It was an especially busy day on the Sacred Heart Greenwich campus Monday, January 7 as college-aged Sacred Heart alumnae from the classes of 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 joined Sacred Heart juniors and seniors for a lunch in Caroline’s Core Center, the Upper School commons room. Six alumnae participated in a panel where they offered advice and answered students’ questions about the college process and college life.

The event began with Mrs. Meghan Mara Ryan ’01, Director of Alumnae Relations, and Mrs. Christine Gerrity, Co-Director of College Guidance, inviting six alumnae to speak.  Among the featured alumnae was Claire O’Neill ‘15 who attends Villanova University, Erin Schick ‘16, currently enrolled at the University of Maryland, Lizzie Considine ‘16 and Helen Rail ‘17, who both are studying at Georgetown University, Madison Miraglia ‘18 who is a freshmen at Boston College, and Katie McCabe ’18 who is a freshman at College of the Holy Cross. 

The panel addressed questions from both Mrs. Gerrity and current students spanning an array of topics, including dealing with homesickness, approaching professors, handling rejection, and choosing the right school.

Erin shared a valuable piece of advice with juniors and seniors which she heard during her own college process. Ultimately, this advice helped her make her final decision about where to attend college.

“One piece of advice I got once from a tour guide was to keep an open mind and think of who you are as a person now and think of who you aspire to be,” Erin said. “Go to a university or college that will help you reach what you aspire to be.”

The alumnae also encouraged students to use the Sacred Heart alumnae network to learn more about the schools they are considering.

“Use your Sacred Heart resources,” Claire said. “There are so many Sacred Heart girls at all the colleges you’re applying to that would all love to talk to you about it. You will learn a lot from a tour and accepted students day, but you will learn so much more from someone’s personal experience that also went through what you went through to get there.”

The alumnae were able to give the juniors and seniors a different and more personal view of the application process with hopes to ease the pressures some students currently feel.

“The alumnae gave great advice and tips on what to expect as we move on to the next phase in our lives,” senior C’Meijah Donaldson said. “I found it helpful being able to ask questions about what I was most concerned about when I go to college and it definitely made me feel less nervous about next year.”

-Shantel Guzman, Content Editor and Live-Stream Manager

Featured Image Courtesy of Ms. Rachel Zurheide