll represent the central region at the State Tournament in North Little Rock on Saturday, March 30.

The combined Mount St. Mary and Catholic High Mock Trial teams also fared well in their regional competition, hosted by the Arkansas Bar Association in Pine Bluff. Students on each of the nine-member teams played various attorney, witness and timekeeper roles in simulated trials before a panel of judges consisting of licensed attorneys. The Purple (Senior) Team – currently the highest ranked team in the state after the regional competitions – won first place, and the White (Junior) Team placed second, which resulted in both teams qualifying to compete in the state competition in Little Rock on Saturday, March 30. In addition to placing at the top of their regional competition, both teams were among only six schools across the state to receive the highest amount of ballots possible from the judges.

We’re proud of these teams and wish them continued success at their state competitions!

Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.