Alumnae News

Rock wall climbing has been a passion for Megan Lynch '16 since she was 10. As a student at Holy Cross, Megan was nationally ranked for her age group in Bouldering, where the athletes scale walls up to 20 feet high with no ropes and crash pads underneath. In addition to national competitions she has competed in two previous world championships. On Friday, June 22, Megan won the 2018 FISU World University Championship for Bouldering in, making her the best climber in her age group in the category. The competition took place in Bratislava, Slovakia at the end of June.

Megan says the support of her teammates and fans where a big help in her effort, "They are my inspiration and I am glad I can celebrate this victory with them. I feel on top of the world and I cannot even describe the feelings well."

After being named Miss Maryland USA in 2017 and Miss Charm of the Chesapeake earlier this year, Adrianna David '12 has been named the 2018 representative from the Miss Maryland Organization to represent the state of Maryland at the Miss America Competition in September. "I am so grateful God has given this to me," she said.

Adrianna is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland as a double-degree in Theatre and Communication Studies. She is also an alumna of the Alpha Upsilon chapter of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Adrianna is Co-Founder of Charities Angels, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which promotes and raises awareness at various events for charitable partners. The organization is comprised of "women committed to giving from the heart to those in need through fund raising efforts." As a student at Holy Cross, Adrianna was involved in Campus Ministry and performing arts, and was on the dive team. She was also a competitive cheerleader for over 13 years. She was voted American Cheerleader Magazine's 2011 Cheerleader of the Year. Adrianna was a special guest speaker for the 2017 Hair Donation Drive at Holy Cross.

Kimberly Peeler-Allen '94 and her co-founder Glynda C. Carr have been selected as Essence magazine's '2018 Woke 100 Women'. The list is comprised of women who "continuously fight the good fight by inspiring us and igniting movements." Kimberly and Glynda are the co-founders of Higher Heights, a national organization building the political power and leadership of black women from the voting booth to elected office. Kimberly was recently the recipient of a 2018 Roddenberry Fellowship.

See the full list here.

Jillian Dunston '14, a senior at the University of Michigan, has been selected as a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) 2018 All-American Athlete Award recipient.

"It is an honor to continue to recognize the consistent dedication to strength and conditioning that the student-athletes at the University of Michigan demonstrate year-in and year-out," said Mike Favre, the director of Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning at the University of Michigan.

See the full article here.

On Friday, April 20, three outstanding alumnae were recognized with the Distinguished Alumnae Award. Sylvia Cole Mackey '59, Nancy Morrison O'Connor '69, and Lisa Ridgway Slater '82 were honored for their amazing accomplishments.

Sylvia was introduced by her classmate and friend Margaret Morris Schacter '59, who shared about Sylvia's dedication to her husband who developed Frontotemporal Dementia after playing in the NFL. She shared about Sylvia's work to support other families of NFL players resulting in the 88 Plan, which provides retired players funds for medical and custodial care.

Nancy was introduced by her classmate and friend Nancy Noonan '69, who spoke about Nancy's days as a student at Holy Cross and her drive to success that continued up to present day. Nancy is the General Counsel at The Catholic University of America and an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Lisa was introduced by her sister Dana Ridgway Goldsmith '78, who spoke about the many ways her sister Lisa has supported Catholic education—as a volunteer, as a leader through board and committee membership, and through her philanthropic support. Lisa has been a committed part of the Shepherd Foundation, which has raised over $10 million for Catholic school tuition aid.

Read more about these accomplished women here.