December Alumnae News - The Academy of the Holy Cross

Please Join Us!

Kendra Scott Holiday Trunk Show

Thursday, December 13, 2018

5:00-7:00 pm

Student Commons

Open to all!

20% of proceeds benefit Holy Cross

Ice Hockey and Volleyball Alumnae Games

Ice Hockey team vs. Alumnae

Saturday, December 22, 10:45 am-12:15 pm at Wheaton Ice House

Volleyball team vs. Alumnae

Saturday, December 29, 5:00-9:00 pm at The Academy of the Holy Cross

Tartans Come Home

The newest Holy Cross alumnae, the Class of 2018, are invited to come back to campus for the annual Tartans Come Home Program on Thursday, January 10, 2019. During the program, the Class of 2018 will speak with the current seniors and juniors on topics such as the transition to college and how Holy Cross prepared them for their experiences in college. Spread the word to the Class of 2018 to return home to Holy Cross in January! For further information, please contact Ms. Kelly Fitzpatrick (kfitzpatrick@academyoftheholycross.org).

2019 Gonzaga Business Network Career Fair Seeking Help

The Gonzaga Business Network Career Fair is an annual event collaborated by the area Catholic high schools. Last year over 500 college and post college alumni attended the event seeking full-time and salaried internship opportunities. The event is Thursday, January 3, 2019 at Gonzaga College High School. The organizers are currently seeking career exhibitors, mock interviewers/resume reviewers, and volunteers for the event. They are especially seeking exhibitors from the following professions:

Engineering (All domains)
Medical Professions
Graduate school Programs
Public Relations/Communications
Schools looking for Teachers at all grade levels
Government Employers
Law Professionals
Industry Associations
Think Tanks and Public Policy firms
NGO's and Non-Profits

To register as an exhibitor, volunteer or alumnae, please contact Jerry Quinn (Hanna '12 and Maggie '14) at (703) 307-7605 or gerald.j.quinn@gmail.com or GBNCareerFair@gmail.com.

Exhibitor Registration

Volunteer Registration

Alumni Registration

Senior Project

Greetings from the College Counseling Office!

Remember the feeling, as soon as those college applications were submitted, it was time to start organizing for Senior Project! This Holy Cross tradition is in its 46th year and remains not only a graduation requirement but an invaluable experience. Each year, the experiences and excitement shared at the end of the senior project validates how important this experience is.

The students commit to 60 hours of off-site "shadowing" to gain firsthand experience in a professional setting. In recent years, students have worked at The Washington Post, the Goddard Space Flight Center and the National institutes of Health. The engineering and medical fields continue to be very popular and sponsors are especially needed in those areas.

That said, now, as a professional could YOU help out senior LOTAs who are beginning to think about their future/careers? As you know, seniors choose fields that they think they might be interested in pursuing out of college. If YOU could host one of our seniors in the spring, that would be great!

Please email Marissa Mills, Senior Project Coordinator at mmills@academyoftheholycross.org or call her at (301) 929-6444 if you would be willing to be a sponsor for one of our LOTA's. The 2019 Senior Project occurs from May 6-24, 2019.

Athletic Hall of Fame

PLEASE HURRY! Last chance to send in your nomination for the Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Academy of the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 2012 to honor individuals and teams who have made a significant positive impact on Holy Cross athletics. Those inducted serve as the cornerstone of what the school believes is a truly representative group of the proud tradition of Holy Cross athletics. The Academy of the Holy Cross is proud to recognize and honor outstanding individuals and/or teams who have accomplished extraordinary athletic achievements. Nominees from all sports will be considered on an equal basis, including candidates who will be given posthumous awards.

Nominations are due by Friday, December 14, 2018.

Nomination Form Here

Reunions

Class of '73 – 45th Reunion

On Saturday, September 29, the Class of 1973 held their 45th-year reunion. Terry Ryan Graves graciously hosted the event at her home in Silver Spring. About a third of the class was able to attend. All were genuinely excited to see each other and to share food, drink and conversation, catching up on each other's lives. Kathy Chaconas created a photo slideshow from their Holy Cross years, which was great fun. As the friends gathered for a group picture, all broke into a rousing rendition of the Holy Cross alma mater, the words of which came back surprisingly easily! It was a great evening and the group is looking forward to their 50th!

Row 1: Cathy Sherman Hutson, Mary Louise Piczak Gierula, Laura Oliver, Vickie Bobinger Millett, Jill Boland Konig, Roberta Zmuda Greenspan

Row 2: Mary Ellen Young Kalil, Nancy Cox Bloom, Ann Toomey Dickman, Cathy Hyde Frey, Celeste Mayer Kerner, Vanessa Vuono Coberly , Norah Quinn Dutton, Wendy Marable Sansone

Row 3: Kathy Holden Basil, Lauren Alberti (didn't graduate with us though), Diane Keany Andrews, Terri McLaughlin Long, Melinda Daysh Scott, Katie Welsh Frampton, Marty McDonald Quinn, Kathy Plunkett, Marion Duffy Bush

Row 4: Kathy Chaconas, Karen Campbell Grisez, Ann Leonard Unger, Elaine Anselmo Ganassa, Terry Ryan Graves, Vicki Edwards Farrell, Claire Kiley, Mary Catherine Romano Max, Sheila Harrigan Fitch

Class of '78 – 40th Reunion

Forty-five members of the Class of '78 gathered at the home of Dr. James Burns (father of Mary Beth Burns Taylor) on Saturday, November 10 to celebrate their 40th Reunion. Good food, good drink, good friends! Looking forward to the 45th!

