It's here! The annual book blog of recommended reads. Our faculty and staff has put together a list of their favorites just in time for you to finish your holiday gift-giving for your students or any reader in your life!
Awards
The Alumnae Association is proud to honor excellence among its constituents. The following accolades are given annually to those people who best fulfill the criteria of the awards. Please click on the tabs for more information about each award and to see a list of past winners.
Do you know a fabulous Vis girl? One who has gone above and beyond all expectations? A woman who has contributed mightily to her parish, her career or her community? Then nominate her for the Visitation Distinguished Alumna award. It’s easy!
Find out more about the criteria and access a nomination form here.
AWARD CRITERIA
- She graduated from Convent of the Visitation School in St. Paul or Mendota Heights, MN.
- She has contributed significantly to her parish, her career and/or her community.
- She has been nominated by a graduate, faculty or staff member of Visitation School.
Please consider your classmates, your friends or any other Vis grads that you know. In order to nominate that special alumna, please complete this form explaining what makes her so very valuable to the Visitation community and why we should celebrate her uniqueness.
Please mail your completed nomination to:
Visitation Alumnae Office
2455 Visitation Drive
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
You may also email your completed nomination to Stephanie Rust Johnson '99.
The Visitation School Distinguished Alumna award is given yearly at a celebratory breakfast held during Reunion Weekend.
Distinguished Alumna Award Recipients
2018 - Sister Mary Frances Reis, VHM '55 and Sister Katherine Mullin, VHM '58
2017 - Anne Eilers Williams '82
2016 - Keyna Pidcock Skeffington '80
2015 - Christine Hickok Fruechte '85
2014 - Christine Cumming '69
2013 - Mary Lethert Wingerd '65
2012 - Martha Hughesdon Turner '66
2011 - Kathleen Flynn Blando '88
2010 - Patricia Hampl '64
2009 - Sister Mary Paula McCarthy '47
2008 - Tara Jones '95
2007 - Patricia Burke Kump '45 (deceased) and Mary Bernard Pabst '52
2006 - Marianne Short '69
2005 - Mary Knutson Brabeck '63 and Anna Marie Ettel '63
2004 - Anne Harris '82
2003 - Mary Knopp Brainerd '71
2002 - Brenna Murphy '66 and Jane McClintock Wyatt '72
2001 - Sandra Kamman Butler '52
2000 - Maureen McKasy Donlin '70
1999 - Lorilee Lambrecht Petrangelo '84 and Judith Schlick Pryor '52
1998 - Judy McMahon Leahy '56
1997 - Wilhemine Schindler Stromwall '29 (deceased)
1996 - Kathleen Rea Hanousek '57 and Bridget Votel '74
1995 - Mary Beth Dempsey, Ph.D. '46 and Sr. Mary Thompson CSJ '46 (deceased)
1994 - Sr. Mary Regina McCabe VHM '24 (deceased)
1993 - Mary Elizabeth Downey '12 (deceased)
1992 - Alexandra Boardman Klas '48
1991 - Helen Mary Hughesdon '64
Visitation has many rich traditions, including the recognition of student excellence. Begun in the mid-1900s, the DeChantal Award for Excellence was given annually to a senior student who was representative of all that Visitation stands for, a young woman who best exemplified the qualities inherent in a well-rounded individual.
In 1995, after a hiatus of several decades, the Visitation Alumnae Association reintroduced the DeChantal Award to the student body as a way to recognize individual excellence. Each year, recipients from the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools are chosen based upon a set of criteria set forth in the Portrait of the Visitation Learner. Included in the Portrait are such categories as religious character and values, academic/intellectual development, aesthetics, citizenship/global responsibility, interpersonal relations, leadership, physical development and technological knowledge.
The Visitation Alumnae Association is pleased to have the opportunity to recognize excellence among its future constituents. We hope that the DeChantal Award reinforces the importance of the Visitation school motto, "Not For School, but For Life."
