Sarah Personette

SARAH PERSONETTE ’97 kicked off the 27th event by

saying, “Woodlands is definitely part of who I am.

Woodlands wants you to be the best you can be.

It challenges you to do that . . . Love every minute

of your school here. It’s incredible.”

At a young age, Personette is president of Univer-

sal McCann advertising agency. She offered these

“commandments for consideration:”

1. Start by starting. Start with your dreams. Take

a chance. Learn from what works and what doesn’t. 2. Be the master of your own

education. Use resources around you to understand more about what’s interesting

to you. 3. Ignore the job title and focus on what you’ll learn. 4. Raise your hand

for the role. Don’t just think about it. Say you want to participate. 5. Work really

hard, and be kind to everyone. There are no shortcuts. Nothing is handed to you.

In closing, Personette said, “Integrity is the one true compass you should follow.”

Sherree BurrussSHERREE BURRUSS ’08 discussed “the good, the

bad and the ugly” sides of a career in TV journal-

ism. Her passion for reporting and love of sports

put her on the path to a job as sports anchor/

reporter for ABC 17 in Columbia, Mo. “You have to

really want to do this,” Burruss was quick to point

out.

She added that while there is much that is good

about what many perceive as a glamorous career,

such as every day being something new — never knowing what you’ll be covering

or who you’ll be meeting or where you might be travelling — there’s also a bad and

ugly side. The negative factors, according to Burruss, include generally low pay for

those first jobs in TV news, long/weird hours and often working holidays.

“You need to have good news judgment, the ability to think creatively — and a thick

skin — to make it in this business,” she said. “You also should be personable, trust-

worthy and patient. A lot of these traits can be traced to my Woodlands education.”

Kiki Hamilton ClarkKIKI HAMILTON CLARK, Sacred Heart Villa Duchesne

class of 1982, urged students to strike the proper

balance in their lives. “If your job is 80 percent

and your personal life is 20 percent, you’re out of

balance,” she said.

Clark, a realtor with Prudential Rubloff, discov-

ered her own life was “out of balance” in 2006,

when the real estate market was “getting crazy.”

As stress began to get the better of her, she

turned to yoga/meditation to calm down. The next step was to consider taking a dif-

ferent approach to her career by looking for a job in her chosen field that she could

enjoy – and not take too seriously.

“Enjoying family and friends is a key to keeping your life in proper balance,” Clark

said. “Also, don’t be afraid to try new things.”

She credits her Sacred Heart school roots with getting her off to a good start on her

career path – and for being there to help get her life in balance long after graduation.

Mes Amiesa publication from Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart

07№

2014 Spring ISSUE

CAREERDay 2014Experienced Sacred Heart alumnae in various fields offered their words of wisdom to students during Career Day Jan. 31.

Jenny Sullivan Sanford reminded students that there are a lot of ways to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the world – not just via their careers.

CONTINUED INSIDE »

’08

’97

’82

Pictured above, from left: FRANCESCA MATEO ’15, MIA OBERTO ’17 and JERUSALEM ADAMS-SHEPARD ’17 hold an extended Q & A session with

Woodlands alumna SHERREE BURRUSS ’08.

O ne of the many wonderful as-

pects of being a Woodlands

Academy student is having

the opportunity to participate in a wide

variety of clubs.

From CREW to Yearbook to Model UN,

clubs allow students to explore per-

sonal growth in an atmosphere of wise

freedom. There are many interesting

clubs, and most of them have been

started by students.

There are six new offerings this year:

Anime, Art, Book Club, Debate Team,

Ping-Pong and Woodlands Academy

Media (WAM). We’ll highlight a couple

of these as well as some of our longer-

standing clubs.

Inspiring girls to be 21st Century sci-

ence and technology leaders is what

the 3-year-old Robotics Club at Wood-

lands Academy of the Sacred Heart is

all about.

