Mount St. Mary Academy was blessed to award 24 scholarships totaling more than $67,500 to students during its annual Underclass Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 18, in the McAuley Center Gymnasium. Several donors of the endowed scholarships were in attendance to help present the awards to this year’s deserving recipients, which made the event even more special.
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 Student Council, yearbook, newspaper, the fine and performing arts, and Odyssey of the Mind were recognized, as well.
During the ceremony, Amber Pruss ’07 was recognized as this year’s recipient of the Bailey Family Distinguished Teaching Award for exhibiting overall excellence in teaching during the 2022-2023 school year. In addition to teaching math courses at MSM, Coach Pruss serves as the assistant coach for the Freshman Mounties volleyball team and as advisor to the Diversity Club.
Congratulations to all of our outstanding students for their academic accomplishments, especially this year’s scholarship recipients (in order of appearance during event):
- McAuley Achievement Award: Danielle Chenault ’25, Cassie Clark ’25, Elizabeth Hunter ’24, Isabella Nguyen ’25, Eliza Jane Null ’24, and Carson Vogelpohl ’26
- Sr. Deborah Troillett, RSM ’73 Endowed Scholarship: Abby Whittaker ’24
- Mary Drake Scholarship: Sarah Siria ’25
- Spirit of ’95 Scholarship: Clara Principe ’24
- Class of 2009 SISTER Scholarship: Amaria Love ’25
- Sandra Gueydan Hickey ’66 Scholarship: Lyla Tong ’24
- Alana Wolfe Memorial Scholarship: Kennedy Griffin ’24
- Wells Pre-Engineering Scholarship: Savannah Eanes ’24
- Judith Wrappe Scholarship: Lindsey Morris ’25 and Savvy Straessle ’24
- Jennifer Boccarossa Music Scholarship: Maya Johnson ’25
- Evelyn J. Coulter Thomas ’30 Scholarship: Ella Burdine ’24 (for music), Hannah Day ’24 (for dance) and Elizabeth Hunter ’24 (for fine literature)
- Annalisa “Magdalena” McClendon Travel Grant: Bri Boggs ’24
- Bella Brown “THINK” Scholarship: McKenzie Shipe ’24
- Melissa Ma ’98 Endowed Scholarship: Sarah Beth Thomas ’24
- Ma Family Endowed Scholarship: Zashenka Cervantes ’24
We also wish to thank the many donors who have so graciously created these endowed scholarships to assist students. In addition to the ones presented during the Underclass Awards Ceremony, additional scholarships totaling more than $39,000 were given to seniors during the Senior Recognition Ceremony on May 17, and several others will be awarded during Mercy Day later this fall. In all, approximately $105,000 in scholarships will be provided to students for the 2023-2024 school year.
