ELIZABETH SETON HIGH SCHOOL LauncheS LeaD PROgRam

The Legacy of Light to Know
and The Giving of Grace to Do
Every donor of Elizabeth Seton
High School has a story behind
the gift that they give to Seton.
This story is woven together with details
of characters, experiences, emotions,
and hopes. Likewise, every student
who receives a gift from a Seton donor
has a story: a story of struggle, of
perseverance, of courage, and of hope.
Despite the powerful inspiration of
each one’s story, rarely does the donor
know the story of the student; nor
the student, the donor’s story as most
donors shy away from recognition or
even identification.
Much is lost in the silent exchange
between the giver and the student, and
as Elizabeth Seton High School recently
discovered, much is gained when these
stories are shared and celebrated.
On November l5, 2011 the first annual
Light to Know, Grace to Do Donor
Recognition Celebration was held in the
formal lobby of Elizabeth Seton High
School, which is now graced by our new
donor wall: The Light to Know and The
Grace to Do. Those who gave and those
who received gathered together with
family and friends for an evening of
storytelling, an event that breathed new
life into the legacy left by alumnae such
as Theresa Anne Gemmell ‘68, Kimberly
Neely ‘91 and Mary Laurette O’Meara ‘74;
by former staff members such as Sister
Jacqueline Kilar and Ms. Jean Llewellyn;
and by generous donors such as Agnes
Brown ‘63, Sam Rose, Stephanie Solaris
and Mary Jo Zeeman Vogt.
These stories were as inspirational as the
stories told by the students themselves
as they shared smile to smile and eye
to eye with someone who was formerly
a stranger and now a friend. Their
stories were poignant portrayals of the
promise that they have for the present
and the hopes that they have for the
future, despite the difficulties and the
disappointments of the past.
As with any good storytelling, there
was a new understanding and a parallel
familiarity with one another’s words.
The gap between the donor and the
student narrowed tremendously as
hearts joined together in gratitude and
generosity, in awe and admiration, in
tenderness and triumph. As Mary Jo
Zeeman Vogt ’75 said, “It was wonderful
to make a personal connection with the
girl that I was helping, to meet her and
her family, and to have her tell her story
with such humility. The thought of this
young girl not being able to finish at
Seton made me want to make sure that
she had what my parents gave to me. I
was impressed that this student took the
time to follow up with me and to send
me an email for the New Year.”
Mary Jo continues, “It was also a very
moving experience for me to be standing
right outside my former homeroom
classroom, re-connected with several
of my classmates and friends, and to
remember that much of my success now
is due to the way Seton prepared me for
college and for business.”
This night was Seton’s mission at its
best: the mission that enflames the ever
burning “light to know and increases
the ever flowing grace to do”. Said
continued on page 19
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