Class of '83 – 35th Reunion

The Class of 1983 gathered at the home of Patty Gillis Cousins on Saturday, November 3 to celebrate 35 years since graduating from the Academy. For some, this was the first reunion they had ever attended! It was a fantastic night spent with some really impressive women. Who knew when we were in high school that these women were so amazing?! Hats off to Kim Beane Burzych who travelled the farthest (closely followed by Molly Mulquin Abrams). Kim also took the time to copy our yearbook photos and laminate them so, we'd have recognizable name badges. We created a board for "lost" classmates—and actually found a few that evening! We are grateful for Eileen Cokenias Stratis, who helped track down so many of our classmates. Thanks to Charly Ryan for creating a Holy Cross gift basket, which we awarded to our farthest traveler, and lots of Holy Cross gift "favors" for everyone in attendance. The last guest didn't leave until 2:00! Thanks to Patty for hosting the group for another memorable reunion gathering. They'll be doing some local get-togethers until they meet again officially in 2023!

Class of '98 – 20th Reunion

Meg Leubecker Lewis and Claire Matthews hosted the Class of 1998 Reunion on Saturday, October 20 at The Avenue in Washington, DC. The LOTAs and their spouses and friends enjoyed food and drinks while they laughed about Holy Cross memories and danced to a 90s playlist! Meaghan Meehan Phillip even wore her Senior Jersey!

The attendees included: Meg Leubecker Lewis, Claire Matthews, Gretchen Purcell Straczewski, Dawn Colena, Sharmagh Yepremian, Melinda Machado Caldwell, Michelle,Bezos Neary, Katie Antonelli Dana, Meaghan Meehan Phillip, Lauren Callow,Cynthia Doumbia, Kate Worch Weeda, Gabby Antonelli Silvani, Kim Digilio, Bayly Kirlin Leighton, Katie Tvelia Kaibni, Christina Lennon Mullins, Sarah Koski Miller, Teri Yetter McKeever, Tara Emory Mingledorf, Alison Collins Lopresti, Catherine Dietrich Pulse, Kathleen Kennedy, Travelle Franklin-Ford Ellis, Melissa Carraway Faye, Cathy Watunansuntornkul, Bridget Reed Newby, Sana Grant, and, Johanna Kaplan Fratto

Class of 2008 – 10th Reunion

The Class of 2008 gathered to celebrate their 10-year reunion over the Thanksgiving holiday. More than 50 girls attended the event at Darlington House in DuPont Circle, with many more there in spirit. Everyone had an incredible time catching up and learning about the important and amazing places life has taken them thus far. It's safe to say that they are already looking forward to their next reunion!

Campus News

Holy Cross Gives Thanks 2018

The Holy Cross community participated in Holy Cross Gives Thanks 2018 on Tuesday, November 20. After a special all-school assembly, groups of students, faculty, and staff gathered in locations around the building to complete a variety of projects. Groups assembled "Grab and Go Bags" for Ronald McDonald House at Inova Children's Hospital; created pottery bowls for the Holy Cross Empty Bowls simple supper event; assembled gift bags and painted "squishies" for the Children's Inn at NIH, baked muffins for Martha's Table; made sandwiches for McKenna's Wagon; and crafted cards for the residents at Brightview Senior Living and the Sisters of the Holy Cross. A $2 Tag Day also raised money for the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Inaugurated in 2017, the Holy Cross Gives Thanks program is organized by Emily Teter, Director of the Holy Cross Social Justice office.

Spotlight on Alumna Chi-Emeka Egwuagu '14

Chi-Emeka Egwuagu '14 was selected to be included in the "Women of William and Mary", a section of the blog "Humans of William and Mary". Her interview was part of the College of William and Mary's yearlong celebration of women being admitted as students at the college. In her interview, "Envisioning a Community of Support," Emeka shared about the impact of her experience at Holy Cross on her life. She says, "When I hear from so many of my friends that they hated high school and don't talk to their high school friends, I get sad because my experience from the beginning was probably some of the best times in my life, not that I am someone who lives in my high school glory days, but our community was so bonded it [was] genuinely like a sisterhood. I was in a sorority at William and Mary and I would still say nothing compares to AHC." She also notes that the importance of the all-girls' leadership she experienced at Holy Cross gave her added confidence in her co-ed college environment. "I saw female leadership as a norm and my all-girls school reinforced that idea and the idea that women are and will continue to be powerful leaders."

Emeka graduated from William and Mary in May 2018 and is now a first-year student at Columbia University Law School.

Read the entire blog post here.