“We do this by engaging students in

exciting activities that build science,

technology, engineering and math

(STEM) skills while also inspiring inno-

vation and fostering well-rounded traits

such as self-confidence, communication

and leadership,” says physics teacher

Matthew Wilen, the Robotics Club’s

moderator.

Critical thinking and problem-solving

skills are required as students brain-

storm, design, build and program a

robot based on sound engineering

principles. The robot must be able to

perform tasks that are specified at the

start of each school year. Once built,

the robot can be entered into compe-

titions sanctioned by the FIRST (For

Inspiration and Recognition of Science

and Technology) Tech Challenge. Ro-

bots built for this year’s meets must be

able to place blocks on both sides of a

teeter-totter to balance it and then do

a pull-up on a “high bar.” Competition

takes place at the regional, state and

national levels each year.

At the typical regional meet, Wood-

lands’ Robotics Club will compete with

about 30 other teams. While the tasks

are identical, Wilen says no two robots

designed to perform them are ever the

same. “Students learn a lot from seeing

the other entries. You’ll often hear them

saying, ‘We should have done that.’”

“Our club is one of a very few all-girls’

robotics teams competing, which has

impressed some of the judges,” he

adds.

While Robotics Club may be a hobby

for some of its 15 members, Wilen says

all are truly interested in science and

technology. For those planning to pur-

sue that interest beyond high school,

there are college scholarship opportu-

nities available. One club member from

last year is now studying engineering

at Purdue University on a scholarship

while also serving as a mentor for high

school robotics teams in that area.

Woodlands Academy’s Robotics Club

meets twice a week – once during

lunch hour and once after school.

WAM is comprised of students work-

ing with Marketing and IT to do writing,

photography, video, social media and

campaign projects such as the Giv-

ing Tuesday initiative last fall. WAM

students have been trained to use the

school’s new GoPro video camera and

are beginning to capture first-person

Clubs Offer Endless Possibilities

WA WorldJENNIFER FLINT ’13, COLLEEN

ANDERSEN ’13 AND HAYLEY

LOVELL ’13 reconnect at a Provi-

dence College hockey game.

SARAH FEELEY ’93 filming on location for her latest project, My Side of the Sky, a half-hour documentary series about the kids who eat, sleep, study and shred at Windells Academy.

CAROLINE WATTS ’14,

HONORE OLSON ’14, CHLOE

SCHERER ’14, and CAROLINE

HITESHEW ’14 pose near one

the school's five festively

decorated trees during Winter

Wonderwalk.

MARISA PERINO ’16

assists a St. Malachy's

student during a ceramics

workshop.

AUDREY COLLOPY ’16 and MARY HURTGEN ’16 sport their team colors during the "favorite-sports-team" themed day of spirit week.

LILLY MCAVEENEY

’15 and FRANCESCA

MATEO ’15 rehearse

in brightly colored

costumes for the

school's production

of Guys and Dolls.

Jenny Sullivan SanfordJENNY SULLIVAN SANFORD ’80 joined the

school community via Skype. She had

planned to be at Woodlands, but the

weather in South Carolina was uncoopera-

tive. Sanford worked at a Wall Street bank-

ing firm before being campaign manager

for her then-husband, the governor of

South Carolina. She published a memoir,

Staying True, an instant national bestseller,

in 2010.

Sanford reminded students that there are a lot of ways to make a difference

in the world — not just via their careers. She relayed that her oldest of four

sons told her recently that when he graduates from college this year, he will be

working at the same Wall Street firm, in the same position she once held. “To

have him walk in my shoes is the biggest compliment to me.”

She offered this advice:

1. Know who you are at your core – your values, skill, passion. 2. Think

about a vocation, not just a job. A job that just puts money in your pocket isn’t

so rewarding. 3. Seek balance in life. The more we do, the less balanced we

are. 4. Sometimes less is more. The more we do, the less time we have to be.

5. Be resilient. Don’t be afraid to change.

The theme for the 2013-14 school year is THE RESILIENT

SACRED HEART WOMAN. Graduating young women of

courage, confidence and compassion is Woodlands Academy’s

four-year goal. The all-girl educational environment the school

provides is much about preparing young women to be resilient.

