Alumnae mothers and their daughters: (top row, L-R) Morgan Newell '23; Caroline Fitzgerald '23; Wendy Cameron Fitzgerald ’91 P’23, ’23; Catherine Fitzgerald '23
(second row, L-R) Abigail Wolbach '23; Megan Leahy Sullivan ’82 P’23, ’23; Maura Lowry Newell ’04 P'22, ’23; Abigail Wickersham '23; Catherine Kriz Wickersham ’94 P’23; Joely Esposito, Psy.D. ’88 P’23; Reiley Walsh '23; Kathleen Buchanan Balaratna, M.D. ’87 P’23; Meena Balaratna '23
(front row, L-R) Kimberly Dillon Wolbach ’83 P’23; Elizabeth Sullivan '23; Caroline Sullivan '23; Ashley Kane '23; Colleen McDevitt Kane ’91 P’23, ’24; Megan Guidi Cleary ’92 P’23; Caroline Cleary '23; Molly Suter '23; Stacey Magil Suter ’86 P’23; Ella Saxon '23; Maria Rizzo Saxon ’87 P’18, ’20, ’21, ’23 |
Class of 2023 Joins the Alumnae Association
The Class of 2023 was officially welcomed into the Alumnae Association during the annual Senior Mother Daughter Celebration & Alumnae Association Induction event. Students and their mothers/guardians gathered for a prayer service and induction ceremony, where they heard from alumnae about the power of lifelong sisterhood. Tina Sauter Gregor '87 P'17, '22 and Emily Gregor '17 (below, left) shared what Mercy means to them as mother and daughter and fellow alumnae. Five new Class Agents were named (below, center): Kiley McMahon '23, Reiley Walsh '23, Sara Stoud '23, Kristen Yezzi '23, and
Hannah Hughes '23. And Trinity Meehan '23 (below, right) won the custom Class of 2023 flag.
Mia Venezia '15 played the harp during the event, Alumnae Association Vice President Helena DeBald '10 and Director of Alumnae Engagement Erin Reimel Clements '12 led the induction, and Mothers' Club President
Carolyn Doyle Murray '88 P'20, '21, '24 spoke about the impact each guardian has had on the students' time over the last four years.
Welcome, Class of 2023 to the Alumnae Association! |
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August 4, 2023
Gwynedd at the Shore Gather with members of the GMA community for cocktails and appetizers for our annual beach-side event at the Icona Avalon. Guests must be 21+. Registration coming soon
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Looking for a Babysitter or Babysitting Job? Join the private Facebook group, The Babysitting Circle (of Mercy!). Gwynedd alumnae and students are welcome to become members of this exclusive group to find and offer childcare. |
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Mentor a GMA Student!
The Gwynedd Force Mentorship Program is looking for Alumnae Mentors! The program, sponsored by the Alumnae Association in partnership with Gwynedd's Leadership Department, will pair students with alumnae mentors to connect with them throughout the school year.
Alumnae Mentors are asked to meet with their student mentees, virtually or in person, four times throughout the 2023-24 academic year. No matter what career stage you are in, all Gwynedd Mercy alumnae have valuable advice and experience to share with our current students as they embark on the college application process and their future careers.
Questions? Email Engagement Coordinator Caitlin Fitzgerald Straub '01 at cstraub@dektinary.com. |
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| Alumna Daughter Makes Birthday Donation
Grace Lall, daughter of Alumnae Association President Anna Skoien Lall '02, celebrated her birthday this month and asked all her party guests to bring donations to Strawberry Market instead of gifts. She delivered the items to GMA and made sure to snap a photo with the statue of Catherine McAuley. Thank you, Grace!
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Calling on Classes Ending in "6" to Make Gifts to Strawberry Market
In an effort to keep the shelves of Strawberry market consistently stocked, the Alumnae Association asks for donations from the members of the class years ending in the number that matches the current month. That means during next month (June), we are looking for donations from the classes ending in 6. Please consider supporting this special alumnae-sponsored initiative in one or more of the following ways:
- Purchase items directly from the Strawberry Mansion Pantry Target Wish List and automatically ship to Alison McGrorty-Crotts, M.D., M.P.H. '04.
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Drop items off in a bin located inside Gwynedd's front door.
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Purchase a Target gift card and send it to strawberrymarketsmhc@gmail.com.
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Send money via Venmo to @Ali-McCrotts.
- Make a check out to Alison McGrorty-Crotts and mail to GMAHS.
