Cincinnati, Ohio, May 7, 2014 – St. Ursula Academy is proud to announce four students have earned a 2014 Service Award by Ursuline Educational Services (UES). They are Caroline Perry ’14 of Anderson Twp., Darby Schwarz ’14 of Hyde Park, Katie Jira ’15 of Anderson Twp. and Sophia Settle ’15 of Hyde Park.
St. Ursula Academy is a member of Ursuline Educational Services, a large network of 32 Ursuline sponsored and affiliated schools and colleges in the United States and Canada. Each year, UES gives awards to students in its network of schools who have made significant contributions to the betterment of our world already in their young lives.
“These students have served in a myriad of ways, benefitting so many worthwhile causes,” said Judy Wimberg, Executive Director of UES. “They exhibit strong leadership, courage, ingenuity and compassion. We can only imagine what they will continue to do as they mature “in wisdom, age, and grace.”
Caroline Perry- Senior
Senior Caroline Perry of Anderson Twp. earned her UES award by being a leader who exhibits dedication, organization, and perseverance through her work. She volunteers on the St. Ursula Academy Student Outreach Services (SOS) Leadership Board and performs service at St. Joseph’s Home, a residential program for individuals with severe disabilities. She has also served on the school’s Catholic Social Teaching Action Team (CSTAT) whose goal is to increase awareness of social justice issues such as fair trade products, homelessness, and poverty. Most recently, Caroline had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans to assist a family who was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. She, along with several other St. Ursula students, worked to rebuild a destroyed house so that a family could move out of the small apartment they had been living in for nearly eight years. When reflecting on this experience, Caroline said, “By the end of the week, our hard labor had transformed a skeleton into a place a family could call home. I experienced a transformation and realization that one person really can make a difference in the life of someone else.”
Darby Schwarz - Senior
Senior Darby Schwarz of Hyde Park is an unassuming leader who has grown in confidence over the past two years through her leadership as a Service Caption for the largest school-wide community service effort, the Annual Canned Food Drive. Behind her efforts, the students donated 600 boxes of food for local food pantries this year. Darby realizes that this benefit is two-fold. To students of the St. Ursula community, she has raised awareness of the increase of hunger and homelessness locally. Secondly, with help from the SUA community, she has filled the shelves of five local food pantries. She knows that the service that she has experienced at St. Ursula will stay with her throughout her adult life. “Through my service, I have learned to be more involved, to be a gracious and aware person, and I am thankful that I have been given this opportunity to change.”
Sophia Settle - Junior
Junior Sophia Settle of Hyde Park has volunteered during the Canned Food Drive and at the St. Joseph Home. She also has been involved by serving as a leader of the Student Outreach Services (SOS) Board. She has made an effort to increase awareness of local poverty in our community. Sophia is grateful for the opportunity to serve her community. “This service is important because it reminds me that one doesn’t have to go to another state or country to find someone in need of basic necessities such as food or shelter. These people are here, in our own community,” she reflected. Sophia plans to continue her work with the Canned Food Drive during her senior year at St. Ursula.
Katie Jira - Junior
Junior Katie Jira of Anderson Township has been active in service learning throughout her three years at St. Ursula Academy. Currently, she is the chairperson of the mission collection program. For this program, Katie researches global issues, specifically issues affecting women and children, and presents educational programs to advisory groups each month. She encourages fellow students to educate themselves on these issues and encourages them to give financially to these causes. To date, Katie’s efforts have raised over $11,000 which has been donated to various agencies overseas. “By having Mission Collection at St. Ursula, my fellow students and I are exposed to problems such as child slavery, hunger, natural disasters, and lack of educational opportunities outside of the US. Even though we are students, we can still make a difference by advocating and donating,” said Katie when receiving the UES award.
“These students are living testimony to the value of an Ursuline education,” said Ms. Wimberg. “Our gratitude and admiration goes out to their first teachers, their parents, and to the administrators, faculty and staff of their schools who serve as guides and inspiration to them. We are confident that St. Angela is pleased with their actions and their faith. All of us are witnesses to the marvels that these students have brought about by their selfless service.”
To learn more about St. Ursula Academy, please visit www.saintursula.org.
Ursuline Educational Services (UES) is the network of Ursuline schools in the United States and Canada. UES is governed by a Board of Trustees that represents every province and area of the country where there are Ursuline schools. UES serves 32 schools and colleges and more than 15,000 students.
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women known for academic excellence and rich tradition. St. Ursula welcomes students from more than 70 grade schools in the Greater Cincinnati area. In 2002 the Academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910. 87% of the class of 2013 earned college scholarships totaling more than $20-million.