PRESERVING the Cupola

» CONTINUED from COVER

’80

accounts of life at WA. You’ll see some

bylines of WAM members in this news-

letter as part of the club’s intention is

to provide real-world experience and to

equip students with meaningful pieces

for their portfolios.

Brought to Woodlands Academy by

teacher Peter Cashman and supported

by the Leadership Team not that long

ago, Model United Nations has quickly

emerged as a club worthy of praise.

Designed to provide students with a

realistic political and diplomatic envi-

ronment, Model UN helps them foster

important skills and develop an under-

standing of international policy.

“Model UN is a fun experience that

helps me to develop my public speak-

ing skills and to meet a lot of great

people,” says BRIDGET CARMODY ’15

after her first conference.

Woodlands usually participates in

the annual CIMUN conference held in

downtown Chicago. As an international

event, many CIMUN attendees will

some day help to run countries in the

real world. It is this idea that Model UN

helps to foster.

“The world is so complex and inter-

connected, and Model UN allows the

participants to learn about issues and

controversies about which most have

never heard,” explains moderator Cash-

man.

“I hope that we continue to increase

our membership with students who are

dedicated to the club and are willing to

put in great effort to learn the intrica-

cies of the Model UN process and the

issues which are debated.”

Model UN takes place during fall

and winter and has 15 students who

participate.

RoboticsBuilding STEM Skills (and Robots, too)

WAMCapturing the Student Perspective

Model UNCreating the Next Generation’s Leaders

EMMA PARKINSON ’15

Be wise and good, and learn from your experience.

The newly formed Woodlands de-

bate team has already made its mark.

Within its first few months the stu-

dents have attended four tournaments.

Success has been immediate, as they

shocked themselves by winning first,

second and third in one particular

tournament.

The Woodlands debate team is

composed of three students and was

initiated and is monitored by Kyle

Schmitt, coordinator of educational

technology. These students dedicate

their time to exploring the world of

debate, specifically Lincoln-Douglas

style, which encourages them to have

quick rebuttals and strong justification

for their argument.

Debate team member ELLIE RAN-

DOLPH ’16 expresses how debate has

impacted her, “Practicing debate has

helped me with reasoning, organizing

my thoughts and even my confidence.”

The debate team tries to meet the

Friday before an all-day Saturday

tournament, practicing a mock round

to strengthen individual debate argu-

ments. The debate team has devel-

oped rapidly over the first few months

and only continues to get stronger.

“When I think about growth, I think

about the personal growth my debat-

ers are going through as a result of

their experiences debating,” Coach

Schmitt explained.

DEBATENewly Formed TeamMakes Its Mark

KELLY BOWLER ’15

From left: ERIKA CERILLO ’15, MIA ALVERGUE ’15 and ARMINDA DOWNEY-MAVROMATIS ’16 show off the latest configuration of their robot.

Your example, even more than your words, will be an eloquent lesson to the world.

The world is so complex

and interconnected, and

MODEL UN allows par-

ticipants to learn about

issues and controversies

about which most have

never heard.

THE 10,000-POUND CUPOLA FROM ATOP BARAT COLLEGE was successfully removed and awaits restoration as part of the campus expansion project underway thanks to the generosity of the donors of the property.

“While we were optimistic, we didn’t know for certain that it would be able to be removed intact,” said Ralph Elwart of the Board of Trustees. “We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when our engineers carefully hoisted the cupola to its interim location.”Coincidentally, this happened on students’ last day before Christmas break, Dec. 18, 2013.

Plans include restoration and re-installation on the ground directly below its former perch atop the building. Its base is expected to include some of the red bricks from Old Main as a decorative element. Ninety-five percent of the building’s materials are being repurposed.

“The cupola will be the focal point of a serene meditation and reflection garden. People will be able to sit, relax, meditate, pray or otherwise enjoy the beauty and space.”

