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
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.