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Alumna Architect Shares Advice
Emily Pannepacker Garis '98 spoke to the Engineering Class about her career in architecture. She is currently a Design Advisor at Harth Builders. She received her bachelors of science and masters degree in architecture from The Catholic University of America. |
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Graduate Speaks About Teen Wellness
Natalie Ullmann, MSW, LSW ’14 recently joined with GMAHS faculty member, Kate Tobias, to present on “The Effects of Marijuana and Vaping”, during the latest installment of the Parent Series Wellness Webinars. Natalie is a therapist at Ambler Counseling Center and Facilitator at Child Guidance Resource Centers. |
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Submit Your Class Notes!
Did you have a baby? Celebrate a personal or professional milestone? Receive a degree or award? Get married? Fill out the form linked below to notify us!
And if you are preparing to get married or have a baby—let us know! We'd love to send you a GMA flag for your reception or a GMA bib for your little one. And be sure to snap photos, tag @gmahighschool on Instagram, and submit them with the Class Notes form. |
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| | Alumnae Welcome Baby Boys!
Lindsay Draham '06 and her husband Joe Forliano welcomed their first child, a son named James Jonathan Forliano, on April 28, 2023.
Tory McClintock Belsky '13 and her husband Drew Belsky welcomed their fourth child, Raymond Belsky, on April 28, 2023. |
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Gwynedd Girls Connect Everywhere
Trish Hackman '87 ran into the Gwynedd Mercy Rowing team last weekend as they competed in the 2023 Scholastic Rowing Association National Championship in Oak Ridge, TN. She was there with her daughter, also a rower, from Virginia, and hopped on the bus to lead the team in singing the Alma Mater. She was even wearing her GMA athletic department sweatshirt! |
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| | Sisters Celebrate Milestones It is a big year for the Zipfel sisters! Casey Zipfel, PhD. '12 (left) received the 2023 Harold N. Glassman Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Sciences for her dissertation, "The Interplay Between Human Behaviors and Infectious Disease Dynamics." She also attended her Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at Georgetown University. |
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Morgan Zipfel '19 (center) graduated from Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a concentration in business. She accepted a position as a Human Resources Coordinator at URBN.
Shannon Zipfel '17 (right) completed her master’s degree in Sustainable Cultural Heritage at the American University of Rome this winter, completing a thesis that studied how to preserve the characteristics that are most important to a site’s visitors and stakeholders. She accepted a job as an Italy specialist at Audley Travel, a luxury tour operator that creates customized, private trips, where she applies her studies in cultural heritage and tourism.
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Student Selected for Songbook Academy
Amanda Phifer '24 was chosen as one of 40 finalists to participate in this year's Songbook Academy summer intensive, an acclaimed preprofessional music program for young singers focusing on the timeless standards of jazz, pop, Broadway, and Hollywood.
Now in its 14th year, the Songbook Academy is the flagship education initiative of the Great American Songbook Foundation, providing an opportunity for talented high school performers to experience a life-changing week of classes, workshops and performances under the guidance of arts and entertainment professionals and leading university educators. Congratulations, Amanda! |
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Speech & Debate Competes in Nationals The Speech and Debate team traveled to Louisville, KY to compete in the 2023 National Catholic Forensics League Grand National tournament. All students qualified to represent the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in their events. - Madeline White '26 competed in Declamation, advanced to Octos, and placed within the top 20% in the country.
- Olivia Ormsby '24 competed in Original Oratory and placed within the top 35% in the country.
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Ava Harvest '23 competed in Original Oratory, advanced to Semi-Finals, and placed 9th (top 5%) in the country.
- Mary Alice Meehan '23 competed in Dramatic Performance and placed within the top 35% in the country.
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Matilda French '25 competed in Declamation, advanced to Octos, and placed within the top 20% in the country.
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| | Engineering Students Create Models
Ms. Naucodie's Honors Engineering students finished and presented their final structures. Check out their creativity! |
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Dads & Daughters Cheer on the Phillies
Gwynedd girls and their dads headed down to Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs! The Fathers' Club organized a pre-game tailgate with lots of great food, games, and a DJ. |
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| Register for Summer Camps
Summer Camps at Gwynedd offer kids great opportunities to play, learn, and grow—themselves and their Mercy spirit—while having FUN! From sports to personal enrichment, STEM to the arts, choose your child’s areas of interest and register today! -
Camp Inspire: A full-day, week-long "confidence camp" designed to expose girls to a STEAM field while also teaching them to develop their sense of purpose and self-worth from within
- Athletics: Volleyball, Basketball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Soccer, Rowing
- Arts: Private Music Lessons and Triple Threat Theater Camp
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Please send any personal or professional updates, questions about how to get involved with GMA, or other inquiries to the Director of Alumnae Engagement Erin Reimel Clements '12 at ereimel@dektinary.com.
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© 2023 Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School 1345 Sumneytown Pike | Lower Gwynedd, PA 19437
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