Upper School Award Recipients
2017 - Molly Farrell and Christine Kane
2016 - Jocie Zenner
2015 - Elizabeth Wollan
2014 - Katie Hartnett and Grace Hyland
2013 - Allison Dohnalek
2012 - Meagan Trayers
2011 - Katie Moran
2010 - Elizabeth Palmer
2009 - Meghan Wenger
2008 - Sarah Anderson
2007 - Tylee Jackson
2006 - Theresa Evans
2005 - Laura Adams
2004 - Kate Hoffmann
2003 - Emily Weisbecker and Susan Wyatt
2002 - Kathryn Sullivan
2001 - Elizabeth Borer and Elizabeth Hoffmann
2000 - Christina Capecchi
1999 - Mary Gehrz and Anne Misukanis
1998 - Erin Dobie
1997 - Beth Kirvida
1996 - Sarah Desombre
1995 - Erin Dady
Middle School Award Recipients
2017 - Reece Bergeron
2016 - Natalie Canessa
2015 - Ceci Driano
2014 - Grace Beinlich
2013 - Julia Debertin and Grace Snyder
2012 - Anna Evans
2011 - Kayleen McQuillan
2010 - Annie Ferraro
2009 - Emily Westerback
2008 - Cecelia Heffron
2007 - Ellen Brady
2006 - Claire Kranz
2005 - Laura Erhart
2004 - Meredith Patt
2003 - Madelyn DePrey
2002 - Tricia Daly and Maurna Donovan
2001 - Laura Adams and Elizabeth Eldredge
2000 - Talia Daly and Claire Hvass
1999 - Emily Weisbecker
1998 - Tiffany Finley and Kari Schneibel
1997 - Elizabeth Borer
1996 - Christina Capecchi
1995 - Erin Kathleen O’Neill and Mary Therese Regal
Lower School Award Recipients
2017 - Lucia Castro and Philipos Solomon
2016 - Ella Passe
2015 - Caroline Schlehuber
2014 - Jacqueline Tsai
2013 - Grace Norris
2012 - Flannery Brown
2011 - Grace Snyder and Sarah Zimmermann
2010 - Elizabeth Hemauer
2009 - Sam Supplee
2008 - Annie Ferraro
2007 - Meredith Lawrence
2006 - Kathryn Supplee
2005 - Kathleen Ferraro
2004 - Christopher O’Daniel
2003 - Matthew Hipple and Grace Tilka
2002 - Annie Adams
2001 - Catherine Arney
1999 - Katherine Pennell
1998 - Jane Frenz and Christian Pilhöfer
1997 - Alexandra Arney and Claire Hvass
1996 - Candace Cheong and Francis Charles Welsh
1995 - Haley McNabb and Kari Schneibel
Mary Rosacker Owens was a member of the Visitation Class of 1967 and her connection and commitment to the Visitation community were constants in her life. Mary never said no to Visitation. For years she volunteered on committees, including chairing Merrie Market and enthusiastically serving as president of the Parents' Association. Throughout the years, Mary was active in the Alumnae Association and served on staff as Director of Alumnae Relations. Mary Rosacker Owens died on December 30, 1998, after a short battle with cancer. Mary’s family and friends have established a scholarship fund in her memory. Each year a Visitation senior will be selected by the Alumnae Association to receive the Mary Rosacker Owens Award of $1,000 to be used for tuition at a college or university. The recipient will be a student whose contributions might otherwise go unrecognized and who best emulates Mary’s enthusiasm for the school, her commitment to volunteerism and her deep love for the Visitation spirit.
Mary Rosacker Owens Award Recipients
2015 - Elizabeth Wollan
2014 - Catherine (CC) Connelly
2013 - Janelle Bute
2012 - Molly Kurth
2011 - Catie Borer and Jean Gehrz
2010 - Carrie Schmidt
2009 - Maddie Allie
2008 - Janice Geis
2007 - Shannon Monson
2006 - Monica Rosen-Blechinger
2005 - Abby Misukanis and Betsy Speltz
2004 - Katie Gehrz
2003 - Emily Mesch
2002 - Kelsey Giese
2001 - Eileen (Rupa) Ryan
2000 - Miquela Hernandez
1999 - Kathleen Lee