The iconic cupola has been identified with the presence of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest since the school was transferred from Chicago to Lake Forest in 1904.

Follow us on Twitter, become a Facebook fan, join our LinkedIn Alumnae group, enjoy video on Woodlands Academy Tube, engage in discussions on the WA Blog, and more...

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LAKE FOREST, IL 60045

INSIDE THE NUMBERSWoodlands Academy Club Statistics

Exchange Program Takes New Twist with Chilean Opportunity

F or the first time in Woodlands

Academy’s expanding ex-

change program, two visit-

ing students from Chile will host our

students later this summer.

MARIA GRACIA DEL VALLE and CATALINA

RIOFRANCOS from Sacred Heart Sa-

grado Corazón, Santiago, Chile, picked

the coldest and most snowy winter in

recent history to visit Woodlands Jan.

18 through March 2. They chose Wood-

lands in part because of our boarding

school, which is not a common amenity

in Chile.

Their all-girls pre-K through high

school has about 1,400 students, and

the school year runs March through

December.

Both students lived in the Woodlands

boarding school for half of their stay,

and then with host families for the

other half. They liked that they could

experience the “best of both worlds.”

Maria Gracia stayed with the family of

GRACE MCKIERNAN ’16. Catalina stayed

with the family of ELENA GUTIERREZ ’16.

“I thought coming here might be dif-

ficult, but the girls are so open, and the

classes are so small compared to ours

which are 30 to 33 students,” Catalina

said. She is a senior and plans to go

into the medical field, perhaps to be-

come either a doctor or nurse.

Maria Gracia, a junior, noted that every-

thing in America is different, such as

our shopping centers. “Here, every-

thing is so big and you have food and

all other supplies in one store, whereas

in Chile, you go to a supermarket and

get just food.” She enjoyed seeing

Chilean wine at Costco.

Many of the Sacred Heart traditions

made our guests feel right at home.

“We have similar traditions such as

Mater, so it was easy to walk around

the campus and school and feel like we

belonged right away,” said Maria Gracia.

Catalina and Maria Gracia enjoyed their

visit. “I think Woodlands opens your

mind,” said Catalina. “We’re in a good

school here with the social services,

clubs, classes, and how everyone treats

each other is wonderful.”

They look forward to having Grace and

Elena visit their county and families this

summer.

Global Education Director Amy Perlick

said the program, in general, is expand-

ing significantly, which our Strategic

Plan emphasizes. She is always looking

for host families. “Being a host family

is a great way to expose your daughter

to another culture and is a good way to

be involved in exchange without having

to travel. We encourage host families

to just do their normal daily routines

while guests are here so that a realis-

tic glimpse of life in the United States

can be had.” Please contact Perlick if

you’re interested in being a host family,

as there are opportunities to do so.

Save the date

April 11TH

CONNIE SOLARI The Resilient Sacred Heart Woman Series

10:30AM

April 26TH

CONGÉ6:00PM

May 2ND

MAY CROWNING10:30AM

May 21ST

MSB PRAYER SERVICE

June 5TH

GRADUATION6:00PM

May 14TH

FINE ARTS EVENING6:00PM

A. MARIA GRACIA DEL VALLE and CATALINA

RIOFRANCOS don homemade birthday hats.

B. ELENA GUTIERREZ ’16 and CATALINA RIOFRANCOS bond during a weekend ski excursion.

C. ERIKA RODRIGUEZ ’16, MARY MCKIERNAN ’16,

CATALINA RIOFRANCOS, ELENA GUTIERREZ ’16, and

MARIA GRACIA DEL VALLE enjoy a lunch in Chicago.

A B C

29,565Pages turned by book club members this school year

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Robotic arm designs created by Robotics Club

Number of social media applications utilized by Yearbook Club to collect student generated content for the 2014 Yearbook 5

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27Number of student-run clubs actively meeting this school year

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47 Chemical reactions performed and examined by Chemistry Club

WORDS of WISDOM Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat