Monthly Archives: May 2019

Class of 2019, “We’ll Always Remember You”

The Class of 2019 graduated from Mount St. Mary Academy during the Commencement Ceremony held Monday, May 20, at Robinson Auditorium in downtown Little Rock. The 122 graduates, accepted to more than 100 colleges and universities, collectively received over $14 million in scholarship offerings and will be attending 40 different colleges and universities across 17 states this fall. Additionally, this year’s graduating class completed 13,386 hours of community service for the greater Little Rock community during its junior and senior years.

Cathy Hastings Owen ’76, chairman of Eagle Bank & Trust, delivered the commencement address. She encouraged graduates to recognize and take advantage of the vast array of opportunities in front of them – both big and small – and to lead with kindness and humility. “As women today, you can do and be anything you want to be,” she said. “Believe in yourself. Find your unique superpower. But never compromise your ethics, name or integrity.”

Ms. Owen was introduced by Fourth Honor Graduate Sophie Bravo and Fifth Honor Graduate Ashley Suffridge. Fifth Honor Graduates Madison Perreault and Annie Quo offered the invocation, and Third Honor Graduate Sophie Chier presented the class essay, “Those Who Dare.” The salutatory address, “The Highest Appreciation,” was given by Second Honor Graduate Anna Kate Manchester, and First Honor Graduate Angel Sagardui delivered the valedictory address, “Shoot for the Moon.”

Monsignor Francis I. Malone, chancellor for ecclesial affairs for the Diocese of Little Rock and pastor at Christ the King Church, presented the diplomas as MSM Principal/CEO Karen Flake ’65 announced each graduate and the college she will attend. They were joined on stage by Angie Collins, MSM principal; Theresa Hall ’78, superintendent of Catholic schools; and Greg Hartz, MSM Academy Board of Directors chairman.

The Class of 2019 leaves Mount St. Mary Academy with diplomas in hand and mixed feelings of joy, anticipation, sadness and gratitude. In the spirit of its class song, “I’ll Always Remember You” by Miley Cyrus, this year’s graduates will remain tied by the moments they shared together at the Mount – “memories they’ll hold in their hearts forever” – which will serve as the foundation and inspiration for continuing to live Mercy beyond the gate of Mount St. Mary as women of wisdom, compassion and integrity.

View photos from the beautiful celebration at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDsSon8.

Congratulations, Class of 2019! “The best school we know of” couldn’t be more proud of you, and we are excited to see all that you continue to accomplish.

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 Honors Student-Athletes and Coaching Staff

More than 350 guests gathered at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Little Rock on Monday, May 13, to honor and celebrate Mount St. Mary Academy’s 196 student-athletes during the school’s annual Athletic Banquet.

Coaches introduced their respective teams during the event and presented the traditional awards for each player based on her years of participation. First-year players received a certificate and keepsake with their graduation year, second-year players were given a MSM letter and symbol of the sports in which they played, third-year players received the coveted white sweatshirt with their name and sports monogrammed on the sleeves, and fourth-year players were gifted a wooden memento box engraved with their athletic accomplishments.

A handful of special awards were presented during the banquet, as well:

Sr. Phillipa Athletic Award: Ava Fischer ’19
Sr. Phillipa Parent Award: Michelle Kaelin
Sr. Phillipa Memorial Scholarship: Karina Brockwell ’19 and Yesica Reyes Vasquez ’19
Mary Drake Award: Ashley Suffridge ’19
Purple Heart Award: Anya Ranaraja ’19
Manager of the Year: Caroline Martine ’19 and Alicia Sustaita ’19
Passionate Athlete Award in Honor of Marilyn Lenggenhager: Catherine Althoff ’20 and Catalina Williams ’21
Vassar-West Scholarship: Katie Kaelin ’21
Most Valuable Freshman Award: Millie Allgood ’22
Most Valuable Belle: Anya Ranaraja ’19

Twenty-seven student-athletes were recognized as Four-Year Scholars, having participated in athletics for all four years of high school and graduating with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Annie Quo, Madi Perreault and Ashley Suffridge were awarded the Top Scholar Athlete Award for maintaining the highest academic average while also participating in the athletic program at Mount.

MSM Athletic Director Marilyn Lenggenhager honored the coaching staff at the event, as well, and paid special tribute to five coaches who are retiring from their coaching duties this year: Marissa Blair, Brendan Britt, Lindann Blair Day, Jennifer Herzog and Lane West.

Congratulations to all of this year’s hard-working and dedicated student-athletes and their coaches. We are proud of you and all you do for Mount St. Mary and its athletic program.

Class of 2019 Honored, Inducted Into MSM Alumnae Association at Senior Recognition Ceremony

The MSM Alumnae Association gained 122 new members at the Senior Recognition Ceremony on Thursday, May 16. Attended by MSM families and alumnae relatives, the ceremony honored the accomplishments of the senior class and inducted the Class of 2019 into the MSM Alumnae Association.

Sixty percent of the senior class earned the academic status of Honor Graduate and received a gold cord to wear at graduation. The top honor graduates awarded were: 1st honor graduate Angel Sagardui, 2nd honor graduate Anna Kate Manchester, 3rd honor graduate Sophie Chier, 4th honor graduate Sophie Bravo, and 5th honor graduates Madison Perrault, Annie Quo and Ashley Suffridge. Earlier in the ceremony, Annie, who will be attending the Naval Academy, was also awarded the Ronald Reagan Leadership Medal for modeling uncompromising discipline, reliability and integrity and demonstrating drive, humility and service before self.

Eleven students were recognized for having participated in the rigorous AP Capstone program of study and received a purple and white cord to wear at graduation: Alison Allgood, Sophie Chier, Audrey Cummins, Brooke Hall, Emma Harter, Sarah Huber, Cati Johnson, Sam Kagy, Anna Kate Manchester, Angel Sagardui and Kennedy Stevens. Additionally, Emily Ellis and Lindsey Taylor were recognized for their completion of the AP Seminar and Research certificate.

Wesley Burney received the 2019 Principal’s Award, given to one outstanding senior each year who has consistently demonstrated a Christian attitude, academic achievement, school pride and loyalty, service to others, and a total commitment to achieving her best during her time at the Mount. Wesley was also honored for having achieved perfect attendance for all four years at the Mount – making her one of just three students who’ve accomplished this feat in the last 24 years.

Three MSM students were honored for receiving recognition by the National Merit Program. Bekka Ureta was selected as a National Merit Finalist, receiving a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship from 3M. Anna Kate Manchester was selected as a National Merit Semifinalist, and Sophie Bravo was selected as a National Merit Commended Student. Each of these young women represent the top four percent of the more than 1.6 million students who entered the National Merit competition by taking the PSAT/NMSQT as juniors.

A number of honors were awarded from the various academic departments as well as the Flora Bittner Croft Scholarship for MSM students attending Catholic universities and the Judith Wrappe Scholarship for senior art submissions that portrayed a theme of “Justice.” Recipients of this year’s Flora Bittner Croft Scholarship were Caroline Barnhill, Sophie Chier, Brooke Hall, Julia Jansen, Cameron King, Jennifer Mines and Tyler Noonan. Abby Yanosick was awarded the Judith Wrappe Scholarship.

View photos from this year’s Senior Recognition and Alumnae Induction Ceremony at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDkKYMX.

MSM Awards, Celebrates Students’ Academic Accomplishments

Mount St. Mary Academy was blessed to award 28 scholarships totaling over $80,000 to students during its annual Underclass Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, in the McAuley Center Gym. Several donors and other representatives of the various endowed scholarships were in attendance to present the awards to this year’s deserving recipients.

Dozens of additional academic honors were also awarded and celebrated. The school’s various academic departments honored the students’ accomplishments in the classroom, and their participation and achievement in clubs, organizations and other activities such as Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society and Odyssey of the Mind were recognized, as well.

