Amy Owens, director of counseling at Mount St. Mary Academy, has been chosen as this year’s Central Region High School Counselor of the Year by the Arkansas School Counselor Association (ArSCA). The award honors Mrs. Owens’ outstanding performance, advocacy and leadership in the field of school counseling. She will be recognized as a regional winner at this summer’s ArSCA conference in Hot Springs and is eligible to advance to the state-level Counselor of the Year competition.

Eden Coker, freshman counselor at Mount St. Mary, and Whitney Smotherman, the school’s college counselor, nominated Mrs. Owens for the honor. In their nomination letter, they highlighted their colleague’s many contributions to the school and praised Mrs. Owens’ dedication to her students. “She is the most passionate counselor we have had the pleasure of working with, and after 15+ years in the profession, she continues to advocate for the profession and for all students,” they said. “She has created a culture where counselors are stakeholders in the decisions that guide our school. Serving on major committees [at Mount St. Mary], she is a voice for our students in all that she does.”

During her 10 years at Mount St. Mary, Mrs. Owens has been instrumental in building a comprehensive counseling program that now includes targeted support in freshman transition and postsecondary planning as well as a learning services coordinator and testing center. She has helped spearhead the development of the MSM Wellness Center, Honor Council, Mental Health Club, and Prepare U mental health curriculum at the school. Most recently, Mrs. Owens completed more than two years of outside training through Central Arkansas Pet Partners to be able to incorporate a therapy dog in her work with students. Oliver, a four-year-old Goldendoodle, joined the counseling team this past fall.

In addition to heading the Counseling Department at Mount St. Mary, Mrs. Owens also serves as the 10th-12th grade counselor. Her positive impact on her students and the rapport she has established are illustrated in the following statement a senior student provided for Mrs. Owens’ Counselor of the Year nomination: “Mrs. Owens is the most amazing person in the world! She is the easiest person to talk to and really listens and validates what you feel. Then she gives you options that will make the situation better and puts the ball in your court. Mrs. Owens is not going to fix the problem for you, but lets you take control of your success by giving you the perfect advice for any challenge you are facing.”

Congratulations on the well-deserved recognition, Mrs. Owens, and thank you for all you do for our school and our students!

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.

Fourteen members of the MSM Thespian Troupe recently traveled to Jonesboro for the 2022 Arkansas Thespian Festival, held February 10-12. The students participated in interactive workshops, competed in a variety of theatrical performance and technical theatre challenges, and networked with other theatre students and teachers from across the state. The event also included opportunities to audition for college scholarships as well as earn bids to this summer’s International Thespian Festival at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Three MSM Thespians earned Superior ratings for their performances: Rachel Klinck ’22 and Grey Parrish ’23 in the category of Solo Musical Theatre, and Anna Mammarelli ’23 for Solo Acting. The achievement qualified them to compete for a coveted National Thespy award at the International Thespian Festival in June. Three additional students received Excellent ratings at the event: Sophia Brannon ’22 in Solo Acting, and Alex Powell ’22 and Camilla Ricaurte ’22 in Solo Musical Theatre.

Troupe members celebrated several other accomplishments during the three-day event. Rachel and Malingo Matute ’22, were named to the All State Cast and Crew, respectively. Madison Taschetti ’22 was recognized as a 2022 Honor Thespian. Sophia, Hope Harvey ’25 and Piper Hayes ’22 placed third in the Scenic Design challenge. The troupe also received Outstanding Original Script and Outstanding Ensemble awards for its one-act, Welcome Home. Finally, Rachel, Anna, Alex, Grey and Camilla all received college scholarship offers totaling more than $108,000.

Others MSM students participating in this year’s Arkansas Thespian Festival include: Mari Negrete ’22, Isabella Nguyen ’25, Emma Palmer ’22 and Natalie Vailes ’22.

Congratulations to the MSM Thespians on great weekend in Jonesboro and fabulous season overall!

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 Sydney England ’22 has been named a National Merit Finalist in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition. Sydney is among approximately 15,000 academically talented high school seniors nationwide who have met all the requirements to advance to Finalist standing and continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered in the spring.

About 1.5 million high school juniors entered the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, included the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship recipients will be selected from the Finalist group on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. Winners will be announced in stages beginning in April and concluding in July. They will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Congratulations, Sydney, on this impressive accomplishment!

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.

Five Concert Belles have been selected to the 2022 Arkansas Choral Directors Association All-State choirs, a distinction that sets them apart as some of the top high school choral performers in the state. Congratulations to Grace Moody ’24 (20th chair, Mixed Choir) for earning All-State recognition for the second straight year, and to Maya Johnson ’25 (28th chair, Treble Choir), Gabriella Angtuaco ’23 (29th chair, Treble Choir), Gracie Limmer ’22 (38th chair, Treble Choir) and Isabella Nguyen ’25 (40th chair, Treble Choir).

“It is a great honor to make it into All-State, and I am so incredibly proud of these hard-working and dedicated young women,” Chelsea Allman, MSM choral director, said. “Over 9,000 singers competed at the regional and state level this year. All-State consisted of the top 400, so these singers are the best of the best!”

As part of this year’s All-State choirs, the five students spent February 17-19 in Hot Springs at the All-State Clinic. They participated in intense rehearsals alongside the state’s other top choral performers, directed by some of the country’s most prestigious and acclaimed choir directors. The event concluded with a public concert on Saturday afternoon showcasing the music the students learned as well as their incredible talent.

The Concert Belles, along with the Harmony Belles, will participate in the regional Choral Performance Assessment in March with the hopes of becoming eligible to participate in the ArkCDA’s State Choral Festival in April. The Concert Belles and Harmony Belles each scored all superior ratings and earned the highest scores in the state for their respective categories at the 2021 Festival.

Congratulations to this year’s All-State choir members, and best of luck to the Concert Belles and Harmony Belles in next month’s Choral Performance Assessment!

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.