Mercy High School Expands Advancement Team

Responding to what President Alissa K. DeJonge ’95 calls a “palpable sense of momentum in our school,” Mercy High School has added a veteran non-profit fundraiser to its Advancement team.

Michelle M. Murphy has joined Mercy as Senior Director of Advancement, after serving for 5 ½ years as Executive Director at Malta House of Care, Inc., an independent non-profit that provides free primary care to uninsured adults in Greater Hartford.

A graduate of the Academy of the Holy Angels, an all-girls’ Catholic high school in New Jersey, Murphy previously held senior Communications positions at Kingswood Oxford School and Northwest Catholic High School, both in West Hartford.

“As soon as I set foot inside Mercy’s halls, I felt like I had come home,” said Murphy, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Government from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Mercy High School, located in Middletown, has approximately 400 female students from nearly 50 towns across the state. The school and individual students have earned recognition in the region and nationally, from organizations including the College Board.

“My own high school education was transformative for me, so it is a joy and a privilege to have the chance to help garner additional support for this amazing school that has produced thousands of strong and successful women leaders,” Murphy added.

Mercy, which was open for in-person learning throughout the 2020-21 school year, has earned a reputation for the strength of its academic program, and provides students with an array of extra-curricular clubs and activities, and a championship-caliber athletics program.

Reflecting solid enrollment, even during the pandemic, Mercy welcomed 126 girls to the incoming 9th-grade class this year – an unusually high number. Given the recent downward trend of high-school-age children in this region, the number of students is particularly noteworthy.

To capitalize on this strength and to begin planning for the school’s 60th anniversary in 2023, Mercy’s Board of Directors recently decided to expand the Advancement Department. Murphy joins Director of Advancement Susan Devany and Assistant Director Tina Strell.

“Michelle is an experienced professional and a welcome addition. Her commitment, resourcefulness and dedication have been evident from day one,” said Mercy President Alissa DeJonge. “We are pleased and proud that she has joined us at Mercy, and look forward to her contributions in support of the exceptional education and environment we provide our students.”

Mercy High School provides a challenging college preparatory academic experience with a strong foundation of Catholic teachings, and traditions and values of the Sisters of Mercy, in a safe and nurturing environment that promotes service, confidence, ethical leadership and respect, encouraging each student to flourish individually while rooted in community.

Students attend from across Connecticut, from communities in Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, and New London counties. To schedule a tour or for information about applying, please contact Admissions Director Mary-Clare Wamester ’97 ((860) 346-6659 x100 or mwamester@mercyhigh.com.