During the ceremony, MSM English teacher Monica Madey ’06 was recognized as this year’s recipient of the John and Patricia Bailey Family Distinguished Teaching Award for exhibiting overall excellence in teaching during the 2019-2020 school year. Mrs. Madey also serves as advisor to the Odyssey of the Mind team and Belle Raisers club at the Mount. Additionally, MSM parent Kim Markland was named Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to supporting the school and its students though her involvement and leadership with the Belle Booster Club and Mercy & Me committee.

Congratulations to all of our outstanding students for their academic accomplishments, especially this year’s scholarship recipients:

McAuley Achievement Award: Abby Caldarera ’20, Anne Marie Coy ’21, Abbey Moore ’21, Paloma Moreno ’20, Emily Roach ’21 and Annie Wendel ’22
Sr. Deborah Troillett, RSM ’73 Endowed Scholarship: Sophie Mammarelli ’20
Mary Drake Scholarship: Brynne Johnson ’21
Spirit of ’95 Scholarship: Anne Lashbrook ’20
Class of 2009 SISTER Scholarship: Catherine Althoff ’20
Sandra Gueydan Hickey ’66 Scholarship: Naomi Moreland ’20
Alana Wolfe Memorial Scholarship: Stacy Torres ’20
Wells Summer Engineering Academy Scholarship: Summer Craig ’20
Wells Pre-Engineering Scholarship: Cecelia Rech ’20
Ma Family Endowed Scholarship: America Alejandri ’20
Judith Wrappe Scholarship: Cecilia Ilg ’20, Macy Ramiro ’22 and Emily Roach ’21
Evelyn J. Coulter Thomas ’30 Scholarship: Addie Grace Coleman ’20 (for dance), Sam Heck ’20 (for fine literature) and Amelia Ochoa ’20 (for music)
Mercy Opportunity Scholarship: Grace Blagg ’20, Isabella Boyd ’20, Anna Palmer ’20, Ava Sanders ’20, Lily Wewers ’20 and Annison Yates ’20
Melissa Ma ’98 Endowed Scholarship: Kennedy Fogleman ’20

View more photos from this year’s Underclass Awards Ceremony at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmcquH3B.

Soccer Belles’ Successful Season Leads Team to State Semifinals

The Soccer Belles’ exciting season came to a bittersweet end on Saturday, May 11, as the team lost to the no. 1 seed Conway Wampus Cats in the semifinals of the 6A State Soccer Tournament in Conway. Entering the state tournament as the no. 3 seed from the 6A Central Conference, the Belles defeated Bentonville West 3-1 and Rogers 2-1 to advance to the semifinals. The team ended up losing 1-0 to the conference champion Wampus Cats in an extremely hard-fought game. The girls gave their all through rain and cold temperatures, preventing Conway from scoring until the final six minutes of the game. Mount St. Mary last won the girl’s state soccer title in 2008.

Despite the heart-breaking loss, the Soccer Belles have a lot to celebrate. The team went 12-5-1 overall and 10-4 in conference play to finish third in the 6A Central Conference and sixth in the state. Senior Anya Ranaraja and junior Cami Kita were awarded All State honors, and seniors Riley Hanan, Gracie May, Kaydee Price and Ashley Suffridge received All Conference honors. Additionally, two seniors committed to continue playing the sport in college this fall. Anya signed with the Lynx at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and Mallory Howard plans to join the Lady Mustangs at Central Baptist College in Conway.

The JV soccer team enjoyed a successful season, as well, remaining undefeated throughout their entire schedule.

Congrats to the Soccer Belles, including head coach Stephanie Boccarossa and assistant coaches Donnie Bridges and Ashley McNatt, on a very successful and exciting season. We are so proud of you!

MSM Senior Receives Diocese’s Highest Honor for High School Students

Senior Caroline Martine was honored as one of two recipients of the St. Timothy Award at the Diocese of Little Rock’s annual Catholic Youth Convention on April 5 in Little Rock. The highest honor the diocese can bestow on a graduating high school student, the award recognizes youth who live as a disciple of Christ by setting a positive example for others, exhibit Catholic morals and integrity, demonstrate Gospel values through service to others and are Christian leaders in their parish, school and/or community.

Read more about Caroline and the St. Timothy Award in this feature article from the May 11th issue of Arkansas Catholic.

