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Women's Day

Visitation School Women's Day 2025

Visitation School Women’s Day is an occasion for Visitation Middle (6th-8th grades) and Upper School (9th-12th grades) students to step outside the regular curriculum and gain insight into careers, community involvement and current women’s issues. Held on April 4 at Visitation School, the 2025 theme is Poised to Lead. The overarching goal is to showcase different types of leaders and the many ways that women can lead in various arenas such as science/engineering, performing arts, business/management, athletics, education, medicine, marketing/entrepreneurship, manufacturing and more! 

Questions or to learn more, contact Cecilia Petschel, Director of Communications and Marketing, at cpetschel@vischool.org or 651-683-1748.

Keynote Speaker - Mallory Weggemann

For Women’s Day 25, we are excited to welcome Mallory Weggemann as our keynote speaker. Mallory is a four-time Paralympian for Team USA who recently competed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, winning gold and silver medals in swimming. A multi-time American and World record holder, ESPN ESPY Award recipient, and a 7-time Paralympic medalist (4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), Mallory has utilized the platform of her professional swimmer career to be a fierce advocate for the disability community.  In addition to her athletic career, Mallory has worked for NBC Sports at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympic Games as a reporter and in-studio correspondent, and this summer, she made her hosting debut for NBC for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on CNBC and E! before competing in the Paralympic Games.

In 2021 Mallory released her memoir, LIMITLESS, where she shared her journey of hope and resilience to overcome adversity, empowering readers to honor their journey and lean into their still unwritten futures. Following her paralysis at the age of 18, Mallory has found not only her passion, but purpose in the power that storytelling and sport hold to transcend and serve as a catalyst for change in our society. 

Her passion is rooted in utilizing those platforms to work with her clients across all sectors and serve as advocate for authentic representation for the disability community from the workforce, to media and entertainment and in sport.

Visitation School is delighted to welcome nearly 30 woman leaders to Women's Day 2025. Thank you to all of our presenters! 

Nicole Sullivan, President at Youth Frontiers

LeAnn Rasachak, CEO WomenVentures

Molly Kinsella, Vice President, Best Buy Creative, Content and Operations

Joyce Deeb, Electrical Engineer, CEO WolfWare

Meredith Lawrence ’13, Mendota Heights Parks & Recreation Director; Assistant Public Works Director

Lauren Berg Donovan ’04, Owner and President, Style-Architects, LLC

Keelia Wood ’16, Theater Technical Coordinator

Katie Bellows ’97, Owner, Body20

Sarah Voeller ’93, Attorney, Larkin Hoffman

Claire Repp ’09, Director of Communications and Marketing, Girl Scouts River Valley

Jane Leyden Cavanaugh, Global Synod Road Show, Retreat Director

Elizabeth Hickey Orme ’04, Founder and CEO, Creatively Focused

Lindsay Bruber Hickey ’02, CEO, Simeks

Molly McFadden ’14, Growth Equity Investor, Arthur Ventures

Dr. Madeline Gagnon ’01, Pediatric Director, Gillette Children’s Hospital

Brittany Clausen, CEO, Envision Greatness

Emily Jackson Farrell ’07, Founder, Abendroth Golf

Sairey Gernes ’95, Founder and President, Urban Undercover

Mary Stoick ’99, Senior Vice President, Sunrise Banks

Brigid Ryan Ling ’97, Vice President Marketing, Pitcher

Kate Armstrong Pico ’98, Orthopedic Hand Surgeon

Anne Marie Gillen, Founder & CEO Gillen Group, a Production Consultant Company

Stephanie Spence, Vice President - Finance - Pet Division, General Mills

Lisa Mulrooney ’91, Senior Director, Thomson Reuters