Mother McAuley Graduates 227 Seniors At Stirring Ceremony

CHICAGO -- Members of Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School’s Class of 2019 donned their traditional white formals for graduation exercises on May 19. Families and friends gathered at the Shannon Center on the campus of Saint Xavier University to watch the 227 graduates cross the stage during the school’s 63rd commencement ceremony.

With a 100-percent college acceptance rate, the Class of 2019 earned a record $50 million in college scholarships. Eighty-seven percent of the class were accepted into their first choice school. Two students are National Merit Commended Scholars (Caroline Docherty and Kathryn Pasquinelli), two are Chick Evans Scholars (Asia Sobek and Madison O’Connell) and three were named A. Franklin Pilchard Scholars (Fatima Gomez, Claire Sheehan and Megan McGinley). Seventeen students signed commitments to play college athletics and 57 are Illinois State Scholars.

The ceremony began with a prayer and remarks by Principal Eileen Boyce O’Reilly ’03, followed by the valedictorians’ speeches, remarks by President Mary Acker Klingenberger ’75, and the conferring of diplomas by Dean of Upperclasswomen, Meg Griffin Gardner ‘99. The salutatorian then introduced the alumnae speaker. Remarks by the faculty speaker and student speaker rounded out the event. In keeping with a tradition dating back to 1846, graduates donned floor-length white dresses, complemented by long white gloves and the carrying of red roses.

Valedictorians Caroline Docherty (Mount Greenwood) and Grace Gorman (Beverly) completed their senior year with the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) among their classmates. Both maintained a rigorous schedule of nine Advanced Placement classes and many honors level classes, earning A’s for every course, for every semester. Both students will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall.

Caroline Docherty is a member of Catherine McAuley Honors Scholars , Math Macs, National Honor Society (NHS), National French Honor Society, and was involved in soccer and volleyball during her time at McAuley. During her remarks, Docherty reflected on the paths and success that have prepared them for life beyond McAuley.

“From the moment each of us decided to take that most important entrance exam, we have been given countless opportunities,” said Caroline. “We have come to understand the importance of discussing our ideas, goals, and perspectives openly, to learn from one another and effect positive change together... We are strong… And we are well prepared to begin again with the certainty that we have everything we need to continue the pursuit of our dreams, and to achieve whatever is placed before us.”

Grace Gorman is a member of the CMHS, NHS, Math Macs, Orchestra, a Kairos leader, and has participated in lacrosse and tennis during her years at McAuley. Her remarks sought to inspire and challenge her classmates to promote gender equality in the workplace and society.

“We know that women currently have more bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees than ever before,” said Gorman. “We know that women in leadership roles are 15 percent more likely to outperform competition; that we make up 53 percent of the population and 54 percent of the college graduate workforce; that we have filled the majority of newly-created jobs for more than 10 years. We are perceived as honest and ethical - because we are. We are humble, collaborative self-starters. We naturally identify problems and create solutions. We know when to lead and when to follow. We are compassionate. We are kind and we are forgiving.”

This marked the sixth year that Mother McAuley invited an alumna to address the graduates during commencement. The class salutatorian, holding the second highest GPA among her classmates, has the honor of introducing the alumnae speaker. Bridget Doody (Beverly) earned this distinction for the Class of 2019.

Bridget was involved in curricular and co-curricular competitions for all four years. She competed as a Math Mac - qualifying for Math regionals three of her four years. She was a member of the tennis team for four years and the lacrosse team for two years. For three summers, Bridget participated in her parish youth ministry service, traveling to Harlan, Kentucky to build porches, repair roofs and paint homes for residents. She will attend the University of Notre Dame.

This year’s alumnae speaker, Katie Schumacher-Cawley ’97 (formerly of Beverly), is an alumna of Penn State University, and the assistant coach of the school’s women’s volleyball team. She previously served as head coach at the University of Pennsylvania. As a student at Penn State, she played for the Nittany Lions’ women’s basketball and volleyball teams, helping the latter win three Big Ten conference championships and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title in 1999. Schumacher-Cawley was twice named an NCAA All-American. While attending graduate school at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) she volunteered with the women’s volleyball team before becoming head coach, leading the UIC Flames to 113 wins during her eight-year tenure. Schumacher-Cawley is a member of the Girls’ Catholic Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2014, she was inducted into the McAuley Hall of Honor.

Fiona Biondic (Oak Lawn) and Megan McGinley (Evergreen Park) were elected by their classmates as student speakers. Theology teacher Laura Snow Gawlik was selected as the faculty speaker.

To conclude the ceremony, senior members of the McAuley Advanced Chorus sang, “Whenever You Remember” in tribute to their class, followed by the Suscipe, the school tribute to a written work of Catherine McAuley.