Each parish in the diocese is allowed just one St. Timothy nomination. Out of the total parish nominations submitted, only two recipients are chosen to receive this award each year. Caroline was nominated by the church she and her family attends, Christ the King.

Congratulations on the well-deserved honor, Caroline! You exemplify living Mercy.

Several MSM Seniors Recognized for Academic Achievement

As the school year winds down this time each year, news announcing the deserving recipients of various awards and honors tends to pick up. Mount St. Mary Academy is proud to have had several members of this year’s graduating class recognized for their academic accomplishments over the past two weeks.

In late April it was announced that Anna Kate Manchester was selected as one of 621 semifinalists, and one of only eight semifinalists from the state of Arkansas, to advance to the final round of the 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholarship competition. One of the nation’s highest honors for high school students, the candidates qualifying for the U.S Presidential Scholar award represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. They are selected annually based on their academic success as well as evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

Sophie Chier and Angel Sagardui were among a group of high school students honored at the Governor’s Scholastic Honors Day on Saturday, April 27, at the Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock. The day serves to recognize Arkansas’ “best and brightest students” and included tours of the mansion and gardens as well as visiting with Governor Asa Hutchinson and the First Lady.

Anna Kate, Sophie and Angel were also featured in the May 2019 issue of Little Rock Family. The magazine’s special Head of the Class section recognized dozens of top graduating seniors from Central Arkansas’ public, private and parochial schools and applauded the “superstar scholars” for their achievements.

Angel’s academic achievement was honored again on Friday, May 3, this time through Congressman French Hill’s Educational Award Program. Nearly 30 honorees from 16 schools in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District were recognized during a special ceremony held at Mount St. Mary with Congressman Hill, who instituted the program in 2015 to recognize students in Central Arkansas who have demonstrated a commitment to academic achievement and community engagement.

Finally, Bekka Ureta was named a recipient of a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship, underwritten by 3M, on Wednesday, May 8. Bekka is one of just 21 Arkansas high school seniors, and 2,500 seniors nationwide, to be selected for this prestigious scholarship from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2019 National Merit program. The finalists in each state are judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

We applaud these four graduating seniors for their hard work and academic achievement, and congratulate them on the recent well-deserved recognition.

Softball Belles’ Season Marked With Several Exciting Moments

The Softball Belles recently completed their 10-week season and have a lot to celebrate despite finishing eighth in the 6A Central Conference. The team went 4-0 in the Little Rock Invitational at J.A. Fair at the start of the season, ultimately winning the tournament after defeating Pine Bluff 9-4 in the championship game. Two additional victories followed to result in an impressive six-game win streak for the Softball Belles before heading into conference play in early March.

The team enjoyed another exciting moment later in their season when freshman Olivia Coppens hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning during their game against Russellville on April 11, propelling the Belles to a thrilling 15-14 come-from-behind victory. Additionally, Olivia and her teammate, senior Hannah Day, both received All Conference honors for their performance during the season.

We are proud of the Softball Belles, including head coach Lauren Naeyaert and assistant coaches Rick Marendt and Lane West, on their accomplishments this season.

Season Comes to an End for Track and Field Belles

The Mount St. Mary Academy Track and Field team completed their season on Friday, April 26, at the 6A Central Conference Championship at Scott Field in Little Rock. The team competed in seven events. The 4×100, 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams all qualified for the state championship in Hot Springs on May 3, though they did not participate due to sickness and the Closing Prayer Service occurring on the same day.

The team competed in a handful of track meets across Central Arkansas during their season, which began in March. A highlight included sophomore Staley Tatum winning the 800-meter race at the Wampus Cat Relays hosted by Conway High School on April 16 with a time of 2:33.18.

Congratulations to Coach Cody Henry and the Track and Field Belles on a great season!

Mount St. Mary Bids Farewell to Senior Class

It was a day full of celebration, joy and sadness as Mount St. Mary honored and bid farewell to the Class of 2019 on May 3, the seniors’ last day of school. In honor of College T-shirt and Skirt Day, a relatively new tradition at the Mount, excited seniors arrived for their final day on campus wearing college tees along with the iconic MSM houndstooth skirts decorated with the mascots, symbols and colors of the colleges they’ll be attending this fall. The group enjoyed showing off the creative and colorful attire, and taking pictures with each other and their younger classmates, during the festive all-school Pizza on the Plaza lunch.

The Closing Prayer Service was held later in the day in the McAuley Center gymnasium. After parting words from teachers, administration, classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as from their peers, the Class of 2019 took part in the fourth and final tradition experienced by all students at Mount St. Mary: the presentation of the graduation tassels. Students receive their Mercy cards in 9th grade, Mercy pins in 10th grade and class rings in 11th grade. The graduation tassels presented at the end of the students’ final year at Mount mark the completion of their academic and spiritual development during the four years of high school.

As it does at most school gatherings, the singing of the alma mater served as the closing song for the service. Per tradition, the seniors alone sung the last verse before exiting the McAuley Center through an honor guard made up of Mount St. Mary faculty and staff. The special procession served as the bookend to the seniors’ experience. The class walked through an honor guard of students as freshmen being welcomed into the MSM community during the Opening Prayer Service at the beginning of their ninth grade year. This is the only other time during the school year the honor guard takes place.

Though joyful as they move on to an exciting new chapter of their lives, the senior class shared tearful embraces on their final day of school as they reminisced on the good times and wonderful memories that were shared together at the best school we know of.

“Good-bye to St. Mary’s, the best school we know of.

You’ve given us friendship and knowledge and love.

And though we’ll be leaving, we’ll always believe in

the things you’ve taught for you’ve still got our loyalty.”

– Alma Mater of Mount St. Mary Academy

MSM Hosts Inaugural Girls Leadership Academy for Middle School Girls

A group of sixth- and seventh-grade girls from public and private schools throughout Central Arkansas joined together at Mount St. Mary Academy on Saturday, April 27, for the first-ever Girls Leadership Academy at the Mount. Called GLAM for short, the unique one-day event recognized and celebrated outstanding young girls in the Little Rock area, and inspired understanding and growth in the following areas: self-esteem building, leadership training, respect for self and others, goal setting, public speaking, time management and the importance of service.

Organized by Annie Cross, director of admissions at Mount St. Mary, and led by an energetic team of the school’s students, alumnae, parents and staff, GLAM featured a jam-packed schedule for its young participants. The day’s events included a variety of group sessions, smaller breakout activities, fun games, a closing graduation ceremony with parents and more. Hilary Hunt, news reporter and anchor at KARK, served as special guest presenter and spoke about the importance of self-confidence.

“We were absolutely thrilled with the amount of interest in the inaugural Girls Leadership Academy at the Mount,” Cross exclaimed. “Our goal was to bring together sixth- and seventh-grade girls from different schools in our community for an event focused on promoting self-confidence, building self-esteem, developing a variety of important leadership skills and making new friends, and I think we were successful.”

Susie Whitacre, a Mount St. Mary board member who served on the team that developed and organized the event over the past several months, agreed. “Sixth and seventh grades can be complicated years of growth for young girls, and GLAM helped these girls talk openly about topics that are of concern to them,” she noted. “The girls left Mount St. Mary inspired to respect oneself and to respect others, and excited to further develop their leadership skills – not only in the classroom, but among their peers.”

Nearly 60 young girls representing 15 schools registered for GLAM, surpassing the organizers’ initial goal of 50 girls and resulting in a wait list for the event’s first year. With the success shown during its pilot year, Mount St. Mary is already preparing to make the leadership retreat an annual event.

“Mount St. Mary understands young girls and the importance of developing them into women of great character,” Whitacre commented. “We believe empowering them and helping them better understand themselves at this stage in their lives will lead to more successful years in high school, and ultimately make a positive impact on our community.”

View photos from the inaugural Girls Leadership Academy at the Mount at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmDa6CJA. You may also watch a brief video featuring scenes from the day as well as participant testimonials at https://youtu.be/SrPcTQ2Ecbs.